Genesis 3  Good and Evil.  These both existed before Adam and Eve knew and experienced them. Up until that fateful day, they had experienced only good.  They walked with God every day in the garden. They had all they wanted.. food to eat and life to share.  When the serpent came to Eve he was able to deceive her into thinking that life could be better if she knew more.. if she knew what God knew.. if she knew evil. She couldn't have been more wrong!

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked... "  The consequences of deliberate sin were both immediate and long term.  The first thing they experienced was an awareness of their nakedness.. what had been normal and innocent.. was now something that made them want to hide, to cover themselves, making loin coverings from fig leaves.  Then they heard God coming and they hid themselves from Him.. "afraid". 

Shame and fear. Two consequences of sin that we have all experienced. Two conditions of mankind that plague our society.. We see it in the addicts, in the abusers, in the depressed, in the desperate.. in the young  and in the old.. in the rich and in the poor. 

The Lord God knew the culprits in this disastrous event.. He called them out, one by one. 

Adam had the greatest responsibility for he had received the command first hand, before Eve was in the picture.  He confessed that he ate the fruit, but blamed Eve for giving it to him. 

Eve also confessed to her part, but blamed the serpent for deceiving her. 

The serpent never confessed anything, but was condemned to go about on its belly, eating dust all the days of his life. There would be "enmity" between him and the woman.  There would be hostility between his "seed" and the woman's "seed".  The long term consequence of sin was brought to a head in the conflict between Christ and the enemy. Christ conquered sin and death and the enemy on another fateful day!  Hallelujah!

God put in place other long term consequences for the sin of Adam and Eve... "pain in childbirth".. "thorns and thistles" in the ground. And.. death.  "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." 

God covered Adam and Eve with "garments made of skin". Then He exiled them from His beautiful garden. No one could now enter this sacred place and take from the Tree of life.. for it was and  is guarded by the cherubim and a flaming sword.. "which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life."   

Thankfully, there is One who is "the Way".. and that day will come when all who call on His Name will be saved and will not perish but have "everlasting life." 

Father in heaven,  You have reminded me once again that You see the beginning and the end.. You saw the failure of mankind and the lies of Satan.  You also saw the way to redeem us.. the shedding of blood.. to bring forgiveness from sin. Thank You for making a Way when there was no other way! Thank You for Jesus Christ who has bruised the head of the enemy and will one day soon bring that final judgement upon him.  We look for that Day when sin will be no more!  Jesus, come quickly! Amen!