Explore the Bible: December 17

The First Sin • Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24

By Laura Lee Leathers

Doubt. Blame. Shame. Sacrifice. A Promise. Those are only a few words describing the third chapter of Genesis regarding the origination of sin. The first mentions continue.

Many Bible scholars believe that Genesis 3 is the “most significant chapter in the Bible.” Why? If the events had never occurred, there would be no need for the rest of the Bible. The story of Adam and Eve shows us God’s grace, His relentless pursuit of humanity, our need for a Savior and His plan to meet that need — Jesus. 

Tempted (Gen. 3:1-5 CSB) –The first verse gets to the point: a new visitor is in the garden. Satan has taken residence in a serpent (Hebrew word for snake), a creature created under the good category, “the LORD God had made.” 

He was cunning, meaning “crafty,” approach with caution. In the New Testament, Satan is called a deceiver (Rev. 12:9). He is the father of lies (John 8:44). Since the garden of Eden, he has not changed. 

The serpent approaches the woman and begins the first question in the Scriptures: “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” This question portrayed doubt on what God had commanded — His truthfulness.

The woman answers the serpent, yes, they could eat the fruit from the trees, except for the tree in the middle of the garden. Here, the woman throws in her version of what God said, “You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.” 

Satan, the master of trickery, accuses God of not being truthful again. “No! You will certainly not die.” He tells her that her “eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Did the woman desire to be equal and have the knowledge of God? We don’t know for sure. But we do know that Satan knew the results of taking that one bite of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It would reveal their nakedness (shame), guilt, and sinfulness.  

Fallen (Gen. 3:6-7) – The conversation of doubt now transitions to studying the tree. In Hebrew, it means “to inspect, to view with the intent to understand or discern.” She was drawn in to look closer, enticed, rather than walking away. 

The woman saw the food was good, a delight to behold, and “it was desirable for obtaining wisdom.” The word “good” also means being morally right; it was appealing. Desirable means longing for something that is forbidden. 

“She took some of the fruit and ate it (v. 6b).” But she wasn’t alone. She also gave some to Adam, who was with her. They did eat, and their eyes were opened to their nakedness. 

Within a short time, they had “made” — the same Hebrew word for when God made (Gen. 1:31; 2:2, 9, 18, 22) — coverings out of fig leaves. 

Even though verses 8 through 20 are not covered in our focal passage, please take time to read these verses. Note the excuses and the blame. Study verse 15, an extraordinary verse in the Bible known as the “protoevangelium.” This is the first time God promises the Savior who would come, be crucified, and “crush” Satan’s head. 

God’s judgment has fallen upon the servant, Adam, and the woman, the consequences of sin. In verse 20, Adam names his wife, Eve, the mother of all living.

Grace Found (Gen. 3:21-24) – God made — the same Hebrew word — skin from an animal to clothe Adam and Eve, the first recorded death in Scripture. The clothing would protect the first couple against the harsh elements of the world they were about to enter. 

In the book The Annals of the World by Archbishop Ussher, he suggests “that Adam sinned on the tenth day of the first month in Ussher’s chronology, which is the day of Atonement” (Leviticus 16:29, see pages 138-139, Creation to Babel, A Commentary for Families by Ken Ham).

“Like one of us (v. 22)”, could mean that man now knew good from evil, or it could be an “expression of grief from God: “What has become of my created ones who were made in our image” (Lifeway)? 

The “tree of life” is mentioned again (2:9), and that man had to be kept away from the tree — immortality. Sin changed everything. Therefore, the man was sent out from the garden. God placed at the entrance “the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life” (Ex. 25:18-22; Psalm. 104:4).

The war between good and evil had begun. But we know the battle is already won. Jesus is Victor!

Leathers is a member of First Church, Lexington. Contact her at laura.l.leathers@gmail.com