Forgiveness – Adam and Eve: The Fall of Mankind
God’s Creation
It is the eighth day after creation. It is the first day after the first sabbath. The earth is momentarily free of the calamity of sin. Tranquility reigns. The earth is perfect. The earth is just as God created it. Adam and Eve, first man and woman, are going about God’s business caring for his perfect creation. Man nor beast fear each other. Everything which God created from nothing is perfect. God is pleased for God loves His creation, it is perfect.
God gave Adam responsibility to care for the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). Eve, Adam’s wife, was to help him with this God given duty. Sickness and death never occurred: God’s creation was perfect. Adam and Eve were to eat from all the fruit producing plants and trees; however, God warned Adam (Eve had not been created yet) not to eat fruit from one tree: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam that he would surely die if he ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:15-17) Adam had freedom to choose to obey or disobey God fully informed of the reward and consequence of his choice. (Freewill)
Adam and Eve: The Fall
Adam and Eve were strolling about the Garden of Eden when they came upon the serpent who struck up a conversation with Eve. (Genesis 3:1-5) This serpent was no ordinary serpent; it was Satan taking the appearance of a serpent. The serpent began the conversation with a question for Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1b) Eve responded that they were only forbade to touch or eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. (Genesis 3:2-3) The serpent knew this wasn’t true. The serpent also knew that Eve’s answer was not what God had told Adam. Satan, disguised as a serpent, made his move. This serpent tells Eve you will not die if eat that fruit. The fact is you will be like God knowing good and evil. The serpent walked away allowing Eve to ponder their conversation. Eve took the forbidden fruit, eating from it before passing it to her husband who also ate. Upon his eating it sin entered God’s sinless creation. ( Genesis 3:7) Satan smiled.
Adam and Eve: Forgiveness Needed
Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. They were terrified that He would find them. It seemed like the earth had short circuited. What was happening with God’s creation? The animals were no longer peaceful. The sun suddenly felt hotter than it ever had before. They were afraid. God found them. Rather than confess her sin to God, Eve blamed the serpent for deceiving her. Although her eyes were opened she failed to see her sin was choosing to obey the serpent (Satan) which was disobeying God. She had a choice and chose disobedience. Adam too failed to confess his sin. He blamed the woman for giving him the fruit and God for giving him the woman. Adam failed to acknowledge that he chose disobedience. Eve did not make that choice for him. (Genesis 3:11-14)
Forgiveness
The actions of Adam and Eve released destruction on God’s perfect creation. Mankind would now die. Mankind would no longer live forever. Every creature, every plant, ocean, the air, the entire ecosystem was now heading toward certain death. Adam and Eve had destroyed God’s creation by unleashing sin on it. God chose to forgive them. Satan frowned.
Although God forgave Adam and Eve, He also chose to punish them for their sin against Him and all the then present and future creation? God punished both Adam and Eve for their sin. God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:23) Eve’s punishment, which carries on to today, is pain in childbirth. Adam’s punishment, which also carries forward to today, is the difficulty in work needed to provide for his family. Mankind was no longer eternal. Mankind would now suffer death. (Genesis 3:16-19) God shed blood of animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve which covered their sin through the shed blood of innocent animals. Sin can only be forgiven through shed blood (more on this in the future).
Take Away
God forgave Adam and Eve after they destroyed His perfect creation by deciding to explore the suggestions of serpent Satan. Satan never told Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He merely lied to her about what would happen if she ate it. Adam and Eve placed their trust in Satan and not in God. We do it every time we sin. Sin very simply stated is anything that separates us from God. What does this have to do with forgiveness? Everything! Forgiveness is about restoring damaged relationships.
Some believe forgiving means to excuse the offender from punishment/correction. Through Adam and Eve, God demonstrated this is not true. Adam and Eve were both punished for their respective and collective sin and they were banished from the garden of Eden forever. Adam turned a pleasant job into one of toil for the rest of his life. Eve, the mother of all people, would suffer pain in child bearing. Adam and Eve who were created eternal beings would now die. The punishment which they were given carries forward to all creation.
Forgiveness is about repairing/restoring fractured relationships. God did not sentence Adam and Eve to immediate death for their sin. He did punish them for their sin. God also forgave them their sin. He showed mercy clothing them in animal skins to hide their nakedness (sin). (Genesis 3:21) God continued to walk with Adam and Eve. Their relationship changed because of sin yet God continued to love and bless Adam allowing him many sons and daughters for the balance of his 930 year life. (Genesis 5:3-5)