History of Redemption: Blog Post 4
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. – Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:4-6
As I read these words, and consider this moment in history, when sin entered in, and was allowed to stain God’s perfect creation, I ask myself questions such as, “Why would Adam and Eve do something so terrible, when they had it so good?”, or “What would my life have been like if they had not eaten the apple?”. Or maybe I just get angry at them for so blatantly disobeying the God who had been so kind and gracious to them. I look at the effects of sin that surround my life, and I want to blame Adam. I mourn this day when “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). I hate sin and I hate death.
However, I need to keep in mind two things as I ponder these verses. One is about God, and one is about me.
God was not surprised by Adam and Eve’s actions. He is sovereign, He is supreme, He is omniscient. He has a plan for this world, and His plan is good. God does not make mistakes, and He did not make a mistake when He created Adam and Eve. For indeed we confess that, “This God – his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). God is the height of wisdom, as the psalmist exclaims, “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104:24). God works all things out for His glory.
The second thing I need to be reminded of as I read about Adam and Eve is that …. I would have done the same thing. In fact, I DO the same thing every day. God has told me not to be proud, and every day I am proud. He has told be to not be greedy, and every day I am greedy. God has told me to not covet false idols, and every day I drive down Iowa street on my way home from work and covet all those shiny new cars that will never be able to buy my salvation. I could go on indefinitely. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
G.C. Chesterton summarized my point much more succinctly and eloquently than I ever could in a newspaper article, which asked it’s readers “What’s wrong with the world today?”. Chesterton replied, “The problem with the world is me.”
Thank you Lord Jesus that this is not the end of the story.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” -1 Corinthians 15:22