God will Restore the Locust Years

 

Joel 2:18-3:21

Future Restoration and Hope

In the last sermon which covered the first section of Joel, we mentioned that while the plague of locusts was destroying the land and impoverishing her inhabitants, Joel told the people of Judah to listen attentively to what important message God had to say to them through their environment.

Joel also called them to repent and throw themselves at the mercy of their compassionate God so that further damages could be avoided.

Now, we shall look at the second section of Joel that is 2:28-3:21. Up to this point, the book of Joel has focused on God’s judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, but from here on, it described God’s promise of restoration. As the people sincerely repented God would respond graciously.

The LORD’s Promise of Immediate Material Restoration (2:18-27)

God promised to restore his people’s material lives in the immediate future, replenishing their fields, orchards, vineyards, and flocks. The LORD will jealously guard his land and take pity on his people.  He would restore the fruits of the land. God would also eradicate the invading armies from the north. His comforting words, “Don’t be afraid, my people. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.” (vv.18-21)

God also would once again restore the regular pattern of rainfall, and the drought would be reversed. He promised restitution for the terrible damage done by the locusts. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you.” (v. 25)

Let’s repent and turn to God, then we will be able to rejoice. When God rules, his restoration will be complete, so we have nothing to fear. When God pardons, he restores our relationship with him and the loses which we incurred in the locust years. He promises to meet the deepest needs of those who love him by loving us, forgiving us, giving us purpose in life, and establishing a caring community.

Finally, God’s promises of restoration should lead the people of Judah and Jerusalem to praise and adoration, acknowledging that the Lord was in their midst and that he alone is God (vv.26-27).

So, let’s start praising the LORD even while we are still walking in the wilderness; singing, “Blessed be the name of the LORD!”

The LORD’s Promise of Eschatological Restoration (2:28-32)

Then Joel turned his attention to the more distant future. He looked beyond his time to the future day of the LORD, when God would pour out his Spirit in ways never before seen.

Verses 28-29: And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

In Israel, the empowering gift of God’s Spirit had previously been given only to select individuals such as judges, priests, kings, and prophets. Joel envisioned a time when the Sprit would be given to every one of God’s people, regardless of gender, age, or social position.

The future outpouring of God’s Spirit would be accompanied by signs and wonders, blood and fire and…. smoke. Together with the darkening of the sun and the moon, these are indications of God’s coming in judgment (vv. 30-31).

The LORD has given his people the assurance of His love and His deliverance by pouring out His Spirit on all people - all the Israelites, the lowly and the humble, and those who come to call on the Lord for salvation (v.32).

This calling on the name of God should not be a final act of desperation. It should accompany a lifelong commitment of worship, service, and fellowship with God.

There is nothing more precious than having the Spirit of God filling us and dwelling in us forever, to guard and to keep watch over us. Has the message of Joel been fulfilled? Yes! Acts 2 narrates the coming of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter saw the Holy Spirit coming upon everyone on Pentecost, he declared that this prophecy of Joel had come to past (Acts 2:14-21). We are now living in the end times by the facts that Christ died on the cross to redeem us and has sent down the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

Today, the Spirit of God will live in your life if you truly repent and trust in Christ’s salvation (John 14:16). The indwelling of the Spirit affirms God’s presence and providence which are lifelong, forever, and lasting.

Thank God that He has loved us so much that He gave us the best—His Spirit. Even if there were plague of locust and other disasters to come, or when we encounter destructions of nations and families and, even death, we shall not be fearful for the Spirit of God shall be with us forever.

The God who is in control of the present, the future, and the past, lives in our hearts. Who or what shall we fear?

But fear only when we fail to believe God genuinely, and do not do as He has told us. Let’s us not grieve the Holy Spirit but live in step with the Spirit to do God’s will and realize his plan in our lives.

Judgement Against Enemy Nations but Blessing for God’s People (3:1-21)

In those days and at that time (end time), God promised to restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem (3:1). God will not only bless His people with everything they need, he will also bless them by destroying all evil and ending the pain and suffering on earth.

This prophecy had three fulfillments: immediate, ongoing, and final.

Its immediate interpretation could apply to King Jehoshaphat’s recent battle against several enemy nations (2 Chronicles 20). Its ongoing fulfillment could be the partial restoration of the people to their land after the exile to Babylon.

