Genesis 3:6-7
When the woman saw
that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to
her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves
together and made coverings for themselves.
Comments
Genesis 3 goes on to tell us that, after eating the forbidden
fruit, it was impossible for Adam and Eve to hide what they had done. God
confronted them with their disobedience and each sought to place blame
elsewhere: Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Such pitiful excuses
could not keep them from experiencing the consequences of what they had done:
It would be easy to read this entire story as an example of God’s wrath poured out upon sinful humanity, but it is also possible to see God grieving the loss of human innocence and simply explaining the consequences of what they have done.
- Eve would bear children, but only with great pain, and the intimacy she would want with her husband would not come easily either
- Adam would grow food, but only with great hardship as the ground itself would be cursed with thorns and thistles
- Both Adam and Eve would be banished from Eden, cast out into the wilderness
It would be easy to read this entire story as an example of God’s wrath poured out upon sinful humanity, but it is also possible to see God grieving the loss of human innocence and simply explaining the consequences of what they have done.
In any case, Genesis 3:21 shows the tender mercy of God in spite
of all that Adam and Eve have done. Realizing that the fig leaves Adam and Eve had
sewn together to cover themselves were entirely inadequate for the harsh world
they were about to enter, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his
wife and clothed them.” This is hardly
the act of an angry God!
Reflection
When you read the story of Adam and Eve, do you see an angry
God who has been disobeyed or a grieving God who has been disappointed?
Have there been times in your life when, having made a bad
choice, you experienced the tender mercy of God as things turned out better
than you deserved?
Prayer
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who
shows us tender mercy even in the midst of our foolish choices.
I've been saved innumerable times from carelessness, procrastination, and haste. I've overestimated my capabilities again and again. And again and again, God's love and care have saved me. As a small child I learned this story as one of punishment, but as an adult in mind and faith, I know that it is about being given another chance. God loves me within the implications of my faulty choices. His love is bigger than my circumstance.
ReplyDeleteI have never understood why the writers of Genesis explain the pain and hardship experienced by humanity to be the result of gaining knowledge of good and evil, or why God would not want humanity to have that knowledge.
ReplyDeleteRon Gregg