We are continuing directly from our previous teachings. We’ve explored significant scenes from Genesis chapters one through three. If you haven’t read our earlier posts, please catch up now to follow along with today’s message.

Here is the next major scene, following the serpent deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit:

“- – – she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6b ESV

Wow! Did you see that?

She took a bit and gave the forbidden fruit to her husband.

Where was Adam?

Right next to her!

Did Adam hear all the conversations his wife had with the serpent?

Well, the Bible says, “her husband who was with her”.

Did Adam ask the serpent, “Who are you talking to my wife?”

Nope!

Adam took the fruit from his wife and ate it without any question. What happened to Adam? Why did he eat the forbidden fruit? Was he also deceived by the serpent’s crafty speech, like Eve?

The Bible says,

“For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” 1 Timothy 2:13-14 ESV

Hmm!

If Adam was not deceived by the serpent or his wife, how did he end up eating the forbidden fruit?

Adam knowingly and deliberately disobeyed God! He rejected God and His word/command. While Eve was deceived into eating the forbidden fruit, Adam simply chose to disobey God.

The next major scene occurs right after they ate the forbidden fruit.

Listen: –

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Genesis 3:7 ESV

They ate the fruit to become like God, but instead, as the word of God says, they became foolish and stupid,

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:21-22 ESV

Their thinking and hearts were darkened.

To cover their nakedness, “they sewed fig leaves together” and wore them as clothes.

To hide their nakedness from whom?

From God!

What a disaster!

Adam and Eve are the parents of all humanity. We are born into this world with the ability to see both good and evil but lack the power or will to do good. Because of the fall of our fore-parents, we are all naturally enemies of God. This is the meaning of Romans 3:23, which says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

What happened next? Did Adam and Eve repent of their sins? Let’s find out.

“And they [Adam & Eve] 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. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”” Genesis 3:8-9 ESV

Their foolishness and stupidity continued.

They hid themselves.

From whom?

From God!

What did they use to hide themselves from God?

Trees!

Trees? Yes, trees to hide them from God.

No common sense! No nothing! Only stupidity!

By the way, this is what sin does to all of us. While we steal and cheat, we claim, “God blessed us,” and we stand on the stage to testify how we are blessed by God. This is how sin degrades an honorable human being, created in the image and likeness of God, to a state lower than animals!

Aren’t you grateful to know that Jesus came to destroy the very works of the devil, which is sin?

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 ESV

Yes, I am eternally thankful and grateful for Jesus Christ!

Here is the one thing that captured my attention in Genesis 3:8-9 is that:

It was God who sought Adam first!

It was God who came looking for Adam and Eve. God took the first initiative to find them while they were groping in the darkness. God sought Adam! The word of God says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 ESV

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  Psalm 103:8 ESV

And God asked Adam where he was. Didn’t God already know where Adam was?

Yes, He did! Remember, God is holy, totally separated or different from His creation! He knows everything and sees everything. Everything before Him is present now! That is why His name is I AM!

God asked Adam where he was to help him realize his own situation. It is as if to say, “Do you even know where you are?”

What was Adam’s reply?

“And he [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”” Genesis 3:10ESV

God, abounding in love, grace, and mercy, continued pursuing Adam, helping him come to his senses and perhaps seek forgiveness.

So, God said to Adam,

“He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”” Genesis 3:11 ESV

What a beautiful question!

God pursued Adam, giving him multiple opportunities to repent of his sin.

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” Exodus 34:6 ESV

The correct response to God’s question would have been, “Yes LORD, I have eaten of the tree of which You commanded me not to eat. I sinned against You and Your word. Please forgive me.” . . . cont’d ///