GIFT ONE: A PROMISE KEPT                              Genesis 3:1–15

3 Now ^uthe 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, ‘You¹ shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ^v‘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.’ ” 4 ^wBut the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 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.” 6 So 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 to be desired to make one wise,² she took of its fruit ^xand ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, ^yand he ate. 7 ^zThen the eyes of both were opened, ^aand they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool³ of the day, and the man and his wife ^bhid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”⁴ 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, ^cbecause I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, ^d“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, ^e“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and ^fdust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

 15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring⁵ and ^gher offspring;

^hhe shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

My wife and I try to be careful about what we promise to our children. This is about more than just being true to our word. It is a key factor in creating and nurturing trust. One of the most astounding qualities of God is that He always keeps His promises. This week, we will focus on the first gift we receive through the coming of Jesus—the gift of God’s promises made and kept.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. GALATIANS 4:4

Today’s reading details the first episode in the tragic history of human disobedience to God. God created a good world for His image-bearers. He provided food to eat and meaningful work for them to accomplish (Gen. 2:15). He also gave a specific warning, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Gen. 2:17).

Into this paradise came a crafty serpent, Satan in disguise, who convinced the woman to question God’s command and His motives (Gen. 3:1–4). The woman and man both knowingly disobeyed God’s command and chose to eat from the tree (v. 6). When God confronted them, He judged all three. But God also provided a ray of hope. He said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (3:15). God indicated that there would be ongoing conflict between the offspring of the woman and the serpent, but that through her descendants would come victory. This promise is clarified in the rest of the Old Testament and fulfilled by the birth of Christ (Gal. 4:4).

It is easy to break our promises. We often fail to follow through on what we say. God, on the other hand, never breaks His promises. What He promised that day to Eve became truth through Jesus Christ. You can trust Him to keep His word to you!

PRAY WITH US

Father, thank you for the promise of the coming Redeemer given to Eve at the dawn of history! Thank you for all You have done for us since then. Fill our hearts with gratitude and love for You as we study Your Word this month.