WHEN GOD'S LOVE IS DOUBTED

Genesis 3:1-24                                             Lesson 4a
Key Verse: 3:15

    "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."

*  TEMPTATION AND FALL (1-6)

1.   Where does this conversation take place and who are the
     participants? How is the serpent described? Who does the serpent
     represent? (Rev 12:7-9) What is characteristic of his nature?
     (3:1; Jn 8:44)

2.   Observe carefully the steps in the serpent's temptation of the
     woman. How did he twist the mean- ing of God's word? (compare
     2:16,17 with 3:1,4,5) In what respect did he lie? How did he
     remove the absolute from God's word? How did he plant pride? How
     did he lead her to doubt God's love?

3.   How did the woman answer him? (2,3) What was her attitude toward
     God and his word? What were her inner desires? Why did she yield
     to temptation? What can we learn here about how to overcome
     temptation? (See Mt 4:1-11)

*  THE TRAGEDY OF BROKEN FELLOWSHIP (7-13)

4.   Why did she give some to her husband? What was the immediate
     result of their eating the forbidden fruit? (7) What do you
     think this means?

5.   When they heard God coming, what did they do? Why? How and why did
     God call? What was Adam's answer? What does this conversation
     show about the tragedy of sin?

6.   How did God confront Adam with his sin? What might Adam have done?
     What excuses did they make? What does this reveal about sin's
     effect on relationships?

*  A WORLD UNDER CURSE (14-24)

7.   How did God curse the serpent? How does God's promise in 3:15 give
     hope to mankind? Why is this the key verse of this lesson?

8.   How did God punish the woman? How is her punishment related to her
     blessing? (1:28) What does it mean that God cursed the ground?
     (see Ro 8:20,21) How is man's punishment related to his mission?
     [How can the curse be removed, woman set free and man's mission
     restored? (Gal 3:13; Jn 3:18; Ro 16:20; Mk 16:15])

9.   In what other way did God show his love for fallen man? How did
     Adam heal his relationship with his wife?

10.  Why did God drive them from the Garden? Why did he not destroy the
     garden? What hope does this give? What is the significance of
     the tree of life? (Rev 22:2,14,19)