David Bahn – Reflections

[The Lord God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

If you’ve had children you know the technique: You inquire about the report of your son’s misbehavior at school. He immediately tries to pass the blame. “It was Tommy’s idea! I was just standing there and he dared me to come along with him!” You turn to his older brother, “Tommy, what have you done?” “It wasn’t my fault. Joe hit me, and I had to get him back.” 

Now where do you turn? You’ve been thrown off the trail of culpability. You’ve been sidetracked. You’ve lost the opportunity to provide the important lesson of consequences. 

God does not lose the trail, though Adam and Eve try their best to sidestep their responsibility for the eaten fruit and lost innocence. They should know better than to think they could hide from God, but they try to do so anyway. And God comes looking for them. 

Then they pass the blame. Adam blames God for giving him the woman who gave him the fruit. The woman blames the serpent who deceived her. And God will deal with each one. In turn. Without fail. There will be an accounting. Starting (but not ending!) with the serpent. 

The serpent is cursed by God. He will be the lowliest of all the livestock and beasts of the field. He will crawl on his belly. He shall eat dust. And there will come a Seed of the Woman who will crush his head – even though he will strike the heel of the Seed of the woman. 

This is the first Gospel promise: the protoevangelium. Even as God is cursing the serpent – whom we know to be Satan – he is offering a promise. There’s hope. There is judgment. But there is grace. This is remarkable on two counts. First of all, God does not lose the trail of consequences and accountability. He will finish with the serpent and follow on with Eve, and then Adam. They will all be held to account. That is important. No one skates. No one will escape the judgment.

But, secondly and more important, there is also a promise. God is not content only to condemn. He will save. He will send the Seed of the woman – the Savior. The Seed will be deliver a decisive blow to the serpent’s head. He will be wounded, but he will crush the head of Satan. 

This will be fulfilled when Jesus takes his place on the cross, and delivers the decisive victory which we are all invited to share. 

Be honest. Never doubt that you will be held accountable before God. But be even more hopeful. You will find grace in the Seed of the Woman – Jesus. God won’t lose the trail on either count.

[The Lord God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷ And to Adam he said,

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this… – Genesis 3:12-14a

Have you ever been stunned by the outpouring of vitriol in the face of a seemingly small offense? You fail to say thank you and someone goes off on a tirade about your insensitivity and self-centeredness. You step on her toes and she howls and moans as though you’ve cut off her arm. You offer a mild counterpoint and he explodes in expletives better left deleted in any conversation. Have you ever felt as though the punishment doesn’t fit the crime?

Perhaps Adam and Eve felt that way when God comes searching for them, and begins his questioning. “Where are you?” leads to “Have you eaten?” It now turns to “What is this that you have done?” She has no idea. Neither does Adam. They are clueless. The implications of their actions are far from being understood. They don’t know what death is. They have no clue of how far they had fallen when they took the forbidden fruit. They had no concept of the evil they had unleashed. They did not understand how they had offended God. They were unaware of the singular impact on the whole creation this seemingly small act of disobedience would have.

The impact of their sin will begin to unfold in the moments to come. But for now, we must put ourselves in the place of Adam and Eve and consider how our sin might be more severe, and the consequences much more far-reaching than we could ever imagine. 

We get a hint of it in the coming judgment of God, and his curse of the serpent and of the ground, and his punishment of Adam and Eve. But to get even a remote indication of these consequences we must go to another garden (cf. John 19:41). There is a tomb there in which Jesus was laid. But before he died, he said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Too often we do not know what we are doing. Too seldom do we realize the far-reaching impact of words spoken or not spoken, acts of kindness withheld and acts of vengeance not withheld, and even thoughts embraced or not rejected. Too often we are far too worried about our own righteousness and not the impact we’ve had on another. 

But when we do begin to acknowledge this, we will find a loving Savior welcoming us to sit with all the other sinners who have acknowledged their sin and received Jesus’ forgiveness. For he knows what we have done, and he has done all that is necessary to restore us to a place of honor and grace.

 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” – Genesis 3:9-12

I was teaching confirmation class several years ago when the light went on. It was amazing. The young man suddenly caught the implications of the Gospel. His eyes widened. His expression changed. He looked at me and said, “You mean we don’t have to earn heaven?” Indeed we don’t. And it’s a good thing, for not even Adam could behave well enough to remain in the Paradise of God. 

That’s so clearly seen in God’s second question – which is really two questions. God asks, “Who told you that you were naked?” Adam doesn’t answer because no one told him, per se. It just became apparent to him. He merely became aware of his nakedness, and felt the shame of it. He who formerly had nothing to hide took cover behind fig leaves and in an out-of-the-way corner of the Garden. At least he had a conscience. 

