Genesis
Lesson 12Genesis 3:7-24
In this lesson, we will look at what is most-commonly referred to as "the fall", the point in time when Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden. What a world this would have been if only they had not disobeyed God. As a book of beginnings and firsts, the book of Genesis lays the foundation for all that will come after it. We will be examining the beginning of man’s sin; the first sin, like all those that followed, resulted from disobeying God.
Today, as we reflect on our lives, we can only imagine what they would be like if we had no sin and if we lived in a world that had not been cursed as a result of sin. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Romans 3:23 tells us "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", and 1 John 1:8 says "if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us". These days, sin and its effects are everywhere we look. How hopeless we would be without a redeemer!
Just as Adam and Eve needed God to save them, so too do we. Let’s see how much we can learn from their experience in the Garden after their sin, and God’s reaction to it.
Read Genesis 3:7-24 and consider the following:
- Following Adam and Eve’s sin against God, what does verse 7 indicate that they did right away?
- Do you suppose that God knew that they had sinned because now they had these fig leaves wrapped around them? Wouldn’t Adam and Eve have been smarter to stay naked, the way God had created them, and not give away the fact they had sinned? What do the following passages have to say about these subjects?
- Hebrews 4:12
- Isaiah 64:6
- Isaiah 61:10
- As you consider Adam and Eve’s actions in verses 7 and 8, have you ever experienced or behaved in a similar way yourself? As we examine their behavior, what are some common observations that we can make about sin, and our actions following sinning, which apply today even though we are all wearing clothes and not living and working in a garden? (see Genesis 3:7-8)
- Now let’s take a moment to examine Adam’s response to God’s question regarding whether Adam had eaten of the forbidden fruit. What does Adam’s reply demonstrate to us regarding our inclination to lie about our sin and to deny it? Did Adam give a simple yes or no answer to God? What exactly did Adam do in response to God’s question?
- Continuing our review of the confrontation between God and Adam and Eve, what was Eve’s response, and how was it similar to Adam’s?
- What was wrong with the Garden of Eden that caused Adam and Eve to sin once God placed them in it?
- Because Adam and Eve sinned, and through their actions sin entered the world, then is it logically their fault that we are prone to sin today, i.e., because we have inherited this sinful nature from them? (see 1 Corinthians 10:12 and James 1:13-15)
- Genesis 3:14-19 records the pronouncement from God which is commonly referred to as "the curse". There are actually several curses cited in this passage. Can you list each?
- What is the fundamental difference between the curse on Satan and the curse on Adam and Eve?
- How many children did Adam and Eve have before they sinned? (see Genesis 3:20)
So, it is evident from our study that we have nothing and no one to blame for our sin but ourselves; and likewise we have the only hope for redemption, Christ the Messiah. Reflecting further, we see that the environment in which Adam and Eve lived was perfect, and that they also enjoyed daily visits from God. Yet, in spite of these two seemingly-perfect things, they chose to disobey God and to sin — bringing a curse on all of God’s creation.
Today we live on an earth that is severely impacted by that curse: strange weather, civil unrest, illness, poverty, injustice, and so on are all around us, making it easy to use any of them as an excuse for our sin. But God is not fooled nor mocked, as the Bible tells us. He knows our inner thoughts and desires, and He knows we need salvation and redemption that only He can bring through His son Jesus.
What a world without hope that we would have today, if it were not for Christ. Let’s take some time this week to thank God for His infinite mercy and grace and for sending His son into this lost and dying world to rescue us from it. Let’s also pray that the many around us who are looking for hope will see Jesus in us, and that they come to know Him as their personal savior as well.
Thanks for studying with us.
In Christ,
Wes
[2010]