By Robin Wiley
Scripture
Genesis 3:1-7
The Fall
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
God had created all things and declared all things “good!” And what existed in the Garden of Eden is what is captured in the Hebrew word shalom. It indicates a state of existence where everything is the way it’s supposed to be. There is a harmony among everything in the creation because everything is perfect. There is no sin, no heartache, no disease, no death, no brokenness. It is a condition of universal flourishing. Nothing we can conceive of in our earthly minds could be better!
But the enemy of God, Satan himself, desired to undo shalom and bring disorder into God’s perfect order. This “crafty” being is a master of deception and trickery. The undoing of everything in the created order begins with Satan asking Eve this simple little question: “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” With that question seeds of doubt were sown in the minds and hearts of our first parents. . . seeds that immediately took root and grew into the rebellion against God that has everything good undone.
I am currently doing a study with our young ladies (7th – 12th grade) called “Lies Young Women Believe” (by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth & Dannah Gresh) and it’s about the lies that we listen to instead of God’s truth about ourselves. You see, Satan is the “father of lies” and wants to cause destruction in our lives through the lies we hear and believe.
The only way to combat the lies is pursue the truth in God’s word. Jesus came to give us life, and He wants all of us to have it to the fullest. So pursuing a life lived under the light of God’s Word threatens to undo the darkness Satan loves to spread, he sows seeds of doubt through that same question: “Did God really say. . . ?” And this is why we must engage in a relentless pursuit of knowing what God really has said in His Word. A life where we can experience joy, contentment, passion, energy, and life the God designed.
For the Kiddos:
Enter & Wonder:
What is a lie?
What are some lies you have believed?
What truth(s) from God’s Word have you on occasion doubted?
What practices can help us hear God speak more clearly in our lives? And, what can we do to silence the voice of doubt and mistrust.
Hear:
Read the Bible Passages. (Genesis 3:1-7 ESV) For younger children, a picture Bible may be used.
Bless:
Affirm what was discussed about the story.
Look for Bible passages this week that speak about truth and honesty, such as John 14:6 or John 15:7 and memorize them. Reflect on them as you live out your week.
Praise God, Give thanks, Pray for others, confess sins, Praise God!
Example:
Father God, we thank you that in your great love for us you have spoken through the revelation of the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, and in your written Word, the Bible. Open our ears to hear you as you speak your will and way for our lives. Give us a rich ability to discern your truth from the enemy’s lies. In Jesus Name, Amen!