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Genesis 3
Chapter 3 covers the introduction of sin into God’s creation. As we discussed in Chapter 2, God created us with the freedom to make choices. Every person has faced and will face the situation described in this chapter.
1. What can you learn about the serpent from verse 1?
Different translations use the words crafty, cunning, shrewd, and subtle to describe the serpent. What do these words mean to you?
What can you learn about sin from these words?
2. What did the serpent ask the woman?
What does it mean to you when someone begins a question, “Did John or Brian or Wendy really say….”?
What is the serpent’s intention by opening his question with “Did God really say…”?
Have you ever had anyone question God’s word like this to you? If so, how did you respond?
3. Before we go any further, we need to realize that this is the first temptation. What does it mean to you to be tempted?
Read carefully James 1:13-15. What does James say about temptation?
Is being tempted a sin? Please explain.
Describe the process outlined in these verses? 4. Now read I Corinthians 10:13. What does this verse tell us about being tempted?
Why would God allow us to be tempted?
What do you think Paul meant by a means of escape?
Can you share a time when God made known to you a way of escape from temptation?
5. Now, let’s return to Genesis. What is the serpent tempting Eve to do?
How does the serpent twist God’s word?
Is Satan still trying to twist God’s word today? If so, can you think of any examples?
How does Eve answer the serpent’s question?
6. This is important. Compare what Eve reported God said to what God actually said. Do you notice any differences? If so, what?
Does this seem important to you?
What does the Bible say about adding or taking away from the word of God? (See Matthew 3:18)
7. In verse 4, Satan tries another tactic. He calls God a liar. What does he tell Eve?
He also says that Adam and Eve will be just like God. In what way?
What emotion is the serpent trying to stir up in Eve? Eve has not eaten of the fruit yet, but does she know right from wrong? Please explain.
Is the world still trying to convince us that the result of sin is not as bad as God says it is? Can you think of an example?
8. When we read verse 6, we can see that temptation usually begins with the eyes. What does this say Eve did?
What caught Eve’s attention concerning the fruit? (Notice, we do not know what the fruit was. Tradition has led us to believe it was an apple, but we do not know.)
Once Eve saw that the fruit was pleasing to the eye, what did she do?
Compare what is happening to Eve
to what we read in James 1:13-
What can we learn about temptation and sin from these verses?
9. Where was Adam when Eve was being tempted and when she eventually ate the fruit?
Once Eve ate of the fruit, what did she do?
Do we usually want to involve others in our sinful behaviors? If so, why do we tend to do this?
10. How does the Bible refer to Adam in verse 6?
When were Adam and Eve married?
As her husband, what should Adam have done?
11. What was the result of their eating the fruit? In other words, what affect did their sin have on their relationship with each other?
On their relationship with God?
Why do you think they made clothes for themselves?
12. What do you think it means when the Bible tells us Adam and Eve heard the sound of God walking in the garden?
Why had God come to the garden?
What did they do when they heard God?
Now we see another result of sin. It causes us to draw away from God and “hide” from Him. Is it possible to hide from God?
13. What does God call out in verse 9?
Does this mean that God does not know what Adam and Eve have done?
If God knows, why would He call out, “Where are you”?
Can you recall a time when God may have asked you this question?
14. How did Adam answer God?
What did Adam say that revealed to God that Adam had sinned?
We can see from this example that we can never sin and “get away” with it. How does this make you feel?
15. When reading verse 12, it seems like Adam has finally learned his lesson. What did Adam say when God specifically asked him if he had eaten the forbidden fruit?
But, then, what else does Adam say?
According to Adam, who was at fault?
16. God now turns to the woman and asks her what she has done. How does the woman respond?
According to her, who was at fault?
Was Eve really tricked into eating the fruit? Please explain.
Sin always results in consequences, and those consequences can affect “innocent’ people. Now we are going to see the consequences of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, consequences which are still evident today.
17. First, the LORD turns to the serpent. What judgment does God pronounce upon the serpent?
What does verse 15 mean to you?
18. What judgment does God pronounce upon the woman?
What does it mean to you that the woman will desire her husband but the husband will rule over her?
19. What judgment does God pronounce upon the man?
20.Are we still seeing the results of these judgments today? Please explain.
21. In verse 17, we read that God begins Adam’s punishment with the words, “Because you listened to your wife….” Some interpret this verse to mean that the husband should not listen to his wife. Is this what God meant?
Do you agree? Please explain.
22.It is at this point that we learn that Adam named the woman Eve. What does Eve mean?
23.Without reading or knowing the rest of the story, how would you expect God to act toward Adam and Eve?
What does God do?
Where did God get the skins to make them clothes?
What does this mean God had to do?
Why would God make Adam and Eve clothes?
Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, God did not turn His back on them and He never stopped loving them. What does this mean to you?
24.Next we see a great act of mercy from God. What does it mean to you for God to be merciful?
According to verse 21, what does God do?
Why do you believe God did this instead of just throwing Adam and Eve out of the garden?
What did God have to do in order to make clothes for Adam and Eve?
25.Read vv. 22 & 23. Why did God banish them from the Garden of Eden?
According to these verses, what do you believe God intended for man?
26.What did God do to ensure that man would not return to the Garden?
27.After studying this chapter, in your opinion, was the greatest consequence of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience?
Even though we have read only three chapters, if someone asked you why he/she should read Genesis, what would you tell him/her? |