Book Study: Chapter 10, When Our Fears Come True
Read: Genesis 3
The story of the fall is all too familiar, thus this will likely be our shortest study to date. We know what happened. We know that Eve was tempted by the serpent, Adam cowardly stood by his wife and then ate the fruit from his wife, and sin entered the world. They both became completely aware of their nakedness and what was once completely pure now, instead, brought shame. They were ashamed of their nakedness and covered themselves with fig leaves. There’s much more that could be said but for now and the purposes of today’s study, this brief summary should do. But it’s the next few verses that I’d like for us to spend some time on.
The scene beginning in Genesis 3:8 almost seems humorous. It’s as if Adam and Eve completely forgot that they were created by God. They heard the sound of God and hid. Didn’t God create the garden? Wasn’t this the same God that took Adam’s rib and made him a helper fit for him? Don’t we all so easily forget, too? God seems to play along asking Adam, “Where are you?” God knew where he was, but we see Adam being addressed first—God holds Adam primarily responsible. Adam confessed his fear and shared that he was naked and hid.
The reality of what took place in the Garden is actually not at all humorous. Verses 14-19 describe the new difficulty, pain, and suffering that is the result of a fallen world. The world would not be the same for Adam and Eve—their Eden was gone. And the curse that was given to them has continued on to us. Childbirth is now wrought with pain, the martial relationship is filled with conflict or passivity, work is laborious, and then we die.
Thankfully, we know the end of the story, too—it’s not hopeless! We know God had a plan to redeem the world from the beginning and we also know death and the sting of the curse won’t have the last word either. Their Eden was gone but not forever. God will one day make all things new.
But even before Jesus forever restores all things, God was working his great mercy on Adam and Eve. In verse 20, Adam names his wife Eve and we are told that she was the mother of all things. Eve means “life-giver”. God could have called Eve something that would be life-inhibiting but in an essence he restores her humanity. It’s a sweet reminder to Eve that despite her grievous disobedience, she is still his daughter and an image bearer who reflects aspects of her God who gives life. What a gracious God!
And then we see that God made garments for Adam and Eve. They were naked and ashamed and now, with the garments God provided, no longer needed to hide but could walk freely—covered. I think it’s safe to see the parallels of the gospel in these verses. Their sin and shame needed covering and God provided a way through the death of an animal. We no longer must sacrifice animals to atone for sin. God has provided the ultimate and better sacrifice—His son. God has always had mercy and grace in store and in mind for His people.
You and Me
Perhaps you’ve come to this point and you’re wondering how Genesis 3 relates to when our fears come true. In Fear and Faith, I spend much of the chapter focusing on circumstances that happen to us, like the death of a spouse, loss of job, or a wayward child. Much of those things are completely out of our control. But what happens when our fears come true—the horrible awful circumstance that we hope wouldn’t happen—because we have sinned?
Like Adam and Eve, we might be tempted to try to hide because of shame or even fear of punishment. Our hiding might look more like not attending a worship service because of shame from sin, pulling out of community, a lack of confession, or working really hard to atone for our wrong by trying to earn our favor. And just like Adam and Eve, we can try to hide, but God knows what we’ve done. As we see in Genesis 3, God doesn’t condone sin—he punishes it. He punished it in the Garden as he did at Calvary. He has provided our great rescue in Jesus! God has once again covered our sin and shame. We don’t have to fear. God poured out His wrath on His son—we need not fear His wrath if we’ve placed our hope in Christ.
RELATED CONTENT
Fear held a tight grip on my life. It wasn’t just segmented to one area for me — no, the lies and anxiety of fear spread to so many of my relationships and situations. Pause and think about how fear impacts you. What do you fear specifically, and why does that fear have such power in your life? My own struggle with fear is one of the reasons I wrote Fear and Faith. It’s not a book about a woman who has arrived, rather it’s about how I’ve learned to fight for faith. Fear is ultimately rooted in unbelief, that’s why we need faith. So, Fear and Faith is about God—it’s about his goodness, grace, sovereignty, love, wisdom, and protection. And the book is a reminder that there is One strong enough for all your fears…s