The Garden and the Fall

[David1954]

God allowed a situation to test Adam and Eve. One simple instruction to follow -- Not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve succombed to satans deceitfulness and did Not believe God's Word.

Everything else in that beautiful garden was theirs for the enjoyment. Except that One thing.

Satan tempted Eve with being as smart as God. To her, that sounded pretty good. And then Adam followed her.

Immediately they 'knew' and God Also knew that they 'knew'. Their innocense was Gone Forever. And so it has been ever since.

Before God created them, he knew they would break His commandment.

 

[Sue D.]

It's not a commandment they were given. It Was something that Adam was Told about and it was repeated to Eve.

In Exodus 20 -- God Does give the Ten Commandments.

 

[David1954]

It's not a commandment they were given. It Was something that Adam was Told about and it was repeated to Eve.

In Exodus 20 -- God Does give the Ten Commandments.

"when the commandment came, sin became alive" (Romans 7:9).

 

[PloughBoy]

Adam and Eve had a freewill at that time, they were perfect. Not a spot or wrinkle, perfect. Even The “Adversary” was a perfect “Adversary”, for so was his name. God gave them a choice, in paraphrase “I set before you life or death” you choose. Now mankind “loves darkness rather than light” they have not the ability to choose light. Why, sin has blinded their eyes and they are DEAD in trespasses and Sins. They have not the will to choose The things of God or God. “For you have not chose me I have chosen you” For you have not the ability to choose God when you are DEAD in trespasses and sins.

 

[David1954]

Adam and Eve had a freewill at that time, they were perfect. Not a spot or wrinkle, perfect. Even The “Adversary” was a perfect “Adversary”, for so was his name. God gave them a choice, in paraphrase “I set before you life or death” you choose. Now mankind “loves darkness rather than light” they have not the ability to choose light. Why, sin has blinded their eyes and they are DEAD in trespasses and Sins. They have not the will to choose The things of God or God. “For you have not chose me I have chosen you” For you have not the ability to choose God when you are DEAD in trespasses and sins.

You make many good points. I love the Bible. It is God's voice.

 

[Butch5]

Hello. Polite atheist here. A brainteaser just occurred to me upon which I would love some of your opinions. It’s going to sound like a typical pain in the neck atheist “gotcha“ question, and I do apologize. I don’t offer it in that spirit. Rather, as many of you know, I am fascinated with scriptural analysis, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this detail discussed.



It pertains to the tale of Creation and of the whole drama in the Garden of Eden. Gen 2:16-17 recounts, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."

This is one of the clearest, most specific and explicit verses in the Bible. Then, the calamitous “incident” occurs (I’ll forego reviewing those famous details) and God is recorded considering, (Gen 3:22-23), “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”

So my question is this. Would they have gotten in trouble if, instead of taking from the tree of knowledge, they had rather taken from the tree of life? God pretty clearly indicates they have not eaten from the tree of life YET. But, in the Garden, it is within their power to do so. Or is eating from the tree of life only a danger once one has eaten already from the tree of knowledge? Is the Bible saying that the combination of wisdom and immortality is what constitutes a God, and prior to their transgression, they might have eaten from the tree of life ‘til the cows come home? Was God’s perfect order (before the Fall) for humans to live eternally, but in eternal ignorance? Or should the tree of life always have been forbidden, and it only occurred to God to prevent eating its fruit once he realized what loose cannons Adam and Eve were? Or is this just an example of inadvertent, inconsistent documentation on the part of the scribes who collated and codified the Bible?

Also, why no mention of the tree of life prior to Gen 3 (i.e., before the big Sin)? Were all human principles each embodied in some physical manifestation one might consume? (I.e., trees of love, mercy, grief, etc.) Is there any scripture to suggest what some other of those incarnate principles were? If so, were they exclusively positive principles? One can argue there COULD have been such victuals representing principles of evil. Obviously, God did not absolutely bar the intrusion of evil into the Garden. He never asks the serpent, “Who the heck let YOU in here?”

Thoughts?

Well, they had access to the Tree of Life from the beginning. It says they could eat from every tree except one. I believe it's possible that they had already eaten from the Tree of Life. I don't believe that if they had eaten from both trees they would be what constitutes God. Even if they lived forever, they were still dependent on the Tree of life for their continued existence. On the other hand, God is not dependent on anything for His existence.

 

[David1954]

Well, they had access to the Tree of Life from the beginning. It says they could eat from every tree except one. I believe it's possible that they had already eaten from the Tree of Life. I don't believe that if they had eaten from both trees they would be what constitutes God. Even if they lived forever, they were still dependent on the Tree of life for their continued existence. On the other hand, God is not dependent on anything for His existence.

Wait. Wat?

 

[Butch5]

Wait. Wat?

What isn't clear?

 

[Sue D.]

If they'd already eaten from the tree of life they would still be alive and Everyone would live forever in a state of sinfulness. Obviously people Die and Adam died -- that's recorded in Scripture.

 

[Butch5]

If they'd already eaten from the tree of life they would still be alive and Everyone would live forever in a state of sinfulness. Obviously people Die and Adam died -- that's recorded in Scripture.

Why do you assume that eating from the tree a single time would give them eternal life?

 

[Sue D.]

God warned them that if they Did eat of that tree of knowledge of good and evil -- they would Die. Before That -- they would have lived Forever as the plan had been.

 

[Butch5]

God warned them that if they Did eat of that tree of knowledge of good and evil -- they would Die. Before That -- they would have lived Forever as the plan had been.

They would have lived forever because they had access to the Tree of Life.

 

[Sue D.]

The problem was that Because they Did eat from that tree - they brought sin into the world. As a result - the Tree of Life had to be off limits to them or else they and everyone Else would have lived forever in a state of sinfulness.

God provided the means for mankind to be redeemed from their sinfulness and eventually all born-again believers Will be living forever in the New Jerusalem which will be brought down from heaven by God , Himself.

 

[David1954]

I have to agree with Sue D., Butch.

...lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life...

 

[Butch5]

I have to agree with Sue D., Butch.

...lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life...

But why do you assuming eating once will give eternal life? If one feeds a child only once will he grow to be an old man?

 

[David1954]

But why do you assuming eating once will give eternal life? If one feeds a child only once will he grow to be an old man?

"and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"

 

[Butch5]

"and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"

It doesn't say eating one time would give them eternal life.

 

[David1954]

It doesn't say eating one time would give them eternal life.

A lot of us think it does.

 

[David1954]

May I ask what doctrinal creed you find offended by this proposition?

 

[Butch5]

A lot of us think it does.

It doesn't say it. You're interpreting it that way. Maybe you're interpreting it wrongly