"What Were the First Questions in the Bible?" 6-6-21

Overview

Two Questions That Shape Everything

Scripture is full of questions, but the very first two recorded come early in Genesis—and together they tell the whole story of human sin and divine grace. The setting is Eden, the garden of "delight," where God placed our first parents amid every good tree, including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The command was clear: eat freely from the garden, but not from that one tree, "for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" Genesis 2:16-17.

The first question comes from the serpent: "Did God say…?" Genesis 3:1. Scripture identifies this serpent as Satan himself—"that ancient serpent, who is called the devil" Revelation 12:9—one of the rebellious angels described in Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4. His question was strategic: a seed of doubt about God's word and God's goodness. He insinuated that God was withholding something good, even lying. Eve rationalized—the fruit looked good, pleasing, desirable for wisdom—and she and Adam ate Genesis 3:6. Shame and hiding followed immediately. We still relive Eden every time we ask, "Did God say…?" and then answer for ourselves—because everyone's doing it, because we've made ourselves the origin of truth, because there's no civil law against it. The first question of Scripture remains the first question of every temptation.

The second question comes from God: "Where are you?" Genesis 3:9. The God who knows all things was not searching for information. He was seeking sinners. Like the shepherd after the lost sheep, the woman after the lost coin, and the father running to meet the lost son in Luke 15, God came after Adam and Eve—first to confront them with their sin, then to speak a word of grace. In Genesis 3:15, God promised that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent's head, though his heel would be struck. That promise was fulfilled at the cross, where Jesus' heel was struck and yet, through His death and empty tomb, the head of Satan was crushed and our redemption was won.

Two questions, and the gospel in miniature: humanity falls by doubting God's word, and God comes seeking the lost to restore them through Christ. When you understand these two questions, you understand a great deal about yourself and about your Savior. Hear the word again today: in Christ, you are sought, you are forgiven, you are loved, and you are claimed by God as His own.

Transcript

Let's open our Bibles, please, for our study today, to Genesis 3rd chapter. 2s

Genesis 3 3 for our study today. 9s

The Bible contains a host of questions. 14s

I think, for example, of the question that Jesus poses when he says, is not life more than 19s

food and the body more than clothing? 27s

Or the question that he posed when he said, you of little faith, why did you doubt or 32s

of course the question of questions? 41s

When Jesus said, who do people say the Son of man is? 44s

Well, in fact, when you go into the book of Job, chapters 38 and 39, there are 52s

host of questions, just in those chapters alone, where God is asking Job question after 58s

question after question. 67s

So the scriptures themselves are just full of these questions. 69s

Well, I've got a question to pose today and it's this. 78s

What were the first questions recorded in Holy Scripture? 86s

What were the first questions recorded in Holy Scripture? 91s

More specifically, what were the first two questions recorded in Holy Scripture? 96s

To answer that question, we have to go a long way back, all the way to the book of Genesis. 107s

The scene is the garden. 116s

God had given to our first parents Adam and Eve the entire world and a specific spot 120s

the garden of Eden. 126s

Eden means delight. 129s

The garden of Eden was a beautiful, beautiful place. 131s

Look at me, please. 138s

In Genesis 2, verse 9. 139s

Out of the ground, the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and 145s

good for food. 151s

The garden was with lush, verse 10. 154s

A river flows out of Eden to water the garden and from there it divides and becomes 159s

for branches. 166s

And there are two trees amidst the trees in the garden, two particular trees that are 170s

highlighted. 177s

Verse 9 of chapter 2, halfway through. 179s

The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good 183s

and evil. 190s

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was placed in that garden and it was a way. 194s

It was a way for Adam and Eve to worship God by their obedience because the command was very 202s

clear. 211s

Verse 16 of chapter 2. 213s

And the Lord God commanded the man, you may freely eat of every tree of the garden. 217s

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that 223s

you eat of it you shall die. 230s

So, in order to answer the question, what are the first two questions recorded in Holy 236s

