Preparing to Read Mark · Unit 02 of 16
Why has the world become the way it is?
Bible reading: Genesis 3–11
In the previous stage, we saw that the world God created was originally “very good.” Humanity’s relationships with God, with one another, and with nature were all harmonious. Yet the world we see today is clearly not like that. Beginning in Genesis 3, the Bible addresses the question: What happened to the world?
Christians usually call this turning point “the Fall.” This does not mean that people fell from a physical location. It means that they chose to turn away from God, and relationships that had been good began to break apart.
1. God Gives People Freedom, but Also a Boundary
“The LORD God commanded him, ‘You may freely eat fruit from any tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You must not eat its fruit, for on the day you eat it you will certainly die.’” — Genesis 2:16–17
God did not make people into beings capable only of mechanical obedience. The garden offered abundant provision for them to enjoy freely. At the same time, God gave them one clear boundary.
The tree, then, is not merely about whether they may eat a particular fruit. The deeper question is whether people are willing to trust God and acknowledge his authority to determine what is good.
2. Temptation Begins by Questioning God
“Among all the wild creatures the LORD God had made, the serpent was the most cunning. It said to the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” — Genesis 3:1
“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not necessarily die. God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”
— Genesis 3:4–5
The serpent does not begin by telling people to oppose God openly. First, it leads them to wonder: Can God’s words really be trusted? Is God deliberately withholding what is best from you?
The question shifts from “Should I eat a piece of fruit?” to “Will I trust God, or will I trust my own judgment?”
3. People Choose to Disobey God
“The woman saw that the tree’s fruit was good to eat, beautiful to look at, and desirable because it could give wisdom. So she picked some fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate it too.” — Genesis 3:6
Adam and Eve know God’s command, yet choose to disobey it. The Bible calls this turning away from God “sin.”
Sin is not limited to serious wrongdoing such as murder or theft. Its more fundamental problem is that people no longer want to trust and obey God, but instead want to live on their own terms.
Sin is not only “doing something wrong.” It also involves a broken relationship between people and God.
4. The First Result: Shame and Hiding
“The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together to make coverings for themselves.” — Genesis 3:7
“As the cool breeze came, the LORD God walked in the garden. The man and his wife heard God and hid among the garden’s trees, away from the LORD God’s presence. The LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”
— Genesis 3:8–9
Before sinning, people could face God and one another without fear. Afterward, the first obvious changes are shame, fear, and hiding.
This shows that sin first damages humanity’s relationship with God. People begin to fear the Creator who had been close to them.
5. The Second Result: People Begin Shifting Blame
“The man said, ‘The woman you gave to live with me gave me fruit from that tree, and I ate it.’ The LORD God asked the woman, ‘What have you done?’ She replied, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate it.’” — Genesis 3:12–13
Instead of first acknowledging his own choice, Adam blames the woman. The woman in turn blames the serpent.
Suspicion, accusation, and conflict begin to appear in relationships that had been harmonious. Sin affects not only individuals; it also damages relationships between people.
6. The Third Result: Life Becomes Filled with Pain and Death
“You will earn your food by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken from it. You are dust, and to dust you will return.” — Genesis 3:19
In the previous stage, we saw that work itself was originally good. Work still exists now, but it has become toilsome. Human life also begins to move toward death.
Sin therefore brings more than “punishment for doing something wrong.” It damages the whole of human life: relationships with God and with others, work, and life itself.
7. Humanity Leaves the Garden of Eden
“The LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. After driving him out, God placed cherubim east of the garden and a flaming sword turning in every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.” — Genesis 3:23–24
People lose their original life in Eden, along with the close presence of God they once enjoyed. This becomes an important question throughout the rest of the Bible: Can people ever return to God’s presence?
8. Sin Quickly Spreads from Individuals to the Whole of Human Society
Genesis does not treat Adam and Eve’s story as an isolated event. From chapter 4 onward, sin immediately spreads through human society. Adam and Eve’s son Cain kills his younger brother Abel out of jealousy.
“While the two were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”
— Genesis 4:8
By Genesis 6, the Bible gives a deeply sobering description of humanity:
“The LORD saw that human wickedness on the earth was great, and that the thoughts people entertained all day long were nothing but evil.”
— Genesis 6:5
The story moves from one person’s disobedience to a brother’s murder, and then to widespread violence and corruption in society. This is the setting for the story of the flood.
9. After the Flood, Humanity’s Fundamental Problem Remains
The flood brings judgment and gives Noah’s family a fresh beginning. Yet Genesis does not say that humanity becomes good from then on. The problem is not merely the outward environment: people themselves are still inclined to turn away from God.
“The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said within himself, ‘I will not again curse the ground because of humanity … for people’s hearts harbor evil thoughts from their youth.’”
— Genesis 8:21
This leaves a question for the biblical story that follows: If even a fresh start cannot cure humanity’s problem, what kind of rescue do people really need?
10. The Tower of Babel: People Seek to Make a Name for Themselves
“They said, ‘Come, let us build a city and a tower whose top reaches the heavens. We will make a name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered over the whole earth.’”
— Genesis 11:4
The problem with Babel is not simply that a building is too tall. The story draws particular attention to the people’s words: “We will make a name for ourselves.” They want to establish security, greatness, and fame by their own power.
God confuses their language, and the people scatter to different places. Genesis 1–11 thus presents a picture of humanity: people possess abilities and can build civilizations, but the problem of sin has not disappeared.
11. God Does Not Immediately Give Up on Humanity
Even when people disobey God in Eden, God takes the initiative to call to Adam. He also prepares clothing for Adam and Eve.
“The LORD God made garments of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”
— Genesis 3:21
After the flood, God also makes a covenant with Noah and his descendants:
“I establish my covenant with you: no living creatures will ever again be wiped out by a flood, and no flood will again destroy the earth.”
— Genesis 9:11
Genesis 3–11 therefore shows us two things at once: humanity’s rebellion grows more serious, yet God has not stopped engaging with people or abandoned the world he created.
12. Key Points from This Stage
- The world God created was originally good.
- People chose to distrust and disobey God; the Bible calls this turning away “sin.”
- Sin damages humanity’s relationships with God, with one another, and with the world.
- Death, toil, violence, and disorder enter human life.
- Sin quickly spreads from an individual problem into a problem for all human society.
- Even so, God has not given up on humanity.
13. Where Does the Biblical Story Go Next?
By Genesis 11, humanity has scattered into many peoples. The world still belongs to God, but humanity’s relationship with him has broken down.
Next, the Bible’s focus suddenly narrows from “all humanity” to one person. God calls a man named Abram and gives him an extremely important promise.
Humanity has scattered, but God begins a new plan:
Through one man and his descendants, he will bring blessing to all peoples.