God would assemble the armies of all the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat, which means “the LORD judges”. God would judge the nations’ sins of which include exiling God’s covenant people and victimizing helpless boys and girls in inhuman slave trade (3:2-3).

The Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon and the cities of Philistia were guilty of looting the precious treasures of Jerusalem and selling its people as slaves to the Greeks. The people of Trye, Sidon, and Philistia had enslaved Israelites, so the Lord would punish them by selling their sons and daughters in to slavery (vv. 4-8).

The nations were mockingly called to a futile war against the LORD that would end in their destruction and judgment. Joel ordered the nations to mobilize all resources for the forthcoming battle, even those unfit for war were not exempted.

The battle would take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat, where the Lord would pronounce judgment on them all. God would defeat the nations like a sickle that mows down stalks of grain and like workers who tread grapes in the winepress (vv.9-13).

This prophecy’s final fulfilment will come in the great battle that precedes the Messiah’s reign over the earth (Revelation 20:7-9). Joel described multitudes waiting in the “valley of decision”. The name of the valley is changed because now the LORD’s judgment had been decided. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine (vv.14-15).

The LORD’s voice, like that of a lion, would roar from Zion, shaking heaven and earth and terrifying sinners. Yet this same ferocious lion is also a refuge for his people. His people must learn that he alone is God and that he reigns over all creation from Zion, his holy mountain. The only true security in the present, and the only hope for the future, comes from God’s presence (vv.16-17).

The final word will be God’s; his ultimate sovereignty will be revealed in the end. We cannot predict when that end will come, but we can have confidence in his control over the world’s events. The worlds’ history, as well as our own pilgrimage, is in God’s hands. We can be secure in his love and trust him to guide our decisions.

Thousands upon thousands or billions upon billions of people will be driven into the Valley of Judgment and Decision in each of their own way – dead, living, and yet to be born. Make sure you are closely connected to God. Hide yourselves in Christ, the Rock of Salvation.

Don’t forget to look around you. See your friends—those with whom you work and live. Have they received God’s forgiveness? Have they been warned about sin’s consequences? If we understand the severity of God’s final judgement, we will want to take God’s offer of hope and salvation to those we know.

Blessings would flow from the LORD’s sovereign presence in Zion. There would be superabundance of sweet wine and milk. The Temple, God’s own dwelling on earth, would be the source of a spring that would forever water the arid landscape. Even as Judah is restored, her ancient enemies, Egypt, and Edom would experience God’s judgment for their crimes against his people (vv.18-19).

The picture of this restored land is one of perfect beauty, similar to the Garden of Eden. The life-giving fountain flowing from the LORD’s Temple illustrates the blessings that come from God. Those who trust in him will be forever fruitful (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Revelation 22:1-2).

Egypt and Edom are two of Israel’s most persistent enemies. They represent all the nations which are hostile to God’s people. God’s promise that they would be destroyed is also a promise that all evil in the world will one day be destroyed.

Joel ended with the divine assurance that Judah and Jerusalem will endure through all generations. God’s people in every generation can rest secure in the hope that His Kingdom will reign over heaven and earth (vv.20-21).

Conclusion:

To God’s people who were hit by plague, Joel told them to wake up, get rid of their complacency, and realize the danger of living apart from God. He began by stressing the need for repentance and ended with the promises of forgiveness and restoration that repentance would bring.

Joel’s message to us is that there is still time; anyone who calls on God’s name can be saved. Those who turn to God will enjoy the blessings; those who refuse will face destruction.

Let’s turn back to God. He will restore our present material lose completely. He also will pour out his Spirit on us to empower us to live in accord with his law. He also would intervene in the world to judge the wicked and to establish peace and justice eternally.

Joel presented before us the great God who is in control of all things in this world. He reigns forever. He not only is the God of our present day, nor of the past nor is He only God in the times when the Israelites faced the plague of locusts. He shall still be God when the world comes to an end in the future.

All the lives of humanity, the history of the world, the eternity of the cosmos, are held in the hand of God. He is also the One who is full of grace and mercy, slow in anger and abounding in love.

Since we are aware that God is sovereign over all ages and full of lovingkindness, we should turn to Him and put our trust in Him even when this world is plagued by calamities.

Let’s worship, honor, love and serve Him throughout our lifetime. By this we shall be able to recover our loses of the locust years, and also stand firm in the Valley of Judgment and as well as the Valley of Decision, on the day of the LORD.

