Humanity’s Basic Problem

KEY VERSE: “They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” —Genesis 3:8

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3:1-13

WHEN GOD COMPLETED his work of preparing the earth for habitation, he reviewed what he had done, “and, behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) Adam had been created first, and enjoyed the paradise where God placed him to till and dress it. All was so beautiful that it would be easy to pick fruit to eat from any tree.

God said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”—Gen. 2:16,17

Adam rejoiced in the provisions God had made for himself and the animal creation. One thing was lacking which was that Adam needed a ‘help meet’. God had recognized this need and said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18) The Scriptures tell us how God accomplished this task by making Eve from a part of Adam. (vss. 21-25) Apparently, these two were very happy in this setting.

Of all the animals created, it was said that the serpent was the most subtil or crafty. It is apparent that Satan saw the potential of this newly created human pair, and possessed the serpent so it would beguile Eve. Satan said to Eve: “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1) Eve replied that they had great freedom to pick fruit, except for those trees in the midst of the garden. Disobedience to God’s command would bring death.

Satan, in uttering the first lie, said, through the serpent, “Ye shall not surely die.” (Gen. 3:4) Most likely the serpent ate this fruit without any tragic consequences.

Satan also suggested that God was withholding desirable benefits from them which could be obtained by eating the fruit of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’.

As plainly stated by the Apostle Paul, “The woman [Eve] being deceived” became a transgressor. (I Tim. 2:14) However, “Adam was not deceived.” Adam knew he had disobeyed God, which led to guilt feelings. Since both knew they were naked, they sewed coverings of fig leaves and hid themselves in the garden.

The conversation that took place after Adam came forth from hiding to speak with God after it was revealed what he and Eve had done, is given in Genesis 3:8-19. As a result of Eve having given the fruit to Adam, and the serpent having beguiled Eve, God’s punishment was as follows:

The serpent was made to crawl on its belly; Eve would bring forth children in sorrow; Adam would rule over her; the ground would be cursed with weeds that would stifle lifegiving herbs; and Adam would expend hard labor to provide for his family, and would finally die. Humanity’s basic problem is that all are descended from Adam and, as his children, are suffering the penalty of death. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:22

God, spoke to the serpent (symbolic of evil) in the presence of Adam and Eve, to promise that someday the ‘seed of the woman’ would crush evil once for all. This is to be fulfilled through Christ.—Gen. 3:15

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