Genesis cont’d: The original sin

In case you missed it:

The Making of mankind and the Sabbath

Genesis: in the beginning

Welcome back to our studying of Genesis. I apologize for moving at a snail’s pace, but I’m trying to figure out the next direction in which to take the blog. I’ll talk about that in a future post. Anyway, the last time we looked at how God made man in His image, the Garden of Eden, and the Sabbath. Today, we look at the original sin.

Scripture in focus: Genesis 3 

The serpent’s deception

In 2:16-17, Adam was commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and his helper was not yet created, hence the argument that Eve didn’t know when the serpent tempted her in the garden. Wrong, the command was also made to her as well as evidence of what she told the serpent in 3:3. 

God made it clear that they weren’t to eat of that specific tree but after some sweet talk and coaxing from the serpent with the promise that she wouldn’t die (3:4), Eve looked at the tree in a different way (she saw that the tree was good for food). How did she know that it was good for food? Did an animal or the serpent by chance eat of the tree to prove that the fruit was good? The serpent was the most cunning of all the creatures God had created after all. Do note that gaining wisdom to discern between good and evil was not based on eating the fruit, but on visualization: SHE SAW that the tree was good for food (3:6). There was no way she was starving and started to imagine pizza hanging from the branches, wondering how it’ll taste like. Please don’t take my word for it, though, it was just an observation I happened to make while reading.

I guess it was safe to say that Eve was enlightened.

 

via jw.org

Eve then offered the fruit to her husband and he partook in it. Their eyes were suddenly open and they realized that they were naked. What did they do? Sewed fig leaves and made themselves aprons. Hey, fashionistas! 😃

Banished from paradise

Imagine living in the garden of Eden and hearing the voice of your Creator as He took His evening walk (3:8)! When the couple heard His voice, they hid (because of their guilt) like children hiding from their parents when they know they messed up and don’t want to face up to the pending punishment. When God interrogates them, Adam blames the woman for giving him the fruit and tries to implicate God at the same time (3:12). The wife, however, blames the serpent (3:13). After the blame game, God dishes out suitable punishments:

* The serpent has to crawl, it will be stomped on, and in turn, they will bite people in the heel (3:14-15).

* The woman has to bear children (painfully) and the man will rule over her (3:16).

* The man has to work the soil. He’ll have to sweat and after when all is said and done, he’ll die and return to the very dust from which he came (3:17-19). 

via jw.org

Even after God was disappointed in Adam and Eve, He didn’t leave them hanging when he clothed them (3:21). He banished them from paradise to a life of sorrow and appoints two Cherubims and a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life (3:24). 

Mankind’s fall shows why it is best to obey the voice of God and to resist temptation and flee from it. We inherited sin through Adam and Eve specifically through Adam for it was through him that sin entered the world (Romans 5:12). 

Because of the fall, we’ve lost sight of the purpose for which we were created. 

Additional Notes/Recap

^ This may not be important, but read 3:3 again. Note that Eve said that they’re not allowed to touch the tree for they may die. Now, go back to 2:16-17. This stipulation is absent from God’s first and only command. He said that the day they ate of the tree, they shall surely die. Eve, did you not pay attention?

^ I’ll have to add this to my list of first: The First Debate. This took place between the serpent and Eve as they debated over God’s rule (3:1-5).

^ Adam and Eve had everything that they could’ve ever wanted, yet, they fell for enticing lies. God made it clear that they will die if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, the serpent said that they will not die but become god-like. 

^ Eve cannot entirely blame the serpent for its trickery. She had a mind of her own, yet, she refused to listen to God’s command. It was of her own actions and desire to eat the fruit. Cross-reference with James 1:14-15.

^ Eve was known as ‘the woman’ until 3:20 when Adam first calls her ‘Eve’.