Let’s talk about Eve today. We know the serpent deceived Eve. Did he really? Where was Eve when the serpent came to her? The garden of Eden was not a tiny apartment with the thou shalt not eat tree right in the center. A cartoon I saw as a child showed the serpent on the tree and Eve looking at it. Imagine looking at a toy you really love(as a child) but have received instructions from your mom to not touch it in her absence, and then your elder brother walks in and tells you mummy really didn’t say you shouldn’t touch it, I’m sure you won’t hesitate to reach out to grab the toy; like a very hungry person offered food, you won’t bother washing your hands or even blessing it, you will dig into it immediately. That’s what happened with Eve.
When the devil asked Jesus to turn stone to bread, the bible records that Jesus had just fasted for thirty days and was hungry; he had a desire for food that minute and the devil saw it as an opportunity to feed on his desires. If you don’t need a bus to go anywhere, you won’t stand at the bus stop waiting for one, will you? That’s what the serpent did with Eve, he magnified her desire…I know you want it, but do you know you can have what you want… The devil threw seeds of deception, but they would not have germinated if the soil of her heart was not fertile: a way of making a soil fertile is adding dungs to it, so Eve already had desires like dungs qualifying her heart fertile enough to grow the seed of deception.
Gen 3:3 God said we must not eat or even touch it or we will die…it seemed like she was actually talking to herself, did he really say I shouldn’t touch it? Note God didn’t add this part. This again shows it was a question she already had in her heart before the serpent showed up. She was already deceiving herself. We know God only said don’t eat, he didn’t mention touch (not saying it’s right, but adding to what God has said leads us nowhere). So you see he didn’t just sell an idea to her, he spoke on the one she already has, perhaps it’s why she was so quick to reply; the serpent might have seen her watching the fruit, pondering on what God had said.
Gen 3:6 the woman was convinced. This again confirms it. You can’t have two contrary conviction, so even after God had said don’t, she wasn’t sure. Eve wanted to eat the fruit but was afraid of dying so the minute she heard something contrary, she was quick to believe; when a message that pleased the desire of her heart was introduced, she held on to it.
Gen 3 verse 6 she took it (well Lord I’ve taken it, I’m not dead) and she ate. KJV says she took of the fruit thereof, and she did eat. The fall of man began with these words. We know the rest of the story. Let’s take a breather here. Before blaming Eve and Adam for the fall of man, let’s take a minute and reflect on our own lives. God didn’t really say this, so it’s not wrong if I do it. How often have we deceived ourselves with these words? How often do we get into a debate with the devil instead of getting out? We know we can’t shut him from speaking, but we can refuse to listen, reminding ourselves of what the Lord has actually said; standing boldly on what God has said even when something similar yet contradictory is being displayed to us.
As we celebrate Jesus this season, let’s not forget..the word of the Lord is truth.. John 8:32 and only his truth can set us free from the lies of the devil.
