Genesis 3

The Explanation

The garden was beautiful. Trees full of fruit, rivers that sparkled, animals that walked between the flowers. Adam and Eve lived there with God. They could eat from every tree. Every tree except one. That one tree stood right in the middle of the garden. God had said: don't eat from it, or you will die.

Then came the snake. And this was no ordinary snake. He was sly, and he could talk. He slid up to Eve and asked something strange: "Did God really say you can't eat from any tree?" Eve answered: "We may eat from every tree. Only not from that one tree in the middle. Then we will die."

The snake laughed. "You won't really die," he whispered. "God knows that if you eat from it, you will be just like Him."

Eve looked at the tree. The fruit looked so tasty. So beautiful. So special. She reached out her hand. She picked one. She took a bite. And she gave one to Adam too, and he ate.

And then, something changed inside them. Suddenly they felt: something is wrong. They looked at each other and felt ashamed. Quickly they sewed leaves together to cover themselves.

That evening they heard God walking in the garden. Normally they would run to Him. But now? Now they hid behind the trees. Would you have dared to come out?

"Where are you?" God called. Adam answered softly: "I was afraid, so I hid." God asked: "Did you eat from that tree?" Adam pointed at Eve. Eve pointed at the snake. Nobody said: I did it, forgive me.

God spoke sad, serious words. To the snake: you are cursed. To Eve: having children will hurt. To Adam: the ground will grow thorns, and working will be hard. And one day, you will die and return to dust.

But then God did something wonderful. He made clothes from animal skins for Adam and Eve. He clothed them Himself. And then, because they could not stay in the garden anymore, He sent them out. At the entrance stood a shining angel with a sword of fire.

What Does This Mean?

This is the day everything broke. Adam and Eve did not trust God. They believed the snake more than their Father. That one bite changed everything, the whole world.

But look carefully. God did not stop loving them. He came looking for them. "Where are you?" He called. He knew where they were. But He wanted them to come out from hiding. And He made them clothes with His own hands.

The Common Thread

God said something to the snake that sounds mysterious. He said: one day someone will come from the woman. That someone will crush the snake's head. The snake will bite his heel, but the snake will lose.

That someone is Jesus. Long, long later, Jesus came. He was bitten by all the bad things in the world. He died on the cross. But three days later He came back alive. He crushed the snake's head. And through Jesus, the way back to God is open again. The angel with the flaming sword no longer stands in the way.

For You

Sometimes you do something you know is not right. Then you want to hide, or blame someone else. "He started it!" "She did it first!" But God asks you the same thing He asked Adam: where are you? Come out. Tell Him honestly what you did. He will not send you away. He wants to help you.

Try this today: if you did something wrong, say it out loud. To God, and to the person you hurt.

Talk About It

Why do you think Adam and Eve hid from God, even though God already knew where they were?

When is it hard for you to say "I did it," and to whom could you say it this week?

Praying Together

Dear Father, thank You that You came looking for Adam and Eve, and that You come looking for me too. I don't want to hide when I do something wrong. Help me to be honest. Thank You for Jesus, who crushed the snake's head. Amen.