Bible Notes: Genesis 3:1-5
Welcome to the very first “Bible Notes!” Read more about this series below.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” –Genesis 3:1-5
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5
In the beginning, Eve knew no evil. Many scholars have written about this first sin and the deception of the serpent. As we read through these verses I can’t help but feel the deep ache of sorrow, sadness, and loss that happened during that conversation.
Before Eve sinned, life was beautiful, perfect, and safe. In a series of words with the father of lies, Eve suddenly faced with something she never even saw coming: evil.
Eve believed that she would be like God and know “good and evil.” We might gloss over those words, but let’s linger on the idea that she would know evil. Did she know the word? Did she know about sin?
I cannot imagine Eve could grasp the idea of evil and sin before then. How would she know? She wouldn’t, and suddenly knowledge was more important than anything. The phrase “innocence is bliss” surely applied to sweet Eve.
Eve knew no evil.
In a sudden instant the world shifted. Creation shifted. Relationships shifted. Death entered and evil was ushered in unknowingly. Eve didn’t know the evil that would come and the evilness of this world would make Jesus birth as a man and death on the cross necessary.
The hope we find in this passage is Genesis 3:16, where a Seed (Jesus) is promised to bring us back to the garden. Jesus faced evil and knew what to do. He crushed the same serpent that tricked Eve. And Jesus will usher us all into a world where we will know no evil again.
We will not feel sad, or sorrow, or loss forever. Eternity is coming and there we will meet Eve and tell her that is ok. We will join her in glory and be like her before the fall. We will know no evil again.
About the Bible Notes Series
For as long as I can remember I’ve taken notes in church. I have a box from my childhood filled with notebooks I wrote in middle school and high school containing sermon notes from a variety of pastors and preachers. About the time my children were growing and I started carrying a diaper bag to church, I started using a journaling Bible.
(You can read more about how to study the Bible for yourself here!)
My Bible notes aren’t neat or written in beautiful script. I don’t add stickers or colored highlighters. I usually just have a pencil or pen dug out from the bottom of my purse. In the margins of my journaling Bible I write down insights, either from the pastor or from what the Holy Spirit is saying to me at that moment sitting in church.
For this new series I’ve decided to start at Genesis and go through my journaling Bible, sharing some of my favorite insights and thoughts with you. These will be short, maybe include lists, but most often just my own musings on Scripture. These are pocket-sized truths to hang onto when life feels hard or confusing.
The truth is always true. So, let’s read the Bible together and remember that God’s Word is the only lifeline we need in this world of chaos.
