genesis 3 and 4

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for these chapters are:

Gen 2:4-3:15 {s} Disobedience to YHVH’s command is sin
Gen 3:16 {s} Consequences for the woman (painful toil)
Gen 3:17-21 {p} Consequences for the man (painful toil)
Gen 3:22-24 {s} Exile from YHVH’s presence is a consequence of sin
Gen 4:1-26 {s} Exile from family is a consequence of sin

I was taught as a new believer that God cursed the man and woman. Is this true? By reading God’s words carefully, we see that He did not curse them, because He had already blessed them (Gen 1:28)! Everything that He had previously blessed, He did not now curse. The serpent was cursed (Gen 3:14), the ground was cursed (Gen 3:17), but the man and woman were not cursed. However they do receive the consequences of their sin.

The word translated “pain” for the woman in Gen 3:16 and the word translated “toil” for the man in Gen 3:17 is the same word in Hebrew: itstsabon. They received the same consequence as a result of their sin: toil, or work. The woman’s work is moreover lifelong, just as the man’s is. Her work is in not only bearing children, but rearing them, in making a home for the family to dwell in. His work is in provision – he goes out from the home, and procures by toiling the food (or material things) necessary to sustain himself and his family.

The woman is also now placed in a hierarchy in relation to her husband. In Gen 1-2, the man and the woman were equal regarding dominion (Gen 1:28). Now the woman is placed under the authority of her husband. Why does God do this? I believe it is to bless and protect her. The woman was deceived by the serpent, but the man was not, Paul tells us (1 Tim 2:14). The man who now has authority over his wife, was given it in order to protect her from enemy attack. The man is moreover not a free agent, able to do whatever he wishes, but he bears the responsibility of his dominion. He carries his responsibility out, not by lording it over, Jesus taught us, but by serving those under him (Mat 20:25-28). He is subject to God. The men and women (and children) who understand God’s authority and order, and who cooperate with it, bring blessings upon themselves (Psa 1).

We saw yesterday that weak paragraph divisions conclude a facet of a theme, but do not change the theme. When the next strong paragraph division is encountered, then we have a change of theme. So far in Genesis we have had:

Gen 1:1-2:3 Seven strong paragraphs with the theme, God is our Creator.

Gen 2:4-3:21 {s+s+p} a new theme:

Gen 2:4-3:15 {s, weak paragraph} Sin is disobedience to God’s command;
Gen 3:16 {s, weak paragraph} The consequence on the woman – work (painful toil);
Gen 3:17-21 {p, strong paragraph} The consequence on the man – work (painful toil).

What comes to my mind for the single theme encompassing these three paragraphs, is that Sin Brings the Consequence of Work. Can it be that sin brings the consequence of works on mankind as well – working in order to earn righteousness before God? In light of that, let us remember that God established the seventh day as a day of rest, holy to the Lord, before sin, consequences, curses, or work ever entered His perfect world. Yes, we have to deal with the consequence of work as a result of our disobedience. The ease of life has gone away. But every seventh day, God lifts the consequence of our sin from our lives, and allows us to rest from our painful toil, as we remember that He is our gracious and loving Creator, to Whom we bow the knee! We can now see that the Sabbath day of rest is an unearned gift of grace, and a type of the gospel of grace to come proclaimed from Torah.

For further reading:

When Did Adam and Eve Rebel?
Athena and Eve
The serpent worshippers
Cain’s wife – who was she?
Gen 4:3-7, the power of a choice
Gen 4:1-26, what we can learn about parenting from Cain and Abel
Studies in Genesis index