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THE FALL OF MAN

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 13, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 2.

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THE FALL OF MAN.

LESSON 3.—SABBATH, JANUARY 21.

1. In what condition was the whole creation when it came from the hand of God? “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Gen. 1:31.
2. Did this include man also? “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright.” Eccl. 7:29, first part.
3. Did man retain his uprightness? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Rom. 5:12.
4. What prohibition had God laid upon the pair in the garden of Eden? “But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2:17.
5. Who first partook of this forbidden fruit? “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Gen. 3:6.
6. Was Adam deceived as to the consequences of the act? “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” 1 Tim. 2:14.
7. How was Eve deceived? “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor. 11:3.
8. Who was the serpent? “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” Rev. 20:2.
9. How did he begin his work? “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Gen. 3:1.
10. When Eve repeated the prohibition, what did the serpent reply? “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Verse 4.
11. What did he say that eating from the tree would do for them? “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Verse 5.
12. In so saying, what imputation did he cast upon God?
13. In telling them that by eating the forbidden fruit they should be like God, what was Satan instilling into their minds?—Pride.
14. What was the cause of Satan’s fall? “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! for thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14:12-14.
15. What always follows pride? “When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom.” “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 11:2; 16:18.
16. What was it that brought the heathen nations into their deplorable condition? “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Rom. 1:22, 23.
17. What was the result of Adam’s transgression? “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:17-19.
18. Was he allowed to remain in the garden? “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Verses 23, 24.
19. How extensive were the consequences of his fall? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Rom. 5:12.
20. Did death pass upon all men regardless of their character, just because Adam sinned? See last clause of Rom. 5:12.
21. What kind of nature do all men inherit? “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:21-23.
22. By what means may we get rid of this evil nature, and have a better one? “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” “For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:4.