In yesterday passage we see the repeated phrase about the nakedness or the covering of the nakedness/hiding. That is the indication of death/separation from God and from mankind.
Today, we see the enmity in between the snake and the women v.15, between the offspring of snake and the offspring of the woman v.15, between husband and wife v.16, and between God and man v.23,24.
3:21 The LORD God made garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them
"By giving them more substantial coverings, God indicates this alienation is greater than they realize (NET)."
Example:
1. Enmity between husband and wife
"In Gen 3:16 the LORD announces a struggle, a conflict between the man and the woman. She will desire to control him, but he will dominate her instead...conflict between man and woman will become the norm in human society. It does not depict the NT ideal, where the husband sacrificially loves his wife, as Christ loved the church, and where the wife recognizes the husband’s loving leadership in the family and voluntarily submits to it. Sin produces a conflict or power struggle between the man and the woman, but in Christ man and woman call a truce and live harmoniously (Eph 5:18–32) (NET)."
Reflection: We are reminded of the result of sin in our family. Not every consequences of sins mentioned here has a solution, but God graciously gave the family a solution. In Eph 5:18-32, He gave us the solution in Christ.
2. Enmity between man and God
When God announced the judgment to the snake, Eve and Adam God only explained the reason of judgment in details to Adam. Adam was held accountable to this because God gave him the command in 2:17
v. 17a But to Adam he said,
“Because you obeyed your wife
and ate from the tree about which I commanded you,
‘You must not eat from it,’
Adam should have listened to God and obeyed Him. Instead He listened to someone else, his wife and violated the commandment of God. His relationship with God is based on obedient (based on chapter 1-2). His judgment is basically working until he die v.19.
"v.19 Until you return to the ground. The theme of humankind’s mortality is critical here in view of the temptation to be like God. Man will labor painfully to provide food, obviously not enjoying the bounty that creation promised...In spite of the dreams of immortality and divinity, man is but dust (2:7), and will return to dust. So much for his pride (NET)."
Reflection: God gave us His commands and His Words. We are also responsible to them. Read, reflect (meditate), commit to memory, and obey His Words. Or else, we will be like Adam and listen to someone else, instead of listening to God.
Pain and death are the result of man trying to act like God or our pride is sky high. This is what I see as the reason of today's pandemic. No one is willing to listen to others. Everyone thinks they are right. Including me. I think I know more than the average American, more than the US government, or the president. May God humble my heart and admit that we are mortal and only He is immortal.
Audrey
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