Lesson 2

Last week, we learned about God's creation, and the first couple who lived on earth. Adam and Eve lived in their beautiful Garden until something different happened. Adam was in charge of taking care of the plants and animals, and God gave him specific instructions to take care of those things properly. God also told Adam that he was allowed to eat from every tree in the Garden, except one. That one was called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Could you imagine having such a big choice of food to pick from? I wonder which plants and fruit were Adam's favorites? How would you like to go to a restaurant and have a large menu like Adam did? 

   Adam and Eve followed God's instructions until one day a serpent came into the Garden. It wasn't an ordinary serpent, for this one talked. Perhaps animals talked in the Garden of Eden, but this snake had a trick up his sleeves. Actually, it wasn't the snake itself, but the devil who was using this snake. The devil wanted to play a mean trick on Adam and Eve. He was going to tell them some white lies in order for them to doubt God and not trust Him anymore. God told Adam that if Adam were to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that Adam would die. But the devil came up to Eve, in the form of a serpent or snake, and told her that if she ate the fruit, they really wouldn't die, but they would become like God. The devil tricked Eve and she believed him instead of God. She pulled the fruit off the tree. She looked at it and thought it would give her power like God has, so she ate the fruit. Oh no! What would happen now?
   Adam came along and she gave some of the fruit to him! He ate it too. He should have stopped her when he saw her eating it, but instead, he joined in and ate some too. What would God do? Was the devil happy now?
   God went looking for Adam and Eve. They hid themselves so God couldn't find them! Could God find them? Of course, he could. God is all-knowing and no one can hide from Him. 
   Adam and Eve now realized they were caught. They  tried to cover themselves so God wouldn't see their sin. They took some fig leaves and sewed them together so they would be covered with them. But God found them and He provided a covering for them. He took an animal and killed it, and used the animal's skin to cover them with. The animal may have been a lamb, although the Bible doesn't say. We will find out why lambs are so important to God when it comes to covering our sin, in later lessons. 
  In the next lesson, we will find out what God said to Adam, Eve, and the devil, and how that changed everything in the Garden of Eden. In fact, Adam and Eve lost their home and had to move to another place, because of their disobedience. 
    What do you think Eve should have told the serpent when he tempted her to sin? What would you have done? Stay tuned for the rest of the story!

Here is a coloring page of Adam, Eve, and the Serpent you can print out. Go to this link: http://whatsinthebible.com/activity-library/serpent/