The LORD Roars From Zion

 

Amos 1-2

God Announced His Judgement for the Nations

Amos was from Tekoa (1:1). Tekoa was a small town in the countryside of the southern kingdom of Judah. So, Amos was a Judahite, and he was called by God to be a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel.

From Amos’ words, we know that he was heeding sheep and tending sycamore-fig trees (7:14-15). In today’s term, he was an affluent professional in the market place. It was not a particularly “spiritual” job, yet, he became a channel of God’s message to others.

Today, your job may not cause you to feel spiritual, but it is vital work if you are in the place God wants you to be. God can work though you to do extraordinary things, no matter how spectacle or ordinary your occupation.

When Amos arrived in Israel about 755BC, the two kingdoms increased in prosperity, but the greater prosperity merely increased the power of those who already had it. Those who had no power were even more oppressed. The rich were getting richer the poor were getting poorer. 

In response to this situation, Amos called Israel to account for its apostasy and inhumanity. He directed his message to all the Israelites, but especially to the rich, powerful, and self-indulgent. He depicted God as a ferocious lion—roars from Zion, ready to devour those who are evil or unfaithful (1:2).

We can divide the book of Amos into three sections: the first section is from chapter 1 to chapter 2, where the prophet issued his reproaches to the eight nations, telling them their sins and the impending judgment.

The second section is from chapter 3 to chapter 6, and it tells about the coming plagues upon the Israelites.

The last section is from chapter 7 to chapter 9, and it speaks about God’s heart and desire.

This time we will expound the first section: chapter 1-2 which is a series of eight indictments. Amos directs the first seven charges against surrounding nations, with the eighth against Israel itself.

The first nation mentioned was Damascus, the capital of Aram (1:3-5).

Damascus threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth (Gilead is one of the places in Israel). The iron vessel used for threshing grains was fastened on the back of either a horse or a donkey. When the horse or the donkey walked through a grain field, it would squeeze and press the grains and they would fall on the ground.

The people of Damascus oppressed the Israelites with their cruel acts of atrocities. Hence, God wanted to punish them by letting Damascus be conquered and ruined by the enemy.

The second nation mentioned was Philistines (1:6-8). The Philistines resided in the south west of Israel, and the Bible mentioned that Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron were all its big cities.

The Philistines would be destroyed because they took captive the whole communities of Israel and sold them to Edom. They sinned because of human trafficking. They were later conquered by Uzziah and finally the Assyrian invasion ended the distinct identity of the Philistines.

The third nation was Tyre (1:9-10). Tyre and Sidon were major cities in Phoenicia. Like the Philistines, they also sold whole communities of Israel to Edom and inevitably, they would be punished by God. They too would be invaded and destroyed.

The fourth nation was Edom (1:11-12). Edomites were brothers with Israelites, for they were the descendants of Esau, the elder brother of Jacob. They pursued the Israelites with a sword and wanted to wipe them off time and again and disregarded their brotherhood.

The Edomites held grudges against their brothers and showed no mercy to them. This was something not pleasing to God and God would punish them with fury flames of war. Babylon destroyed Edom in 553BC.

The fifth nation was Ammon (1:13-15). The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. In ancient times, conquering armies commonly ripped open pregnant women; they also raped the women and slaughtered the children of the towns they seized.

Ammonites had committed such atrocities when attacking Gilead to extend their borders. They were inhumane and God wanted to punish such people. Ammon was later crushed by the Assyrians in the 800BC, then attacked the depopulated by the Babylonians in the 700s.

The sixth nation was Moab (2:1-3). The corpses of the dead in the war should be buried, and it was a requirement in the battlefield as well as in the Bible. But the Moabites burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king, and it was an act of blasphemy and humiliation.

These acts came from an evil heart and God’s punishment shall come upon them. This fate probably came upon them through an invasion by Sargon II of Assyria in 714BC.

The seventh nation was Judah. God punished the pagan nations when they sinned; God also would punish His people who sinned. The prophet rebuked God’s elects too.

The pagan nations listed to this point had committed atrocities that violated a general sense of human decency, but Judah had gone further. Amos reprimanded Judah for abandoning the Law of God, did not keep the ordinances and decrees, and worshipped idols and went astray.

