Creation & the Human Condition

Genesis 1–3

The Seven-Day Creation Account

God speaks, and things exist. Light, sky, land, sea, sun, moon, living creatures — each day building on the last, each declared good. On the sixth day he makes the human person in his own image and likeness, and declares everything very good. On the seventh day he rests and hallows it.

The Garden, the Man, the Woman

God forms a man from the dust and breathes life into him. He plants a garden and places the man inside it, giving him one command: eat of any tree, but not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or you will die. Seeing that it is not good for the man to be alone, God forms a woman from his side. The man recognizes her immediately — “bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). The two are naked and unashamed.

The Temptation, the Fall, the Promise

A serpent approaches the woman and asks: “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree?” (Genesis 3:1) He plants doubt, then reframes the command as jealous withholding — eat and you will be like God. The fruit looks good. She eats, and gives some to her husband. Their eyes open. They sew fig leaves together and hide when they hear God walking in the garden.

God calls out: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) The man blames the woman. The woman blames the serpent. Shame, exile, and hardship follow. But before any of it is pronounced, God turns to the serpent and makes a promise: one day, the offspring of the woman will crush the serpent’s head.