06: Creation and the Fall – Thoughts Starters
[Thought questions for Creation and the Fall February 6, 2013]
1. Enmity from God. Why did God put enmity between the woman and the snake in the Garden of Eden? (Gen 3:15). How is that sense of hostility carried out even to this day? Why does the Bible refer to the devil as a snake or serpent throughout Scripture? Is there anything wrong with admiring and appreciating snake-like creatures today? Have you ever imagined what it must have been like to live on earth untouched by sin?
2. Smart snake. Have you ever had a pet that was so smart you could teach it complicated tricks? Did the serpent in Eden learn tricks? If not, how did it become so intelligent? Do you think Satan rather liked his position in the tree in Eden and his opportunity to tempt Adam and Eve? How evil was Satan at that time? Has he become more evil through the ages? What do you think is Satan’s most effective tool that he uses to lead us astray? Why are we so guillible to his deceptions?
3. Eve’s mistakes. Do you think Eve was attracted to the colors and plumage of the serpent Satan? Or was he just a dull brown or gray snake? Have you ever seen a beautiful snake? Do you accept Monday’s comments that Eve evidently added to the words of God when she said God not only didn’t want them to eat of the fruit but not even to touch it? How could a Christian today see that as an important element in the story of sin? Does that expression by Eve of being forbidden to touch the fruit of the tree contribute to our appropriate attitude towards sin? If so, explain.
4. Deception. If we’ve been deceived and commit sin, are we guilty? Which is the greater sin: to sin without fully realizing that what you are doing is sinful–or to sin fully aware that you are disobeying God? What did Eve like about the fruit? Are you and I ever led to sin because the appearances don’t seem so bad? Can’t we use the way things look to help us decide whether to participate in them or not? Discuss. Can sin be graded from bad to worse? If so, what was the absolute worse thing about Adam’s sin?
5. Grace. Why were the Lord’s first words in this early Bible story, “Where are you?” Didn’t He know where Adam and Eve were? Why is Genesis 3:15 called the first gospel verse in the Bible? Living in those ancient days, would you have relished those words that predicted an end to sin? Why didn’t God immediately eliminate His sinful children and restore the earth to a world without sin? Is this hard for you and I to understand? Are we grateful every day we open our eyes that God chose to offer mercy and forgiveness?
6. Redemption. Does the gospel have relevance without sin? What is the best news about the gospel? Can you see a spiritual connection between the judgment described in Revelation and the judgment of Genesis? Explain. What would be unfair about having the judgment first and then the gospel? Are you in need of redemption? Why? Are your sins death-dealing? Are you destined to die and remain dead forever without intervention by the Lord of all? How much does that intervention cost? What does it take to obtain it?
7. Relief. As the enormity of their sin weighed down on them, did Adam and Eve slowly adopt a different attitude towards life? How is it possible to be granted the gift of a sinless, eternal life when we are so submerged in the slimy, filthy mud of sin? What do you say to an evolutionist who believes we humans are getting better day by day and gives stack after stack of evidence to prove his points? Could it be that there is more than one way of evaluating what is around us? Has your life grown fuller, richer and more meanginful as you have accepted Christ as your savior?
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yes adam & eve face a different kind of life
Is it at all possible to add some answers to the question in the lesson so the students can compare to see if heir though are on the right tract.
If you are prayerfully, carefully considering the possible answers and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your choices, you are doing everything you can do to keep on the right track.
thank God for his his teachers thanks to ssnet.i do have questions how was Eve's temptation in Eden diffrent from Adam's? how did Adam react when GOD asked him if he had eaten from the tree?
I believe that all temptations have one element in common that qualifies them as a temptation, and that is selfishness, or turning to ourselves rather than to God. When God asked Adam about eating from the tree, Adam said it was Eve’s fault. We’ve been blaming others for our sins ever since that day.
Joyce Griffith
Great lesson study guide. Got a few baffling questions. Firstly, at what point did sin entered the garden? was it as soon as satan showed up there, or was it after Eve ate the fruit? Secondly, How did satan know that God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge and evil? Was it mere coincidence that he was waiting for the Eden couple at that particular tree or was he randomly hanging out near a tree looking for an opportunity to tempt them? Inquiring mind would like to know.
Sin entered the World immediately Eve had lunch with the Devil. Of Eve withstood the deceit and overcame the evil one, there would have been no sin. Rev 12.9-12, the devil was cast down from Heaven and he has a great wrath for his time is but short. Eph 6.12, we are contending not against fresh and blood, but against principalities, spiritualities in high places, against rulers of darkness of this world. The devil is a spiritual being and is present in all corners of the earth at the same time. Chest told Hos Discipes that when HE ascended to the father, He would send another comforter who as we know is present at the same time in all parts of the world. Satan was thrown on earth after creation and Adma and Eve were already here. He had no difficulties knowing that God had given the holy couple the commandments on the tree as much as he had no difficulties getting to know the night Jesus was born in Bethlem.
thanks for the great answers. Got one question though: Wat really was the reason for the snake to be cursed since it has no moral conscious? Did it have power to refuse to be used by the devil?
The Bible contains several examples of creatures demonstrating intelligence, such as the donkey that spoke to Baalam, the animals that lined up to enter the ark, ravens that brought the prophet food, and more. God can speak through any creature He chooses,even animals and birds that do not have a moral conscience.
Trying to answer br Francis. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. So we see that sin entered the garden when Adam and eve ate the fruit, breaking God’s law.
Secondly, satan was aware about the command not to eat from the tee because then he had not yet been chased from heaven. Remember he was cast to earth, meaning earth had already been created. So he kept following Eve and he guessed she was dying of curiosity about the fruit, he just took advantage of that.
In the biblical account of Genesis 2 and 3, never once was the word “sin” used. The quote from Gods word in Genesis 2:17 Gods message was not that if you sin. Rather, He describes what would happen if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3 does not record God cursing man or woman.
It is clear therefore that God was never acting in any severe way towards Adman and Eve. His words were more as sympathy towards their condition. “And the LORD God said unto the woman, what [is] this [that] thou hast done?” verse 13. And to the man he said “And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake…”
Also, in the story Satan or the Devil was never referred to. Reference was made to the “serpent” and I have never seen the word “snake” in the Bible (KJV).
Thus reading the texts without any biased of after thoughts or after-knowledge, we see God comforting Adam and Eve and perhaps protecting the Devil’s identity. It is clear that God’s character and trustworthiness was questioned both by the serpent and the human after their act. God had not changed towards mankind, rather mankind changed towards God.
I believe Human’s redemption is based then on whether we find God worthy of our trust.Its not about our condition, its about the faithfulness of God. That is why Faith is the only requirement for Heaven.
You are absolutely right that it was mankind who changed, not God. "I change not," He says, and we need to remember that. I especially like your point that God was there in a comforting role, not scolding and cursing his precious children. Thank you.
We have no idea how long Adam and Eve lived in the garden until the serpent appeared to Eve. Eve shows no startlement when the snake starts talking, why. Did the other animals talk? I doubt it. Also Gen 3:6 says "she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband WITH HER and he ate..." We have always been taught that Adam was not with Eve and she later had him eat the fruit. Could not this verse be construed as saying Adam was there with her but the snake specifically spoke to Eve. I know there are a lot of ways we could construe the time period in there. But it could make you think. On the other hand thats what Satan wants us to do. Question, question.??