4TH STEP (SIN)

WHEN GOD'S LOVE IS DOUBTED

Genesis 3:1-24
Key Verse: 3:15

The beginning of sin – history of degeneration.

Still the love of God!

* THE FALL OF MAN(1-13)

1. How is the serpent described? (For additional information concerning his nature and
character see: Rev 12:7-9; Jude 1:6; 2 Pet 2:4; Jn 8:44)

1a Now the serpent was more crafty than any

of the wild animals the LORD God had made.
Rev 12: 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael fought
against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought
back. 9 The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient
serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world
astray...
Jude 1: 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of
authority but abandoned their own home...
2 Pe 2: 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,
but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons...
Jn 8: 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to
carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar
and the father of lies.
a crafty wild animal created by God. ---
used by Satan
Rev --- identifies the “ancient serpent” as
the devil or Satan.
Jude :angels did not keep their position.
2 Pe --- God sent the angels to hell.
Jn 8:44 -- their character.
He still lies and still aims to destroy life.
Pride destroyed even angels of God.

2. Notice what the serpent said to the woman(1b,4,5). How did he plant doubt in the woman's
heart? (What did she begin to doubt?) How did he lie? Why did he want her to eat the fruit
which God had forbidden?

1b He said to the woman, "Did God really say, He wanted her to disobey God and join his
'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" rebellion. We are the slaves of the one we
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to obey (Rom 6:16).
the woman.
5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your
* His method
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil." 1) Plainting doubt : a question about God’s
command: “Did God really say?” Satan’s
He did not quote God’s word correctly. weapon - the question mark(?).
He exagerrated it to get her upset.
2) planting arrogance.
He suggested that God’s motives in
forbidding the fruit were not loving. 3) he told her lies.
--- withholding something good. "You will not surely die," -- removing the
absoluteness from God's word.

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3. Notice what the woman said (2,3). What was her attitude toward God's word and God's
blessings? What did she think when she looked at the fruit ? What was her attitude toward
the serpents words? Why did she eat the fruit? What can we learn here about the root of
sin?( See Roman 1:20,21)

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat
fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did
say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is
in the middle of the garden, and you must not
touch it, or you will die.'"
6a When the woman saw that the fruit of the
tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye,
and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took
some and ate it.
Ro 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified
him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became
futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
# We may eat... : she took the grace of
God for granted.
She was not grateful to God for his
blessing.
--unthankful heart : the root of sin.
# You must not touch it.
put unnecessary emphasis on the negative
part of God’s command. Complaining.
# remove “surely”
lost absolute attitude toward God’s word
became relativistic.
# Her attitude changed into curiosity and
desire. -- Physical desire, ambition.
1Jn 2:16 craving of sinners : the lust of his
eyes and the boasting of what he has and
does
1 Pe 2:11 abstain from sinful desires.

4. What can learn about how to overcome temptation? (See also Mt 4:1-11)

Mt 4:1-11 Jesus won over Satan’s tempation by Have a thankful heart and remember God’s
the written word of God. grace (sense of history).
Obedience, respect of God, Mission first. Hold God’s word in our hears and do not
receive Satan’s words.

5. After her act of disobedience, what did she do? What was the immediate result? (6b,7)
What does the conversation in 8-13 reveal about their broken relationship with God? With
each other? What does sin put in men's hearts?

6b She also gave some to her husband, who
was with her, and he ate it.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized they were naked; so they
sewed fig leaves together and made coverings
for themselves.
8 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.
9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where
are you?"
10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden,
and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
11 And he said, "Who told you that you were
naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I
commanded you not to eat from?"
12 The man said, "The woman you put here
with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree,
and I ate it."
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman,
"What is this you have done?" The woman said,
"The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
# Guilt longs for company, so she gave
some of the forbidden fruit to Adam.

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# Their innocence was gone.
They tried to cover themselves to hide from # result of sin
each other. Fear, guilt and broken relationships
They tried to hide from God.
# The beautiful relationships with God and # God called, "Adam, where are you?"
with one another were broken. gave them chance to confess.
Adam blamed the woman for giving him the
forbidden fruit, and he blamed God for
giving him the woman.

* A WORLD UNDER CURSE (14-19)

6. How did God curse the serpent? What hope for mankind is found here? Why might 3:15 be
called the "pre-gospel?"

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent,

"Because you have done this, "Cursed are you
above all the livestock and all the 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 and hers;
he will crush your head, and you will strike his
heel."
God cursed the serpent.
He should crawl on his belly and eat dust.
But in his curse is a precious promise that
plants hope in all men.
In God's right time Jesus, the seed of the
woman, would come to crush the head of
Satan.
He would be painfully wounded by Satan,
but he would win the victory.
This is good news.
This promise is fulfilled in Jesus’ death and
resurrection. (Heb 2:14,15; Ro 16:20)

7. How did God punish the woman? How is her punishment related to her blessing? (1:28)

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly
increase your pains in childbearing; with pain
you will give birth to children. Your desire will be
for your husband, and he will rule over you."
1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be
fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and
subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air and over every living creature
that moves on the ground.”
God punished her by giving her pain in
child birth, desire for husband.
And she would be ruled over by him.
Her blessing to be fruitful and increase in
number becomes painful .
She became a slave of her desire.
She would no longer be an equal co-
worker.
The home is now under man’s legalistic
authority.
In the gospel creation order in the home
can be restored.

8. How did God see Adam’s sin(17)? How did God punish him? How did the consequences of
man's sin affect all the created world? How was Adam’s punishment related to his blessing
and mission?

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17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to God cursed the ground and made it
your wife and ate from the tree about which I unproductive. (Rom 8:20,22).
commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you; through Man lost his mission- he must work to feed
painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your
himself.
life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, God punished him with death
and you will eat the plants of the field. Physical death - return to dust.
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your Spiritual death - cut off from God.
food until you return to the ground, since from it
you were taken; for dust you are and to dust * Freedom from the curse by Jesus.
you will return." 1) Forgiveness of sins.
2) Listen to God’s word.
He listened to his wife instead of obeying 3) Mission.
God’s word. 4) Eternal life.

* BANISHED FROM EDEN (20-24)

9. How did God continue to show his love for and care of fallen mankind? Why did God expel
them from the Garden? What hope for man remains? (See Rev 22:2,14,19)

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she 19 ... God will take away from him his share in the tree of
life...
would become the mother of all the living.
21 The LORD God made garments of skin for
God still loves fallen man.
Adam and his wife and clothed them.
22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now He covered their shame and guilt with
become like one of us, knowing good and evil. clothes made from animal skins.
He must not be allowed to reach out his hand Animals were killed for the sake of man. –
and take also from the tree of life and eat, and sacrifice.
live forever."
23 So the LORD God banished him from the Now he must not eat from the tree of life.
Garden of Eden to work the ground from which --- To live under curse forever is real curse.
he had been taken.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the HOPE - God expelled them from the
east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a
garden, he did not destroy the tree of life.
flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard
the way to the tree of life.
Rev 22: 2 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, * God loves sinful man and wantes to solve
bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the sin problem and come back.
the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
14 "... they may have the right to the tree of life and ....