Everything in creation belongs to God. God has ordered nature to put Man (Humanity) in charge of God’s creation. In the Garden of Eden, God had planted food for Humanity and two trees that they were forbidden to touch.
The Garden of Eden was created by God to provide everything a person needed. Food, water, beauty, and a purpose for humans. Sitting around getting fat on freebies was not what God or Humanity wanted. Then the Serpent enters the garden.
When we think of a Serpent, we think Snake. And this might be an actual Snake, or a Lizard. What the Serpent looks like is really not important. The Serpent certainly had the ability to speak to Eve.
The Serpent was subtle and knew how to plant doubt in Eve’s mind, “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”(Gen 3:1) The danger of evil is to draw you into a conversation.
Eve fell for the trap, “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.” (Gen 3:2-3)
The Serpent closes the trap, “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.” (Gen 3:4-5)
The Serpent has placed a seed of doubt into Eve’s mind. She could be a god with the knowledge God has of what is Good and what is Evil. Eve had no idea how complicated Good and Evil would be.
Eve looks at the tree and considered it to be pretty and the fruit probably tasted good. She plucked it and took a bite. Then she gives it to Adam and he took a bite.
Immediately their eyes were opened and they could see themselves naked. Not just naked without clothes, but naked to their sin. Trust is destroyed between Adam and Eve, as well as God. As with anyone guilty they tried to cover there nakedness with leaves.
God was not surprised, but he gave them the chance to be truthful. But they tried to hide their sin. Then the finger pointing began.
Adam said I did it because of Eve. Eve did it because of the Serpent. The Serpent said nothing. The spiral of sin begins with the loss of a close relationship with God. Pain and suffering will continue throughout our lives.
God, although he kicked Adam and Eve from paradise, he still provides them with his grace and forgiveness.
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