Adamic Covenant
Adamic Covenant: The Fall Of Mankind
The Adamic Covenant is pronounced in Genesis 3:14-19 as a result of the original sin. This is known as the “fall of mankind” since Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience to God resulted in the legacy of a sin nature in all generations thereafter.
When these first humans were placed in the Garden of Eden, they had all they would ever need. It was beautiful, food was plentiful, and there was no need for anything else. The only restriction issued to them was to not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. The serpent (Satan’s disguise) tempted the woman and she was deceived to eat of the tree’s forbidden fruit. She then took the fruit to Adam who willingly ate the fruit he knew was prohibited.
Most people are familiar with this account, but few realize the consequences brought upon the entire human race thereafter. God had told the couple in verse 3 and 4 that if they ate of it they would die (Genesis 3:3). Defying God is sin and without seeking His forgiveness, our relationship with God is severed. The warning of death was about an impending eternal, spiritual death. God issued a curse against the serpent and the land, with judgment against the woman and the man as a result.
Adamic Covenant: The Curse And Judgment
The effect of disobedience by Adam and Eve in the Garden was the legacy left to all mankind. Genesis 3:14-15 states, “So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
- ‘Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!
- You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
- And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
- he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’”
“To the woman He said (verse 16):
- ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.
- Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’
In verse 17, God said to Adam:
- “‘Cursed is the ground because of you;
- through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
- It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
- By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’”
Adamic Covenant: The Redemption
Redemption was secured in the Adamic Covenant when God cursed the serpent. The curses are inescapable, but a great promise of grace and forgiveness was issued.
It was not wrong for Adam and Eve to want to be “god-like,” that is to mirror His characteristics, and that is a good and worthy goal. But to want to become “God” and take His place is rebellion against God. We would be attempting to place ourselves above Him. Beware of Satan’s deceit and lies. God is supreme and sovereign and cannot be outdone.
God said the serpent would be at enmity with the seed of the woman and his head would be crushed. Here God promises that the “seed” of a woman would defeat Satan; that seed is Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4, 1 John 3:8). In the middle of the curse, God’s gracious gift for redemption through Jesus is given.
If you have sinned against God, repent, and seek His forgiveness. Prepare yourself for temptation and do not let Satan’s deceit infect or corrupt you. Gird yourself with the characteristics of God; call on Him to strengthen you to stand strong when temptation comes.
What is your response?
