In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made everything beautiful and good, and at the center of His creation was a garden called Eden. In this garden, He placed the first man, Adam, and later, the first woman, Eve. They lived in perfect harmony, tending to the garden and enjoying the abundance of its fruits. There was only one rule: they must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
One day, a serpent, crafty and cunning, approached Eve. It whispered sweetly, questioning God’s command. “Did God really say you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve replied, “We may eat from all the trees, except for the one in the middle. We must not touch it, or we will die.” The serpent smiled, its eyes gleaming with deceit. “You will not surely die,” it said. “God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Eve looked at the tree. The fruit seemed good to eat, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for wisdom. She reached out and took a bite. She then gave some to Adam, who ate it too. Immediately, their eyes were opened, but not in the way they had hoped. They felt shame and fear, realizing they had disobeyed God.
When God came to walk in the garden, Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees. But God called out, “Where are you?” Adam replied, “I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God knew what had happened. He confronted them, and they confessed their sin. The serpent had deceived Eve, and Adam had followed her lead.
As a consequence, God cursed the serpent, making it crawl on its belly forever. He told Eve that childbirth would be painful and that she would long for her husband, who would rule over her. To Adam, He said the ground would be cursed, and he would have to work hard to grow crops. They would no longer live in the garden, but would face a world filled with thorns and thistles.
Finally, God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve, covering their nakedness. He drove them out of the garden and placed cherubim and a flaming sword at its entrance, to guard the way to the tree of life. The first man and woman left Eden, their hearts heavy with the knowledge of their disobedience. But even in their fall, God’s love and provision remained, as He promised a future redemption.