The Story Of The Fall Of Man
The moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God began the story of the fall of man. That fall created a sinful nature for every man and woman in the human race.
This sinful nature drives humans to rebel against God. And it all started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent tricked Eve into questioning God’s instructions.
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?” Genesis 3:1
Eve actually answered the serpent’s question correctly. She said we may eat the fruit from any of the trees except for one. Then she went on to say which one and why.
“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.’” Genesis 3:3
The serpent or Satan is cunning and crafty. He will lie and do whatever he can to deceive God’s created beings.
He wants add to this story so every man and woman to fall away and stay away from God’s grace.
When Eve answered his question she included God’s direct command and warning. The serpent, however, gave an interpretation to her answer even though it didn’t need one.
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “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.” Genesis 3:4-5
The Serpent Twisted God’s Word
Through the centuries, his methods haven’t changed at all. He masters twisting God’s Word to make people question its real meaning. Just as he did with Eve.
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “my interpretation of that is different than yours.” Many verses in the Bible, however, require no interpretation at all. They say exactly what they mean.
She believed his interpretation as they walked toward the middle of the garden. When Eve gazed at the tree she looked at it like she was seeing it for the first time.
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. Genesis 3:6
Through the years many have tried to continue this story by blaming the fall of man completely on Eve.
But we can’t do that. You see Adam, the one who told her what God said was right there with her.
Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:6
Have you ever done something you knew you shouldn’t have done? Immediately you got this sickening knot in the pit of your stomach. Adam and Eve knew something had changed.
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:7
Their disobedience to God didn’t only affect them. They instigated what we call the fall from grace that has affected every man, woman, and child since.
How God Handled Satan and Man in the Story of the Fall
He first spoke to the serpent, aka, Satan. The following contains part of what he said to him.
Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. Genesis 3:14
Then He addressed the woman. Because Adam hadn’t given her a name yet the Bible still referred to as the woman. Next is what God said to her.
I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you. Genesis 3:16
Before we look at what God said to Adam, I would like to share a fascinating observation I made. I took notice of God’s two curses and neither one included the man nor the woman.
The Lord’s Curses
First, He cursed the serpent. Then He said that the woman’s offspring would strike his head. He then cursed to the ground. This caused Adam and all who follow him quite a bit of work.
When the Lord spoke to Adam, He had more to say to him than to the other two. He began by telling him why these things were happening. And then what Adam would have to deal with.
And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,“ Genesis 3:17
- the ground is cursed because of you.
- All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
- It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.
- By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat
- until you return to the ground from which you were made.
- For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:17-19
The serpent’s lie of, “You won’t die!” was a false truth. When Eve ate the fruit she didn’t drop dead so she gave some to her husband. God, however, never lies and His truths are always true.
Banished!
Because of the sinful nature, Adam and Eve brought upon themselves, God banished them from the Garden of Eden. This made death a part of their future.
Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” Genesis 3:22
Why didn’t God curse Adam and Eve after the fall of man occurred? Because He created them in His own image. The serpent’s plan to separate man from God seemed to work.
The Relationship Between God and Man
Throughout the history of man, the Lord called certain people to help bridge the gap made by the fall. He used Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, just to name a few.
But the relationship between God and man never became fully restored, until . . . Until Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice acceptable to God for the cleansing of man’s sin.
Now, let’s look ahead to the two curses God made because of the fall of man. We can read about their outcome in Revelation.
Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. Revelation 21:1
Since the Fall, God Gave Man a Choice
God, however, gave every person in Adam’s race the choice to choose their own destiny. A person chooses a dreadful fate if they ignore or reject what Jesus did for them.
And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15
But those who accept redemption for their sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus receive eternal life.
Because of the fall of man, in this part of the story, God blocked access to the tree of Life. But in eternity, we’ll have unlimited access to the trees of life.
On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. Revelation 22:2
Lord, thank you that at the fall you didn’t curse man and you rewrote the story. Instead, through Jesus, you closed the gap between us and you. For that, we are more than grateful.
God has some really great plans for us. Check out these related posts about His Plan for you.
- God’s Plans For Your Life Are Good And Encouraging
- How To Follow God’s Battle Plan For Your Life?
- The Holy Spirit Will Guide You In This Life
- Our Inheritance In Christ
- God’s Plan For Us
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