Eve's Issue: An Online Bible Study on Genesis 3

Lesson 1 of Messed Up: Still Used by God Online Bible Study

Background Scripture: Genesis Chapter 2. Reference Scriptures: Genesis Chapter 3

The mother of mankind gives her account on how the fall of man took place.

Imagine for a second that you are Adam or Eve. At the start, the beginning of it ALL you are placed in this beautiful garden. The animals roam freely, fruit and plants bloomed on their own. You and your companion enjoy life without a care, able to commune with God as one would their father or a friend. 

You do, however, have one restriction: Do not eat from the tree of Knowledge and Evil. 

Do you think that you could handle this edict?  What would your response be to this command?

What would your response be to this command? (be honest)

• I would for sure obey!
• I would probably disobey.
• I am not sure.

Read as Eve shares her account of how the fall of man took place. To get the best out of this study, grab your bible so that you can read the referenced scriptures. There are questions throughout the lesson! So grab a pen and some paper to jot down your answers!

Part I: Eve shares the blessing

"The Creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in it was completed.  Man, made in His image, was placed in a garden in Eden in the east. There you would find all sorts of trees that were beautiful and produced delicious fruit. Springs came up from the ground and watered all the land.

God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground-everything that has life.” (Genesis 1:29)

But Adam didn't find any of those things appealing. He was lonely. So, God put him to sleep. Took a (babe… what was it?)  Rib, from him and used it to create me. And I came to be. A suitable companion to Adam. Someone from him. Someone like him. Someone to help him with this huge responsibility he was given.(Genesis 2:21-24)

We were placed in the Garden to tend to it and watch over it. But we were warned: “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:16)

"I didn’t think anything of it. It’s literally His world. All this stuff was given to us. So, I mean…. At the very least, we could do what He asked us to. After all, it seemed like a very simple request. 

What do you think about God's command?

Part II: Eve explains where it all went wrong

"So, why am I not in paradise?  Well, there was this serpent." (Sigh)

“You all know him as the enemy, Satan, the devil… I didn’t. It wasn’t any villain music playing. Nothing to tip me off that the conversation with this serpent was about to be instrumental in changing life the way I knew it forever. Not just my life. Adam’s life…. Yours… even earth itself.

"It was a conversation. Nothing scary about that. A question over what God said and what would happen."

“Did God really say that you couldn’t eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” He asked. (Genesis 3:1)

"I answered him. Tried to correct him because God didn’t say that. It was only the fruit from the middle of the garden that we were not allowed to eat. And I reiterated what God told us, Word for Word: You must not eat it or even touch it and if you do, you will surely die." (Genesis 3:2-3)

"That’s when he was all like: “You won’t die! God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4)

"I know! What he said was a direct contradiction of what God had told us. But at the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I mean it didn’t seem all that bad. I could get the fruit and become wise… like God… and it looked delicious."

So I did it. And yes I shared it with my husband. I thought it would be good for me, good for us. 

I was wrong."

Place yourself in Eve's shoes. What would you have done? What would you say is Eve's issue? What would you say was the reason for her disobedience?

Part III: Eve explains God's response?

"Well, after He realized we had eaten from the tree that He had command of not to eat of, Adam promptly threw me under the bus. (As yall would say.) He blamed me…which, I mean… I did give it to him. But still Adam! (geesh!) And I told Him the truth: The serpent deceived me.

"God was not at all pleased with ANY of us! He cursed the serpent. Made to crawl on his belly. Hostility between humans and him."

"As for us, (Sighs), Well, He sharpened the pain of childbirth. I mean just read Genesis 3:16-19 for the rest."

"The good thing is we didn’t die. Not at that moment. Well, not physically at least. But, things changed. God, made coverings for us. Because… we then felt ashamed. (something we hadn’t experienced before) No more communing with Him like before because we were banished from the garden.  We were separated from Him. And a new way of life and a different type of relationship with Him began on that day for us." 

Don’t just read my story. Learn from it! Here are a few key points to jot down:

1. Be alert! On guard. I wasn’t. I wasn’t looking for someone or something to come and PURPOSELY try to get me to mess up my blessing. He wasn’t threatening. It seemed really casual. No harm presented. But that was the intent from the beginning. So protect yourself and what God has given you. "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"  1 Peter 5:8

   
   

2. Do not entertain anything that goes against what God has already told you. He specifically spoke a Word, a command to us and He told us what would happen. You don’t want any parts of anything (no matter how good it sounds) that goes against what God has said. 

3. Be obedient above anything else. Just do whatever it is God told you to do. No matter if you understand it or not. Or whether you believe it or not. It doesn’t matter. Just trust that the Creator knows infinitely more than you. If He says not to do something, it's just best to trust Him and not do it!

   
   

What are some things in your life that presented themselves to be good for you, yet turned out to be the exact opposite? What did you learn from Eve's story about the enemy? What did you learn about God in this issue?

"Thank you for listening to my side of the story. Please don’t think it can’t happen to you. This enemy presented himself in a way that blended in with my current setting (situation). I was in the garden. He showed up as a serpent. Look for him to do the same to you. He made me feel like he was on my side. He presented himself as someone trying to be of help to me. And, if I did this thing that God said not to, I would be better off. It's deception! So be smart! Don’t fall for his tricks!"

What is your greatest takeaway from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life this week?

Next Lesson will be on: Saturday, January 11, 2025!

© January 2025. OaToya James. All Rights Reserved.