In the sermon 'Of Creation, 1689 SLBC, Chap. 4, Par. 3', Eric Bechler discusses the final paragraph on the topic of creation. Paragraph one describes God, referred to as Elohim indicating the Trinity, creating all things in six literal days for His glory. Paragraph two highlights the creation of mankind, male and female, in God's image, with His law written on their hearts. The focus of paragraph three is on the command given to Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Despite having the law of nature on their hearts, Adam and Eve disobeyed this direct command, leading to the entry of sin into the world. This event significantly impacted their relationship with God, as they became aware of their nakedness and felt shame. Additionally, the sermon notes that God granted humanity dominion over all living creatures and instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. The narrative of Adam and Eve's disobedience sets the stage for God's plan of redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Our paragraph this Sunday is very short, straightforward, it's not too complicated. This is the third and last Sunday that we're going to cover of creation from chapter four. Paragraph one stated that God Elohim, which is in the plural form indicating the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, created out of nothing all things in six literal days for His glory, and it was very good. In paragraph 2, in the pinnacle of creation, God created man, male and female, after the image of God and having the law of God written on their hearts. In a paragraph today that states God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as I said our discussion today will be rather short.

It's pretty straightforward. Beginning, besides the law written in their hearts, we touched on that last week, but I'll revisit what we read last week in Romans chapter 1, 18 through 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. We all have the law written in our hearts and know that there is a God.

They received a command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So Adam and Eve had the law of nature written on their hearts, but Adam also had a direct command from God himself not to eat of a specific tree. All the other trees he could eat from, but this one was not okay. And we read from Genesis 2, 16, and 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of 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." Continuing, which whilst they kept they were happy in their communion with God.

They were happy. There was no hiding. There was no shame. In Genesis 2 25 We read, and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. This was before eating the forbidden fruit.

They were naked and not ashamed. Everything was OK. But then afterwards, we see a change in Adam and Eve. We can read from Genesis 3 verses 8 through 11. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, Where art thou?

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou was naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? And thus we have here the record of sin entering in the world. We move on to the last phrase here in paragraph three.

We read, and had dominion over the creatures. Be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over all living things, whether in the sea, in the air, or in the earth. Again, this comes directly from the scriptures we read this morning from chapter one in Genesis. And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea over the foul of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth and continuing in verse 28 and God blessed them and God said unto them be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

So despite God's direct command to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve rebelled and they sinned. This is an important point for us where sin entered into the world. This sets the stage for God's plan of redemption, God's plan for salvation through his Son Jesus Christ. Amen.