When Kenan Had Lived 70 Years,
He Became the Father of Mahalalel
5: 12-14

Kenan is the fourth generation and his name means smith. A smith is a metalworker and Cain’s son Tubal-Cain was identified with metal works: he forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron (4:22a).His name is similar to Cain, so perhaps they were related. All ten of the names in this genealogy are Hebrew and all existed before the Tower of Babel in Chapter 11. This is another indicator that the first language was Hebrew. When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.

When Enosh Had Lived 90 Years,
He Became the Father of Kenan
5: 9-11

Enosh is the third generation and means human frailty. The names in this line are a reminder that human history is not necessarily to be judged by the famous names that everyone knows. The politicians, movie stars, recording artists, or sports stars do not set the bar for the real heroes in society. The best part of human history is never written at all. Family life, patient service, quiet endurance, the training of children, the resistance to temptation; these things are never mentioned by the historian.⁹⁴ We don’t know much of anything about Enosh but when he had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died

When Seth Had Lived 105 Years,
He Became the Father of Enosh
5: 6-8

When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh DIG: What truth is emphasized by the phrase: and then he died? If the line of Cain focuses on sin, what does the line of Seth focus on? What is the one exception to the reign of death (see 5:24)?

Seth is the second generation and means foundation. When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Each had many sons and daughters causing the earth to be populated. Altogether, Seth lived 912 years. The genealogy serves to highlight the consequences of sin by its incessant chorus, and then he died. They all die. Adam was blessed with a long life, but he passed along his sin nature to his son. It is a terminal disease: Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

When Adam Had Lived 130 Years,
He Had a Son Named Seth
5: 3-5

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son named Seth DIG: How had Adam died in the Garden of Eden? What shift in gears are we told about in this genealogy? Did Seth have other brothers and sisters? What aren’t we told about them? What was special about the line of Seth?

These verses give us the structure that is used throughout the remainder of the chapter (with two exceptions). First comes the age of the father at the birth of his firstborn son (130 years), then the name of the son (Seth). Second, the son’s birth, and succeeding children are then described. The third part of the structure is the mention of how many years the father lived after the birth of his son (800 years). Fourth, is the reference to the fathering of other sons and daughters. Last, is the recording of the father’s age at his death (930 years).

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image, and he named him Seth. The reference to Adam comes quite naturally at the head of the line of Seth. He was born when Adam was already 130 years old. It seems odd that so much time would have elapsed before Eve began to have children after Abel’s murder. And it may have been that ADONAI closed her womb for a time to strengthen her faith as He did with Hannah and Sarah. But it is more likely that Adam and Eve had other children before Seth, but he was the one whom Elohim revealed would be the true substitute for Abel. He would be the son who would inherit the promises.

Adam’s son was in his own likeness, in his own image. There is a shift of gears here. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, but Adam’s children were created in the image and likeness of Adam. He had a sin nature after the Fall. If you duplicate an original it stays sharp, clear and unblemished. However, if you continue to make copies from copies, they get corrupted. We are witnessing the beginning of that process here.

After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. The writer here is interested in a particular line, the line of the promised Seed (3:15), and in that sense, ignores Seth’s other brothers and sisters, although we are told that he did have them. Then the first generation of the line ended. The Bible records: Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. God had said in the Garden of Eden: You are free to eat from any tree in the Garden: but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (2:16-17). He had a perfect sinless body and if he had been obedient to the LORD he would have lived forever. But when he sinned, sin entered his body and started the aging process that would eventually lead to his death. Adam had died spiritually earlier (3:7-8), but here he finally died physically.

The Genealogy from Adam to Noah
5: 3-32

God had said that there would be continual conflict between the serpent and the children of the woman. There are two seeds here, the battle is between Satan’s seed or offspring and hers (3:15). It will be a long struggle between the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman, the line of the Messiah, the accepted line. The line that we are following now is the line of Seth, the accepted line. This is the line through which the promised Seed will ultimately come.⁹³

The line of the promised seed is ten generations long. This chapter covers the longest period of history in Genesis and is like a walk through the cemetery. There is nothing to indicate that these are anything but normal years, or that there are any gaps in this record. Some evolutionists try to put gaps here to account for dinosaur years, but the wording will not allow for that. If it merely said, was born, they might have a point because that Hebrew word does not always require a direct father-son relationship. It could mean father, grandfather, or great grandfather. However, here it gives the years before and after the birth of the son so that there can be no gaps. Therefore, there would be 1,656 years from the creation to the Flood. Like fast-forwarding a video game, these genealogies move the story along rapidly. It is interesting that Adam lived until Lamech, the father of Noah, was fifty-six years old, and Noah was born only fourteen years after the death of Seth. Evolutionists claim it took millions of years, but the Bible records only two generations from creation to the Flood!

The longevity of these patriarchs was truly amazing, averaging 912 years! The extended lifespans of this time were made possible by the ideal conditions in the pre-Flood world. According to Genesis 1:6, a canopy of water completely encircled the atmosphere, thereby protecting the earth’s surface from the destructive effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. It also created a greenhouse effect that moderated climate and temperature, minimized winds, and created the most favorable conditions for plant life. In addition, in this lush tropical setting, rain was not necessary because the entire world was irrigated by a natural sprinkler system – a mist that came up from under the ground (Genesis 2:5-6). The life spans slowly declined after the Flood, probably a direct result of the changes in the environment. These names are repeated in First Chronicles 1:1-4 and Luke 3:36-38. This confirms that the later biblical writers of the TaNaKh and B’rit Chadashah accepted this list as accurate and historical. Not a single name mentioned here died in the Flood.

When God Created Man, 
He Made Him in the Likeness of God
5: 1-2

This is the book of the generations of Adam (KJV). We have a correlation between Genesis 5 and Mattityahu 1:1-17. Both sections start out by saying: This is the book of the generations of. These are the only two places in the Bible where this is true. Moreover, we notice that the genealogy of Noah is followed by the story of Noah. And the genealogy of Jesus is followed by the story of Jesus. Thus Genesis tells of the origins of the first Adam and Matthew speaks of the origins of the last Adam (First Corinthians 15:45).92

When God created (Hebrew: bara) man out of nothing, He made him in the likeness of God (5:1). Both of these words take us back to day six of the creation account where God created man in His own image (1:27a). Or as it says here: He made him in the likeness of God. This written account is concerned with the passing down of the likeness of God through ten generations. He created them male and female and blessed them (5:2a). God’s blessing of His image at creation cannot be missed: male and female He created them, and God blessed them (1:27b-28a). But with that in mind, the rest of chapter five traces the result of sin, which is death – physical death and spiritual death.

And when they (plural) were created, the LORD named them (plural) man or mankind (singular). It is interesting to realize that the word Adam and man both come from the same Hebrew word. The context determines which word is used. Notice the switch from the plural to the singular. Here the word is not used so much as a proper name of the first man, but in the sense of humanity, or mankind (5:2b).

The Written Account of the Generations of Adam
5:1 to 6:8

Moshe edited and compiled twelve family documents in the book of Genesis. The major structural word for Genesis is toldot, which means the written account of, or this is what became of these men and their descendants. The noun is often translated generations, histories or descendants. After the section on the written account of the heavens and the earth from 2:4 to 4:26, we have the third toldot, the written account of the generations of Adam. So what this third family document tells us, is what became of Adam. And what became of Adam was that God created man out of nothing (Hebrew: bara) in His likeness. Therefore, this third family document is concerned with the passing down of this image through the succeeding generations.

The new family document begins here, with the dual purpose of linking the history of the downward slide from Adam to Noah. We move from the blessing in 5:1 to the curse of 6:1-8. Like leaven in bread, sin slowly worked its way through the human family. And this family document answers a problem raised by the previous one. If, in spite of sin, there is supposed progress in civilization, what happened to the curse? The answer is this – the result of sin is death. So, you can smell the stench of death all the way through this section.

The Line of Seth
4: 25-26

The line of Seth DIG: What is the difference between Cain’s line and Seth’s line? In the final analysis, what was each line known for?

REFLECT: When was the last time ADONAI gave you a second chance? What did you do with it? Have you called upon the name of the LORD?

In contrast with the ungodly line of Cain, we are now introduced to the godly line of his brother Seth. In these verses we encounter the first example of a literary device that is typical of the narrative style of Genesis. It follows the line of least significance first (the line of Cain), and now goes back to pick up the line that is of most significance (the line of Seth). Once it does this, it is done with the line of Cain and does not pick it up again. These are general associations. It does not mean that there was never a godly person in the line of Cain, or that every person in the line of Seth was godly.⁸⁹  In the final analysis, only eight righteous people entered the ark to be saved from the Flood (7:13). Ezeki’el said it best when he proclaimed: The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him (Ezeki’el 18:20).

There are several variations of the number seven in Chapter 4. Abel is mentioned 7 times (1X7), and Cain is mentioned 14 times (2X7). The reference to brother in the pronoun form, like yours, his or mine is mentioned 7 times (1X7). Cain was to be avenged 7 times (1X7), and Lamech was to be avenged ten times 7 (7X10). There are 7 generations from Adam to Lamech (1X7). All the names of Cain’s family total 14 (2X7). The word name appears 7 times (1X7). The names ADONAI and God appear a total of 35 times (5X7).

In the line of Seth there was faith. Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth (4:25a). The name Seth means appointed or substituted. The Hebrew root meaning of this name is foundation. While the family of Cain, by building a city, and the invention of worldly arts, was laying a foundation for the kingdom of this world; the family of Seth, by calling on the name of ADONAI began to build a foundation for the Kingdom of God.⁹⁰

Eve said: God has granted me another seed or child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him before he could have any children(4:25b). The death of Abel left a hole in the soul of Eve. Now the birth of her third son brought back the hope that, through him, Elohim’s promises would eventually be fulfilled (3:15). The fact that Eve recognized God’s program points to her spiritual maturity. When Cain was born she focused on herself and said: I have. But when Seth was born her focus was on ADONAI and she says: God has.

Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh (4:26a). So his line was not cut off like Abel’s. Enosh is another Hebrew word for man, often related to a Hebrew root meaning to be weak or frail. You have a reflection of this in Psalm 103:15, where David writes: As for man (Enosh) his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field. Seth understood man’s deep spiritual need.

No more do we read of human accomplishments, but at that time men began to call on the name of the LORD (4:26b). Although at first a small body of believers, later, after the Flood, God will reveal Himself to the whole world. He is not merely the God of Israel, but the LORD of all mankind (Exodus 3:13 and 6:3). It is curious that even though both Cain and Abel worshiped ADONAI, Adam and Eve talked with Him in the Garden, and Cain talked with Him outside the Garden. It was only around the time of Enosh that mankind began to call on the name of the LORD.⁹¹ After Enosh was born there was revival. It was a religious turning point. The Hebrew phrase: call upon the name of the Lord means a call to public worship. It signals an act of faith on the part of the worshipers. In later times, it was accompanied by the building of an altar and the offering of a blood sacrifice (Genesis 12:8, 13:4, 26:25; First Kings 18:23-24).

Before the cross on the place called the skull (Luke 23:33), there was a temporary covering of wickedness, or sin, by the shedding of animal blood, as men began to call on the name of the LORD. Moses would write: For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for the sin in one’s life (Leviticus 17:11). The Israelites had to continually bring sacrifices to the bronze altar their entire lives (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Fa – Build an Altar of Acacia Wood Overlaid with Bronze).

But since the cross on Calvary (Mattityahu 27:33), there is a permanent covering of wickedness, or sin, by faith in the shed blood of the Meshiach. One needs only to call out in faith on the name of Jesus Christ as Lord, for eternal salvation (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).

