Page 9 - ADAM IN GENESIS

is not himself cursed, as the serpent was, but only the ground for his sake. 2. His
employments and enjoyments are imbittered to him. Labour is our duty, which we
must faithfully perform; it is part of man's sentence, which idleness daringly defies.
Uneasiness and weariness with labour are our just punishment, which we must
patiently submit to, since they are less than our iniquity deserves. Man's food shall
become unpleasant to him. Yet man is not sentenced to eat dust as the serpent, only
to eat the herb of the field. 3. His life also is but short; considering how full of trouble
his days are, it is in favour to him that they are few. Yet death being dreadful to
nature, even when life is unpleasant, that concludes the punishment. Sin brought
death into the world: if Adam had not sinned, he had not died. He gave way to
temptation, but the Saviour withstood it. And how admirably the satisfaction of our
Lord Jesus, by his death and sufferings, answered the sentence passed on our first
parents! Did travailing pains come with sin? We read of the travail of Christ's soul,
Isa 53:11; and the pains of death he was held by, are so called, Ac 2:24. Did
subjection came in with sin? Christ was made under the law, Ga 4:4. Did the curse
come in with sin? Christ was made a curse for us, he died a cursed death, Ga 3:13.
Did thorns come in with sin? He was crowned with thorns for us. Did sweat come
in with sin? He sweat for us, as it had been great drops of blood. Did sorrow come
in with sin? He was a man of sorrows; his soul was, in his agony, exceeding
sorrowful. Did death come in with sin? He became obedient unto death. Thus is the
plaster as wide as the wound. Blessed be God for his Son our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 20, 21
God named the man, and called him Adam, which signifies red earth; Adam
named the woman, and called her Eve, that is, life. Adam bears the name of the
dying body, Eve of the living soul. Adam probably had regard to the blessing of a
Redeemer, the promised Seed, in calling his wife Eve, or life; for He should be the
life of all believers, and in Him all the families of the earth should be blessed. See
also God's care for our first parents, notwithstanding their sin. Clothes came in with
sin. Little reason have we to be proud of our clothes, which are but the badges of
our shame. When God made clothes for our first parents, he made them warm and
strong, but coarse and very plain; not robes of scarlet, but coats of skin. Let those
that are meanly clad, learn from hence not to complain. Having food and a covering,
let them be content; they are as well off as Adam and Eve. And let those that are
finely clad, learn not to make the putting on of apparel their adorning. The beasts,
from whose skins they were clothed, it is supposed were slain, not for man's food,
but for sacrifice, to typify Christ, the great Sacrifice. Adam and Eve made for
themselves aprons of fig-leaves, a covering too narrow for them to wrap themselves
in, Isa 28:20. Such are all the rags of our own righteousness. But God made them
coats of skin, large, strong, durable, and fit for them: such is the righteousness of
Christ; therefore put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 22–24
God bid man go out; told him he should no longer occupy and enjoy that garden:
but man liked the place, and was unwilling to leave it, therefore God made him go
out. This signified the shutting out of him, and all his guilty race, from that
communion with God, which was the bliss and glory of paradise. But man was only
sent to till the ground out of which he was taken. He was sent to a place of toil, not