GENESIS: Reboot Study
Chapter 3
PART 2
By Dr. Robert Fieldhouse, Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Fla.
Prayerfully, you made time to reflect on Genesis 3:1-13. If you haven't made the time to reflect, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Read beyond the words, or as was commonly said in my day, read between the lines. We deliberately stopped our last session at Verse 13. Genesis 3:1-13, besides telling us what is widely called the Fall, provides us with an abundance of symbolism that can serve as an excellent teacher and even a therapist of sorts. If we dive deep into what this much of the story shares with us, we can discover and learn so much about why we are the way we are and quite a lot about why we think the way we do. What is the root cause of our behavioral choices, etc.? Now
Genesis 3:14-24 appears to be setting the stage for the eventual defeat of evil through God's plan of salvation. Chapters 14-24 can only help us if we have received the message(s) so far in Chapter 3. Okay – ready? Let's go!
Genesis 3:14 (read) shows the immediate consequence of the serpent's role in leading Adam and Eve into sin. The curse, delivered by our God, is a physical and Spiritual humiliation of the serpent. In Verse 14, God speaks directly to the serpent, which in the Biblical narrative is understood to be a physical manifestation of Satan (or the adversary), used to deceive Eve. Our last session taught us that while the serpent is an "animal," it is symbolically tied to Satan's influence in the Garden of Eden. I digress.
Moving on, God declares that the serpent will be cursed more than any other animal. This curse destroys its former nature or standing, signifying its low and despised status. Does this statement indicate that the serpent had legs once or could somehow stand erect? That information is not provided. However, the statement clarifies that God's Divine judgment states that the serpent will forever crawl on the ground. Of interest in this Verse is also the point that, as we learn by studying our Bible, "eating dust" is often a metaphor for complete defeat and humiliation. It suggests the serpent's total subjugation and loss of any power or honor it might have had before the Fall. From a moral standpoint, this passage highlights the consequences of disobedience to God and the role of temptation in leading humanity off course. The serpent's punishment serves as a reminder that sin has both Spiritual and physical consequences.
Genesis 3:15 (read)1A simple internet-based search can show us that Verse 15, called the Protoevangelium, refers, thought by many theologians, to the first Biblical prophecy of redemption in Genesis 3:15. The word derives from Greek, meaning "first gospel" or "first good news" (Bravesearch.com) and, as such, signifies the eventual defeat of evil. Throughout the Bible, this Verse sets the stage for the Spiritual warfare between good (God's kingdom) and evil (Satan's kingdom). Let's unpack Verse 15 and consider some of the possible explanations.
We read, And I will put enmity Between you and the woman. In this instance, "You" refers to the serpent (symbolizing Satan), and "the woman" refers to Eve. The word "enmity" means hostility or antagonism. I better understand enmity as anger, resentment, or hatred. God declares that there will be an ongoing conflict between the serpent and the woman, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil and, on a larger scale, between Satan and humanity. Keep in mind that this enmity isn't just between the serpent and Eve but extends to all of humanity, representing the Spiritual battle between the powers of good (God) and evil (Satan). Next, And between your seed and her seed. In this instance, I understand the word seed to mean "offspring," which would refer to descendants. The woman's offspring must refer to those who seek to follow God. The serpent's seed or offspring must be those who follow the path of evil, which is often associated with Satan. To this very day, we all are still experiencing the enmity between these two groups of individuals, highlighting the ongoing Spiritual struggle between those who align themselves with evil and those who choose to align themselves with God's Will.
The following sentence reads, He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. Theologians and scholars often see this sentence as the key part of the Verse, as it holds great theological significance. Here, in my opinion, is why this is so. We read He will bruise your head. I must digress for a moment to state that different translations of the Bible often use other words; in this instance, the word bruise is sometimes written as crush. However, as a rule (meaning not always), the overall significance and symbolism will remain virtually the same. Continuing, the "He" in this phrase is typically interpreted by Christians as a reference to a future figure, the Messiah, who we will be introduced to in future narratives. As discussed in our future lessons, this phrase predicts that the Messiah will ultimately defeat Satan. Bruising the head signifies a decisive and final victory. The last sentence of Verse 15 states, "And you shall bruise His heel," indicating that while the serpent (Satan) will strike at, or bruise, the Messiah's heel, causing harm, it will not be a fatal blow. While the serpent (Satan) may seem to have power in the short term, as seen in the temptation of Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:15 assures us that evil will not have the final say.
