DISRUPTION OF THE FAMILY

“Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” – Genesis 3:12

The WORD of GOD reveals not only the Origin but also the DISRUPTION of the FAMILY: “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Gen.3:12). Here we see the sorry signs of a divided and disrupted family! The sin of the first couple, affected the Family in no small measure. One man, Adam (and his wife), was responsible for all the sin and death in the world; in him and through him the entire human race fell; all people died in Adam on this account (Rom.5:12; 1 Cor. 15:22). The woman was tempted first by the serpent and fell. Her husband, weakened in his faith, fell as well. The first sin therefore immediately involved a reversal within the family order.

The devil, the old serpent, is an avowed adversary of man and of anything good that comes the way of humankind. His sole aim is to steal, to kill, and to destroy (Jh.10:10). Behind the fall of man and the disruption of marriage, home and family, is the same old Dragon. The devil is the chief architect of every affliction and confusion in the family. His usual means of achieving his wicked purposes is cunningness and subtlety (v.1). The serpent came like a friend, but at the time the man was absent, thereby swerving the authority line! He enticed the woman, appealed to her lusts, and caused her to usurp authority over her husband!

Before the fall, they opened up to one another and were not ashamed; and authority line was clearly demarcated - the husband was to be the leader. After the disruption, "open eyes" of prideful self-knowledge and criticism of the other, took over, seeing each other's nakedness outside the covering Grace of God and outside God's own lenses (v.7). She who was part of Adam became "the woman You gave me"! Accusation replaced appreciation. Now each one had something to hide from the other, which needed covering up with fig leaves of self-defense, deceit and hypocrisy.

Rather than follow her husband, the wife took the lead. Rather than being obedient, she took charge. Rather than being a helpmeet for him, she assumed the roles of mistress and regent. Adam and Eve sinned as individuals, as couples and parents; they were playing with their own destiny, with the destiny of their family, and with the destiny of the entire human race. This became manifest immediately in terrible consequences of sin.

With opened eyes, they no longer dared to look each other in the eye; they read one another’s guilt on the other’s face. A terrible change had occurred in the condition of their souls, as they viewed everything differently – themselves, each other, the world around them, and especially God. They did not dare to see Him, they fled from His face, and hid among the trees of the garden. Shame was the first manifestation of guilt (v.10). Here, Adam and Eve were ashamed because they were naked. Nakedness could not have been the deepest source of their shame, however, for they had been naked before their sin and had not been ashamed of it. But now, they had transgressed God’s command, and were no longer innocent toward God or each other.

Another consequence was broken fellowship with God (v.8). The enemy knows that the secret behind sweet marital communion between man and wife is the unbroken, vertical communion each has with God. So, satan tries to estrange us from the 'Voice' that had been their main stay and source of wisdom and strength. A couple who both hear from God cannot be in conflict. Such a home becomes the Sanctuary of God's Presence!

Fear, nakedness, and hiding emerged and "I" became prominent: "I was afraid... I was naked... I hid myself" (v.10). Adam hid himself from where he could be helped. He was overwhelmed by the fear of ridicule, disgrace, and rejection. Other symptoms of the tares the enemy sowed into marriage and family were: Individualism and self defence (vv.11-12). Every manifestation of self-life is a big blow to sweet communion between a man and his wife. The flesh is the internal foe behind every woe in several homes!