Genesis 3: The Fall and the Flight

Today's Reading: Gen 1–3 | Prov 1:1–8 | Luke 1

In Genesis 3:1–13 we see two scenes unfold: the fall of humanity and the flight of humanity.

1. The Fall (vv. 1–7)In the first seven verses, Adam and Eve partake of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—the very tree God commanded them not to touch. God had established clear boundaries for their good. Yet the tempter approached with a subtle but powerful appeal, offering them exactly what God had warned against. Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent’s deception, and through their disobedience, all humanity fell.

2. The Flight (vv. 8–13)Immediately afterward, Adam and Eve flee from the presence of the Lord. They hear His voice in the garden, and instead of running toward Him, they hide. Fear is one of the first consequences of their sin. It still is.

Perhaps you’ve experienced something similar. When I was a little boy, I broke a vase in the kitchen while playing ball in the house—a rule I knew well. I panicked and tried to hide the evidence rather than confess what I had done. That instinct—to run, to hide, to cover up—is woven into our fallen nature. Instead of going to the very people who could help, I tried to fix it myself and only made things worse.

Humanity has not changed much. We sin, and rather than bring it into the light, we try to conceal it from others and even from God. We attempt to cover it, excuse it, or repair it on our own. But God does not want us hiding from Him. He wants us to come to Him freely, honestly, and regularly. He desires to extend forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

God demonstrated His desire to forgive more clearly than ever when He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sin (John 3:16).

Is there an unconfessed sin in your life today? Are you trying to hide or cover something that God already knows? Come to Him in prayer, confess your need, and experience the cleansing forgiveness He freely offers.