God had to punish Adam and Eve for their sin. Not only did they eat the fruit that God said not to, but they tried to blame someone else for their sin. When we sin it's our own fault. We didn't have to listen to the person who tempted us to sin. We could have walked away. We chose to commit the sin.
The best thing to do when we sin is confess it and get it right, or say "I'm sorry". We should not only say I'm sorry to the person we wronged, but also to God. When we confess our sin, we are taking the steps necessary to get rid of the guilt or shame.
I John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Proverbs 28:13- He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they tried to hide their shame by making clothes. They tried to cover what they did wrong.
Genesis 3:7- And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
The problem is that when we sin we can't cover it up. Someone is always going to know. God is always going to know!
Not only did God have to punish Adam and Eve, he had to give them clothes. Now, it would be a shame for them to walk around without clothes on.
Genesis 3:21- Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Adam and Eve realized that they were going to die because of what they did, but they had never seen death before. God had to kill an animal to make them clothes. This was the first time they had seen death. Perhaps this was the first time they realized what exactly was going to happen to them.
Then God tells us another part of their punishment.
Genesis 3:22-24- And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
The Garden of Eden had 2 special trees in it. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and, also, the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life could give eternal life to whoever ate from it. God knew that if Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Life, something not good would happen.
You see, in God's mercy he allowed death to be the consequence of sin. If Adam and Eve never died, they would keep committing sin and eventually they would become very wicked- perhaps even as wicked as Satan had become!
Jeremiah 17:9- The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Mark 7:21-23- For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
So the Lord kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and he placed a guard there to keep them from coming back in. Not only could they not come back in, but their children couldn't come back in, either. Their sin passed on to their children and their grandchildren.
Romans 5:12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Adam and Eve sure did face a lot of consequences for disobeying God! They lost their home, their relationship with God, and their lives. And they passed sin on to every human!
Satan tried to tell us that we won't suffer the consequences of sin. He lies to us just like he lied Eve. Sometimes he tells us that the consequences won't be as bad as God says. If you're wise, you won't listen to Satan's lies, you'll listen to God. What does God say?
Galatians 6:7- Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Every sin has consequences, and no one ever escapes the consequences of sins they've committed.
