The Version Of Christ

The Serpent's Deception

In the tranquil garden of Eden, amidst the harmony of creation, a serpent appeared. Cunning and crafty, it approached the woman. "Did God really say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" the serpent asked, its voice smooth and beguiling.

The woman replied, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

"You will not surely die," the serpent countered. "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).

The woman looked at the tree. Its fruit was a delight to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom. She reached out, plucked its fruit, and ate. Then, she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate as well. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they realized they were naked. In shame, they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves (Genesis 3:6-7).

Hearing the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, the man and his wife hid among the trees. God called out, "Where are you?"

The man replied, "I heard Your voice and was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."

"Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?" (Genesis 3:8-11).

The man blamed the woman: "The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me the fruit, and I ate." The woman, in turn, blamed the serpent: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:12-13).

God declared judgment. To the serpent, He said, "Because you have done this, cursed are you all livestock and beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust all your days. I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:14-15).

To the woman, He said, "I will greatly increase your pain in childbirth; in pain, you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

To the man, He said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the forbidden tree, cursed is the ground because of you. Through painful toil, you will eat of it all the days of your life. By the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:16-19).

God made garments of animal skin to clothe Adam and Eve. Then, He banished them from Eden, setting cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:21-24).

Cain and Abel

Outside Eden, Adam and Eve began their new life. Eve gave birth to two sons: Cain, a farmer, and Abel, a shepherd. One day, they brought offerings to the Lord. Cain presented some of his crops, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, along with their fat portions. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering but rejected Cain's (Genesis 4:1-5).

Anger consumed Cain. The Lord said to him, "Why are you angry? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:6-7).

Ignoring the warning, Cain lured Abel to a field and killed him. The Lord confronted Cain, asking, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know," Cain replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

God said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are under a curse. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer" (Genesis 4:8-12).

Cain protested, fearing death. God marked him to protect him, declaring that anyone who harmed Cain would face sevenfold vengeance. Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden, and began a family (Genesis 4:13-16).

The Line of Adam

Adam lived 930 years and fathered many sons and daughters. The generations of his descendants were recorded, beginning with Seth, whom Eve saw as a replacement for Abel (Genesis 5:1-3).

Men began to call on the name of the Lord, but sin continued to spread. The world grew darker with each generation, yet glimmers of hope remained, pointing toward a future redemption. This was the lineage through which salvation would one day come (Genesis 5:4-32).