In Gen. 3:1-5 we have the beginning of moral evil on earth. The Holy Spirit relates the fact with
its instruction for every child of Adam.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And
he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" It was
but a question of what God had said. But where this is allowed, He is dishonored, and a breach
is made in the line of defense for the enemy to enter. To doubt God’s word is the beginning of the
worst evil; it is to sit in judgment on God, whereas only He can and ought to judge.

Under the seeming modesty of a question Satan was undermining the prime duty of a created
being. And what did he particularly seek to accomplish through his question? To insinuate a doubt
of God’s goodness. What! May you not eat of all the trees? Is it possible that you are forbidden
any? How can God love you and withhold a single good thing from you? Surely there must be
some mistake. "Has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Is it so?

It is written, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jas. 4:7). Eve, on the contrary, listened
and conferred. The mischief was begun. The serpent substituted the more distant and abstract
"God" of creation for "Jehovah God" (Gen. 3:1), the Creator in moral relationship with man.
Thus she fell into the trap and discussed the question raised only to excite desire for what God had
prohibited. Yielding to the devil, instead of turning away at once, Eve became a prey while she
continued her conversation with the serpent.

"And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but of
the fruit which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you
touch it, lest you die." Had Eve held fast the sense of her responsibility to obey, she would have
resented the question, rather than answered it. And her answer lets us see that the evil intent of
Satan did not fail to have its effect. She added to the prohibition, and took from the penalty.
Jehovah had not said a word about touching the forbidden fruit, but had in the most assured terms
threatened death in the day of eating it. Exaggeration of truth is no more the truth than diminution
of it; either enfeebles, and both are Satan’s work.

Eve well knew and could tell the tempter the liberty given as to all other fruit, as well as the
penalty for partaking of the one forbidden tree. Yet she ventured to hear what the serpent had to
say when there was already the proof that he was by his question challenging the truth of God’s
goodness. Did not God delight in their happiness? From whom came their most bountiful
provision? Was she cherishing dependence on Him and confidence in Him? How worthless is
knowledge which issues not in grateful praise and simple-hearted obedience! Alas! unbelief has
grown greatly since the days of Eve!

Emboldened by his crafty success the enemy advances. "And the serpent said to the woman, You
will not surely die." It is no longer insinuation against God’s good will, but open assault on His
truth. And it is the same lie that has beguiled mankind ever since. Death is hidden diligently from
men’s eyes; and when it cannot be hidden, its importance is explained away. People are willingly

ignorant, and are earnest only to enjoy the present. Let us eat and drink, and tomorrow go here
or there and get gain. Ah! you know not what will be on the morrow. It is certain, now that man
is fallen, that "it is appointed unto men once to die, [and] after this judgment" (Heb. 9:27). But
men lend a ready ear to him who deceived Eve; though unable to deny the truth, they do not
believe it because it would paralyze their pursuits and poison their pleasures.

Further, the serpent held out as a bribe the good of evil. "God knows that in the day you eat
thereof, then your eyes will be opened, and you will be as God, knowing good and evil." The
serpent was saying in effect, "God is jealous; I am your friend. He would keep you ignorant. Take
my advice:be independent and know for yourselves as He does." Thus Eve received the lying foe
as her best friend when his slander of the living and true God entered her heart. Open sin and ruin
followed without delay.

The remedy is not in man, but from God in Christ for him_indeed, for the most guilty if he
repent and believe the gospel. The Lord Jesus is the only Deliverer, as indeed is foretold in Gen.
3:15. He vindicated God and vanquished Satan in every respect in which the first man failed. The
gift of Christ displayed God’s immense love to the world; His death for sin was the proof of God’s
truth no less than of His love. What a contrast there is between the Son of God and those who,
being only human, seek to be as God and, in so doing, become Satan’s slaves! But thanks be to
God, who through Christ crucified and risen, gives the victory to all who call upon the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).