In the previous postings we have seen that the “serpent” is no ordinary “beast of the field.” Later portions of the Bible seem to imply that its subtle words were supplied by what man came ‘to believe’ or ‘see‘. Their action or attitude against God made them an adversary or satan.
The “quickness of perception” made their “voice of flesh” trouble their mind and made them to become an adversary of God instead of them becoming like God, though they still want to be the same as God and even today many want to play for god. This is what brings the world in a lot of problems.
The tempter for many became a ‘person’ or active figure called “Satan” or the devil. This Satan or adversary is the power of evil, the rebel against God. Hence the serpent has usually been treated by artists symbolically; Raphael pictures it as partly human, possessed of a woman’s head, a woman’s brain without her nobler soul. Certainly the serpent’s cunning words suggest human nature arguing with itself; the baser, beastly parts stirring the mind to ambition and rage and fear.
In the garden of Eden, the two mysterious trees, one of life and death, the other of “the knowledge of good and evil” were not for man. Their idea of being “as gods” was very temptive and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and had taken of the fruit thereof and had also given it to her husband, they effectively came to know “good” and “evil“.
They found that knowledge, even at its best, is but a poor substitute for innocent purity. Most startling of the grim facts made clear to them, was that they had disobeyed their Divine Maker and thus lost their sense of joy and security with Him. They could imagine He would not be pleased with their act and therefore hid ashamed for Him. Going against the Will of God they had taken into their hearts selfishness and suspicion and fear. Darkened of mind and sin-stained of body, they were no longer willing to be fully seen, to gaze and be gazed upon. They grew secretive, furtive. They began to clothe their naked bodies with leaves, and they crouched among the trees to hide from God.
Before their act of insubmission they were never afraid of each other, of animals or of God. But now, after they failed to comply to God’s Will, they clearly knew they had done something wrong and even felt not sure any more about themselves. Never before had they avoided their Creator who was there Father. But now when He came to them in the garden “in the cool of the day” and when He spoke to them sadly of their fall, Adam answered trembling from his hiding place, and showed how contemptible indeed that fall had been. His personal resources had failed him. Perhaps he did not come to see that if anything is withheld from us, we may be sure that it is not absolutely for our good. He came to understand that his heart and soul (his flesh, heart and spirit or thinking) had failed. His downfall brought with it that he sought excuses. He did not want to to take the lowest place. He sought with crafty, coward words to shift his blame upon the woman, and even upon God, which shows how a state of sin can affect us.
Genesis 3:12 NHEBJE The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Putting the blame on his wife, to consider her responsible for his misdeed, is something which those who do wrong still try to do today. From that first sin those two first people their offspring got ‘bad examples’ and got the genes of troubled minds. Though
“Genetic predisposition made me do it”
is no excuse and is doing the same as Adam did. Eve also quickly learned from Adam trying to use an excuse to plead her innocence and freedom. The term “deceived” seems to mean “cause to forget”. It may be an onomatopoeia to the serpent’s hissing (i.e. hissi’ani). The New Testament mentions Eve’s actions in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:14.
2 Corinthians 11:3 NHEBJE (3) But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
1 Timothy 2:14 NHEBJE Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;
But than we got to hear of some solutions.
1 Timothy 2:15 NHEBJE but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.
Once again we hear about certain conditions or some commandments of God, namely to continue in faith and love or charity (o. agape) and holiness with sobriety or modesty or with self-control.
Because the 1st Adam had hearkened unto the voice of his wife, not only listening to her and not pointing to her what she was thinking was wrong, but following her, he also was at fault and should have to bear the consequences like any person who does something wrong has to bear the consequences.
Man was taken out of the earth, from dust. Because both had not listened to God they had to see it was serious what God had said about life and death. Now they were going to feel what it meant knowing life and death. Knowing good and bad things of life and losing life.
