In the Garden the man listens to the words of the serpent tempter. And the man makes the intent and actions of Satan his own. He too rebels against God.

Step by step he moves away from God and toward Satan! 

• Has Satan just thrown God’s words into question in 3:1? Apparently the man does too.
• Does the man look with respect on the woman’s defense of God’s words reported in 3:2? We don’t read that he joins her in correcting the word of the serpent tempter.
• Does he respect God’s warning against eating resulting in punishment? He apparently believes the serpent enough who lies and says “You will not surely die” according to 3:4.
• Doesn’t he already know about good? God had named the Tree the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Does he want extra knowledge, to know evil?

And so, he eats the forbidden fruit.

When God judges the three at the Tree, God groups the man together with Satan in his words of judgment. God treats the woman apart from these two rebels because she doesn’t rebel on purpose. She disobeys only after being deceived.

God makes six points in addressing the serpent. And then God uses those same six points and exact wording, even to the repetition of sounds when he addresses the man. The way this passage is written out in Hebrew adds to the meaning of the words that are used. This repeated pattern of six common elements ties the two of them together in God’s evaluation of their intent and acts.

GO DEEPER

 The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn’t curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner