3:1–8 The fall. The innocent harmony of Eden was then ruined by the entry of sin. The mistakes of Adam and Eve are typical of all sins, but as they were the parents of the whole human race their deeds had the gravest consequences. Temptation was mediated by a serpent, later described as an unclean creature (Lv. 11:31) and, therefore, a fitting symbol of evil. The serpent begins by overemphasizing the strictness of the law (God had put only one tree out of bounds) and questioning God's goodwill towards human beings (something the narrative in ch. 2 had put beyond doubt). Eve rebuts his suggestion, though inexactly ('you must not touch it' was not part of the original prohibition (2:17). The serpent then challenged God's judgment by claiming 'you will not surely die' and promised instead sophistication (that their eyes will be opened) and spiritual advancement (that they will be like God).
Lured by the prospect of instant pleasure (she saw that the fruit was good for food) and supposed maturity, Eve suddenly succumbed and persuaded her husband also to eat. In so doing he preferred the serpent's suggestions to God's command. (Throughout Scripture, the essence of sin is to put human judgment above divine command.) Immediately guilt and shame gripped them. Their opened eyes saw only their naked bodies, and they attempted to hide from each other and from God.
3:9–20 Trial and sentence. Man, woman and serpent were then interrogated and sentenced by the divine inquisitor. God's questions were designed to elicit confessions, not information; he knew perfectly well what they had done.
The long-term effects of sin then started to appear. The serpent was condemned to crawl and to constant warfare with mankind, the woman's offspring (15). In that her offspring will crush the snake's head, the latter will come off worse in the long battle. Thus, though this was a judgment on the snake, it was at the same time a promise to man. It has, therefore, traditionally been seen by Jews and Christians, as the first hint of a saviour for mankind, and 3:15 is often called the 'protevangelion' the 'first gospel'. Allusions to it in the NT include Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12. Within Genesis the promise to Abraham that 'through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed' (22:18) starts to make the vague promise of 3:15 more specific. It is also notable that this first judgment on sin is tinged with hope, something that recurs throughout Scripture (cf. 6:5–8), as God's mercy outweighs his wrath (cf. Ex. 20:5–6).
The sentence on Eve blighted her calling as mother. To be a joyful mother of children was the hope of every OT woman (30:1; Ps. 113:9), but the pain of childbirth was a constant reminder of the first mother's sin. Furthermore, instead of marriage being a relationship of mutual care, tension was often to characterize it. Your desire may be a desire for sexual intercourse or for independence, but ultimately the husband's headship will prevail. He will rule over you may indicate harsh domination, but it may simply be reaffirming the chain of authority (God—man—woman) established at creation but reversed at the fall (1). The latter interpretation is more likely in view of the introduction to Adam's sentence of Because you listened to your wife (17). God then decreed that the man must suffer frustration in his work (gardeners and farmers face a running battle with weeds to produce food). Hard work would enable him to live, but eventually he would die. This is a hint that he was about to be expelled from Eden and deprived of access to the tree of life.
3:21–24 Judgment. Expulsion from the garden proved the hollowness of the serpent's promise that they would not die (4). For though Adam and Eve continued some sort of life outside the garden, it was a shadow of the fulness of life inside Eden, where they had enjoyed intimate fellowship with God. Now the full cost of sin is apparent. It is not just an unquiet conscience (7–8), squabbles with one's dearest spouse (12), pain (16) or the drudgery of daily toil (17–19) but separation from the presence of God and ultimately physical death (Rom. 6:23). Cherubim later decorated the ark, tabernacle and temple (Ex. 25:18–22; 26:31; 1 Ki. 6:23–28) and were winged lions with human heads (Ezk. 41:18).
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 63). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
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Regards,
Ryan Chia
Lured by the prospect of instant pleasure (she saw that the fruit was good for food) and supposed maturity, Eve suddenly succumbed and persuaded her husband also to eat. In so doing he preferred the serpent's suggestions to God's command. (Throughout Scripture, the essence of sin is to put human judgment above divine command.) Immediately guilt and shame gripped them. Their opened eyes saw only their naked bodies, and they attempted to hide from each other and from God.
3:9–20 Trial and sentence. Man, woman and serpent were then interrogated and sentenced by the divine inquisitor. God's questions were designed to elicit confessions, not information; he knew perfectly well what they had done.
The long-term effects of sin then started to appear. The serpent was condemned to crawl and to constant warfare with mankind, the woman's offspring (15). In that her offspring will crush the snake's head, the latter will come off worse in the long battle. Thus, though this was a judgment on the snake, it was at the same time a promise to man. It has, therefore, traditionally been seen by Jews and Christians, as the first hint of a saviour for mankind, and 3:15 is often called the 'protevangelion' the 'first gospel'. Allusions to it in the NT include Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12. Within Genesis the promise to Abraham that 'through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed' (22:18) starts to make the vague promise of 3:15 more specific. It is also notable that this first judgment on sin is tinged with hope, something that recurs throughout Scripture (cf. 6:5–8), as God's mercy outweighs his wrath (cf. Ex. 20:5–6).
The sentence on Eve blighted her calling as mother. To be a joyful mother of children was the hope of every OT woman (30:1; Ps. 113:9), but the pain of childbirth was a constant reminder of the first mother's sin. Furthermore, instead of marriage being a relationship of mutual care, tension was often to characterize it. Your desire may be a desire for sexual intercourse or for independence, but ultimately the husband's headship will prevail. He will rule over you may indicate harsh domination, but it may simply be reaffirming the chain of authority (God—man—woman) established at creation but reversed at the fall (1). The latter interpretation is more likely in view of the introduction to Adam's sentence of Because you listened to your wife (17). God then decreed that the man must suffer frustration in his work (gardeners and farmers face a running battle with weeds to produce food). Hard work would enable him to live, but eventually he would die. This is a hint that he was about to be expelled from Eden and deprived of access to the tree of life.
3:21–24 Judgment. Expulsion from the garden proved the hollowness of the serpent's promise that they would not die (4). For though Adam and Eve continued some sort of life outside the garden, it was a shadow of the fulness of life inside Eden, where they had enjoyed intimate fellowship with God. Now the full cost of sin is apparent. It is not just an unquiet conscience (7–8), squabbles with one's dearest spouse (12), pain (16) or the drudgery of daily toil (17–19) but separation from the presence of God and ultimately physical death (Rom. 6:23). Cherubim later decorated the ark, tabernacle and temple (Ex. 25:18–22; 26:31; 1 Ki. 6:23–28) and were winged lions with human heads (Ezk. 41:18).
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 63). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
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Regards,
Ryan Chia
It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world,
as that God has a church for his mission in the world.
Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission—God's mission.
From The Mission of God by Chris Wright
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