HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Lesson Four

BROTHERS AND SISTERS (1): 

BORN AFTER SIN ENTERED THE WORLD

Burden to Impart:

Although God created the first parents in innocence and placed them in a lovely garden, because of their disobedience their children, Cain and Abel, were born outside of the garden and were born in sin.

Facts to Teach:

1. Adam and Eve were created in God's image and likeness. They had no sin at that time. Their home was the most beautiful garden ever, for God had planted it and placed them there. God only gave them one simple commandment to keep: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned them that the day they ate of that tree they would surely die.
2. One day while Eve was guarding the garden, the Devil came up to her in the form of a serpent and tempted her to eat of the forbidden tree. Eve was not wise, for she talked with the serpent. Soon he deceived her and she doubted God's love. She ate of the forbidden tree and gave also to Adam to eat, and he ate.
3. After eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and sinning against God, both Adam and Eve felt ashamed. They knew now that they were naked. They felt very bad inside. They also felt fearful and wanted to hide from God.
4. The first thing they did to try and help their situation was to quickly sew fig leaves together to cover up their nakedness. The leaves made a poor cover. Soon they would dry up, crack, and fall off.
5. God came looking for Adam and Eve as He always did every evening. Instead of coming out to meet God as usual, this time they hid from Him behind the trees. God came calling out, "Adam, where are you?" God knew where they were, but He wanted Adam to realize where he was, hiding from God.
6. God still loved Adam and Eve even though they had disobeyed His commandment and had sinned. He asked them if they had eaten of the forbidden tree. They confessed that they had eaten of it. What could be done? They were sorry for their sin, and God still loved them, but hadn't God said, "The day that you eat of it you shall surely die?"
7. God found a way to help the situation and yet be true to His word. Adam and Eve began to die that day, but they would not actually die for many hundreds of years. God told Adam and Eve that they would have children (Gen. 3:15). Also, God took one of His dear creatures, the most gentle and meek of them all, a lamb, and used it to teach Adam and Eve something they would never forget. That dear lamb was killed by God, its own Maker, as a substitute for Adam and Eve. Instead of Adam and Eve dying that day, the lamb died for them. Then God made two soft, furry coats out of its skin as coverings for Adam and Eve. The coats of skins felt much better and would last much longer than the aprons they had made of fig leaves for themselves.
8. Because the lamb died, Adam and Eve could live. This is a picture of what would one day happen in the future. God would give His only begotten Son to die upon the cross l or our sins. Because the Lord Jesus died for our sins. we who believe in Him do not need to be punished for them.
9. God then had to take Adam and Eve out of their wonderful garden home. No longer could they freely eat of the fruit of the trees. Now they had to work hard to plant and to grow their own food.
10. Not too much later, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Surely they were filled with joy. But things were not the same now for these two brothers as it had been for their parents in the beginning. Cain and his younger brother, Abel, were not born into a perfect world or a beautiful garden. They were born outside of the garden. Nor were they born in innocence, they were born in sin.