Slices
Prepare
‘I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt’ (Psalm 119:11, The Message). Memorise a promise to ‘bank’ in your heart!
Bible passage
The fall
3 Now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’
2 The woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’
4 ‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman. 5 ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’
10 He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’
11 And he said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?’
12 The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’
The woman said, ‘The snake deceived me, and I ate.’
Explore
Medical students diligently study anatomy. Understanding the human body helps them to diagnose what has gone wrong with their patients. Christians must be diligent students of the anatomy of temptation! Dissecting Satan’s subtle strategies enables us to recognise temptation’s pull.
Satan distorts God’s Word. Asking ‘Did God really say…?’ (v 1) plants a niggling seed of doubt in Eve’s mind and ‘smuggles in the assumption that God’s word is subject to our judgment’.* The permission to eat from ‘any tree’ except one (Genesis 2:16,17) is turned on its head, casting doubt on God’s character, portraying him as tight-fisted and restrictive rather than benevolent and wise. Consider whether a narrow focus on prohibitions sometimes causes you to lose sight of God’s wide-ranging permissions and his forest of blessings…
Satan also dismisses God’s warning. ‘You will not certainly die’ (v 4) makes God out to be a liar. The devil then deceives Eve with an empty promise: ‘You will be like God’ (v 5). The creation story repeatedly affirms, ‘God saw that it was good’ (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31). But Eve made her choice based on what she ‘saw’ was ‘good’ (v 6), ignoring God’s command and usurping the divine prerogative to determine good and evil (v 5).
*Derek Kidner, Genesis, IVP, 2005, p67
Respond
Eve’s story is an example to avoid. Jesus gives us an example to emulate. Contrast how the anatomy of temptation plays out in Matthew 4:1–11.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Genesis 5,6; Acts 3
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Mission Partner Hunsley Christian Youth Trust at the start of this new term; pray for the schools they serve and for their youth workers as they go into these schools.
FREE Mission Support
Unlock the full potential of your outreach to children and young people with FREE Mission Support from Scripture Union.
A staggering 95% of under-18s don’t go to church, so you might think reaching them is an impossible challenge. But we see it as an amazing opportunity, and we’re here to help you embrace it!
Whether you're simply looking for inspiration or crave one-to-one support in your drive to reach the 95, we've got you covered!
Sign up for FREE Mission Support today.
