So God made Adam, placed him in the Garden, gave him the Tree of Life, gave him Eve, and walked with him in the cool of the morning. It was, quite literally, Paradise. But Adam and Eve messed it up.
(Gen 3:6 ESV) 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
It was a small sin, but it created a distance between man and God. Their unity was broken and, as a result, man changed from innocent to sinner.
(Gen 3:8-12 ESV) 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Adam quickly learned to blame his wife for his own sins, and Adam and Eve both learned to feel fear and shame. The world would never be the same.
The result of the sin of Adam and Eve was a curse.
(Gen 3:14-15 ESV) 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
This is taken by many to be the first Messianic prophecy. “Offspring” translates “seed,” almost always used of the male component of babymaking. The ancients envisioned sex as the man planting seed in the fertile womb of the woman. To speak of a woman’s “seed” presumes the absence of the man.
Thus, God prophesies that Satan will be mortally wounded by the seed of the woman.
(Gen 3:16 ESV) To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
The curse presumes that Eve might have borne children before the curse, and therefore further evidences that sex was a part of life in the Garden and not a result of the Fall. However, because of the Fall, the woman’s pain in childbirth would be much greater.
“Your desire shall be for your husband” is not the introduction of sexual desire — obviously — but the desire to dominate. The only other use of the word translated “desire” in the Torah is —
(Gen 4:7 ESV) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
“Desire” refers to the desire of sin to control us. The thought is not sexual but control and dominance. Thus, the Curse is that the wife will seek to dominate her husband.
“He shall rule over you” is not a plea for spiritual leadership. “Rule,” like “desire,” is next found in Gen 4:7: “You must rule over it.” Thus, here “rule” refers to control. In particular, “rule” means the control that overcomes someone else’s “desire” — in both Gen 3:16 and 4:7. The passages are clearly parallel.
Thus, 3:16 speaks strife in marriage. The wife and the husband will seek to dominate each other, and as a rule, the husband will prevail in the struggle for power over the other. And the patriarchal, paternal systems that dominate the world even today demonstrate the power of this Curse.
(Gen 3:17-19 ESV) 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The curse on Adam — and his male descendants — is difficulty in making a living. No longer will Adam enjoy the Garden’s easy life, where work is required but only a pleasurable, joyous work. Work now will often be a burden and often a form of suffering.
Finally, of course, there is the curse of death — which is common to all mankind.
Now, Paul teaches us that the Curse of Genesis 3 is much broader than these particulars. Rather, these are examples of a much larger curse —
(Rom 8:18-21 ESV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
This world is often filled with suffering, but these are temporary. At the End, the sons of God will be revealed — God will show the world who are his sons and who are not. And at that time, the entire creation — not just Christians — will be “free from its bondage to corruption.” The curse corrupted the entirety of the creation, but God will set things right at the End.
(1Co 15:22-26 ESV) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Paul here speaks of death an enemy of Christ. You see, Christ came to announce the defeat of the Curse — a defeat not yet fully realized but in process of being realized, with God having promised that he will ultimately defeat death as well as all the other curses.
The Curse is thus seen as a “rule … authority and power” that stands in opposition to the reign of God.
(Rev 22:3 NIV) 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
And so we see that at the End, the curse will be defeated and there will be no more Curse.
The Story of the Bible is that God has worked and will continue to work mightily to reverse the Curse — which is his enemy.
Now, there are many, many conclusions that stem from this. Here are a few that come to mind —
* Genesis 3:16, saying that the husband will “rule” the wife, does not declare the purposes of God. When we cite this verse as authority for male leadership, we are demonstrating our failure to understand the plot of the Bible. You can’t just pick out any text that’s convenient to your argument and declare it the will of God! The husband’s “rule” of his wife is sin and an enemy of God, which Jesus came and died on the cross to reverse. Reversing the curse brings “freedom” and “glory”!
* Just so, those who argue that women must stay home and bear children and men must go in the fields to work, based on Genesis 3, also demonstrate their lack of understanding.
* The environment should be of profound concern to all who worship the God who created the environment for us. To destroy the environment is to destroy God’s gift to us and to our children. It is a grievous sin.
And we see here the beginning of God’s redemptive mission. God has been working thousands of years to undo the Curse, that is, to defeat his enemies — death, strife in marriage, etc. — and to bring glory and freedom to his entire Creation.
God’s redemptive mission, therefore, is at least as broad as the Curse, and the Curse affects all Creation. We tend to think of God’s mission as being just about getting people into heaven — but it’s much, much bigger than that.
I used to take the whole thing as "curse" too, but if you look carefully the only "curse" God pronounces is upon the serpent. God didn't curse humanity. And I think the consequences upon women, upon men are redemptive.