Having discarded God’s true instruction, Judah turned to a substitute found in pagan syncretism and idolatry. Judah’s paganism brought the same punishment as the sins of its pagan neighbors: fire that would destroy Jerusalem. The Babylonians burned Jerusalem when they captured it in 586BC.

Those who sinned would surely be punished by God. The people of God would not be spared. When God’s people behave wrongly in life, it often has to do with their relationship with God. Forsaking God is the source of sinning. We should keep alert and walk closely with God.

Amos moved quickly through a litany of sins committed by Israel’s neighbors. His listeners—the Israelites must have enjoyed hearing those words! Suddenly, however, Amos turned to them, the eighth nation, and pronounced God’s judgment on them.  Amos used the longest passage to talk about Israel. The Israelites had committed five sins:

First, they oppressed the poor. “They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground.” (2:6-7)

The righteous were those who obeyed the Word of God. When righteous men were unable to pay off their borrowings, the Israelites sold them to slavery. God gave wealth and prosperity to the Israelites, but they did not use it to help the poor. Instead, they oppressed the poor with the very wealth they had.

The helpless and oppressed were exploited by a socio-economic system that denied them the justice guaranteed by law (Exodus 23:6-8). This act was not pleasing to God.

Second, they were adulterous and shameless. “Father and son sleep with the same woman,” （2:7）. This is the moral destitution of the Israelites; the law of Moses prohibited this practice.

Third, they showed no mercy. “At their religious festivals, they lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.” (2:8)

According to the law of Moses, if someone was in need and he borrowed money from others, he would have to use his garment as a pledge. The money lender had to return the garment first to his borrower before the sunset if the latter was unable to pay off his debts. This was because the borrower needed his garment to keep himself warm, and this was mercy.

However, the Israelites did not return their borrowers their garments, and they even laid down on the garments and concerned themselves only in their own welfares. They paid no attention to others’ needs and were merciless. They did not please God.

Fourth, they were ungrateful (2:9-10).

The prophet reinstated the history of Israelites. God once led them out of the land of Egypt, and led them for forty years in the wilderness. He made them possess their land and build their nation. By then, they were abundant and rich, but they forgot about the God who blessed them before. This was a kind of ungratefulness.

We are amazed at Israel’s forgetfulness, but what would the prophets say about us? We should repay kindness with the kindness we receive. Ungratefulness and not repaying kindness with kindness is something displeasing to God. What God has done for us should remind us to live for him.

Fifth, they despised the prophets (2:11-12). God raised up prophets and Nazirites among them, but they forbade these prophets from prophesizing, and caused the Nazirites to sin. If God’s servants were corrupted, there would remain little influence for good among the Israelites.

The Israelites were corrupted morally, backslidden spiritually, and they oppressed the poor. They lived adulterously and shamelessly, showed no mercy and were ungrateful. They despised God’s servants and God’s words.

The other nations were ignorant of God’s law, But Judah and Israel, God’s people, knew what God wanted. Still they ignored him and joined pagan’s way of life. If we know God’s Word and refuse to obey it, like Israel, our guilt is greater than those who are ignorant of it.  

The accusation “The people…have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished” echoes through these verses as God evaluates nation after nation. Each nation had persistently refused to follow God’s commands.

A sinful practice can become a way of life. Ignoring or denying the problem will not help us. We must begin the process of correction by confession our sins to God and asking him to forgive us. Otherwise we have no hope for better but to continue our pattern of sin.

This Chapter Two concludes with a description of the battle ‘on that day’, in which Israel would be defeated (2:13-16). This military defeat came only a few decades after this pronouncement, when the Assyrians conquered and destroyed Israel in 722BC.

Conclusion

Many of the conditions in Israel during Amos’s time are evident in todays’ society. When the society prospers, everyone is optimistic, business is booming, and people are happy, except for the poor and oppressed. With all the comfort and luxury come self-sufficiency and a false sense of security. But prosperity brought corruption, injustice and destruction.

People of God pretend to be pious outwardly when inwardly they have abandoned their trust in God. Though they join religious ceremonies, they do not have integrity nor submit to God wholeheartedly.

Amos speaks with brutal frankness in denouncing the above sins. Amos’ message needs to be heard today by individuals and nations. Let’ s reflects by asking ourselves these questions:

Are we living in the prosperous situation like the ancient Israelites? Have we grown complacent? Have other concerns taken God’s place in our life? Do we ignore those in need or oppress the poor? Does our worship of the true God yield ethical behavior toward others?  

