3. THE PROBLEM OF HUMANITY |
|
In our first two lessons, we decided to learn about God through the things He created and did as explained in the Holy Scriptures. By working to understand God better, we are hoping to learn what He will and will not change in our lives. We are hoping to know what He can and can’t change about our fate. We all want a better future. We want to be safe from the evils and dangers that lie in wait behind the curtain of our future. Is there a better way than by examining the events of the past? We saw that in the beginning God created a perfect world. There wasn’t death, sadness, or pain. We expect this from a loving God. But many people are perplexed at the evil they see in the world and wonder where it came from. Everyday the newspapers print stories about kids killing their parents and themselves. Men and women are having affairs and killing each other over it. People in an effort to sidestep rules or take advantage of their positions, offer and accept bribes. Not to mention, the standard practice of not reporting income to the government and using fake receipts to counter high taxes. Perhaps some of us think that a lie is okay if you get away with whatever you are trying to cover up. But a lie is not the truth and we all think the truth is good, right? If so, why are so many people doing bad things? Some people think that the answer to the world’s problems can be found in government.
"Perhaps if we put all the power in the hand of one person and do what they say, our towns, cities, and country will be better," they thought.
But it wasn't long before they realized that kings and queens couldn't solve their problems because they were just as corrupt as them.
“If we change the government we will solve all the problems of the world” they said.
So they dabbled in communism, socialism, and democracy. But they soon found that the politburo, the state, and the elected officials were also corrupt. The idea that they could actually check their desire for power and prestige at the door was just that, an idea!
"Isn’t anybody honest anymore?" they asked one another. Some people think the answer to the problem of evil is education.
“If we educate the people, they will be good,” they say.
But you don't have to search long before you notice that some of the biggest thieves in the world are educated. Yes, people are still stealing purses on the streets. But there is just as much stealing going on by those who went to university and wear fancy suits. They steal all the money from corporations by using offshore banking practices, investing in fake businesses, and giving themselves million dollar bonuses. And of course there are the hackers who break into banks and credit card companies with their computer knowledge. They too are very educated; educated sinners and thieves.
Have you ever watched two three-year-olds playing together? Sometimes they will grab for things, hit each other, and almost never want to share. Who taught them to do those things? No one, they do it naturally. But as a parent it is your responsibility to intervene because you know it is wrong. We don't typically think of children as evil because they do not understand what is right and wrong. But why don’t they do the right thing naturally? Did God make human beings with some defect that makes them do bad things? Perhaps the problem of sin and corruption is deeper than we thought!
If we want to understand our fate, God’s actions in the world, and what is happening around us, we must first know where sin came from. We must understand it’s nature and how it affects every human being. If we can’t understand this basic principle, we will never be able to change our fate. Maybe the experience of a farmer can shed a little light on the subject.
There once was a farmer who was visited by a man from the Ministry of Agriculture. The representative from the ministry said to the farmer,
“If you use these organic beans and natural pesticides, when I come next year I will purchase your crop. But if you don’t use these, we won’t buy any of them.”
Shortly thereafter, another man came to the farmer and said,
“Listen, if you use these genetically enhanced seeds and this chemical pesticide you will get more yield from your fields and the government will never know. Just think of all the money you will make with the extra crops.”
The farmer believed the second man, bought the genetically altered seeds and sowed his fields with them. He watered the crops all summer and kept the weeds down. He continually broke the soil and applied the pesticides. He was excited when he saw how good those beans were growing. However, when it came time to harvest the beans he noticed that although they looked good, they were tasteless and had a different shape. The farmer had a lot riding on this crop and so he hoped that the representative would still be interested in buying it. But when the representative came from the Ministry of Agriculture, he did not accept the farmer’s crop and just like he said, he did not buy one bean. The farmer said to himself,
“Perhaps if I take these beans and plant them again, they will give a good crop the next year.”
So the farmer planted the beans again, but the result was the same. The beans were terrible! Not only did the government official know that he used the wrong seeds, he didn’t buy his crop and the farmer went bankrupt. No matter how hard he tried, the farmer couldn’t x the problem because the seeds were corrupt. According to the Holy Scriptures, the same problem exists with humans. But it wasn't always that way.
