This week’s class will focus on Genesis chapter three, and the topic of the fall and the problem of evil. As we begin our study in the book of Genesis this foundational question, of evil and its origin, is found here in Genesis chapter three.The Bible has answers if we’re willing to look. We will look at what the Bible teaches, and then how we see that play out in our world, and in humans, still today.

Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors. As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below. Basic answers to the Bible study will be also be posted for your review there and, or as a leader’s guide.

Watch this week’s presentation on this topic:

Foundations Bible Study, Session Five: Genesis Chapter Three – The Fall and the Problem of Evil

Review and Reflection

1.  Prayer Cards:  Do you have anyone that you are hoping to share what you are learning with? Write that person(s) name down on your prayer card along with any other prayer request you might have, and exchange with your table group at the end of the evening.

2.  Review from last week’s class: What are some things that stood out to you from Genesis chapters one or two?

Focus Verse:

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall [d]bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Genesis 3:15 NASB

Bible Study

Each week, we are encouraging you to take some dedicated time and spend it in God’s Word. Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Presentation

Foundations Bible Study

Genesis Chapter Three – The Fall of Man

Practice Step 3 – Context for the Hermeneutical Method

• Read Genesis Chapter Three
• Discuss the context: What does it say? (You can use your notes for each section).
• Let’s go over some important concepts and questions for these chapters to help with Step 4 Interpretation: What does it mean?

Genesis Chapter Three – Step 4 Interpretation Questions

1. Go back to Genesis chapter two: What are the two trees identified by God in the Garden? Which one did He warn Adam not to eat from and what is the importance of the other one?

“Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:9

“but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 

“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”” Genesis 3:22

• The two trees were the tree of life and the tree of. The knowledge of good and evil.
• God commanded them to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because if they did, they would surely die (and they did both spiritually, and later physically).
• If God had allowed them to stay in the Garden after the Fall, they would have had the opportunity to eat from the tree of life and live forever in a fallen state.
• God’s hesed love for them was shown in the banishment from the Garden so that would not happen, and He then made a rescue plan for all humanity (3:15)

2. Who is the “serpent” in Genesis 3? (Read Revelation 20:1-2) To go deeper into his identity read the veiled descriptions in Isaiah 14:12-19; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Luke 10:17-20; and Revelation 12:7-12.

• His very name, Satan, means “adversary” or “one who opposes,” and devil means “slanderer”
• He is the ruler of this world, prince of the power of the air, a deceiver, an accuser and a tempter (Jn. 12:31, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2, Rev. 20:3, Rev. 12:10, Matt. 4:3, 1 Thess. 3:5)
• Satan is the “Serpent” in Genesis (the term means “shining one”)
• Scripture gives us insight to this fallen angel, Satan in the following passages. Note, the Old Testament passages start with a particular person and then go into the actual person – Satan, who is responsible for their actions. See underlined parts for specifics:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” Revelation 20:1-2

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’ “All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb. “But you have been cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch”. Isaiah 14:12-19

“You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.  “By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. “By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. “All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.”’”  Ezekiel 28:13-19

Jesus watched Satan fall…

“ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”” 

Luke 10:17-20

Jesus is the final victory, and fulfills the promise of old…

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”” Revelation 12:7-12

Satan will attempt to bring out in us, the three greatest evil characteristics he possesses:

Reason for the fall and all other evil…

1. Lust of the flesh
2. Lust of the eyes
3. Pride of life

First time we find these three things affecting human choice:  (Genesis 3:6-7)

1. Lust of the flesh: The fruit was tempting to the appetite
2. Lust of the eyes: The fruit looked good and was attractive
3. Pride of Life: Satan wanted God’s job and he presented the fruit of the tree as something God was holding back from them, as something they were owed, and as something they deserved…

Jesus overcame these in the wilderness:

(Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13)

1. Lust of the flesh: Jesus was hungry after 40 days of fasting—Satan tempted him to turn the stones into bread
2. Lust of the eyes: Satan took him to the top of the pinnacle and showed him the world
3. Pride of Life: Satan told Jesus he would give him the world if He would worship him

How did Jesus avoid these temptations and respond to Satan? 

HE USED THE SCRIPTURES—GOD’S WORD and Satan fled!

The Apostle John warns the early Church of these same three things…

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and it desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

–1 John 2:15-17

• Do we still need to heed this warning today?

3. What was the first thing the “serpent” said to Eve, how did she respond, and did she correctly represent what God had said (Cross-reference with Genesis 2:17)?

“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’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’””  Genesis 3:1-3

• In Genesis 2:17, God says, ““but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.””
• The Serpent misrepresented God, and caused doubt (“did God really say?”). Satan is the father of lies and it began right here, and Eve did not correctly represent what God had said; she added “or touch it”.

