One of the saddest passages in all the Word of God — the fall of man, his separation from the holy God Who created him and loved him. Then the announcement of what God would graciously provide far off in the future, to meet the fallen and separated sinners need. Wonderful, wonderful truth. Let’s all learn it down deep in our heart!
V.1-7 We meet the serpent for the first time, introduced with no word of explanation. Eve does many things wrong. (1) She shouldn’t have listened to the serpent when he spoke to her. (2) She shouldn’t have spoken to the serpent. (3) She should have kept close to her husband. (4) She began to reason — the fruit was (A) good for food; (B) pleasant to the eyes; (C) able to make her wise. (5) She disobeyed God, for she ate the fruit. (6) She gave it to her husband to eat. Ever since, Satan has succeeded in substituting his deception and lies for God’s truth. He has brought the human race into sin, misery, violence, corruption and death; and for the lost, the lake of fire forever! Yet people blame God for the present condition of the world.
V.7-10 Immediately after they disobeyed God (for disobedience of God is sin) they knew they were naked — they had received a conscience, a bad one, for they hid from God. A bad conscience always makes us afraid of God.
V.11-24 The result of one act of disobedience. Sin always separates from God (Isa. 59:2). Sin is costly! The condition of the world today is the result of one sin.
V.15 This points directly to Christ on the cross, destroying Satan (Heb. 2:14).
V.16-17 What a marvelous contrast to this sorrow is the joy and peace with God which the believer has through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 15:13).
V.21 An animal must die before the skins could be provided for a covering for Adam and Eve. Another picture of Christ as the Lamb of God Who died to cleanse us from our sins and give us a perfect standing before God (Heb. 10:14).
V.22 The tree of life had a purpose to be fulfilled in the future. Turn to Revelation 22:2. We believers are going to eat the fruit of that tree, for we shall live forever!
V.23-24 The sword of judgment (punishment) kept them out of the garden. But the sword of judgment fell on the Lord Jesus (Zech. 13:7) and through the death of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the door into heaven, into the paradise of God, is opened.