The Fall

2. The Fall (Genesis 3)

We have no means of knowing how long the first man and woman remained in innocency. The record hurries us on to their fall through sin. The sad story may be told in four words:

(1) Prohibition

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

(2) Temptation

Appearing in the form of a serpent, Satan came and said, "Ye shall not surely die, 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."

(3) Fall - "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, 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."

(4) Promise - Before God drove the guilty pair out of the garden, he mercifully gave them a promise, which though vague in its nature, yet served to save them from despair. This word of promise formed a part of God's curse upon the serpent, "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 remainder of the Bible unfolds God's plan and work in fulfillment of this promise.