HOW DID JEHOVAH OFFER HOPE TO SINFUL HUMANS?

 When Jehovah created the first man and woman, he wanted them to be happy. He gave them a beautiful home, the gift of marriage and a fascinating assignment. They were to fill the earth with their descendants, making the whole planet a paradise like the garden of Eden. He gave them only one simple restriction. And he warned them that if they broke that command by deliberately rebelling against him, their sin would lead to death. We know what happened. An invisible spirit, (Satan) one who had no love for God or for them, entered the picture through a serpent and tempted them to commit that sin. Adam and Eve gave in to that bad influence. Failing to trust their loving Father, they sinned. As we know, Jehovah's words proved true. From that day onward, they had to face the consequences: they began to grow old, and finally they died. - GENESIS 1:28, 29; 2:8, 9, 16-18; 3:1-6, 17-19, 24; 5:5.

Jehovah had that sad account recorded for our benefit. It helps us to understand why he hates sins so much. Sin separates us from our Father, and it leads to death. (Isaiah 59:2) That is why Satan, the rebel spirit who instigated all this trouble, loves sin and seeks to promote it. He might have thought that he won a great victory in Eden. But he did not understand how loving Jehovah is. God never changed his purpose for the descendants of Adam and Eve. He loves he human family, so he immediately offered hop to all. (Romans 8:20, 21.) Jehovah knew that some of those descendants would love to choose to love him and would seek his help in fighting against sin and draw close to him and would seek his help in fighting against sin. And as their Father and Creator, he would give them a way to be set free from sin and draw close to him. What would Jehovah do to make all that possible?

Read Genesis 3:15. The first glimmer of hope came when Jehovah pronounced his sentence on Satan. God foretold that an "an offspring" would be the key to hope. This offspring would eventually crust Satan, undoing all the evil that he had caused in Eden. (1 John 3:8) However, that offspring would suffer in the process. Satan would strike him, causing his death. That would hurt Jehovah most deeply. But the pain would all be worth it in the end because countless humans would be saved from sin and death.

Next time: HOW DID SINFUL HUMANS IN BIBLE TIMES GAIN JEHOVAH'S FAVOR?

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