是什麼使伊甸園在那麼短的時間裡就被罪破壞了？是撒但，假裝一條蛇，引誘女人調轉眼光，原本注意的是上帝豐富的供應（各種果樹），後來吸引她的竟是禁果（就是眾所皆知的善惡果）！亞當與夏娃的悖逆是吃了禁果，他們的下場就是被逐出伊甸園。一代接著一代，罪的遺傳促使上帝設立了審判台。

        撒但是竊取上帝的祝福、扭曲事實、製造咒詛的能手。如果給牠機會，牠會說服你相信尋找一段婚外情是人之常情，不值得大驚小怪……敬拜受造物而不敬拜造物主是合情合理的……有條件的順服上帝是理所當的。試探往往是個騙局，其中包含著應許和吸引，但亞當和夏娃發現受騙之後所要承受的痛苦，遠遠超過了那短暫的享樂。
        對許多基督而言，抵擋試探是很困難的，因為他們一點也不想克服試探。其實上帝早就應許我們，遇見試探的時候總會給我們開一條出路（林前10：13）——不過如果你不拒絕試探的話，這個應許一點用處也沒有！在你的聖經創世記第三章的空白處，寫下雅各書四章七節和提摩太書二章廿二節，朗誦兩次，銘記在心！

        關於咒詛的種種
        第三章所提到的莫過於罪的開始。由此你也會發現一些結果，諸如：女人生產之苦、蛇的終身爬行、男人的汗流滿面！讀完第三章後，不妨把咒詛做一分類，與它有關的是：
        蛇（3：14）_______________________　　　　　
        撒但（3：15）_______________________　　　　　
        女人（3：16）_______________________　　　　　
        男人（3：17—19）_______________________　　　　　

撒旦就像漁夫，牠的餌是根據魚的口味而放置的。

English

        What began as paradise is soon spoiled by sin. Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempts the woman by turning her gaze from God's bountiful provision (the many trees) to God's one prohibition (the single tree of the knowledge of good and evil). Adam and Eve's disobedience results in their expulsion from the garden. The seeds of their sin quickly grow as the first son (Cain) commits the first murder. For generation after generation the sinful spiral continues, setting the stage for God's judgment.

        Satan is a master at taking the blessings of God and twisting them into something that brings a curse instead. If given the chance, he'll convince you to seek the blessings of marriage outside the bonds of marriage, to exchange the worship of the Creator for the worship of the creation, to substitute what is convenient for what is obedient. The temptation will be cunning; the promise, inviting. But as Adam and Eve discovered, the painful consequences far outweigh the temporary pleasures.
        For many Christians, resisting temptation is difficult because they don't want to discourage it completely. God has promised to provide an avenue of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13)— but that doesn't help if you keep leaving a forwarding address! Write the references of James 4:7 and 2 Timothy 2:22 in the margin of your Bible next to Genesis 3. Look them up; read them twice; take them to heart!

        Cataloging a Curse
        Chapter 3 introduces more than the beginning of sin-. There you'll also find some of its consequences: crabgrass, labor pains, slithering snakes, and perspiration! After reading chapter 3, try to summarize each part of the curse as it relates to ...
        • the serpent (3:14) _______________________
        • Satan (3:15) ___________________________
        • the woman (3:16) _______________________
        • the man (3:17-19)_______________________

Satan, like a fisherman, baits his hook ccording to the appetite of the fish.