Then, right away, God asks, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Of course they had. They had been deceived and cowered into determining for themselves that which was good and evil. They had eaten the fruit, and they were living in the just desserts of their disobedience. 

There is almost a sense of God discovering this that is conveyed in a simple reading of this account. It’s presented as though God didn’t know about any of this until he comes looking for them in the Garden. We know that God knows all things. “Even before a word is on my lips, you know it altogether,” says the Psalmist (Psalm 139:4). Clearly God knows. But God is on a search and rescue mission. He’s not discovering it for himself, as much as he is revealing it to Adam and Eve, and to us who read this these millennia afterwards. 

These questions are not only to bring Adam and Eve up short. They are also to let them know that he was not going to abandon them. He was not going to let them hide, and exempt themselves from his grace and love. He will confront them with the truth. There will be an accounting. There will be judgment. There will even be curses. But all these are motivated by his love. And now he is asking where they were and what they had done, to help them acknowledge their sin; the first and essential step on our part for redemption.

What have you done? Have you eaten the forbidden fruit? God is on the prowl, seeking, searching, and calling sinners back to himself. Our God is a sending God. He is a missionary God. He will search for his people, and seek them out. He will redeem them, and save us. No matter what we have done. No matter how many bites we may have already taken. He is calling us now to repent and believe the good news of his love. 

That was, after all, Jesus’ first message, “The time has come. The reign and rule of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:14-15). 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” – Genesis 3:8-10

Do you like to ask questions? I do. When I was in college I took a zoology class. I was not a good student, but my zoology professor told me that I asked good questions. Some consolation, I guess. The first class I had when studying for my Doctor of Ministry degree had me with a severe case of laryngitis. I was miserable. Why? I couldn’t ask questions! Have you noticed that the best detectives in all the British mystery dramas answer questions with questions? Smart move. 

Jesus did the same thing. But Jesus isn’t the first. The first recorded conversation between God and Adam and Eve begins with God’s question: “Adam, where are you?” But God does not ask questions in order to gain information. He asks questions to engage us. He asks questions to call Adam and Eve back into relationship with himself. God knows where Adam and Eve are.

God knows all things. He needs no one to reveal their hiding place. He is inviting Adam and Eve to come into the light. To face the truth. To give an account. To seek mercy. To acknowledge their rebellion and disobedience. 

I’m not certain just how I might have acted in that situation. But I know there have been times when a well-asked question has invited me to come of hiding. To let myself be seen and known. To confess. To repent. 

When Joseph encounters his brothers after their father’s death, they fear for their wellbeing. Joseph asks a question, “But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?’” (Genesis 50:19; see Genesis 37-50 for the Joesph narrative). He know they do not. But he is implicitly asking them to repent of their attitude toward him. 

Perhaps you have been asked a question that silenced you. Maybe you need such a question now. In either case, what question do you think God would ask you now? It might just be, “Where are you?” He might long for you to come into the light and experience perfect truth and grace. 

For your personal edification on this Lord’s Day.

Psalm 7:17

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Psalm 37:1-4

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. ⁸ When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. – Genesis 3:7-8 [NLT]

I’ve never been in an escape room. Maybe you have. It’s a room designed to entertain and challenge. You are locked in with clues found in various places offering directions or ideas to a way of escape. I’m guessing there’s a get-out-of-the-escape-room-free buzzer of some sort. After all, the proprietors wouldn’t want people to be locked in forever!

Adam and Eve are in a different kind of pickle. They have sinned, shamed themselves, and separated themselves from God and his ways. What will they do? What is the first order of business? Clothe themselves, of course! 

I get it, and would tend toward the same priority. But there really is a more pressing need. They need to get to God. They need to seek his help. They need to come clean with him about their sin and shame. That is a greater need than poorly-chosen material for their futile attempts to cover themselves. 

To make matters worse, they not only don’t run to God, they actually hide from him. Was it fear of his harsh judgment? Was it belief that they could somehow outrun him and exempt themselves from the consequence: “On the day you eat of [the forbidden fruit] you will surely die.”? Shame has its moment, however. Shame leads them to cover their nakedness from each other. Shame sends them scurrying to hide when God comes to walk with them. Shame drives them, and it is not their friend.

They way out of shame is not to deny the cause. Sin rightly brings shame. Think of the politician who is forced to resign in shame for his promiscuous actions. A discredited pastor resigns because he embezzled church funds. He brings shame on the church, his family, and himself. Then there are those who flaunt their shameful lifestyles. LGBTQ-Pride?!? Pride?!? All too many today “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things”  (Philippians 3:18-19).

The cure for shame is forgiveness, and the loving grace of God who welcomes sinners. Who he forgives, and who receives that forgiveness fully, is freed from shame. With forgiveness sin is gone. As far as the east is from the west. And with sin goes shame. 

