God made the heavens and the earth and everything in it. When everything was ready, God created the first man. He named him Adam. God looked at everything he had made and saw that it was very good. He loved Adam and placed him in a beautiful garden called Eden. It was perfect in every way. Everything in the garden was lovely. God gave Adam responsibilities, bringing all the animals and birds to him so that he could name them. Adam named all the beasts of the field, all the livestock, and all the birds of the air. God appointed Adam as the gardener and he walked with him there, during the daytime when it was cool.

God gave Adam the fruit of all the trees in the garden to eat. The trees were nice to look at and the fruit was good to eat. Only one tree was forbidden. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree would bring death to Adam, so because God loved him, he told him not to eat its fruit.

God loved Adam, so he gave him a beautiful wife called Eve to help him. They shared everything in their life together. Everything was very good.

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Then the serpent came and everything changed, because Eve listened to the serpent. The serpent lied to Eve about the forbidden tree and said its fruit was good for them. She took some of its fruit and gave some to Adam. They both ate the forbidden fruit, even though God had warned them that it would bring them death. They disobeyed God’s command and their relationship with God was broken. Death had entered into their world.

God called out to Adam in the garden, as he walked in the daytime when it was cool. Adam and Eve were hiding from God. They were both ashamed of their behaviour. When God spoke to the Adam, Adam said it was his wife’s fault. When God spoke to Eve, she said it was the serpent’s fault. God decided they were all guilty.

He sent out Adam and Eve from the garden and barred the way so that they could not come back.

God still helped them both because he loved them. After they had both eaten the forbidden fruit, they realised they were naked and they felt ashamed.

They covered their nakedness with fig leaves, which they sewed together, but God clothed them with garments made from skins. God provided the skins in order to cover the shame of Adam and Eve.

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God blessed them with children, but in the course of time Adam and Eve grew older and died as God had said. They both ignored God’s warning and there were terrible consequences. God made it clear to them that their lives would be more difficult because of their disobedience and that they would die. Death entered their world.

Looking into the future, God said he would send another man who would obey God in everything. This man would not be misled by the serpent, and the serpent would not be victorious over him. He would conquer the serpent. This man would conquer death, restore our relationship with God and give us everlasting life.

‘At the time when he comes’, God said to the serpent, ‘you will strike his heel, but he will crush your head!’

Material sourced from Genesis 1 – 4, Romans 5, John 10 and 1 John 3.

God showed his love to Adam in a variety of different ways. What are the ways in which God showed love to Adam?  Click here to receive our study guide.

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Photos of Trees by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Photo of Single Tree by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Photo of Snake by Alfonso Castro on Unsplash