◄ What Does Genesis 3:6 Mean? ►

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:6(NASB)

Verse of the Day

Early in man's history, the sad tale of 'paradise lost' is told in Genesis 3, when the shrewd serpent beguiled Eve. She allowed her mind and emotions to be manipulated by Satan who twisted the truth. She questioned the Word of God, altered it to fit her own desires, and influenced her husband, which caused sin to enter the world and man's fallen nature to impact every subsequent generation.

Everything God created was very good, and I am sure that the tree of knowledge produced delicious food and was a delight to behold. However, God placed one restriction on the man created in His own image, to test him: "You are free to eat from ANY tree of the garden," Adam was told, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." Adam was made with a 'mind' to think and a 'free-will' with which to make choices, but he was also given one command to follow, to test his fidelity: "Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge". Would Adam choose to obey the Word of God or not?

Eve did nothing sinful by looking at the tree with its delicious fruit hanging on its branches. The garden of Eden contained numerous trees dripping with tasty fruit for both her and her husband to eat, but the cunning enemy came and cast doubt on the veracity of God's Word and the goodness of His character, by asking a loaded and suggestive question, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from ANY tree in the garden?'"

Eve should have replied, NO! God only told us we are free to eat of any tree except this one tree, and because I love Him I will obey His Word. However, she was beguiled by Satan's twisted teaching: "That the tree was desirable to make her wise." She doubted God's Word by believing the satanic lie that she would not die.

The woman was seduced by the enemy. She gave in to temptation and fell into sin. She was not only deceived when Satan contradicted God's established Word, but she also disobeyed God's command and ate of the fruit. She chose to discount God's Word and ignore the consequences of her sin: "She took the fruit and ate, and she gave to her husband with her... and he ate."

It was only after she had sinned that Eve realised the enormity of Satan's deception and the depth to which she had fallen. It was only after she had eaten of the tree of knowledge that she found herself spiritually separated from God and dead in trespasses and sin. Her beautiful relationship with the Lord had been severed, and she discovered a shocking reality; she had the knowledge of evil without the ability to avoid it and the knowledge of good without the ability to do it.

Temptation is not sinful, but yielding to temptation is a sin. Looking at the tree and even touching it was not a sin, but disobeying God's command not to eat was the sin. Her first, foolish step on the slippery slope to sin was lingering near the forbidden fruit where she could easily be tempted. Her next, fatal step was unbelief. She listened to the lie of the serpent instead of holding fast to God's immutable Word. Her final mistake was allowing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride to influence her to sin.

Eve took the fruit and ate of it, and she gave it to her husband, who was with her: "And Adam ate." Adam was with his wife. He did not seem to warn her or try to prevent her from sinning, but was equally guilty of sin. Indeed, as God's appointed federal head of the human race, the responsibility of the fall is always assigned to Adam rather than to Eve.

God, in His wisdom, knew man would sin and graciously set His plan of redemption in motion, whereby a second and final Adam was sent to redeem His fallen race: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Praise His holy name.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. I am so grateful for the lessons I can learn from the choices Adam and Eve made so long ago, when they chose to disobey Your Word. Thank You for this insight into the devastating fall of man and the ease with which we can be deceived and tempted to sin against You and forfeit Your many blessings. May I not only know the truth of Your Word, but trust You in all things so that I will not be seduced by the lies of the enemy, nor enticed to follow the lusts of my own sinful heart. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful plan of redemption and for sending Jesus to be the last Adam and federal Head of a new creation through whom we are saved, by grace through faith. In Jesus' name, AMEN.