Knowing The Word in Genesis 3:20-24, The Expulsion

20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. [Some commentators have mentioned “Eve” is like the Aramaic word for “serpent”. More likely is the meaning behind the Greek word the LXX uses: Zoe (life). Adam names his wife, “Life”, as an act of faith that humanity will continue to live.] 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. [This is not only an act of grace but a reassertion of God’s rights, and it is a reminder of man’s sinfulness. As man can no longer enjoy direct vision of God, so God should not be approached by unclothed man. In the Old Testament the phrase “to clothe someone” has two main usages: 1) for the clothing of priests, usually by Moses (Ex 28:41) and 2) for the clothing of honored subjects by the king (Gen 41:42). This terminology used in the Garden of Eden closely parallels the vocabulary associated with worship in the tabernacle. As both priest and king, Jesus, however, accomplishes his greatest work naked on the cross.]

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. [God acknowledges that the serpent’s promise has been partially fulfilled.] Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat [suggesting Adam had not eaten yet], and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword [fire is a regular symbol of God’s judgment] that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. [Instead of man guarding the garden, armed cherubim replace him to keep him out. He who was appointed to till the garden will now till the land instead. Why are they on the east side? In Genesis to be east of God is a place of judgment. Where else do we find cherubim in the Bible? Look up Exodus 25:18-22 and John 20:11-14. They symbolically guard the Word and Promise of God.]

[Why is the world the way it is today? In Genesis 1:31 God said everything he made was very good. Genesis 2 & 3 explain why the world fails to exhibit that perfection today. Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Genesis 2-3 offers a paradigm of sin and the model of what happens whenever man disobeys God. Romans 5:12 states, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” The first man’s sin has dire consequences for humanity. We have all sinned in Adam. It does not matter that we did not eat the fruit ourselves—although we too would have had we been Adam—we are his offspring. Building on Paul’s exposition of Genesis 3, the Christian doctrines of original sin and guilt have developed, explaining why man cannot rescue himself but is in need of dire help. Similar to our “being in Adam” is our “being in Christ.” We are now the “offspring of Jesus.” We did nothing to contribute to our redemption and justification in Christ except for our own sins. So as we are guilty in Adam we are made righteous in Christ.]