The Adamic Covenant: Grace

The Adamic Covenant: Grace

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Hebrews 7:22 (NKJV): “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.”

Remember the Lord’s admonition to Adam: “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 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 2:15-17 NKJV)

What is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? “Knowledge” comes from a root word that means to know by seeing; by using the senses:  touching, hearing, etc.  It is Thomas doubting until he can put his hand into the wounds in Jesus’ side. It is walking by experience rather than by faith in the word of God. It becomes a subjective knowledge because no two people perceive something in exactly the same way.  It results in no absolute truth.

The serpent placed doubt and unbelief in the mind of the woman.  “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.” (Genesis 3:6 NKJV)  When Adam ate with the serpent, he entered into covenant with the enemy. Adam and Eve gave up their connection to God's supporting power and began their physical decline which eventually resulted in death.

We must never forget that all the dominion that Adam had was transferred to satan. Because satan is cursed, that transfer of power brought a curse on the earth. Because our bodies are created from the earth, the curse is upon our physical bodies as well.  Adam’s covenant with satan brought disease, famine and hardship.

God stepped in immediately.  In the midst of the curse, He introduced the covenant of grace.

 “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" (Genesis 3:9-11 NKJV)  

The first manifestation of the consequences of sin was fear.  “Naked” implies vulnerability. A sense of vulnerability leads to fear.  In scripture God consistently tells us not to be fear not.  Fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear is the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  It has never been the intention of God for us to be afraid. ^”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)   

The consequences continue.  “Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." (Genesis 3:12 NKJV)  Adam blamed God and the woman. When we refuse to take responsibility for our actions, we cannot overcome our mistakes. 

However, God desires to forgive. First we must acknowledge our sin.  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8-9 NKJV)

Then we must agree with God that sin is sin.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “(1 John 1:8-9 NKJV)

The woman responded differently and her response touched the heart of God. “And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:13 NKJV)  The woman recognized the serpent for who he is, a deceiver who seeks to destroy.

When woman recognized the root of the problem, God laid the axe to that root. Genesis 3:15(NKJV) “To the serpent, the Lord said:  ^“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15NKJV)  The seed of the woman is Jesus Christ.  If Jesus had had an earthly father, he would be of the seed of Adam, not the seed of the woman, and could not be our Redeemer.

Throughout history, satan has tried to destroy the seed of the woman. Three outstanding incidents:

▪Cain killed Abel.

▪Pharaoh killed the male infants in Moses’ day.

▪Herod killed the male babies in Jesus’ day.

God also established an order of protection for the woman. “To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." (Genesis 3:16 NKJV)  Even though childbirth would prove to be painful, it was in childbirth that redemption would come.  God placed the man in dominion over the woman to protect and nurture her.  The woman would desire that protection. However, satan has often perverted that relationship.  The husband is to rule over his family in love just as Christ rules over the Church.  Ruling in God’s sense is dominion rather than domination.

 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.” (Ephesians 5:25-29 NKJV)

 “And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:20 NKJV)  Adam demonstrated his faith in the word of God when he named the woman “Mother.”  In Hebrew, “Eve” is Havah (life-giver).

 “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21 NKJV)  Blood was shed.  A covenant was sealed.  The provision for the covering of sin was enacted. Grace became a reality.

 Although Man broke and continues to break his covenant with God, God, in His grace, has not broken His covenant with man. The question remains through the ages, “Are we willing to enter into the covenant that restores our relationship with the Lord?”