20241013 Genesis 3 – Sin Entered the World

Genesis 1 and 2 communicate a picture of the idyllic Eden and the abundance it provides! Genesis 3 is about how we got from Genesis 2 to where we find ourselves today. This chapter teaches us about the work of the devil, our sin, and its consequences. Genesis 3 also teaches us that amid our deepest heartaches, there is always hope.

First, we begin with the Sin in the Garden.

This is a definition of sin.

Sin is disobeying or not conforming to God’s law in any way (WSC. 14). In Genesis 1-2, God requires that humans would rule over the whole world in God's name. They were called to a relationship of trust which works itself out in obedience. They were forbidden from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because God teaches good and evil. Genesis 3 is about disobedience. It is about a lot more than two people eating a piece of fruit. Their story is our story and our rebellion against God. It is also about our daily struggle with sin and the grief we experience in a world of sin.

Genesis 3:1 introduces the devil.

The author writes that the serpent was “more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God created.” The snake is not identified as Satan in this text, but we learn that he is a liar, a deceiver, a tempter, and an accuser. He acts like the devil in Job 1-2. NT texts like Rom 16:20 and Rev 20:2 identify this snake with the devil. The serpent is “Satan’s personal presence in the garden.”

Gen 3:1–5 records the devil’s temptation.

The devil is a liar, a deceiver, and an accuser. In Gen 3:1, he asks, “Did God really say: ‘you shall not eat from all the trees of the garden’?” Technically, he is not lying, they cannot eat from all the trees. But it is a very negative way of saying they can eat from all the trees except one. He is putting in question God's generosity. In Gen 3:4-5, he lies, saying that disobedience will not lead to death. He lies again, saying that God does not want them to be like him knowing Good and Evil. He is sowing seeds of doubt in God’s good nature as if God was limiting their potential.

Gen 3:6 records the first sin.

The woman, then the man, sin. They break God’s commandment. Gen 3:6 describes three dimensions of the woman’s temptation. First, she saw that the tree was good for food. Second, it was a delight for the eyes. Third, it was desirable to make wise. The woman ate the fruit, as did her husband.

Application

This story is about far more than eating a piece of fruit. It is willful rebellion against God. It is pride. It is a desire to live beyond the limits God has set in creation. In Genesis 1, God was the one who saw that it was good. In Gen 3:6, the woman has taken God’s place. The phrase, “God saw that it was good” in Genesis 1 becomes, “the woman saw that the tree was good…”

In some ways, this sin is the archetype of sin in that it teaches us what we do when we sin. We reject God's declaration of what is good and evil. We give ourselves his role. We live according to our own wisdom.

Genesis 3 describes the saddest day in human history, but our society may call it the greatest day! A modern reader expresses it this way: “Eve’s decision to eat the fruit is the first act of human independence. This independence forces the human and the divine into a real relationship of give and take rather than an artificial relationship of puppet and puppeteer. Eve does not ‘sin’; she chooses reality over her naïve, paradisiacal existence. Her choice marks the emergence of human character.” It is as if in our modern way of thinking, Eve and Adam are the heroes of Genesis 3.

When most of us use the word “independence” we always use it positively. It is good in many areas of life to grow in maturity and independence. And, due to our creaturely limitations, independence is a delusion. We will all always depend on people, and we must depend on God.

Even those who deny God live because he allows them to live. When we accept this, this dependence on God is the true freedom of living within God’s limits. When we reject our dependence on God, we are left to depend on ourselves. Tragically and ironically, we forge new chains of dependence on our ability to succeed, remain healthy, and make enough money. Our autonomy leads to immorality as we reject God’s order. Our so-called independence leads to loneliness as we reject healthy communal interdependence. We also experience lostness as we seek to determine a meaning of life separate from God. Sin is the rejection of God’s ways and it has tragic consequences.

Second, we look at the consequences of sin (Gen 3:7-24).

Sin affects every aspect of the good world God created in Gen 1-2.

First, we look at the consequences of shame and fear.

The first consequence is their shame in Gen 3:7. In Gen 2:25, the man and the woman were naked and not ashamed. In Gen 3:7, they have become naked and ashamed, so they cover up their nakedness with fig tree leaves. Shame is an inner battle. It is the conviction that we are unworthy of love.

Fear is next in Gen 3:8, as shame leads to fear. When Adam and Eve hear God coming, they hide from him. In Gen 3:10, Adam says, “I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” And so begins the internal fight with shame and its outward expression of fear of others. We feel unworthy of love and delight. We are scared that people would truly know us. Our fear and shame affect our relationships.

Gen 3:9-13 reveals more consequences of sin.

God makes an inquiry and the man and the woman refuse to take responsibility. In Gen 3:11, God asks, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Sin against God sows discord among the man and the woman. In Gen 3:12, the man says, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” He is blaming the woman for his sin. The woman also refuses to take responsibility and blames the serpent.

In Gen 3:14-19, God pronounces curses on the serpent and the land and announces the consequences of sin.

First, in Gen 3:14-15, God curses the serpent.

His consequences reflect his temptation. He tempted with food, so he will creep on his belly and eat dust. Eating dust is imagery used elsewhere in the Bible to communicate judgment and defeat. Then, Gen 3:15 speaks of the enmity between the woman and the serpent which concerns generations to come. This curse foresees a long struggle between good and evil. Because the serpent is being cursed, good will eventually triumph over evil. It is worse to be hit on the head than the foot.

Next, in Gen 3:16, God declares consequences of sin for the woman.

