Genesis 2 – 3 Various
Genesis 2:16-17
God gives incredible freedom to the newly created man in his garden. He can eat from any tree he wants, freely and as much as he wants. But in the middle of this freedom was one command: “From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” God even includes a consequence if this command is broken. God provides abundantly for us and sets boundaries for our own good. Up to this point, Adam seems to have been given this one prohibition. Just one. And he is aware of right choices and wrong choices.
Genesis 3:1-3
With Satan’s opening question to Eve, he begins to create doubt in her mind about what God really said. He implies that maybe she doesn’t remember or she got the facts wrong. He begins the temptation by breaking down her confidence in God and craftily planting seeds of uncertainty about right and wrong.
Genesis 3:4-6
Satan denies what God said and tells Eve that something good will happen if she eats the fruit. That’s what temptation is about; doubting God’s truth and goodness. Sin can look really good at the time; otherwise we might be repulsed by it. Eve chooses to listen to Satan and not God. It looked like she could eat it, it looked good and it could help her gain wisdom, so she ate it. She gave it to her husband, who was there with her, and he ate too. Instead of trusting in God’s best for them, they chose another way. Satan wants to disconnect us from God and from dependence on Him.
Genesis 3:7-11
For the first time, Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness; they felt shame. They attempted to cover their bodies. They heard God walking in the garden and decided to hide from Him. When we sin, one of our tendencies is to stay away from God even though He wants to extend to us His grace.
Genesis 3:12-13
Adam confesses that he ate from the tree, but shifts the blame to Eve and even to God. Eve does the same thing, confessing that she ate because of the serpent’s deception. Interesting how we can rationalize sin on the front end, but work to cover ourselves on the back end. They are now aware of the stupid sin that they’ve committed.
Key Points
Choose trust over temptation.
Flee temptation rather than trying to fight it.
Remember that consequences always come.
If you let sin make you stupid, don’t let shame make you more stupid.