What really happened in the Garden?

Many popular teachings on the story of Adam and Eve are centred around a doctrine of “Original Sin” – i.e. that all mankind inherited a sinful or “fallen” nature from Adam after his “fall from grace”. This doctrine was formulated by Augustine in the 5th century and has permeated much of Christian teaching, becoming a foundation for various doctrines and beliefs. However, this was never taught by Jesus, and the idea of inherited sin was refuted by him in the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-12). In fact, Jesus never mentioned Adam at all in His teachings! (Some have assumed that He did when asked by the Pharisees about whether they could divorce their wives, but Jesus’ reply simply states that “in the beginning the Creator made them male and female” and that for this reason “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife …”. Given that Adam had no father and mother to leave, it doesn’t sound as though Jesus was talking about Adam, but simply about the earlier creation of male and female in Chapter 1 of Genesis.)

Because of the doctrine of “original sin”, in many teachings about Adam and Eve the focus is strongly on their sin and its consequences. The care and kindness of God in His relationship with them is often ignored - He is portrayed as authoritarian and strict, with a harsh penalty for all mankind to follow Adam and Eve’s “one” mistake. It is taught that a holy God had to separate Himself from His creation because they had sinned, and that this “great gulf” between Him and us has continued to exist from that point on.

But is this what really happened?

“Genesis” means “beginnings” – our God is always creating and making new beginnings. After creating the heavens, the earth and mankind (male and female) in Genesis 1), the story continues in the next chapter with God making a new beginning with a man with whom He is to have a special and close relationship. In doing this, God lovingly:

• Forms this man from the very substance of the earth He created so that he would have a connection with it;
• Places spirit within the man so that he would have a connection with his Creator – God is Spirit, as Jesus told us;
• Plants a large garden in the east in a place called Eden, the boundaries of which are clearly defined, and which is frequently referred to as “the face of the earth/ground”;
• Puts the man in this garden, and then adds every tree that looks good and which produces good food, so that the surroundings provide both beauty and sustenance;
• Gives the man a job to occupy his time;
• Gives the man a Choice, because there is no freedom without choice, and God is all about freedom (as Jesus reiterated in His teachings);
• Gives the man some clear advice about the outcomes of his choice, so that it would not be unfairly made in ignorance;
• Forms animals and birds so that Adam will not be lonely, and lets him have the pleasure of naming and owning them;
• Recognises that the man needs human company so that his relationship with his Creator can be shared and not forced, and makes a woman from out of the man – bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh – a truly compatible mate and companion.

The next chapter introduces the serpent. The Bible often identifies beings, both natural and spiritual, by their characteristics/nature rather than their appearance, so we are not told what the serpent actually looked like. Satan is described elsewhere as an angel of light, and exceedingly beautiful in appearance to human eyes – it is unlikely that he looked ugly or serpent-like at this stage because this would have been less deceptive. We should also not assume that this was Adam’s or Eve’s first encounter with him – Adam does not appear to have objected to seeing a strange being talking with his wife – so there may have been a degree of familiarity already.

The serpent asks Eve what God has told them, and her reply shows that she is unclear about it – the instruction was given to Adam, but Eve’s knowledge is second-hand. God had said that, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they could eat of any tree in the garden. It is interesting to note that the Tree of Life in the book of Revelation has both leaves and fruit, and it is the leaves which are used to heal the nations. But Eve concentrates on just the desirable fruit of the tree of knowledge. In her reply to the serpent she then adds an extra layer of perceived “meanness” on God’s part – “not only can’t we eat the fruit, we aren’t even allowed to touch it, lest we die” which God hadn’t said at all. Hearing this response, Satan then foists his own spiritual “issue” upon Eve – the desire to be as God, knowing good and evil. It was Lucifer’s belief that he was so beautiful and wise that he should be as God, that had led to his downfall (Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14). He tells Eve that God has been lying to them – “you won’t really die” – and that this is because God wants to withhold a spiritual power and position Satan says they currently lack.

There is no doubt that it is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Satan wants them to eat, and the one he continues to promote in every religion.

Many characteristics of love are described in the well-known passage of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. When we love someone, we are (or should be) reluctant to believe anything bad about them, especially from someone who doesn’t know them as well as we do. So why were Adam and Eve so quick to believe that their Creator God, who had been nothing but kind and loving towards them, providing everything needed for their happiness, welfare, and open fellowship with Him, was withholding something good from them and did not have their best interests at heart? Where was the trust that comes from love? God clearly loved them, but it is evident that Adam and Eve did not really love Him back, and their beliefs and choices did not spring from hearts of love. No wonder God makes Love the first commandment, as He wants all actions and belief to flow from that Love.

Just as in Deuteronomy 30, where God outlines a choice between life/good and death/evil, and then urges His people to choose Life, God gave Adam and Eve freedom of choice amid clear demonstrations of His nature and His love for them. We tend to think that they then made one bad choice – they believed Satan rather than God. But there were actually two free choices available to them – they could equally have chosen to disbelieve Satan and to believe God instead. In fact, they had far more relationship evidence for the latter.

