Genesis 3:1-7 - The fall of man
Scripture:
Genesis 3:1-7
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the
Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said,
'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the
garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden,
God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will
die.'"
4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a
delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with
her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin
coverings.
NASU
Thoughts:
This is the critical error of the first man and woman that plunged all
of humanity into its current state. This tragic event separated all of
us from God at our birth, dooming us to eternal punishment because of
the sin within us from our earliest days of understanding. Only the
precious blood of Christ could undue this curse, and does for those who
receive
Him.
There is so much to glean from this account. Here are a few points
that may help us when satan (as the New Testament identifies this
serpent) tempts us:
- Remember that satan is a liar. Here he denies God's clear
command and solemn warning to Adam and Eve (verses 1, 4-5). Ironically
rather than the fruit making them more like God, it drove them from
Him. Before they ate of it, they walked with Him in the garden.
Afterward, they hid themselves in shame.
- When tempted, verify God's word. Eve did not recall
correctly God's command (verse 3), no doubt adding strength to satan's
deception. Eve could not do this verification, but we have the written
word of God today. When satan brings doubt or confusion, go back to
the source and get a right understanding of what it says.
- Remove yourself from tempting places. Notice the ease
with which Adam and Eve reach the forbidden fruit (verse 6). It reads
as though they were sitting near the tree. If something tempts you,
stay away from it, just as Jesus told us to be radical about removing
temptation in the sermon on the mount.
- Finally, don't debate with satan over temptation. He is
far more crafty and gifted with his words than we
are -- he has had thousands of years of practice at enticing people!
Prayer:
Lord, help me to learn from Adam and Eve's mistake that I not repeat
it. If they in their sinless state could fall, how much more do I need
to be on guard!
Amen