Discussions take place frequently as to the reason that Satan approached Eve and not Adam, to partake of the fruit of the tree "of the knowledge of good and evil", Gen. 2:9, 2:17 & 3:1-5.
Some say that Eve was more gullible and suggestible than Adam, but in the context of Gen. 2:17, Satan knew that Adam carried the responsibility to ensure obedience, and he should have obeyed God when tempted by Eve! Others say that both were equally susceptible and that Satan just happened to meet Eve first, but Satan always acts with purpose!
We now know that death entered the world because of that act of Eve’s, Gen. 2:17, it is certain that Satan’s tempting of Eve was by design, as Satan’s deceptive ability is on record, Gen. 3:1.
A further possible reason that Eve was approached, and Adam followed, has been suggested as Adam’s great love of Eve, and has been described as "Adam loving Eve too much"!
However, when one remembers that the target of Satan was Adam, not Eve; Satan’s plan clearly had a killer punch in its formulation. God had formed man/Adam first, Gen. 2:7, and had given him instructions regarding the Garden of Eden; Gen. 2:16, and as such was first in God’s order of Creation and responsibility, as Adam, not Eve was answerable to God at that time, Gen. 3:9.
When one considers the grave responsibility that Adam carried to obey God, Satan knew that a mere appearance, and suggestion by him to Adam to take of the Forbidden Fruit would probably not succeed, and he knew that in all likelihood he would only have one chance with Adam, as he would report Satan’s activity to God in their daily contact/ communion!
It is shown in Scripture that Satan had held high Office under God at some stage in the past, as a "covering Cherub", Ezk. 28:13, and the whole of the twenty eighth Chapter, and Isa. 14, confirms his rise and eventual future destruction. His Domain was described as “the holy mountain of God”, Ezk. 28:14. This state continued until "iniquity was found in thee", 28:15, which emphasises that Satan had choice, which he exercised to challenge Almighty God, in His own Domain, Ezk. 28:2, 6,17 and Isa. 13-14. It is important to note, that Adam and Eve also were given free-will, Gen. 2:17.
When attempting to understand what Satan thought he knew would work in his assault on Adam, he clearly had knowledge and or experience, or both to call on, which in his calculated plan against Adam, gave him a high degree of certainty of success. (See: Genesis 1:1 Enigma).
Here we can use Scripture record in this effort to solve this puzzle of Eden.
Satan’s own Fall from the Grace of Almighty God was due to his free-will choice to challenge God in His own Domain, Ezk. 28:2, and to love his own self, Ezk. 28:17! That self-love replaced his love and duty to God as the "covering cherub", which position entailed presumably the "covering" of the Heavenly beings in the "mountain of God", Ezk. 28:14!
An important comment is needed at this juncture, as there is so much non-understanding, and miss-understanding on the very important point regarding the origin of Sin, death, and degradation and ruin in the Universe!
The Bible (the authentic Word of God); speaks of “the Mystery of Iniquity” (2Thess. 2:7); but what is taught in most Churches and “Christian Groups” does not give understanding to people, and usually makes them feel more guilty, and increases the weekly take in the “collection”; instead of knowing their true position in Christ Jesus; if He is in their hearts!
Most priests and teachers labour the Fall of Eve and Adam, and state correctly that their Fall instigated death into the Eden Creation. What the teachers do not show (even if they know it) is that the originator of all Sin in the Universe, is Lucifer (now renamed Satan), (see; Why Lucifer became Satan!).
Lucifer’s Sin was to rebel against his loving Creator and his desire became “to be as God”; i.e. to usurp God and to take God’s position in all the Universe. What is not taught, is that Satan did not have a tempter to take him to oppose God; he rebelled by his own will, and by his own pride (Ezk. 2813-16), and because of that he cannot be redeemed! (See: Satan's Motivation: & Satan's Origins;)
However, that is not the case with Adam and Eve, as they were tempted by Satan to eat of the fruit of one tree in Eden which had been forbidden by God; “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:16-17).
This places all humanity following Adam and Eve in the position of being tempted to Sin in their life time; which all people will!
However, Almighty God in the form of Christ Jesus has made a way of escape from the consequences of sin (death) which He imposed in Eden! He (in the form of Jesus the Christ) deliberately placed Himself between death and Satan; and became “The Sacrificial Lamb" (shown in the Lamb Sacrifice of the instruction to the Jews; see Leviticus etc.) of God for the purpose of saving from death all people who by ‘their free-will’ look upon Him as their Saviour, by the Salvation offered on the Cross of Calvary, in approx. AD 30 (Matt. 27. 27:32-56 & Num. 21:8-9)!
