In yesterday’s post I pointed out how the traditional teaching that Adam and Eve became infected with sin AFTER partaking of the fruit of the tree just doesn’t make any darn sense.
The reason is because if Adam and Eve hadn’t been infected with sin, they wouldn’t have had the capability to commit a sin in the first place.
Just like a computer can’t implement a command it hasn’t been programmed to do.
Are you getting this homies?
So I believe the Hebrew sages offer the best explanation:
When God created humankind, from the very beginning He programmed them with the capacity to choose to do BOTH good or evil.
And here’s something else a lot of folks overlook.
Before Eve ever took her first bite from the fruit of the forbidden tree, she had already committed one sin?
Do you know what it is?
Take a look at God’s original command.
“You may freely eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”-Genesis 2:16-17
Now take a close look at Eve’s response to Satan in relating God’s command.
“But the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall you TOUCH IT, lest you die.”-
Come again?
God never said they couldn’t touch the tree.
They just couldn’t eat from it.
So where did Eve get the idea to add to God’s command?
Unfortunately, we aren’t given much detail.
When Adam related to his wife Eve what God had said, maybe he decided it best to embellish upon God’s original command thinking it would serve as an extra measure of protection.
Or maybe Eve feeling threatened by the serpent just let loose a few too many words that she shouldn’t have.
Who the heck knows?
However, what we do know for sure is that it wasn’t a good thing to add to God’s Words.
Proverbs 30:6 says “Do not add to His words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”
Possibly after that, Eve maybe touched the tree and when nothing happened assumed that moving to the next step and actually eating from the tree would NOT result in the disastrous consequences that followed.
This is one reason why I’m not sure if the Rabbinical principle of putting a fence around God’s Word as an extra measure of protection is a good thing or not.
There is a real danger in tampering with God’s word, even just a little bit.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.”-Revelations 22:18-19
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! I’ve learned a lot so far. I wish you’d go through everything line by line!
Glad you enjoyed this Andrea. The studies on this site while not necessarily being line by line I think are quite thorough and I do try to focus on those points that a lot of other Bible teachers and preachers tend to overlook.