Question 35

After Adam* and Eve* sinned*, they tried to hide from God. But people can not hide from God. God is in all places. God knows everything.

 

So, when God came into the garden, he already knew what Adam and Eve had done. But he called for them so they would have to answer him. After they told God what they had done, they must have wondered what would happen to them.

 

Soon, Adam and Eve knew. They found out that God was not pleased. He allowed them to know the pain that their sin had caused. They felt shame. Now their lives would be full of trouble. All of their children would have trouble too. God sent them out of the garden that he had made for them. But they also learned that God shows mercy.* He does three things in Genesis 3 that show both mercy and grace.*

 

First, God returned to the garden to speak to them. Remember that God knew what they had done. God could have caused them to die at that moment. He would have been right to do so. If he had done that, he could have made another man and woman and started the world over again. But he did not do that. He came into the garden to meet with them. Although they had decided not to obey him, he returned to speak with them. That was an act of grace.

 

Second, God made clothes to cover their naked bodies. Adam and Eve had tried to cover their bodies with leaves from the trees. But this would not be enough for them to wear outside of the garden. So, ‘The Lord* God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife to wear.’ [1] God gave them what they needed to cover themselves. But, to do that, God had to take the life of some of the animals he had made. He would take the lives of these animals to cover the shame that sin had caused.

 

Third, God made two promises to Eve. He told her that she would continue to be able to have children. She would become the mother of every living person. And he made another promise as well. When he spoke the curse upon the snake, God said, ‘I will make you and the woman hate each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. Her son will strike your head. You shall strike his heel.’ [2] Satan* had used the snake to lie to Eve. So she now hated the snake. But, one day, God would send a child from Eve’s family. He would defeat the snake and Satan, who had used it. The snake would hurt the son of the woman. But this son of Eve would press the snake’s head under his foot.

 

When Eve heard this promise, she did not understand all that the promise meant. She did have many sons and daughters. She knew that each child came to her as a gift from God.[3] But she did not know that God would wait many years to bring the son who would achieve the promise. His name would be Jesus. He would be born of a woman without a man. He would be the seed of a woman. He would save his people from their sins.[4] One day, God would use him to overcome Satan. He would destroy Satan under his feet.[5]

 

The rest of the Bible* is the story of how God kept his promise.

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[1] Genesis 3:21
[2] Genesis 3:15
[3] Genesis 4:1; Genesis 4:25
[4] Matthew 1:21
[5] Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:9-10; Revelation 20:10