Reflections Group eMember 5/18/2021
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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’?”
Reflections Group eMember
5/18/2021
Temptation, the Fall, and Consequences
Genesis Chapter 3
ICE Breaker Question:
Growing up, what spaces were “off limits” in your house or community?
The Temptation and the Fall
Genesis 3:1-7
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.
Question #1: (v. 6) When have you seen or tried something that looked good, but produced negative consequences? (c.f. 1 John 2:16)
Commentary:
The temptation (Gen. 3:1–7). It is fascinating to note the strategies of the tempter. First he isolated Eve from Adam. He gave the pair no opportunity to strengthen each other in a resolve to choose the good (cf. Heb. 10:24–25). Then he cast doubt on God’s motives. Did God possibly have a selfish motive for the restriction? (Gen. 3:4) Satan went on to contradict God. God had warned of death; Satan cried, “That’s a lie!” Now two opposing views stood in sharp contrast, and a choice had to be made.
Satan also focused Eve’s attention on desirable ends, a common device of what has been called “situation ethics.” Never mind the fact that the means to an end involves disobedience to God. Act only on examination of the supposed results.
Satan also proposed a mixed good as the end: “You will become like Him, for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from evil!” (v. 5, tlb) How could becoming more like God be wrong?
Finally, Satan relied on the appeal of the senses. The fruit was “lovely and fresh looking” (v. 6, tlb). How could anything that looked and smelled so pleasant be bad?
Led along by the tempter, Eve made her choice. She rejected trust in God and confidence in His wisdom and, as Satan himself had before her, Eve determined to follow her own will and reject God’s. Then she offered the fruit to Adam, and he too ate.1
1 Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (p. 33). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Comment (v. 7) Adam & Eve had to find their own solution to a problem they created, by now destroying some of creation to cover for their disobedience.
SIN’S CONSEQUENCES
Genesis 3:8-13
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. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Question #2: (v. 8) What are some ways even those that have a relationship with God, hide from Him now? Have you find yourself hiding from God from time to time?
Commentary: (v. 9) When God asked Adam, “Where are you?” We know He was not talking about his physical location, but it was about his relationship
Commentary: (v. 10) The first couple did experience the knowledge of good and evil, they were now naked, but felt shame. (c.f. Gen. 2:25) Now instead of physical bushes we use vain ideologies, meta physics, and our own truths to hide from God.
Commentary: (v. 11) The problem is now that there was disobedience, and rebellion, mankind’s perspective of himself changes. What was good, and carried no shame in chapter 2:25, now has man running and hiding in bushes. What was natural, healthy, and wholesome, now carries guilt, and shame that needs to be covered. (Sin is a weighty matter)
Commentary: (v. 12, 13) From the moment Adam took the fruit from Eve, he abdicated his God given role and responsibility. Now Adam plays the blame game, and Eve learns quickly to also pass on being held accountable.
Notes:
Men’s shoulders are broad to bear the weight of responsibility, and accountability; women were built to nurture the next generation. This does not only mean to bear children, but to teach, instruct, and nurture those coming behind her.
GOD’S PUNISHMENT:
The Serpent
Genesis 3:14-15
14 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. 15 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.”
Commentary: (v. 15) The serpent will have offspring, so there will be more like him, and there will be a constant state of hostility between them. You will always have to battle your fleshly desires (c.f. 1 John 2:16)
The Woman
Genesis 3:16
16 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.”
Commentary: (v. 16b) “...Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (c.f. 1 Corinthians 7:28) “...trouble in the flesh...” (NKJV)
28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.
The Man
Genesis 3:17-19
Commentary: (v. 17) Because you let her make the final decision, that was contrary to the instructions I gave you. You will have to work hard all the days of your life. (ECHV)
The earth is cursed because of you, and more difficult than originally designed to be.
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 22 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—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 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.
GOD’S REMEDY:
(v. 20) Adam gave Eve her name. (An important role men play is giving identity to those in there sphere, wife, children, work)
(v. 21) The Lord God made covering for mankind. (You cannot cover yourself)
(v. 22) It may seem harsh, but it is a blessing not to live in a perpetual fallen state. Think of what we missed, what would it be like to live in a world where good was the only reality. We cannot handle the knowledge God can.
(v. 23-24) Ultimately, sin has separated us from our creator, and has put a chasm between us and God. Not just physically, but in our thinking, and understanding. We operate not in good faith, but out of fear.
All God’s dealings with people as sinners can be traced back to this act of disobedience by Adam and Eve. God is a saving God, however, and the fact that He clothed … Adam and Eve testifies to that. An animal was sacrificed to provide garments of skin, and later all Israel’s animal sacrifices would be part of God’s provision to remedy the curse—a life for a life. The sinner shall die! (Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 6:23) Yet he will live if he places his faith in the Lord, who has provided a Substitute. The skin with which God clothed Adam and Eve perpetually reminded them of God’s provision. Similarly in the fullness of time God accepted the sacrifice of Christ, and on the basis of that atonement He clothes believers in righteousness (Rom. 3:21–26).1
1 Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 33). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.