Study From the Book of Genesis,3

Study From the Book of Genesis,3

Today we are studying the third chapter of the book of Genesis. There are many biblical principles and lessons in this chapter. But I choose the two most useful ones in biblical counselling.

Adam and Eve did not see the danger embedded in the serpent. Adam and Eve were naked in innocence, the serpent was crafty and sneaky. In Eve innocence and naivete, she showed no surprise on hearing a strange voice from the snake. There was one tree Eve knew to be off limits. This tree was in the middle of the garden. Some interpreters suggest that the woman was already sinning by adding to the word of God “no shall you touch it.” Yet the first sin was not lying, it was eating the fruit that God had forbidden. Her words reflected the original command well enough and indeed they would have ensured that the command would be kept.

The first time (here), Satan lied. Lying was Satan’s craft right from the beginning. The serpent boldly denied the truth of what God had said. In essence the serpent called God a liar. By arguing that God had an ulterior motive, the serpent appealed to Eve’s sense of fair play by saying to her “you will be like God.” After all, there was nothing in the tree that was poisonous or harmful, and it was desirable. The issue was one of obedience and disobedience of the Word of God. She took and ate.  She gave the fruit to her husband and he ate. Adam knew as well as she that the fruit was forbidden. Adam and Eve had now broken faith with the Lord, and the world was forever changed.

The serpent was right- they knew good and evil. This is the awful truth about a skilled liar-the deception comes mixed with truth. Their eyes were opened and they discovered that they were naked. Their naivete was now replaced by evil thoughts, and they covered themselves with fig leaves.

The scene is pathetic and sad. Adam and Eve who have become wise, cower in the tree to avoid being seen by the Creator of the universe. What had been a perfect shameless fellowship has turned into dreadful fear of God.

God, in His mercy, did not destroy both of them immediately. God’s mercy reaches further than we usually believe -or else we would all be destroyed. The guilty man’s first line of defence is blame. Adam blamed the woman, and then blamed God for having given her to him. The Lord first turned to the serpent and brought His judgment on him. God did not excuse the woman because she was deceived, but He did bring the harsher judgment one the one who deceived her. The woman and the man faced harsh realities, but they were not cursed. The serpent became a creature that slithers the ground and appears to eat dust. This implies that before this the serpent had some other bodily form.

God’s judgement on the serpent is not about snakes; it is about the enemy of our souls, Satan. The language of your seed and her Seed is translated offsprings or descendants. The term may refer to an individual. The seed of the woman is the Promised One, the coming Messiah of Israel the Lord Jesus. On the cross he will be bruised in His heel but He will bruise Satan in his head-the defeat of the serpent’s seed.  In His resurrection, He defeated His enemy. From that moment on, Satan has lived on borrowed time. He is already defeated; only the announcement of victory needs to be given. God gave judgment on Adam and Eve and did not make excuse of being deceived by the serpent. From the moment on the death have entered the world.

It is the first place of the Bible mentions the killing of animals for human use. God made tunics of skin and clothed them.  By means of their rebellious act, the man and woman now shared something with God. But they were also at enmity with Him because of their sin. Adam and Eve’s knowledge of good and evil had made them not wise but foolish. The tree of life stopped aging. To eat of this tree was to live forever. One day this tree will be planted anew and its fruit will be the healing of the nations as in Rev. 22:2.

Structure

Verses 1-24: the temptations and fall of man.

Principle 5: verse 3:1- ----"And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’”

Lesson 5: Satan often begins his temptations by questioning God’s commands and suggesting that obedience is not really necessary.

Principle verse 6 verse 3:12: ----” Then the man said, ‘the woman You gave to be with me, she gave me the tree and I ate’.”

Lesson 6: Sin impels us to blame others for our disobedience and folly, but God hold us personally accountable for what we do.21/9/2025.