We know from the first creation story, that God created everything in an orderly manner and in six days. And when he was finished, he said that everything was very good. The animals ate the grass of the fields and fruit of the trees. There was no killing, death, or sin. In short, Adam and Eve were a perfect people living in a perfect earth and in perfect communion with a perfect God.
But their lives weren't lled with idleness and joy seeking. They had been given the responsibility to tend the garden and speci c instructions regarding what they could and couldn't do. And if they lived according to God's instructions, they would live forever. Let's start by reading Genesis chapter 2 verses 16 and 17:
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Compared to the lives we live, Adam and Eve's lives were very simple. They lived in a beautiful garden and only had to follow one rule. But if they broke that rule, the penalty would be death. We don't know how much time passed, but later, the serpent who was the most cunning of the animals came to Eve in the garden. We can read about it in Genesis chapter 3 verses 1-5
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the eld which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Who does the snake remind us of in the story about the farmer? Undoubtedly, he reminds us of the salesman who was selling his genetically altered seed. And while they both used lies to deceive, the serpent went one step further by claiming that God was a liar! Furthermore, he enticed Eve by claiming that she could be just like God. But rather than walk away, Eve, just like the farmer, made a huge mistake. She stayed there, contemplated what the snake said, and acted. Let’s continue with verses 6-8:
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed g leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.
Adam and Eve believed the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. What started as a suggestion in their minds developed into a lust for something they were told to avoid; a lust that caused them to distrust the God who created them and rebel against His word and authority. Ashamed of their rebellion, they covered themselves and hid in the bushes. We can see what happened in verses 9-12:
9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? 10 And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. 11 He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? 12 The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.
We see some dramatic changes taking place in Adam. Before Adam sinned he had no reason to feel fear, shame, or accuse others. But after he sinned, his attitude about God changed and he feared the One who use to walk with him in the Garden. We also see that he was ashamed of his nakedness and no longer felt able to stand in the presence of God. And the woman who was to be his companion, was now the source or blame for his sin. It is interesting that guilty people tend to blame others for their errors. But the reality is that no one wants to pay the consequences for their wrongdoings. How would God respond to their rebellion, knowing that he had promised death? Let us return to the Bible and read verses 13-24:
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the eld; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." 16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the eld. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." 20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a aiming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Life as they knew it was over! Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden and without having access to the tree of life they would eventually die. God could have executed the death sentence immediately, but He didn't. He knew the snake was to blame and that is why he said the it would be destroyed. But what did this mean? And who would do it?
Just as the farmer transferred his loyalty from the government to the seed salesman; so too Adam and Eve transferred their loyalties from God to the serpent. There is an old saying, "You are the servant of the one who rules you." When Adam and Eve chose to listen to the serpent, they essentially became his slave and it brought consequences. For Adam and Eve there were changes in their bodies, attitudes, and in the world they lived in. These same changes were passed down from generation to generation. This is how death, hardship, toil, sickness, and sin became the norm.
All of us die, children included. When sin came into our world life changed. Human nature changed for the worse. And like genetically altered seeds, the seeds of sin and death have passed to us from Adam and Eve. What can be done to x the sentence of death that is upon us? If our nature is like genetically altered seeds that can't produce good fruit, how can God ever accept us?
One day a four-year-old child was brushing his teeth by his mother’s side. Suddenly he dropped the toothbrush and the toothbrush bounced off the sink and went right into the toilet. The child said to his mother,
“Mom, before I use that toothbrush again we need to clean it real good don’t we?”
His mother said to him, “Son you can never clean that toothbrush sufficiently to put it back into your mouth. It is dirty forever.” Sin changed humanity in a way that makes all our efforts to correct the world in vain. We are de led before God and we cannot x it. We cannot come into His presence. Just as Adam and Eve were driven from the garden and have no access to the tree of life, we also are unclean and cannot enter there. We die just like Adam and Eve, so will our children. The genetic make up of our being changed with sin. Is there any hope for this situation? Is this a part of fate that can’t be changed?