Scripture? 242s

We need to go a long way back into the garden. 242s

And mine's eye, let's see that garden and in particular the two trees. 249s

So, what was the first question? 259s

Let's go, please, to chapter 3, now, of Genesis, verse 1. 264s

Now, the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. 272s

Adam and Eve noticed the slainess of this creature. 282s

But this wasn't just some ordinary snake here in the garden. 288s

Now, this was a snake that was being used, used by whom? 293s

To answer that question, we go to Jude, verse 6, Jude, verse 6. 301s

And the Scripture says, and the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their 310s

proper dwelling. 317s

He has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great day. 319s

This refers then to a rebellion that occurred in heaven, a rebellion by some of the angels. 327s

That's also echoed, for example, in second Peter, the second chapter. 334s

For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed 340s

them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment. 347s

But we see then in a Scripture witness rebellion in heaven by some of the angels. 353s

And the chief of the fallen angels is Satan. 361s

How do we know that? 368s

We know it for sure because Scripture's point blank comes out and says it. 370s

Revelation, the 12th chapter, the great dragon was thrown down that ancient serpent who 375s

is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. 384s

Scripture reveals a host of designations, a host of names for Satan, a baton, or a 393s

holion. 402s

That means the destroyer, B.L.s a bowl, which means the Lord of the flies, belial, which 403s

means worthlessness. 411s

You've got murderer and red dragon and the ancient serpent, the prince of this world, 413s

the ruler of the kingdom of the air. 421s

The spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient, the evil one, the tempting 424s

man, the roaring lion, the god of this age, always that Satan is referred to. 431s

And it's from him, from Satan, that the first recorded question in the Scripture comes. 442s

Go now, please, back to chapter 3, halfway through verse 1. 455s

He, that being the serpent, that being Satan. 464s

He said to the woman, did God say, you shall not eat from any tree in the garden and 468s

bears the first question in Scripture. 479s

It's a question with a purpose. 487s

The question is to plant doubt of why God had given the command that he had given. 491s

It was a question to plant doubt with regard to God's word. 500s

It was a question to plant doubt with regard to God's goodness. 505s

The response, verse 2. 513s

The woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but 517s

God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, 522s

nor shall you touch it or you shall die. 528s

Verse 4, but the serpent said to the woman, you will not die for God knows that when you eat of it, 534s

your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. 546s

Notice, God is made out to be the liar. 555s

God is made out to be the one that is keeping something good from Adam and Eve. 562s

God is made out to be the one that is keeping them from being like God. 569s

It's a, don't let him put you down. 579s

You deserve better than this. 583s

Don't let him put you down. 586s

Verse 6. 593s

So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes, 597s

hear the rationalization process, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, 603s

she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate, 610s

then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they so'd fig leaves together 616s

and made loincloths for themselves. 624s

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, 629s

and the man in his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 637s

They learned from experience, didn't they? 649s

They learned from experience the difference between good and evil. 653s

They fell into sin, and what was the effect, but they moved to hide themselves from God? 661s

The Hebrew word there, it literally means to scurry for cover. 669s

They try and hide themselves because of their guilt and all of it. 675s

All of it started with the question, all of it. 686s

Did God say, did God say, 694s

beloved, we continue to ask that question today. 707s

We continue to relive the garden of Eden continually. 713s

We continue to ask the question, did God say, 720s

and then we proceed to give an answer? 727s

Did God say, because, well, we look around and everybody seems to be doing it, 732s

did God say, and then we answer it? 741s

Because it seems to me as we make ourselves the origin of all truths. 746s

Did God say, and then we answer it? 759s

Because certainly there's no law against it. 764s

We still ask the same question, the very first question, did God say, 771s

but what's the second question? 790s

What is the second question recorded in Holy Scripture? 793s

I think of Luke 15th chapter. 800s

There are these beautiful little stories. 806s

Remember, Jesus so often taught in parables, 809s

in earthly story with a heavenly meaning. 813s

He take that which would be familiar, and he would teach a spiritual truth. 817s

There's these string of these stories, and they all have the theme of the law being found. 823s

