The Dispensation of Innocence
The first dispensation began after God created Adam and placed him in a garden in Eden, Genesis 2:8. Adam is in a state of innocence, not knowing good (that which is beneficial) or evil (that which causes calamity).
Adam is given instruction by God concerning the standard by which he and those of the household are to live.
And Jehovah God commanded unto Adam saying, “From every tree of the garden eating you will eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil do not eat from it because in the day you eat from it dying you will die.”, Genesis 2:17
The Length of the Dispensation
The genealogy of Adam states he was one hundred and thirty years old at the birth of Seth, Genesis 5:3.
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and he bore in his likeness, his image and called his name Seth, Genesis 5:3
Time was created before Adam was placed in the garden, Genesis 1:14. Therefore, his age would be counted from his creation, not from when he sinned.
Based upon Adam’s age at the birth of Seth in Genesis 5:3, we can surmise that Adam was about 100 years old when he determined to break God’s law.
The Building of Eve
Eve was built from Adam’s side, Genesis 2:21-22.
And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept. And He took one from his side and closed the flesh in her place. And Jehovah God built the side which He took from Adam into a woman and HE brought her to Adam, Genesis 2:21-22.
Prior to building Eve, God showed Adam that the cattle in the fields and the birds of the air are not like him.
And Jehovah God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. And Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him, Genesis 2:18-20.
No helpmeet was found for Adam because humans and animals are not the same type of creature.
Failure of the Dispensation
Adam knowingly chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat and that it was desirable to the eyes, and a tree of delight to make wise, then she took from its fruit and she ate and she gave also to the man with her and he ate, Genesis 3:6
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived having come to be in a transgression, 1 Timothy 2:14
The Result of Failure
- The woman will now have pain in child birth and her desire will be unto her husband who will rule over her, Genesis 3:16.
- The ground is cursed because of Adam’s sin, Genesis 3:17-18.
- The man will have to work hard to cultivate the earth for food, Genesis 3:19.
- Adam’s nature becomes bent due to his determination to disobey God.
- By Adam’s trespass, they both die spiritually – they are separated from God in their spirit, Romans 5:17.
- Adam passes on his likeness and image to his offspring, Genesis 5:3.
Unto the woman He said, “to cause to multiply I will multiply your toil and your conception, in pain you will bear sons and your longing will be unto your husband and he will rule over you”, Genesis 3:16
And to Adam He said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree which I commanded you saying do not to eat from it, the ground is cursed on your account. In toil you will eat all [the] days of your life, Genesis 1:17
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and he bore in his likeness, his image and called his name Seth, Genesis 5:3
Spiritual Death – But not as the trespass, thus also is the gracious gift. For since by the trespass of the one [man] the many died, how much more the grace from God and the gift1 by grace by the one man Jesus Christ abounds unto the many, Romans 5:15
Physical Death – Because of this, just as through one man the sin entered the world and through the sin the death, also thus unto all men the death passed, on the basis that all sinned, Romans 5:12
1. Gift of righteousness