The Line of Cain
4: 16-24

The line of Cain DIG: What does Cain living in a city say about his apparent sorrow over what he had done? What does naming some of his children godly names mean, if anything? What were the conditions that allowed Cain to marry his sister? When would those conditions change? Why?

REFLECT: How do you know when you have repented? When was the last time you had to use “tough love?” How did the person respond? If ADONAI is a loving God, why would he say: With such a man do not even eat? And:Expel the wicked man from among you (First Corinthians 5:11b, 13)? What if someone could continue sinning with no consequences? What is the LORD’s purpose in dis-fellowshipping someone?

Here we have a picture of the antediluvian world, or the world before the Flood. It was the first great civilization that is all but forgotten by the world of modern science. The brief record here is the only reliable account we have of this first age. It leaves no doubt that the antediluvian world was substantially different than the one in which we live today. As already discussed in 1:6-8, much of the earth’s waters were stored above the expanse in the form of a vast blanket of invisible water vapor, which produced a marvelous “greenhouse effect” over the earth’s entire surface. This, in turn, produced a uniformly mild, warm climate everywhere all year long, with no wind and rainstorms. There were extensive land surfaces, covered with lush vegetation and an abundant animal life, all over the world.⁸⁶

The pleasant climate, possibly improved by hyperbaric pressures (a condition of much higher atmospheric pressure than we now have on the earth, caused by the weight of the vapor canopy) and the radiation-filtering effect of the canopy enabled the people then to live longer than people today. There were three reasons for this. First, the absence of mutation-producing radiations in the environment did contribute significantly to long life. Second, the human gene pool had not been polluted to any extent, and third, diseases had not been spread yet through the outworking of the curse.

After Cain departed from the LORD, he established a totally godless society. So Cain went out from ADONAI’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden (4:16). Obviously, Cain cannot hide from God, but here we are talking about the localized presence of the Sh’khinah glory at the east side of the Garden of Eden (2:24). Nod means the land of wandering. It was the land of fugitives from ADONAI. Cain was to have no permanent home, going from place to place. It was east of Eden so he could distance himself from God.

Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch (4:17a). Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters (5:4) during the 930 years of Adam’s lifetime. And the same is true of each of the other antediluvian patriarchs listed in the genealogies of Genesis 5. The average life span of these patriarchs is 912 years. It can be shown that, based on very conservative assumptions as to family size, and so on, that there could easily have been many millions of people in the world long before Cain’s death. So obviously, Cain married his sister or some other relative. No genetic harm could have resulted because it would have taken many generations before enough genetic mutations could have built-up in the human race to make such marriages of close relatives genetically harmful.⁸⁷ Therefore, this would have been allowable during this stage of human history because such a prohibition did not go into effect until the Torah was written by Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Cain was then building a city. This was an act of defiance against God’s wandering for him (4:14). He became a city dweller because the ground would no longer produce for him. It is interesting how evolutionists like to ascribe millions of years from the beginnings of man to the first civilizations and here we have it in the first generation! And he named it after his son Enoch (4:17b), which means set apart or dedicated.

To Encoh was born Irad, which means city man.

And Irad was the father of Mehujael. There is no “j”sound in Hebrew, so it is pronounced Mehuyael. It means God gives life, or God makes me live.

And Mehjuael was the father of Methushael, which means man of God or man of prayer. The el at the end of the names Mehujael and Methushael means God. Because of this, some commentators deduce that Cain repented and became a godly man. I don’t know what to make of these names, but the Bible makes no such claim. In fact, Jude, in the second to last book in Scripture, pictures him as being lost. In speaking of the false believers, who are godless men and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign Lord, Jude says: Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion (Jude 11). After wrestling with God, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (32:28). And after Rabbi Sha’ul was converted on the Damascus road (Acts 9-19), his name was changed to Paul. But at the end of the Bible, Jude, with the clear light of progressive revelation, still warns us not to go the way of Cain.

And Methushael was the father of Lamech (4:18), which means a warrior or conqueror. He is the seventh generation from Adam.

Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah (4:19). From here on, we learn more about Lamech’s family. He had two wives. This is the first case of bigamy and polygamy. The names of his wives had sensual connotations. The first was named Adah, which means adorned or ornament. According to rabbinic tradition, her main function was childbearing. The name of the other was Zillah. In Hebrew it is pronounced Tdzilah. According to the sages, her function was sexual pleasure. Lamech and his wives produce four children.

Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock (4:20). Her first born was Jabal, pronounced Yabal, which means producer or procession. The root of this word means to yield, to produce, or to bring to procession. He was the father, or originator, of tent dwellers. His was a nomadic lifestyle and he raised livestock. The word livestock is a more comprehensive word than merely being a shepherd as Abel was. It is a broad term, like a farmer, that includes flocks and herds of various kinds, including camels and donkeys. According to rabbinic tradition, he was the first person to build altars to idols.

His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute (4:21). Jubal is pronounced Ubal and means to bring procession and is the same basic word as Jubilee. He was the father, or the originator, of musical instruments, the harp (stringed instrument) and flute (wind instrument).

Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron (4:22a). His second wife also had a son and a daughter. The son, Tubal-Cain, means one who has acquired production. He was identified with metal works of all kinds. The inventions of the three sons made life much easier and tended to reduce the effects of the curse. Moses is making the point that although disobedient, the line of Cain provided many of the world’s great cultural discoveries.

Tobal-Cain’s sister was Naamah (4:22b), which means pleasant, graceful or gorgeous. Normally, a woman’s name is not supposed to be mentioned in Hebrew genealogies, so she must have been significant in her line. The rabbinical interpretation is that she later became Noah’s wife. All the names of Lamech’s children were festive, but the mood quickly changes with the Song of Lamech, which is a taunt song of defiance against God.

Lamech said to his wives: This is the first poem and the first song in the Bible. The audience was a little restrictive, just his two wives! It is three couplets. Hebrew poetry does not follow rhythm or rhyme, but parallelism. One line is followed by a second line, and the second line refers back or clarifies the first line.

The first couplet pictures Lamech boasting to, or threatening his wives.

Adah and Zillah (wives of Lamech), listen to me (hear my words);
wives of Lamech, hear my words.

The second couplet shows how he was bragging. It describes how strong he was in combat and his ability to defeat a younger warrior.

I have killed a man (a young man) for wounding me (for injuring me),
a young man for injuring me (4:23).

A young man injured or wounded Lamech, and Lamech, who had the advantage of using metal weapons forged by Tubal-Cain, killed him (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Dp – You Shall Not Murder). The word killed is the same word used when Cain killed Abel. This went beyond the need for self-defense. This was the law of the jungle. It is pride and self-justification. The way the rabbis interpret this incident goes back to the survival of Cain. According to rabbinic tradition Lamech was blind, and was led around by his son Tubal-Cain. One day they went hunting and Tubal-Cain happened to see Cain, but lied to his father and told him that there was a deer in front of him. Lamech shot an arrow and killed Cain. When Lamech realized what had happened, he also killed Tubal-Cain.

The third couplet speaks of a human society without the LORD, and Lamech taking the law into his own hands.

If Cain is avenged seven times (seventy times seven),
then Lamech seventy times seven (4:24).

Whoever hurts Lamech will, in essence, receive from him ten times greater vengeance than that which God promised to avenge Cain. He was a proud man who didn’t hesitate to kill anyone. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and we can see Cain’s attitude in his great-great-great grandson. So we have moved from unrepentant Cain to defiant Lamech. Violence was glorified, and the sign of Cain no longer stood as a stigma of exile, but as a badge of honor.⁸⁸

The Line of Cain

Adam

Cain

Enoch

Irad

Methujael

Methushael

Lamech

Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-Cain, and Naamah

Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out to Me from the Ground
4: 1-15

Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground DIG: The LORD accepts both animal and grain sacrifices (Leviticus 6:14-30). Why do you think He rejects Cain’s sacrifice? After the murder of Abel, why do you think ADONAI approaches Cain as He does? Why not directly accuse Cain? Why delay punishment? Why protect Cain? Why was Cain punished as he was? Was Cain sorry for what he did, or sorry for getting caught? What’s the difference?

REFLECT: How do you handle anger? What might you call yourself: Vern Volcano? Suzy Suppression? Tina Tightlip? Dennis Denial? Or what? What would you like to do differently with your anger? Where might the LORD be looking on your life with favor? With disfavor? What are the warning signs that you are being enticed by your evil desires? What helps you master it? Are you your brother’s keeper?

Adam and Eve brought suffering on their children also. Death posed a constant threat to their attempts to be fruitful and multiply. The appetite of the grave knows no end. The pain of childbirth was not limited to the pain of labor. Now, instead of being the joyful event it should have been, the birth of a child eventually became the source of unavoidable pain for everyone. A broken child in a broken world. The parents suffer as well because they are helpless to shield their child from the heartache and fallen nature of the world.

The failure of Cain to master sin here illustrates its full growth cycle. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (James 1:13-15).

Now Adam lay with his wife Eve and she conceived and gave birth: Cain (4:1a). In this sentence, the direct object is birth, followed by the word Cain. The word “to” is not in the Hebrew text. This translation will be important in the second part of this verse. However, now there is a play on words between the Hebrew word for Cain (4:1a), kana, and the Hebrew word for gotten (4:1b), kaniti. The name Cain, or kana comes from the root word kanah, which means to acquire. But the word gotten comes from the root word kin, which means to fashion, to shape or to give form to (Psalm 139:13; Proverbs 8:22). Therefore, the play on words between Cain and gotten is not based upon similar root words, but solely on the sound in Hebrew. In other words, they sound alike. Once again, this points to the fact that the original language was Hebrew.

And she said: I have brought forth a man: the LORD (4:1b). The phrase “with the help of” (NIV), or “from” (NKJ), is not in the Hebrew text. In this sentence, the direct object is man, followed by the single Hebrew word, the LORD. Martin Luther translated this verse in the same way. This shows Eve’s understanding of 3:15. She believed that she would bear the Deliverer and that He would be the God-man. He would be the Seed of the woman (3:15) and Cain was her first born! But she made the assumption that Cain was the God-man. Obviously, she was wrong. It would be a long time until the Savior would come.

Again, she gave birth to his brother: Abel (4:2a). The rabbis teach that she had twins. The Hebrew word for Abel is hevel, which means vanity or futility. Literally, it means a mere breath, and emphasizes the shortness of human life (Job 7:16; Psalm 144:4). By naming their son Abel, this shows that the curse of the Fall had begun to make itself felt in the lives of Adam and Eve. By the time Abel was born, they realized that whoever he would be, he would be no God-man.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil (4:2b). Abel was a shepherd and because animals were not yet used for food, the sheep and goats were used for milk, clothing and sacrifice. Cain became a farmer to raise the food and basically followed his father’s profession (2:15; 3:17).

In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD (4:3). The phrase: in the course of time literally means at the end of days and points to a specifically appointed time. Therefore, this early in human history, there was a fixed time for a sacrifice to be offered to ADONAI. It may have been weekly, we don’t know, but it was an appointed time and place. The LORD had placed two cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life. These cherubim had a flaming sword flashing back and forth (3:24). There they remained, apparently until the Flood. And with the Flood, the Garden disappeared. This would have been the logical place for them to bring their offering. The entrance to the Garden of Eden was on the east side, and the entrance to the Tabernacle and the Temple was on the east side were the bronze altar stood (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Fa – Build an Altar of Acacia Wood Overlaid with Bronze).

