The Fall
Eve replied, “But God said we should not even touch this tree!” Tempted by the serpent's words, Eve turned her gaze to the forbidden tree. She saw it was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So, Eve went against God's command, and she ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
and shared it with her husband who was with her.
–iBIBLE Chapter 1
Scripture reference: Genesis 3:6–7
Eve turned her gaze to the forbidden tree.
When Eve removes her eyes from God’s plan for her life, and turned them to the forbidden tree, she falls into temptation. She believes that the fruit is “good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.” Did Eve's sin begin in her heart before she ever ate the fruit? Though we cannot know for sure, one thing is clear: her sin separates her from God's good plan for her life. With today's devotional, we look at Eve in particular. We know Adam, who was with Eve, is no less guilty. We will explore Adam's response next week.
"So, Eve went against God's command and she ate of the fruit...and shared it with her husband who was with her."
And in that moment, all of creation was shaken. Sin entered not only the perfect garden that Adam and Eve occupied, but it reverberated through all of creation from that moment on. Sin pierces through all of time to the place we stand today.
With Eve's sin, life as she knows it is over. No longer would she walk with the Lord in the cool of the day. No longer would she enjoy the peace and prosperity of the garden. Death entered the world. So did sorrow, pain, disease, and every form of brokenness. She was separated from God and in need of a Redeemer, just as we are today.
It can be easy to blame Eve. If she had simply kept her gaze on all of the goodness God had given her, then she would never have succumbed to temptation. But the truth is, we stand today as guilty as Eve.
Sin pierces through all of time to the place we stand today.
He would never leave them nor forsake them, even after death enters the picture through sin.
How often do we hear the false promises of Satan and remove our eyes from what God has given us? How often do we forsake the way of the Lord and walk a path that leads to our destruction?
But the story doesn't end with the condemning fruit. God had so much more planned for His people. He would never leave them nor forsake them, even after death enters the picture through sin.
Our Response
As God’s creation, we must trust the boundaries that He has set for us. Here, we see how Eve questioned the Lord’s will for her life and disobeyed His clear words: “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
But the law was not meant to rob Eve of joy, it was given to protect her. It was given to lead to joy and life and peace. Instead of living forever in perfection, Eve is met with the painful consequence of sin: death. We must continually keep the Lord on His throne, trusting His will for our lives is for our good.
The good news is that even when we fall into temptation, and even when we lose sight of the good that the Lord has for us, Jesus is ready and willing to forgive.
f we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:8–9 [ESV]
While the Fall of mankind brought sin into the world, Jesus Christ, true God and true man, has come into the world to atone for sin. Trust in Him, confess your sins, and He will forgive.
A Prayer for This Week
Our Lord and Redeemer, we thank You for saving us through Christ Jesus. When we are worried, when we fail, when we take our eyes off of You and Your promises, we ask that You would reveal Yourself to us and forgive us. Help us keep our gaze on You and the abundance of joy that You have for us in life eternal. And as we experience the pain of our sinful world daily, deliver us from temptation, deliver us from evil, and guide us on Your path of righteousness. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.