Genesis
Foundation Book of the Bible
The Judgment
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is to review the immediate consequences of sin. Of special note in this lesson is the pattern of sin and the judgment that resulted from the original sin.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Explain how God demonstrates His love for man during the judgment for their sin.
- Feel: Develop an appreciation for the love that God has for us.
- Do: Resolve to live faithfully in response to God’s love.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as “right or wrong” responses.
The general pattern is that we fail to rebuke (challenge) sin when the temptation appears. We find ourselves compromising God's word. We then consider the short-term pleasure from the sin and eventually consent to the sinful action.
James 1:14-15 provides a similar pattern. He states that we are not tempted by God, but by our own desires. This desire, if not checked results in sin, which, as in the case of Adam and Eve, leads to death.
Eve gave in to the temptation to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam also ate of the fruit. They felt the shame of what they had done and lost their innocence. When God appeared in the garden, they hid from Him. When confronted, Adam blamed Eve for giving him the fruit to eat. Eve blamed Satan for deceiving her.
Their action resulted in shame from knowingly disobeying God; acknowledgement of guilt following their sin, fearfulness to face God, more sin by Adam in blaming Eve, and Eve blaming Satan, rather than admitting their failure.
Satan was cursed into an eternally low position in creation, Eve was placed into submission to Adam and experience pain in childbirth, and Adam was cursed with ongoing struggle to draw his needs from the earth. Ultimately both Adam and Eve would experience physical death and return to the dust of the earth from which God formed them.
In Genesis 3:15, among the statements of judgment for sin, God presents the first indication of His plan for man to be reconciled to Him. It would eventually play out in the death of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins.
In Romans 5, Paul states that just as sin entered the world through one man, through another man (Jesus) salvation would be provided to all men.
God does not demand that we be sinless before expressing His love for us. While we are in our sins, He offers us forgiveness and reconciliation so we can experience the peace and joy of renewal through Christ here on earth, and the hope of resurrection and eternal life after we die (Romans 6:4-10).