The Fall of Humanity

January 19, 2025
Pastor Jack

young woman hiding behind large plant leaf

Genesis 3:1-24

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God indeed say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but from the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’.” But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings. Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden at the windy time of day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. And Yahweh God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?” And the man replied, “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate.” Then Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Then Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you will be cursed more than any domesticated animal and more than any wild animal. On your belly you shall go and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. And I will put hostility between you and between the woman, and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel.” To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bear children. And to your husband shall be your desire. And he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat, the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” And the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all life. And Yahweh God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and he clothed them. And Yahweh God said, “Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What if he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?” And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove the man out, and placed cherubim east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming, turning sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3: The Fall

In this passage, we see the fall of mankind, the moment humanity chose independence over obedience to God. Despite humanity’s failure, we also witness God’s incredible grace, as He provides both consequences and a promise of redemption. Let’s reflect together on how these themes speak into our lives today.

Key Points:

  • God’s Word should never be embellished.
  • We cannot solve our problems.
  • God’s presence convicts.
  • God always provides grace.

Genesis 3:1–3

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.’ ”

  • What do you think verse one means by “more crafty”?
  • When you think of the classic “good vs. evil” struggle, do you tend to envision God and Satan as adversaries on equal footing? What does verse one suggest about that?
  • What are both the serpent and the woman doing in regards to God’s words?

Genesis 3:4–5

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.”

  • What is the serpent doing here? How is he making God appear?

Genesis 3:6–7

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.

  • Verse six is a pivotal moment. Tell us in your words, what has happened?
  • What do you think was going on in Adam’s mind? What questions did he have?
  • What feelings or emotions do you think Adam and his wife we experiencing after eating the fruit? Can you imagine experiencing this for the very first time?
  • What did they do to address this? Can you see that this was treating the symptom rather than the disease?
  • Do we ever do the same?

Genesis 3:8–10

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.”

  • God walks in the garden and asks the man, “Where are you?” Did God really need to ask that?
  • How does Adam respond?
  • Of what was Adam really afraid?

Genesis 3:11–13

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.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

  • What does God first ask Adam? What’s God doing here?
  • What does Adam do or say?
  • What does the woman do or say?

Genesis 3:14–15 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.”
  • What does God do here?
  • Can you see grace in these verses?
  • What promise does God make here?

Genesis 3:16 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.”
  • How has God’s design for mankind changed now?

Genesis 3:17–19 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;
  18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
  and you shall eat the plants of the field.
  19 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.”
  • What is man’s punishment here?
  • How has God’s design for mankind changed now?

Genesis 3:20–21

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.

  • There are two things implied in verse 21. What do you see there?

Genesis 3:22–24

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 boots the man and woman out of Eden. Why does God place armed guards at Eden?
  • How can we see God’s grace, even in this passage?

Wrap it Up

  • Do we ever embellish God’s word? How so?
  • Do we ever try to solve our own (sin) problems? Describe how someone might try this.
  • What does God’s presence bring when we have sin in our lives? How should we handle this?
  • God always provides grace, even in punishment. Have you experienced His grace? If not, I urge you to talk to someone to help you find His grace and mercy.
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