This is a sermon series called Origin Story: Genesis 3:17-24, “Struggle.” August 23, 2026 You can watch more here.
In our passage this morning, we are going to see why humanity has this pattern of working really hard on something that never lasts. Have you noticed this? We start to get organized, clean out the garage, work on a project and when we finish it feels so good. But it never lasts! You clean the car, then it gets dirty. You repair the relationship, then there’s more conflict. You fix one area of your character, and then another area gets exposed! It’s never ending! In our passage we will see we don’t see this pattern by accident. It is God’s grace drawing us to Himself. Let’s look at verse 17:
Genesis 3:17, “17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”
If you are new this morning, we’ve been teaching through Genesis verse by verse. Genesis 1-2 teaches us that all of creation is designed by Him, through Him and for Him, so that in Genesis 1-2 everything is perfect. But in Genesis 3 there is a wrinkle in the story, so that in verse 17, we see the Lord zeroing in on consequences.
Last Sunday we talked about how our sin creates this vertical fracture between us and God and also a horizontal fracture in our relationships with each. In verse 17 we see a fracture in creation, so that the ground is cursed with difficulty. Do you see that in verse 17? how sin (1-7) is affecting our relationship with creation. (Write that down! I say, “Write that down, because we don’t want to just be recipience of God’s Word but be ready to share God’s with others and for that to happen we need to write things down.)
To be clear, it isn’t Adam and Eve that are cursed. It’s the ground that is cursed, so that working the ground, getting food, and caring for ourselves is going to be difficult. This is why we see earthquakes, tsunami’s and tornadoes, droughts and floods. This is why we see locusts and aphids destroying crops. Romans 8 in the New Testament says “creation is groaning, longing for the day of restoration.” (Anyone feel that?)
In Genesis 2, we were supposed to be in charge of creation. But, now in Genesis 3, we are going to fight with creation. Just like last Sunday, there might be some of us asking, “Why does creation have to suffer because of Adam and Eve?” What’s the big deal? But, we need to see, the offense in verses 1-7 is that Adam and Eve wanted to be like God and replace God. That’s the offense! It’s like a toddler saying to their parents, “I don’t need you anymore.” This house, this food, these clothes, your care isn’t that big of a deal. In fact, I can do life better on my own.
Our daughter did this when she was 5. She packed up her things, and walked to the door like she was ready to live. It was offensive! Cute! But offensive! Accept it’s not a toddler saying that to their parents. Its creation saying that to the Creator. Its creation looking at the Creator’s protection and provision and saying, “Eh.” It’s offensive!
Therefore, in the context of our passage there is judgment for our sin, but it isn’t just to be mean. It’s the Lord saying, “Okay, you want to do life apart from Me. Here’s a little difficulty.” Just to be clear, He would be just to pour out His judgment fully in this moment, but in His mercy, He gives us a taste of life apart from Him, so that we might feel the weight of creation, see our exhaustion and turn to Him. Amen?
At some point, His provision and grace to all of humanity will end. That’s called hell! Therefore, His heart is that none will perish, but all would have eternal life, so He brings in a taste of His judgment, frustration and discomfort, so that we might turn to Him. Look at verses 18-19:
Genesis 3:18-19, “18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
In verse 18 we see thorns and thistles. Nobody plants thorns and thistles. Nobody walks outside and says, “Come look at all my crabgrass!” But, have you noticed, we just get crabgrass? Therefore, verse 18 is reminding us, “We should expect some crabgrass in life.” Verse 18 is teaching, “We can work on our marriage, and still get conflict. We can work on taking care of our body, and still get sick. We can start a church in Austin by the Domain, people growing in Christ, and still get problems! It’s going to happen!
In fact, look at the progression, food from the ground is going to require labor, labor is going to be constant, “till you return to the ground”, so much so that Adam came from the dust in Genesis 2, works the dust in verse 18 and becomes dust in verse 19. That’s brutal! Welcome to North Village Church! (Just sit in this for a second.)
We’re seeing that with our adult children. Trying to make life simple, but we can’t. Life is going to be hard! Then, in verse 19, “And, you’re going to die!” In Genesis 2 Adam and Eve were told “if you eat of the tree you will surely die.” And, now Adam and Eve are seeing that warning become a reality! Have you noticed, today we will attend a funeral and people will say things like, “Death is just a normal part of life.” No, it isn’t!
Then, we watch those nature shows where the lion attacks the antelope and the announcer says something like, “Look at the beauty of life being lived out in nature!” Uh, not for the antelope! It’s because we were created to be eternal. I think that’s why we see human beings trying to live as long as possible. We are popping pills, drinking shakes, and going to the doctor because we want to live, but Genesis 3 is ringing out an alarm, “Death is coming!”