But, no longer trusting God or that He has their best interests at heart, Eve is seduced both by the beauty of the fruit and its ability to give a spiritual power that she and Adam can utilise separately from God – the right to use and trust in their own wisdom to decide what was good and what was evil – and she both eats the fruit and gives it to Adam. He is right there with her making no objection, doesn’t remind her what God had said, and he eats also. Possibly they had been covered with Light which now disappears – but in any event they realise their nakedness, decide that it is not good, and make clothing in which to cover up.

Was an all-seeing, all-knowing God unaware of what Adam and Eve had done? Was He now unable to come anywhere His children now that they were no longer “perfect”, lest He be contaminated by their suddenly sinful state? And if they had indeed been “perfect” previously, then how come they had sinned in the first place? From whom had Adam inherited his sinful nature?

In fact, rather than removing Himself from His “fallen” creation, God comes to walk in the garden, seeking His children and calling to them. But the consequences of listening to Satan, and eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, now manifest in the very thing that God had warned them about. They hide from God – the only Person who could have fixed the problem, forgiven and restored them to full fellowship. The only source of Life. They separate themselves from Him, not vice versa.

God calls out to them, asking them where they are. It isn’t that He doesn’t know where they are or can’t see them, but, rather than force His presence upon them, He is giving them an invitation to come out from behind their futile cover. Adam replies that he has been hiding because he is afraid and because he is naked. There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18), but the fruit of the tree is increasing its effect – Adam is proclaiming his own interpretation of what is good and what is not, and deciding that his nakedness is now a barrier between him and the love of his Creator. God then asks him why he thinks this, and if it is because he has done the very thing God had advised him not to. God knows the answer of course, but he is giving Adam the chance to take responsibility for what he has done and then seek God’s solution.

But another effect of the fruit - Pride - is now evident. Rather than admit that he has done anything wrong, Adam blames God – “the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat”. So now it is not just God’s fault but also the woman’s – a familiar trend. God then asks the woman what she has done – she at least acknowledges that she was deceived, but blames the serpent. God outlines the consequences to the serpent, including a prophecy of the Redeemer to come from the very seed-line Satan has sought to corrupt. He then spells out to the couple the consequences and limitations of a life lived in rejection of God.

But although the relationship has now changed, it is still there, and God still cares. He does not leave Adam and Eve naked – He clothes them with the skins of animals to replace the inadequate clothing they have made. Not wanting them to live forever walking down the path directed by the tree they have chosen, He places the Tree of Life beyond their reach. The message is clear – we cannot have both trees (see Matthew 6:24). They must now live elsewhere and take their human sustenance from the very ground from which they had been formed.

So what did happen in the garden? Was it not the ultimate demonstration that when Jesus said that “only God is good”, He meant it? All mankind has been given the same choice by God – live from Him, or from another source which might look good but has no lasting life. Adam and Eve were the best “core sample” of the inhabitants of the earth from which they had been formed. They had a seemingly perfect life – they couldn’t blame their choice on their parents, upbringing, the government, their environment or living conditions, etc, and they had always had a close and visible personal relationship with a Father God who had never shown them anything but kindness. And yet they chose to distrust Him and to believe that He was depriving them of a spiritual power that they believed they could better wield in their own wisdom in disconnection with Him.

So if these seemingly perfect people could reject God and choose to walk the path of sin, then God could rightly conclude that everyone else will and has made the same choice. Isaiah can say that “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.” Jesus can say that there is none good but God. Paul can rightly say that “all have sinned”, and John can state that, if we say we have no sin (or would have made a different choice), we are deluding ourselves. If we blame Adam and Eve for our sins, or say “the devil made me do it”, we are doing the same thing they did, and making the same response.

Rather than abandoning Adam and Eve following their disobedience, God continues His special relationship with the family that now emerges. Son Abel has a close walk with God – Hebrews says that Abel offered his acceptable sacrifice by faith. Faith comes from hearing and believing the word God has spoken, so He was obviously talking to Abel and Cain. Cain, however, decides to do his own thing in an attempt to force God to accept the sacrifice Cain has chosen. When God rejects it, Cain’s visible and livid anger only demonstrates his wrong motive and self-will in offering it. God doesn’t react back to Cain’s anger. He simply asks him why he is so upset and offers a remedy for the situation. But rather than taking up God’s offer, Cain rises up against his brother in jealousy and murders him. (See Mark 15:10 for the same motivation/outcome against Jesus). God gives him an opportunity to confess what he has done and, when Cain then lies, showing no repentance, God makes it clear that He knows exactly what has happened as He sees all. Rather than slaying him as he deserves (and which would deprive Adam and Eve of both of their children), God banishes Cain to another part of the earth. Cain protests that even this punishment is too harsh and that he will be slain by everyone he meets elsewhere. So God states that vengeance will be taken seven-for-one if that happens, and puts a special mark on Cain for his protection. Cain goes to the land of Nod, marries and begets descendants of his own.

To fulfil His promise to Adam and Eve of descendants, God then gives them another son. Eve names him Seth (“appointed”) as she acknowledges God’s kindness in appointing her another seed instead of Abel. From this new beginning would eventually come the Redeemer – Jesus, the Son of God who came as the Tree of Life in human form to demonstrate the love of God in giving His Life for and to us, and to invite all those who receive Him as God to be born again into His eternal Family.