LESSON 2 • The Story of Human Relationships
(Genesis Chapters 2 and 3)

I. The Creation of Mankind.

A. Genesis Chapter 2:4-7 

4. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. 

5. And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

B. Genesis Chapter 1:26

And God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

1. How was mankind’s creation different from that of all the other living creatures that God had created? Why?

2. Who initiated this personal relationship and why?

3. Why was there a discussion concerning the creation of mankind and apparently there was not a discussion 
concerning the rest of creation?

C. Genesis Chapter 2:8-17

8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 

9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 

11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 

12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin] and onyx are also there.) 

13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush 

14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." 

4. What does the creation of this home for mankind tell us about God’s relationship with mankind?

5. To what extent has God provided for mankind’s physical needs? (Abundance)

6. How has mankind earned this habitat? Does he have to ask permission to use what has been provided for him?

7. What purpose did God’s restriction serve concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? How did this one tree compare to the abundance of food trees that God had provided?

D. Genesis 2:18-24, Genesis 1:31

18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 

19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 

20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable 
helper was found.

21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 

22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 

24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

8. What does God’s gift of Eve to Adam tell us about God’s relationship with mankind?

9. What was the only thing “not good” about what God had created?

10. What is significant about verse 18? (Heavenly discussion and evaluation)

11. What was the importance of God bringing to Adam every living creature on the earth and Adam naming them?

(a) In the ancient world, the right to name indicated rule.

(b) By doing this, Adam now is responsible for everything 
in the garden.

(c) God evaluates that even though Adam has under his control every living creature and has an abundance of food, 
he is still lacking.

12. Why was Eve created in a different manner than Adam?

13. What does the creation of male and female humans tell us about God’s relationship with mankind?


II. The Fall of Mankind.

A. Genesis Chapter 3

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 

3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " 

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 

5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 

10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 

11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 

12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 

19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 

22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, 
and live forever."

23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 

24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

14. What do we learn about God’s relationship with mankind in how he dealt with our first sin?

(a) God graciously leads Adam and Eve into a discussion in which they recognize their sin and confess to it.

15. Has God’s way of dealing with our present sin differed that much since the time of Adam and Eve?

16. Did God forgive Adam and Eve of their sin?

17. Did God release Adam and Eve from their physical accountability concerning their sin?

18. Since God is the creator of human life, what action would He have been justified in taking concerning Adam and Eves’ sin? What about our sins?