Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 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.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:1-5
Summary of Genesis 3:1-5
Satan, appearing as a serpent, is crafty; humans alone can’t outsmart Satan. Satan draws them to sin and tries to make Eve confused about what God said and doubt what God said. Satan starts by asking questions that seemed innocent.
Maybe Adam did not do a good job communicating God’s command, so what Eve said wasn’t 100% accurate (added, and you must not touch it). Satan tried to lie to Eve about God’s goodness by saying that God kept knowledge from her.
Questions
What do you notice about the conversation between the serpent and Eve?
Eve added, and you must not touch it, which is not part of the original command.
The serpent is identified with Satan. What characteristics does he display in these verses? Satan is crafty, taking the best opportunity, at the right time and target a vulnerable person. Know God’s command and twisted it subtlety that seems innocent.
How do temptations cause people to question God’s character? What role do our desires play in temptation? Not knowing God’s command will cause us not to be sure of God’s word and character. That caused us to doubt God during temptations.
What have you learned about temptation? This is why we are called never to give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). No discussion, no giving a chance. Satan will effectively influence us when he has established a foothold. Satan talked with her when she was alone; we will fall for many temptations when being alone.
What temptations do you currently face? Uncertainty about the future caused me to plan more rather than depending on God. Worry about money, thus want to earn more, and greed.
God Creates Humanity in His Image