Cain was no infidel and believed in God. No doubt Adam and Eve had obediently taught their children how to make a proper offering to the LORD and up to then Cain had chosen to be obedient. But this time he brought some of the fruits of the soil as his sacrifice (4:3). And if we have no spiritual insight, there seems nothing wrong with what he did. He brought the best of what he had; however, it was bloodless. And because it was bloodless, it was unacceptable. In effect, his offering said he didn’t need a substitute. He was setting out to establish his own righteousness. In addition, Cain’s offering denied that he was separated from ADONAI. He acted like everything was all right. The world teaches that we are born sinless, and for an Adolph Hitler or Saddam Hussein to happen, something has to go horribly wrong. But everything was not all right. The Bible teaches that we are separated from God at birth because we are born with a terminal disease. We are born with a sin nature, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We have to be born again to be children of God (John 3:1-21). Cain refused to recognize that, as do most today.

In the dispensation of the Torah, the sin offering would be mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin, confessed sin, and forgiveness for sin where restitution was not required (see my commentary on Exodus Fc – The Sin Offering). The LORD would accept the blood of the animal as payment for the specific sin of the worshiper. The blood averted God’s wrath on the sinner, and ultimately directed that wrath to the Suffering Servant where He became sin for us on the cross (Second Corinthians 5:21; First Peter 2:24). Abel’s sacrifice foreshadowed that sin offering.

But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock (4:4a). Leviticus 3:16 makes clear to us what both brothers had been told by their parents, that all the fat is the LORD’s. How do I know that? Because faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). ADONAI had told Adam and Eve and they told Cain and Abel to bring a blood offering, and by faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did (Hebrews 11:4a). Later, with the clearer light of the New Covenant we learn that the sprinkled blood of Yeshua would far surpass the sacrifice of Abel, and speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:24b). Abel’s sacrifice was, however, acceptable to ADONAI because it was offered in faith, but it had no atoning power – not even for Abel, much less for anyone else. Jesus’ blood, however, was sufficient to cleanse the sins of all mankind for all time, to make peace with ADONAI for whoever believes in, trusts in or has faith in His blood sacrifice (Colossians 1:20).⁷⁹  Therefore, Abel’s sacrifice was a mere shadow of the reality of Messiah’s sacrifice that would come later. That is why the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering (4:4b). The rabbis teach that fire descended from heaven and consumed it. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings (Hebrews 11:4b). So the issue here was a blood offering. Abel was obedient. But Cain’s attitude became evident when he refused to obey and bring a blood sacrifice.

But on Cain and his offering God did not look with favor (4:5a). His was an act of self-righteousness. He was offering the LORD the fruits of a cursed ground instead of submitting himself, in obedience, to what God had asked for. Make no mistake about it, this was outright rebellion and ADONAI did not accept his offering. Jude uses Cain as an example of rebellion in the end times before Messiah returns to set up His Kingdom. Both Cain and Abel were sinners, both were born after the Fall outside the Garden of Eden. The only difference between the two brothers was their offerings. They had the same parents, the same upbringing, the same knowledge and the same environment. Cain’s offering was not of faith, but Abel’s offering was an act of faith. This is still an important lesson for us today.

So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast (4:5b). His response to the LORD was anger, which is never good. He rejected God’s way, went his own way and was called on it. He had rejected ADONAI’s truth. Cain knew the LORD required a blood sacrifice, but instead of obeying, he invented his own form of worship. His inappropriate offering revealed the irreverent blasphemy of his heart, as he rejected God’s revelation and operated by his own self-styled instinct and pride in what he had produced. Jude would call this the way of Cain (see my commentary on Jude Aq – They Have Taken the Way of Cain, Rushed into Balaam’s Error, and have been Destroyed by Korah’s Rebellion). Cain was rebellious and disobedient, and when the LORD did not accept his offering, he responded in jealous anger. Consequently, He murdered his obedient brother. ⁸⁰

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast” (4:6)? These are rhetorical questions not requiring an answer because God already knew the answer. We never really hide anything from Him. Maybe up to this point in his life, Cain may have seemed outwardly obedient to God. But this incident finally revealed the resentment that had built up in his heart towards ADONAI and his brother Abel. The LORD, however, kept reaching out to Cain to do the right thing because mankind has the ability to choose (Genesis 2:16-17; Isaiah 1:18-20; Ezeki’el 18; Jeremiah 36:3 and 7; John 7:17).

He said: If you do what is right, will you not be accepted (4:7a)? To do what was right in this context meant to offer a proper sacrifice. If he would obey God’s word, then his sacrifice would be accepted. If you will repent, your sin will be forgiven. Then the LORD adds: But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door: it desires to have you, but you must master it (4:7b). This is the first mention of sin in the Bible. The Hebrew word for desire here is teshukah and means desire to possess. Sin is pictured as an animal that desires to control and dominate Cain, but the LORD challenged Cain to rule over the unrestrained desire to sin. Eve had been talked into her sin, but Cain could not be talked out of his, even by ADONAI Himself.⁸¹

Cain lured Abel away from their parents’ presence into a field and started an argument. And while they were in the field, I am sure Abel, being God’s first prophet (Luke 11:49-51) urged repentance, while Cain accused the LORD of petty favoritism and his brother of self-righteousness until the argument became so bitter that Cain attacked his brother and killed him (4:8). And why did Cain murder his brother (see my commentary on Exodus Dp – You Shall Not Murder)? Because his offering was evil, and his brother’s was righteous (First John 3:12). The seed of the serpent was quickly striking at the Seed of the woman, corrupting her first son and killing her second, thus trying to prevent the fulfillment of Christ’s destiny with the cross.

Eve cried out in physical pain countless times as she gave birth. But the pain of childbirth was nothing compared to the pain she felt when her firstborn, Cain, murdered her second son, Abel. That pain inflected the world as the descendants of Adam and Eve lived out their fallen nature. As Rabbi Saul would write: The wages of sin is death (Romans 5:8). Spiritual death had caused physical death.

The picture of sin in the Bible is like that of a swimmer in the rapids of a large river, miles upstream from a huge waterfall. The swimmer can easily get out of the water, but as the rapids get rougher and she gets closer to the falls, it becomes more and more difficult to be free of the currents and the force of the water. The safest and best time to resist temptation is before it is too strong or powerful to resist. The rising doubt or evil thought quickly becomes sin when we dwell on it and allow it to take up residence in our hearts.⁸²

No sooner had Cain murdered his brother than ADONAI called him to account. He asks: Where is your brother Abel? This time Cain had not gone to the place of sacrifice seeking the LORD; the LORD had gone out to the field seeking Cain. Of course, God knew where his brother was; He asked Cain the question to give him the opportunity of confessing and repenting. When Cain answered: I don’t know, he told the first lie. But in a sense, he really didn’t know where Abel was. Like all others who died in faith, not having received the promises, Abel was the first human inhabitant of sh’ol, that place in the heart of the earth where the righteous of the TaNaKh awaited the coming of the Savior of sinners to be taken up to heaven (Luke 16:19-31; Ephesians 4:7-10).⁸³Instead of responding in fear and humility, he compounded the problem by boldly questioning God’s right to ask such a question! Am I my brother’s keeper (4:9)? This is the first question raised by a human in the Bible. But by asking this question he really avoided answering the LORD’s question. Adam, when confronted with his sin, confessed and repented – but not Cain. This is what sin does. It hardens the heart and perverts the senses.

Then ADONAI said: What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground (4:10). On Mount Tziyon in modern Yerushalayim stands a museum that contains the remains of a few of the six million Jews who were brutally put to death by the Nazis during World War II. Included among the shocking exhibits are lampshades made of human skin and soap made from human fat. The museum itself is called the Chamber of Destruction, and the relics it contains are disquieting reminders of man’s inhumanity to man. Outside the building is a simple plaque inscribed with a brief quotation from this verse: Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out.⁸⁴

This is the first mention of blood in the Bible. The Hebrew for blood is plural, meaning the blood of Abel and all his descendants. Abel spoke to the LORD after his death, asking that his murder be avenged. By faith, Abel still speaks, even though he is dead (Hebrews 11:4c). Like the souls underneath the altar who had been slain because of the Word of God (Revelation 6:9-10), Abel asked that ADONAI avenge his blood. But the primary way Abel still speaks is to remind of three things: people come to the LORD by faith, not by works; we must obey God’s revelation above our own reasoning and self-will; and sin is severely punished. We must never forget that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4b; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 10:38a).⁸⁵

Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand (4:11). The ground, from which Cain made a living, was now under a curse. This is profoundly prophetic because he was a farmer. His pride came from the ground. Now it would yield him nothing. The picture of the ground, opening its mouth, is found several times in Scripture (Numbers 16:30-35; Deuteronomy 11:6; Psalm 106:17; Isaiah 5:14), always in a negative sense.

When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you (4:12a). Every time Cain’s feet touched the ground, it would be a reminder of his wicked deed. The earth, in effect, rejected Cain as he had rejected the LORD and his brother. In this way, Abel continued to speak to his brother.

You will be a restless wanderer on the earth (4:12b). The natural reading of this Scripture means that Cain was not to stay anywhere very long, continually anxious, running and on the move; he would have no home, and in that way, he would be a fugitive and a restless wanderer. But Cain defied that curse by living in a city in the land of Nod, east of Eden (4:16-17).

Then Cain said to ADONAI: My punishment is more than I can bear (4:13). Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go, and costs you more than you wanted to pay. The word punishment literally means my iniquity, or sin. Adam did not complain about his being driven from the Garden of Eden, but Cain, a greater sinner than his father, did object.

Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence. He knew he would be cut off from fellowship with the LORD. That’s what sin does to us. It separates us from God. I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me (4:14). On the surface, it might seem that Cain was sorry for what he had done. The fact that he uses the word punishment, which is usually translated sin, does show a certain amount of acknowledgment. But being sorry for being caught is very different than repentance. The fact that Cain, in the end, defied the curse of God by living in a city (4:14) shows that he never truly repented. Nevertheless, ADONAI spared Cain’s life.

The LORD reserves the judgment on Cain to Himself. He doesn’t allow a relative of Abel to come and avenge his death. God is going to institute capital punishment in Genesis Chapter 9 with the Dispensation of Civil Government. But you can imagine Cain’s fear. Everyone on the earth was a relative! There was probably over a hundred thousand people on the earth at this time and the statement in 5:4 about Adam and Eve having other sons and daughters was well underway. In ADONAI’s response to Cain’s concern that whoever found him would kill him, ADONAI said: Not so; whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over (4:15a). The rabbis interpreted this to mean that Cain could not be killed until seven generations had passed. What we see here is the grace of the LORD because Cain obtained divine protection.

Then ADONAI put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him (4:15b). The Hebrew word oth, means a sign rather than a mark. So a better translation would be: Then the Lord placed a sign on Cain. Whatever the sign was we do not know, but it was obviously visible. The same word is used in Exodus 12:13 and 23 of the visible Passover blood, and in Joshua 2:12 of the visible scarlet thread. The rabbis have four different views of what this sign was. First, some believe that God engraved the four letters of His name, YHWH, on his forehead. Second, some believe that since Cain feared the wild beasts at that point, God restored their natural fear of man. Third, that ADONAI provided him with a dog for guidance; wherever the dog directed him, he would be safe. And fourth, some believe that it was a horn on his head to fight off any attacker. It was supposedly some kind of sign to assure him of his protection. But we can be assured it did not give him peace. For all who came in contact with him, he would be a continual reminder of God’s judgment of sin.

