Further Study

Review Questions

These questions are designed to help you review important material covered in the lecture.

1. Give an overview of the major sections of Genesis 2:4–3:24.
2. Explain the significant symmetries among the major sections of this passage
3. How did Moses identify the Garden of Eden and why did he explain the holiness of the Garden?
4. Explain how Moses described the motif of loyalty in both Eden and Canaan.
5. Explain the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disloyalty.
6. Explain how the primeval events of Genesis 2–3 connected with the lives of the Israelites in Moses’ day.
7. How do Paul and Matthew teach that salvation in Christ inaugurates a return to paradise?
8. According to Paul and James, how does Moses’ account of Adam and Eve in the garden relate to the continuation of the kingdom?
9. According to the New Testament, how does the story of Adam and Eve in the garden apply to the consummation of the kingdom?

Application Questions

Application questions are intended for group discussions; however, you may also use them for personal reflection.

1. In the primeval history Moses recounted how the evil of sin damaged relationships between God and his people, as well as relationships between people. What effects of this can we see in the modern world?
2. For the Israelites, the land of Canaan was a mere shadow of what Eden had originally been. Moses held before the Israelites the vision of what their land could be one day. What vision of the Promised Land should modern believers embrace? Why?
3. Why does God test his people? In what ways has God tested you? Have you been loyal?
4. Moses explained to the Israelites that possessing the land of Canaan would be a foretaste of the blessing of life, but it was conditioned upon their obedience. What foretastes of our future blessings do Christians enjoy in the modern world? Are these blessings also conditional?
5. What hope can modern believers draw from the fact that Christ has begun to reverse the damage caused by Adam and Eve’s disobedience?
6. Read James 1:12-15. How does James give perspective regarding trials during the continuation of the kingdom? How should this encourage believers to be faithful to God?
7. Read Revelation 22:12. John looked ahead and saw the new world as a return to the paradise that was lost. How does God’s redemptive plan for history give your life purpose and meaning?
8. What is the most significant insight you have learned from this study? Why?