Genesis 3:16 (read) states a significant result of the Fall. God announces that Eve and women, as it turned out, will experience substantial pain in childbirth, as well as an unsettled relationship with their husbands. The Verse introduces the idea of power imbalances and relational struggles between Adam and Eve. Still, as it also turns out, it is between all men and women, with the man ruling according to this Verse. Let's unpack a sentence from the Verse which, in my years of teaching, research, writing, and personal experience, has been sorely misunderstood, leading to hours and hours of marriage counseling by me, therapists, and other clergy. The sentence, And he shall rule over you, in my opinion (and I am not alone in this thinking), does not mean God is commanding Eve (females) to be a servant (as we understand the term servant today) to Adam (males). For a reason only God knows, He chose Eve to be ruled over by Adam. What the takeaway from this statement should be, in my opinion, is that God elected to do this to create a never-ending struggle between Adam and Eve and now, in our present day, man and woman. According to my understanding of this sentence found in the ESV and other sources, the leadership role of the husband and the complementary relationship between a husband and wife that God ordained before the Fall have now been deeply damaged and distorted by sin. The statement primarily takes the form of a disproportionate desire on the wife's part and a domineering rule on the husband's part. Adam and Eve's original sin of rebellion against God's will has disastrous consequences for their relationship – strife. Eve will have the sinful desire to oppose Adam and to assert leadership over him, reversing God's plan for Adam's leadership in marriage. However, Adam will also abandon his God-given pre-Fall role of leading, guarding, and caring for his wife, replacing this with his own sinful, distorted desire to rule over Eve. This proclamation by our God is one of the most tragic results of Adam and Eve's rebellion against God. It is an ongoing damaging conflict between a husband and wife in marriage, which, we now know, is driven by the sinful behavior of both in rebellion against their respective God-given roles and responsibilities in marriage.
Let's take a moment to review what God's plan for Adam's leadership in marriage is supposed to mean. God's plan for Adam's leadership in marriage, as revealed to us in the early chapters of Genesis, the Creation narrative, and in the broader Biblical context, is one of responsible, loving, servant leadership. What was God's plan for Eve concerning her marriage to Adam? God's plan for Eve in marriage is one of partnership, complementarity, and equality with Adam. She is Created to be his helper, not in a dominated sense, but as a co-laborer in fulfilling God's mandate to steward the earth and reflect His image. In marriage, Eve's role is vital in contributing to our relationship with God and, it turns out, the mission of all humanity. According to God's plan, marriage is a partnership in which both spouses are assigned by Him, with roles that complement one another.
Genesis 3:17 (read) tells us the consequences of Adam's disobedience, particularly regarding his work and the earth. Because Adam listened to Eve and ate from the forbidden Tree, the ground itself is cursed, and the easy, harmonious "work" Adam initially enjoyed in the Garden of Eden is now replaced by painful toil. Adam's curse also reveals the broader effect of his sin on all of Creation, bringing disorder, difficulty, and frustration to the natural world. Let's unpack the Verse. First, God had instructed Adam in Genesis 2:16-17 not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. However, Adam chose to listen to Eve, and both ate the forbidden fruit. As the first Created man and the one who received God's direct command, Adam bears the primary responsibility for the decision that led to the Fall. The point that Adam was the one who received God's direct command about the Tree does not release Eve of her responsibility. Still, it highlights that Adam has a specific role in God's plan and, therefore, a greater responsibility. The curse's beginning on the ground symbolizes the broader disturbance of God's original perfect order. The Garden of Eden was a place of abundance and ease. Now, Adam will experience hardship, toil, and struggle in his relationship with the earth. We read, In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. (Gen. 3:17) Before the Fall, Adam was filling his role as God's steward, evidently working and caring for the Garden of Eden, and this work was, I believe, pleasant and fulfilling. After the Fall, however, the work required to obtain food will be characterized by pain and toil. So, there was a change in work itself. Work became frustrating, challenging, and filled with hardship. The curse on the ground makes it harder to grow food, and even the simplest tasks will require significant effort.
Genesis 3:18 (read) deals with the impact of sin on the ground and Adam's work. The beginning of the Verse highlights the direct consequence of Adam's sin concerning the earth. Once a fruitful and easy food provider, the ground will now yield thorns and thistles. In literature, thorns and thistles are often used to symbolize life's frustration, difficulty, and obstacles. Thorns and thistles, in the Genesis narrative, are weeds that hinder the growth of crops. We are to assume that they make farming or gardening difficult because they compete with desirable plants, making it harder for people to cultivate the land and produce food. However, reflecting on the idea of the thorns and thistles allows us to seek a deeper meaning. On the surface, this imagery underscores how sin has brought disorder and hardship into what was previously a perfect, harmonious relationship between Adam and the earth. In the pre-Fall world, Adam's work in the Garden was much easier, but now his work will be marked by toil and resistance from the earth itself. With sin entering the world, that harmony is broken, and the earth becomes a place of frustration rather than abundant cooperation. The following sentence, And you shall eat the herb of the field (Gen. 3:18) likely tells us that Adam's ability to obtain food, which was once easy in the Garden of Eden, will now require significant effort and suffering. Instead of freely gathering fruit from the trees in the Garden, Adam will now labor to cultivate the fields, working against the thorns and thistles that will make the land uncooperative and unproductive. Remember that the thorns and thistles crowd other plants and trees, using needed space and nutrients. The phrase, And you shall eat the herb of the field, suggests that food will still be provided, but it will come only through hard, difficult, painful toil. The ease of life is gone, and Adam will now experience work characterized by frustration, sweat, and hardship. Work, which was initially designed to be fulfilling and productive, is now fraught with frustration and difficulty (does that sound familiar?).
