Welcome to the first part of our sermon series, “Eat This Book: It’s Love At First Bite.” This message explores the intriguing narrative of Genesis 3, where we encounter the first mention of the serpent’s deception and the significant concept of the ‘Law of First Mention’ in the Bible. We delve into the original sin, the serpent’s cunning, and the profound consequences of disobedience and manipulation of God’s Word. Furthermore, we reflect on the foundational elements of love and worship as introduced in the Scriptures. Join us as we uncover the depth of these first mentions and their impact on our understanding of God’s love, truth, and the essence of worship.
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Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which
the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You
shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Genesis 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees
of the garden;
Genesis 3:3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said,
‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Genesis 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
Rule #13: Recognize the Law of First Mention in the Bible which means that the
first time an idea or word is introduced in the Bible is important.
You can’t really understand what is going on now, unless you understand what
went on before.
I. THE FIRST MENTION OF THE DEVIL IN SCRIPTURE.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which
the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You
shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with
the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
Revelation 12:8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven
any longer.
Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
II. THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A LIE IN SCRIPTURE.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field …”
Genesis 3:1 (WoS) Now the snake was the top of the animal cunning league,
undisputed king of sly among all God’s creative work. ”
Genesis 3:1 “… And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat
of every tree of the garden’?”
Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat.
Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for
in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
F. LaGard Smith (quote)
“When I was young , my father came home one night to relate a bizarre experience
Over several weeks he had studied the Bible with a man in our town who had
shown interest in learning more about Christianity. With patience Dad had
carefully gone over a variety of doctrinal beliefs and shown the man biblical
passages which gave rise to those beliefs.
Dad went back to visit the man, not sure of what his reception would be.
The man was surprisingly friendly, but said that there was no need to discuss
any further the same doctrine they had discussed the week before. Dad asked
if the man now understood that the teaching was biblical, but the man said,
‘No, those passages aren’t in my Bible.’
Curious, Dad asked if he meant that they were there, but that he simply had
a different understanding of them. Again the man replied, ‘No, they’re not in
my Bible.’
Perhaps the man just couldn’t locate the right passage. Dad thought. Dad took
the man’s Bible to open it to the proper passage. What Dad saw, much to his
amazement, was that the passage was in fact not there. The man had taken
a pair of scissors and literally cut it out of his Bible.”
“The Jefferson Bible”.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41n8sKuqEuL.jpg
Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take
from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I
command you.
The devil uses addition, subtraction, and rejection.
Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit
and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,
for he is a liar and the father of it.
III. THE FIRST MENTION OF LOVE IN THE BIBLE.
Genesis 22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham,
and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 22:2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of
the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Matthew 10:37 “…. He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
A bell’s not a bell ’til you ring it
A song’s not a song ’til you sing it
Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay
Love isn’t love until you give it away
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Rule #5 All of the Bible is about Jesus.
Johm 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
IV. THE FIRST MENTION OF WORSHIP IN THE BIBLE.
Genesis 22:5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy
and I will go over there and worship and then return to you.”
* There was no assembly of people gathered in some building, yet Abraham
called it worship.
* There was no music, no singing, no praise team, no choir, no soloist.
* There was no money given.
* There was no prayer offered.
2 Samuel 24:24 “… I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have
cost me nothing.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service.
