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Week 3: The Temptation and Fall of Man

Lesson Information

Title:  The Temptation and Fall of Man

Objective: 

  • Review WHY God gave them a commandment
  • How was man tempted? (Pride, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes)
  • God sought repentance from Adam and Eve
  • The wages of sin is death
  • Prophecies of the Coming of Christ

Resources:

Reading:

  • Genesis 3

Key Verse:

  • "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21)

Lesson Structure

Review Genesis 2:15-17
  • Why did God give a commandment?

Read Genesis 3:1-7
  • Satan twists the words of God - God said "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat". The Serpent said "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
  • Satan tempts with the Pride of Life, the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the eyes
    • We see it here
    • We see it in the Temptation of Christ on the mountain (Matthew 3)
    • "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." (1 John 2:16)
  • Satan lies and is the father of lies

Read Genesis 3:8-13
  • God is seeking their repentance. He is asking them questions, hoping that they will repent and confess their sin
  • Each one gives an excuse and blames the other
    • Adam blames Eve (i.e. "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" a few verses ago)
    • Adam blames God Himself (for giving him Eve)
    • Eve blames the Serpent
  • We, too, blame others when we sin and fall short of God's glory

Read Genesis 3:14-15
  • The Serpent is cursed, whereas Adam and Eve are not cursed
  • "You shall eat dust"
    • Serpents don't eat dust, but where have we seen dust? Adam you are dust...
    • Serpent isn't going to eat Adam, but God is saying - you gave yourself to the devil, now see what he will do with you. 
  • The Seed of the Woman

Read Genesis 3:16
  • Did God create birth and reproduction as a result of the Fall of Man? Absolutely not. From the beginning He said "be fruitful and multiply" and talked about "one flesh"
  • What came as a result of the Fall is pain and sorrow in childbearing. We cannot know if this refers to spiritual pain or emotional pain.
  • Eve, knowing that she brought death into the world, whenever she has a baby, she knows that she is bringing this baby into a world of death. That this baby will grow and eventually die.
  • There’s a folk tale in Egypt that they say babies cry when they are born because they recognize that they are entering the kingdom of death. Mother is in pain and screaming, child is screaming and crying, and this moment that is supposed to be welcoming a new life loses its joy.
  • Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you – After the fall, there is jealousy and envy – she wants to rule over him, he wants to rule over her. God’s plan for marriage was not that at all. It was mutual love, joy, respect, equality between the man and his wife.

Read Genesis 3:17-20
  • Adam’s sin was that he heeded the voice of his wife over the commandment of God
  • He has to work and toil for the rest of his life
  • Before, there was a mist that came up and watered everything and the trees gave their fruits. Now, Adam will have to till the land and cultivate it and he will get thorns and thistles and herbs at best. No more fruit trees. No more relaxing and enjoying the garden.
  • The Romans when they made a crown of thorns and thistles had no idea that through it Christ would remove the curse that He placed on Adam
  • Adam calls her Eve “mother of all living” – even though she brought death into the world and even though all of her children would die

Read Genesis 3:21
  • God makes for them tunics of skin – God slaughters an animal for them so they can understand that the animal is a scapegoat – it died for their sin, and He makes for them tunics of skin.
  • Imagine when a father scolds his young child and he immediately goes to hug him/her as a reminder of his love. This is what God did. He delivered the punishment, but then He made them tunics of skin and clothed them.
  • You can imagine Adam and Eve’s response – God, do you still love us after all that? You’re not disgusted by us? You’re still our Father?! God did not leave them in nakedness. He gave them hope. 

Read Genesis 3:22-24
  • And God put a Cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life – very similar to our deacon holding a candle guarding the Eucharist.
  • But God could not let them stay in the garden lest they eat from the Tree of Life… is this a punishment?
  • It is a grace. Because if they ate from it, they would live forever in sin and in separation from God. But God needed for them to now die so He could raise them with Him

Lasting Effects of the Fall of Man
  • All evil and pain and suffering that exists today is a direct effect of the Fall of Man
    • Crime
    • Disease
    • Natural Disaster
  • "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." (Romans 8:20-22)

Redemption from the Fall by the Son of God
  • “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

Review Questions

  1. What does the Serpent do with God's word? 
    1. Twists it
    2. Lies about it

  2. What was Eve's first mistake? She conversed with the devil
  3. What did God want Adam and Eve to do after they sinned? Repent and Confess their sin

  4. Who did Adam blame for his sin? The woman and God

  5. Who did Eve blame for her sin? The serpent

  6. Who is woman's Seed mentioned in Genesis 3:16? The Lord Jesus Christ

  7. What were the consequences for the woman?
    • Multiplying her sorrow and conception
    • Bring forth children in pain
    • Desire for husband and he will rule over her

  8. What were the consequences of man? Work for his food all the days of his life
  9. Who/what did God curse? The Serpent and the Ground - not Adam or Eve

  10. What is the significance of clothing them with animal skin?

  11. Why did God remove them from the Garden of Eden? Out of His love, for their own good lest they eat the Tree of Life and live in sin eternally.

  12. Christ is called the ___________ Adam. Second.

Homework


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