Pastor Nelda’s Notes

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Dr. Nelda Barrett Murraine is pastor at First Untied Methodist Church of Kennedale

This Weeks Notes 6-6-21

Genesis 3:8-15 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush[b] your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

This passage, Genesis 3:8-15 focuses on the theme of choice: the choice between listening to God or listening to other voices.


Adam and Eve having eaten of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden, are in direct violation of God’s command. Their eyes were opened to their state of nakedness and they clothed themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:1-7). Now the couple hears the sound of God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze. 

The suspense builds when God calls out to the man inquiring of his whereabouts. “Where are you?” God asks (Genesis 3:9). It also reveals a level of intimacy that Christians often do not typically associate God.


The man replies in a string of first-person singular verbs: “I heard,” “I was afraid,” “I was naked,” “I hid” (verse 10). God, who is often portrayed as a judge, is more like a prosecuting attorney examining here the witness: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11). God already knows the source of the man’s new-found awareness.


The man does not respond directly to God’s questions. Yet, he infers that he knows that he is naked because he ate of the fruit from the tree, but he doesn’t accept responsibility for his deed. Instead he indirectly blames God, by implying that if God had not given the woman to him as a companion, he would not have eaten the fruit that she gave him (verse 12). God does not inquire any further of the man but instead interrogates the woman for her complicity in the act. She in turn blames the serpent for having deceived her into eating the fruit (verse 13).


Up to this point the serpent had gone unnoticed, but God resumes the role of judge to pronounce judgment on the snake. God curses the serpent, the only animal to be so judged, to crawl upon its belly and eat dust (Genesis 3:14). Furthermore, God announces that the offspring of the serpent and the woman would be adversaries striking one another (verse 15). Of the three, only the serpent is cursed.

We thank God for all of you being a part of service and love to our community.
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Tune in Sunday, 11:00 a.m. as we explore this passage Genesis 3:8-15 “Why Are You Hiding In The Bushes” July 4th we will re-open to in-person worship! We invite you to attend at 11:00 am. We will also provide livestream services for those who can’t come.


“I don’t know how, but I know WHO!”
Grace and Peace, Pastor Nelda  

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