What God desires is a pure trust in Him, and not boasting in outward behaviors. Do not be contented with outward rituals, as God demands our full commitment and submission.

Faith is more than a personal thing. God expects us to live out our faith on societal level. We are to extend their hands to those who are in need. Proper worship of the true God yields ethical behavior toward others.

God requires truth and goodness, justice and righteousness, from all people and nations today as well. We need Amos’s courage to ignore danger and stand against sin fearlessly. Imagine you are Amos yourself; carry out whatever God has entrusted to you faithfully. By doing so, you can become godly man and woman, following the clear call of God and doing whatever He has asked you to do at all cost.

The Origin of Suffering and Redemption

 

Genesis 3:1-24

The Fall of Man

Genesis chapter three is the very key chapter in the Bible where it records man’s fall and God’s salvation to redeem the fallen world. We shall divide this chapter into four scenes:

Scene 1: Temptation (vv. 1-5)

Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

God called Satan the ancient serpent (Revelation 20:2), as well as “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan (serpent) cunningly sowed the seed of doubt in Eve’s heart. God intended to protect them when he forbade them to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent twisted it and said that it was out of God’s own selfish motive that He kept the best from man.

In fact, God allowed Adam and Eve to enjoy all things, but Eve made a mistake by talking to the serpent, exposing herself to temptation; and she added her own words, “you must not touch it,” unto the very words of God.

Eventually she became doubtful towards God, misunderstood Him of depriving of their welfare. They consequently ate the forbidden fruit.

Satan often disguised himself as a good guy in real-life situations. He sowed seeds of doubt in our hearts, and made us confuse and doubt God’s good intention for us, so that we choose to go our own ways.

Scene 2: A Tragic Choice (vv. 6-8)

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so, they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (vv. 6-8)

Satan deceived Eve and she followed her carnal desires and fell into temptation. When she saw that the forbidden fruit was “good for food”, her heart was weakened (this is called “the desire of the flesh”); Eve also felt that the forbidden fruit was “pleasing to the eyes” and “pleasant to her” (this is called “the desire of the eyes)’ Moreover, the forbidden fruit seemed to be able “to make her wise” (to set own rules for right and wrong, and to elevate oneself to become God).

All these pursuits are not pleasing to God. It was Eve’s desire to be as wise as God that drove her to rebel against God’s Word. This is the fundamental definition of sin—you yourself are God, so you yourself decide what is wrong and right to do.

We will not be able to see God’s good intention and His protection and provision if we ignore the Word of God and rebel against it. In the face of temptation, God says, “Believe in me and you will have life,” while Satan says, “Why not give it a try and see what the outcome will be?”

Satan lures us into the realm of senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch), but man’s spirit (by faith and not by sight) is what matters to God. The temptation of Satan causes us to make wrong judgment in our mind (doubts), and produce desires (selfish desires) in our hearts, so that we will react rebelliously (rebellion).

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” （James 1:14-15）

The apostle John reminded us and said, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16）

Scene 3: Confessed their Sins Reluctantly (vv. 9-13)

God questioned if the man and the woman had eaten the forbidden fruit. The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (vv. 12-13）

Adam and Eve put the blame onto others to rationalized their mistakes. They confessed their sins to God quite reluctantly. Likewise, we also accuse others frequently when we do wrong. We refuse to be responsible for our actions. It is human’s nature to deny our own wrongs and to shirk responsibility and push the blame unto others.

May God’s Spirit touch us today so that we will always be willing to confess our sins and repent before God for our mistakes or sinful acts.

Scene 4: The Consequences of Sin are Curses and Destruction (vv. 14-19）

So, the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (vv. 14-15)

Woman has to suffer birth pains, and her “desire” will be for her husband, which also means that she will want “to control” her husband and dominate in their relationship (v.6).

Instead of building their relationship upon love, and with the husband taking lead and his wife submitting under him, husband and wife relationship has turned out to be a fight, and they dominate, manipulate and control over each other.

The overall consequence suffered by the man is that, they have to toil and labor in order to have produces from the land. Man shall return to the dust and ground (vv. 17-19), which means he has lost the eternal life given by God before he sinned.

