Though our passage picks up with Eve’s disobedience, let’s back up and observe the temptation that preceded it. Here we find the Serpent laying the groundwork for his attack. It’s simple. He starts by raising a question about the integrity of God’s words: “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” Eve walks right into the trap. In a conversation that should never have taken place, she responds:
From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’
God draws us through his Spirit. The Serpent draws Eve by way of her un-fallen, God-given senses. (How often does sin begin as the anticipation of some gland’s gratification?) As Eve’s unprofitable dialogue continues, her anticipation is aroused. While she has already imagined and begun to anticipate the sweet juices on her tongue, the Serpent adds:
‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it (the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
It is interesting how vulnerable Eve is even before the Fall. The Serpent systematically invites her to remove all barriers between her and gratification. He challenges the authority of God’s word and positions Eve to hear a blatant lie, which she is now prepared to accept to obtain what she’s come to want. The lie is twofold: first, that disobedience will cost nothing, and second, that God has been shortchanging her. Does this exchange sound at all familiar?
When the “wow” saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Note: “Wow” is what I propose Adam would have named Eve, had he been given naming rights.)
Adam, knowing (more acutely now) that it is most assuredly not as good for man to be alone, is also drawn into the treason. (Adam had appetites as well.) Drilling deeper into what happened next will open our eyes to the dynamics of temptation.
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 loin coverings.
While the fruit initially had a sweet taste, it soon turned bitter, poisoning the well within the earth’s two first rulers. The consequence was a self-awareness God had not intended. The pure light that was in them was replaced by a strange light, which cast shadows on their notions of God and themselves. And radiating dimly in this new light was a fresh consideration: right and wrong. So, from the shadow lands of their fallen hearts, they began to navigate outward from Eden. They were now wrestling with the earth and with their Creator by the dim light of their own wits (which illustrates the etymology of the word dimwit. I’m sorry.) Actually this train wreck is called the mind of the flesh and it is by nature spiritually barren. Paul tells us that the mind set on the flesh is death. Our story, in Adam, continues:
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. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
Men, hiding themselves from each other and their Creator. Is this not the story of the human race? What is there to hide that was not in us originally? I believe it is shame. Shame flooded into man’s soul, extinguishing his light just as God told him it would. While it is natural to the flesh to lust for things and power, it is also in its fallen make-up to compensate for its shame. This hiding leads man into myriad forms of slavery, especially religion. Religion is the classic means of coping with God by our own wits. This is why the spirit of rejection (along with pride) is common in religious persons.
We know the next scene by heart. The man tries shifting the responsibility for his sin to Eve. (FYI: This never works with God.) Adam cannot bear the burden of shame, trying to lay it off on his mate. It’s never our fault, is it? I was recently impressed with the candor of a friend. His email address came right out and said it all: itsyourfault@whatever.com.
When things in us are awry at the level of our identities, the serpent’s job of deception is pretty simple. When we think of ourselves as stepchildren whom God tolerates through Jesus, it is quite simple for the Serpent to recommend a course of prescriptive ideas to fix ourselves up and get right with God. This would be the equivalent of us sewing our own fig leaves. Regardless of how good a résumé of moral thoughts and deeds we might string together, it will not affect our standing with God one whit. On the contrary, it will deepen religion’s deception. God must provide the remedy:
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
God has provided Jesus to us as our sole remedy. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Religion, as we speak of it, is an inadequate (and even deadly) covering. We must be clothed in Christ alone. He is the only garment God has provided us.
As they grow accustomed to its fit, the wearers always testify that they no longer feel like tolerated step children. Far from it! Rather, in Christ, they come to see their identities as cherished sons and daughters who are welcome in God’s presence, permanently free from shame and condemnation. They are able to declare in unity: He keeps me from stumbling, and makes me to stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy. In the sacred place of their innermost being, they continue: Now to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24)
Father, help us to recognize and honor the authority of your word. Help us to recognize the enemy’s intrusions upon our thoughts with innocent sounding questions designed to undermine what you have said, tempting us into sin. Teach us to focus on Jesus and not on our shadowy notions of right and wrong. May our hearts acutely grasp the cost of our sin and may we repent of the notion that we have been shorted in any way. May we live with an exclusive dependency on Christ and out of the fullness of his life within us. You are our sole remedy and you are in every way sufficient. Truly Lord, our cups are running over. In your strength, may we complete our mission to subdue and rule over your earth. Thank you, thank you.