In Genesis 3: 14-24, God pronounced judgement for eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. On that dark day, the light and beauty of creation were destroyed through deception, shame and blame. We also see man’s feeble attempts to cover up and hide. In these verses we learn of God’s mercy in judgement as evident in the curse, God’s promises, and His provisions.
The Curse
God addressed the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed.” Then the woman, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow, and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over to you. And finally to the man, He said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake, in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread and for dust you are and to dust shall you return.”
God’s Promise
God exposed their misdeeds and dealt with them. Still, His mercy shone through in His words to the serpent when He provided a plan for the salvation of mankind. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Romans 5:19 reads, “For as by one man’s disobedience, many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
God’s Provision
God was merciful when He provided for their immediate need. He took skins and made them suitable coverings. Was this the first blood shed on behalf of humanity’s sin – skins for a covering? Then he sent them from the garden. It too was protection. By doing so He kept man from eating from the tree of life. To have eaten would have left humanity in his shameful state for eternity. God still had a plan to redeem mankind and give him eternal life, but it would come at the cost of His Son’s life. In these verses we learned of God’s mercy in judgement as evident through the curse, God’s provision, and His promise.