June 8

1. One of the most important responsibilities we have is to teach and guide the next generation. Education is more than just learning facts—it’s also about shaping hearts, building character, and growing in faith. I remember something my mother did that had a deep impact on my life. At the time, she wasn’t a strong believer, but she never stopped me from going to church. In fact, she encouraged me to go, because she believed it was good for me. That small choice—her openness and support—gave me the chance to meet God. And that meeting changed the course of my life.

2. When Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible—the Pentateuch—it wasn’t during his time in Egypt. He didn’t write them while living in Pharaoh’s palace, or even during his years in exile. Most scholars believe he wrote them while Israel was traveling through the wilderness. But why then? Why talk about the creation of the world, the fall of humanity, and God’s promise to redeem His people at that moment? Remember, Israel had just come out of more than 400 years in Egypt—that’s over 12 generations. By that time, the people had forgotten where they came from. They had been surrounded by Egypt’s gods, culture, and way of life for so long. They needed to be reminded of who they truly were—and who their God truly is.

“You are not Egyptians. You belong to Yahweh—the God who created the heavens and the earth.”

Moses was not just telling history. He was re-teaching identity, showing the people who God is, who they are, and what it means to belong to Him. In a sense, Genesis is 

not just the beginning of the world—it’s the beginning of knowing God again.

3. This summer, I’m starting a sermon series that will focus on God’s redeeming work and how people respond to it. We’ll be looking at both the Old and New Testaments—taking turns each week. One week we’ll explore a passage from the Old Testament, and the next week we’ll look at a related passage from the New Testament. Today, we begin with the Old Testament. Our message is about who God is—He is the God who reaches out to us even when we’re broken. He teaches us, cares for us, and prepares us for something greater. In Genesis 3, we see more than just the Fall of humanity—we also see the beginning of God’s plan to redeem us. That plan continues throughout the whole Bible. Let’s take a closer look together, and see how God’s grace begins even in the darkest moments.

Genesis 3:22–24 NASB 2020

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

4. When we look at Genesis 3:8–24, we can see four key parts that help us understand the passage more clearly.

I. God Seeks the Sinner (vv. 8–13)

II. God Judges Sin with Justice and Hope (vv. 14–19)

III. God Covers the Ashamed (vv. 20–21)

IV. God Prepares the Way for Redemption (vv. 22–24)

5. Before this part of the story, as we already know, Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In doing so, they disobeyed God’s command. They chose to follow their own desires rather than God’s word. Paul later reflects on this in the New Testament, saying that through one man, sin entered the world. This act of disobedience opened the door for sin and its consequences to affect all of humanity.

Romans 5:12–13 NLT

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.

Romans 5:14 NLT

Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 

I. God Seeks the Sinner (Genesis 3:8–13)

6. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, the first thing they did was hide. Genesis 3:8 says, 

Genesis 3:8 NIV

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Their sin made them feel afraid and ashamed. Instead of running to God, they ran away from Him. Their sin made them feel afraid and ashamed. Instead of running to God, they ran away from Him. This is a very natural human response when we do something wrong. When I was young, I was not good at math. One time, I got 38 out of 100 on a test, and I was scared of how my parents would react. So, I tried to hide the report card. But later, they found out, and I was disciplined. In the same way, Adam and Eve were afraid because they knew they had disobeyed God’s command.

7. But the amazing part of this story is that God didn’t leave them. He came to find them. In verse 9, God says, “Where are you?” Of course, God already knew where they were. He knows everything. But God was giving them a chance to come out and talk to Him. He wanted to restore the relationship. Even today, we do the same. When we sin or feel guilty, we often hide—from people, from ourselves, and from God. But God still looks for us. He doesn’t wait until we fix everything. He calls us with love: “Where are you?” Before He judges us, He invites us. Before He corrects us, He comes close.