So, for example, there's the story about the shepherd, 833s

who, one of the sheep wanders away, and the shepherd goes and finds the sheep and rejoices 837s

that that law's sheep has been found. 845s

There's a woman with ten coins, and she loses one, and she sweeps the house, 848s

trying to find the coin, and she finds that which was lost. 855s

There's a story about the young man. 862s

He goes to his father and demands the inheritance, and he takes the inheritance, 866s

and he leaves, and he squanders it in loose living. 870s

And then when he's coming to his senses, when he comes to his senses, 875s

and he goes back to his home, the father sees him coming up the road, 879s

and he heikes up his garment, and he runs to meet his son who had been lost. 887s

And by the way, the actions there of the father, that broke custom in ancient day. 895s

They didn't hike up their garment and run. 901s

That would be, that would just not be done in that day. 905s

But when the father saw his son who had been lost, he heikes up that garment, 910s

and he runs as quick as he can to embrace his son. 915s

All of those themes, all of those themes of the lost being found. 920s

What was the second question? 931s

Look at me, please. 936s

Chapter three, verse nine. 939s

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, 943s

where are you? 948s

Now, God certainly knows where they are. 954s

God is a mission. He knows everything. 959s

This isn't some type of divine, all the aliacs and free, 961s

because God just can't seem to locate them. 965s

No, he knows exactly where they are. 968s

He has come to find them. 972s

He has come to find the lost. 976s

And the first thing he does is ask the question, where are you? 979s

Is that question then, is a reminder to Adam and Eve 986s

of exactly why they were, where they were, 991s

trying to hide from an all-knowing God that they were hiding 996s

because of their sin? 1000s

So God comes to find them. 1004s

And the first thing he does is confront them with their sin 1007s

to remind them of their lostness, to remind them of why they were hiding 1012s

from God in the first place because they had rebelled against them. 1018s

But God comes not only to reveal their sinfulness, 1026s

but God comes to bring a word of grace, grace, 1031s

and undeservant love. 1038s

Look, please, with me, at verse 14. 1044s

The Lord God said to the serpent, 1048s

because you have done this, cursed our you among all animals, 1051s

and among all wild creatures, upon your belly, 1056s

you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 1061s

I will put enmity between you and the woman, 1067s

and between your offspring and hers. 1071s

He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. 1075s

God is the one that says, I'm going to put enmity between Satan and humankind. 1083s

God is the one that makes the promise, 1090s

that while Satan may strike the heel, 1094s

it is his head that will be crushed. 1099s

So who's the offspring? 1106s

Who is the offspring of this woman? 1108s

That's going to accomplish this. 1113s

Who is it? 1117s

When Jesus hung on the cross, 1121s

his heel was struck and filled with the poison, 1127s

Jesus died, but his death effected reconciliation 1135s

between God and humankind. 1142s

His death was redemption, the buyback, 1145s

the buyback of humankind. 1150s

Jesus took our place on the cross. 1154s

He paid our sin debt, 1158s

and the head of Satan was crushed 1162s

by the offspring. 1170s

The Lord Jesus Christ. 1173s

On the cross and through the empty tomb, 1178s

the great word of forgiveness was one for you. 1182s

You are forgiven. 1186s

You are loved. 1188s

God claims you as his own in the waters of baptism. 1191s

God came and asked the second question recorded 1198s

in Scripture. 1204s

Where are you? 1208s

He had come to find the lost. 1210s

Two questions. 1220s

Two questions. 1222s

The very first two in Holy Scripture. 1223s

Did God say, 1227s

and where are you? 1231s

When you understand those two questions, 1236s

you understand a lot. 1241s

Don't you? 1245s

You are forgiven. 1257s