A Cursed World

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

A Cursed World

Date: Jan. 9, 2025

Passage

Genesis 3:14-24 (ESV)

14 The LORD God said to the serpent,

  “Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
  on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
15   I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
  he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

  “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
  Your desire shall be for your husband,
    and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

  “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
  of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
  cursed is the ground because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18   thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19   By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
  till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
  for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 3:19

  By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
  till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
  for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

The consequence of sin was death. It was also hardship, struggle, and pain. What was once perfect became tainted. Once they were naked and felt no shame, now they had to dress to impress or to hide their shame. Once they loved and accepted each other as they were, now cursed desires and power struggles arose in their relationships. Once they found the simple pleasures in life, now they had to work for life’s necessities.

For sure, we still live in a fallen world, full of sin and hardship. But God did not abandon us. God’s salvation was always in mind. It is said the first prophecy of Jesus is here, that speaks of the offspring of woman crushing the head of the serpent. God did not intend to leave us in our brokenness, but to be with us in it, and to restore us to himself and to each other. Adam could still choose to love his wife instead of rule over her and seek God’s kingdom and righteousness despite hardships. The tree of life, though out of reach, remained.

Prayer: Creator God, we are accountable for our sins, yet you are with us through it. May we experience your saving grace.

One Word: God is with us in our struggle.

Hezekiah Restores Worship

2 Chronicles 29:20-36

Key Verse: 29:31

Then Hezekiah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

Today's Question

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