Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden,
neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate,
and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
How should we read this text?
Our passage today in Genesis 3:1–7 is one of the most pivotal moments in the entire Bible. We’re shifting from a world where everything was described as being good or very good to the tragic introduction of sin into the world. We often call this the fall. It shows that our first parents were tempted by the serpent and ultimately chose to distrust God's word and to trust the serpent instead.
Let’s consider the setting and notice a few things. The serpent is described as more crafty than any other beast. Notice how the serpent twists God’s words. He says, “Did God actually say?”—and this sets up doubt within the woman’s mind. While the serpent’s words are subtle, they challenge the very heart of God. It’s a questioning of His character and His goodness.
Eve responds by clarifying what God had told them, but she misquotes Him. She adds, “Neither shall you touch it.” Whether that came from Adam’s explanation, her own interpretation, or the serpent’s trap, we don’t know. But what is clear is that the boundary God had set—“you shall not eat”—has now become blurred.
This is how temptation works. It takes what is a good restriction and makes it seem like a bad one. The serpent says, “You will not surely die… you will be like God.” He reframes the restriction as an unfair limitation, and the sin as something good and desirable. It’s a direct attack on God’s character and her trust in Him.
God had already given them good gifts. He had given them clear limits. But the serpent says, you can get more if you disobey. The woman sees the fruit is good for food, a delight to the eyes, and desired to make one wise. She eats, and gives some to Adam who was with her, and he eats.
Immediately their eyes are opened—but not in the way they expected. Their innocence is gone. They feel shame.
This passage reminds us that sin begins with questioning God's goodness. When we twist God's word or fall for a twisted version of it, distrusting what He has said, we are walking the same path Adam and Eve walked.
How should this text read us?
The story of Adam and Eve resonates with us because we are just like them. We face the same kinds of temptations all the time. How often do we wonder if God is holding back something good? How often do we feel that His commands are too restrictive or outdated?
We fall into the same mindset: Did God really say? Or more commonly today: Is this command still relevant for me? The serpent’s voice still echoes. He causes us to question and doubt.
Sin draws on our human desires. We look at something and think, “That’s harmless. That’s good for me,” even if it conflicts with God's design. “It doesn’t hurt anyone,” we tell ourselves. But it does. It hurts us. And instead of fulfilment, it leads us into guilt and shame—just like Adam and Eve.
When they realised they had sinned, they tried to cover themselves. Their eyes were opened, they saw they were naked, and they were ashamed. This shame drives them to try and hide from God. Fig leaves sewn together are not great hiding places, but we do the same.
We hide—not with fig leaves, but with layers of self-protection. We deny, minimise, excuse, or dress up our sin. We try to convince ourselves that it’s not so bad. Maybe we fear being truly seen and rejected. So we cover up, we hide, we pretend.
But the fall is not God’s final word.
This is only Genesis 3. The rest of the Bible shows that even though this struggle lives in every generation, God is a God who pursues—even when we hide. In the very next passage, we’ll see God go after Adam and Eve. He will do something remarkable to cover their shame.
Ultimately, this points to Jesus, who comes to undo the curse of sin. He covers our sinfulness, not with fig leaves, but with His own righteousness. He removes our shame. Even the serpent’s lie—that we could be like God—is undone by Christ’s humility and cross.
Prayer
Father,
We confess that like Adam and Eve,
we often listen to the voices that cause us to doubt your goodness and your truth
and the boundaries you’ve put in place around us.
We pray that you will forgive us when we choose our own desires
and when we ignore your word for our lives.
Help us to live instead in the light of who you are—
the good God you are—
who loved us enough to send your only Son to die in our place.
We pray this in His mighty name.
Amen.