And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 ESV)
Before the fall, God's instructions for how Adam and Eve were to live imposed almost no constraints. The Lord afforded them great freedom and the ability to live without (adverse) consequences. He commanded them to produce abundantly, populate the earth , take charge of it, and rule over the animals.
Man was also responsible for maintaining the Garden of Eden. Nonetheless, they were exceedingly blessed, as God provided all the plants and trees on earth as food without man cultivating any (refer to Genesis 1:29).
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17 ESV)
Only one tree in the garden was off-limits: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God forbade man not to eat of it and warned they would surely die if they did. God's design was according to plan until the serpent crept in.
Eve Encounters the Deceptive Serpent
In the garden of Eden, the serpent confronts Eve.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1 ESV)
The Bible doesn't mention Adam and Eve's initial reaction to the serpent. If it were the only talking animal in the garden, its ability to do so would've proved its craftiness and wickedness. However, Adam and Eve may not have recognized it as a threat because they didn't yet understand good and evil. Perhaps they were so captivated by the serpent's ability to communicate that they missed the obvious. Whatever the case, God equipped them with all they needed to survive in the garden.
Eve Falls Into the Serpent's Trap
The simple answer to the serpent's question of whether Adam and Eve couldn't eat from all the trees in the garden was "no." Although the Bible doesn't explain, I'm curious about where the snake's information came from or if he made it up. In any event, the question's intent was more significant than its source. He was likely testing Eve's knowledge. Of course, he knew they weren't prohibited from eating from every tree. He was probably fishing for information from Eve to use against her.
Eve replied,
“…We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” (Genesis 3:2-3 NIV)
Let's contrast Eve's statement above with God's statement below.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17 ESV)
What are some key differences you see?
Eve identifies the tree as "the tree in the middle of the garden." She doesn't refer to it as "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Maybe she didn't understand the distinction between the forbidden tree and the others.
It's unclear if she did so purposely, but she also adds to and takes away from God's word. She added by misrepresenting that they weren't to touch the tree. God didn't command them not to touch the tree. He only warned that if they ate from it, they'd surely die, which was their most vital point to grasp. If Eve set this additional standard for herself or failed to pay close attention to God’s instructions, either might've caused her to lose sight of God's Word.
Eve goes on to downplay the consequences of eating from the tree. She said they shouldn't eat off the tree (nor touch it) or they'd die. Eliminating the words "in the day" and "surely" undermines the conviction of God. His declaration, "for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die," is explicit and guarantees death would occur, and on the same day they were to eat the fruit.
Since God formed Adam first, I wonder whether Eve received the commands straight from God or Adam, and did he brief her properly if she got them from Adam? Either way, Eve's faulty understanding proved disastrous for all humanity.
Adam and Eve Relinquish Authority
The serpent said to Eve:
"You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)
The serpent's statement opposes God's. God stated they would "surely die," but the serpent countered they would "not surely die." His statement was highly confusing, even though he pretended to use the same conviction as God by employing the word surely. Was the serpent claiming that Adam and Eve wouldn't die, that death was just a possibility, or that death would happen later down the line? The Lord was clear, unlike the serpent.
To reiterate, the Lord said,
"You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17 ESV)
Only one of the above statements describing the consequences of eating from the tree is true. Which do you believe? We should always believe God and not the serpent!
At the same time the serpent informs Adam and Eve their eyes will be opened and they'll be like God, they appear to overlook God being the Supreme authority. He's the Creator of all things and sovereign over the entire universe. The serpent's assurance to the woman they wouldn't die was a lie, and their entertaining it up to that point was of concern.
The bottom line is the serpent had no authority over God to assert that what God said was untrue, and it had no say so whatsoever over them. The Lord had already commanded:
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 ESV)
God granted Adam and Eve rulership over the animals and all the earth. The snake wasn't in a position to rule over them. Yet, they allowed it to control them. Instead of exercising their God-given authority, they submitted to its rule.
The Serpent Lies on God
Lies the serpent tells are as follows:
1) You will not surely die.
2) God knows that ...
3) You will be like God, knowing good and evil.
