Point of Grace – 7.14.24 Sermon Notes – “In the Beginning God…” Genesis 3

“Oh No!”

Genesis 3:1-8

Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made.

And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will [a]become like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 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 desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings. 8 Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made.

“The character of the snake is a rich and dense narrative image with many layers of meaning. In Genesis 3:1, the snake is described as “shrewd” or “crafty.” This Hebrew word, “arum” (ערום ), is morally neutral, as it can describe the righteous and wise, like in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 22:3 The “arum” sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it.” Tim Mackie – Bible Project Classroom

3:1b-5 And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”

What is the serpent’s temptation strategy?

He is merely planting seeds of “doubt” in the goodness, trustworthiness and character of God … a wedge of doubt. As if he is saying,

“You can’t trust God’s generosity, His word, His intention with you…” therefore … you need to take matters into your own hands. God is holding out on you… He doesn’t have your best interest at heart.”

Genesis 3:6 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 desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

Under temptation she saw the tree in a new light… her light … it became for them a way to be “independent” from the God who created them “dependent”. The serpent promised they would “become like gods”… the crazy thing is they were already made in the image of God – “like God”. The serpent lead the to “take” for themselves by their own authority what was already “given” them by their generous creator Father. They usurped God’s path into wisdom fullness of life and “took” over their story… choosing “self-rule” and independence.

Genesis 3:7-10 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings. 8 Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

Without the “breath of God” intimacy in their dependent relationship with God, the man and woman cratered under the weight of independent existence. They discovered shame, aloneness, fear, a new life of hiding from themselves, each other and God. They hid themselves from the “presence of God” and what does God do? “Where are you?” … the Creator God pursuing His “beloved” ’ayekah’ Where are you?

“It's the first word of the book of Lamentations, which is all about the exile. The tragedy of Israel's exile from the promised land. This is why I've come to refer to God's poem In Genesis 3, as God's lament. It's God's song of grief. That's what the book of Lamentations is. And it's his first question in the garden. ’ayekah’ Where are you? And when you use the vowels .... It's an exclamation. It's not even a word. It's just an exclamation. “Oh or oh no”….. very powerful. Yahweh’s first response is actually just a visceral, “Where are you? Oh no!” Tim Mackie – Bible Project Classroom