We are in the Garden of Eden looking at how Satan used his approach to Eve, and derailed an ideal system.
I want you to see and take away the lesson that, the same tactics used in the Garden, are the same ones taht people still use against us, our family members, and work-mates every day. These are the same ways they work to outsmart us and outsmart “the system.”
We have see that Satan has come to Eve, the helper, rather than to the boss. To use Elaine Bennis’ term from Seinfeld, he sidles up to her, kind of slides onto the scene and conversation like he has always been there. I am not using these as sexual of feminist terms, but in terms of who was there first, and who should know what’s going on.
He has come as an innocent, a seeker of information, seeking her wisdom.
And isn’t that how we get puffed up and quickly move of from sanity and security, right into ego-land? Here our ego speaks to us: “Someone wants my opinion, wow! I have no clear idea what they are really talking about, but how hard could this be. I can wing it.”
He is schmoozy.He has only her best interest at heart.
He starts out as contrite, inquisitive and teachable, but very quickly, the contrition fades and he becomes increasingly more authoritative. And, since he really cares about her, he seems like someone she can put her trust in.
He then appeals to Eve’s sense of beauty. Look at how wonderful the tree looks. It’s a shiny new toy. We must have it…
Then he begins to plant a few seeds of doubt. Well, since the tree is so beautiful and good, why is God keeping it all to Himself? Why is He being stingy and not sharing it with the rest of us? What is up with that? And, you know, you aren’t really going to die!
With this outside influence pulling against Eve, she is persuaded to start looking out for her own interests. No one besides the serpent has made her feel a part of what’s going on. She moves into this realm as an independent agent…but she is not! She is not the only one who will be affected by this decision.
But, let’s not go overboard, Eve has some wiggle room here that she is not using. Notice that she doesn’t stop the conversation. She doesn’t’ step away from this to take time to consult with God or Adam. She is so like us. She never says. “I don’t know.” You know she is thinking that perhaps this will work out fine; even though I’m not taking the correct road.
Then, Satan uses Eve to lead her husband into sin.
Adam’s actions here are even more mysterious than those of his wife. He takes the fruit from Eve and eats it. That’s it!
The Apostle Paul tells us in the New Testament that there was a fundamental difference between Adam’s sin and that of his wife:
Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14).
So, if Adam was not deceived, then why did he disobey God?
And, why does his eating the forbidden fruit appear almost as a footnote compared to all that is written about Eve’s sin?
Hmmm?
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