The Great Big Fall

As we continue to study Permenter's devotional, Rise, we spend about a week looking at Genesis 3-5.  I want to encourage you to notice a few matters along the way.


The Fall -Genesis 3.
The Motive- The motive for eating the fruit (we don't know if it was an apple) was to know more and to be like God.  The reality is that every sin that we commit is a choice that we make to become our own little god.  When we sin, we decide that our will is greater than God's will, our choices are bigger than God's, our guidance is more keen than God's.
The Fault- Who was at fault for the sin? Adam blamed Eve...or he blamed God for giving him Eve.  Eve blamed the snake.  People have been blaming someone else for their sins every since. Don't be mistaken: we are all responsible for our own sins, even though others do contribute to our spiritual ailments.
The Cost- The fall in to sin costs them a lot more than they ever would have imagined. It always does.  The devil will try to tell you that it won't hurt you or anyone else.  Sin always hurts you and others. As a matter of fact, it always has a bigger effect than you thought it would.


The Bad Offering and The Bitter Spirit- Genesis 4.
People have been trying to figure out why Cain's offering was not accepted.  Was it not acceptable because it was the wrong type?  Did God say that He wanted a sin offering or a blood sacrifice? Scripture does not say.  I will tell you what it does say in Hebrews 11.4.  Hebrews 11.4 points more to the man than the offering.  Have your heart right when you give an offering.


Old People- Genesis 5.
The genealogy of Genesis 5 is interesting to me for two reasons.  The first is how long people lived before the flood.  I believe there was a different atmosphere (a greenhouse or canopy effect) before the flood.  Lives get much shorter after the flood.  The second observation is how Methuselah died. 
Methuselah lived longer than anyone ever has: 969 years.  He lived 782 years after he fathered Lamech.  Lamech was 182 when he had Noah.  The flood came when Noah was 600.  Lamech died five years before the flood.  Methuselah died when Noah was 600....the year of the flood.  I hope grandpa died before the flood came and not after they shut the door.   Just something to think about.