Cain and Abel
4: 1-26

In Genesis 3 we saw the root of sin and in Genesis 4 we see the fruit of sin.⁷⁷ God had spoken of a coming conflict between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman (3:15). Adam and Eve would soon experience the reality of this conflict in the tragic history of their two sons. The story of Cain and Abel, while in every way is to be understood as actual history, is also a picture of the age-old conflict of the two seeds. Cain typifies the seed of the serpent, while Abel is a type of Christ, the Seed of the woman.⁷⁸ Similarly today, Cain and Abel represent the two families of the world. Cain represents those apart from faith who follow their father the devil, and are, in a spiritual sense, the seed of the serpent. And Abel represents those of faith who are in Christ (Ephesians 1:4) and therefore, in a spiritual sense, represent the Seed of the woman. Cain gave in to the crouching evil within him and eventually sin went on a rampage.

Once the flood of sin was released on the world there was no way to stop it. Everyone on the earth was drowned by it and it stained everything it came into contact with. Following the example of Adam and Eve, their descendants openly rebelled against ADONAI. Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless (Romans 1:28-31). The way of Cain (see my commentary on Jude Aq – They Have Taken the Way of Cain, Rushed into Balaam’s Error, and have been Destroyed by Korah’s Rebellion), then, is the lack of faith that shows itself in these dreadful acts, in denial of responsibility and refusal to accept the just punishment of a righteous God. And the first instance we see of this is when Cain murders his brother Abel.

Cain and Abel had a choice to make, just as you and I have a choice to make. We may choose to be like Cain or like Abel. Like Abram, Abel believed the LORD and it was counted to him as righteousness (15:6). But Cain chose his own way, and the way of Cain led to a civilization that was so evil that God chose to bring the Flood, and start all over with those of faith. What is your choice?

The LORD God Made Garments of Skin
for Adam and His Wife
3: 20-24

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife DIG: What was the significance of Adam naming his wife Eve? What did the garments of skin point to? Why did God drive Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden? How did He provide a way back?

REFLECT: Are you wearing self-made fig leaves, or garments of skin from God in a certain area of your life? If so, why are you afraid to give that area of your life over to the LORD? When was the last time Elohim drove you out for your own protection?

Adam’s faith and God’s provision are seen in these verses. Elohim would save both him and his wife and ensure that they would not live forever in this state.⁷³ It would be easy to see Adam’s fall as a bitterly disappointing ending to the creation story. The perfection of God’s glorious creation is destroyed. Humanity, created in His image, is fallen. Death and decay now infect all of life. In these verses, Adam and Eve are driven out of paradise and sent into a hostile, sin-cursed world. But this isn’t merely the sad ending to the creation story; it is also the glorious beginning of the redemptive story. Genesis 3 contains the first promise of a Deliverer, and the remainder of the Bible is devoted to telling the old, old story of how God, by that Deliverer, ultimately redeems fallen humanity and the rest of creation from the cursed state into which Adam’s sin had plunged the world and everyone in it.⁷⁴

First, God provided the means to sustain physical life (3:20). Adam’s faith is seen in naming his wife Eve (verse 20a). Before the Fall, she was merely called woman (2:23), but now she is to be called chavah, which means life. The fact that Adam calls her life shows his faith in the promised Seed in 3:15.

She would become the mother of all the living (verse 20b). Here again we have a play on words between her Hebrew name, chavah, and the mother of all the living. This shows that Hebrew was the original language. Chavah comes from the Hebrew root word chayah, which means to live. And the Hebrew word for living here is chai, again from the same root word chavah, to live. Although physical death was the consequence for Adam violating his covenant with God, the woman would sustain life through her childbearing. So Eve, chavah, would produce the living, chai. Today, there is a group of molecular biologists that support the concept of what is called “mitochondrial Eve.” This is the belief that all modern humans are descended from one woman. It is interesting that we all inherit our usual complement of DNA (nuclear DNA) from both our mothers and fathers, but we only inherit mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from our mothers. The Bible is not a science book per se, but when approached with an open mind, it does confirm many of the facts supported by unbiased scientific research. That should not be a big surprise because God is the Author of both Scripture and the universe.

Second, God provided grace in the context of judgment (3:21). God rejected their fig leaves (3:7) and sacrificed an animal to provide garments of skin. The same word is used in 27:16 for goatskins. For the first time, Adam and Eve saw what physical death meant. When they witnessed the death of the animal, they realized the same thing would eventually happen to them. This is the beginning of the sacrificial system in Leviticus. Later, animal sacrifices would be essential to God’s provision for a temporary antidote to the curse – one life paid for another life. Ezeki’el said that the soul who sins is the one who will die (Ezeki’el 18:20; Romans 6:23). However, the one who places their faith in Elohim will live, because He has provided a Substitute (22:1-19). The rabbis have a legend about the garments of skin. They teach that Adam gave them to Cain. And when Cain was killed, they became the property of Nimrod. Esau took them from Nimrod and Jacob eventually wore them at the time of Isaac’s blessing (27:1-40).

And God clothed them. Physically, He clothed their nakedness, and spiritually He covered their sin. Elohim Himself would provide a covering by the shedding of innocent blood. This is the start of progressive revelation. It points to the fact that atonement needed to be made. Blood needed to be shed to forgive their sin. More light is shed on this in the New Covenant, where we learn that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22b). There are four great lessons here. First, mankind must have adequate covering to approach Elohim. You cannot come to Him on the basis of your good works. You must come just as you are – a sinner. Second, fig leaves are unacceptable. God does not take a man-made garment. Third, God Himself must provide the covering. Fourth, an acceptable covering can only be obtained through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.⁷⁵ The garments of skin that God provided them with would continually remind them of His provision. In the same way, God the Father would one day accept the sacrifice of Christ, and on that basis, God the Father would graciously clothe those who believe/trust in the righteousness of His Son (Romans 3:21-26).

Third, God provided a way back to paradise (3:22-24). Like a loving Father, God knows what is best for His children even in His discipline. He already had a plan to restore them to paradise (Revelation 2:7). Therefore, Elohim does not put up a roadblock here, but He keeps open the way of life for Adam and Eve. But now the way of life is not through the tree of life, but through a Sacrifice.

Then the LORD God said: The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil (verse 22a). Notice how Elohim holds Adam responsible. Eve is not even mentioned, yet the man is judged. For although he knew good, he was unable to do it, and he knew evil, but was unable to resist it (Romans 7:18-19). Before the Fall, the man only knew the goodness of God, but now he knew the evil to be experienced in rejecting His Word. So his desire to be like God, knowing good and evil (3:4b), left him with something far less than Elohim. So much for divinity. He wanted to be like God, and he ended up like dust! Isn’t that just like the Adversary? Long on promises, short on delivery.

He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever physically (3:22b). Once again, God is thinking of Adam’s long-term benefit. If he were able to eat from the tree of life, Adam would live forever in an eternal state of sinfulness. He would be like a spiritual zombie, continually walking the earth, but never enjoying fellowship with Elohim. There would have been no chance of redemption. Only God’s salvation in Christ would allow him access to the tree of life again. Jesus said: To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).  Therefore, it was for his own good that Adam be driven out of the Garden.

So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. So Adam began his painful toil because he was held personally responsible: the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil; he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and also take from the tree of life, and live forever; so Elohim banished him (3:23). No mention of Eve at all, yet they were both equally guilty of sin (to see link click Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband, and He Will Rule Over You).

And after He drove the man out He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden two cherubim (3:24a). There are at least two cherubim here because the word is plural. There were also two cherubim over the mercy seat in the Tabernacle in the desert (see my commentary on Exodus Fs – The Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace), and later in the Temple in Yerushalayim. The purpose of cherubs over the mercy seat was to symbolize the throne of God. They protected and guarded the way into His presence.

And a flaming sword flashing back and forth, the Sh’khinah glory, or the visible presence of God Himself, was placed there to guard the way to the tree of life (3:24b). Man had sinned and the LORD, in His judgment, had to drive the man and the woman out of the Garden. But it was mercy as well as judgment that drove them away . . . let us not forget that! To make it back under the right conditions, an innocent sacrifice, a blood substitute, would be needed.

Therefore, after the Fall (3:6), Adam and Eve soon had a sense of guilt (3:8). Then followed a sense of condemnation (3:17). Last of all came the reality of separation (3:24). It was impossible for them to remain in the Garden, and in a state of fellowship with God. Sin and paradise do not mix. So God drove the man and the woman out.  Separation from Elohim is always the result of sin. The prophet Isaiah would say: Your sins have separated you from your God (Isaiah 59:2). Thus, the threefold punishment of guilt, condemnation and separation piled up on the man because of his sin. Is there any hope?

Looking to the B’rit Chadashah, Rabbi Sha’ul answers the threefold punishment with three rhetorical questions. To the question: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen (Romans 8:33)?” the answer is this, there is no guilt! To the question: “Who is he that condemns (Romans 8:34)?” the answer is this, there is no condemnation! And to the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah (Romans 8:35 CJB)?” the answer is, there is no separation! ⁷⁶ This is surely Good News for all of those who are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Cursed is the Ground Because of You,
Through Painful Toil You Will Eat of It
3: 17-19

Cursed is the ground because of you, through painful toil you will eat of it DIG: How was Adam cursed? Which punishment would have been the most difficult for Adam? Why? What is the law of entropy? What does it have to do with the curse?

REFLECT: How has Adam’s sin affected all of mankind today? How is the curse evident in your life today? Which part of the curse affects you the most today?

Adam would now meet the full force of the consequences of his sin in the curse and death. Because Adam listened to his wife and ate fruit from the tree about which God commanded him not to eat, a curse is placed on Adam, mankind and all of creation. Before the Fall, the ground had cooperated with man as he worked the ground (2:5 and 15). But now it became reluctant to yield its food. Instead it began to yield thorns and thistles, requiring toil, sweat and tears before man could eat his food. And finally, in spite of all his struggle, death would triumph and man’s body would return to the dust from which it was taken.⁶⁹

Adam’s sin was that he ate (3:6, 12, 17a). In response to that, Elohim speaks to him five times about eating in this section. This parallels the penalty on the snake: you will eat dust all the days of your life (3:14). In the same way, God’s penalty of pain would be experienced by both Adam (3:17b) and Eve (3:16). The same Hebrew root word etsev, is used in both verses and occurs only three times in the TaNaKh, 3:16-17b and 5:29. For Adam the pain will be in gathering food and for Eve the pain will be in childbirth. But Adam’s sin is far more pervasive than that. He is responsible for the present human condition.

God placed a curse on Adam. When Adam hid from Elohim he felt guilty because he had a sense of condemnation. Then God said: Cursed is the ground because of you (3:17b). Rabbi Sha’ul would write: The creation waits in eager expectation for the Lord to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration or futility (mataiotes), not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:19-22).

Through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food (3:17b-19a). Before the Fall there were no weeds, thorns or thistles to cause man pain. However, now the ground is frustrated because it is unable to achieve its original purpose. No part of nature exists as it was originally. Despite the curse, however, much of God’s beauty remains. And because of that, no one has an excuse for not believing in God (Romans 1:20). But the earth’s destiny is connected to mans’ destiny. Rabbi Sha’ul says there is hope even for creation itself, which will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:21). Just as mans’ sin brought bondage and decay to the earth, mans’ restoration to a right standing before Elohim will also bring restoration to the earth. Man and his environment will once again be as God intended.

The rabbis teach that man was cursed with ten curses, just as the serpent and the woman were. First, his stature was reduced and he was shorter. Second, there was weakness after ejaculation. Third, there were thorns and thistles. Fourth, there was the anguish of earning a living. Fifth, the earth was cursed so that only grass would grow for mankind to eat. However, Adam complained about eating grass, so the fifth curse was replaced by the sixth curse, which was that sweat would be associated with work. Seventh, before he was too handsome to look upon, but now others could look upon him. Eighth, the serpent’s hands and feet were cut off so that it could no longer be a useful worker for him. Ninth, mans’ expulsion from the Garden. And tenth, death and burial into the ground.

