It is in this chapter that we read of sin’s introduction (rebellion against God) and the ensuing curse.
“Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.’ To the woman he said, ‘I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’ To Adam he said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, “You must not eat from it,” cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.’ And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.’ (v13,14,16,17,22a)
This chapter is so deep we could spend days unpacking it, but I’ll touch on the topic of “what is the curse”? We know it’s a result (or consequence) of sin, but what does it really mean? There are four parts to it that I see in this passage.
1. The people/animals/creatures are cursed. Because of Satan’s role in introducing sin, and because he came in the form of a serpent, God curses the living creatures of the earth (especially serpents).
2. Pain and suffering enter the world. Because of Eve’s role in the fall, humankind will now have pain and suffering during their normal course of life (childbearing will be especially painful).
3. The earth itself is cursed. Because of Adam’s role in rebellion, the earth itself will now be significantly harder to maintain, and work will be a struggle (farming is specifically mentioned since it’s the original occupation)
4. Physical death is now a reality. In v19 God says “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Basically, from now on life will be a struggle, and you will eventually die.
I know that sounds grim (because it is), but there is hope. ” ‘And I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” (v21) Since God is all-knowing, He knew this would happen, and already had a plan in place: He temporarily covered up their nakedness (shame/guilt/sin) by killing an animal and clothing them (the shedding of blood), and set in motion the plan to send Jesus to crush the head of the serpent, though His heel would be bruised (vanquish sin by dying on the cross and then rising again).
As a slight sidebar I know the Bible doesn’t say what kind of animals God killed to cover them with skins, but I like to think it was sheep – not because I hate sheep, but because it would be the perfect symbolism to align with all of the Mosaic laws (the sacrificing of rams/sheep as a sin offering) and to foreshadow the Lamb of God, who is Jesus, that would permanently take away the power of sin.
I know this is going a little long so I won’t quote it, but please take the time to read Isaiah 65:17-25. It’s my favorite passage to read along side of Genesis 3 (you’ll understand why if you read it).
My prayer for today is that I consistently remember to recognize the significance of Jesus’ gift of salvation, and out of response to that freedom I willingly choose to continue serving the God of creation who loved us so much He would go to extreme lengths to save us from our own self-destruction. My prayer is that I not only speak of this redemption, I live it out in my actions as well.
~ Conqueror in Training