God’s Holy Word gives the reader a unique insight to the human condition. By that, I mean that we now can look at the choices of mankind in the same fashion in which God looks at those decisions. As we study into His Word, we begin to see the first times certain things are recorded by God. One of the most compelling is the Sin in the Garden of Eden. This account is located in Genesis 3:1-15.
So many things are seen by this account. One of the noted things seen is first time a marital relationship is seen outside of just a marriage ceremony. We notice it by the wife and her husband by the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We see this relationship during the questioning period between God and this couple.
As they are by the Tree, we never see Adam try to protect his wife from the wiles of the Devil. Because we do not have a moment by moment and thought by thought account, we assume a few things. For example, why didn’t Adam try to talk Eve out of the choice to eat of the fruit? As we examine that account, we ask that question. I believe as a good helpmeet for Eve, he should have tried something. Secondly, he ate of the fruit too. Adam does not seem to be very concerned about his example to his wife.
As God asks why they ate of the Tree that they were explicitly told not to eat, the next reaction of mankind begins to shine. The act of blame shifting. Adam blames Eve for Adam’s choice to eat of that fruit. Adam also insinuates that God needs to share some of the blame too. Eve, in turn, blames the Devil for tempting her into eating the fruit.
What am I supposed to learn from this account. Lesson #1- God’s commands are to protect me from my bad choices, even if I think my choices are not harmful. Lesson #2- A helpmeet is supposed to help his/her spouse to obey God’s commands. Lesson #3- I, individually, have to take responsibility for my sin, even if no one else ever does. This is the case only if I want to stand before God as righteous. Lesson#4- God will help us to be righteous by providing Laws and a Sacrifice. Lesson #5- We do not have to be trapped by past sin. Adam and Eve lived a long full life and it seems like they moved past a series of poor choices.
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