Discussion Questions
"Perhaps if we put all the power in the hand of one person and do what they say, our towns, cities, and country will be better," they thought.
But it wasn't long before they realized that kings and queens couldn't solve their problems because they were just as corrupt as them.
“If we change the government we will solve all the problems of the world” they said.
So they dabbled in communism, socialism, and democracy. But they soon found that the politburo, the state, and the elected officials were also corrupt. The idea that they could actually check their desire for power and prestige at the door was just that, an idea!
"Isn’t anybody honest anymore?" they asked one another. Some people think the answer to the problem of evil is education.
“If we educate the people, they will be good,” they say.
But you don't have to search long before you notice that some of the biggest thieves in the world are educated. Yes, people are still stealing purses on the streets. But there is just as much stealing going on by those who went to university and wear fancy suits. They steal all the money from corporations by using offshore banking practices, investing in fake businesses, and giving themselves million dollar bonuses. And of course there are the hackers who break into banks and credit card companies with their computer knowledge. They too are very educated; educated sinners and thieves.
Have you ever watched two three-year-olds playing together? Sometimes they will grab for things, hit each other, and almost never want to share. Who taught them to do those things? No one, they do it naturally. But as a parent it is your responsibility to intervene because you know it is wrong. We don't typically think of children as evil because they do not understand what is right and wrong. But why don’t they do the right thing naturally? Did God make human beings with some defect that makes them do bad things? Perhaps the problem of sin and corruption is deeper than we thought!
If we want to understand our fate, God’s actions in the world, and what is happening around us, we must first know where sin came from. We must understand it’s nature and how it affects every human being. If we can’t understand this basic principle, we will never be able to change our fate. Maybe the experience of a farmer can shed a little light on the subject.
There once was a farmer who was visited by a man from the Ministry of Agriculture. The representative from the ministry said to the farmer,
“If you use these organic beans and natural pesticides, when I come next year I will purchase your crop. But if you don’t use these, we won’t buy any of them.”
Shortly thereafter, another man came to the farmer and said,
“Listen, if you use these genetically enhanced seeds and this chemical pesticide you will get more yield from your fields and the government will never know. Just think of all the money you will make with the extra crops.”
The farmer believed the second man, bought the genetically altered seeds and sowed his fields with them. He watered the crops all summer and kept the weeds down. He continually broke the soil and applied the pesticides. He was excited when he saw how good those beans were growing. However, when it came time to harvest the beans he noticed that although they looked good, they were tasteless and had a different shape. The farmer had a lot riding on this crop and so he hoped that the representative would still be interested in buying it. But when the representative came from the Ministry of Agriculture, he did not accept the farmer’s crop and just like he said, he did not buy one bean. The farmer said to himself,
“Perhaps if I take these beans and plant them again, they will give a good crop the next year.”
So the farmer planted the beans again, but the result was the same. The beans were terrible! Not only did the government official know that he used the wrong seeds, he didn’t buy his crop and the farmer went bankrupt. No matter how hard he tried, the farmer couldn’t x the problem because the seeds were corrupt. According to the Holy Scriptures, the same problem exists with humans. But it wasn't always that way.
We know from the first creation story, that God created everything in an orderly manner and in six days. And when he was finished, he said that everything was very good. The animals ate the grass of the fields and fruit of the trees. There was no killing, death, or sin. In short, Adam and Eve were a perfect people living in a perfect earth and in perfect communion with a perfect God.
