E-pistle for February 27, 2009
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation February 27, 2009
God's Probing Questions to Adam & Eve
(Genesis 3:1-13)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on God's inquiries into the sins of Adam and Eve
1. "Where are you?" (v. 9) Adam and Eve were engaged in an
impossible attempt to hide from God.
2. "Who told you that you were naked?" (v. 11) Adam and Eve,
through their sin of disobedience, had lost their state of perfect
innocence, changing the focus of their lives from the spiritual to
the physical.
3. "Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you
should not eat?" (v. 11) God confronts His people with the specific
sins of which they are guilty, John 8:7-9.
4. "What is this you have done?" (v. 13) Sinners must come to the
realization that their sins are against God . . . only God, Psalm 51:4,
and that they now stand condemned before the Judge of the universe.
John 3:18.
II. Meditation: on the unresponsive answers from Adam and Eve
1. Where are you? "I heard Your voice and I was afraid," v. 10.
2. Who told you? (No answer; it was their quickened conscience.)
3. Have you disobeyed? "The woman gave me the fruit and I ate . . .
but this never would have happened if You (God) had not made
her!" (v. 12)
4. What have you done? Eve answered: "The serpent deceived me
and I ate . . . but it's partly God's fault, because He made the serpent!"
(v. 13)
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications in this passage
1. God sees us and He knows exactly where we are and what we are
doing, Psalm 139:7-12.
2. In fact, God even knows all our thoughts and emotions, Psalm 69:5;
139:1-4; John 2:24; 16:30.
3. God requires us to confess our sins to Him specifically, Psalm 51:3;
I John 1:9.
4. God's heart is broken by man's deliberate rebellion and disobedience
because sin always brings its own fearful consequences of judgment
and death, Ezekiel 18:31; 33:11; Romans 6:23.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Know how much my heavenly Father loves me and how much my
disobedience grieves His heart . . . because I have deliberately
shifted my focus from fellowship and communion with Him to a focus
upon earthly, physical things.
2. Take full responsibility for my sins, without shifting the blame to others
or even hinging that "I couldn't help it because God made me this way."
3. Live my life with the constant awareness that God is always with me . . .
knowing my thoughts, hearing my words, and watching my deeds.
4. Immediately respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit whenever I sin
. . . repent, confess, forsake my sin, and receive Christ's forgiveness,
cleansing, and restoration to spiritual fellowship with Him.
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
(Genesis 4:1-10)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on these two brothers
1. Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, v. 1.
2. Cain was a farmer; Abel, his younger brother, was a shepherd, v. 2.
3. Apparently, these boys had been taught about spiritual things
(the Garden of Eden events) because both Cain and Abel brought
offerings to worship the Lord, vv. 3-4.
4. The Lord respected (esteemed; honored) Abel and his sacrifice,
but the Lord did not respect Cain and his offering, vv. 4-5.
II. Meditation: on why God accepted Abel but rejected Cain
1. Perhaps it was because Abel brought a blood sacrifice (for sin),
while Cain brought a grain offering (for thanksgiving) . . . although
these religious rituals were not established until centuries later,
Hebrews 12:24.
2. According to Jesus, Abel was "righteous," Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51.
3. Abel had faith as he offered his excellent sacrifice to God; Cain did
not have such a living faith, Hebrews 11:4.
4. Cain "was of the wicked (evil) one" (Satan), I John 3:12; Jude 1:11.
III. Revelation: on God's questions to the murderer, Cain
1. "Why are you angry? Why has your countenance fallen?" (v. 6) Cain's
anger had grown out of jealousy and envy of his brother, Abel, and
Cain's hateful, malicious attitude manifested itself on his face.
2. "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" (v. 7) God here extended to
Cain the possibility of Divine forgiveness and acceptance if he would
repent of his sins and in faith "do well" . . . obey.
3. "Where is Abel your brother?" (v. 9) God saw Cain murder Abel and
called for his confession, but Cain side-stepped the question, just as
his parents had done in Eden. Cain asked: "Am I my brother's keeper?"
The answer to Cain's question is "YES!"
4. "What have you done?" (v. 10) This is the same question which God
asked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:13). Sinners must
admit their sins before they are in a position to ask God's forgiveness.
IV. Applications: on following the examples given by Abel ("the first man to . . . ")
1. Abel was the first man to worship God correctly; I, also, must worship the
Lord in righteousness, I Chronicles 16:29.
2. Abel was the first man to demonstrate faith accurately; I, also, must
demonstrate my faith through my obedient works, James 2:18.
3. Abel was the first man to please God fully; I, also, walk "fully pleasing"
before God . . . spiritually fruitful, increasingly perceptive, and
empowered by the Holy Spirit, Colossians 1:10-12.
4. Abel was the first man to die physically; I, also, must someday
experience death, but through faith in the Lord Jesus, I shall be
resurrected, Hebrews 9:27; John 1:25-26; I Thessalonians 4:16-17.
"A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not
what a ship was built for."
- William Shedd
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: epistle2equip-unsubscribe@welovegod.org