The Bible: One Bite at a Time Expository Sermon Series Notes Genesis to The Revelation Sid Galloway © 1999

Genesis 3:4 Denying Death: Hope that Disappoints

Audio Tape # 21 - March 19, 2000         (Notes Updated ..... March 18, 2000)

Review: (Gen 1-3:1) Creation See the notes on the Web

Genesis 3 Outline
I. The Serpent (Gen 3:1 a)    
II. The Seducer's First Ploy (Gen 3:1 b)
III. The Woman's Deception (Gen 3:2-3)
IV. Denying God and His Word (Gen 3:4-5)

Exposition and Commentary - Genesis 3:4 (Strong's #'s in parentheses)

” Then the serpent said to the woman,
“You will not surely die (4191 mooth).
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

IV. Denying God & His Word (Gen 3:4-5)
A. Denying Death: "You will not surely die" (Gen 3:4)

- The Hebrew language used here involves simply the normal terms for "God", for the word "die", etc.. It simply means what it says and says what it means.
- Yet this subtle statement of the serpent lies at the heart of all theological errors. Along with Lucifer's initial questioning of God's integrity when he asked, "Did God indeed say...", this blatant denial of God's nouthetic Word of warning is a key to the satanic strategy used throughout history.
- All theological error in some manner involves a distortion of the distiction between God the Creator and man the Creature. The error either elevates man above his true position, or lowers God from His exalted throne, or both.
- In this first denial, the serpent injects the combined package, by implying that God is a low life lier, and then raises man to the status of a self-existent being who cannot die.
- For 6,000 years of human history, Lucifer's same Lie has been repackaged in countless forms and fashions. From reincarnation, to purgatory, to spiritual evolution, his false claim is the same: "You will not surely die". It sounds so good, but . . .

Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death."

- Today's "modern" age is filled with the spirit of the anti-Christ promising that man shall not surely die. From the reigning global guru, Deepak Chopra, M.D., to the Dali Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, to the pseudo-Christian psychiatrist Scottie Peck, M.D., Satan's lie continues to spread. The best-seller's lists are regularly filled with new versions of this ancient, new age old deception.
- One day, the final Anti-Christ will arise and promise the world that through his way of salvation they too can avoid death. He will claim that death is an illusion, that all is God (pantheism), and that we will evolve until we can proclaim ourselves to be: "I AM".

But God, alone, is . . . the only . . . "I AM":

- Only God is self-existent. His very name YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah) means "I AM", from the Hebrew verb "havah" (to be) (Exo 3:14). So God is the only one who cannot die. In fact, God is life and the very source of all life. So separation from Him is death (Gen 1-2).

Gen 3:22-24 "Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."

- God in His mercy wouldn't allow man to live forever in a state of sinful flesh, and so He ensured that man would die. Remember, the Hebrew rendering of God's initial warning of Gen 2 was "dying you shall die". In other words, eat of it and you will begin to slowly die. By allowing man to slowly die, the LORD graciously provided the opportunity for man to meditate on the consequences of his rebellion and eventually repent.
- God is also Holy (Mat 5:48) and will not tolerate the presence of selfish, rebellious sin in His Kingdom. Sin separates man from God (Isa 59:2) and the result we will see later in our study of Genesis 3 is entropy (death and decay). It is the punishment for rebellion, that God in His love warned man to avoid.
- Soon a day is coming when the reality of final death and total separation will come upon mankind like a thief in the night:

2 Thes 1:7-12 ". . . when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Heb 9:27 "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,..."

Mat 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Rev 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’

Rev 20:14-21:2 "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

 

There is Good News Even About Death:

- God promised through prophecy that the horrible curse brought into creation by Adam and Eve would be overcome.

Isa 25:8-9 "He will swallow up death forever,
And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces;
The rebuke of His people
He will take away from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
And it will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God;
We have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the Lord;
We have waited for Him;
We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”'

- God hates suffering and death. It is diametrically opposed to His very nature, and one day He will wipe away every tear:

Eze 18:32 “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

John 5:24-26 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,...."

Hebrews 2:14-16 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham."

John 11:25-26 "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”'

Romans 5:1-18 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life."

1 Cor 15:20-28 "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."

Please think prayerfully and carefully about all of this,
and ask yourself this question:
What will I choose to do now, and for the future?

Philip 1:21-25 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,...."

2 Cor 5:13-15 "For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."

Rev 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
[Emphasis added]

Time is short, life is precious, and God alone is worthy.
Please don't wait until it's too late.