On Genesis 3 (Fall of Man)
Had an interesting discussion with some interesting people today regarding the fall of man in Genesis 3.
I still haven’t finished the Book of Genesis, it’s a long-ass book and I have been busy, but I noticed something interesting when I read it a while back and shared it during the discussion. I read the chapter again after getting home and decided to write down my observations and understanding of what happened.
The woman initially resisted the temptation by answering the serpent with what God commanded - not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tried again and successfully convinced the woman to take and eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
My understanding is the serpent gave the woman something she didn’t have before. The woman trusted and believed in God when she first answered the serpent. The serpent’s second attempt used reason to construct an argument and convinced the woman that she would be like God and know good and evil if she ate from the tree. After that conversation, the woman put reason before God and believed in the possibility of becoming like God.
Is mankind trying to be like God? Do we know good and evil?
How do we know eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will make us wise and know good and evil? Because the serpent said so.
The entire Bible only mentions the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 2 and 3 and the only thing God said will happen if we eat from it is we will die.
It seems to me that most people don’t know how to spell good and evil let alone how to define them anymore. Everyone believes we are gonna die anyway, so whatever right?
The serpent was crafty indeed.
24 Jan 2025 edit: the thing the serpent gave the woman was doubt.
31 Jan 2025 edit: At no point did I say to ditch reason. The woman would not have been able to rebuke the serpent without the ability to reason on the first attempt. The key is the order of precedence. The right order is God before reason rather than reason before God. Reason before God is impossible; if you prioritise reason, then you not only lose God, you also lose reason and end up with nothing, otherwise known as nihilism and death.
Genesis 3:1-6
The Fall
[1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] 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.
