The account of the temptation shows clearly that temptation to disobedience cannot be
blamed on the environment, and certainly not on heredity.In the midst of abundance and blessing, the first Adam fell; in the
midst of desolation in the wilderness, the last Adam (our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Co 15:45) triumphed.The focal point of the devil’s attack in both cases was man’s faith
in the goodness and character of God.The faith of the last Adam led to unwavering obedience to the will
of God, resulting in total victory over temptation. The unbelief of the first Adam led to willful disobedience
to the clear command of God, resulting in total collapse under trial. The story of the fall describes the
process of temptation that occurs repeatedly in human experience.
The Temptation and the Fall of Man
v.1 Once again, the Word of God comes to the forefront in
the account. In chapter 1, the Word was the powerful means of creation (to create
life); in chapter 2, the Word was a direct command for humans to obey (to continue in life); in chapter 3, the Word is the subject of discussion, dispute
and the object of discrediting (to challenge life).Thus,
the words of the serpent, (identified as the devil, cf. Rev. 12:9), was intended to bring chaos
and death by challenging the Word of God.
Basically, all temptation begins by questioning a clear revelation of the Word of God. “Yea,
hath God said?” is an age-long question, representing the cornerstone of the devil’s
entire method. Ignoring the rich provision of God (2:16), the devil craftily misquoted God’s Word – the words
were generally the same but a little “not” was inserted against “every tree” instead.Hence, the negatives
but not the positives of obedience to God were stressed.
The underlying insinuation was that God is not good. Disguised as an innocent discussion, the devil was launching
an attack on the character of God. Darkness covered the abundant riches man may enjoy and discontent is focussed
on the one restriction on one tree, which was intended
to ensure the continuation of his life and blessing.
v.2-3
The woman fell for it. In her reply, the privileges were minimised (“We may
eat of the fruit” – “freely” is left out, cf. 1:16), which overlooked
the extent of her freedom. The prohibition was
agnified (“Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it”
– the 2nd phrase is added in, cf. 1:17), which made God’s prohibition unreasonable and more severe than it really
is. And the severity of the consequences
was weakened (“lest ye die” – “shalt surely” are omitted,
cf. 1:17), which revealed her failure to comprehend the certainty and extent of the judgement to come for disobedience.The
appeal to sin grows stronger when the precise wording of the warning is weakened.
v.4 What began
as a mere question now proceeded to an outright contradiction and denial of the Word of God. Having discovered the woman’s flawed comprehension of God’s command, the serpent declared, “Not – ye shall surely die” (The Hebrew construction stresses the boldness of
the “Not” in the denial).
This is the lie the world today continues to believe in contradiction to the Word
of God. If there is no certain punishment for sin, then there is no certain reason for not sinning.
Evolution, Materialism and modern Science combines to declare that there is life only here
and now.Ecumenical universalism promotes the idea that all religions leads to a loving God in heaven. Liberal theology denies the existence and reality of
hell. But the Bible preaches a judgement to come (Rev. 21:8) on all who refuses to believe in (Jn. 3:36)
God’s appointed means of salvation in Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:6).
v.5 After denying
the Word of God, the serpent raised doubts about the character of God in order to provide the rationale for disobedience. One can always find a logical rationale for disobedience to God’s Word. What was subtly suggested
in the question (3:1) now came out in the form of a direct accusation, which implied that God wanted to keep Adam
and Eve from knowing good and evil so that they will not be like God. The slander on God’s character is that
He is not good nor concerned with bestowing good on humankind. Hence, God is holding them back from an ultimate
destiny (“ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”) and they
should, therefore, step out to grasp it for themselves on their own. The powerful appeal to their pride to
be like God, but independent of God, concealed the attack on the true principle of their created life – that their
life and its blessing is dependent on God, expressing itself through obedience to His clear command.
Many temptations Christians faced today are similar. There is a powerful appeal to be “Rich,” “Learned,”
“Successful,” “Powerful,” etc., but independent of God, fueled by the insinuation that obedience to God’s will
hold one back from all that “Life” holds out for them. Therefore, we are tempted to invest all our time and
energies to the pursuit of learning, wealth, material possessions, power and prestige in work, etc. Leading
us to depart from the true principle of our created life – that of faith in God, expressing itself in obedience
to His Word.
The devil did not warn Adam and Eve that they would come into the knowledge of what is good without
the power to do good and would have the knowledge of evil without
the power to avoid evil. Neither would he warn modern man today that in spending
all his life to earn enough money to buy a car and condominium, he will possess them at the end without any real
satisfaction in them. Nor would he warn the young lovers that in crossing the line into illicit sex, they
will enter into the knowledge of marital intimacy forever marred in the possibility of a chaste and wholesome marriage.
The devil will not warn us that in striking out to live a life of our own, independent of God’s purpose and design,
we will possess a life of our own emptiness and death (cf. 1:2-4).
v.6 The work
of the Tempter was complete. He has removed the fear of a judgement to come
for disobedience (the holiness and justice of God) and has provided
attractive rationalisations for an independent course of action (the love of God). Hence, the appeal of the forbidden fruit, to which her attention has been transfixed throughout
this time, has enough power to complete the process, sealing their downfall (cf. Ja. 1:14-15).
The new possibilities of life, apart from God, enhanced the attractiveness of the forbidden fruit.The
threefold description of what Eve perceived of the fruit seems to be reflected in John’s “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16). The natural desires for food, beauty and knowledge are gifts from
God but they are to be enjoyed and employed within His restrictions.The world ignores these restrictions and promotes their enjoyment
and employment in a system that is independent of God, thus drawing men and women away from Him.
Eve’s reflection on the fruit is concentrated on the potential good and pleasure that may be derived from it and
ignores the evil that is in disobedience.This has always been one of the strongest lure of sin – “the pleasure of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25).Let no one be fooled!Sin and wickedness does not appear ugly and wretched in the eyes of the tempted.There is something definitely attractive and pleasurable about sin
that tempts one to enter into it, often against one’s better judgement.But the reality is that the pleasure of sin lasts for a moment and
then death sets in – that is the ugliness and wretchedness of all sin.Sin holds up great promises but delivers nothing in reality.
The moment the temptation won, the sin of Eve is reported in rapid succession: she took, she did eat, she gave,
and he did eat. The report that the man also ate revealed that he needed no temptation with clever words
but simply went along with the crime.Adam’s transgression was an act of willful sinning. The New
Testament states that Eve was deceived but Adam sinned by choice (cf. 1 Tim. 2:14; Rom. 5:12; 17-19). While
the act of “taking” and “eating” described a very simple act in the garden, it was an act that required a very
costly remedy.Our Lord Jesus Christ had to taste death before these actions (“take” and “eat”) became
actions that pictures our salvation (cf. Matt. 26:26).
v.7 The result
of the act was anti-climatic.Their eyes were opened but they did not attained divinity. Instead,
they had appropriated death. The first thing
they knew was their nakedness and the shame that has fallen upon it. What was
right before was now very wrong.Before, they had only known the possibility of evil; now, they knew
evil by personal experience, and they are confirmed in it. Mistrust and alienation replaced the security and intimacy
they had enjoyed. Hence, the futile attempt to cover themselves with leaves. There is present death
felt and future death feared.