Genesis 3 tells the famous story of Eve being tempted by the serpent, to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve then gives the fruit to Adam, and he eats it, too. They suddenly realize that they are naked, and are ashamed, so they make clothes for themselves out of fig leaves. Jehovah finds out what has happened. He curses the serpent, and sends Adam and Eve out of the garden, to make their way in the world, with work and hardship.

Here’s a brief outline:

• Eve and Adam cave in to the serpent’s temptation (Genesis 3:1-7)
• Jehovah hears their excuses (8-13)
• Jehovah curses the serpent, and judges Eve and Adam (15)
• They have to leave Eden (23, 24)

This third chapter of Genesis continues the story of the Most Ancient Church and its fall from grace. We are introduced to “the serpent” who encourages thinking "my way" instead of in the ways that God is leading us. The people of the Most Ancient Church gradually turned away from the teachings of their ancestors and began to rely on their own worldly knowledge. The people used sensual interpretations of the world to define their relationship with God. While still a holy people, their connection to God was not as intimate as that of their forefathers, since they had lost their direct line of communication with the Divine. This chapter gives an overview of this church and its fall. The following chapters will go into more detail about the subsequent generations, that eventually lead us to Noah.

Spiritual lessons from this chapter: This chapter teaches us about the misguided use of worldly knowledge to find God. As the ancient peoples began to get more natural, sensual knowledge, they began to value it more, and to think of their lives and power and knowledge as being their own. As they fell deeper and deeper into this illusion, they slowly cut off their connection to God. As can be seen in Genesis 1, there is a spiritual progression that leads to God, and in the same way there is an opposite progression that leads man away from God. It's not irreversible, though. In the end, the Lord is always present, and we always have the option to turn to or away from Him.

1201. That 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things is clear from the fact that he is called 'Canaan's firstborn', for in the internal sense the firstborn of every Church is faith, see 352, 367. Here however, where faith does not exist because internal things are missing they are no more than exterior cognitions of spiritual things taking the place of faith, thus cognitions such as those with the Jews which are cognitions not only of the ceremonies of external worship but also of many other things belonging to that worship, such as matters of doctrine. That 'Sidon' has this meaning is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Sidon were the furthest limits of Philistia, and were in fact by the sea. 'Tyre' therefore meant interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' those which were exterior, and yet cognitions of spiritual things. This is also clear from the Word: in Jeremiah,

On the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

Here 'the Philistines' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity, 'Tyre' for interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' for cognitions of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel,

What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? You have taken My silver and gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

Here 'Tyre' and 'Sidon' clearly stand for cognitions and are called 'the borders of Philistia', for 'gold and silver' and 'good and desirable treasures' are cognitions. In Ezekiel,

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Sidonian, who have gone down with the slain ¹ into the pit. He was made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain' by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude. Ezekiel 32:30, 32.

Here 'the Sidonian' stands for exterior cognitions, which when devoid of things that are internal are nothing else than facts, and it is for this reason that he is mentioned along with Pharaoh, or Egypt, who means facts. In Zechariah,

Hamath also will border on it, Tyre and Sidon, for it is exceedingly wise. Zechariah 9:2.

This refers to Damascus. 'Tyre and Sidon' stands for cognitions.

[3] In Ezekiel,

The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots. Ezekiel 27:8.

Here 'Tyre' stands for interior cognitions, and therefore her wise men are called 'pilots', while 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions and her inhabitants are therefore called 'rowers', for such is the relationship of interior cognitions to exterior. In Isaiah,

The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. But on the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue, and was the merchandise of nations. Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea saying, I have not gone into labour, nor have I given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins. Isaiah 23:2-5.

Here 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions which, because they have nothing internal within them are called 'the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, her revenue, the merchandise of the nations', and also 'the sea, the stronghold of the sea', and 'one that does not go into labour and give birth'. What these expressions may mean could never be discerned in the literal sense, but their meaning is perfectly plain in the internal sense, as with everything else in the Prophets. Since 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions it is also referred to as the region surrounding Israel, which is the spiritual Church, Ezekiel 28:24, 26, for exterior cognitions are like a surrounding region.

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