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Genesis 3 – About What Was Eve Deceived and Adam Not?
About what was Eve deceived, and Adam not (1 Timothy 2:14)? Let’s look at the evidence in Genesis 3:
v.1 (CSB) Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
First lie – “did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from ANY tree in the garden’?” Eve didn’t fall for it as seen in her response: “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3) But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’” (3:2-3). Good for her. She passed the first test.
Here comes the second lie: 4) “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. Due to grace, that lie didn’t appear to be a lie upon immediate effect. Neither one of them dropped dead.
Then comes the third lie which is a truth wrapped in an innuendo: 5) “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” God later admits Satan told the truth: The LORD God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil…. (3:22). So, if Satan told the truth about the effect, what was Eve deceived about? It wasn’t the positive effect of the fruit; it was the negative effect…and worse.
Think about this, isn’t much of temptation still this today? God lays down his code of holiness. Every sin has a positive effect, or as Hebrews 11:25 says, “the fleeting pleasure of sin”. Eve and Adam got to enjoy the benefit of their sin. Unfortunately, Eve didn’t believe God any more about the negative consequence, which Adam still did – death. She changed what she believed. Sometimes we need to, but simply changing what we believe religiously isn’t always pleasing to God or even for our own good even when we think it is.
Practically, neither could see all the consequences such as their own nakedness which they obviously were not prepared for. No one always sees all the negative consequences.
But there is something worse that Eve was deceived about and is what people keep deceiving themselves about today, thinking: God doesn’t want what’s best for them, or God doesn’t want them to be happy. Someone called that the sin behind every sin.
I just watched an old interview between Billy Graham and Woody Allen. When asked about premarital sex, Mr. Graham gave a good answer and included, “God’s not trying to keep you from having fun.” Mr. Allen, an agnostic, said, “Oh, yes he is!”
Nothings changed. People get deceived about what God says, and about whether God cares. They choose sin, including wanting to make themselves their own god. That’s Eve. Adam maybe worse. Those who don’t get deceived and yet still sin, choose too, another god – people.
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