Genesis 3:20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

The story ends with some final arrangements.

The woman needs a name, and Adam served as the namer-in-chief earlier (Genesis 2: 19, 20).

He gives her a hopeful name, one based on the word for living.

Adam understands that Eve will produce babies and multiply the number of humans (1: 28).



Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Following the devastating announcements of discipline, God proceeds to demonstrate an act of grace: He makes coats of skins for the couple.

The two have already made coverings of fig leaves for themselves ( Genesis 3: 7 ), and we wonder if the additional covering of skins foreshadows the system of animal sacrifices that God will institute later.

Nothing is said in the Bible about this.

The immediate message to Adam and Eve is what should not be overlooked: the God who has just disciplined them still cares deeply for them.

There are four great lessons that we see from the fig leaves and the fact that God clothed them with skins.

Humankind must have adequate covering to approach God.

We cannot come to God on the basis of your good works.

We must come just as we are—a sinner.

Fig leaves are unacceptable; they are homemade.

God does not take a homemade garment.

God must provide the covering.

The covering is obtained only through the death of the Lord Jesus.

Man must have a substitute between himself and God’s wrath.

That is important even in these days for man to consider.

The hardest thing in the world is for man to take his rightful position before God.

This anonymous poem on prayer reveals the necessity of this even in our own hearts:

He prayed for strength that he might achieve; He was made weak that he might obey.

He prayed for health that he might do greater things; He was given infirmity that he might do better things;

He prayed for riches that he might be happy; He was given poverty that he might be wise.

He prayed for power that he might have the praise of men; He was given infirmity that he might feel the need of God.

He prayed for all things that he might enjoy life; He was given life that he might enjoy all things.

He had received nothing that he asked for—all that he hoped for; His prayer was answered—he was most blessed.

Salvation comes when you and I take our proper place as sinners before God.



Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

The author gives a divine detail at this juncture: the gist of God’s rationale for expelling the two from the garden.

Things have changed, and sin has caused a loss of innocence for the man and his companion.

God foresees that Adam has become as one of us. The “us” is not specified.

Some see this as God’s addressing His heavenly council of angels (compare Job 1: 6).

Others see it as conversation between the three persons of the Triune. Still others see it as the “plural of majesty”.

To lose access to the tree of life signs the death warrant of Adam and Eve.

Instead of living forever, they will age and eventually die.

Another future feature of the New Jerusalem is year-round access to the tree of life, planted in or straddling the river of life (Revelation 22: 2).



Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Perhaps this verse offers one reason why the Lord has clothed the couple: to prepare them for life away from the garden of Eden, from which they are now expelled.

In verse 22 (not in today’s text), God gives the reason for their eviction— so that they, in their fallen condition, will not eat of the tree of life and live forever.

This is an act of discipline, but it is also one of grace.

Sin-cursed humanity must be protected from itself.

Unchecked sin would be catastrophic.

The Hebrew word translated till is the same as that translated “dress” in Genesis 2: 15 .

The man will continue to do the work he was doing in the garden, only now he will do so with the grim awareness that the ground from which he has been made is cursed ( 3: 17 ).

He has no one to blame for this sad outcome but himself.

All I can say to this is, thank God that He did not let man live eternally in sin and that God is not going to let us do that.

That is really a blessing!



Genesis 3:24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The Lord takes extraordinary measures to prevent contact with the precious tree of life, posting a guard of heavenly beings known as Cherubims (compare Ezekiel 10: 20).

Although stated as guarding the east side of Eden, the implication is that the Cherubims prevent any approach to the special tree.

This raises a question: Why didn’t God just destroy the garden and its location.

The Bible does not address this issue specifically.

Given that the garden of Eden is not to be found anywhere today, God either did destroy it eventually or allowed forces of nature to overtake it.

Traditionally, the garden is located in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.

We search in vain, though, to find this exact spot.

We will only see it restored as the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22.

This does not mean that God put up a roadblock.

It means that the way of life was kept open for man to come to God.

But now that way is not through the tree of life.

Salvation must come through a sacrifice, and when man looked back, the blood of the sacrifice is what he saw.