Analyzing the Enemy’s Strategy Temptation Analyzing the Enemy’s Strategy

Genesis 3 in Context Gen. 1:1-2:3 Global Account of Creation

Genesis 3 in Context Gen. 1:1-2:3 Global Account of Creation Retelling of Creation of man, woman Temptation, Fall, Announcement of Redemption Line of Cain, Line of Seth

Genesis 3 in Context Gen. 1:1-2:3 Global Account of Creation Retelling of Creation of man, woman Temptation, Fall, Announcement of Redemption Line of Cain, Line of Seth Gen. 5:1-6:8 Adam to Noah

Gen. 3:1 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'?“ (ESV)

Key Questions Who is the serpent?

Key Questions Who is the serpent? What is his strategy? Dialog

Key Questions Who is the serpent? What is his strategy? Dialog Doubt

Key Questions Who is the serpent? What is his strategy? Dialog Doubt Distortion Reference to God

Key Questions Who is the serpent? What is his strategy? Dialog Doubt Distortion Reference to God Reference to God’s saying something

Key Questions Who is the serpent? What is his strategy? Dialog Doubt Distortion Reference to God Reference to God’s saying something Reference to what God said

Gen. 3:2-3 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.’” (ESV)

Key Questions What did the woman do? Left our “freely,” “all”

Key Questions What did the woman do? Left our “freely,” “all” Referred to God

Key Questions What did the woman do? Left our “freely,” “all” Referred to God Referred to God’s “saying”

Key Questions What did the woman do? Left our “freely,” “all” Referred to God Referred to God’s “saying” Added “do not touch”

Key Questions What did the woman do? Left our “freely,” “all” Referred to God Referred to God’s “saying” Added “do not touch” Left out “surely”

Deut. 12:32 "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. (ESV)

Gen. 3:4-5 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.” (ESV)

Key Questions How did serpent follow up? Denial

Key Questions How did serpent follow up? Denial Distortion God’s character

Key Questions How did serpent follow up? Denial Distortion Deception God’s character Deception Mixture of truth and lie

Gen. 3:6 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. (ESV)

Key Questions Good for food 

Key Questions Good for food  Delight to the eyes 

Key Questions Good for food  Delight to the eyes  Desired to make one wise 

Kidner’s Comment “So simple the act, so hard its undoing. God [would] taste poverty and death before ‘take and eat’ [could] become words of salvation.” [Derek Kidner, Genesis (Chicago: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 68.]

Gen. 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (ESV)

What Happened? Eyes opened (Serpent correct)

What Happened? Eyes opened (Serpent correct) Knew they were naked (contrast 2:25!)

What Happened? Eyes opened (Serpent correct) Knew they were naked (contrast 2:25!) Attempted to cover own nakedness

Conclusion Trust the character of God, His generosity

Conclusion Trust the character of God, His generosity Build lives on what God has revealed to us in Scripture

Conclusion Trust the character of God, His generosity Build lives on what God has revealed to us in Scripture Commit to trusting obedience

Conclusion Trust the character of God, His generosity Build lives on what God has revealed to us in Scripture Commit to trusting obedience When we fail, confess (1 John 1:9), and move forward