Isaiah Roman

From Creation to Babel: Part 9

Genesis 3

One of the most hotly contested stories in the Bible is the story of the “Original Sin.” This should be the most seriously considered story in the Bible, as it is the crux of the entire meaning of salvation, grace and the righteousness of God.

The questions of “how could a good god allow evil to exist” and “why do innocent people have to suffer” all come from this key moment in human history. Please note I say human history. Christianity, true Christianity, is not a religion of grey morality. It is decisive in it’s assertions. Phrases such as “In the beginning God created.” Leave us two options. God created, or he didn’t. Even the name God gives to himself “I Am” is a statement of supreme absolutism; God is, or he is not. God as the Christ gives us the same number of options; “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the father but by me.” You either accept that Jesus is the Christ, or no access to the father. This is one of the reasons why Christianity is pointed to as an elitist, or exclusive religion; intolerant.

The truth is that all religions are intolerant and self-exclusive, but that’s another story. The point is that Genesis does not pretend to be anything but history, and leaves very little option to the reader but to accept is as it is written. The questions of how a human could talk to an animal, what particular fruit was hanging on the tree, did snakes have legs before their curse and all of this sort of question are simply speculation. The Bible doesn’t bother to explain itself in these circumstances; it simply states that they “are.”

What is available, however, is a clear and concise record of how we came to be the way we are today. It explains the nature of evil, and it’s effects, as well as the reason for all of our current problems. First, let’s take a peek back at chapter 2:  “And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden, to work it and to keep it. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you may not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

Point number 1; God did not “give” mankind anything, he merely put him in charge of operations. Point number 2; God allowed mankind access to everything “freely” in the garden. In other words, he gave men absolute rule by proxy over everything in the garden, except one thing; The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why? God states that the reason is in the best interests of the human, because the fruit would cause death. He didn’t state what kind of death, he simply said don’t eat from that tree because it will kill you.

Now in chapter 3 the serpent says “Is it true that God has said…?” The key is the challenge. Did God really say you shouldn’t eat from any tree of the garden? The response is, “we may eat from the fruit of the trees… but the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”

Please note: chapter 2 says “you can freely eat of every tree… but you may not eat… for in that day you shall surely die.” Eve says “you shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it.” The addition to the commandment is telling. This is the grass is greener syndrome. God says don’t eat the fruit because it’s not good for you. Somehow that gets translated to God said we shouldn’t eat it, and because He said we shouldn’t He’ll punish us if we do.

The temptation that follows is the most simple and logical extension; “God knows that in the day you eat of it… you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.” The temptation plays upon the doubt already in Eve’s mind. She already thinks God is excluding that particular fruit, the serpent simply gives her an alternate explanation. The most important thing to remember is that the serpent isn’t lying. The serpent is telling the truth, it’s just that he’s put a “spin” on the truth that turns truth into deceit. This is the nature of Satan’s deceit. He’ll tell you facts that, if you were to examine them, would prove to be true. However, the way in which the facts are presented are purposefully intended to mislead the conclusion you make from those facts.

The rest of this part of the story we are all well familiar with, except for one possible detail. When the woman eats from the fruit she does so because she’s tempted to be like God. Where’s Adam during this whole process? Genesis 3:6 “…And she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Her husband was with her. He was there, watching the whole episode transpire, and he didn’t say a word.

The first sin of the woman was to add to God’s word, thereby changing the intent of His statements. The sin of the man was to sit idle and ignore his responsibility, his duty, to both the garden and the woman. God had placed the man in charge of the garden, and assigned the woman as his primary helper.

“And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”

What? It doesn’t say they suddenly realized the nature of evil, or that they suddenly gained the wisdom of God. It says they suddenly knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made aprons because they were naked. It took me a while to finally understand this passage, and it’s simple elegance.

The fruit itself gave them nothing, the eating of the fruit gave them everything. By taking the fruit, they usurped the authority of God. God’s command separated them from the fruit, by breaking that command the humans decided that their desire for gratification was superior to the decree of God. By doing the deed they suddenly understood what the source of evil is; self.

Animals do not make clothes for themselves. Humans are the only creatures who make clothes. Humans are the only creatures who have a sense of self-identity. Until the fruit was eaten the humans only had understanding of other; the garden, the animals, each other, God. After the fruit, they suddenly had to deal with the concept that they had broken the confidence of another, which made them aware of their own self interests and their guilt for having engaged in an act of pure self-gratification.

All human children are born selfish, and must be taught to share. If left unchecked a child will begin to express selfishness through acts of self-gratification. Self-gratification without regards for the interests of others is the very nature and essence of evil. Adam and Eve suddenly recognized that the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the usurpation of self over others.

In that moment, they died. The creature that was, was no more. The connection with God that had existed was no more. Their souls, that eternal portion of man through which God had been connected to his creature, had become disconnected from God.

Many have a problem with the fact that their bodies did not die. If there is any lesson to be learned from the Bible, it’s the fact that the body is not important in comparison to the eternal soul. Man’s soul no longer had the ability to have communion with God because of the sin. God is the source of eternal life. Without God, there is no life.

Here is the point where we have to begin to ask ourselves, if this was such a failure, why didn’t God just scrap it all and start all over again. Does this prove in some way that God really is just going through a series of creations, one after another, improving his methods with each creation?

Ahh, but here is where we find the greater nature of the sovereignty and grace of God.