Satan cannot be saved in the Love and Grace of God, because he became Evil and developed evil continually deeper and deeper on Earth; and has even been joined by many of God’s angels, (one third of all Heavenly Creation); who will all be judged by God in the future.
So; a major part of the outcome of Christ Jesus’ self-sacrifice as the “Second Adam” (1Cor. 15:22), is the defeat and demise of Satan (Rev. 20:10), which is where all the trouble started; and by whom evil, Sin, and death entered the human world. (See: Satan's Demise!).
When remembering that all Heaven’s Created beings (angels etc.), are described in Scripture as male, the situation in God’s Creation in Eden shows a distinct change in the Creation of Eve from Adam! The fact that she was a part of Adam (his rib) Gen. 2:22-25, underlines the statement in Gen. 2:24, shows the legitimacy of the full circle from "rib" to "union", which is called marriage, when under the Ordinance of God; which is man and woman!
Satan had to break that legitimacy to bring to ruin the perfection of that "Ordinance"! He surmised that to sully the perfect circle of "rib" to "union", which is called (marriage before God) would achieve the objective. He knew that in his own case, his self-love and pride of it, had moved him from love of God to his own fallen state, and as his whole effort was from then on, to unseat God, and he has been given certain freedom to attempt such; it was imperative for him to own Adam, to show the failure of God’s Plan before all Heavenly Creation, and therefore his superiority over God! See: Satan's Motivation:
Satan therefore approached Eve, changed the words that God had given to Adam re. the forbidden fruit to: "Ye shall not surely die" Gen. 3:4, and the trap was set for Adam; and in so doing he usurped God and Adam, and his efforts have been continual since, and will be until his final demise; Rev. 20:3 and 20:7-10.
At this point, an important point needs to be made. Eve approached Adam after she was sufficiently beguiled by Satan as to the “Tree of Knowledge of good and evil”; which was against the Word of God! Satan has been acting in this manner ever since (see: Father of Lies, John 8:44); and in 1John 4:1-3, John shows how “spirits” should be tested. As well as 1John 4:2; any person who hates or dislikes Biblical prophecy, and refuses to accept it or teach it, are also in real danger of rejection by Almighty God, as they are in effect denying God Himself! This is said, as many Bible teachers of Sunday Schools, are in this category, and they are often women from the congregation dealing with the minds of young children; and children have a special bond with women, and give them close attention! The importance of prophecy is emphasised by Jesus in Matt. 24!
How then was the "trap" set, and why would it have the desired effect for Satan? It is the writers’ contention that when Eve ate of the "forbidden fruit", she was changed, in Adam’s perception, that she allured him in a new way, in a sexually attractive way, which was different to that attraction before she ate of the forbidden fruit; and knew for the first time that she was naked Gen. 3:7. At that stage Adam had not eaten the forbidden fruit, but was with her, and perceived the change in her; AND LIKED WHAT HE PERCEIVED, and joined Eve in the "forbidden fruit"! Also, Satan was using the God given protective love that a man has for his woman, in an enhanced state that she was then in!
The key words used in Gen. 3:6 are; good, pleasant, desired, wise; and are based on Satan's lie and promise in 3:5, "that you will be as God", (not gods as AV 1611). He again attempted to use the same lies against our Lord (the Second Adam), in Matt. 4:1-10. What he did not of course say, is that they would have the insights listed above, that he has, and had in perfection as "the covering cherub”! Also, he did not say they would be "fallen", as he is; and is then and now attempting to convert all created beings, Heavenly and on Earth to his plan to unseat God Almighty!
When Eve ate of the "forbidden Fruit", her perceptions were changed to Satan's perceptions and in 3:6, (lust "pleasant" of the eyes) corrected as per Comp. 3:6, note by Dr. Bullinger. Adam also liked the change he saw in her, to the point of also disobeying God's instruction, probably as per above comment and correction by Dr. Bullinger.