II. God Judges Sin with Justice and Hope (Genesis 3:14–19)  

8. After Adam and Eve sinned, God gave a judgment to each one involved. But before He punished them, something important happened—God spoke with them. He didn’t bring immediate punishment. Instead, He started a conversation. God gave them a chance to respond. This shows that even in judgment, God is patient and full of grace. First, God spoke to the serpent. He said the serpent would crawl on its belly and eat dust all its life. But God also gave a powerful promise. In Genesis 3:15 (NIV), He said, “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This is known as the first gospel, or protoevangelium. It is the first promise that one day, a child of the woman would come and defeat Satan. This is a prophecy about Jesus, who would later destroy the power of sin and death on the cross.

Romans 5:18–19 ESV

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 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.

9. Then, God spoke to the woman. Because of sin, childbirth would now bring pain. There would also be struggles in relationships between men and women. Sin did not only damage our relationship with God—it also hurt our relationships with each other. Life became more difficult, and people became more broken. This reminds me of a part-time job I had many years ago. I worked as a helper in an autopsy room at a women’s hospital. One day, after examining a stillborn baby, the doctor asked me, “Who is responsible when a baby is stillborn?” I answered, “I think it’s God’s responsibility, because God created the baby.” She replied, “Maybe. I don’t believe in God, but I do believe that God might exist. And if He does, I think He shares responsibility—maybe 50% with the mother. In a way, God and the mother work together to bring life.” She wasn’t a believer, but her words really surprised me. I had never thought about it like that before. Then I realized something important: when God gives us responsibility, it’s not a burden—it’s a part of His grace.

Philippians 2:12–13 MSG

What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

10. Finally, God spoke to the man. Work would now be full of pain and difficulty. The ground would not give food easily. Life would take effort and struggle. And in the end, God said, “for dust you are and to dust you will return” (v. 19). Death entered the human story because of sin. But even in this judgment, we can see God’s love. He did not destroy Adam and Eve. Instead, He gave them hope—a promise that one day, a Saviour would come. God’s judgment is real, but His grace is always present. 

III. God Covers the Ashamed (Genesis 3:20–21)

11. After hearing God’s judgment, Adam did something interesting. He gave his wife a new name—Eve—which means “life” or “life-giver.” This was a sign of hope. Even though they had sinned, Adam believed that life would continue. He trusted God’s promise in verse 15 that one day a child would come to defeat evil. Naming her “Eve” was a small act of faith in the middle of a dark moment. Then, God did something even more powerful. 

Genesis 3:20–21 NRSV

The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.

12. Earlier, Adam and Eve had tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but that wasn’t enough. God made better clothes for them—garments of skin. This means an animal had to die. It is the first picture of sacrifice in the Bible. God Himself provided the covering. This points forward to Jesus, who would one day die to cover our sin and shame completely. We cannot cover our shame by ourselves. Only God’s covering is enough—and it always comes through His love and grace.

IV. God Prepares the Way for Redemption (Genesis 3:22–24)

13. After Adam and Eve sinned, God sent them out of the Garden of Eden. At first, this might seem like it was only a punishment. But it was also an act of protection. In Genesis 3:22 (NIV), God says that if they ate from the Tree of Life, they would live forever. That means they would live forever in a sinful and broken state—and God didn’t want that for them. So, sending them out of the garden was not just judgment—it was also mercy. God was protecting them from living forever in separation from Him. This reminds us of something very important: human beings are eternal. We will exist forever—either with God in heaven or separated from Him in hell. When we believe in Jesus, we are promised eternal life with God. But without faith in Him, we face eternal separation. It’s not special knowledge or understanding that saves us. Salvation and a new identity come only through Jesus Christ. Only faith in Him gives us new life and separates us from our old, sinful self.

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 NASB 2020

Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

14. In verse 24, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life. The way was not destroyed—it was guarded. That means there was still hope. One day, the way to life would be opened again. And that way is Jesus. Through His death and resurrection, the path to eternal life is restored. Redemption begins with separation, but it ends with restoration. God was already preparing the way, and He fulfilled it through Christ. 

