Sermons

The Story of God: The Fall
Genesis 3

We are going through a series called “The Story of God.”  Two weeks ago we started with Eternity Past, and saw that from eternity past God has always been full of joy in beholding His glory as displayed in the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

And then we saw that from the overflow of God’s joy in His glory, He decided to create a universe in which He could go public with His glory, so He could share with us His joy in beholding His glory.

And we saw last week in Genesis 1 and 2 how Creation gave an awesome display of God’s glory, as God created a massive universe and an earth with a perfect garden of Eden and Adam and Eve – so they could have their hearts filled with the joy of knowing God, and live in perfect harmony with each other, and have all their needs met.  The universe, and the world, was perfect.

So how did we get from the perfect world of Genesis 1 and 2, to the world as we know it today, where people are far from God, where we don’t live in harmony with each other, where the world is filled with poverty and disease and genocide?  How did we get from Genesis 1 and 2 to where we are today?

To answer that let’s turn to Genesis 3.  If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring one to you.  Genesis 3 is on page 2 in the Bibles we are passing out.  But before we read Genesis 3, let’s set the stage by asking what had Adam and Eve experienced up to this point?  To get a feel for this, try to put yourself in their shoes.

First of all, you had been created.  At one moment, you did not exist.  Then, in an instant, there you are.  God had created you with life, consciousness, the ability to think and love and communicate.  And God gave you a body, which can see and walk and eat and talk.  Imagine how you would have felt – you have just received an infinitely valuable gift!

Second, you knew God personally.  You saw His immensity displayed in the universe he had created – with over 50 million 100,000 light-years-wide galaxies.  You saw His authority in the fact that He just spoke and things happened.  You saw His goodness in how He made everything to meet all your needs.  You saw His wisdom in how He made you perfectly.  You saw His nearness as this God who rules over a massive universe talks with you and sees your needs and meets your needs and walks with you.  And you saw His mercy – all of this perfect, unending existence with all your needs met and ever-increasing heart-satisfaction in beholding God’s glory – all of this was given to you freely, mercifully – you did nothing to earn it or deserve it.

And third, you knew God called you to trust Him completely.  That’s what’s going on in Genesis 2:16-17 --

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Adam and Eve could eat of all the fruit trees except one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  What’s that?

The phrase “knowledge of good and evil” is used in the Old Testament to describe the capacity to make independent decisions; to decide for yourself what’s good and evil (Deu 1:39; Isa 7:15,16).  So when God tells them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he’s saying: “Don’t decide for yourselves what’s good and evil.”  He’s saying: “I created you; I am perfectly wise; I know what’s best for you.  You don’t!  So don’t make decisions apart from me; don’t decide for yourselves what’s good or evil – or you will die and lose everything.  Instead, trust me – trust my wisdom and goodness to guide you into what’s good and to provide all you need.”

So what should Adam and Eve have done?  They should have trusted Him completely.  God was perfect goodness and flawless love – they had experienced this again and again and again -- providing everything they needed filling their hearts with joy in knowing Him.  They should have trusted Him completely.  But that’s not what happened.

So what happened in Genesis 3?  Look at what we read in v.1 --

1              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'?"

The serpent was crafty – probably because Satan was speaking through it.  And the serpent says to Eve – “Did God really say you couldn’t eat from any tree?”  And look at how Eve responds in vv.2-3 --

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.'"

Then look at the serpent’s answer in vv.4-5 --

4              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."

This is horrifying.  The serpent is saying that God was lying -- they won’t die.  And he’s saying that God was not good -- that God was withholding some good from them, the good of being like God, of deciding for yourself what’s good and evil.  “Go ahead and eat – you won’t die; you’ll be making your own choices, and you’ll be like God.”

So what happened?  V.6 --

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.

Notice that this whole time Adam had been with her – saying nothing.  So he is also to blame.  They both agreed with the serpent that God was lying; that God was not good – so they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now why would they do this?  Let’s put ourselves in their shoes: 

On this side we’ve got God – the God who spoke and instantly there were over 50 million 100,000 light-year wide galaxies.  The God who has shown us perfect goodness and flawless love – giving us life and bodies and each other and provision for every need and heart-satisfying fellowship with Him.  And He says: “I am your Creator.  I am God.  Trust me.  I know what’s best for you.  You don’t.  Trust me.  If you turn from me, and decide for yourselves what’s good and evil -- you will lose everything.”

Then on this side we’ve got the serpent.  What does he have going for him?  In v.1 he lied – totally distorting what God had said.  Hmm.  And now he’s telling you that God – the God in whom you have only seen perfect goodness and flawless love – this God is lying.  God is not fully good.  God is withholding some good.  Satan says: “God’s lying.  You won’t die.  He’s withholding from you the great good of being on your own, making your own decisions.  Go ahead -- decide for yourself what’s good and evil, be like God – you won’t die.”

And Adam and Eve go with the serpent, and decide on their own what’s good and evil – and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But why?  With all they had experienced why would they do that?

I think the answer is found in what Eve said in vv.2-3.  In vv.2-3 she corrects Satan, but she also misquotes God in two crucial ways.  First, she quoted God as saying they could not eat of the tree “that is in the midst of the garden,” but God said nothing about the location of the tree.  And second, she quotes God as saying they could not even touch the tree, but God said nothing about touching the tree.

Can you feel what’s going on?  “God said we couldn’t eat the tree that’s right in the middle of the garden; He said we couldn’t even touch it.”  She’s whining.  She doesn’t like being told what to do; she’s bothered that God made something off-limits; she wants to be independent of God.  And Adam feels the same way, since he does not correct her misquoting of God.

