Genesis 2:15-17, “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,
"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
The consequence: for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.".
The deceit of the devil: In Genesis chapter 3:1,
“And he (devil) said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
What should be the answer? NO!
But Eve said, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” V. 3.
God did not said they should not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Actually, death is not in touching, but it is a bait toward falling.
Devil said, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Vs. 4-5.
Devil called God “a liar” because the woman has added to the divine order. Devil grabbed the loop-hole as a trap to confuse and lure them into their defeat. He is doing the same today telling people that God is loving than to destroy all sinners in hell fire; that God cannot destroy the works of His hand. He usually promise wealth and pleasure, but hide the fact that they will not live long to enjoy what he had given them.
It is written in Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
There are some questions we need to ask from the response of the devil…
Were they blind before, why will they want their eyes open?
Were they not created like God with His breath of life in them?
Why will they admire demotion – to be like gods instead of the image of God.
They have known good, why would they want to know the evil. They desire to know evil and they could not sustain it.
The evil that men want to know is what is hunting them. Men disobey God today to satisfy their lust, but evil that follows them live after them. What men want to know is what takes them away from God.
V. 6, When she critically examined the fruit, she admired it and then discovered it was good for food – lust of flesh, it was pleasant (beautiful) to the eyes – lust of eyes, and it was a tree to be desired to make one wise – pride of life, she took of the fruit and did eat. Were they fools before? The more you know, the more ignorant you discover you were.
She took of the fruit thereof and she did not die as initially claim – v. 3.
Taking and examining might take several minutes before eating. She might have thought of dying but it seems no danger in it. Anything evil, no matter ugly and disastrous it is, when examined so closely and intimately, you might see it admiring and appealing. The only way to overcome sin is to run away from it.
And she did eat – she ate and did not die immediately.
God may be waiting for what will be the response of the man (Adam) who was directly ordered to keep the word in total obedience.
And gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The plight, doom and woe of many men today is obeying the voice of their wives contrary to God’s word (order).
Abraham obeyed his wife, Sarah in Genesis 16:1-4; he blamed himself later as his wife lamented years after that “my wrongs be upon you; the LORD judge between me and you.” – Genesis 16:5. The error of Abraham is still afflicting till today and cannot be erased as Ismail (the Arabic world) is waging war against Isaac (the Christianity). God’s verdict on Ismail and Haggar – Gen. 21:9-12. (esp. v. 12).
Outcome (implications) of Knowing evil
The knowledge of evil of nakedness dawn on them for the first time – v. 7.
Evil of guilt pursued them away from God’s presence – v. 8.
They now need cover-up.
They felt insecure.
They received curse from God and were chased away from the garden of God – Gen. 3:17-19, 23.
When God brought Eve to Adam in Genesis 2:22-23, Adam said she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, she shall be called “woman”. It is written, “And the LORD God …took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
After the fall of man, the purpose and value of woman was changed.
God said: “thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” Gen. 3:16.
In Gen. 3:20 “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
Conclusion: Desire to know more than God brings death and demoralization. Keep knowing God but not in search of evil. May God bless us all.
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