What an amazing week of study this has been as we have explored how the elements in chapters 2 and 3 of Genesis, concerning the first sin and the fall of man, directly point to the coming of Christ and of our redemption through him. What an astounding discovery to see how God already had the perfect remedy in place even before the first sin propelled man into the downward spiral of utter darkness and despair. Thanks be to God for our redemption and renewed hope in Christ! He makes all things new!

We have studied so far how God designed creation to display the glory of God. He created man to have unbroken fellowship with himself and to be responsible to care for and rule the rest of creation. We read about the perfect paradise where the first man and woman were placed. Not a flaw could be found in all of creation! Adam and Eve had it all!

So, why would they give in to the temptation of the slithery serpent who had convinced them God was withholding something desirable from them? Hadn’t they been experiencing pure and intimate fellowship with God on a daily basis? Didn’t they know and trust him by now? Didn’t they realize they had it all?  God had made everything in creation available to them but had only withheld one thing, the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and it was for their own good.

The problem is the serpent had taken the word of the Lord to them and twisted it into a pretzel! He lied to them and deceived them into believing that God was keeping something from them, and that if they wanted it, they should have it. He planted doubts in their minds, and they did not have the faith in God or the courage to stand up to Satan and just say “No.”

This illustrates what Satan does to us as well. All he needs to do is to interject one bogus piece of information, to twist one nugget of truth, to hurl one lie our way, and if we don’t know and trust God’s word implicitly, we can easily be deceived as well.

When Jesus encountered the intense time of testing from the devil after his 40 day fast in the wilderness, he used Scripture as his perfect defense, and not once did Jesus give in to Satan’s deception. We can learn from Christ’s example and walk in complete victory over the devil’s schemes, but unfortunately, we often find ourselves in the same pit that Adam and Eve dug for themselves and for the rest of mankind because they gave in to the temptation. They justified it, and they each blamed someone else for their sins. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.

While the curse seems to be the central theme of Genesis 3 after Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, the reality is that this story merely sets the stage for the most wonderful story of all – the Gospel! We see threads of hope, restoration, grace, and redemption. God had a plan in place even before Eve listened to the cunning words of the adversary.

While the earth remains under a curse because of the influence of sin and the grips of the evil one, Christ came to restore all that was lost and to pave the way back to God. He has come to make us new again and to right every wrong. He has come to fill the gaps where we fall short and to cover us in his righteousness. Just as Adam and Eve introduced death and decay into this world, Jesus came to give us newness of life!

Here is a taste of some of the parallels we have explored this week:

• God formed man from the dust of the ground, but Christ makes us in his image, and we will one day receive glorified, resurrected bodies!
• God warned that eating the fruit from the knowledge of good and evil will result in death, Jesus came to be the bread of life. Those who partake will live!
• When God created Adam and Eve, he demonstrated the perfect design for marriage. Later, it was revealed that God’s design for marriage is really an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the church.
• Just as sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam, so also forgiveness, redemption, righteousness, and eternal life came from one man – Jesus Christ!
• As God pronounced a curse on man and on the ground because of sin, Galatians teaches us that Christ became a curse for us so that we may be redeemed from the curse once and for all!
• When Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves by sewing leaves together, that was an illustration of how we try to make ourselves right through works of the Law. Our own efforts are inadequate to save us. However, it took the death of an animal, as God covered Adam and Eve with animal skins, and that illustrates to us that we required someone else to pay the price for us and to cover our sins as well. Christ was the sacrifice, the spotless lamb, who laid down his life, so we can live. He then clothed us with his robes of righteousness.
• When God promised to put enmity between Eve’s offspring and the serpent’s offspring, we see later that Jesus defeated Satan and his minions on the cross. He broke the power of death and of Satan! He destroyed the work of the devil forever! He is our Champion!
• While Adam and Eve were driven from the garden and blocked from ever reentering, Jesus came and made a way for us to enter the Holy of Holies. The veil was torn through his death, and we have access to the Father through him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Because of him, we enter through a “new and living way.”

No longer do we have to try and hide our sins or to work to make up for our shortcomings to earn our way back to God. We do not have to remain in the cursed state that was inherited by our ancestors, Adam and Eve. We are not defeated or under the control of sin any longer. Praise God for making a way through Christ to redeem all that had been lost through the fall of man in the garden. Christ has come to pay the price and to restore everything that was lost. He defeated the works of the enemy and has triumphed over him forever! He has made a way for us to be completely clean and righteous in his sight again. He paid the price for us, and he reigns victoriously! When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we become fellow heirs with him of all God has promised. Praise the Lord!

