January 14, 2007: What's the Big Problem?

It has been my experience that the "big problem" comes as the explosion of a long accumulation of little ones. The person bound in subjection to drunkenness or heavy drug addition began with the seemingly innocent act as the casual drag from a proffered cigarette or a social drink of alcohol. The path goes from one cigarette to marijuana to meth to crack cocaine. Not many crack addicts can testify because most OD or die in drug deals. The "big problem" began as a fun thing or even as a rebellion against parental guidance. Sin in the human race exposed its method.

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

•Sin masked its presence in the form of the serpent (v. 1). Without introduction or fanfare, the Bible shocks the reader with the sudden appearance of a serpent, hinting at his evil nature. He was more subtle (devious or crafty) than any beast of the field. The Bible identifies the serpent by various names such as "the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world (Rev. 12:9, KJV). The Bible never states how or when Satan came into being, but he is probably a fallen angel. At one time he had direct access to God's throne (Job 1:6; 2:1). He has left his evil imprint throughout history. Ultimately he will join his two cohorts, the beast and false prophet, in the lake of fire and brimstone. In the interim period, he is a Big Problem.

•Satan worked his way into the human race through what seemed to be a harmless suggestion (vv. 2-5). Eve received God's instructions secondhand through Adam, as Satan knew. He sowed doubt in Eve's mind by implying God was unfair in putting one tree off limits. "In fact," he apparently argued, "you are about to fail God's test. He knows you will be as gods with full awareness of both good and evil. How can you know what is good unless you sample the evil?" He spun an enticing web of deceit.

•In looking at the Big Problem of sin in the human race, we turn to its source (vv. 6-8). The action words tell the story: "The woman saw...desired...took...did eat...and gave" the fruit to Adam (v. 6). She was deceived, but Adam was not (1 Tim. 2:4). Faced with the fateful choice, he cast his lot against God in favor of Eve. Their theoretical awareness of evil became a tragic experience because they both realized they were naked. In shame for their sin, they made garments of big leaves and tried to hide from God.

•The impact of their act can be felt in the human condition of sorrow (vv. 15-19). God dealt with the serpent by forcing him to crawl in the dust on his belly, with a continuing hostility between him, the woman, and the woman's seed. She would conceive and bear children in anguish ("sorrow," KJV). Her husband would dominate her. As for Adam, God cursed the ground because of his sin and in painful labor (sorrow, KJV) would he toil for a living.

•We come then to the Big Problem, sin (vv. 22-24). The fallen pair, banned from the Garden of Eden and thereby being denied ready access to the tree of life, began their sorrowful existence. Their initial sin, known as "original sin" among some theologians, has now been imputed to all their descendants. Only by the new birth in Christ based on His atoning death, can humans cope with their depraved condition.