God executed His judgment and punishment on the serpent, the man, and the woman. The offspring of woman and serpent became enemies since then (vv. 14-15）. The serpent was referred to more than the animal mentioned here, but the Satan behind it. The serpent shall wound the woman’s offspring, but the offspring of the woman shall destroy the serpent completely in the end.

Scholars have generally agreed that the woman’s offspring here is Jesus Christ, who will ultimately overcome Satan through his death on the cross (Revelation 19:1-5; Galatians 3:16,19; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8）. This is the earliest form of the gospel declaration of Christ’s redemption on the cross.

The offspring of the woman refers to God’s people as well. God’s people has been waging war against evils throughout all generations. They are to fight against and destroy the work of devil.

Today the Church is God’s people. The Church carries with her the mission of Jesus to preach the good news in the world, and to be salt and light that defeats the work of Satan, so that it can bring forth abundant life to all.

Scene 5: Separation and Death (vv. 20-24）

And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So, the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (vv. 22-24)

Adam and Eve were supposed to bear the image of God and enjoy an intimate fellowship with Him. Nevertheless, after they had taken the forbidden fruit, they realized their nakedness instead of knowing all things.

They still bore the image of God, but they were distanced from Godim. They were expelled from the Paradise. Physical death is the consequence of one’s rebellion against God, and he/she is to be separated from God spiritually.

Application:

There were depictions of curses, sin, death, pain, etc. in the narration of the fall of our ancestors. All these shall phase out one day when Christ returns. When that Day comes, nothing of these will be found in the new heavens and the new earth.

We will discover God’s faithfulness in redeeming the fallen world when we compare chapter 1-3 in Genesis and chapter 20-22 in Revelation.

Genesis	Revelation
“for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” （2:17）	There will be no more death（21:4）
Satan appeared and deceived mankind（3:1）	Satan is destroyed forever (chapter 20)
The relationship between man and God was broken after man’s fall.	The relationship between God and man is restored (chapter 21）
Satan’s (serpent) temporary victory（3:13）	The Lamb of God shall triumph ultimately (chapter 20,22）
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe…” （3:16）	There will be no more mourning, crying or pains（21:4）

 

Genesis	Revelation
“Cursed is the ground because of you” (3:17）	No longer will there be any curse（22:3）
Man lost his authority when Adam sinned.	Jesus Christ (the second Adam) restored the authority
（The first）paradise was closed（3:24）	The new paradise was open (chapter 21）
The tree of life was supposed to be enjoyed by Adam (3:22）	Man is entitled to enjoy the tree of life once again (22:2）
The ancestors were expelled by God （3:23-24）	Man shall dwell with God (22:4）

Adam and Eve had failed. But the merciful and gracious God sent the Lord Jesus to mankind, and He restored whatever the first Adam had lost with the identity of the second Adam.

Matthew narrated that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit when He went into the wilderness and be tested. Satan tempted Jesus thrice, and he twisted the Word of God. He used food, protection, and power as baits to tempt Jesus so that He would yield to him. However, the Lord Jesus used the Scriptures in Deuteronomy to refute the evil one (Matthew 4:1-11)

The first Adam failed the test, but the second Adam won over it. Since the Lord Jesus has overcome Satan, God enables men to receive salvation through His victory on the cross. God’s Word shall be fulfilled, and Satan shall be defeated ultimately.

But before the coming of that day, we carry with us certain fallen nature, and hence, the world is still under the bondage of sin. That is why we see that the world today is full of conspiracies, battle and sufferings. Nation fights against nation and people against people. The ecology of the environment is impaired, and the virus is widespread.

How shall we be settled and established in this world, and how shall we live happily and hopefully for the future? If we are only confined by what happen now in the world, we will lose faith and doubt God’s goodness, unable to overcome all kinds of temptations in our lives, and our lives, thoughts and feelings will be dominated by the world.

The only way out is for us to acknowledge our sins and weaknesses before God, and to choose to trust the salvation that was accomplished on the cross by Jesus. There is no hope in this world other than hope that is found in Christ alone. We are helpless in this world, but we can find help in Christ.

We must entrust our lives unto Jesus, and walk with Him, and allow Him to become our Savior and Lord of our lives, so that He shall master and guide our lives with biblical truth and the Spirit’s indwelling in us.

Only then shall we be able to lead a life that is full of happiness, joy, and hope in this troubled time. And we look forward to a New Heaven and New Earth that Christ will usher in when he returns.