We’ll never experience the fullness of forgiveness if we are running and hiding from God. We’ll never get over our shame apart from confessing our sin, entrusting ourselves to God who is good, and receiving his mercy. Even if we must deal with the consequences of sins big and small, it is better that we put ourselves into God’s hands than try to live apart from him. 

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

² “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. ³ “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

⁴ “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. ⁵ “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

⁶ The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. ⁷ At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. ⁸ When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. – Genesis 3:1-7 [NLT]

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. – Genesis 3:1-7

Funny thing about masks. Almost no one likes them. We put up with them because we have to in these pandemic days. We remove them as soon as we’re in a safe place. Some people refuse to wear them. Still others are leery of those they see in public who don’t wear a mask. I’m talking here about the masks we use because of governmental requirements or our own health concerns.

There are masks of a different kind and all of us wear them. Think of the time you’ve told someone you’re fine with a forced smile – faked to be sure – but hopefully convincing. Maybe you’ve been afraid, but put up a brave front to prevent someone from taking advantage of you. And what about that time you were simply angry and you spewed the toxic venom of hateful words toward someone you love. Anger is really pain born behind a mask, or pain borne alone. 

Adam and Eve were the first to use masks. Not the kind that covers their faces, but the kind that covered their shame. And who could blame them? Shame is a powerful force. It shuts us down. It forces us to retreat into ourselves, or to a bottle, or to indulgences of many sorts. When Adam and Eve sinned, they felt a deficiency in their being. They realized they were naked. They now felt shame in this. 

Remember the powerful report previously given – before their sin – “Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25)? But now they must cover themselves. They cannot let the other see them for who they are. And soon we’ll see them (foolishly) try to hide even from God. 

Maybe you’ve seen the Adam Sandler movie, Liar, Liar. Sandler plays a fast-track lawyer who can’t lie for 24 hours due to his son’s birthday wish after he disappoints his son for the last time. The results are predictably funny (and sometimes tasteless). But it does lift up an issue we all must face. Must we not mask our ugly, unkind, or improper feelings or thoughts? Don’t we have to wear clothes – for our own sakes, and the sake of others? 

We live in a fallen world. Masks, clothes, and discretion of speech are all necessary realities of our plight. But since God has chosen us “to be the holy people he loves, we must clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” That’s no mask. That’s the grace of God in action, and a reflection of his attitude and heart toward us.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. – Genesis 3:1-7

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.  – Genesis 3:1-7

Do you know how to finish this Mark Twain quote: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and…”? Twain ends it, “…remove all doubt.” That may be true in social settings, in the throes of a conversation about a hotly debated issue, or if you are concerned only with the opinion of man. But it deserves scrutiny when it comes to the silence of Adam.

I don’t subscribe to the Lancelot mentality (from the musical Camelot) when he sings about his noble character:, “If I’d been in the garden with Eve, we’d be in Eden still!” There is no evidence of any opportunity to sidestep the devil’s deception here. In only a few words, any pretense of Adam’s greater character is set aside: She gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Ugh. It’s done. Adam offers no protest. He suggests no resistance to the serpent’s insinuations. He has no better idea, nor reminder of God’s proper place and goodness. Adam is silent. 

This is real for me. I’m guessing it’s also real for other men. Especially men. I don’t think it is sexist on my part to consider Adam’s silence as a separate and unique aspect to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. I’m not suggesting that there is any moral superiority in Adam’s failure to speak up as opposed to Eve’s taking the fruit, offering to Adam, who apparently just gobbled it down. But I am suggesting this may be a valid consideration when it comes to the way men and women face temptation and sin. 

Am I right on this?

In Ephesians 5, St. Paul speaks of the marriage union and proper relationships between husband and wife. He says husbands should love their wives, and wives should respect their husbands. Research by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs offers a vital clue. His book, Love and Respect is insightful. He surveyed husbands and wives, asking whether they would choose to be loved or respected. He required that they make a choice between the two. The women predominately chose to be loved. The men chose to be respected. 

Might that be a reflection of our created order and character. Adam should have spoken up. Eve should have not listened. Adam should have listened for the voice of God and spoken up. Eve should not have offered a path different from obedience to God.

Is it fear of losing this precious helper whom God had created just for him? Was it intimidation in the face of the serpent’s presence and insinuations about God? Was it his innocence about sin’s consequence? Was it lack of knowing how to resist this kind of temptation? Whatever it was, Adam’s silence in this moment sets him squarely in the middle of this catastrophic fall. 