First, the serpent lies to them in part. Adam and Eve disregarded the Creator's words in favor of the serpent, who said they would become like God when God never revealed that. The Lord declared they would surely die if they ate from the tree, which meant they'd immediately experience spiritual death—spiritual separation from the Holy God. In their relationship with the Lord, their sin would create a disconnect. Knowing good and evil wouldn't be their main trouble. For God had given them dominion over the animals but not rule over sin.
Second, the serpent stating that God knew Adam and Eve would become like Him was an attempt to discredit God. He made it seem as though he was enlightening them while God, on the other hand, was keeping them in the dark by withholding what they were entitled to.
To believe God must manipulate man to maintain control suggests God doesn't have sovereign authority over His creation. For, at any moment, man can rise against and overthrow Him, rendering God powerless to stop it.
If that were the case, why would God leave Adam and Eve access to the forbidden tree? Perhaps the Lord wanted to be their first choice, so He gave them free will to choose His way. God didn't create humans as robots, obeying Him because we're programmed to.
Third, Adam and Eve would have the same knowledge of good and evil as God (refer to Genesis 3:22), but that was half the truth. There'd be repercussions because man isn't God. Adam and Eve wouldn't behave like God once they knew good and evil, as man doesn't always discern or rightly decide between right and wrong. Man knows evil and commits it intentionally and unintentionally. God knows evil yet doesn't partake in it, and this was a problem God knew man would face once knowing good and evil. Being like the Lord isn't only knowing good and evil. It's also walking in His ways.
Adam and Eve Fall Into Sin
Eve determines that the tree is suitable for consumption because it bears edible fruit, is pleasing to her sight, and is said to have the ability to make one wise.
Though the tree may have appealed to the senses and been useful to the body in some way since it didn't physically kill them, it was poisonous to their spirits and destructive to their relationship with the Lord. As the saying goes, "All that glitters isn't gold." A thing that appears pleasant, fulfills a desire, and delivers a desired outcome isn't a good thing if it displeases the Lord. Wisdom comes from God, not the tree, and disobeying God's commands is inconsistent with acquiring such wisdom.
Eve falls into sin due to her ungodly desires and her yielding to temptation. And sin corrupts, as evidenced when she gives the fruit to her husband, who eats it.
Adam and Eve Fall and Die in the Garden
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:7 ESV)
Adam and Eve immediately experience spiritual death after eating the forbidden fruit, contrary to what the serpent had stated. He assured them they 'would not surely die,' whatever that meant. However, God said they 'would surely die,' which is precisely what happened.
While their eyes were opened after eating the fruit and could differentiate between good and evil, Adam and Eve became aware of their sin and felt embarrassed and exposed. None of these was a blessing; they were a curse. Their disobedience instantaneously transformed their nature into a sinful one, spiritually separating them from the Holy God.
Instinctively, they try to avoid judgment and get on with life by covering their sin, but all they do is dress it up. The fig leaves they weaved and wore were insufficient to cover themselves, as is still the case today. Man lacks the authority to forgive sin. Only Jesus' shed blood on the cross can do that. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the only way to reconcile to our Creator, God.
Conclusion
God's original plan allowed us to exist without consequence so long as we adhered to a single constraint. All the plants and trees on earth were Adam and Eve's to eat, except one; however, they focused on the forbidden tree rather than finding contentment with all the rest.
Because Satan seeks to destroy humanity, Adam and Eve needed to comprehend and follow God's word, for there would come a time when Satan would attempt to persuade them to abandon God's kingdom and join his own.
That is why we must trust that God's commands are for our benefit, not to shortchange us. They are perfect and true, protecting and keeping us in right standing with our Lord (through Christ).
No one but Satan profits from our lack of understanding of God's word; therefore, will you take a stand to read the Bible so the adversary doesn't feed you lies and half-truths to manipulate your fall?
Disclaimer: While this writing aims to reinforce the teachings found in the Scriptures and assist you in living a godly life, it is important to acknowledge that the Bible is the ultimate and primary source for all aspects of holy living, maturity, growth, fruitfulness, and more. The Bible contains everything necessary to achieve wholeness and be fully equipped for every good work. This secondary resource is only intended to supplement and support your understanding, providing additional insights for your journey.
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