When God first created mankind, he was hanging out with us. We were in perfect fellowship with him, oblivious to a world full of sin. We lived in a beautiful garden, alongside the animals, with fresh fruits and vegetables at our disposal. God’s only forbiddance was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:7)
Enter Satan…in the slimy cover of a serpent. Having been cast out of heaven himself (Isaiah 14:12-15), he had no desire to see mankind and God in this perfect relationship. So using his ability to make us think God is keeping us from something good, he tempts Eve.
“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 3:5 NLT)
In hindsight, I look at this and wonder why Eve would’ve even been interested in knowing evil. It seemed that good was already all around them. But I guess that’s the nature of temptation. What are we missing out on? And Satan, being a master manipulator must have already studied Eve and figured out that she liked beautiful things and she wanted wisdom – so that’s the way he framed the temptation.
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. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. (Genesis 3:6, 7 NLT).
Notice that at the very moment they bit into the fruit they “suddenly felt shame”. I wonder if they thought, “Oh no. What have we done?” I wonder if they wished they could take it back. That they could go back in time and make a better choice. If they realized that God wasn’t keeping them from something good, but rather protecting them from something awful. Did they look around at the beautiful garden they had called home and realize that God had already provided everything they would ever need and more?
But it was too late. The damage was done. Here was sin! Along with it came all of the consequences, the greatest of which was separation from God. Satan had won – or so he may have thought.
Fortunately, God had a plan of redemption all along.
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT)
God’s desire has always been to be in fellowship with us. And he made a way – one way – for us to be cleansed of the filth of sin. From Adam and Eve…to you and I…and beyond. That one way is through the blood of Jesus Christ.
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:10-14 NLT)