This is why Jesus comes and says, “Come to Me and you will find life, come to Me for eternal life, bread of life, and living water.” Then, Jesus stands in our place at the cross, takes our judgment and defeats death at the resurrection, so that we might have life in Him! It’s why the Apostle Paul can write, “Death where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, but thanks be to God who gives us victory over death!” That’s the gospel punching death in the face! Look at verses 20:
Genesis 3:20, “20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.”
Adam has just been told death and dust is coming. Adam has just been told sweat and toil is coming. That’s a lot to process! And, then in verse 20 we see Adam name his wife Eve, which means “Life.” You need to know that might be Adam’s first step of faith being put on display! (Do you see it?)
Remember, back in verse 15 there is hope that an offspring is coming who will crush the head of Satan, and by faith, Adam names his wife Eve. Isn’t that glorious? Adam could focus on sweat, toil, death and pain, but instead Adam fixes His hope on the truth of God’s Word. Amen? In the same way, here are going to be moments in life when we get discouraged about the sweat and the toil. We are going to get disheartened by having to work on areas of our life over and over and over. We are going to feel defeated when we see loved ones taken by death, but Genesis 3 is teaching us to fix our eyes on Him.
To be clear, it isn’t trusting the Lord will fix all our problems. It is trusting the Lord no matter what happens.” As a church in Austin, we’re living this out in real time. We weren’t sure how the summer was going to unfold. We had transition with a worship leader and the building. We had worship team doing double time, launch teams, working on solutions, and it would have been so easy to get discouraged, disheartened, and feel defeated. But, by God’s grace fixed our eyes on Him. We said, “I am going to trust you no matter what happens.” We started praying differently. We started taking ownership. We started drawing closer together. Praise God! Let’s keep it going! Look at verses 21:
Genesis 3:21, “21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”
We’ve been talking about this verse the last few weeks and we’re finally here! In Genesis 3 we see sin enter into the story, Adam and Eve run and hide and they create fig leaves to cover their nakedness. That’s the backdrop of verse 21. But, then notice the first to act in verse 21. It’s the Lord who moves toward Adam and Eve. It’s the Lord who makes “garments of skin” to cover them. Oh my gosh!
The Lord knows the covering of fig leaves aren’t going to last, so the Lord takes the blood of an animal, listen to me, to stand in their place, so that Adam and Eve can be covered with its skin. This is so powerful! This is the first picture of a sacrifice being established in Scripture. It’s the first picture of atonement, someone or something standing in our place and taking the judgment of our sin upon itself.
Then, all throughout the Old Testament we see this sacrificial system. We read it today and think, “That’s weird” but God’s Word is clear, sin must be covered by the shedding of blood over, death must come, and sacrifices are made over and over and over until one day John the Baptist shows up and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”
The ultimate sacrifice has come! The ultimate death has come as God takes on flesh and takes our judgment upon Himself has come! Isn’t that glorious! When we come to faith in Jesus, when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that He rose from the dead, Jesus gives us His righteousness.
It’s called the ultimate exchange! Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness. He knows fig leaves won’t work. He knows the blood of an animal won’t last, so He clothes us in His righteousness that never fades, never wrinkles, without any spot or blemish! I don’t know where everyone is on their spiritual journey but you need to meet Jesus. There’s nothing like Him! Look at verses 22-24:
Genesis 3:22, “22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Okay, lean in with me. The temptation was to be “like God knowing good and evil” in verses 1-7, so that Adam and Eve know about good and evil but they aren’t powerful enough to do anything about “good and evil.” It’s like the toddler living on their own. They can do it, but it’s going to be rough! Adam and Eve can’t provide safety and security. Adam and Eve can’t extend forgiveness on their own; therefore, the Lord “drives them out” of the garden and creates a barrier between them and the tree of life. Do you see that?
In addition, notice the “cherubim and the flaming sword” are there so as to say, “Humanity can’t just walk back into the garden on our own.” We can’t become religious enough or moral enough or pretty enough to get back into the garden. And, I think on some level, all of humanity has His fingerprints of His glory on our soul that remembers the garden. (Sit with me in this.)
I think this is why you see this pattern in all of humanity that loves nostalgia. We love the idea of going back to a simpler time. We love the idea of going home, because on some level, all of humanity is longing to go home. But, have you noticed that nostalgia never satisfies? It might be that high school reunion. It might be going back to an old neighborhood where we grew up but it always leaves us feeling empty. This is why Jesus comes and says, “Come to Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life!” The way back home is through Jesus.
Jesus comes to bear the curse of creation upon Himself. He the crown of thorns upon His head. He comes to take the sweat and the toil upon His body. It’s even at the cross that Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” In that moment Jesus is taking the punishment for our sin at the cross. It’s why Isaiah writes, “He is despised and rejected. He is crushed for our iniquities, because the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, the Lord was pleased to crush Him as He willingly lays down His life at the cross. C’mon! Who is like Jesus? Do you know Him? If you know Him, are you taking steps to grow in Him. Are you walking with Him? Are you talking with Him? There’s nobody like Him!
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin by the Domain, established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching. Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry. You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
NVC Online
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