Adam and Eve in the Garden
A seldom told story of Adam and Eve
Did Adam really “fall”?
The main Christian teaching about the "fall" is that: God made all things perfect and never intended that Adam should transgress. He wanted Adam to enjoy a sinless, happy existence in paradise for all eternity. But, somehow, without God having anything to do with it, Adam and Eve spoiled His whole plan by eating a forbidden fruit which He did not want him to eat. And Adam and Eve became sinners.
Can we really say this was a mistake on Gods part. We dare not so we make excuses like it is shoved off His shoulders to those of Adam, who passed on the blame to Eve, who, in turn, passed it on to the serpent. It was something like an accident on the part of our first parents, so it is called the "fall."
The setup – the enticing tree and sneaky snake
Why didn’t God make him so that he could not disobey? Just look at the facts. God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not Satan. And God planted it right in the midst of the Garden where Adam and Eve would certainly see it. God watched as the serpent maneuvered his way to Eve so as to deceive her. God watched the whole thing! God was not surprised by the actions of Adam and Eve. Some would say would it not have been much wiser and safer to root out the tree altogether, and not allow a single tree of this kind anywhere within the garden, not even outside of the garden? And why allow the serpent access to Eve? Why create a serpent at all.
The tree of good and evil just to appealing.
Genesis 3:6 (KJV) And when the woman 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, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Compare with this verse in the New Testament:
1 John 2:16 (KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The carnality of humans.
It is evident that, before they sinned, there was something within them. which yielded to the words of the serpent and caused them to eat of the forbidden fruit. What was this? Scripture calls it the flesh. Evidently the disposition of the flesh even then, as now, was enmity to God. The flesh did not have the ability to please God. It was not subject to God's law (Rom.8:7,8). All have sinned. These traits were inherent in human flesh, put there by the Creator, for the same reason that He planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and sent the serpent into the garden. Adam and Eve were not created immortal and unable to sin.
Purpose of God
If Adam and Eve would have believed and obeyed God, would they have died? According to mainstream Christianity the answer is no They claim that they would not even have become mortal. Did the process of dying begin in them until after they had disobeyed? But this question, like many others which imply that man, rather than God, controls the course of human events, is misleading. If Adam and Eve had not offended, they would have lived, no doubt, but they would not have fulfilled the prime purpose of their being created. This purpose could only be accomplished by what actually happened. Notice that the tree was a tree of knowledge. Knowledge of good and evil.
Eyes are opened
Here is an important fact. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good. Good lay all about them, unmixed with evil. Health, strength, honor, and companionship with one another and with God was their constant possession and privilege. Yet they knew nothing of the blessedness of these benefits. Were they thankful or appreciative? No. Many people think the tree implies only the knowledge of evil, rather than good. Yet, mentioned first was the tree of the knowledge of good. Also notice that this was just one tree. God did not plant two trees, one for the knowledge of good and another for the knowledge of evil. Let us comprehend the divine wisdom which planted one tree, so that it was impossible to know good apart from the knowledge of evil.
Did God make a mistake in creating the first human parents and planting a tree of good and evil in the garden? Of course not. God knows the heart of man. It was absolutely necessary for the first humans to take of tree and experience good and evil. How else would they know what is good and what is evil. A person cannot know evil without knowing good. One cannot know hate with out love.
Tree of good and evil
Why not just good and not evil? No one seems to forget that the tree brought the knowledge of evil. But it was primarily the tree of the knowledge of good. Adam had no appreciation of the good by which he was surrounded. Having known nothing else, it was not good to him. He received it as a matter of course, without a thankful thought. Adam and Eve had good but did not realize it because they had had no experience of evil. They had no knowledge of good or evil. They did not have the capacity to make a comparison. The knowledge of good is dependent upon the knowledge of evil. Hence the tree in the garden was not, as we usually think of it, merely the means of knowing evil, it was the means of knowing good and evil.
Another tree – one of life,
God also placed the tree of life in the midst of the garden but little is mentioned about it or its purpose. It was not as appealing as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were not drawn to it.
Genesis 2:9 (KJV) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Eating the fruit from the tree of life represented the gaining of the Holy Spirit. There was nothing appealing to Adam and Eve from that tree. They did not see the value of eating from that tree. They were carnal. The fruit of the tree of life are described in Galatians. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Gal 5:16 (KJV) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
This fruit is only obtained through Lord Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. In Him is life. Related scriptures:
John 1:4 (KJV)In him was life; and the life was the light of men
Revelation 2:7 (KJV)He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God
Also: John 14:6; I John 1:1; Romans 8:2; 2 Timothy 1:1.
Eternal life promised?
Some people will claim that God promised them eternal life if they ate from the tree of life. They refer to Genesis 3:22 as proof. But the correct translation from the inspired original text, does not use the word “live for ever” as most translation render it. The Hebrew word is “olam” and should correctly be translated “for the eon”.
Gen 3:22 (Rotherham literal version) Then said Yahweh God––Lo! man, hath become like one of us, in respect of knowing good and evil,––Now, therefore, lest he thrust forth his hand, and take even of the tree of life, and eat, and live to times age–abiding (for the eon).
See Strong’s H5769. Its primary meaning is long duration, antiquity, futurity, nothing to do with eternity or for ever.
God’s Perfect Plan
God has a plan. See the article on this at www.bibleanalytics.ca/plan.html .And God is working out that plan to perfection on a perfect schedule, and He will lose nothing! Paul tells us in Rom. 11:36 that all is out of God and through God and for God. God is creating man in His own image, having the knowledge of good and evil. It is a process. That process is on perfect schedule. It will be successful.
So, it was essential for them to have eaten of the tree. It was necessary for them to disobey God. God knew that they would sin and disobey long before He ever created them. He knows the end from the beginning. Christ was slain from the foundation of the world to be saviour of mankind.
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