In physics, the law of entropy refers to the constant and irreversible degradation of matter and energy in the universe to increasing disorder. That scientific law clearly contradicts the theory of evolution, which is based on the premise that the natural world is inclined to continual self-improvement. But it is evident even in a simple garden plot that, when it is untended, it deteriorates. Weeds and other undesirable plants will choke out the good ones. The natural bent of the universe – whether of humans, animals, plants, or the inanimate elements of the earth and heavens – is obviously and demonstrably downward, not upward. It could not be otherwise while the world remains in bondage to the decay of sin.⁷⁰ But one day the groaning and suffering of the earth will end. In the meantime, like Eve, whose sin brought the curse of painful childbirth, the earth itself endures its own kind of labor pains right up to the present time. But the curse reached much further, and Moshe will now mention the most obvious aspect of it.⁷¹

The curse was ultimately a death sentence. God spoke the truth when He said: For when you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die (2:17). Physical death is separation of the person, the spirit, and the soul from the body. The Lord God said man would labor until he returned to the ground, since from it we were all taken. For dust we were and to dust we will return (3:19b). Solomon wrote: the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). We must ultimately answer to ADONAI. Whether we are saved or lost, we are going to have to answer to Him. Adam did not die physically the day he ate. He did not die until more than nine hundred years later. However, he did die spiritually the moment he disobeyed. He was separated from God. That’s what death is, separation. Rabbi Sha’ul would write to the church at Colosse that they were dead in their sins (Colossians 2:13). By that he did not mean that they were dead physically; they were dead spiritually, separated from Elohim and all love. That is death. But there is good news. Jesus said to Martha: I AM the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this (John 11:25)?⁷² Next we will see how God provided a proper sacrifice for them.

Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband,
and He Will Rule Over You
3: 16

Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you DIG: How did things change for all women after the Fall? Which punishment would have been most difficult for Eve? Why? What does he shall rule over you mean? What is the critical question? What was Adam’s responsibility before the Fall? What was Eve’s responsibility? How did Christ love the Church? Why is there confusion today between man’s relationship with his wife and his responsibility before God?

REFLECT: What does this passage say about what Elohim wants from both men and women? Why does God hold the man responsible for what goes on in the marriage? Do you think God’s Word is just as true today as when it was first written? Why? Or does God’s Word change when society changes (Hebrews 13:8)? Who do you believe?

Eve, as the representative of all women, received a twofold punishment. First, God said: I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Eve did not give birth before the Fall. But if she would have, it would have been painless. After the Fall the birth process would be painful. God had said: Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth (1:28). So, this was not a curse of infertility. However, the very point at which she received her greatest sense of fulfillment in life (according to emphases in the TaNaKh) would also be a point of suffering. But this punishment also has a positive side, since it would be through her pain and childbearing that Elohim will provide salvation for the world (3:15).⁶⁸ In addition, Jesus said: A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world (John 16:21).

The Hebrew word used for the woman’s pain is the same word used for the man’s work after the Fall. ADONAI, God, took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it (2:15). It is not the usual Hebrew word for the pain of childbirth. It pointed to the greater pain of living this life after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Sin has consequences. It always takes you further than you want to go and costs you more than you want to pay. But it is not surprising that in this chapter we find the outline of salvation from the beginning of time. First, God reveals His Word. Then humans sin, but God reconciles and protects.

The rabbis teach that just as the serpent was cursed with ten curses, so was the woman. First, was menstruation, second, the bleeding of a virgin, third, the discomfort of pregnancy, fourth, miscarriage, fifth, the pain of childbirth, sixth, the anguish of raising children, seventh, the covering of her head in worship, eighth, subjection to her husband, ninth, being forbidden to testify in court under Jewish law, and tenth, physical death. This is why in rabbinic theology the woman must keep special commandments, three in particular. Niddah, the commandments of menstruation, Challah, laws concerning the portion of bread, and she is also responsible for lighting the Sabbath candles.

Second, Elohim said: Your desire will be for your husband. The Hebrew word for desire is teshukah and means desire to possess. The word occurs only two other times in the TaNaKh, in Song of Solomon 7:10 and Genesis 4:7. The Song of Solomon passage does not fit the context here, but the Genesis 4:7 passage helps us to understand how it is to be used here because Moses wrote both scriptures, so they are in the same context, judgment, and both verses are connected with the same verb mashal, which means to rule over. In 4:7 the LORD said to Cain: If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; and its desire is to possess you, but you should rule over it (NKJ). Sin is pictured as an animal that desires to control and dominate Cain, but God challenged Cain to rule over the unrestrained desire to sin. Eve will desire to rule over Adam, just as sin desires to rule over Cain. So the verse can best be translated: Your desire will be to rule over your husband.

But God said: he shall rule over you. Adam was to rule over Eve as Cain was to rule over sin. This is a difficult passage. The fact that Adam was to rule over Eve is unquestioned. We must take God at His Word. However, the critical question for Eve and every other woman is how shall he rule over you? Some commentators go into detail here about whether this passage is prescriptive or descriptive. But I think that takes us down the wrong path. I believe the answer is found in God’s Word.

Both Adam and Eve had different responsibilities before the Fall. Adam was placed in the Garden to take care of it (smr), in the sense of obedience, to guard it. The same Hebrew word is used in 3:29 where the cherubim were placed to guard the way to the tree of life. And Eve was to be a helper suitable for him (kenegdo), and literally it means a helper like him, or a helper fitted to him, or a helper corresponding to him. In other words, she completed him. So aside from their different responsibilities, they were equals in every sense of the word, physically, socially, and spiritually. But after the Fall everything changed. Eve’s desire would be to rule over Adam, but God said: He shall rule over you. How can we discover God the Holy Spirit’s true meaning of this difficult passage? It is through progressive revelation. God did not reveal all that He had to say about any particular subject in Genesis. There are 66 books in the Bible and by the time we get to Revelation, the things that are important for us to know are clear. The rest of the stuff will be cleared up when we get to heaven. In other words, the TaNaKh looks forward and the New Covenant looks back. Here we must look to the B’rit Chadashah for clearer light on how the husband shall rule over his wife. Ladies, don’t use that clicker. Stay with me on this one!

One of the most important passages regarding the husband and wife relationship is Ephesians 5:22-33 because it is also a picture of Christ and the Church. Rabbi Sha’ul addresses the wives first and says: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24). Now husbands love to quote this verse, and they usually stop reading right there! But Paul goes on: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 25-27). So, the critical question for both men and women is this: How did Christ love the Church? Was there anything He would not do for the Church? What was his attitude toward the Church? Did He boss the Church around? Did He think of Himself first? Or did He die for the Church?

Mark answers these questions like this: For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Im – The Son of Man Came to Serve, and to Give His life as a Ransom for Many). So if the husband puts his wife first in everything, thinking of her first, making sure all her needs are met by serving her, that is pretty easy to submit to. But this kind of a relationship seems a lot different from: he shall rule over you, doesn’t it? That sounds pretty harsh, not like a servant at all. Which is it? Does he come to serve or rule? If you think this is confusing, just look at the state of marital roles. It is one of the most confused areas in and out of the Church today. The main problem is confusion between man’s relationship with his wife, and his responsibility with what goes on in the marriage.

Let’s look at relationship first. The Bible clearly teaches that men and women are equals socially, psychologically, and spiritually. In other words, they are equals in their relationship with each other. God created us as equals (1:27-28), and we are to be one when married (2:24). We are equally sinful (Romans 3:23), and equally saved (John 1:12-13; Second Corinthians 5:17; First Peter 3:7). Husbands and wives are to submit to each other sexually (First Corinthians 7:2-5), and socially (Ephesians 5:21). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that there shall be no sexual discrimination (Galatians 3:28). Men and women are equally dependent on God (First Corinthians 11:11-12), accepted equally as believers (Acts 5:14), and co-laborers for Him (Romans 16:1, 3-6;Philippians 4:3). So, in their relationship, men and women are equals. There is no doubt about that. But there is another area that we need to look at.

The second area the Bible teaches us about is responsibility. Even though men and women are equal in their relationship to one another, men are ultimately held responsible for what goes on in the marriage. The Bible tells us that when Abram lied about Sarai being his wife, Pharaoh held Abram responsible (12:17-20). Later, after God changed their names, Abraham and Sarah did the same thing again and Abimelech held Abraham responsible (20:9). And it seems the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree, as Abraham’s son Isaac was held responsible for the lie about Rebekah (26:9). Much later, God held David responsible for his sin with Bathsheba and sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him. Here, Adam and Eve both ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; in fact, Eve led the way, but God held Adam responsible (3:9). This principle is not only taught in the TaNaKh, but also in the New Covenant where Paul tell us that through one man sin entered the world (Romans 5:12, 14 and 17). Responsibility begs for accountability, and God held Adam responsible. Not only was the responsibility not the same for Adam and Eve, neither were their consequences. God said to Eve that Adam would rule over her. There are other passages that reflect the same teaching, saying that wives should submit and be obedient to their husbands (First Peter 3:1; Titus 2:5; Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18; First Corinthians 11:3) because the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23).

So, with this understanding, we come back to the original question: how shall Adam rule over Eve? He rules over her in the sense that if they are still at an impasse, he is ultimately going to be held responsible for the decision. How he handles the situation, how he listens to his wife and takes her feelings and opinions into consideration are important. She needs to be heard. Husbands who do not listen to their wives are fools, because Elohim made her a helper suitable for him (2:18). If the wife does not feel like she is being heard or has any input in the marriage, it will crush her spirit and/or drive her away (physically and/or emotionally). Husbands and wives should make decisions together as a team, but if they cannot agree, he has to make the call because he is responsible before God.

When things go bad at work, nobody wants to be in charge when the boss walks in and says, “All right, who is in charge of this mess?” And all eyes are on you. It is much more comforting to be able to point at someone else, anyone else, and say, “Here’s the one!” It is in that sense that Adam would rule over Eve. It is in that sense that Eve should submit and be obedient to Adam; not in their relationship, because they are equals. But Adam is responsible for what goes on in the marriage. Decision making can be fun without accountability. If it works, you get all the credit, and if it doesn’t, just try something else. It just doesn’t matter. But decision making with eternal consequences is quite a different story. The order of their sin, the serpent sinned first, then the woman, and then the man, would be the same order of their judgment. We have seen the serpent and the woman judged, so now God turns His attention to the man.

He Will Crush Your Head, and You Will Strike His Heel
3: 14-15

He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel DIG: Why did God curse the serpent? What had it done? What are the three consequences for snakes in general? How is verse 3:15 an example of double reference? What were the four consequences for Satan Himself? Whose head will be crushed? Whose heel will be bitten? How is this seen as the first  Gospel?

REFLECT: From this passage, how would you define sin and its consequences? Is there any Good News here? Is God just or arbitrary in His judgments? Why?

Because God is just, He must judge sin; and because ADONAI is loving, He gives grace to the sinner. It is not surprising, then, that justice and grace intermingle in each case as the Lord God judges the serpent, the woman and the man.⁶⁴ Prose gives way to poetry here as in 2:23 and in all oracles of judgment generally. No question is put to the serpent. Unlike Adam and Eve, he isn’t given the opportunity to confess, he only hears his sentence.⁶⁵

When God said to the Enemy of souls, “Because you have done this,” He meant because you have deceived the woman. The serpent would be cursed because it allowed itself to be used by the Adversary (3:14a). In the creation account, God blessed three times, in 1:22, 1:28 and 2:3, and here in this context He will curse three times, the serpent in 3:14, the ground in 3:17 and Cain in 4:11. Normally an animal is not held morally responsible for its actions. However, if it causes harm to mankind, it must suffer the consequences (Genesis 9:5; Exodus 21:28). Animals are supposed to serve mankind and when this is violated, they suffer the judgment of God no matter what PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) says. There are three general consequences for snakes.

