Understand the basis and source of all reality: The Way to Life Lesson 3 Understand the basis and source of all reality: introducing God, the universe, and humankind (continued)

Before we read Genesis 3 we need to understand the vocabulary used in Genesis 3 A “serpent” (3:1) is a snake. But this snake was the devil, first being the God serving angel in heaven called Lucifer, but later, when he became proud, was called Satan. Satan either spoke through an actual snake or made himself look like a snake. Satan is a powerful, evil spirit. Heaven is the place where spirit-creatures live with God. Satan wanted to become equal to God. He led a rebellion with other spirit-creatures against God. They (Satan and his helpers, called demons) now cause much evil and suffering on earth. Satan is God’s enemy and therefore our enemy. He tries to destroy us and all God made. “Eyes…were opened” (3:7) means that they saw their nakedness in a different way. They were naked before but did not take special notice of it. But now, they became aware of their nakedness as a problem. “Cherubims” (3:24) are powerful, good spirit-creatures (angels) in heaven. They exist in another mode, or dimension, of being, other than our material universe. They can operate in our world also, on assignment from God.

Read Genesis 3 in two languages: English and Chinese

Watch two video clips about Genesis 3 The choice 3 minutes The deadly disease 4 minutes

Genesis 3:15 God speaks to the serpent, reveals a prophecy in which He says: And I will put enmity     between you and the woman,     and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,     and you will strike his heel. God And I . . . . . will put enmity . . . . . . . between you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and the woman . . . . , and between your . . . . . . offspring . . . . . . . . . and hers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; he . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . will crush your . . . . . . head, and you . . . . . will strike his . . . . . heel. (hostility) Satan, the serpent Eve Satan’s all demons all humans who were created to be God’s followers Jesus, the Son of God Satan’s Satan Jesus’

Before we focus on the bad choice Adam and Eve made, we need to revisit Genesis 1 and 2, to make sure what God’s plan and intentions were and how much good He gave. All the good things God gave to Adam and Eve What did God tell them not to take 1:28 fruitfulness, fertility 2:17 “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” rulership over the earth 1: 29 free food, vegetables and fruit 2:6 rivers, irrigation water 2:7 (eternal) life 2:8-9 a garden, full of plants and trees 2:12 gold and minerals 2:16 freedom to eat from any tree 2:22 life partners Compare what God gave with what he did not give. Which was more? How much more?

Adam and Eve had to choose to do, or not do, what God wanted. Why was this choice given to them? Why did God put that tree in the garden? Why was it necessary for human beings to be ordered not to take something? What good result could that have for them? Let’s now split up in smaller discussion groups, and talk about the next questions:

Was it proper for Adam and Eve to take the fruit that God had told them not to take? Should they have treated God that way? Why, or why not? What thoughts and desires led them to do it? See 3:1–6. What changed first when they did not obey God? What did that mean? Why did they feel that way? See 3:7 and contrast that with 2:25. What was the second result? Why did they do that? What were they feeling? See 3:8– 10. Their first evil act against God, eating the unlawful fruit, led to what further wrong in 3:11–13? How might Adam’s response affect Adam and Eve’s relationship? God knew that Adam and Eve had not obeyed Him. Yet what were God’s attitude and actions toward them in 3:8, 9 and 21? Think about what God was doing for Adam and Eve… • in 3:11–13 • in 3:14,15 • in 3:16–19 • in 3:22–24 What would be the effect of those actions? What good results did God want to bring into Adam and Eve’s lives by what God did? Do you think that people today are like Adam and his wife? Do the same kinds of things happen today between people, and between people and God? Summarize in your own words what you learned about humankind and God in this study.