Since everything on Earth and in the universe is God’s, which includes us, all was perfect in the Garden of Eden which was planted by God. He provided for them, and took care of them. He made Adam steward over all God’s creation. God made for Adam a wife and helper named Eve. They had the perfect relationship with their Creator, perfect place to live, perfect marriage to each other, and all their needs were met. Their world was “very good.”
Adam and Eve had one rule
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV
In this perfect place, God gave Adam and Eve one rule: that they may eat of any tree in the garden except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God forbid them to eat of that one tree, and told them if they ate any of it, they would die.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Genesis 3:1 NKJV
But, the Devil, Satan, a real being, had taken the form of a serpent. He knew what God had said, but he caused Eve to question God’s words by asking, “Did God really say…” Satan still deceives people today in the same way, taking their focus off of God’s Word and placing it on other things, people, and so forth.
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; “but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Genesis 3:2-3 NKJV
Here, Eve added to God’s word by saying they were not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or touch it or they would die. God never said anything about touching the tree, or even looking at it. They just were not allowed to eat the fruit from it.
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4-5 NKJV
Here Satan lied to Eve and convinced her to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.
So, when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make [one] wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:6 NKJV
So, Eve listened to the serpent and believed him more than God. She reasoned in her mind based on feeling and logic that it was good, desirable, and she wanted to be like God. She took the fruit of the tree and ate it. She even shared it with her husband, Adam, and he ate it too knowing where it was from.
At that moment sin entered the world and from sin came death (Romans 5:12; 1 Timothy 2:14). Judgment came from this one offense resulted in condemnation, and that from this one offense many after Adam were made sinners (Romans 5:15-19). Their eyes were opened and knew they were naked. They realized what they had done; for the first time in their lives, they were separated from God and afraid of Him.
They tried to fix it themselves but could not. They sewed fig leaves together to cover their shame and hid from the presence of God. The Lord called out to Adam and asked where he was. God asked Adam if he ate from the tree which He commanded him not to eat (Genesis 3:7-11). But instead of admitting his guilt and sin, both Adam and Eve made excuses and pointed fingers at others.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 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. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where [are] you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you [were] naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
Genesis 3:7-11 NKJV
Instead of confessing what they had done, they started blaming others and pointed fingers at each other, trying to cover up their sin. Adam blamed God and his wife, Eve by saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13) The woman then blamed the talking serpent who deceived her and she also ate of the forbidden tree. The truth of the matter is they all sinned against God, and justice needed to be done.
God had to punish sin
Here, God punished them all according to what they had done, for all three of them were guilty. First, He judged the serpent and cursed him more than cattle and any other beast of the field (Genesis 3:14-15). Next, God told the woman that He would greatly multiply sorrow, cause pain in childbirth, and that she would desire to rule the household, but her husband would rule over her (Genesis 3:16). Last, he judged Adam that because he heeded his wife and not God, and ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God cursed the ground that it would not produce fruit on its own, but that he would have to work hard for his food and provision. They would not live forever and when he dies, he would be buried (Genesis 3:17-19).
God made a way to be restored to Him
But God did not leave them helpless. He made tunics out of animal skins and clothed them, which was the first blood sacrifice to cover sin, and a picture of what was to come in the Passover (Exodus 12:1–30 and sin offerings to God (Leviticus 1–5). He also put them out of the garden so that they would not eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in their sin.
Also, for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”– therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So, God drove out the couple and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
Genesis 3:21-24 NKJV
But even more important, God promised humanity a way out of their sin; a Child of Eve many years down the road that would free them from the bondage of sin and death. Speaking of the Devil, Satan, the serpent:
And I will put enmity Between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed [Jesus]; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15 NKJV
God caused hostility between Satan and humankind; between her child to come, the Messiah, and the devil. Satan would temporarily kill the Messiah on the cross and that the Messiah would give Satan a death blow, one that would render him vanquished and bring victory to reunite God and man once again. Eve did not know exactly how or when, but always hoped in every male child that he would be The One.
Pens & Wrenches 