Neither she nor the man are cursed. God tells the woman two things concerning motherhood and marriage.

Our ESV reads, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children” (ESV). The Hebrew is complicated and so every translation has to interpret. Word for word, the Hebrew says: “I will multiply your grief and conception, in grief you shall bring forth children.” Generally, we understand that because of sin, the punishment is that delivering babies will be painful. I think the punishment includes labor pain but even more than that. The context in which children are conceived and born is one in which there is great hostility. There is grief over the struggle to conceive, and family dysfunction. There is grief over the world in which children are born.

The second statement to the woman is, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Both the desire and ruling are negative. The marriages of Genesis illustrate this point with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, and Rachel and Lea. The beautiful Gen 2 picture of “naked and unashamed” has given way to blame-shifting, manipulation, deception, and oppression and marriage.

As far as the man ruling over the woman, so far the only time the concept of a man ruling occurs is in Genesis 1. The man and the woman were to rule together over the animals. From the closest literary context, if a man starts to rule over his wife, he is treating her like an animal! This is not an invitation for men to rule over their wives. It is a tragic declaration that the oppression of women is a consequence of the fall.

Lastly, in Gen 3:17-19, God’s words to the man focus on his role as a worker of the land.

In Gen 2:15, God placed the man there to work it and keep it. Because of his sin, God curses the land. The implication of the cursed land is that eating food will now happen with grief and sweat. In Gen 2:8–14, Eden produced an abundance of fruit trees. Now, out of the garden, the man is left with what was for animals in Gen 1:30: the green plants (Gen 3:18). These green plants are among thorns and thistles. Obtaining food will be difficult, and then because of sin, he will die—he will one day return to the dust from which he was made.

Lastly, the result of sin in Gen 3 is the separation between God and man (Gen 3:22-24).

 Genesis 2 pictures an ideal relationship between the man and creation, God, and the woman. With the first sin, we see hostility between the man and the woman, and then with his environment. Genesis 3:22-24 shows the biggest problem, which is man’s separation from God. Adam and Eve are ousted from the garden and sent away to live east of Eden. Human existence is now east of Eden, a life marked by hostility and alienation between man, the rest of creation, God, and humanity.

Third, Genesis 3 already gives us three hints of hope.

The first hint of hope is in Gen 3:15, called the first gospel in the Bible.

God tells the snake, "I will put enmity between you and the woman." The "you and the woman" are both singular. Then, the enmity will be between "the snake's offspring" (plural) and the woman's offspring (also plural). The final phrase goes back to the singular when God says, "he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel." This is an announcement that a male descendant of the woman will bruise the head of the devil while being hurt in the process. Genesis teaches that this descendant will come from Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. 1 John 3:8 says Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil. Luke also presents Jesus as the new Adam who passed the test of temptation in the wilderness. The devil tempts Jesus in the same three ways Eve was tempted: first, with bread that is good for food, then with being like God, and third, with playing with death. Jesus is the new Adam. The old Adam sinned, and with him, all humanity sinned. Jesus is the solution who offers the forgiveness of sins.

A second hint of hope in Genesis 3 is found in the name, Eve.

In Gen 3:20, Adam names the woman “Eve,” which means "Life!" Even though she brought death to the world, she will be called life. Through her, the whole human race will be born. Adam already believes God’s promise of a savior—what faith! Even though death comes from sin, death will not have the final word. There is life and life in abundance, which we know is eternal life in Christ, the seed of the woman!

A third hint concerns the clothing in Gen 3:20.

Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves, but God shows them that He is the one who must cover them. They covered themselves with fig leaves, but He covers them with something more lasting: skin. The Hebrew word “ur” for skin is the same used in Lev 7:8 to describe what is left over for man after a burnt offering. This word for skin has sacrificial meaning. We can conclude that a sacrifice is required to cover our sin and shame. We also learn that God is willing to cover our shame and sin. God provides the offering—He so loved the world that He sent His Son to be our sacrifice.

Conclusion

Genesis 3 is a foundational story in the Old Testament. It summarizes the rest of the Old Testament. Israel lived in a land flowing with milk and honey, and they too were ousted from that garden for not trusting God and disobeying Him.

Today, Genesis 3 explains the hostility and alienation in the world we live in. In the August 2024 Paris Olympics, a marathon runner from Uganda participated. In early September, her boyfriend burned her to death. This is the world we live in. The enmity between the snake’s offspring and the offspring of the woman is seen in wars, insurrections, coups, and terrorism, all of which bring death and disease, along with the constant unrest and insecurity that accompany national and international chaos. No matter what steps are taken to achieve lasting peace worldwide, we know that wars will continue until the end.

Genesis 3 explains both our suffering and the suffering around us. We are victims of sin, but more importantly, we contribute to sin and suffering around us. The invitation of Genesis 2 was to trust in the Lord. Faith leads to obedience, and a lack of obedience shows a lack of faith.

We are sinners like Adam and Eve, and without Jesus, we are separated from God. We are all invited to trust in Christ and live for Him. Rejecting Jesus is the same sin as Adam and Eve rejecting God. Genesis 3 is a devastating text that reflects our devastating world. But it does not leave us without hope.

Christians apply Gen 3 by accepting that we live in a world marked by sin. We must be a repenting people because of our sin. We must be a forgiving people because of other people’s sin. We are a hopeful people because Christ fulfills the hope of Genesis 3. He has reversed the works of the devil, and at His return, He will eliminate the consequences of sin once and for all.