Read: Genesis 3
Genesis 3
gives us insight into the origin of evil in our world. Evil was not always in the world, sin had a
beginning. It is important that when we
read this chapter we understand that these were real events happening to real
people. In the first few verses of
Genesis 3 we find that Satan deceives Eve (v. 1-5). He starts by questioning God’s command in
which Eve responds by adding to the command, “and you must not touch it”.
Satan then lies to Eve, telling her that she won’t die but that instead
her eyes would be opened and she would be like God (v. 4-5). Satan is flatly contradicting God’s
Word. He is tempting her with wisdom and
power! He tempts their human desire for
an increase in knowledge, persuading them that they would not die and playing
on their pride, enticing them to believe that they could be like God. In the next two verses we see that Adam and
Eve disobeyed God’s command (v. 6-7).
Since the tree appeared to be good, pleasing and desirable, she ate and
gave some to her husband, who was with her.
The original command was given to Adam and Adam stood by and watched as
his wife stumbled into disobedience. He then ate of the fruit. Eve was deceived into sinning, Adam sinned
willfully. Upon eating their eyes were
opened and they saw what they had never noticed before – they were naked. They had lost their innocence so they
attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves (v. 7). Adam and Eve’s response to their sin was to
hide from God because they were afraid.
Here we see that shame and fear are the result of sin. Yet God, in His
goodness, calls to them (v. 9). When
questioned about his sin Adam shifts the blame from himself and puts it on the
woman. When the woman was questioned,
she lays the blame upon the serpent (v. 13) for deceiving her. Adam and Eve hearts have been hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin as they did not respond with repentance and confession of
sin but instead made excuses for their wrongdoing. Acknowledgement of sin is the first step
towards repentance, but Adam and Eve were not repentant. What would have happened if Adam wouldn’t
have blamed Eve but instead would have responded in genuine repentance? God
then pronounces judgement on the serpent (v. 14) as He curses it to crawl on
its belly and eat dust. In verse 15 we
see that God has put hostility between men and Satan. This verse is the first prophecy of the
Messiah as the seed of the woman (Jesus) would crush the serpents head. Here we see hope of the promise of redemption
through Christ! Even before pronouncing judgement
on Adam and Eve God is graciously showing His plan of redemption for them. Next we see the punishment of Eve (v. 16) and
then Adam (v. 17). She would experience
pain in childbirth and the relationship between her and her husband would be
marred. Adam is told that the ground is
cursed. Instead of producing nourishing
grain and useful vegetables, harmful weeds will grow. Humans would no longer be given the privilege
of eating fruit from the Garden but would now eat plants of the field (v. 18). Work would increase for mankind as Adam would
sweat and toil the ground in order to eat.
God then tells Adam that he will return to the ground, as dust. Human death had just entered the world as a
result of sin. Adam then gives his wife
the name Eve (v. 20), as she would become the mother of all the living. Once again we see God’s goodness and grace
here. Adam and Eve had just sinned and
deserved death, yet they would be able to propagate and bring life into the
world. God’s goodness continues as He
made them clothes out of animal skins.
This would have required the death of an animal – atonement comes
through death, eventually through the death of Christ. As a result of sin, man was now unfit to live
in the Garden and was expelled from it by God (v. 23-24).
Prayer and Journaling
1. It
is easy to be judgmental of Adam and Eve as we see how they stumbled into
sin. The fact is that we are all sinners
(Rom. 3:23) in need of forgiveness.
a. Take a moment and ask the Lord to show you any
areas in your life where you have unconfessed sin.
b. Check
off these areas below
c. Pray a prayer, confessing your sin and admitting
that these things are sin.
d. Thank
the Lord for His forgiveness.
e. Ask
the Lord to show you what you can do today in order to flee from this sort of
behaviour in the future. For example,
are there friends you need to avoid?
What environments do you need to avoid?
Who do you need to apologize to? Etc.
- Lustful Thoughts
- Suggestive TV/Movies/Books
- Fantasizing
- Dressing Inappropriately (to attract
attention)
- Other Sexual Impurity: _____________
- Anger
- Fear/Anxiety
- Judgmental
- Materialism
- Negativity
- People-pleasing
- Perfectionism
- Pride
- Self-pity
- Unforgiveness/Bitterness
- Dirty Language/Swearing
- Gossip/Slander
- Lying/Exaggeration
- Other (s): __________________
2. God’s
response to Adam and Eve’s sin is critical for us to understand. Yes, God punishes sin, we cannot overlook His
judgment. Adam and Eve experienced real
consequences for their sin. Yet God, in
His goodness, provided atonement for sin, through Jesus Christ. In His goodness He gave them the ability to
propagate life, in His love He made clothes for them, in His mercy He made a
way for them to continue to fellowship with Him and eventually live with Him forever
in eternity. Spend some time thanking
God for forgiveness. Thanks Him that we don’t get what we deserve (eternal
punishment) if we honestly repent and turn from our sin. He is good, He is loving, and He is
merciful. We have much to be thankful
for!
