Authority -10

Now, let’s do our study of the individual covenants. We’ll start with the Edenic covenant. Man was told to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. He was to subdue the earth. He was to rule over, have dominion, exercise authority over every living thing that moves on the earth, but not one another. God gave him food to eat. Man was told to cultivate and keep (guard) the Garden of Eden. Man was not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but he could eat from all other trees. That was the covenant between the two of them. Adam was to tend the Garden and to spread it all over the earth. God, in turn, was to take care of Adam and supply everything he needed.

Here are the conditions of the Adamic covenant. The serpent was cursed more than any animal in Genesis 3:14. It would crawl on its belly. It could have been upright before the fall or this could be figurative in regard to its position of loathing now. It will eat dust all the days of its life. This could also be figurative of the snake’s position of degradation now.

In verse 15, satan would be taken care of—judged when Jesus the Messiah came to bruise his head, take away his authority. In John 12:31 and Luke 10:18, this is the judgment referred to by Jesus. But meanwhile satan would enjoy a degree of success in people’s walk on earth (bruise his heel). Also the serpent hurts man by biting his heel since he is on the ground. Satan who was once in God’s kingdom is brought low.

In verse 15 there is the Messianic prophecy—the first proclaiming of the gospel.

In verse 16 woman’s curse because of sin and disobedience is that there will be pain in childbirth, her sorrow will be multiplied, her births will be multiplied because there will need to be more births since older people will die, and she will be made subject to her husband. In verses 17-19 man would be under a curse because Adam listened to the voice of his wife rather than the voice of God (Who had already told him what to do about the fruit of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). The Tree of Life represented walking with God and experiencing His life. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented doing it your way and depending on self independently of God---no life in that.

The ground would be cursed because of Adam. He would have to toil to get food by the sweat of his face to have to get rid of thorns and thistles. He must work all the days of his life.

In verse 19 physical death came; the body would decay and return to dust.

In verse 21 God provided a covering; blood was shed because of His great love for the man He had created. Covenant was established. Man’s own efforts to cover himself----sewn fig leaves----was a futile self-effort.

These verses in Genesis 3 look toward redemption and Jesus, the Messiah. The curse came; Jesus became a curse for us. Thorns grew; He was crowned with thorns. Man had to sweat to get anything to eat; Jesus sweat great drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Sorrow came; He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Subjection came; in Christ there is no male or female or distinction among people. Pain came; He bore our pain. Death came; He became obedient unto death.

Now let’s look at the Noahic or Noachian covenant, which was for the preservation of the human race. There was one major addition to the Adamic covenant. Man was given the responsibility to set up his own governing tools under God’s divine guidance to deal with sin and the results of sinful acts. Be fruitful and multiply (same as Adam). Animals will fear man now in addition to man having dominion over animals. Man can now eat flesh of animals in addition to green plants but must drain the blood. Whoever sheds man’s blood is to be put to death. God told Noah He was establishing this covenant with him and his descendants and every living creature. All flesh will never be cut off by flood again, nor a flood ever again to destroy the earth. And the sign of this covenant is a rainbow.