The first consequence for the tempter is that it is cursed above all the livestock and all the wild animals (3:14b)! Previously, the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals (3:1), but after participating in the Fall, it is cursed above all the wild animals. The rabbis teach that the snake has a long gestation period (in rabbinic tradition it is seven years long), and was stricken with leprosy. So the cracks in the skin of the snake are signs of its leprosy. They teach that the snake will not be healed even in the days of the Messiah because leprosy is associated with divine judgment.

The second consequence of the curse was that the ancient serpent would crawl on its belly all the days of its life (3:14c). Whatever may have been its beauty or posture before the Fall, from that point on it would slither on its belly and be an object of dread and disgust by all.

Thirdly, God said: You will eat dust all the days of its life (3:14d). This is not a command to be obeyed, but a statement of fact. This is how it would be from that point forward. Obviously, snakes do not eat dust. But in Hebrew terminology, eating dust was a figure of speech for being cursed above all creatures (Isaiah 65:25; Micah 7:17). In addition, it is a figure of speech for defeated enemies (Psalm 72:9; Isaiah 49:23). So Elohim is using eating dust in a figurative sense of being cursed and being defeated.

The rabbis teach that the serpent was cursed with ten curses. First, angels cut off its hands and feet because it brought death into the world. Second, up to the Fall, it ate spiritual food, but afterward it would eat the dust of the earth. Third, in place of being king of the animals, it would be cursed above all animals. Fourth, it would always be leprous. Fifth, it would shed its skin every seven years with pain. Sixth, there will be hatred between the serpent and the woman. Seventh, a man can smash a snake’s head and in retaliation, the snake would bite the man’s head. Eighth, the poison in the snake’s mouth will burn. Ninth, it will suffer death. Tenth, when King Messiah comes, everyone will be healed except for the serpent, who will continue to eat dust even in the messianic Kingdom. While 3:14 is about the serpent, the next verse changes focus.

3:15 is an example of double reference, which refers to one person or event, in this case the serpent,followed by a second person, here the devil, blended together in such a way that they form a complete picture. There are four consequences for Satan Himself.

First, Eve’s offspring would be the Seed of the woman, and mankind would be saved through Him. Elohim never abandoned His original blueprint. He never threw out His plan for men and women to bear His image. Satan’s victory in the Garden would not be the final word. The spiritual catastrophe of Eve would be undone by the spiritual deliverance, the childbearing of Mary, making salvation possible for all (First Timothy 2:15). Because of this, God would put enmity, or hatred, between Satan and the woman. The evil one hates the Holy One. The Adversary hates the thought of anyone being saved, and Eve’s salvation was secured because God promised deliverance through Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman. This is significant language because normally offspring (NIV) are spoken of as the seed (NKJ) of their fathers. We know that women do not possess seed. So this must be supernatural birth, as foretold in Isaiah 7:14. This seems to be a reference to the virgin birth of Yeshua ha-Meshiach. He was the offspring of a woman in a particular sense, but God was His only Father (Luke 1:34-35).⁶⁶

Second, there would be continual conflict between the serpent and his seed and the Seed of the woman. There are two seeds here; the battle is between the Adversary’s seed and hers. All men and women are notbrothers and sisters. That is a lie from the pit of hell. There are only two families in the world today, the family of God and the family of Satan. And if you are not in one, then you are in the other. The hatred between these two families filters down throughout human history, starting with Cain and Abel (Matthew 13:37-40; First John 3:8-12), and continuing to the end of the age (Revelation 12:17). The devil’s seed consists of those who deliberately and gladly set themselves against the seed of the woman. Satan’s seed belongs totheir father the devil (John 8:44), who isthe spirit now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2). However, the seed of the woman refers to those who believe in God and whose faith is credited to them as righteousness (15:6). To those He gave the right to become the children of God (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith). Behind the scenes the evil one will oppose Christ, the Savior of the world. But first there would be a time of conflict and even seeming victory on the part of the great dragon.

Third, the seed of the woman would suffer. The Adversary will strike the heel of Messiah. This took place at the cross (Isaiah 53:5). Now being bitten on the heel is very painful, but not fatal. The figurative language here is based upon the way snakes are killed in the Middle East. You step on its head and crush it. The picture being conveyed here is that the heel of the Messiah is coming down on the tempter’s head. But the serpent, controlled by Satan, lunges upward and bites the heel of the Messiah, causing pain, but not death. Meanwhile, the heel continues to come down crushing the head of the enemy of souls. The great promise in this verse has long been known as the protevangelium, or the first gospel, promising the ultimate coming and victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the logical place to put the gospel because Chapter 3 contains the origins of human sin and the purpose of the Messiah’s coming was to deal with that sin (see Lw –The Witness of the Stars).

Fourth, the Savior would gain the ultimate victory. The greatest blessing that is contained in the curse is that the Seed of the woman, the Messiah, will crush the head of the evil one. This was done by the death and resurrection of Christ (Hebrews 2:14-18). Rabbi Sha’ul, in Romans 16:20, sees the crushing of Satan’s head as still being in the future. So the final crushing will only come when the great dragon is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 20:10). It was not until the prospect of the ultimate victory had been presented, that a sentence of punishment was pronounced upon both the man and the woman because of their sin.⁶⁷ Then God turned to the woman for judgment.

The Serpent Deceived Me, and I Ate
3: 9-13

The serpent deceived me, and I ate DIG: What four questions did God ask? Why did He ask those questions? What is His intent? Why does ADONAI address Adam first? Why was Adam afraid? Wasn’t it Eve who led Adam into sin? What does the LORD want from Adam?

REFLECT: When did you learn that nothing can be hidden from Elohim? When was the last time you were called on the carpet by God? How did you respond? Were there consequences, or did you receive mercy? How do you handle consequences for your actions? Were you repentant or resentful? Do you accept responsibility for your sin, or do you blame the devil (James 1:13-15)?

While Adam and Eve were hiding from God, He was already seeking them with merciful intent. The Bible teaches that ADONAI is forgiving, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (Nehemiah9:17b). Here He was looking for some honesty so that He would have an opportunity to forgive. It is important to understand that being forgiven does not mean that there are no consequences for our actions. A murderer may be forgiven, but he or she still goes to prison. The consequences for the serpent, for Adam and for Eve will come soon enough. But for the moment, God wants confession. First things first. And, although Eve had sinned first, the LORD addresses Adam because He holds the man responsible for what goes on in the marriage (to see link click Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband and He Shall Rule Over You). Therefore, ADONAI, God called to the man (3:9a).

ADONAI, God asked four questions here, and the first question He asked Adam was: Where are you (3:9b)? Now, He obviously knew where Adam was since He knows the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21). The real issue was why was he hiding? This is very similar to God’s other where questions. He wants an admission of guilt. The LORD asked Cain: Where is your brother Abel (4:9)? And He asked Hagar: Where are you going (16:8)?

Adam replied: I heard you in the Garden. Now Adam was not answering God’s question (Where are you?), but he was answering the implication of the question: Why are you hiding? Adam answers: I was afraid. Here he admits that the reason for his fear comes from within him, and not from the LORD God. It was a fear of Elohim that Adam had never experienced before. Then he gave the reason for his fear: because I was naked. His fear was not so much a result of his nakedness, as it was a result of the knowledge of his sin nature. He concluded by saying: so I hid (3:10). At this point he did not incriminate Eve. He uses the singular I, not we. But his chivalry would not last long.

Then ADONAI, God poses a second question designed to get Adam to confess what he had done: Who told you that you were naked (3:11a)? Normally, if you are naked, you know it! The implication behind the question was this, what is the source of your knowledge and the feeling of your guilt and shame? For nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him who we must give an account (Hebrews 4:13). The LORD’s question to Adam was, therefore, not designed to extract information; it was designed to probe the conscience of Adam for Adam’s sake – to draw out a confession.⁶³

Now comes the third question. Here, ADONAI goes from the general to the specific. He asks: Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from (3:11b)? This shows that the LORD God knew his sin and was giving him the opportunity to ask for forgiveness. The question begs for a confession, but Adam’s reply tries to shift the blame. In fact, he begins by indirectly blaming God Himself and says: It was the woman You put here with me. After all, it was Elohim who created Eve! Adam takes no responsibility and becomes the victim. She gave me some fruit from the tree (3:12a). How contemporary this is to our own society; criminals want to paint themselves as victims. This shows how quickly and completely sin had corrupted Adam. Ultimately, like the small print at the bottom of an advertisement, Adam’s admission comes only after minimizing his own involvement in the sin: and I ate it (3:12b).

Finally, God asks Eve the fourth question: What is this you have done (3:13a)? This is the only question directly addressed to Eve. She replied: The serpent deceived me. She also lays blame on another. It was the serpent’s fault! At least she didn’t blame the LORD. She didn’t say: It was the serpent that You made. Nor did she say: The man You created didn’t stop me. Eve admits that she was deceived, and she finally confesses: I ate (3:13b). Instead of repentance and sorrow, there was avoidance and blame. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. The whole thing was sickening. Death was in the air, and their losses were incalculable.

Oh, the things we would all take back, if given the chance. Hasty decisions, rash words, and thoughtless actions that felt good at the time only to backfire, leaving wounds, closed doors, and estrangements we can’t seem to repair. Did Eve relive again and again that fateful moment when she believed the lie and bit into the fruit? Was she depressed over losing Eden and about the rift that had invaded her marriage? Were any tears shed at the loss of access to God? We only know that her world, her life, her body, her marriage, her work, and her relationship with ADONAI, God – all changed forever.

Her admission also comes at the end of the sentence. Like Adam, sin had fully corrupted her. But her confession did not release her from her guilt. Yes, the Enemy of souls had deceived her, but she willingly disobeyed a clear command from Elohim. The consequences of their sin would now be realized. The order of their sin, the serpent sinned first, then the woman, and finally the man, would be the same order of their judgment. So Ha’Shem now turns His attention to the serpent.

They Realized They Were Naked
and Sewed Fig Leaves to Cover Themselves
3: 7-8

They realized they were naked and sewed fig leaves to cover themselves DIG: How dramatically did things change for Adam and Eve? God had promised that if Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (2:17). In what way did they die? When did they die? Could Elohim have stopped them from sinning? Why didn’t He stop them?

REFLECT: When do you feel most naked before God? How does this help you understand the reactions of Adam and Eve? Where is the serpent present in your life today, seemingly alive and well? Realization of sin will drive you far from God or right into His arms. When we part ways with Elohim, where do we end up?

So, what was it like, the morning after the great crash? After living in the Garden, in harmony with Adam, after enjoying open access to God, what was it like to awaken in the wilderness knowing they could never go back again? How very different was it from the first time Eve opened her eyes and saw her jubilant husband. No one was overjoyed now. Tension and distance had come between them. How long would it be before Adam’s anger subsided – the anger that pointed the finger of blame at her?

The results of the Fall were immediate and devastating. The deceiver had promised that their eyes would be opened, and they would be like God, knowing good and evil (3:5). As usual with Satan, the results were a mixture of half-truths and lies. Their eyes were opened, but in a way they never imagined. Instead of knowing good and evil, they realized they were naked (3:7a). This was hardly the knowledge they bargained for; it was nothing like God’s. It was the opposite. What had been a sign of a healthy relationship in 2:25 now became a sign of shame. In fact, in the Hebrew text, the word for naked is written differently to indicate that change. In 2:25, naked is written arumim, but here it is written eirumim. It means the same thing; however, it is written differently pointing to a different relationship. Sin had destroyed their innocence.

