God’s creation included freewill. Adam could use this freedom to voluntarily choose to love God and obey his commands, or he could abuse this freedom and decide to disobey God. The reading today focuses on the fall of man and how sin entered into creation.
Read Genesis 3:1-24
In this third chapter, we are introduced to the antagonist to God, Satan. However, we find him in disguise, as we later learn in Scripture that Satan is called the old serpent (Rev. 12:9, 20:2). It seems that Satan had possessed the serpent (apparently by freewill as both the Serpent and Satan receive curses in 3:14 and 15). We also note the method of Satan is to tempt. It seems to be his favorite approach to influence sin (Gen. 3:1-6; Matt. 4:1-11; John 13:2; Acts 5:3; 1 Co4. 7:5; 1 Thess. 3:5). We must guard our life against the trickery of the devil.
Chapter three also displays the consequences of sin. Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and will take more from you than you ever wanted to give. Adam and Eve first lost their innocence. They knew immediately that they had done wrong. Trust between each other had also been lost. Sin resulted in the breakdown of the relationship between people. Sin also resulted in the loss of a personal relationship with God.
The last thing we notice about the consequences of sin is that the results are short and long-term. The immediately felt guilty. In the long-term, they also had to bear the weight of a broken world. However, in the midst of the curses, there is a glimpse of hope. God promises in 3:15, that Satan would receive a wounded head. How will that happen? Another glimpse of God’s plan of salvation is shown in a comparison of coverings. Adam and Eve attempted to cover their nakedness (their personal sin) with their own works (3:7). God, however, knew this was not sufficient, and slew and skinned an animal and made them coats. Our redemption would require the shedding of blood and a covering not made with our dirty hands.
Thank you, Lord, for a glimpse of the great promise.
Jeremy Kamer Ministries 