The Fall – Part 1

Satan, in the form of a serpent, intends to corrupt what God has created as good. He posed a question in Genesis 3:1, intending to bring doubt in the mind of Eve. This is what unfolded next.

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:2-6)

In Genesis 2:16-17, God commanded Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Eve adds another restriction. She states that they were not to touch it. There are three general reasons given as to why she added this: (1) God gave the restriction, but for His own purposes didn’t reveal it in Scripture, (2) Adam gave Eve the additional restriction, perhaps to further protect her, or (3) Eve added the restriction herself. We don’t know for sure which is true, but regardless, it served to emphasize that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits.

Don’t Eat That

God created all things, so He makes the rules.  God gave Adam the responsibility for the whole garden.  Adam could eat whatever he liked, except for one thing. 

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17)

Sometimes, God’s restrictions don’t make sense to us.  As a matter of fact, we’re not sure why God gave this restriction.  However, God does not have to explain Himself.  After all, He’s God! Continue reading

The Breath of Life

As previously discussed, Genesis 1 is a sequential summary of what God created on each day of the creation week.  Genesis 2 provides additional details about the creation week.  Likewise in Genesis 2:7-9, additional information is given about the creation of man, including the breath of life God gave him.  

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:7-9)

Please notice a few things.  First, God made man from dirt.  The chemical composition of the human body is mostly oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.  These elements make up about 96% of the human body.  The vast majority of the chemicals in common dirt are also these four elements.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body; http://organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/soilbasics/soilchemical.html)  Therefore, the biblical account is consistent with what we see in scientific research.   Continue reading