Studies in Genesis - The Fall

1. We find the story of man's temptation in Genesis 3:1-5

1) While in the garden, a serpent approached Eve.

2) He asked Eve if God had not made all of the trees for them to eat.

3) Eve replied that there was only one of which they could not eat – the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

4) She knew it was forbidden and she knew that if they ate of it they would die.

5) The serpent said, "You will not die."

6) He then says, "God knows that if you eat of it, you will be like Him."

7) The implication was basically, that is why God doesn't want you to eat of it.

8) In the temptation, Satan presented to Eve that the fruit was good for food, delighted the eyes, and it made one wise.

2. The serpent is Satan.

1) The word "Satan" means adversary.

2) The word "Devil" means slanderer.

3) The Bible teaches that he is man's true enemy.

4) He is deceitful even able to transform himself into an angel of light if it suits his purposes (2 Cor.11:14).

5) He is the one who is responsible for man's temptation ( Matthew 4:3).

6) He is always seeking someone to devour ( 1 Peter 5:8).

7) Here, he appears to Eve in the form of a serpent to tempt Eve to disobey God.

3. Satan lies to lure us to commit evil.

1) 2 Cor.11:14 tells us this.

2) Here he told Eve exactly the opposite of what God said.

3) He didn't change the message much; just added a little word – NOT.

4) Satan tries to make sin look pleasing in order to get us to do it.

4. Man is tempted through his own lusts.

1) Satan uses man's own lusts to tempt.

2) Lust/Desire are Satan's tools ( 1 John 2:15-17).

3) James 1:13-15 "Let no man say when he is tempted…"

4) God gives us the ability to fight temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

5) We have an obligation to resist temptation and flee from Satan ( 1 Peter 5:9).

6) Eve succumbed to her lusts and ate.

1. Adam and Eve's sin and their discovery is found in Genesis 3:6-13

1) First, Eve eats of the tree.

2) Then she gives it to Adam and he eats.

3) They realize that they are naked.

4) They sow fig leaves together to cover themselves.

5) They hear God coming, so they hide.

6) God calls to them.

7) They respond that they are afraid because they are naked.

8) God asks them who told them that they were naked.

9) God then asks if they had eaten of the tree.

10) The man said that the woman gave him the fruit.

11) The woman said that the serpent gave her the fruit.

2. Adam and Eve are in it together.

1) Sin often presents itself in the form of a familiar friend.

2) We ought to be careful as to who we make our dear friends.

3) 1 Cor. 15:33 (ASV) "Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals."

4) The Bible teaches that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not ( 1 Timothy 2:14).

5) Adam knew exactly what he was doing because Eve was his companion.

3. They tried to exercise their own righteousness.

1) When they discovered that they were naked, they made "clothes" out of fig leaves and they hid from God.

2) In essence, they were attempting to fix their situation.

3) They had sinned; they knew they were naked now and they tried to cover themselves.

4) When we sin we often think that we can cover it up ourselves as well. We can't.

5) Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

6) Our righteousness can't cover our sins.

4. The played the blame game.

1) Once their sin had been discovered, they started blaming each other.

2) Adam blamed both Eve and God. "The woman that YOU gave me."

3) Eve blamed the serpent.

4) The fact of the matter is that we are responsible for our own sins.

5) Ezekiel 18:20 states, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

1. The consequences of their sin is found in Genesis 3:

1) God cursed the serpent to go on his belly.

2) God promised enmity between the serpent and the woman.

3) God cursed the woman by multiplying her pain in childbearing and making her desire to her husband and him ruling over her.

4) God cursed the man by cursing the ground from which he got food for his family.

5) From this point on, man had to work hard in order to take care of his family.

6) But perhaps the most significant change that occurred was that man was cast out of the garden of Eden and out of the presence of the tree of life.

7) Man was in that day separated from God because of his sin.

2. Sin has consequences.

1) Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

2) When we sin, we must endure the consequences of that sin.

3) Sin separates man from God ( Isaiah 59:2).

4) The ultimate consequence of unforgiven sin is eternal death ( Romans 6:23).

3. The consequences of Adam's sin are still felt today.

1) Women still have pain in childbirth.

2) Men still must work to earn a living.

3) But while these consequences endure, the guilt of sin doesn't.

4) The doctrine of original sin isn't taught in the scriptures.

5) Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

4. God had a plan for man's future.

1) We see this in Genesis 3:15.

2) God was going to put enmity between the woman and her seed.

3) Many believe this to be the first prophecy in the scriptures in relation to the coming Messiah.

4) In the coming of Jesus, God reunited man with Him and conquered Satan's reign.

5) Through Jesus man now has hope for eternal life with God and access to the tree of life once again.

6) Romans 5:17 states, "For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ."