We now come to a narrative that would be utterly unintelligible had not God given us the clue to a clear understanding of the same through other portions of His Written Word. Let the entire class read Genesis 3:1-7. What is the meaning of this strange temptation scene? Who is the tempter? Apparently it is the bright-hued serpent twining around the only object in the garden concerning which God had imposed prohibitive commands. However, as we read the words uttered by the serpent, we realize that this reptile cannot be the real tempter; for reptiles are on the plane of animal life, which we have found to be below the plane of self-consciousness; and not only do these few words reveal self-consciousness but marvelous intellectual powers, a dominant will and God-consciousness as well. We must look elsewhere, then, for the real but invisible tempter who is using the serpent as his mouthpiece, his tool. Eliminating the entire animal creation, we ask, “Who can the tempter be?” Is there any other human being present, who, for some subtle reason, is striving to lead Adam and Eve to disobey God’s commands? Most certainly not; for this man and woman are the only human beings in God’s great universe. Would God tempt them to do that which He had expressly commanded them not to do, and the fatal results of which He well knew? Unthinkable. God tempts no one. Who can the tempter be?
Is there any other plane of life which might furnish the tempter? Only the angelic plane; therefore we conclude that the invisible tempter is an angel and evidently an angelic being of high rank. Have we any clue as to his identity? The careful student of psychology would suggest at once that the language of the tempter bears a strong resemblance to that uttered ages before by Lucifer. The same attitude of assumed equality with God is indicated; the same wilful disregard of His Sovereign commands.
The thinking person would also perceive that Lucifer, or Satan, as we will now call him, had a definite purpose in connection with the human beings whom God had created. He knew that God had given man dominion over the earthly creation, and he could readily see that if man remained in dependence upon his Creator, he would be able to exercise earthly dominion in such a manner that no part of the earthly sphere could be controlled by his fallen powers. Satan also reasoned that if human beings exercised dominion in the earthly sphere, the result might be that they would become empowered to eject him from his place in the atmospheric heaven, and thus his ambitious plans would come to naught; and the awful judgment which God pronounced upon him ages before would become a terrible reality.
His first failure in independent government-the transformation of God’s beautiful earth into chaos-evidently had wrought no change in his character nor had it destroyed his ambition. Doubtless he felt disappointment and chagrin over his failure but no repentance; and after God’s reconstructed earth appeared, he was as ready as ever to become its ruler. In view of these facts and conditions, we are forced to believe that Satan is the invisible tempter who is using the Serpent as his mouthpiece.
This temptation scene will bear much study. Let us carefully note the setting that we may the better understand the results. The scene is the wonderful garden of God with its waving trees, fragrant flowers, sparkling water and every object of natural beauty. Satan is a wonderful strategist. He has planned deliberately and well concerning every detail of this decisive moment in the history of the human race. First, he has selected an opportune moment when Eve is alone. (We cannot help wondering if he had not previously attracted the attention of Adam to some other spot.) Then he has selected the most peculiarly striking member of the animal creation to attract the attention of Eve and to serve as his spokesman. The bright-hued serpent, which in primeval days was erect and doubtless able to glide gracefully from tree to tree, was used to draw Eve’s attention to the forbidden object.
As we examine the account before us in this chapter, we do not see the tree of life as the center of the story, nor do we find it mentioned. Evidently the attention of Eve is directed by her questioner to the other tree, and so absorbed does she become in contemplating it, that in speaking of the tree “in the midst of the garden,” the fruit of which she had been forbidden to eat, she seems to have forgotten the tree in the midst of the garden of which she was permitted to freely eat. (Compare Gen. 3:2-3 with 2:16-17.)
We can imagine her standing with her back to the tree of life at this moment, gazing at the bright, sinuous body of the serpent twined around the forbidden tree, which, doubtless, she had not permitted herself to look upon except with awe, up to this moment, but which now fascinated her with its wondrous beauty. Evidently the thought of disobedience had not entered into her mind until it was projected by the tempter, as a psychological analysis of verse 3 reveals.
Her addition to God’s prohibition, expressed in the words “neither shall ye touch it,” reveals the state of her mind. Her purpose to obey was so strong that she would not even touch the forbidden object; doubtless she would not fix her gaze upon it. This is the normal attitude of an innocent mind. We see it today in very conscientious children and adults; and if this is true of persons who have inherited a sinful nature, how much stronger must this attitude have been in one who possessed a sinless nature. The expression, “lest ye die,” does not indicate an attempt to tone down the result of disobedience. “Lest” does not mean peradventure. She simply stated what the result of disobedience would be.
But now for the first time, the thought of disobedience to God’s command is presented to her mind and finds lodgment there. And yet so subtle is the working of the tempter, that eating of the forbidden fruit does not seem to be direct disobedience. Satan has so staged the scene that he has caused her to forget the “tree of life.” He has gained control of her eyes; he has projected his thought of disobedience into her mind; he has caused her to question God’s Word, and now he completely dazzles her mind so that she accepts his word instead of God’s and uses her will exactly as he had planned.
Later he uses Eve in tempting Adam to make his choice-and Satan’s object is gained. He has succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve to use their power of choice in such a way that the original possibility of sonship is removed, their sinless condition is changed to that of sinfulness, and they have become his servants, his slaves.
In portraying this garden scene and its awful results we should carefully avoid any expression that would lessen the solemnity of this direful moment in the history of the human race. The allusion to Eve eating the apple betrays a sad lack of appreciation of the tremendous consequences attending the act of the Mother of our race, and it also shows lack of logical thought in connection with the vital truths of God’s Word.
The teacher should now call attention to the penalty attached to the prohibition. God had said, “in the day thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die.” What did He mean by this? Surely not immediate dissolution of the body, for Adam and Eve lived many, many years after their fall.
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