1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3“It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? 10 He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me–she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate. Genesis 3:6-12 AMPC
The story of the fall of man is an often read and told story that is also just as often misunderstood for its importance. God gave Adam the assignment to steward the garden of Eden, and to have dominion over the Earth. Adam was instructed to tend the garden, and God even brought the animals to him for him to name. God gave Adam the command NOT to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil, and he even gave Adam the dominion over animals BEFORE Eve was created. Now you may ask why did I mention this order, it is because if we misunderstand God’s order, then we miss the impact of the passage above.
Let’s break down Adam’s mistakes by points to see
- Adam attempted to hide from God – I believe that when God walked through the garden after they sinned, it wasn’t to “catch’ them, but rather to meet with them. God normally visited them in the garden, and any other day it would have been a joyous, normal occasion, but today they were aware of their sin. God knew about Adam’s sin before he appeared in the garden that evening, yet God wouldn’t allow that to stop him from visiting his son. I believe God was taking this opportunity to meet Adam where he was, in sin or not, his love didn’t change. Adam’s choice to attempt to flee from God’s presence and cover his nakedness/insufficiencies didn’t help him, but actually created an obstacle for God to help Adam where he was. Adam missed an opportunity to submit himself before God and be saved, which is an example to show us what not to do when we fall short.
- Adam allowed the serpent to speak deceitfully to Eve – one of the greatest mistakes Adam made was not silencing and removing the serpent from the garden after he began to speak this way. The serpent’s presence in the garden was not abnormal, who knows if Adam and Eve were able to speak to the other animals in the garden, however, in this moment the serpent was attempting to deceive and mislead Eve. The scripture specifies that the serpent was speaking directly to Eve, however later it mentions that she turned and gave the fruit to Adam; which implies that he was present throughout the conversation. Adam failed in not covering his wife, not only during a vulnerable moment, but also when he heard conversation that was in direct opposition to God’s instruction. Adam’s first assignment was to “tend” the garden, which would mean that he was to act as an attendant, or almost on God’s behalf in the garden. It would have been his duty to not allow Satan’s presence in the garden, or at the least, silence him as his spoke falsely to Eve. As a man, and secondly as a husband, it was his duty to create and maintain a safe environment for his wife, which in this situation was to remove the presence of a voice and temptation that was contrary to God.
- Adam blamed Eve – Adam’s response to God’s question was, “the woman you gave me.” Here Adam shirks responsibility and his God-given role in an effort to save himself. One must understand some foundational truths, Adam was NOT responsible for Eve eating the fruit. Eve made her own decision, however as I mentioned above, he was responsible for not speaking up and leading Eve during a time of testing. Adam, like Eve CHOSE to eat the fruit free-willing, even if their choices were for different reasons. When God asked Adam the question, he wasn’t looking for an excuse, he wasn’t looking for Adam to place blame, he was looking for accountability from the person he had entrusted to steward the garden, and lead and care for his daughter. To blame the person that he had been entrusted to cover and love, was the ultimate failure of his role, and betrayal. Can you imagine the guilt and shame that Adam must have lived with for the rest of his life? To have to stand before and with someone, and attempt to lead and have the respect/trust of someone that you threw under the bus before God? I can imagine that it felt worse to have to look at Eve daily knowing that you attempted to sacrifice her for yourself, than have to deal with the loss of the garden of Eden.
Reflection Time
Do you see yourself in any of Adam’s actions. What has God entrusted you with that you mishandled? Have you left anyone vulnerable that you were supposed to protect. Do you trust God enough to come out of hiding? Pray that God will help you develop and maintain the strength the to trust him in all situations, and stand tall when when the road is tough.
