Genesis 3 – The Fall of Man & The Promise of Redemption
Genesis 3 records the tragic fall of humanity through sin, yet also introduces God’s redemptive plan. This chapter reveals temptation, disobedience, judgment, and the first prophetic promise of the Messiah.
The Entrance of Sin & The Hope of Redemption
Genesis 3 details the deception of Eve, Adam’s disobedience, and the consequences of sin entering the world. Yet, even in judgment, God provides the first prophecy of Christ’s victory over Satan.
✔ The serpent tempts Eve, leading to humanity’s first sin.
✔ Adam and Eve realize their nakedness and hide from God.
✔ God pronounces judgment on the serpent, the woman, and the man.
✔ A promise of redemption is given—the seed of the woman will crush the serpent.
📖 Key Verse: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15
🔎 The first prophecy of Christ’s victory over Satan appears in this chapter.
Genesis Chapter 3 Overview
Genesis 3:1-7 – The Deception & The First Sin
📖 Genesis 3:1 – “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.”
🔎 Satan works through deception, questioning God’s Word to sow doubt.
📖 Genesis 3:4-5 – “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die… ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
🔎 Satan’s lie appeals to human pride, distorting God’s command.
📖 Genesis 3:6-7 – “She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband… And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”
🔎 Sin leads to shame, separation from God, and the distortion of innocence.
🔎 Satan’s strategy remains unchanged today—he twists God’s truth, creating doubt and rebellion in the hearts of people.
Genesis 3:8-15 – Judgment & The First Gospel Promise
📖 Genesis 3:9-10 – “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”
🔎 God calls out to the sinner—not for information, but to invite repentance.
📖 Genesis 3:12-13 – “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
🔎 Adam blames Eve (and indirectly God), avoiding personal responsibility.
📖 Genesis 3:15 – “It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
🔎 The first messianic prophecy: Christ (the seed of the woman) will defeat Satan.
🔎 This verse points directly to Christ’s victory over Satan at the cross, where He crushed the power of sin and death (Colossians 2:15).
Genesis 3:16-24 – The Consequences of Sin
📖 Genesis 3:16 – “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception… and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
🔎 The consequences of sin affect relationships, childbirth, and authority.
📖 Genesis 3:17-19 – “Cursed is the ground for thy sake… for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
🔎 The earth suffers because of man’s sin, and death becomes inevitable.
📖 Genesis 3:21 – “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
🔎 God’s provision of clothing foreshadows the covering of sin through sacrifice.
📖 Genesis 3:24 – “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims.”
🔎 Humanity is exiled from Eden, separated from the tree of life.
🔎 God’s placement of cherubim blocking the way to the tree of life signifies that redemption must come through divine intervention, ultimately fulfilled in Christ (Revelation 22:14).
The Man’s Curse:
- The ground is cursed—work becomes painful.
- “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
👉 Adam’s failure caused death; Christ’s obedience brought life.
🔥 First Adam → Brings death.
🔥 Last Adam (Christ) → Brings resurrection.
The Garments of Skin (Genesis 3:21)
- God replaced their fig leaves with coats of skin—implying the first blood sacrifice.
- A foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, covering our sin with His righteousness.
- Man’s works (fig leaves) can never cover sin—only God’s provision can.
👉 From the very beginning, salvation was always by blood and grace, not works.
The Banishment from Eden & The Flaming Sword (Genesis 3:22-24)
- Man was driven out lest he eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in sin.
- A flaming sword guarded the way to the Tree of Life.
- In Revelation 22, the Tree of Life is restored—meaning Christ is the only way back to paradise.
👉 The Tree of Life was not destroyed—it was preserved for the redeemed.
Genesis Chapter 3 - Deeper Study
Overview: The Entrance of Sin & God’s Redemption Plan
🔹 Timeframe: The early days of humanity, before the fall.
🔹 Setting: The Garden of Eden, followed by exile into the fallen world.
🔹 Theme: Sin’s consequences, but also God’s promise of redemption.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Satan deceives by distorting God’s Word.
🔑 Sin leads to separation, shame, and death.
🔑 God’s plan for redemption is revealed even in judgment.
🔑 The covering of sin requires sacrifice—fulfilled in Christ.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 The Serpent & The Seed – Foretelling Christ’s ultimate victory over Satan.
🔮 The Sacrificial Covering – A foreshadowing of Christ’s atonement.
🔮 Exile from Eden – Paralleling the need for a Savior to restore access to life.
🔮 The Tree of Life Guarded – Symbolizing that eternal life must come through Christ.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Ancient Serpent Symbolism – Many cultures link serpents to deception and false wisdom.
📜 Sacrificial Covering – Animal sacrifice was often used in ancient cultures to symbolize atonement.
📜 Cherubim in Ancient Thought – These angelic beings represented God’s holiness and protection.
📜 The Role of Trees in the Ancient World – Trees often symbolized life, knowledge, and divine presence.
The Man’s Curse:
- The ground is cursed—work becomes painful.
- “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
👉 Adam’s failure caused death; Christ’s obedience brought life.
🔥 First Adam → Brings death.
🔥 Last Adam (Christ) → Brings resurrection.
The Garments of Skin (Genesis 3:21)
- God replaced their fig leaves with coats of skin—implying the first blood sacrifice.
- A foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, covering our sin with His righteousness.
- Man’s works (fig leaves) can never cover sin—only God’s provision can.
👉 From the very beginning, salvation was always by blood and grace, not works.
The Banishment from Eden & The Flaming Sword (Genesis 3:22-24)
- Man was driven out lest he eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in sin.
- A flaming sword guarded the way to the Tree of Life.
- In Revelation 22, the Tree of Life is restored—meaning Christ is the only way back to paradise.
👉 The Tree of Life was not destroyed—it was preserved for the redeemed.
💡 Final Reflection: The Need for Redemption
Genesis 3 marks the beginning of humanity’s struggle with sin, but also introduces God’s redemptive promise. Christ would one day restore what was lost in Eden.
📌 Do we recognize the subtle deceptions that lead to sin?
📌 Are we taking responsibility for our choices before God?
📌 Have we embraced Christ as the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15?
🚀 Genesis 3 reminds us that though sin entered the world, God’s redemption was already in motion.
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Gen 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Gen 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Date Written
Around 1300 B.C.
Written By
Moses (written under divine inspiration)
Language
Hebrew
Verses
24