Topical Bible: Man: Banished from Paradise

◄ Man: Banished from Paradise ►

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The narrative of man's banishment from Paradise is a foundational element in the biblical account of human history, encapsulating themes of disobedience, judgment, and the enduring hope of redemption. This event is primarily recorded in the Book of Genesis, chapters 2 and 3, and serves as a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and humanity.

Creation and Command

God created man in His own image, forming Adam from the dust of the ground and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Placing him in the Garden of Eden, a place of perfect harmony and abundance, God provided Adam with everything necessary for life and flourishing. The garden was filled with every tree that was pleasing to the eye and good for food, including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).

God issued a clear command to Adam: "You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). This command established a covenantal relationship between God and man, with obedience as the condition for continued blessing and life in Paradise.

The Fall

The serpent, described as more cunning than any beast of the field, tempted Eve by questioning God's command and suggesting that disobedience would not lead to death but rather to enlightenment, making them like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5). Deceived by the serpent's words, Eve ate from the forbidden tree and gave some to Adam, who also ate (Genesis 3:6).

This act of disobedience, often referred to as "The Fall," resulted in immediate spiritual death and the introduction of sin into the world. Their eyes were opened, and they realized their nakedness, leading to shame and a desire to hide from God (Genesis 3:7-8).

Judgment and Banishment

God's response to this transgression was swift and just. He pronounced curses upon the serpent, the woman, and the man. The serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly and eat dust, with enmity established between it and the woman, and between its offspring and hers (Genesis 3:14-15). This passage is often seen as the protoevangelium, the first hint of the gospel, foretelling the ultimate victory of Christ over Satan.

To the woman, God declared increased pain in childbirth and a relational dynamic where her desire would be for her husband, who would rule over her (Genesis 3:16). To Adam, God pronounced a curse upon the ground, making it produce thorns and thistles, and decreed that man would toil for his sustenance until returning to the dust (Genesis 3:17-19).

Finally, God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever in their fallen state. He placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).

Theological Implications

The banishment from Paradise marks the beginning of humanity's estrangement from God, a condition that would necessitate divine intervention for reconciliation. This event underscores the gravity of sin and the holiness of God, who cannot tolerate disobedience. Yet, even in judgment, God's mercy is evident. The promise of a future Redeemer, who would crush the serpent's head, points to the hope of restoration and the eventual return to a state of perfect communion with God.

The narrative of man's banishment from Paradise serves as a profound reminder of the consequences of sin and the enduring promise of redemption through Jesus Christ, the second Adam, who restores what was lost through His obedience and sacrifice.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 3:23,24
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from from where he was taken.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

What we must Answer to those who Raise the Question --"If ...
... to procreation, but when they were banished from Paradise ... If, then, marriage did
not exist in Paradise, nor travail ... was profitable for the life of man: for the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/xvii what we must answer.htm

Concerning the Divine Oeconomy and God's Care Over Us, And
... for this is what the garment of skins signifies); and was banished from Paradise
by God's ... bestowed on him a life of happiness, did not disregard man [1925 ...
/.../exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter i concerning the divine oeconomy.htm

"And Truly Our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son,"
... forsaken to our own eternal prejudice. Is man banished out of the paradise
of God into the accursed earth? Then the Son is sent out ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon vi and truly our.htm

Of Holy Humility
... No man can attain to any knowledge or understanding of God but by the ... heaven; and
by that of Adam, our first parent, who was banished from paradise by the ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter iii of holy humility.htm

The Namelessness of God.
... Being therefore banished from Paradise, and thinking ... knowing that the false opinion
about the plurality of gods was burdening the soul of man like some ...
/.../justins hortatory address to the greeks/chapter xxi the namelessness of god.htm

The Plight of Man after the Fall
... He even placed him in the happiness of paradise in a sheltered nook of life [in
umbra ... From this state, after he had sinned, man was banished, and through ...
/.../augustine/handbook on faith hope and love/chapter viii the plight of.htm

Man's Misery by the Fall
... God's banishing Adam out of paradise hieroglyphically showed how sin has banished
us out ... the power of the air.' Ephesians 2:2. Before the fall man was a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 mans misery by the.htm

John iv. 54; v. 1
... gift aright, but were perverted by doing nothing, [970] and were banished from Paradise. ...
Let us suppose that the man who is temperate, and he who rightly ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxxvi john iv 54.htm

Psalm XXXVII.
... thou been living throughout all that time, since Adam was banished from Paradise
up to ... a distance, at rest, by that proud and unfruitful "rich man" in the ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxvii.htm

The Monk Nilus.
... lust after her, he has already committed adultery,' and If any man defile the ... and
on account of which you too have been banished from Paradise"or, more ...
//christianbookshelf.org/neander/light in the dark places/the monk nilus.htm