Gen 3:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | The serpent manages to mislead the woman by his cunning ( ). Eve no longer sees things as God has said, but as the serpent reflects them on her. Do we not often hear in connection with clear statements from the Word of God: ‘You have to see things differently’? He who surrenders to it loses God’s sight of things and becomes the prey of another. Instead of referring the serpent to Adam, she talks to the serpent herself. She is open to his suggestion. Her answer betrays that the suggestive speaking of the serpent has an effect. Her answer shows that in her thinking the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands in the middle of the garden ( ), while God has placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden ( ). If man has another center than God, it always goes wrong. Her answer betrays another thing: she adds to the commandment of God. God has said that she shall not eat of it; she changes it into not to eat of it and not to touch it . She makes the commandment of God heavier than He has given it. In summary, we see that the woman says six things that differ substantially from what God has said and intended ( ): 1. She conceals ‘eat freely’, and only speaks of ‘eat’. 2. She does not speak of ‘any tree’, but of ‘the trees’. 3. She speaks of ‘the fruit of the trees’ instead of the ‘trees’. 4. In her view she places the tree of knowledge of good and evil “in the midst of the garden”, while it is explicitly mentioned that the tree of life stands there ( ). 5. She also says: ‘not touch it’, but God has not spoken about this with a word. 6. She says, “you will die,” while God has said, “you will surely die”, which is a much more powerful expression. We can learn from this that we must follow the example of the Lord Jesus and respond to the enemy in the way He did. We must react spiritually alert and see where the twists and one-sidedness are, where the enemy “adds” or “takes away” ( ). We may be aware of the power and presence of Him Who said: “The ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” ( ). The woman’s reaction has given the serpent a wide opening to inject its deadly poison into her. He openly denies the goodness of God and presents Him as One Who withholds the good from man. In fact, he says: ‘God does not really love you.’ This is the greatest conceivable disgrace of God, Who is love: “God is love” ( ). Satan has also achieved countless successes with this representation of God. The woman is now so brainwashed that she takes over the ‘insight’ from satan. She entrusts herself more to satan, as if he has the best of intentions for her, than to God. She judges God according to satan’s lie. She looks at the tree and sees what satan has shown. It is indeed a beautiful fruit. And shouldn’t you be allowed to eat that? God can never have intended that. The desire to take from the fruit is born. Through desire carried away and lured, satan’s desire for what satan has presented to her takes possession of her: to become wise and therefore to be like God. Desire gives birth to sin and sin brings forth death ( ). She takes and eats and also gives her husband and he eats too. This is a tragedy with irrevocable, deeply tragic consequences. By their action, they express that they reject God for the enjoyment of a fruit.

‏ Genesis 3:5-6

The Fall

The serpent manages to mislead the woman by his cunning (2Cor 11:3). Eve no longer sees things as God has said, but as the serpent reflects them on her. Do we not often hear in connection with clear statements from the Word of God: ‘You have to see things differently’? He who surrenders to it loses God’s sight of things and becomes the prey of another. Instead of referring the serpent to Adam, she talks to the serpent herself. She is open to his suggestion. Her answer betrays that the suggestive speaking of the serpent has an effect.

Her answer shows that in her thinking the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands in the middle of the garden (Gen 3:3), while God has placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden (Gen 2:9). If man has another center than God, it always goes wrong. Her answer betrays another thing: she adds to the commandment of God. God has said that she shall not eat of it; she changes it into not to eat of it and not to touch it. She makes the commandment of God heavier than He has given it.

In summary, we see that the woman says six things that differ substantially from what God has said and intended (Gen 2:16-17):

1. She conceals ‘eat freely’, and only speaks of ‘eat’.

2. She does not speak of ‘any tree’, but of ‘the trees’.

3. She speaks of ‘the fruit of the trees’ instead of the ‘trees’.

4. In her view she places the tree of knowledge of good and evil “in the midst of the garden”, while it is explicitly mentioned that the tree of life stands there (Gen 2:9).

5. She also says: ‘not touch it’, but God has not spoken about this with a word.

6. She says, “you will die,” while God has said, “you will surely die”, which is a much more powerful expression.

We can learn from this that we must follow the example of the Lord Jesus and respond to the enemy in the way He did. We must react spiritually alert and see where the twists and one-sidedness are, where the enemy “adds” or “takes away” (Rev 22:18-19). We may be aware of the power and presence of Him Who said: “The ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (Jn 14:30).

The woman’s reaction has given the serpent a wide opening to inject its deadly poison into her. He openly denies the goodness of God and presents Him as One Who withholds the good from man. In fact, he says: ‘God does not really love you.’ This is the greatest conceivable disgrace of God, Who is love: “God is love” (1Jn 4:8 ; 16). Satan has also achieved countless successes with this representation of God.

The woman is now so brainwashed that she takes over the ‘insight’ from satan. She entrusts herself more to satan, as if he has the best of intentions for her, than to God. She judges God according to satan’s lie. She looks at the tree and sees what satan has shown. It is indeed a beautiful fruit. And shouldn’t you be allowed to eat that? God can never have intended that. The desire to take from the fruit is born.

Through desire carried away and lured, satan’s desire for what satan has presented to her takes possession of her: to become wise and therefore to be like God. Desire gives birth to sin and sin brings forth death (Jam 1:14-15). She takes and eats and also gives her husband and he eats too. This is a tragedy with irrevocable, deeply tragic consequences. By their action, they express that they reject God for the enjoyment of a fruit.