But their lives weren't lled with idleness and joy seeking. They had been given the responsibility to tend the garden and speci c instructions regarding what they could and couldn't do. And if they lived according to God's instructions, they would live forever. Let's start by reading Genesis chapter 2 verses 16 and 17:
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Compared to the lives we live, Adam and Eve's lives were very simple. They lived in a beautiful garden and only had to follow one rule. But if they broke that rule, the penalty would be death. We don't know how much time passed, but later, the serpent who was the most cunning of the animals came to Eve in the garden. We can read about it in Genesis chapter 3 verses 1-5
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the eld which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Who does the snake remind us of in the story about the farmer? Undoubtedly, he reminds us of the salesman who was selling his genetically altered seed. And while they both used lies to deceive, the serpent went one step further by claiming that God was a liar! Furthermore, he enticed Eve by claiming that she could be just like God. But rather than walk away, Eve, just like the farmer, made a huge mistake. She stayed there, contemplated what the snake said, and acted. Let’s continue with verses 6-8:
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed g leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.
Adam and Eve believed the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. What started as a suggestion in their minds developed into a lust for something they were told to avoid; a lust that caused them to distrust the God who created them and rebel against His word and authority. Ashamed of their rebellion, they covered themselves and hid in the bushes. We can see what happened in verses 9-12:
9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? 10 And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. 11 He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? 12 The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.
We see some dramatic changes taking place in Adam. Before Adam sinned he had no reason to feel fear, shame, or accuse others. But after he sinned, his attitude about God changed and he feared the One who use to walk with him in the Garden. We also see that he was ashamed of his nakedness and no longer felt able to stand in the presence of God. And the woman who was to be his companion, was now the source or blame for his sin. It is interesting that guilty people tend to blame others for their errors. But the reality is that no one wants to pay the consequences for their wrongdoings. How would God respond to their rebellion, knowing that he had promised death? Let us return to the Bible and read verses 13-24:
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the eld; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." 16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the eld. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." 20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a aiming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Life as they knew it was over! Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden and without having access to the tree of life they would eventually die. God could have executed the death sentence immediately, but He didn't. He knew the snake was to blame and that is why he said the it would be destroyed. But what did this mean? And who would do it?
Just as the farmer transferred his loyalty from the government to the seed salesman; so too Adam and Eve transferred their loyalties from God to the serpent. There is an old saying, "You are the servant of the one who rules you." When Adam and Eve chose to listen to the serpent, they essentially became his slave and it brought consequences. For Adam and Eve there were changes in their bodies, attitudes, and in the world they lived in. These same changes were passed down from generation to generation. This is how death, hardship, toil, sickness, and sin became the norm.
All of us die, children included. When sin came into our world life changed. Human nature changed for the worse. And like genetically altered seeds, the seeds of sin and death have passed to us from Adam and Eve. What can be done to x the sentence of death that is upon us? If our nature is like genetically altered seeds that can't produce good fruit, how can God ever accept us?
One day a four-year-old child was brushing his teeth by his mother’s side. Suddenly he dropped the toothbrush and the toothbrush bounced off the sink and went right into the toilet. The child said to his mother,
“Mom, before I use that toothbrush again we need to clean it real good don’t we?”
His mother said to him, “Son you can never clean that toothbrush sufficiently to put it back into your mouth. It is dirty forever.” Sin changed humanity in a way that makes all our efforts to correct the world in vain. We are de led before God and we cannot x it. We cannot come into His presence. Just as Adam and Eve were driven from the garden and have no access to the tree of life, we also are unclean and cannot enter there. We die just like Adam and Eve, so will our children. The genetic make up of our being changed with sin. Is there any hope for this situation? Is this a part of fate that can’t be changed?
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the snake lied about God and wanted Adam and Eve to sin? If the snake was a symbol, who or what could it be?
- Children who have alcoholic parents or parents with AIDS can sometimes be born with alcohol addiction or AIDS. Is it possible that people have genetically inherited an inclination to sin from their parents?
- God said that Adam and Eve would die if they sinned? Why does a child who does not know right from wrong die like older people who know what is right and wrong?
- Our attitudes, actions, and even our bodies are de led before God. When could our bodies, our attitudes, or our world be cleansed and who could cleanse them?
- If we human beings are so sinful that they cannot stay in God’s then we must be de led by sin. Is it possible that doing regular prayers can cleanse us from this defilement? How can a prayer cleanse from the defilement of sin? If prayer cleansed us from the defilement of sin why aren’t we perfect here on earth? Why can’t we endure God’s presence now?