Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.
Genesis 4:1
Disobedience. Shame. Banishment. It would seem the story of God had ended. His plan was thwarted, for He made Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. They were designed to subdue and rule the earth as God’s stewards. But, they brought death with their sin, and God ejected them from paradise. Still, God’s story doesn’t end there.
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.” Evidently, God’s plan was not destroyed. He is so powerful that His plans never fail, not even when sin threatens them. The first couple became the first family, just as He said.
Adam trusted God. Instead of giving up, he continued in God’s plan to subdue the earth. He must have believed God would correct the course of the world after he’d made such a mess of it. His son was proof of that. God doesn’t shy away from His promises.
In fact, another promise loomed on the horizon. The birth of her first son must have strengthened Eve’s confidence in God’s power over sin. He promised that her offspring would crush the serpent that deceived her in the garden. “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord,” she said. Maybe this was the child God promised.
God’s plan was still unfolding. Sin had not had the last word, for God’s word is more powerful. Nothing can stop it—not even disobedience and conniving. Somehow, the events in the garden were mysteriously working for God’s glory and man’s good. Sin did not win.
Reflections
- Do you think hope was lost when Adam and Eve were banished from the garden? What motivated them to continue with God’s plan? In what promises were they trusting?
- What does the first couple becoming the first family teach us about God and His promises? Why do you think God’s plans will always win?
- How does this story encourage you today? In what ways can you relate to Adam and Eve and how they trusted God no matter what was happening?
A New Discipleship Resource
Creative Content for Christian Men
Instead of comments, I accept and encourage letters to the editor. If you want to write a letter to the editor, you can do so here.