Their actions delivered what Elohim had promised: death! The freedom and joy they once relished just disappeared. Their hearts turned cold toward God. Naked and filled with shame, they frantically stitched fig leaves together to cover themselves. Now they were polluted. The result was that they were uncomfortable with each other.

So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (3:7b). One rabbinical view was that the fig tree was the forbidden fruit. The fig tree produces the largest leaves in the area of Mesopotamia. The word for coverings means a girdle used as part of a woman’s dress (Isaiah 3:24), or the belt of a warrior (Second Samuel 16:11; First Kings 2:5; Second Kings 3:21). They covered themselves in their nakedness. The very source of human life that they were covering had been contaminated by sin, and sin will now be transmitted through birth. King David would say: Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5).

It was not God’s original intention for Adam and Eve to die, but they had free will, and privilege always creates responsibility. The one who is given free will must be given a test to determine whether he or she will obey the LORD or not. For when you eat it you will surely die (2:17b). Death means separation, and Adam was separated from God spiritually the very instant that he ate. They had succeeded in hiding their nakedness from each other, but not from Elohim.

Rabbi Sha’ul argues in Romans 5:12 that death (physical death and spiritual death) is the consequence of sin. He said: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned through Adam. That’s bad news, but the good news is that many more will receive God’s great gifts of grace and righteousness through the life of one man, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). Just like Adam and Eve, we can never do anything to pay for our sin, or cover our sin nature. Only God can provide a suitable covering for our sin, and it would take the shedding of blood (as we will see later in this chapter), without which there is no forgiveness of sin (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Bw – The Results of Messiah’s Sacrifice).

Their separation from the LORD showed that they had died spiritually. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of God as He was walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Him among the trees of the Garden (3:8). From the instant they had rebelled against Elohim, Adam and Eve were aware of their sin. Something had gone terribly wrong in the Garden. They were feeling guilt and shame. When we become aware of our sin, it will either drive us far from God or into His arms. Adam and Eve hid from the God because the fellowship they once had with Him was no longer possible. They now feared the very thing they had previously delighted in the most, His presence. Those involved in sin without repentance always despise His presence, because they know they cannot stand in the face of such holiness.⁶¹  But wisdom never comes to us when we hide from God. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7).

How do we search for independence from God today? There was a time when people thought that there was no more of a tragic day in history than the one described here.But, in our society, self-sufficiency has become like God. Today people would say that Adam and Eve did a good thing in marching to the beat of their own drum, and their independence was worth the cost. Personal freedom is valued above all else and if this account were written today, Adam, and especially Eve, would be heroes. But when we reject dependence on Elohim we choose a far more costly dependency. We become dependent on our own resources and ourselves. We exchange what we think is self-rule, for a different set of chains.

All the modern ideologies that have separated us from God have proven to be bankrupt. We have achieved what modern society has presented as life’s greatest purpose: individual self-sufficiency, the right to do what one chooses. Yet this has not produced freedom. Instead, it has led to loss of independence, gang shootings, people huddling in gated communities for protection, and the abuse of our children. We have discovered that we cannot live in the chaos that inevitably results when we hide from God.⁶² When we choose to become our own god, we do not gain freedom, we lose it.

The Dispensation of Conscience
3:6 to 8:14

The second dispensation also has two names. It is called the Dispensation of Conscience or the Dispensation of Self-Determination. The first name emphasizes the principle by which the LORD dispensed His economy, the conscience. Conscience was the way God governed mankind. The name for this dispensation comes from Romans 2:15 which states that for a period of time, Elohim dealt with men on the basis of their conscience until finally their conscience became so defiled and seared that it was no longer possible for ADONAI to continue to govern in that way. The second name emphasizes the other side of the coin of conscience, in that man was given the freedom to follow the dictates of his conscience. If he followed his conscience, his self-determination would have led to holiness; but if he did not follow his conscience, or if his conscience was defiled, darkened, or seared, then his self-determination would lead to his ruin.

There are seven dispensations described in the Bible: (1) the Dispensation of Innocence or Freedom (Genesis 1:28 to 3:5); (2) the Dispensation of Conscience or Self-Determination (Genesis 3:6 to 8:14), (3) the Dispensation of Civil Government (Genesis 8:15 to 11:32), (4) the Dispensation of Promise or Patriarchal Rule (Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 18:27), (5) the Dispensation of the Torah (Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26), (6) the Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 to Revelation 19:21), and (7) the Dispensation of the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 4:2-6, 11:1 to 12:6, 54:11-17, 60:1-22).

The chief person in this dispensation, as in the previous one, was Adam. He received new revelation from God in 3:17-19 that helped to explain the principles and requirements of this new dispensation.

The responsibility was for him to simply follow his conscience. If one listens to his conscience, it will convict him of sin and lead him to salvation. But if he doesn’t listen to it and hardens it, all he has to look forward to is judgment.

The test during that dispensation was first, obedience in the knowledge of good and evil, but secondly, where there was failure, they were to offer a proper and acceptable blood sacrifice. This can be learned from 3:21 and 4:4.

As with the previous dispensation, there will be a failure. This was seen as early as the case of Cain in 4:3-5, who failed to bring a proper blood sacrifice and thought he could come to God on his own terms. In 4:8, failure was seen in the first act of murder, when Cain murdered his brother Abel. Failure was also seen in 6:1-5, which speaks of open violence, corruption and widespread sin. The heart of man sought evil continually. Therefore, since the people from Adam to Noah ignored their conscience and followed wickedness, God was forced to bring judgment in the form of a worldwide Flood.

As with the previous dispensation, this one, also, contained the issue of judgment. The judgment in this case was the worldwide Flood (6:7 and 7:23). This brought humanity to an end with the exception of one family. They had become so evil that they could no longer follow their consciences. The conscience of man had become so dark and degenerate, that it was no longer a reliable guide.

As with every dispensation, this one had an element of grace. It was displayed during the Dispensation of Conscience in that God commanded Noah to build an ark (6:14). As a result, Noah and his family were saved and found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

The Woman Saw the Fruit of the Tree and Ate It
3: 6

The woman saw the fruit of the tree and ate it DIG: How can something “good” – the beauty, nourishment or wisdom conveyed by the fruit – be “wrong” when it feels so good? What does this imply for our “if it feels good, do it” society? Why do you think Adam ate the fruit? Could he have resisted? What should he have done? Do you think Adam is more, or less, responsible than Eve?

REFLECT: Can you think of three harder words to say than, “I am sorry?” How easy is it for you to admit you were wrong? To forgive others? If you say you are sorry and are forgiven, does that mean there are no consequences for your actions? Why or why not? What do you believe about God? Is He for you or against you? What do you base your decision on? Experience? Scripture?

Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go, and always costs you more than you wanted to pay (James 1:13-15). Had Eve resisted from the start, she would not have fallen; for it is a universal truth that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). Nothing is more certain than the Adversary powerlessness to overcome us apart from our own consent. If we resist, he runs away; if we give in, he wins. It is this simple fact that points to our ultimate responsibility for our actions.

Once Eve started to doubt Elohim’s goodness and His intentions towards her, it was a very slippery slope to the Fall. Sin starts in the mind, and then transfers to the heart, which results in action. The three aspects of the forbidden fruit that seduced her correspond perfectly to those in First John 2:16 and Jesus’ response to the ancient Serpent during His temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13).

First, the fruit of the tree was good for food, which is the lust of the flesh in First John 2:16 NKJ. One day, of course, Messiah would come into the world and He would be tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). During His temptation, the deceiver said to Him: If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Jesus answered: It is written, “Man does not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:3-4). Unlike Eve, who did not rely on God’s spoken word when confronting the devil, Messiah quotes Deuteronomy 8:3.

Secondly, it was pleasing to the eye, which is the lust of the eyes in First John 2:16. In the wilderness, the Enemy of souls said to Yeshua: I will give You all the kingdoms of the world and all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be Yours. Our Savior replied: It is written, “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Luke 4:5-8). Again, Christ quotes from the TaNaKh in Deuteronomy 6:13.

Thirdly, it was also desirable for gaining wisdom. The Hebrew word for desire or desirable is nechmad, which has the same root meaning as covet. Here is the essence of coveting. It is that attitude that says, “I don’t have this and I need this in order to be content.” This is the boasting of what he has and does which is the essence of pride as seen in First John 2:16. During the Lord’s forty days of temptation, the deceiver took Him to Yerushalayim and had Yeshua stand on the highest point of the Temple (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness) and said to Him: If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: “He will command His angels concerning You and guard You carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. But Jesus answered: It says, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:9-12). Once again, Yeshua ben David confronted the great dragon with Scripture (from Deuteronomy 6:16).

Rabbi Sha’ul warns us that the same thing can easily happen to us today. I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents’ cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ (Second Corinthians 11:3). None of us is immune from the clever wiles of the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (First Peter 5:8).⁵⁸ Therefore, like Messiah, we need to use Scripture when confronted by him. There is power in the Word of God.

For mankind to be genuinely free, there has to be an option. The choice is to obey or to disobey God. In the case of Adam and Eve, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolized that choice. And to obey God is to love God, but that love needs to be voluntary. You really can’t force someone to love another. And many times, by trying to force love on someone, that person ends up hating the other. It is the same with Elohim. He wants us to love Him because we have made a decision to do so. Now the LORD could have created us as little robots. We could throw up our hands and say, “Praise Him, praise Him,” but with no love in it. We wouldn’t want to be loved that way and neither does God. He wants us to love Him because we choose to love Him. So, He created us with a free will; free to love Him and have a relationship with Him or free to reject Him and have no relationship. Free to obey His Word or to sin. It is clear then, that ADONAI did not create sin. He merely provided the options necessary for human freedom, options which could result in sin.⁵⁹

She took some and ate it. The only fruit mentioned in the context is the fig tree in 3:7. The traditional interpretation is that the fruit was an apple. This may have first started due to the common sound of malus, the Latin word for evil, and malum, the Latin word for apple.

She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it (3:6). Eve became to Adam, what the serpent had become to Eve. But incredibly, Adam was with her all along and did nothing to stop her! In fact, he didn’t put up much of a fight at all. Eve doesn’t even need to try to tempt him. She merely gives it to him and he ate it. Adam was supposed to guard and protect the Garden, while Eve was supposed to help him. But there was an unmistakable reversal of roles with the helper leading, and the protector following (see Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband, and He Will Rule Over You). And though they both seem equally guilty, there was a clear distinction between his sin and hers.

Some have suggested that what Adam did was out of love for Eve, choosing to share her sin and guilt rather than leaving her to face God’s judgment alone. This would be consistent with the typology, suggesting the truth that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). However, this motive would almost make Adam appear noble in sinning, and the Bible never implies such a thing. His sin was deliberate, wicked and inexcusable.⁶⁰ The Scriptures clearly place the responsibility of the Fall on him. Eve was deceived (First Timothy 2:14), but Adam sinned with full knowledge; for him it was an act of rebellion. Therefore, sin entered the world through one man, Adam (Romans 5:12a).

When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned, and because his first sin transformed his body and soul, all mankind’s bodies and souls were transformed. His perfect, sinless body, which would have endured forever if he had not sinned, was changed. Now he had a sin nature, to be inherited down to you and me today. Now all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22). As a result, when we are born (because we are descendants of Adam), we are born with this same sin nature. The world thinks that we are born good. And for an Adolph Hitler, or a Saddam Hussein to kill millions of people, something had to go drastically wrong. But the Bible teaches that when we are born we have inherited Adam’s sin nature, and for us to have a right standing before Elohim, something has to go drastically right; we must accept Messiah’s death on the cross for our sin and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Make no mistake about it, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9b). Therefore, there are only two kinds of spiritual food. There is devil’s food and angel’s food, and if you aren’t eating one, you’re eating the other!

