The Bible records that the original couple Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and sin marred God’s creation including mankind. The fall of man tells the story that is basic for the rest of the Bible. God’s plan to redeem fallen man. To save humanity lost in the fall. We are looking at the deception by the father of lies.
Genesis chapter 1 tells the creation story. In chapter 2 the creation story is again told. This time from a different viewpoint. This time it is a preview to the fall of man. In the Chapter 1 account the name for God is Elohim. “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth,” The name of God is the majestic powerful creator.
In the chapter 2 account of creation the name Yahweh, the Lord is used. Tis is the personal name for God. It is the name for God that is used when he is in relationship with his people. Elohim is God is transcendent, majestic and set apart. Yahweh God is near. God is both transcendent and immanent. He is set apart and near.
There is a relationship between God and man in the Garden of Eden. The relationship between God and man is seen in this verse: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)
We understand this from the creation account. Adam and Eve had a relationship together and were as one flesh. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
In Genesis 2 we have the prohibition that God gave. They were to eat from any tree, all but one. They were not to eat from one tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:15-17)
God made Adam and Eve with a will to make a choice. They had the option of obeying God and his command or disobeying. The pull or lure to disobey is temptation. The world of Adam and Eve was one where temptation is present. But why have temptation in the Garden of Eden?
Adam has the opportunity to test his obedience and prove himself faithful. To overcome the temptation to disobey God and obey out of love is to achieve a victory that brings honor and glory to God.
The serpent is mentioned first in the beginning of chapter 3. Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) The serpent is connected directly to Satan, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9)
The temptation and the fall began with the serpent luring Eve to disobey God. The deadly hook is baited. There is the distortion of truth. Satan begins a conversation with Eve about disobeying God. The serpent is telling Eve to give disobedience some consideration.
There is a progression in the strategy the serpent uses to tempt Eve. It starts just a little confusing. The serpent asks, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) That’s not exactly the situation. God said , “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat;7 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17) There is a confusing half-truth.
It is enough confusion that Eve corrects the serpent of on aspect of what he distorted but then she begins to add something we have not heard before. She said we must not touch it. Then Satan’s next statement is an outright lie. The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will [a]become like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) Satan is deceiving Eve into thinking God is actually taking advantage of Adam and Eve.
In his deception Satan pretends to be the friend of Eve protecting her from God, the enemy. Satan lies, he lures, and he destroys. It was a dominoes. Eve at the fruit and Adam ate the fruit. Satan distorted the truth and destroyed the relationship Adam and Eve had with God.
Satan holds out half-truth deceptions to lure disobedience. Satan is still the father of lies, the deceiver and the destroyer. Satan will always present the pleasure of sin not the destructive consequences. Our instructions are to submit to God and resist the devil. Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Adam and Eve have disobeyed, and the destruction has happened. The relationship that existed before this sin is broken. The consequences of falling into temptation and sinning against God
Are drastic. There is brokenness guilt hurt and shame. Now Adam and Eve want to hide from God.
Their sin brought pain and suffering into the world. God is not responsible for sin. It has its origin in Adam and Eve. Sin is rebellion against God. God is holy and pure like the snow on the Himalayan Mountains. Our disobedience makes us unholy like a dirty mud puddle. The pure cannot relates to the impure. The relationship is broken.
Sin effected humanity like an infectious disease, poisoning the whole lot. One act of disobedience brought the fall. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— (Romans 5:12). The result of on sin is condemnation for all. Adam, the father of humanity, rebelled against God and the human race was marred. Fellowship with God was broken. Satan achieved his goal.
Sin cause Adam to hide from God. People try to hide their sin from God, but God knows. Sin means to miss the mark. Like an archer whose arrow missed the bulls eye. Adam strayed from God’s will.
There was a series of attempts to shift the responsibility. Adam was to care for Eve, but not he pointed the finger at her. Eve pointed to the serpent. God pronounces a curse. Sin results in judgement by all righteous God. Because of sin the curse was upon humanity and all creation.
Man was affected. The environment was affected. There was now sorrow, suffering death that entered the picture. God confronts Adam and Eve because He cannot overlook sin. God pronounces the curse.
There is a curse on the serpent:
So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
There is a curse on the woman:
To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)
There is a curse on the man:
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)
There is Redemption from sin.
God is merciful. Immediately after the fall God sought our Adam and Eve. He knew what they did. God invited them to confess and gave them the opportunity. God calls sinners to himself. The seed of the women is a messianic prophecy.
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
The first Adam would fall. The second Adam Jesus Christ would restore. The seed of the woman is a prophetic reference of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
and you will strike his heel – Jesus will be crucified on the cross
he will crush your head – The cross will deal a death blow to Satan.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:24). We need to put our trust in Jesus Christ. He died the just for the unjust to bring us back to God. It was the plan of God since the fall.