So the reason they disobeyed God was because they didn’t like being told what to do, they want to decide for themselves what to do; they want to be independent of God.

Think of it.  God has given them everything – life, bodies, each other, provision, and Himself.  But they are not happy, because they don’t like being told what to do; they want to be independent.

But now before we get too hard on them – we have to understand that this is what we’ve all done.  All of Creation shows us that God is perfectly loving and good and wise.  But we don’t like being told what to do; we want to be independent.  So we’ve all turned from God and struck out on our own.

But can you see how ludicrous this is – for Adam and Eve, and for us?  We are creatures; God is the only Creator.  We were created to be dependent on God, just like trees are dependent on soil and fish are dependent on water.  So for us to say we want to be independent is like a tree saying that it no longer wants to be dependent on the soil!  It’s like a fish saying it no longer wants to be dependent on water!

Adam and Eve wanted to be independent of God – and so they rebelled against God, and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  And we’ve all done the same.

What results from this?  Moses tells us in vv.7-24.  I’ll just give six brief bullet points , and let you read the verses on their own. 

First, they are naked: vulnerable and needy, v.7.  The Hebrew word “naked” has the idea of being vulnerable, destitute, needy.  Up to this point Adam and Eve were connected to the One who provided everything they needed.  But with this choice they walked away from God – so now they are alone in the universe without their Provider.

Second, they hid from God, especially in v.8, and all the way to v.13.  Adam and Eve were created by God to share the joy God has in His glory.  But they declared independence from God, and face God’s judgment.  So they hide.

Third, God cursed Satan, in vv.14-15.  From now on snakes will be a picture of Satan’s ultimate defeat.  I’ll come back to v.15 in a moment.

Fourth, God punishes Eve, in v.16.  Adam and Eve had profaned God’s glory by their sin.  And God’s passion for His glory means God has to punish them -- which ultimately means eternal hell, but for now means consequences on earth.  So in v.16 God tells Eve that from then on childbirth would be accompanied by physical pain, and marriage would experience emotional pain, as sin would make women want to be the leaders in marriage and sin would make men want to oppress women in marriage.

Fifth, God punishes Adam, in vv.17-19.  The point is that from then on the ground would be cursed so it would be hard for Adam to grow food.

Sixth, God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden, away from the tree of life, in vv.22-24.  So they are separated from God, and face death.

This is tragic.  Compare Gen. 1 and 2, with Gen. 3. 

In Gen. 1 and 2 Adam and Eve had everything provided for them; in Gen. 3 they are naked and vulnerable and needy.

In Gen. 1 and 2 Adam and Eve constantly knew God’s love and care; in Gen. 3 they hid from God because they faced God’s judgment, and they received God’s curse.

In Gen. 1 and 2 childbirth would not be painful, marriage was harmonious, food was plentiful; in Gen. 3 childbirth is painful, marriage is difficult, food is scarce.

In Gen. 1 and 2 Adam and Eve enjoy the presence of God, and life forever, in the garden; in Gen. 3 they are cast out of the garden, out of God’s presence, and face death.

This is tragic.  But it’s not the end of the story.  What else does God do?  Adam and Eve have sinned against God and rightly face God’s judgment.

But look at what God does in v.21 –

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

God makes clothes for them.  They rightly face God’s judgment; but God shows mercy.

But the most powerful description of mercy is in v.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."

First, God will put enmity between the serpent and the woman.  In Gen.3 the serpent and the woman have been in partnership; in agreement against God.  But God will change that – and put enmity between them.  I think this means God will change Eve’s heart and cause her to turn back to trusting God.  God will do that for Adam, too. 

Second, God will put enmity between the serpent’s offspring and Eve’s offspring.  I think the serpent’s offspring is those who agree with Satan and rebel against God.  And I think Eve’s offspring is those whose hearts God will change so they no longer want to be independent of God – but they love glorifying God with their whole-hearted dependence.  And we will see what this enmity looks like in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4.

Third, God will cause someone born of Eve to bruise the serpent’s head (that’s a mortal wound).  I think this refers to Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross.  But in the process, the serpent will bruise Jesus’ heel (a relatively minor wound).

So what does this mean for us?

First, understand what’s wrong with the world.  It’s the fact that we have all done what Adam and Eve did; we creatures have declared independence from our Creator. 

Second, understand what’s wrong with you, and me.  It’s that our hearts and wills don’t want to submit to God.  We were created to depend on God like a fish was created to depend on water.  But we don’t want to.  It’s ugly.  It’s wicked.  It’s reality.

Third, understand God’s astonishing mercy offered in Jesus.  God can change our hearts.  God can put enmity between the serpent and you, and give you a heart that loves to depend on God, loves to submit to God, loves to trust and worship God.  So ask yourself – are you still of the serpent’s offspring – continuing in rebellion against God?  Or are you now of Eve’s offspring – depending on God, trusting God as He is revealed in Christ?

Fourth, if you are still of the serpent’s offspring, ask God to change your heart through Jesus.  Trust Jesus’ work on the Cross to forgive you and break the power of your independence. 

Fifth, live trusting Jesus.  Trust His death to forgive you, His love to provide for you, His wisdom to guide you, His presence to satisfy you.  Trust Jesus.

Sixth, advance God’s mission – of changing people’s hearts through Jesus.  Advance God’s mission in your neighborhood, your workplace, your network of friends.