The argument is used against the above, that in Gen. 3:7, that the reference is to both of them. However, it is clear in the narrative that Eve was fallen first, and the time gap was sufficient for Adam to "perceive, and liked what he perceived". Many women object to this interpretation (including a female Bible Teacher of the writers acquaintance), and state that Eve was as important as Adam; which is not disputed, but Adam held the responsibility, and therefore in general terms and God’s eyes, Adam's was/is the failure! Also many women object to the sexual connotation. That is to be expected with the Feminist Movements’ inroads into the female mind and world; the same organisation has lobbied for the male gender reference in the Bible to be changed to female or neuter! The "equality" demanded by vociferous "Feminists", undermines their Biblical status as child rear-ers, and as "help-meet", to their men, the functions of which are one of the most important in the world! A female U.K. Professor stated recently what has been known by American business women for some time now, "that women cannot have it all", defined as good work life, and good family life, due to one or the other suffering as a result of lack of attention or closeness. This is especially true where children are concerned!
The many references to Adam show his responsibility to God; Gen. 2:15-16, 19, 20, 3:8-9, 16-17 and 24. It is interesting to note that Eve is cursed by God, but not Adam. For Adam’s sin of being persuaded by Eve to eat the "Forbidden fruit", the ground is cursed; and his is the labour of frustration all his days, which most men will admit. The major point here, is that Adam "listened to the voice of his wife", Gen. 3:17, and ate the forbidden fruit, instead of doing what God had said! That does not mean that Adam should not hear, or listen to his wife! It does mean that he should not obey her when he knew she was wrong! In this he used his free-will to disobey God, and obey his wife! This phenomena is now widespread!
Eve’s curse entails childbirth and rearing, and her husband ruling over her Gen. 3:16, a condition guaranteed to drive many modern women to distraction and rejection of God's Word. However, the condition is confirmed in 1Tim. 2:12 and Eph. 5:22-23. The major difference now to Genesis, is that both Eve and Adam, (all Christian married couples) are seen by God through the Sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, as per Eph. 5:22-23.
Recently a Scientist said on a TV program that "men have evolved to enjoy the female body instead of their minds". That of course is an Atheist’s view, and as Christ-ones know, God’s Word is the only source of Truth, and the truth is that Adam fell for Eve’s body, in a different way to originally ordained, Gen. 1:28, and agreed to eat the "forbidden fruit" because of what he perceived/saw, and liked! Many have said, or alluded, that the "original sin" was sex. That is clearly not so as Gen. 1:28 shows.
"Original sin", is disobedience to God’s instruction, by first Eve, then Adam. Eve was deceived by Satan, Adam was tempted by Eve!
Satan has used the same formulation, i.e. corrupted sexuality, again since Eden in the form of "fallen angels" mating with "the daughters of men", Gen. 6:2, and 6:4. See: Nephilim, who were they, and why: This was purposed to stop the promise of God embodied in the promise of Messiah, as shown in Gen. 3:15 coming to fruition, as the "seed of the woman" had to remain unsullied by any other than human seed. See: Nephilim;
The human line from Adam to Mary the mother of Jesus had to be completely unsullied by any attempt of Satan, otherwise the conception of Jesus by the "Holy Spirit" of God, would have been impossible! See: Genealogies of Jesus Christ.
Satan is still using perversions of all kinds, (particularly sexual) in all parts of human society to mislead and enslave all who will not see the Truth of God in Christ!
Satan seemed at that early stage of this Creation to have achieved a major victory, but as shown in Gen. 3:15, the struggle had only just begun in this Creation. It was certainly the case that no ordinary human could withstand and resist Satan, but in the wisdom of God, the Gen. 3:15 promise referred only to "the seed of the woman”, without reference to the Father!
The ultimate fulfilment of this Promise is shown in the Gospel of Matt. 1: 25, and in Luke 1:26-38. Here, the "seed of the woman" is Mary the espoused of Joseph, and the "Father" is God Almighty in the form of the "Holy Spirit"! The "Holy Thing" is Jesus of Nazareth "God Incarnate", who came to Earth, "to save His people from their sins", initially Israel, but now open to all!
Jesus came to undo what Satan had corrupted in Eden, when he successfully forced death into the world, via Eve and Adam, and God barred the "tree of life", Gen. 3:22-24, from them, and all mankind from then on. Jesus, the "Second Adam" came that "all who will may come", to Jesus the Christ of God, and in believing in Him, may have eternal life. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive", 1Cor. 15:22.
In Christ Jesus, the perfect union of man and woman, (the rib to union) is restored, as they as Christ-ones are seen through Jesus the Christ by the Father, as perfect! The reason for that is that they are not married under human rules, but before God Himself! The clear message is that the God given union (marriage) is for a man and a woman, no matter what society and Governments say in the present world situation regarding morals!
The rib was not taken from Adam to create a man, but to create a woman; Eve!
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