Gen 2:7-8;15-25 NASB Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (8) The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. (15) Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. (16) The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (17) but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (18) Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (19) Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. (20) The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. (21) So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. (22) The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and 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, Because she was taken out of Man." (24) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (25) And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

• Genesis 2:7 – How does the way God created man indicate His relationship with man and man's relationship with the rest of creation?

• Genesis 2:8,15 – God placed the man in the garden to cultivate it. Do you believe that God behaves the same way today in your life? (Psalm 100:3, Psalm 139:14-15, Isa 64:8)

• Genesis 2:16-17 – Man is created and placed in the garden. What is the first thing that God does? What does this reveal about Adam's relationship with God? Is Eve on the scene yet?

• Genesis 2:18 – What does it mean to you that God is concerned for Adam's well-being? Do you believe that God is seeking good things for you?

• Genesis 2:20 – ...in all creation, there was none suitable to be a helpmate for man. If you were Adam, is this the solution you would have considered? What does this tell you about our relationship with God?

• Genesis 2:20-24 – What does it mean in relationship between men and women that Woman was taken of Man's bone – flesh of his flesh? How does this compare to God and his relationship with us?

• Genesis 2:25 – Naked and not ashamed. Can you picture yourself in the garden with God? Would you feel unashamed? What does it mean in relationship to be naked before each other and God?

Gen 3:1-13;20-24 NASB Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" (2) The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; (3) but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" (4) The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! (5) "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (8) They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (9) Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" (10) He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." (11) And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (12) The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." (13) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (20) Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. (21) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (22) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- (23) therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. (24) So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

• When the woman was tested, what did her memory of the command from God reveal about her relationship with God? About her relationship with Adam? Has someone ever instructed you about God's word and somehow missed or embellished the point? What does that teach you about your own relationship with God?

• Was the serpent lying? How would you describe the serpent's representation of the truth to the woman? Who described all the nice things about the tree – the serpent or the woman? What does that mean about the woman's relationship with the serpent? How can we expect Satan to relate to us?

• How would you characterize her desire to share the apple with Adam? Note: Verse 6 is the first use of the word husband. What does this teach you about leadings from those around us in our relationships?

• What happened in verse 7-8? Why did they cover themselves and hide from God? Why do we cover ourselves and hide when we disobey God? Does that stop God from seeking us?

• What did God ask Adam and Eve in verse 11? What does that reveal about God's intention for us? What does it reveal to you about the result of eating from the tree?

• How do Adam and Eve answer God's question about eating from the tree? Why do they (we) deflect responsibility to others? Do we do the same in our sin? How does that effect our relationship with each other and with God?

• What did God have to do in order to prepare garments of skin to cover them? Why did He do this? How does God offer this same covering for you today?

• Why does God send Adam and Eve out of the garden; because they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Was the tree of life in the garden all along? Was that the tree that God had commanded them not to eat?

• God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. What does this reveal to you about God's desire for us? What does this reveal to you about our current relationship with God?

THEME in RELATIONSHIPS

CHARACTER OF GOD

APPLICATION TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS TODAY WITH GOD AND OTHERS AROUND US