Adam and Eve

The First People

After God created the world, He made the first man and the first woman. Their names were Adam and Eve. God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him. Then He made Eve from Adam’s side so they could be together. God said they were made in His image, which means they could know Him, love Him, and reflect something of who He is (Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 21–22).

Life in the Garden

God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. It was full of trees, fruit, rivers, and animals. God gave them a good job: to take care of the garden and enjoy everything He had made. He also gave them one clear instruction. They could eat from any tree in the garden except one; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God warned them that if they ate from that tree, they would die (Genesis 2:15–17).

For a time, everything was good. Adam and Eve walked with God, took care of the garden, and lived without shame or fear.

The Choice and the Fall

One day a serpent (who was really Satan) spoke to Eve and questioned what God had said. He told her she would not die if she ate the fruit and that she would become like God. Eve listened, ate the fruit, and gave some to Adam, who also ate it (Genesis 3:1–6).

Right away, everything changed. They felt ashamed and tried to hide from God. When God came looking for them, they made excuses. Because they disobeyed, sin entered the world. Their relationship with God was broken, and the world itself was affected by their choice. God told them the consequences: hard work, pain, and eventually physical death. He also sent them out of the garden so they could not eat from the tree of life and live forever in their fallen state (Genesis 3:7–24).

God’s Promise in the Middle of the Sadness

Even in that difficult moment, God gave a promise. He told the serpent that one day a descendant of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). We understand this as the first hint of the Savior who would come (Jesus) who would defeat sin and Satan. God also made clothes for Adam and Eve, showing that He still cared for them even after they disobeyed.

Adam and Eve’s story explains why the world is both beautiful and broken. We were made for relationship with God, but sin separates us from Him. Their choice affected every person who came after them. At the same time, their story points forward to hope. God did not abandon His creation. He had a plan to rescue people through Jesus, the one who would do what Adam and Eve could not do; live in perfect obedience and make a way back to God.