Genesis 3:17-22 NHEBJE To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. (19) By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (20) The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (21) Jehovah God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. (22) Jehovah God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…”
Adam should have been following God’s word, but he followed his wife’s word and broke God’s specific command or mitzvoth. Each created being has received like Adam and Eve a free choice either to follow God His Words or to deny them and to go astray from God. Adam and Eve had heard what could happen (cf. Genesis 2:15-17). Now it was too late to turn back.
The whole creation now had to bear the consequences of the fall of mankind and nature.
Romans 8:18-23 NHEBJE For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. (19) For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (20) For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. (23) Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
Nature became involved because man now being on his own trying to look for his daily edible food started also hunting the animals, which had to become fearing man and going into their defence. As such animals and plants also became a victim of the fall of man. But God is a God of love and He does not like it when His creatures do have to suffer. God is on the side of His creatures. Therefore He provide a solution for them, but it had to come form man itself. Like the first man or Adam had to make the right choice the new or second Adam, the man for the new beginning had to make the right choice too.
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Preceding articles
The very very beginning 2 The Word and words
A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made
Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1
Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2
Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3
What others think about the tree of knowledge of good and evil
First mention of a solution against death 1 To divine, serpent, opposition, satan and adversary
First mention of a solution against death 2 Harm or no harm and naked truth
Next: First mention of a solution against death 4 A seed for mankind
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Additional reading
- Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
- Human beings and creation
- Coming to understanding from sayings written long ago
- Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
- The faithful God
- A voice cries out: context
- The Devil Not A Personal Super-Natural Being
- The Devil or Satan
- Satan the evil within
- Lucifer
- Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
- Words of God to stand and to be followed and to believe
- How we think shows through in how we act
- Be holy
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Further reading
- What does the Story of Eden Tell Us? Is it about Sin?
- The Calling of Genesis 3
- Daily Reading: 29 March – The Fall – Genesis 3 ~ paradise lost
- True Love and The Fall
- Adam and Evil
- The Original Sin
- The Fall of Humanity
- The fall of “The Fall” Part 2
- Devotion Week #1: Created and Fallen
- Wrong suggestions. Be watchful
- Recap: What Every Christian Should Know About Genesis 1-4
- Genesis 3 – The Fall
- OT Reading – January 6
- Adam and Evil (It’s Not My Fault!)
- The Fall of Man
- Mission Failed: The Fall of Man & Woman
- Pastor Wrinkles: Unintended Consequences Pt. 3
- Pastor Wrinkles: Unintended Consequences Pt. 4
- Adversary. Accuser. (Zechariah 3:1)
- My Adversary
- Attacks from Within
- Watch What You’re Fighting
- When we stumble
- Satan-Proofing Your Life
- Satan, the Adversary, and The Child of God – Pastor David
- The Tempter and the Christian
- The Christian’s Adversary
- A Tool of the tempter
- The Adversary’s unending reminders
- The Blessing of Adversity that Rises to Meet Us in 2016
- Demon o Demon
- Oppression’s Absence
- Vision of Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness
- Do not stand in my way, adversary!
- God always has the better answer
- Some Thoughts on Colossians: Colossians 1 and the Old Testament
- God’s Voice Of Truth
- God Is On Your Side
- Victory Over Satan
- What are your intentions?
- Listen Not To Your Adversary
- Know Your Enemy Pt 2 – His Agenda
- Daily Dose of Encouragement — Push-A-Door-War
- Will the Almighty Hear Me?
- Remain steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9)
- Love First: Why The Body Positivity Movement Is So Important
- Those Impossible Situations…
- Children not needing mothers and fathers is demonic idolatry
- Know how you are in Christ, because Adam and Eve didn’t
- The Fall Of Man
- 2. The Fall
- Gospel Theology (Pt. 3) – Original Sin
- A Dose of Theology – Hamartology
- Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica: “In nature, there is an order for all things, but with man there is chaos”
- Fear & Loathing In… God?
- George Hunsinger and Reading Barth with Charity
- Jonathan Edwards Week – Edwards and Atonement (Pt. 2)
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You may also find more on the artist Raphael at: Raphael Italian, 1483–1520
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