Christmas for Beginners – Day 3

The Fall

Just the gist (for small children and others with tiny attention spans): 

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were asked to leave paradise.  Thankfully, the story didn’t end there.  God promised to send a savior who would reopen the gates of heaven.

For those that can handle just a bit more:

The man forgot to remain vigilant while keeping the garden and the devil, dressed as a serpent, got in. 

            The serpent was very sly.  He asked the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?”

            The woman told him about how God said they could eat from any tree in the garden, and there were so many trees, but they were forbidden to eat from one, lest they die.

            “Pffffffffft,” said the devil even though he was dressed as a snake and didn’t have the lips to properly make the sound.  “You will not die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)

            The woman looked at the tree.  Its fruit looked so tasty, and it was a beautiful tree and some snake she just met said it would make her wise, which seemed legit.  She took its fruit and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband and he ate it.

            Then both of their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked so they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves some clothes.

            God came looking for them and asked why they were hiding.

            The man replied, “Because we’re naked.” (Genesis 3:1-7)

            “Who told you that you were naked?” God asked.  “Have you eaten from the one tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

            The man replied, “She gave it to me.  And don’t forget you’re the one who made her.”

            The Lord said to the woman, “What have you done?”

            The woman replied, “It was the snake’s idea.”

            “I see,” God said.

            God then cursed the serpent to have to walk on its belly and eat dust for the rest of its life.  

            “I will put enmity between you and the woman,

                        And between your seed and her seed;

            He shall bruise your head,

                        And you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

            This was Bible talk for God saying he would send a savior who would trample the devil underfoot while the devil would only get in a couple of heel shots.  This is considered God’s first promise of a savior.

            The serpent replied, “Harsh.”

            At this point, the man, or Adam as history knows him, called his wife Eve and God made them clothes out of skins because their fig clothes looked ridiculous.  (Maybe instead of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they should have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Gucci and Prada).

            He then sent the couple out of the Garden of Eden and placed a cherubim angel with a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the Tree of Life. (Genesis 3:20-24)

Christmas for Beginners is now available in book form! Click here to take your Advent readings Old School.