An In-Depth Review of Genesis and the Seven Deadly Sins

Genesis And The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins have been in existence since man’s exile from paradise. Ever since the days of Adam of Eve, we encounter Lust, Pride, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and Envy. Throughout the Bible, we read stories that teach us the difference between good and evil, but all you need to know is in the first book of Moses… Genesis.

Genesis tells us that; in the beginning, God created the heavens, separated light from dark, and gave earth life. God also created two trees in the Garden of Eden. One was the “tree of life” and the other was the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam was given life for the first time, and as a special gift, God created Eve. Moreover, God gave mankind freewill, allowing them to do whatever they pleased, so although God had forbidden Adam and Eve to touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He knew that it was their own choice whether or not to obey Him.

In the story of the First Sin we see this first sign of LUST.

lust n. Intense or unrestrained sexual craving. An overwhelming desire or craving: a lust for power. Intense eagerness or enthusiasm: a lust for life.

The crafty serpent convinced Eve into eating the forbidden fruit by telling her, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3.4). Eve was curious to know what this “evil” was, and hence she lusted for knowledge to be powerful like the almighty God. Eve took her chances and put her faith in the serpent and not the Lord. After she ate the forbidden fruit, she offered it to her husband who was also curious as to what it would do to them. Now the Lord came down to confront Adam, and for the first time, Adam was afraid and hid. They were punished accordingly and now had to live knowing the darker half to life -- evil.

Forceful, often vindictive anger. Punishment or vengeance as a manifestation of anger. Divine retribution for sin.

Cain and Abel are sons to Adam and Eve. Cain, the first-born son, was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a Shepard. When it came time to give offerings to the Lord, Cain gathered some fruit while Able sacrificed his firstling. The Lord accepted Abel’s offering, but had no regard for Cain’s fruit. Cain was very upset that The Lord did not accept his offering for it was all that he had and did not know how to express his rage (Genesis 4:3-5). The Lord asks Cain why he is angered by this and explains, “…if you do not do well, sin is lurking at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4.7). Cain ignores the Lord’s advice and let his WRATH take control. He murders his brother, his own flesh and blood, because he could not control his anger. Often people tend to act irrationally when they are angered. God is disappointed in Cain’s decision and curses him making him a fugitive to all.

As time went by, people grew egotistical, thinking that they were equal to the Lord. All the people united in the land of Shi’nar and settled there. They came to a decision to build “a tower with its tops in the heavens.” The Lord was furious at his people because they were attempting the match his power by building a tower and making a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). Mankind’s PRIDE was growing fast, and He saw chaos and destruction ahead.

A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self-respect. Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association: parental pride. Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.

The Lord came down to the Tower of Babel, confused their language forcing them to scatter (Genesis 11:9). When things are going well for mankind, they tend to think that we are almighty and omniscient. We test our limitations to prove to ourselves that we are superior to all.

Next came along the birth of Ismael. Sar’ai had been longing for her own child, yet the Lord had not yet blessed her with one. She grew impatient over the years and asked her husband to go to their Egyptian slave-girl and impregnate her so that she could have the child and Sar’ai call it her own. Once Hagar was impregnated by Abram, Sar’ai quickly realized that the child she wanted to be a mother for already had one. Sar’ai didn’t want to share motherhood with her slave-girl, so she grew very angry and jealous of Hagar. Because Sar’ai could not have what she wanted she decided to run away. Sar’ai understood that the gift of a new life was not for her to decide. She has no control over what God decided to give his children. Sar’ai cannot bear the fact that her slave-girl has something that she doesn’t, so she decided to send them away. Could it be that if she did not let her GREED get in the way that the Lord would have blessed Abram and Sar’ai with a child in their early years?

Excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves. Reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)

When we people get greedy, they have a tendency to be ignorant towards the rest of the world any only act in their own interest. The only thing that greedy people care about is what benefits them.

In the story of Sodom, men gather together and are presented with “two daughters who have not known a man” (Genesis 19.8). Lot announces to the men that they can do whatever they pleased with the women.

Excess in eating or drinking; greedy or excessive indulgence.

Overindulgence in anything is bad. These men are so distracted by these fine women that they forget all their morals. The people of Sodom were addicted to corruption, which angered the Lord and led to destruction of their town.

Sometimes, people have the tendency to overindulge when the offer is free. However, there are always consequences to everything. Nothing is ever free. When the men of Sodom were offered these women, they immediately took advantage of them, and in the end, God punished all.

Laziness can cause people to do evil things. People must stay determined to accomplish their goals without having to result to desperate measures.

Disinclination to action or labor; spiritual apathy and inactivity.

After Sodom was destroyed, Lot took his two daughters and dwelled in a cave away from society. His two daughters wanted to have kids, but because there were no other men in this cave, they decided to drug their own father in order to impregnate themselves by taking advantage of him (Genesis 19:30). If the daughters of Lot would have walked to the next cave, they may have found their mate. Because they were lazy, the turned to extreme measures to get what they wanted.

In the final chapters of the first book, we encounter Joseph and his many brothers. Although Joseph was the youngest son, Jacob, their father, favored him the most. The other brothers, all ENVIED Joseph, because he was Jacob’s favorite son.

A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.

Anyone would have loved to take his place, but there was no separating Joseph from his father. The envious brothers got together and conspired to kill him, but instead ended up selling their youngest sibling to slavery. In the end, Joseph prospered while all the others ended up where they started; envying their brother.

As you can see, the original examples of each of the Deadly Sins are present in Genesis. From the beginning, we read about Lust in the story of Adam and Eve and end up with a story about Envy in Joseph and his brothers. Today, modern day people have to deal with choices between good and evil just like the times of Adam and Eve.