4. What did the “serpent” say to Eve after her first response, and was it true? How did Eve respond to this, and where was Adam when all this was going on?

“The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die. For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.”” Genesis 3:4-5

• Satan uses both partial truths to deceive, and outright lies. They did die – spiritually right away, and physically later on.
• Satan was implying that God was holding something back from them, something “owed” to them.
• Eve saw that the fruit was a “delight to the eyes, and was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and at.” THE BIBLE SAYS “SHE GAVE ALSO TO HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER, AND HE ATE.” – They were both there, and Adam was a willing participant.

How Satan deceived Adam and Eve at the Fall, and how he still does it today:

The first attack of Satan is always on God’s Word:

Step 1: Twisting God’s Word, causing doubt

“He said to the woman, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1)

Step 2: Contradicting God and substituting another idea

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. (Genesis 3:4)

Step 3: Challenging God’s Motives

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5)

• This is what Satan wanted, to be like God and to take His place.
• In essence Satan was implying that God was holding something important back from them.
• In today’s culture we have this mind-set that things are owed to us and that God is not giving us what we deserve. But what do we really deserve?

5. What happened to Adam and Eve after they ate of the fruit; what did God say to them and how did they respond after this happened?

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:7-13

The Effect of the Fall

The fall caused these immediate reactions:

1. The opening of the eyes: Their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. They became body conscious, whereas before they were only spiritually conscious because they were surrounded by God’s Glory.
2. The cover up/guilt: There was an immediate separation from God. God called “where are you?” (God knew where they were, like a parent who knows what their child just did), and Adam responded that he hid himself because he knew he was naked. God then asked: “Who told you that you were naked?” (Again, God knew). Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.
3. Hiding from God: Adam and Eve knew they had sinned against God and tried to hide from God’s presence and cover themselves with fig leaves. This was human’s first attempt at religion (doing a work to cover guilt), but they could never cover sin themselves that God had said would result in death – God covered them and promised a rescue plan.

The increasing loss of our connection to God resulting in spiritual death—thus the importance of being ‘born again’ as spoken of by Jesus (John 3:1-21)

Jesus’ response to a question of evil gives us some insight into human sin and the “just be a good person” secular answer. Jesus shows us everyone’s need for a rescue plan:

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 

–Luke 13:1-5

6. What did God say and do in response to Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Discuss the implications of this promise and curse from God.

“The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.  To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.””

Genesis 3:14-19

• God cursed the serpent and promised a savior through Eve’s seed (3:15); God cursed Eve with pain in childbirth and a desire for her husband, but he would rule over her; God cursed the ground at this point and hard labor would follow for man and to the dust he would return (death).
• God also made garments to cover Adam and Eve (and this is an indication of the first death of an innocent animal in the Bible).
• God also put cherubim and the flaming sword to keep Adam and Eve out of the Garden so they would not also eat of the tree of life (and therefore live in the sinful condition forever).

7. Re-read Genesis 3:15 in a few different versions for a better understanding. This is the first Covenant Promise by God for a rescue plan through a Savior. Write out your favorite version and commit it to memory.

NASB:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

NIV:

“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.”

Easy-to-Read Version:

“I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child’s foot, but he will crush your head.”

• I like the NASB because it reads closest to the original language, but making version comparisons like this help us understand the context in our own language and way of thinking along with the original; as does the Easy-to-Read Version above.

HOMEWORK

Hermeneutics Step 3: Context – What does it say?

Read Genesis Chapters Four and Five, and take a few notes to summarize

Hermeneutics Step 4: Interpretation – What does it mean?

Answer these questions to go deeper in your study for Genesis Chapters Four and Five…

Chapter Four:

1.Compare and contrast Cain and Abel: What offerings did they bring to God and how did God respond to each of them concerning their offering? Did God give Cain a choice to consider, if so, what was it?

2.What happened between Cain and Abel after the offering; and how did Cain respond when God confronted him? 

3.Discuss: Why do you think Cain’s offering was unacceptable and Abel’s was? Cross-reference by reading Hebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:12.

4.How did Cain react to God’s discipline? What happened to him and how did God continue to take care of him even though he never repented?

Chapter Five:

1.Who was Seth and what was the importance of His mention since Adam and Eve had a lot of other children.

2.Where do you think Cain’s and Seth’s wives came from, and is there Scripture support?

3.Going Deeper: Contrast the line of descendants from Cain with that of Seth by making a chart, or list, of their genealogies (4:17 – 5:32), include their age of death (if listed) and anything relevant or interesting about their lives. Share some of the things you observe or have questions about.

4.Discuss: What is the importance of genealogies in the Bible? Cross-reference by reading Luke chapter 3:23-38.

Write down some application notes when you finish, to complete the hermeneutical method step 5.

Jot down any questions you have for the shelf…

Please continue to join us each week for Foundations Bible Study – the book of Genesis!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15