A short note about design change, we are dropping the audio player right at the top of the post so if you want to listen before reading anything – or wish to listen to the audio and read nothing at all – it’s right there and easy to find. You can click the play button and listen in your browser or click the three dots on the right and download the .m4a file to listen later.

Genesis 3 is a short chapter that describes the fall and the curse. It’s not mention in the discussion after the reading but there is something else in Genesis 3, a hint of a bright spot among the darkness. The curse of the serpent is in verses 14 and 15. Genesis 3:15 foreshadows the gospel that comes through Jesus Christ. If you read through the Old Testament and then the New, the Old Testament will make more sense the next time you read it. The New Testament is like a magic decoder ring that lets you see things you did not notice before. It was not perfectly clear to Adam and Eve and perhaps not to the casual reader either. But if you have read the Gospels, if you know that death, hell and the grave have been defeated, if you know that Satan is bound and cast into the pit in Revelation, then you should the first hint of prophesy in Genesis 3:15.

As always, we recommend reading Genesis 3 in the translation of your choice as you follow along. Listen to the scripture reading, listen to the commentary, feel free to continue the discussion in the comments.