Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Wisdom in Delicious Fruit

Back to the beginning…In the Garden of Eden where the serpent tempted Eve saying that she and Adam could eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden…and then they would be like God. 

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.  Genesis 3:6

What a shame that Eve wasn’t more assertive, independent, and obedient.  Eve and Adam must have been hungry…physically and spiritually. She wanted wisdom. What a pushover. That ‘ole wily serpent didn’t have to browbeat or coheres Eve into taking that fruit—be it apple, pear or pomegranate. And where was Adam when the serpent was beguiling her? He was right there with Eve. Why wasn’t he more assertive and obedient? Good question—we all want to know. He just stood there and watched her take a bite of that forbidden fruit. Then she handed it to him…and he took a bite, too. Doomed! Humanity and the land were cursed. Read that passage in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and hid from God, God pronounces His judgement—the punishment for disobedience.
Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Then He said to the woman, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you."
And to the man He said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return."                                                                                                                         Genesis 3:14-19
Was there any wisdom gained by Adam or Eve in their actions? Not much. It seems like Eve didn't get the wisdom she wanted that the old serpent promised the fruit would give her. What would you do if offered wisdom?

Prayer ~ Dear Lord, keep me focused on Your wisdom that I wouldn’t be duped like Eve into seeking wisdom from a false source.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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