Observations as I follow God through the Chronological Bible.

Read: Genesis 3

The first recorded conversation about God exposed humanity’s sinful nature. Adam and Eve were the rulers of planet Earth. Someone under their authority told them God lied to them. The Serpent claimed God forbid them to eat from the tree of knowledge because they would become “as gods, knowing good and evil.”[1] Eve looked at the forbidden tree full of food and pleasant to the eyes. The tree looked like every other tree in the garden with one difference.[2] Eating from the tree would fulfill her desire to be wise like God.

Eve plucked fruit from the tree. She ate some and gave it to her husband, who joined her in rebelling against God. Adam and Eve knew the truth from God himself. They made a deliberate choice to believe the worst of God, who gave them every good thing he made. If you worship and love God why is it so easy to turn your heart against him? Why didn’t they wait and ask God to explain?

The serpent who started the discussion about God firmly entrenched himself in the lives of Adam and Eve. He sat in smug satisfaction as shame swept over the rulers of earth when they realized they were naked. He watched in fascination as the bearers of God’s image covered themselves in fig leaves. Then they heard God walking in the garden and hid from him.

“Where are you?” God called.

The presence of God was too strong to resist.

The truth spilled from Adam’s lips first. “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

The grass skirts the rulers of earth were wearing told God what they had done, but he did not deride their disobedience. He asked probing questions. “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Adam ignored the first question and attempted to defend his actions by blaming God. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Adam was not ready to accept responsibility for his actions, so God turned his attention to the woman. “What is this you have done?”

Eve replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The woman blamed the serpent for deceiving her, but she was wrong. The serpent lied to Eve. He did not deceive her.

James explained where deception comes from. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed [deluded[3]]. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.”[4] Eating from the tree of knowledge contrary to God’s command was not “the sin,” it was a symptom of sin.

Eve’s sin came from an evil desire that most would say is a good desire. She wanted to be wise. There is nothing wrong with being wise. The Bible tells us to seek wisdom and understanding.  God had already imparted wisdom when he told them the consequences of eating from the tree of knowledge. They knew the truth because God told them the truth. When they rejected his wisdom, the only way to justify sinning against someone good is to believe that person, in this case God, is bad.

It is easy to believe the worst of someone you do not love. Sin conceived when Eve judged God to be the liar for withholding something good from them. Adam agreed, and together they opened the door to death.

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[1] Genesis 3:5

[2] Genesis 2:9

[3] G1185 δελεάζω  deleazō  del-eh-ad’-zo From the base of G1388; to entrap, that is, (figuratively) delude: – allure, beguile, entice.

[4] James 1:14-15