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"Human Disobedience"


Genesis 3:8-15

Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

  8  That evening they heard the Lord God walking
   in the garden, and they hid from him among
   the trees.
  9  But the Lord God called out to the man,
   "Where are you?"
10  He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I
   was afraid and hid from you, because I was
   naked."
11  "Who told you that you were naked?" God
   asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not
   to eat?"
12  The man answered, "The woman you put here
   with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it."
13  The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you
   do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me
   into eating it."

   God Pronounces Judgment
14  Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will
   be punished for this; you alone of all the
   animals must bear this curse: From now on
   you will crawl on your belly, and you will have
   to eat dust as long as you live.
15  I will make you and the woman hate
   each other; her offspring and yours will always
   be enemies. Her offspring will crush your
   head, and you will bite her offspring's (a) heel."

   Footnotes
   Genesis 3:15 her offspring's; or their.

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Commentary taken from 'word-on-the-web'
supplied by Scripture Union


'Human Disobedience'

   Genesis 3:8-15


Was the serpent correct?

In some ways, he was. Eating from the tree gave the couple knowledge - that they were naked, for instance.

You will undoubtedly know that the Bible uses the word 'know' for a man and a woman coming together, but it often has the sense of an intimate knowledge.

It is this intimate, experiential knowledge of good and evil that Adam and Eve now had.

They were never intended to have such
first-hand knowledge of evil, which humans only obtain by doing evil.
It was better that they only knew good. Once they had the knowledge of evil as well, they lost some of the knowledge of good; they hid themselves in the garden from Ultimate Goodness.

Was God correct?

Adam and Eve did not drop dead on the spot, but they died in some ways.
To be unable to face God is a kind of death and one we cannot fully comprehend, because we have never been in the privileged position of being able to meet with God face to face.

There was also a death to their innocence and emotional tranquillity (they needed to hide themselves).
They died in the garden in a way that we cannot fully understand. In time, of course, Adam and Eve did die physically.
There is one thing that God did not say but which was eminently true:

'On the day that you eat from the tree, I will surely die'.

For it was when humans disobeyed that the cross became a necessity. Jesus had to suffer and die to reconcile the world back to himself.

Death came to that beautiful garden of life in a way that even Adam and Eve could not have known.

Father, forgive us our trespasses. Thank you that we can approach you through your beloved Son and that his work on the cross has brought us forgiveness and reconciliation.



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