Exposition of
Genesis 1-11
The Fall and its Aftermath – Part I
Gen 3:1-13
What We’ve Covered So Far
• The Creation of the Heavens and the
Earth – Gen 1:1 – 2:3
• The Creation of Man and Woman and the
Garden of Eden – Gen 2:4-25
– Both of these prepare us for the drastic
change that will take place in chapter 3.
– For Moses original audience, all that is in
these first 11 chapters provides them with
background on their current status as God’s
people.
Relationship between Sections
• Gen 2:8-17 – Paradise Gained!
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Life
Pleasure
Abundance
Harmony with God
• Gen 3:1-24 – Paradise Lost!
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Death
Pain
Sustenance by toil
Alienation from God
The Serpent Deceives the Woman
(Gen 3:1-5)
• The serpent is described as more “crafty,
shrewd, clever” than all the beasts which the
Lord God had more.
– The word itself does not carry a negative connotation;
context determines this.
– How do we know that the serpent speaks the words
of Satan?
• Satan’s initial modus operandi in the garden is to
create confusion about the Lord’s instruction to
Adam; subsequently he directly contradicts it.
The Serpent Deceives the Woman
(Gen 3:1-5)
• Woman’s initial response is correct: It is not that
the Lord has forbidden any tree; they are free to
eat of all the trees except one. If they eat from
that one, they will die.
– Some have made much “or touch it” as something
added by the woman and not part of the Lord’s
original instruction...the point is that there were to stay
away from that tree.
• Satan’s reply: “You surely shall not die!”
– Notice he says “For God knows...” Again, part of what
Satan says is true. Their eyes would be opened to
know good and evil, but at a cost of disobedience to
God’s explicit command and with tragic
consequences.
The Serpent Deceives the Woman
(Gen 3:6-7)
• As the woman contemplated the situation, she
considered three aspects of the fruit of this tree.
It was:
– good for food – had attractive fruit, like the other
trees.
– a delight to the eyes – both by its physical beauty and
by the “eye-opening” that it would provide.
– desirable to make one wise – not just pleasant to the
physical eye, but also appealing in the knowledge it
would provide.
• After some period of such contemplation, the
woman took the fruit and ate it, and gave it to
her husband who was with her, who also ate.
Man & Woman Eat the Forbidden
Fruit (Gen 3:6-7)
• Their eyes were indeed opened, but not with the
benefit they expected.
– They had hoped to gain divine knowledge...instead
they learned that they were naked!
– Notice the contrast before and after the Fall:
• 2:25: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were
not ashamed.”
• 3:7: “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. ”
– In a state of innocence before the Fall, in a state of
disobedience after.
God Confronts Them in their Sin
(Gen 3:8-13)
• God’s “walking” in the garden is an
anthropomorphism...but He clearly came to the
area where the man and woman were, and they
knew He was there because they heard Him.
– Precisely what they heard is not stated.
• In contrast to the time before they ate of the
forbidden tree, they are now uneasy in God’s
presence because of their guilt, and thus hid
themselves among the trees.
– Of course, it is vain to try and hide from the Lord.
God Confronts Them in their Sin
(Gen 3:8-13)
• The Lord God called out to the man first,
for he is the responsible party.
• Through a series of questions, the Lord
puts the man on trial. These questions are
not seeking information, but confession.
– “Where are you?”
• Adam confesses that he heard God in the garden,
was afraid because he was naked (and now knew
it), and hid.
God Confronts Them in their Sin
(Gen 3:8-13)
• “Who told you that you naked? Have you eaten
of the tree from which I commanded you not to
eat?”
– Adam’s reply is true according to the account, but he
seeks to lessen his own guilt by directly blaming the
woman and indirectly blaming God...characteristic of
sinful man!
• Since Adam mentions the woman, God now
turns to her: “What is this you have done?”
– The woman’s reply is also faithful to the account, but
also blaming someone else.
The Fall and its Aftermath
Part II
Gen 3:14-25