Hebrews 4:14–16 NASB 2020

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

Conclusion: The Gospel Begins in the Garden

15. Even in humanity’s darkest moment, God’s grace was already at work. Genesis 3 is not just a story of failure—it is the beginning of the gospel. God did not walk away from Adam and Eve in their shame. He came looking for them. He judged their sin, but He did so with a promise of redemption. He covered their shame, and He guarded the way to life, not to close it forever, but to reopen it in His time—through Jesus.

16. This is who God is: He is the One who seeks the sinner, speaks truth with mercy, clothes the ashamed with grace, and prepares the way for new life. And this is still who God is today. He is seeking you—not to shame you, but to restore you. He invites you to stop hiding, to stop trying to cover yourself, and to receive what only He can provide: true forgiveness, real hope, and eternal life in Christ.

So let me ask you: Where are you today? Are you hiding in fear? Are you covering your shame with your own efforts? Or are you ready to be found, clothed, and restored by the God who never stopped reaching for you?

This summer, as we journey through God’s redeeming work, may we respond not with fear, but with faith—faith in the God who seeks, covers, and saves.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/34fa971e-78d3-45ea-b893-b5d4695a9226/audio

Quiz: Short Answer Questions

• According to the text, why did Moses write the Pentateuch while Israel was in the wilderness, rather than during his time in Egypt?

• What is the main purpose of the sermon series mentioned in paragraph 3, and how will it be structured?

• Based on the text, what was Adam and Eve's immediate response after eating the forbidden fruit, and what does this reveal about human nature?

• How does the text interpret God's question, "Where are you?" to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:9?

• What is the protoevangelium mentioned in the text, and what does it prophesy?

• Explain the significance of Adam naming his wife "Eve" after the judgment in Genesis 3.

• What symbolic meaning does God providing garments of skin for Adam and Eve hold, according to the text?

• Why did God send Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, and what was the dual purpose of this action?

• According to paragraph 13, what is the connection between humanity's eternal nature and the act of being sent out of the Garden of Eden?

• How does the text describe the ultimate purpose of God guarding the way to the Tree of Life with cherubim and a flaming sword?

Answer Key: Short Answer Questions

• Moses wrote the Pentateuch in the wilderness to re-teach Israel their identity. After over 400 years in Egypt, they had forgotten their origins and their true God, being surrounded by Egyptian culture and deities. The writings reminded them they belonged to Yahweh.

• The sermon series focuses on God's redeeming work and human responses to it. It will be structured by alternating weekly between Old Testament and New Testament passages that are related to the theme.

• After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve immediately hid from God, feeling afraid and ashamed. This reveals a natural human response to wrongdoing, where individuals tend to withdraw and conceal their actions when guilty.

• The text interprets God's question, "Where are you?", not as a lack of divine knowledge, but as an invitation for Adam and Eve to come out and talk to Him. It was an opportunity for them to restore their relationship with God.

• The protoevangelium is found in Genesis 3:15, where God tells the serpent, "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This is understood as the first gospel, prophesying the future coming of Jesus who would defeat Satan and the power of sin and death.

• Adam naming his wife "Eve," which means "life" or "life-giver," after God's judgment was an act of hope and faith. It signified his belief that life would continue despite their sin, trusting God's promise that a child would come to defeat evil.

• God providing garments of skin symbolizes the first picture of sacrifice in the Bible, indicating that an animal had to die. This act foreshadows Jesus' future sacrifice, where His death would completely cover humanity's sin and shame, as human efforts are insufficient.

• God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden not only as punishment but also as an act of protection and mercy. This prevented them from eating from the Tree of Life and living forever in a sinful and broken state, separated from God.

• The text states that sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden reminds us that human beings are eternal, destined to exist forever. It highlights the choice between eternal life with God through faith in Jesus, or eternal separation from Him without such faith.

• The text explains that God guarding the way to the Tree of Life with cherubim and a flaming sword signified that the way was not destroyed, but merely guarded. This implied that hope remained, and one day the path to life would be reopened, which was ultimately fulfilled through Jesus.