Charis,
It's not necessary to use the word "curse" to pronounce a curse on someone. If I were to say to you, "I hope your hair falls out!" you'd understand that to be a curse, even though I didn't say the word.
I'm sure that Eve understood increased pain in childbearing as a curse and not a blessing. I'm sure Adam took greater effort needed to farm the land as a curse and not a blessing.
To argue that the husband's rule over the wife is redemptive, you have to distort a lot of other scripture.
(1Co 15:26 ESV) 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
How is death "redemptive"?
Death is redemptive when it is the death of Jesus for our sins – and then only because He took the curse on Himself.
Jay said: "I'm sure that Eve understood increased pain in childbearing as a curse and not a blessing. I'm sure Adam took greater effort needed to farm the land as a curse and not a blessing."
Just because WE understand "curse" in that manner, as a pronouncement of something which we interpret as negative from our limited perspective in the physical realm, how can we presume that Adam and Eve (and therefore God) had the same understanding? Alopecia occurs in the physical realm. (Unless there really is an angel dedicated to keeping a hair count, Mt 10:30). Whether the serpent's crawling around was physically literal or figurative doesn't matter; because God's curse upon the serpent had a much more important eternal spiritual meaning.
Is there a difference between a "curse" and a "consequence," or is a "consequence" a subcategory under a "curse."
A "consequence" is the outcome of having made a choice – may be a good consequence from a good choice or a bad consequence from a bad choice. In a "curse," it would seem the choice has already been eternally made so judgment is pronounced.
The serpent didn't have a choice in its future; apparently the serpent had made that choice previously for all of eternity by rebelling against God in the spiritual realm.
So the serpent was cursed by God, and the ground was also cursed by God, but was God's pronouncement of Adam's future toil also a curse or was it an outcome, or consequence, of the curse upon the ground?
There seemed to be parts of the curse that applied in the spiritual realm and parts in the physical realm. Jesus took the curse for spiritual consequences of Adam's sin, but the part of the curse of the ground (in the physical realm) remains — there is still job toil and frustration and there is still pain of childbirth and there are still control issues between male and female and Satan is still busy trying to get God's physical creation to join Satan's rebellion against God.
So Jesus restored the choice — we can choose life in the Spirit or death in sin and rejection of God. In so doing, we can choose to be free from the curse or choose to remain under the curse – meaning we choose to share the curse pronounced upon the serpent.
The description in Romans 1 sounds like a curse, but is really a consequence of bad choices that people insist on making, so God "gave them over" to those consequences of the curse of sin and death. That is defined as God's wrath – "God gave them over."
We have already been redeemed from the curse God placed upon the serpent by the blood of Jesus. But, it would seem that we will have to continue to deal with the curse upon the ground as long as we are alive on this earth. Would physical death be a redemption from the curse God placed upon the ground? We almost so much as say this when we try to give comfort after someone died — "Well, at least they don't have to suffer anymore. And we sing, 'When all my labor and toils are 'ore.'" (Or we used to sing that …….)
Just to complicate things more, does the scripture indicate that God has set up a system of redemption from a bad choice in the spiritual realm? Does the scripture indicate any hope of redemption for the serpent? Satan? Or is it presumed that Satan is "locked into" evil and cannot change? What about the other side – angels? What do angels understand about redemption? Did Jesus die for angels? What happens if angels sin? Are they separated from God? Is there forgiveness of sin for angels? What did Paul mean that we "will judge angels?" How do angels find out about salvation, or do they already know all about it? What do angels know about the kingdom of God?
"….have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." I Peter 1:12
How do angels find out?
Jay,
Good post. Since you mentioned fall, death, curse of man as well as the redemption of the creation (Rom. 8:18-21). What is your view [casual conversation] about the sinfulness of all mankind and nature/location of heaven in light of Rom. 8:18-21?
Regarding sin, I hold to the view that all [all means all] humans after the fall are sinful, but children/mentally handicap/etc, are not considered guilty until they reach a condition of accountability determined by God. The $20 term is Ancestral Sin. What is your view?
Regarding the redemption of the creation (Rom. 8:18-21), it is my opinion that God will refine and drastically change the cosmos and earth. In that new state, it will be paradise regained, although certainly a spiritual and eternal world composed of heavenly/immortal/spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:35-54). What is your view?
Hope you are doing well.
I don't argue for pain in childbirth and the rule of husband over wife as "blessing" but it is a redemptive thing, just like sweat and thorns in work (and death). And none of them is going away as long as we live in human flesh.
BOTH consequences are intended to reveal a hunger in the heart which can only be met by Christ. Nevertheless, I don't think we err to do what we can to reduce the pain of any of these consequences. Tractors, epidurals, and equality for women are all fine with God.
