Genesis 3

We come now to the crux of the whole matter of Adam’s "fall" or "jump" into sin.

As mentioned before, the new additions to God’s family needed to be tested over a period of time so that the angels and inhabitants of the universe could see their position. Their Creator did not need to see this result (He knows all the possibilities), but the other created beings did, because they cannot read our minds.

However, nothing is fore-ordained beyond change. God has His plans, which are ALWAYS for our good, but His creatures are free to go along with them or not, as we decide. That’s what free-will is all about. The POSSIBILITY of sin was always there (and always will be) as is evident from the fact that Lucifer jumped into it while surrounded by all the glory of heaven.

We can be sure that loyal angels had often visited their "baby" brother and sister, and given instruction to them concerning their duties and also taught them concerning the rebellion and fall of Satan. The angels would have warned them of Satan and cautioned them not to separate from each other in their employment, for they might be brought in contact with this rebellious foe.

The angels would also have impressed upon them the need to follow closely the directions God had given them, for in perfect obedience only were they safe. Then this fallen foe could have no power over them.

Yet Satan commenced his work with Eve first when she was alone, to cause her to disobey. How?

She first erred in wandering from her husband,

then in lingering around the forbidden tree,

and next in listening to the voice of the tempter,

and even daring to doubt what God had said, "In the day that you eat thereof you shall SURELY die."

Satan appealed to the same thing in her which had been in him. The desire to be like her Creator. This is a GOOD desire in its place, for Jesus created it in us, but when we attempt to attain it in a wrong manner then goodness becomes sin. That which was strength then becomes weakness.

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Isaiah 14:12

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The position of Eve as Adam’s "second self" was a crucial point in the test. Because of her equality with him she was a separate, free moral agent and could choose to obey or disobey God for herself. However, God’s advice to her as well as to us, is that two heads are better than one when faced with a problem, and He expected her to consult with her husband and co-operate with him. See Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; Amos 3:3.

He wished her to listen to Adam, and he to her, but did not command it for it must spring from a voluntary desire.

We should note that the charge regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had been given to Adam BEFORE Eve had been separated from him, and she heard it from him later. Genesis 2:16. Therefore when she wandered from her husband’s side and came to the forbidden tree, she was under the influence of God’s word through another.

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Genesis 3:1-6

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There was nothing magical about the tree.

It simply belonged to Another.

Everything in the world except that tree belonged to Adam and Eve, and it was surrounded by identical ones, so they had no need to use it.

So what made Eve take its fruit?

True to his sinful nature, Satan, through the serpent, claimed to have received great good by eating of the forbidden fruit, but he did not disclose that by transgression he had become an outcast from heaven. Though he had found sin to result in infinite loss, he concealed his own misery in order to draw others into the same position.

So today the transgressor still seeks to disguise his or her true character. He or she may claim to be holy; but this exalted profession only makes them more dangerous as deceivers. There are many on the side of Satan, claiming to be His children while trampling upon the law of God, and leading others to do the same, to their eternal ruin.

Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin. The words of the Bible are:-

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Leviticus 5:17

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This simply means that whether we know about it or not, sin kills. It’s rather like drinking out of a bottle containing poison without knowing its contents, or rather in this case, not believing when Someone tells us that it is dangerous. The "death" is the RESULT of the act, not its punishment. See Romans 6:23 and note the word "wages".

Eve disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall.

In the judgment we will not be condemned because we conscientiously believed a lie, but because we did not believe the truth, because we neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth. We actually have to reject the Son of God’s help and CHOOSE to remain cut off from salvation. He says,

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Ezekiel 18:31-32

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In the final judgement Jesus says,

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Revelation 22:11-12

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Notwithstanding the clever teaching of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey God. We must set our hearts to know what is truth, then trust and obey. All the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His word are for our warning and instruction. They are given to save us from deception. Their neglect will result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God's word, we may be sure proceeds from Satan.

There is not a great deal of detail in the Bible regarding the temptation of Eve, but we can be sure that evil worked in much the same way then as it does now. Let us see the result of adding to the word of God.

The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve. Then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it.

Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat." It was great to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a energising power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she plucked more and ate.

Then Satan exulted. He had rebelled in heaven, and had gained sympathisers who loved him and followed him in his rebellion. He had fallen and caused others to fall with him. And he had now tempted the woman to distrust God, to inquire into His wisdom, and to seek to penetrate His all-wise plans. Satan knew that the woman would not fall alone. And he was right, for Adam, through his love for Eve, disobeyed the command of God, and jumped into sin with her. How did this happen?

Having herself transgressed, Eve now became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred.

What must have been Adam’s thoughts when she offered him the forbidden fruit? He had firsthand knowledge of God’s words and he knew what she had done. He believed in the "surely" part and knew now that he would have to lose his wife for her sin.

Consider this scenario.

A sadness came over Adam's countenance. He appeared afraid and astonished. A struggle seemed to be going on in his mind. He felt sure that this was the foe against whom they had been warned, and that his wife must die. They must be separated. His love for Eve was strong, and in utter discouragement he resolved to share her fate. He seized the fruit and quickly ate it.

That’s what Satan used against him! His love for his wife. How often since then has the devil been able to separate Christians from their God by using their loved ones who choose not to be saved. Or by the love of some other thing.

We can now recreate Adam’s sin as we know it happens in our own experience.

Adam obviously understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, and that she had disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their faithfulness and love.

There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus?

Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes outvalued every other.

Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator - all were outweighed by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of separation. He did not accept that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could remedy the problem for him. He tried to create the solution himself. In effect, he loved "himself" more than he loved his God.

He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.

For a time after his transgression Adam also imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul which we call "guilt".

The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavoured to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels. Genesis 3:7.

They now began to see the true character of their sin. Adam reproached his companion for her folly in leaving his side and permitting herself to be deceived by the serpent; but they both flattered themselves that He who had given them so many evidences of His love, would pardon this one transgression, or that they would not be subjected to so terrible a punishment as they had feared. But in this they did not understand the terrible nature of sin.

I think none would argue with that picture.

We’ll see next week what God did about the terrible situation His children had got themselves into.

Bye,

Ron