Genesis 3:1-24
Summary
Jose Gonzalez welcomed participants, including Awilda Gonzalez, and provided details about the class structure, available communication channels, and the live stream options for the Response to Grace Church service, as requested by Natalee Gonzalez. The core discussion, focusing on Genesis chapter 3, covered the serpent’s cunning deception, the pre-fall state of Adam and Eve, the shift from God defining “good” to the woman independently discerning it, and the immediate consequences of disobedience, including blame-casting and the curses placed on the serpent, the woman, and the man. Jose Gonzalez identified the serpent's curse as foreshadowing the Gospel's promise of the "snake crusher" (Jesus) and discussed the serpent’s identity as a spiritual being of chaos, while participants, including Awilda Gonzalez and Frederick Hamilton Jr., inquired about the time frame in the garden, the idea of talking animals, and the role of fear in repentance.
Details
Notes Length: Standard
Class Structure and Communication Jose Gonzalez welcomed participants, including Awilda Gonzalez, and clarified that the class is held twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday), covering the same content, with the Thursday session being slower-paced, so Awilda Gonzalez had not missed anything (00:00:00). Jose Gonzalez also shared links for a question and feedback form and a contact list in the chat for attendees to stay connected or provide input on the class material (00:00:45).
Prayer and Class Coverage Jose Gonzalez opened the floor for prayer requests before starting the class, noting that they had a lot of ground to cover in the current session (00:03:24). Natalee Gonzalez asked about virtual live stream options for church service, and Jose Gonzalez confirmed that the service is streamed on Saturdays at 11:30 AM via the RTG app, YouTube channel, and Facebook page for Response to Grace Church. Jose Gonzalez then led a prayer, asking God for understanding and comfort for those in difficult seasons (00:04:17).
Study Tools and Tonight's Focus Jose Gonzalez shared that they would be diving into Genesis chapter 3 and recommended Bible Gateway as a free tool that functions as both a Bible search and a concordance to track themes and patterns. The goal was to cover Genesis 3 tonight, with Genesis 4 planned for the following week (00:05:16).
The Serpent and Questioning God's Word The discussion began with Genesis 3, introducing the serpent as a new, cunning character from the field who questioned the woman about God's prohibition against eating from the tree in the middle of the garden (00:07:05). The serpent contradicted God, claiming that eating the fruit would open their eyes and make them "like God, knowing good and evil" (00:08:03).
Adam and Eve's Pre-Fall State and the Serpent's Cunning Jose Gonzalez reviewed that in Genesis 1 and 2, Adam and Eve were created in God's image and were meant to co-rule (00:09:06). Awilda Gonzalez asked how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before the serpent arrived and whether talking animals were common at the time. Jose Gonzalez confirmed that the Bible does not specify the time frame and acknowledged that a talking snake was an odd and striking detail in the narrative (00:10:13).
Shift in Discerning Good and Evil Jose Gonzalez highlighted a shift from Genesis 1, where God defined what was "good," to Genesis 3, where the woman saw that the tree was good, desirable, and promised wisdom, despite God's warning that it was not good (00:13:40). The serpent's suggestion was particularly believable because human beings, already made in God's image, were being convinced by a spiritual being to seek something they already possessed: likeness to God (00:37:12).
The Consequences of Disobedience After eating the forbidden fruit, the eyes of both Adam and Eve were opened, they realized they were naked, and they attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves (00:08:03) (00:14:39). Upon hearing God, they hid, and when confronted, the man blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent, avoiding responsibility (00:15:41).
The Serpent's Curse and the Promised Snake Crusher God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and established hostility between the serpent's offspring and the woman's offspring (00:16:48). Jose Gonzalez noted the strangeness of the serpent's curse, questioning if snakes already slithered on their bellies, suggesting that the event implied the serpent may have been a winged creature, a Seraphim, whose wings were "clipped" (00:17:53) (00:28:51). The text then introduced the prophecy of a descendant who would crush the serpent's head but be wounded in the heel, which Jose Gonzalez identified as a direct reference to the Gospel and the wounded victory of Jesus (00:18:54) (00:21:24).
Serpents as Symbols of Chaos and Disorder Jose Gonzalez elaborated on the serpent's identity, noting that the Hebrew word for serpent, nahash, connects to the word tanin (sea monsters or serpents of chaos) in Genesis 1, linking the serpent to ideas of chaos and disorder in both the dry field and the waters (00:23:42) (00:25:44). The term Seraphim, spiritual beings seen around God's throne in Isaiah 6, is also translated as "fiery serpent," suggesting the Genesis 3 serpent may have been a spiritual being from the divine council (00:27:54) (00:36:09). Jose Gonzalez connected this to Moses' staff turning into a serpent in Exodus 4, illustrating Moses' role as a "snake handler" (00:32:25).
The Nature of the Serpent's Deception The deception was rooted in the desire to know good and evil, not the knowledge itself, which is valuable (as seen when Solomon asks for wisdom to discern good and evil). The issue was Adam and Eve's choice to discern good and evil on their own terms, apart from God, which led them to see as "good" what was harmful (00:40:03) (00:42:04). This pattern of seeing something beautiful or desirable and taking it apart from God's will is a recurring theme throughout the Bible (00:42:57) (00:45:24).
Consequences for Adam and Eve The punishment for the woman included greatly multiplied pain in childbirth and her desire being for her husband who would rule over them, which was noted as a deviation from the Genesis 1 ideal of co-ruling (00:49:48). The man's curse involved the ground being cursed, requiring hard labor to produce food, marking the end of the eternal rest previously enjoyed (00:50:44).
The Covering of Death and Exile Although Adam and Eve did not immediately die physically, their mortality began, and they were exiled from the garden (00:51:46) (00:55:13). God clothed them with garments of skin, which meant an animal died to cover their nakedness, an act that Jose Gonzalez saw as foreshadowing Jesus' death to cover humanity (00:52:59). They were prevented from eating from the Tree of Life to avoid living forever in their fallen state, and God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree (00:55:13). Awilda Gonzalez asked if Adam and Eve ever repented in Genesis 3, and Jose Gonzalez confirmed that the text does not show their repentance, but highlights God’s grace and mercy in covering them despite their disobedience and blame-casting (00:57:11).
Consequences of Actions in Genesis 3 Jose Gonzalez introduced the idea that the human beings in Genesis 3 did not deserve to live after their mistake, but God granted them mercy, though they still faced consequences such as returning to work and hostility with a spiritual being. Frederick Hamilton Jr. suggested that there was no repentance because there was no fear of God after they partook of the fruit, leading to a loss of perspective and fear (00:59:19).
Discussion on Fear and Repentance Frederick Hamilton Jr. asserted that repentance is dependent on fear, specifically the fear of everlasting death, which the individuals in the text lacked, suggesting they never repented (01:00:19). Jose Gonzalez, however, stated they did not see any discussion of fear or repentance in Genesis chapter 3, focusing instead on God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness being extended despite them not deserving it (01:01:41). Jose Gonzalez clarified that the text introduces the idea of God's nature and the consequences of sin, noting that Christ died for people while they were enemies, indicating that God acted first before repentance (01:02:48).
Meeting Conclusion and Look Ahead Jose Gonzalez apologized for running four minutes over time and announced that the next meeting would delve into Genesis chapter 4, focusing on spiritual power and the 'serpent person' (01:02:48). Jose Gonzalez closed the meeting with a prayer of thanks and petition for wisdom to turn to God during temptation and to trust them in difficult times (01:02:48).