Did God Really Say?

Genesis 3:1–8 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

The Current Is Too Much

We’ve all heard the phrase, “biting off more than you can chew.”

There’s an old story about a young boy who had a prized pet goldfish.

He loved that fish dearly, feeding it every day, watching it swim, and caring for it like it was a member of the family.

One day, as he sat near the fishbowl, he thought to himself, “If only my fish could swim in a bigger space. Maybe it would be happier in the river behind our house.”

Against his father’s warning, the boy took the fish, full of excitement, and released it into the river.

For a moment, the fish swam freely, darting through the wide, open water. But before long, it was caught by the current and carried away.

The boy never saw his goldfish again.

What was meant as freedom for the fish ended up in loss, all because the boy believed he knew better than his father’s instructions.

That simple story mirrors the bigger, more profound event we find in Genesis 3, where humanity’s first act of disobedience unleashed consequences far greater than they could have ever imagined.

Doubting Divine Directives

Genesis 3:1–3 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 begins with a cunning approach by the serpent.

He doesn’t start with an outright lie but with a question: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

By framing the question this way, he plants a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind.

This tactic is subtle, but effective.

The serpent’s strategy isn’t to deny God outright but to introduce doubt—doubt in God’s goodness, doubt in His instructions, doubt in His truth.

Interestingly, Satan uses the SAME tactic with Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11, as Jesus fasts and goes out into the wilderness.

Satan comes to tempt Jesus, when Jesus is at his weakest and most vulnerable.

Unlike Adam and Eve, however, Jesus resists the temptation and remains faithful.

Friends, if Satan is going to tempt Adam and Eve, and Jesus, we can 100% assume he will do the same to us.

We face similar questions in our own lives. “Does God really mean I should live a life of purity?”

“Does He really expect me to forgive those who hurt me?”

“Does He really expect me to be honest in all my dealings?”

“Does He really condemn gossip?”

“Does He really mean Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy?”

These subtle temptations cause us to question the goodness and wisdom of God’s commands.

Like the boy with his fish, we may convince ourselves that we know better than God.

Yet, doubting God’s directives is the first step toward disobedience.

But how can we resist this temptation?

By anchoring ourselves in the truth of God’s Word, just like Jesus in Matthew 4.

When we remain grounded in Scripture and trust in God’s goodness, we can see through the lies of the enemy.

The Bible reveals God’s heart and His perfect plans for our lives, so we must continually go back to it, reminding ourselves of what He has said.

Deceived into Desiring More

Genesis 3:4–5 ESV

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Notice here, that the serpent doesn’t stop at sowing doubt.

He escalates the temptation by directly contradicting God’s Word: “You will not certainly die… For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”

Here we see the heart of Satan’s deception: the promise that something beyond what God has given will bring greater happiness, knowledge, or fulfillment.

This is a timeless tactic.

Satan tempts us to believe that God’s boundaries are restrictive, that we’re missing out on something better.

Whether it’s the allure of power, status, or sinful pleasure, the message is always the same: “There is more, and God is holding out on you.”

Yet, just as it was in the Garden, this promise is a lie.

Again, in Matthew 4, Satan tempts by promising better to Jesus than His Heavenly Father promised.

Matthew 4:8–10 ESV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would only bow down and worship him.

But Jesus rejected the offer, trusting fully in God’s plan.

Even though He faced suffering and death on the cross, He remained obedient, trusting that God’s way was the only way to true glory.

We, too, are called to trust God’s goodness, even when temptation tells us there’s something more appealing.

God’s commands are not for our harm but for our protection.

True freedom is found not in breaking God’s boundaries but in living within them, knowing that His ways lead to life.

3. Disobedience's Destructive Dance

Genesis 3:6–8 ESV

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Finally, we arrive at the tragic moment when Adam and Eve give in to temptation.

Eve takes the fruit and eats it, and Adam follows suit.

In an instant, everything changes.

Their eyes are opened, but not in the way they expected.

Instead of becoming like God, they are filled with shame.

They try to cover themselves with fig leaves, and when they hear God walking in the garden, they hide.

The immediate consequence of their disobedience is fear and separation from God.

What was once a close, intimate relationship is now broken.

Instead of running toward God, they run away.

This is the nature of sin—it promises fulfillment but leaves us empty, isolated, and ashamed.

But the good news is that God, in His mercy, does not leave us in this state.

The story of Adam and Eve’s disobedience points us toward Christ.

Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus succeeded.

Through His obedience to the Father, even unto death on the cross, He reversed the curse of sin and opened the way for us to be restored to God.

In Romans 5:19, Paul writes:

Romans 5:19 ESV

19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Jesus is the second Adam, the one who restores what was lost in the Garden. Because of His obedience, we can now be reconciled to God.

In this reconciliation, however grow in peace and joy when we grow in obedience to God.

Conclusion

So, what do we take from this passage?

Genesis 3 teaches us about the devastating consequences of doubting God’s Word and giving in to temptation.

But it also points us to the hope we have in Christ, who overcame temptation and made a way for us to be restored.

As we live our daily lives, we will face temptations that promise more than what God has given us.

We will hear the whisper, “Did God really say…?”

But in those moments, we must stand firm, trusting that God’s way is the best way.

True happiness and fulfillment are not found in disobedience but in obedience to God’s commands.

Brothers and sisters, let us hold fast to Christ, the one who defeated sin and death, and who leads us back into right relationship with God.

And may we, by His grace, resist the deceptive bait of disobedience and remain faithful to our loving Father, trusting that His way is always for our good. Amen.

Prayer of Response: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the truth of Your Word and for the example of Jesus, who resisted the temptation to doubt Your divine directives and remained obedient to Your will. We confess that we, like Adam and Eve, are often tempted to question Your goodness and stray from Your commands. Help us to trust in Your wisdom, to see through the lies of the enemy, and to stand firm in faith. Strengthen us, Lord, to resist temptation and to follow the path of obedience that leads to life and joy in You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.