The Story Through the Bible Gen 3

The Fall

We go straight into the problem of the serpent who is more crafty. There is a play on words here - arom is naked arum is crafty - but they’re exactly the same letters - it’s only the vowel markers that say these are different words.

We talked a bit about this Sunday morning but the serpent tempts Eve with something more than what she has or is now. She goes through a pattern we see elsewhere in scripture and probably our own sin failure moments.

1) Good for sustaining herself (food)

2) Delight to the eyes

3) Desirable to make one wise

Then we have their fall and God comes asking around right, “where are you?” Is this because God is not omniscient not all knowing? No… It’s like when you’re kids are hiding because they’ve done something wrong and they know it, but they’re not good at hiding because they just got somewhere they couldn’t see you and thought that would mean you couldn’t see them. You might ask… Caleb… where are you… because you’re giving them that opportunity to come forward, to stand up and confess. This was Adam’s chance to confess he dodged it a little then when confronted with it blames the woman who blames the serpent. God punishes all three, it’s not like the blame game worked here at all.

Genesis 3:14–15 ESV

The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Genesis 3:16 ESV

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 3:17–19 ESV

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The serpent is punished for deception and the man for disobedience. This rebellion is in contrast to the woman who does not have a charge noted against her by God. Never the less she is punished in the pain of childbearing yet it will be through that very thing that redemption comes to the world.

Genesis 3:20–24 ESV

The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Hivah - Eve Hiyah -alive

God made the garments of skins and clothed them. What has to happen to get skins? kill an animal. I think we see here the first sacrifice that covers sin.

Lastly why is the Cherubim placed at the Garden? to guard the way to the tree of life.

Gen 4 continues our story and we start immediately to see the promise of the Seed. I think Eve thinks this is the immediate solution the promise fulfilled in Cain.

Genesis 4:1 ESV

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

The (help of) is not in the Hebrew but the translator put that there so you wouldn’t be confused in English.

Cain may be a play on words here qa-yin his name an qa-na (to acquire)

Genesis 4:2 ESV

And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

Making the reference as his brother we can tell the focus of our story is around Cain.

Genesis 4:3–5 ESV

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Cain we know ends up killing his brother over his jealousy and hatred of Abel. (1 Jn 3:12)

Genesis 4:9–16 ESV

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:25 ESV

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”