 

Adam and Christ Contrasted

¹² When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.¹⁴ Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.¹⁵ But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶ And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

²⁰ God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹ So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21 NLT

Week 3 Discussion Questions

Here is a preview of what we will be talking about in our small groups from WEEK 3.

ICE BREAKER:  How wonderful must it have been to have lived in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world! Have you ever thought about what it would have been like to live in Paradise before that slimy ol’ serpent came along and messed everything up? What do you think would be the best part of living in the pre-fall world that Adam and Eve enjoyed?

QUESTION 1: God did not explain to Adam why eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was prohibited. He simply expected them to trust and obey him. Usually we don’t mind obeying as long as it makes sense to us. Why do you think God did not explain to them why they weren’t allowed to eat the fruit? Have you ever experienced a time when God simply wanted you to obey without knowing all the details?

QUESTION 2: Isn’t it interesting that God wasn’t in the garden with Adam and Eve all the time? Scripture says that He came walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Therefore, there were times Adam and Eve had to depend on God’s word that has been given to them rather than his presence. That is what faith is about, trusting God’s Word, even when we don’t’ feel his presence. It’s about living according to what God has said. What makes living by faith so challenging?

QUESTION 3: From Genesis 2 to 3, we see quite a dramatic shift from how things were before and after the fall. See what a mess sin can make? Name some things that were suddenly different. (See chart on pp. 64-65 to help.)

 QUESTION 4: On pp. 66-67, we see numerous parallels of how the fall of man points to Christ. This is one of the most exciting and mind-blowing portions of this week’s study! Describe one the parallels that is most meaningful to you. (If you haven’t done this part yet, no worries. However, after today’s discussion, you will definitely want to spend some time with this exercise!)

QUESTION 5: What do we learn about how to successfully withstand temptation when we compare the way Adam and Eve dealt with temptation to the way Christ handled the temptations of the devil?

QUESTION 6: Many people feel and express anger with God when the brokenness of this world impacts them in ways that bring pain. How could you use what you’ve learned in this study of Genesis 3 (perhaps also using the truths in Romans 8 and Revelation 21 and 22) to help someone who is angry with God to put the blame where it belongs and place their hope in Christ?

Week 4 Assignments

LEVEL 1:

1. Noah and the Flood: Read Genesis 6-9
2. Personal Bible Study, pp. 91-96
3. Teaching Chapter: What Will Have the Last Word in Your Life? pp. 97-113
4. Participate in a small group. (Discussing Week 3)

 LEVEL 2:

1. Look for daily activities in the Heart to Heart Facebook group.
2. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 7-9, “God’s Covenant with Man”
3. Watch “Noah: The Obedience of Faith,” by Tony Evans

LEVEL 3:

1. Scripture memory of the week: God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations… It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
2. SOAP Scriptures: See here for instructions and examples.
   1. Monday: Read Genesis 6, SOAP verse 18 and 22
   2. Tuesday: Read Genesis 7, SOAP verse 1
   3. Wednesday: Read Genesis 8, SOAP verses 20 and 21
   4. Thursday: Read Genesis 9, SOAP verses 8-11
   5. Friday: Read Genesis 10, SOAP 9:12, 14-15
3. (Optional): Watch Video, Week 4

 LEVEL 4:

1. Read Genesis, chapters 26-50
2. Daily journaling or blogging about how God speaks to you through His Word
3. Articles about Noah and the Ark
   1. Interesting facts about the ark from Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/
   2. Interesting ecological effects from the world-wide flood: http://www.icr.org/article/5871
4. Videos:
   1. A Closer Look at Noah’s Ark
   2. Interesting information about dinosaurs and the Bible

 

How This Works

1. If you have not done so already, please register by leaving your name and email address in a comment below.
2. Purchase the book, The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis, by Nancy Guthrie. You can find it at one of these sites:

Nancy Guthrie’s website

Amazon: Paperback, Kindle

Christianbook.com: Paperback, ebook

Barnes and Noble: Paperback Click “View all available formats and editions” for link to purchase Nook book.

LifeWay: This book is no longer available at Lifeway.com. If you would like to pick it up at your local LifeWay store, you may need to request a special order, but they should be able to get it for you.

 

1. Subscribe to this site to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address in the field to the right, and then click the subscribe button.
2. Join our closed Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for weekly interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. Closed means that no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
3. Small Groups: See the pinned post at the top of the Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for the schedule and instructions. All you need to do is show up at the scheduled day and time, and the discussion will take place underneath the group photo. 
4. Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen you in your walk with Christ.

 

Well, that’s it! A full week of resources to explore and study! I look forward to seeing you in a small group this week, and I pray that this will be an extremely blessed, eye-opening, and heart-transforming week of Bible study!

God bless!