Genesis 3:19 (read) features the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin. Adam and Eve's curse, or judgment, affects the natural world, the ground, human relationships, pain in childbearing, relational struggles, and ultimately human death. Using our developing skill of exploring and learning through symbolism reminds us, from the above Verses, that sin brings brokenness, suffering, and death into God's perfect Creation. However, all is not lost because we also see part of the broader narrative of Scripture, which includes the promise of redemption.
Genesis 3:20-21 (read) highlights two important things. Adam's acknowledgment of Eve as the "mother of all the living" signals the continuation of life despite the curse and God's provision of skin garments to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness, symbolizing grace and the necessity of atonement (I covered the provision of skin garments by God for Adam and Eve in a previous narrative). These Verses highlight God's ongoing mercy and hope for humanity, even after the Fall into sin. Let's pause for a moment to consider a few thoughts, in no particular order, that I once, and still do occasionally, wonder about concerning the Verses we are covering here.
. Eve was Created to be a helper comparable to Adam. I have never found where God initially said Eve would be responsible for producing
offspring (children), though it is certainly implied in future Verses. What are your thoughts on that conundrum?
. Was Adam assigned leadership over Eve because he was Created first, or is there another reason? What do you think?
. Why was there a serpent in a "perfect paradise" to begin with?
Just as there is some factual truth in every lie, there lies some factual truth in the Genesis narrative. Were these narratives written for future generations with the understanding that humankind would have differing ability levels to understand the lessons offered? Can it be that perhaps some people don't or can't recognize symbolism in the text? I digress.
Genesis 3:22 (read) tells us that God acknowledges the change in Adam and Eve's condition. Genesis 3:22 reflects the profound consequences of humanity's Fall into sin, where, now aware of good and evil, introduces moral self-rule and Spiritual death. However, God, in His mercy, prevents them from eating from the Tree of Life, making sure they do not live forever in their fallen, corrupted state. This decision sets the stage for the eventual redemption of humanity. Also worth noting is that our Bible generally speaks of God in the singular, as one God. However, the plural expression used in this Verse seems to invite us to consider the complex nature of our God. The exact meaning of "us" used in this Verse can and is debated to this day by theologians and Biblical scholars. Some interpretations might reflect the Divine council (Angels or heavenly beings) involved in God's decisions. However, in most Christian doctrines, this is often seen as an early hint at the Trinitarian nature of God. We will cover the trinitarian nature of God in an upcoming narrative. Isn't it amazing how God continues to provide His mercy through all this?
Genesis 3:23-24 (read) tells us of the banishment of Adam and Eve, but on an expanded view, our banishment from the Garden of Eden is a consequence of sin. The banishment appears to symbolize the separation between humanity and God caused by sin. The cherubim and flaming sword guarding the Tree of Life represent the loss of access to eternal life due to sin. However, this is also an act of God's mercy, as stated earlier, because living forever in a fallen state would be worse than banishment. As we continue to study, we will see where these Verses actually set the stage for God's redemptive plan of building a bridge, of sorts, for humankind. Now, there is a cliff-hanger in that last sentence!
We have now finished our look at Genesis Chapter 3. Before moving to our next chapter, I would like to make a few declarative statements to clarify a few points regarding previous, present, and future narratives I have presented or will present going forward.
Regardless of what source(s) you use when studying your Bible or any of what your Bible may contain, always remember that no one, except the original authors (eyewitnesses) who were present at the time Christ Jesus was with us on earth, actually knows what went on during that period of ancient history. There is, never has been, and never will be (unless time travel becomes a reality) a genuine Biblical scholar who can state factual truth concerning our Bible's content. Sadly, I fear this even affects "red-letter" text in several Bibles and study guides. I encourage you not to be fooled into believing 100% of what anyone tells you, whether in a church, a study group, audio or video, or best-selling books. Use any or all of them only as a springboard for your research, consideration, and deep reflection. Put in the effort, and God will provide for you! I cite and use references in my writing (or try to) for legal reasons and because the practice was drilled into me while writing for my doctoral degree.
Unfortunately, pride and ego still run rampant when speaking or writing. No one knows the factual truth concerning Scripture. Use me as a springboard. Use every "teacher" as a springboard. Tithe where you are "fed." And a tithe doesn't have to mean only money. A simple handshake, a thank-you, a handwritten note, a sincere prayer, or a genuine smile can be a tithe. I sincerely hope I can help you on your path by kicking some of the stones out of your way. However, you must still walk your path, God Willing, on your own.
In your journal, write your ideas regarding the questions presented in the box I placed above.
Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Florida