A good friend of mine recently died of the Covid-19 disease. He used to say, “Man up! Be a man. Don’t wimp out.” I’m not saying we have to be knuckle-dragging Neanderthals if we’re to be true men. But we do need to speak up – even in the face of potential ridicule, scorn, or anger – when we know something isn’t right. We’ll always need to do so from an attitude of humility toward others – our wives or our neighbors. But we must also be willing to claim the moral high ground before Satan and his ways. When we see him leading other’s astray, we can do as Jesus did. He answered Satan’s temptations with Scripture. He resisted the temptation and remained faithful to God. He was not silent. Nor should we be.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.  – Genesis 3:1-7

How often do you find yourself going down the clickbait wormhole? I don’t go there often, but when I do, it seems like one thing leads to another, and my interest in the 50 Amazing Photographs from the 1930’s has become 50 Cute Dog Pictures You Must See. Let’s not even mention New Law has Harris County Drivers Saving Big, or These Childhood TV Stars Have Aged Poorly. But I digress. 

When it comes to even more insidious bait, the serpent has it down pat. He offers Eve food that is pleasing to the eye, good for food, and desirable for gaining wisdom. This is not some half-rotten apple laying at the foot of the tree. This is desirable, good, pleasing, or so it seems. But it harbors a toxic poison. It won’t look even remotely good once eaten. It won’t satisfy physical hunger for long. And the supposed wisdom it offers is anything but that which Scripture points to. 

While it may be appealing to look at and eat, the wisdom offered is patently foolish. The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no god’ (Psalm 14:1). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Satan is offering false wisdom and deadly knowledge. It will be the ruin of Adam and Eve.

To eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to determine for themselves that which is good and which is evil. Sadly, Adam and Eve don’t even take a moment (apparently) to talk it over. There is no, “No, Eve! We must not do this. We should not take that which God has not to eat.” Eve does not say, “What do you think Adam? Shall we believe this serpent or the Lord God?”

But the bait is before them. Slyly cast by the Deceiver. Appealing but with a sharp barb. It comes today when the opportunity to fudge on taxes is so appealing and easy. It’s lurking around the corner when you don’t think God is going to take care of you and there’s a short-cut to your urgent craving. It sits at the traffic light. It walks on the beach. It smiles from the bottle. It beckons with the promise of the highest high you can imagine. 

But beware: the best bait hides the sharpest hook. And Satan doesn’t throw it out for fun. His intent is evil and destruction, death, and despair. Don’t take the bait!

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.  – Genesis 3:1-7

Have you ever heard the first shoe fall – figuratively-speaking? Maybe your boss said, “We’re going to be making some changes in our organizational model.” And your boss became your ex-boss. Or your boyfriend said, “I hope we can see more of each other.” And your boyfriend became your fiancé. Sometimes foreboding, sometimes hope-inspiring. When a line offers a glimpse into a potential future, we must take notice. 

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. Those are ominous words. They portend a future that will be intersected by craft and shrewd designs. Of the serpent. The Devil. The Deceiver. The Father of the lie. The thief who steals, kills, and destroys. Elsewhere Satan is called a roaring lion. He’s dangerous. He’s stealthy. He schemes. Watch him at work. Be warned!

Satan does three things to beguile and deceive Eve and intimidate Adam into silence. He makes God out to be unreasonable: Did God really say…” He has just injected doubt into the mind of Eve about whether God’s commands and prohibitions are reasonable. Did he really say…? 

He also accuses God(!) of lying. You will not surely die, he says. Wait a minute. God says you will die, but Satan says, you won’t die. Sometimes the boldface lie takes on a life of its own. Sometimes arrogant hubris undercuts people’s ability to hold to truth. That’s what bullies do. They use the brute force of words, threat, and bluster to cower people. Eve is deceived. Adam is intimidated. 

And to top it off, and perhaps worst of all, the serpent tells Eve that God was holding out on them. Don’t you want to be like God, knowing good and evil? Don’t you want to make your own decisions? Who knows better what is good or evil for you than you? God is petty. He doesn’t want you to have any fun. He doesn’t want to give up his sole prerogative of saying what is good or evil. Satan impugns God’s goodness, character, and authority. 

All this is the opposite of faith. Faith imputes goodness, grace, and truth to God. Faith acknowledges God’s singular place to determine what is good and what is evil. Faith spans the chasms of mis-understanding, non-understanding, and mystery, and embraces things that simply do not make sense. Faith does this because it sees God for who he is, and his promises as pure and priceless. 

Adam and Eve forsake God’s love and jettison their love for him. They no longer trust in God alone. They have no proper fear of God. All for a lie. Adam and Eve die in the moment they take the bait because they abandon faith. 

This is the fundamental issue we must all deal with: will we live by faith in God, or abandon him for the slick scheme and cower in fear of the serpent?