Free Sunday School lesson for pre-teens, teens, and young adults on the fall of man using the King James Bible.
Prior to this lesson, you need to familiarize yourself with Genesis chapters 1-3 KJV to determine which parts to read aloud with you students. (I prefer to read together as a class, calling on students to ensure they are involved and paying attention.)
Begin the lesson with some questions to review what students already know about Adam and Eve, creation, etc. For example: How was Eve made? Why was she made? How was Adam made? Who named all the animals? Etc.
Adam and Eve lived in paradise. They had a special opportunity: to live in complete innocence, to see the world as God intended it, and to talk with God face-to-face.
We don’t know how long they got to live in Eden. It could have been a few days, or it could have been years. However, we do know that they broke the one rule that God gave them: don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17 KJV).
Responsibility & Leadership: Knowing, Sharing, and Keeping God’s Words
Pay close attention to Genesis 2:15-17 KJV – Who did God give the commandment to? Was Eve there when God gave the commandment?
Think of it this way: God gave the gospel to his disciples and his apostles when he was on the earth. It was their duty to make sure that the gospel was preached to every creature (Mark 16:15-16 KJV). The reason we have a Bible today and know about Christ today is because men obeyed when they were moved of the holy ghost to speak out and share the scriptures (2 Peter 1:21 KJV). We are commanded to tell others about Christ. If we don’t tell them about heaven, hell, and salvation, who will?
Before we get into what happened, review some basics with your students. God is a God of order. Adam was the man and was supposed to be the spiritual leader of his family (Ephesians 5:22-33 KJV). This does not mean the man is better than the woman. Everyone is equal in the Body of Christ (Galatians 3:28 KJV), but men and women have different roles in marriage.
Adam had a job. It was his duty to make sure Eve knew what God had commanded. He was supposed to protect her (1 Peter 3:7 KJV). She was not created until Genesis 2:18-24 KJV . God brought her to Adam, and it was Adam’s responsibility to look after her. When she stood next to the tree flirting with sin (thinking about doing the one thing God commanded them not to do), Adam should have gotten her away from the tree. Instead, he was standing next to her, watching it all happen. The moment she began talking to the snake, Adam had already failed her.
The Danger of Altering God’s Words: “Freely” vs “Lest ye die”
Genesis 3:1 KJV – Who was the serpent? The serpent is identified throughout the Bible as Satan, the devil. He has several other names, including the dragon. (Revelation 12:9 KJV)
In Genesis 3:2 KJV, The devil questions what God has said.
Eve gives her answer in Genesis 3:3 – 4 KJV. Is her answer what God said in Genesis 2:16-17 KJV? No, it is similar, but not exact. This is the first account of someone changing God’s words. The reason this is important is because we have a lot of cases where people change Gods’ words today. (Compare 1 John 5:7 KJV, Romans 8:1 KJV, and John 7:53-8:11 KJV with other versions. The list is nearly in-exhaustible. Non KJV bibles do more than change the “thee” and “thou” words.)
When Jesus was taken into the wilderness and tempted by the devil, what did he use to answer the devil’s temptations? He used the scripture, and he quoted it from God’s word without changing it. The devil was not able to answer because it was the true, unchanged words of God (Matthew 4:1-11 KJV).
However, what happened when Eve changed God’s words? The devil had more to say. He was able to challenge what she said because it wasn’t what God had really commanded.
What exact changes did Eve make to God’s commandment? She took out the word “freely” in reference to eating of every tree. After subtracting from the words of God, she adds, “neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” God never said anything about touching the tree, and he had said, “thou shalt surely die,” which is a bit more authoritative to “lest ye die.”
Lust, Lies, and the Fall of Mankind
In Genesis 3:4-5 KJV, the serpent gives his answer, questioning God’s goodness and provision. Eve falls for the temptation based on what we know is in the world: (1 John 2:16 KJV – For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.)
In Genesis 3:6 KJV, Eve saw that it was good for food (lust of the flesh), that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life). That’s when she ate the fruit.
Where was Adam in all this? As already mentioned, the Bible tells us that he was “with her.” He was standing right next to Even while she was flirting with sin, but he did not lead her away.
The Bible tells us that Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:13-14 KJV). He knew what they were doing was wrong; whereas Eve believed the snake. Adam ate from the tree because he loved his wife and did not want to be separated from her.
Who is really to blame?
There are a lot of good questions asked about this interaction.
First, why was Eve standing so close to the tree?
Second, was Eve the one to corrupt God’s commandment? Or was she quoting a watered-down version that Adam had told her?
Third, why didn’t Adam do anything to stop her?
It’s easy to blame one over the other, but both were at fault, which is why God punished both Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:14-19 KJV.
Lessons from the Garden
The truth of the matter is this: Adam and Eve knew God face to face, yet they still messed up. They broke the one commandment that God gave them. How much more do we mess up as Christians?
People believe that certain sins are impossible for a Christian to commit, but that isn’t the case. Even as saved people, we are affected by all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16 KJV).
This is why we must be especially careful with reading our Bible and praying, because it is the only access to God that we have. Although we don’t have the luxury of walking with him in the garden every day, we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us.
For more information on building a closer walk with God, check out this lesson: Why Prayer is Important for Christians.
If you enjoyed this Bible lesson about “Adam and Eve: One Rule, Two People, and a Talking Snake,” be sure to check out other lessons here.