The Fall of Man
We're not told just how long passed from the time God created Adam and Eve to the time they first sinned, but it probably wasn't very long. Satan came and twisted God's words in an attempt to get Eve to doubt what God had said. Back in Chapter 2, we see that God specifically told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but we don't see that God repeated the command to Eve. He may have, but it seems equally likely that it was Adam's responsibility to tell her.
Eve "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desireable to make one wise" and partook of the fruit. Pleasure often disguises sin, and our desires often cause us to sin. A lot of people have blamed Eve for what happened, but if you look at the last part of verse 6, you see "she gave also to her husband WITH HER, and he ate." Adam was right there, and in the role of protector he'd been given as husband, he could have stepped in and prevented Eve from eating the fruit. Instead, he abdicated his position of leadership and allowed Eve to take control. And here the perfect relationship between Adam and Eve and between man and God became flawed.
In His mercy, God gave Adam and Eve the chance to confess their sin. However, the two of them began shifting the blame. Outside of the time Jesus spent on earth, Adam and Eve had probably the closest relationship with God in all of history, able to walk with Him in the garden and enjoy His presence perfectly. Yet they were reluctant to confess their sin, and the curse from that has passed down throughout all of history.
Yet even here, hope was given. The coming of Jesus was foretold in verse 13. Praise God for His mercy, for the perfect sacrifice of His Son that saves us all from sin!
Created over 2 years ago
