The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

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CHAPTER FOUR: The Gospel of Genesis 3:7

1. THE TERRORS OF DISOBEDIENCE

They were not only naked, they were afraid. God had threatened them with death if they partook of the reserved tree. And almost as if in echo to their thoughts “they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). CFF1 57.1

But they soon discovered that running from God was useless, for God seemed determined to find them. The story continues: CFF1 57.2

“And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:9-13).

Picture 1: Guilty Conscience of Eve:
Terror Strikes the Heart of Eve as She Realizes the Enormity of Her Act in Enticing Adam to Eat the Fruit of the Forbidden Tree of the Garden.
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As the guilty pair stood frightened and ashamed before their Creator, He turned to the serpent, and through it cursed the tempter who caused the fall of His first earth children. As Adam and Eve listened they heard Him say: CFF1 58.1

“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

2. THE FIRST GLIMMER OF HOPE

“Her seed.” Adam and Eve had been commanded by God to multiply and replenish the earth. But so short a time had elapsed since their creation that they had as yet no children. If the “seed” of Eve was to crush the head of the serpent, then God did not intend to carry out His threat of death for a time, at least. Here was the first glimmer of hope. Some one of Eve’s descendants apparently was to win a victory over the serpent. The darkness began to lift. CFF1 58.2

Picture 2: Expelled from the Garden:
Though Expelled From Eden Because of Sin, Redemption Through a Redeemer Was Promised at the Very Gates of Eden. Infinite Love Found a Way.
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This promise, dimly understood at first, was gradually expanded until the full plan of God for restoring guilty man to holiness was revealed to Adam’s descendants. CFF1 59.1