Non-Messianic Jews do not have the concept of original sin, but the Torah does state, without a doubt, a state of uncleanness between mortal humans and an immortal God. Adam’s sin broke the Covenant that God had made with Adam (1:28-30 and 2:15-17). Speaking of unrepentant Isra’el, Hosea says: Like Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to God (Hosea 6:7). The result was spiritual death.

Now the Serpent Was More Crafty
Than Any of the Wild Animals God Had Made
3: 1-5

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals God had made DIG: Who is this serpent? A real creature? A mythological symbol? Which portion of the serpent’s statements (3:1, 4, 5) are true and which are false (compare 3:3, 3:33 and 5:5)? Why do you think the serpent mixes the truth with lies? Compare Eve’s responses (3:2-3) with what God actually said and did (2:9 and 16-17). How does Eve expand on God’s commandments?

REFLECT: Compare Jesus’ temptation to this one (see Luke 4:1-13)? How was His similar? How were His responses different? Has your pride gotten you into trouble? How can you change your heart attitude? How are you most frequently tempted? When have you believed Satan rather than the LORD God in your life and lived to regret it? How might you fall prey to the same tempting question: Did God really say . . . ?

The serpent is a reference to Satan masquerading as a snake. The common Hebrew word for serpent is nachash. In addition, nechoshet, which means bronze, has the same root word. This connection with bronze indicates that the snake appears shiny or bright. When Isaiah talked about the Adversary he referred to him as the morning star, son of the dawn, which is literally, day star, son of the morning. It points to the brilliance of a star in the early dawn, which vanishes when the sun rises. Therefore, the great dragon, the master of disguises, who even has the power to transform himself into an angel of light (Second Corinthians 11:14), had apparently either taken the physical form of a serpent or somehow possessed the body of one of the snakes in the Garden for the purpose of tempting Eve (Second Corinthians 11:3). The rabbis, however, allegorize the text and teach that there was no literal snake in Genesis Chapter Three, but that the serpent is called the evil inclination. This has essentially shaped the opinion of the rabbis for centuries. There are many similarities between unsaved Jews and Messianic Jews and Gentiles, but on the issue of original sin, the difference is as far as the east is from the west. The rabbis teach that while still in the mother’s womb, the “evil inclination” (the yet’zer harah) begins to develop in a person, but later, at age 13 develop a “good inclination” (the yet’zer hatov). So the “evil inclination” is 13 years older than the “good inclination.”

The serpent was more crafty (arum) than any of the other wild animals the LORD God had made (3:1a). Here we have a play on words with the last verse in the previous chapter (2:25). Adam and Eve were naked (plural arumim), but the serpent was crafty or devious (singular arum). Adam and Eve were innocent in their nakedness and unaware of evil. So the devil used his craftiness to take advantage of them. Satan used his arum to take advantage of their arumim. He was deceptive and determined to destroy their moral innocence. This word play only makes sense in Hebrew. The word arum itself is neutral, and can be used in both a positive and negative way. For example, it can be interpreted as prudent (Proverbs 1:4, 12:16, 13:16, 14:8, 21:3, 27:12). So, Elohim had created the snake with neutral characteristics of craftiness and prudence, which Satan will now use for evil.

Satan’s aim in this temptation is to regain the authority over the earth that he had lost in heaven as a result of his fall. The Lord God did not create Satan evil. As we saw at the end of the sixth day of creation: God saw all that He had made and it was very good (1:31). The tempter appears suddenly and unexpectedly here at the beginning of Chapter 3. That means that Satan’s fall must have occurred sometime between the end of creation and sometime after the creation of Adam and Eve. We do not know how long they were in the Garden of Eden before the temptation took place. Genesis, focusing on the creation story here on earth, is silent about the fall of Satan, which occurred in heaven. From elsewhere in Scripture, however, we learn that the Enemy of souls was a created angel who fell when he was filled with pride.⁵⁴

The book of Ezeki’el gives us good understanding of Satan’s rebellion. After describing the fall of the city Tyre, Ezeki’el then turns to the person controlled by Satan. This is an example of double reference, which refers to one person or event, in this case Ethbaal III King of Tyre (Ezeki’el 28:1-10), followed by a second person or event, here the fall of Satan (Ezeki’el 28:11-19), blended together in such a way that they form a complete picture. Although these Scriptures begin with the king of Tyre, who said in his heart: I am a god, they end with Satan in Eden, in the Garden of God. How wickedness arose in him is not explained, but where sin originated is clear. Ezeki’el says: You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Satan was created blameless, but he chose to rebel. When banished to the lake of burning sulfur for all eternity (Revelation 20:10), he will never be able to shake his fist at God and say, “I never had a chance, You created me this way.”

Isaiah sheds even more light on where sin originated. Like the passage from Ezeki’el, it is an example of double reference first condemning the earthly king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:1-11), but then looking beyond the earthly ruler to address Satan himself (Isaiah 14:12-15). There are five I wills here and Isaiah declares that the evil one said in his heart, first: I will ascend into heaven; he wished to have a higher position than he already had. Secondly: I will raise my throne above the stars of God; he wished to take Michael’s position of being the archangel. Thirdly: I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. These are expressions that Isaiah will use later in reference to Messiah’s millennial reign over Isra’el. The implication is that the ancient Serpent, knowing God’s future program for the Jews, wished to be the messianic ruler over Israel by himself. Fourthly: I will ascend above the tops of the clouds. Whenever the word cloud is used symbolically, it is a symbol of God’s Sh’khinah glory and that is the Sh’khinah that he wished for himself. Fifthly: I will make myself like the Most High. He wished to become the possessor of heaven and earth. And the moment God lifted him up, Satan’s pride caused him to fall. Jesus said: I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18). And when the devil fell from heaven, God allowed him to roam the earth so that men and women would have a moral choice, or free will.

Because God created Adam and Eve with free will, or the ability to choose, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were located in the middle of the Garden of Eden. This would be where man would be tested. It is just as true today as it was back then that the LORD may test us, but He will never tempt us. James 1:13 tells us that Elohim does not tempt anyone. Testing and tempting may be distinguished from each other in two ways. First, God is ultimately always the One who does the testing, while Satan ultimately always does the tempting. It is the Adversary who tempts; God never tempts anyone. Secondly, the objects and purposes of testing and tempting differ from each other. The purpose of temptation is to cause the person to fall. When the deceiver tempts us he hopes that we will fall into sin. But that is not true of testing.

The purpose of tempting is to make us worse, while the purpose of testing is to make us better. Just before entering the promised land Moses said to the people of Isra’el: ADONAI led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands (Deuteronomy 8:2). Then he said: God gave you manna to eat in the desert, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you (Deuteronomy 8:16). That is why God tests us, so that it might go well with us, so that positive results might be the outcome, so that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Second Peter 3:18), so that we might be better people after that period of testing is over. And that is why God tested Adam and his wife in the Garden of Eden, to strengthen their faith and trust in Him.⁵⁵

There are two attacks against the woman. Where was Adam when Satan was attacking his wife (to see link click Ba –The Woman Saw the Fruit of the Tree and Ate It)? The first attack is in the second half of verse one and is the first question in the Bible. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the Garden’?” (3:1b). The serpent’s tactics were unnerving. He raises the question in the most mocking, skeptical manner, making God’s command sound rather silly. “Can it really be true – what I’m hearing – that Elohim said, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the Garden’?” You can almost feel Eve stiffen defensively.

Here Satan begins with what sounds like a very innocent question, only concerned about Eve’s wellbeing. But his question was wickedly designed to start Eve down the path of doubting and distrusting Elohim. That doubt is the very essence of all sin (Hebrews 11:6). The core of all temptation is to create doubt in God’s Word and to subject it to human judgment. That is what the serpent is doing here. He twisted and misrepresented what the LORD had said. God emphasized that they had the freedom to eat from all the trees except one. But Satan’s question turned the emphasis around, implying that Elohim was actually holding back something good from them. Notice the difference between the serpent’s words and ADONAI’s actual command. God said: You are free to eat from any tree in the Garden (2:16). The emphasis was on their freedom to eat, but Satan turned that around, saying: You must not eat from any tree in the Garden. In this way he focused her attention on the one thing she couldn’t do and set her up for the main assault on God’s spoken word.⁵⁶

Satan’s strategy was to portray Elohim as limiting, or holding something back from Adam and Eve. He was hinting that there was something sinister and evil in the character of God. But more than that, he implied that he was more interested in Eve’s wellbeing than ADONAI was. He wanted her to have freedom! No restrictions! Freedom is a good thing, right? Eve was not aware of the tempter’s schemes, so she replies naively and throws up a flimsy excuse: We may eat fruit from the trees in the Garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the Garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die” (3:2-3). The rabbis teach that the Adversary pushed Eve until she touched the tree, and when she touched it, she did not die. So, he said to her, “Just as there is not death in touching, neither will there be any death in eating.” But even though she did not know the evil she was facing, she did know good. She did know God. She had experienced nothing but good from His hand, and she did have a clear, unmistakable command from Him. And even that command, restrictive as it was, was for her own good. We must remember this lesson of life: Do not be deceived like Eve was. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father (James 1:17a). We must never doubt the character of the LORD. Any restrictions He puts on us are for our own good. Sin starts believing that there is something better out there for us. That somehow, ADONAI is holding out on us. That is what happened to Eve and it can happen to us. She started to believe the Destroyer of souls rather than God.

Satan’s second attack begins when he moves from questioning what God says to lying about what God knows. He immediately insinuates that he knows more than Elohim. Here we have the first lie in Scripture: You will not surely die (3:4). Here Satan negates that death penalty that God had given (2:17). Satan was a liar from the beginning: When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies because he initiated the first lie (John 8:44). And this is the lie: you can sin and get away with it. Suspicion had already found root in Eve’s mind. The LORD’s majesty had been insulted; His goodness had been maligned and His trustworthiness had been defamed. Despite overwhelming evidence of God’s goodness from all that surrounded them, no one, neither Eve nor her husband standing there listening to this whole sordid conversation, spoke up for God. So Satan moved in for the kill. “God is a liar,” he says. “He has deceived you, taken your freedom, and restricted your joy.” The destroyer’s lie is still the same today: “You can be free. Do whatever you want. It is your life. There are no divine laws; no absolute authority; and above all, no judgment. You will not surely die.⁵⁷

Continuing the lie to Eve he says: For God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (3:5a). Of course, to be like God was the desire of Satan himself when he said: I will make myself like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). And it should be no surprise that all the false religions of the world are based on the same lie. They twist the truth. Yes, Elohim wants us to be like Him in that we share His holiness, His love, His mercy, His righteousness, and so on. But what the deceiver wanted Eve to do, and us to do, is to believe that we are equal with the LORD and to share in His power, His knowledge, His sovereignty, and His right to be worshiped. That realm belongs to the LORD God alone. Satan’s assertion that when we taste of the forbidden fruit in our lives we will be like God, knowing good and evil is a dangerous half-truth (3:5b). We know the good but are unable to do it, and we know the evil but are unable to resist it. The Christian writer A. W. Tozer said, “The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us.” In other words: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).

Although some believe the temptation account was purely a fable or a myth, the Bible treats it as a historical fact (John 8:44; Romans 5:21 and 16:20; First Corinthians 15:21; Second Corinthians 11:3-4; First Timothy 2:13-14). And the fact is . . . that as soon as Eve began to doubt, the Fall was inescapable, as we shall see next.