Daily Devotions
Genesis
"And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…" Genesis 3:8
Text: Genesis 3:1-24
GOD KEPT IN TOUCH
God created Man. He provided for him wonderfully. He entrusted him with work. He watched over how he worked. He even created a special life-companion for him. God also sought to keep in touch with Adam and Eve. This is intimated in the following text.
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day…”GENESIS 3:8a
What an ideal life Adam and Eve were blessed with! No one could ask for more! Their life was virtual paradise on earth!
THE TESTING OF ADAM AND EVE
The concept of testing must be allowed for! God Himself declared that He would test the children of Israel as to “whether they would walk in His law or not” (Cf. Exodus 15:25; 16:4). Whether stated or not, the principle of testing was applied by the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
The cunning of the serpent was well noted (Genesis 3:1). Let us note how its cunning nature was displayed. Let us look at two features. Firstly, there was the selection of the victim. Eve was chosen rather than Adam. (The Apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy noted that it was Eve who was deceived and not Adam, Cf. 1 Timothy 2:14). The serpent knew that Eve could be more easily deceived than Adam. Secondly, there was the use of very subtle doubts. To Eve’s remark about the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the serpent made this suggestion.
“You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat
of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.”GENESIS 3:4
The serpent introduced the thought that human beings could be like God the Creator Himself! He stirred up wild imaginations as to what that might be like! He did not have to pluck the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he had done his evil work well, Eve would inveigle her husband to disobey God with her and both would fall from grace!
A TRAGIC DECISION
We need to remember that Man was made in the image of God! He had special intuitive knowledge! He enjoyed close communion with God! He had been blessed wondrously! Adam should have known better! He could have refused Eve’s suggestion to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil! But this line of thoughts is useless! It leads only to a greater sense of frustration. They partook of the fruit. They were not prepared for what took place next! They had not become like God at all! They were still human beings! Only this time, sin had entered into their very souls! They had become tainted! Their original state of innocence was shattered forever! They had been deceived!