Gen 3:16 passage says that her pain AND CONCEPTION would increase. Perhaps a hormonal change occurred at the fall which made women more fertile (and desirous of mating even out of fertile season- unlike other animals) and men more aggressive. The reason for this would be REDEMPTIVE.
Personally, I think death is redemptive. "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. . . and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" Gen 6:3, 8:21 neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." I'd hate to think of the mischief mankind could cause if we still lived 600-900 years like Adam and Noah. Death is redemptive.
Dr T,
God "cursed" the ground —
(Gen 3:17-19 ESV) cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
I don't see how we can end the curse at the end of v. 17. 18 appears to be an explanation of 17.
God said to Eve —
(Gen 3:16 ESV) 16 To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
"Multiply your pain in childbearing" sure doesn't seem redemptive to me — especially in light of all the many women who died or suffered devastating loss of health due to childbirth especially before the advent of modern medicine.
"Redeem" means to free from slavery, and so I would only use "redemptive" to refer to God's work to free us from the consequences of enslavement to sin and its consequences.
There is a valid and important argument to be made that "curse" is used here in the sense of "consequence." That is, this is the natural result of sin — because separation from God messes up everything, and sin separates us from God.
We ran across a similar question in dealing with Nathan's prophecy after David's sin with Bathsheba. Most of what David suffered appears to have been the natural consequence of the arrogance and weakness of character that led to his sin. If God had to intervene to make David suffer, he didn't have to intervene much. David appears to have brought most of that suffering down on himself!
So I'm quite open to the argument that the curse is the natural consequence of separation from God. But it wasn't redemptive. Indeed, the curse/consequences are precisely what we need to be redeemed from.
(Rom 8:20-21 ESV) 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
"Bondage" in v. 21 could be equally well translated "slavery." The corruption that began with the sin of Adam and Eve enslaves humanity and the rest of the creation. And God redeems from slavery.
We now live in "in between" times. We've not been redeemed from death — because people still die. Some will be resurrected, but we still suffer from the deaths of our loved ones. This will change —
(Rev 21:1 ESV) 4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Just so, thanks to God's grace, the pain of many of the curses has been reduced. Fewer women die in childbirth. Yields on farmland are dramatically better. But it still takes great effort to feed a family, and women still die in childbirth.
Kuyper calls this "common grace" — the fact that God showers some blessings on both the redeemed and the unredeemed. But for God's continued presence in the creation, things would be far, far worse. We should give God credit for both his atoning grace and his common grace.
HistoryGuy,
I don't believe that sin is inherited. I do believe we inherit the inclination to sin, but we are only charged with our own sins.
In the series Surprised by Hope and related series (See "Eschatology" in the index) I've covered the nature of the afterlife in some detail. I think Romans 8 and Rev 21 are consistent with each other and the Prophets —
(Rev 21:1 ESV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
God descends from heaven to earth to live with men in a redeemed, rebuilt creation.
So, yes, I agree with you. We will live for eternity in the new heavens and new earth — and "new" in the Greek means "made new again" not "built from scratch."
Jay, I think the question you asked was "How can death be redemptive?" It would be hard to argue that the "curse" is redemptive. Perhaps you are equating physical death with "the curse" as opposed to "the consequence?"
Whether one says "there are consequences to the curse" or "the curse is the consequence" is mostly semantics. It is an interpretation of "which came first, the egg as a consequence of the cursed chicken, or the chicken as a consequence of a cursed egg."
When we expand on what we mean by curse and consequences, however, we seem to mostly be saying the same thing.
Many things done and undone that are sin today are only sin because we are told it is sin, or we ourselves have made it a sin.
Left just between our own selves and God, there is very little that is sin. Far more is a blessing.
I was taught from a youth that when God put the curse on man, he also in His wisdom put a cure. Not just recently in modern medicine has there been things available for pain in childbirth, but since the beginning. Many of the modern medicines are simply old plants and remedies made available from our God since creation that was inborn in man to know how to use. Same as inborn in ma to know there is a God and to want to worship Him.
To say populate the earth and multiply, and then cause women to have unbearable pain sure would be inconsistent with the command as birth control has been here also from the beginning in plants and natural mixes. Might get a woman pregnant and to suffer once, but twice would not be easy.
His love for us was from the beginning and for every sin made a way of escape if we will just look for it.
Same with salvation! Everyone ever born had a opportunity for salvation. He would that ALL would come….
To whom do they turn in their distress?
Can you see how the consequences become redemptive? (rather than "curse" and "punishment")
BTW, someone pointed out to me that the Bible never calls what Adam and Eve did "the Fall". We added that.
I imagine our eternal state is not a return to their state but is superior. Could even that which we understand as "the Fall" be redemptive? Did we have to go down before we could be lifted up?