1. Did Adam and Eve continue in the state in which they were made? Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state in which they were made by sinning against god

2. Has God said…?

3. God made Adam and Eve very good. God gave them a very good life in a very good place. God provided abundantly for all they needed and gave them all things richly to enjoy. God commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warned them that the result of disobedience to him would be death.

4. What happened? A serpent tempts Eve to disobey God. He casts doubt on God’s word – You will not die! He casts doubt on the unique nature of God – You will be as gods! He casts doubt on God’s character – God is trying to deprive you of the wonderful benefits of eating from this tree! Eve is attracted by the beauty of the fruit and the idea that it will make her wise and eats the fruit. Adam joins with her in eating the fruit from the forbidden tree.

5. What were the results? They are exposed to each other – and try to escape and hide from each other. They are exposed before God and try to hide from him When God gives them an opportunity to confess they refuse to take responsibility and begin a chain of blame.

6. Hiding… Sometimes young children hide behind their hands thinking… I can’t see you so you can’t see me!

8. Escape! You may have heard the story of the boarding school dormitory where a mass pillow fight was taking place in the dark. One student heard a teacher coming up the stairs and sounded the alarm. All the students scrambled back into bed or hid in various places in the dormitory. One student quickly slid under a nearby bed.

10. Exposed! The teacher entered the suddenly silent room and turned the light on. As the light went on the student hiding under the bed realised his mistake. The bed he was hiding under had no mattress and the teacher was looking straight at him!

11. No hiding place… Adam and Eve discovered that they could not make a safe hiding place from God. The coverings they had made from fig leaves were totally inadequate.

12. Is it hopeless? It is hopeless as far as the serpent is concerned – his destiny is destruction. It is hopeless as far as the garden of Eden is concerned and the very good world is lost and the door of access to the tree of life is closed. BUT A bright ray of hope and victory is given from the promise of God: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15

13. Hope outside Eden God will ensure that the serpent will always be struggling to keep his grip on humanity. God will ensure that a descendent of the woman will gain the final victory over the serpent being bruised in the process. God provides clothing that points to sacrifice as the only real way to provide a covering for disobedience. …the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21