Genesis 3

When we read of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, we are wise to consider what happened. There is something to learn from what happened because sin still often finds a similar pattern in how we are tempted today.

The first part of the temptation dealt with questioning God's words. Did God really say? The temptation was to question whether what we have been told is correct. This is a temptation that we still see today as people misquote or take verses out of context to try to make it say something that it does not say. The problem for Satan was that Eve knew the command- she repeated the command- and in fact added the phrase "Do not touch" to the command which showed she understand the seriousness of the command.

The second part of the temptation was to question God's intentions. Satan couldn't get Eve to be confused about what God said. So, the temptation shifted to why did God say this. The temptation was to question whether what God said was actually good. The temptation is that God was holding out on them and that if they disobeyed, they actually would be better off. You see Satan's ploy here- God is not actually giving you commands for your benefit, but rather to hold you back. How many people today begin to think that they know better than God and that His commands are outdated, out of touch, or simply unappealing. It is the same temptation used on Eve- if you can't get them to question God's word, then try to get them to dislike what God has said.

This is the story we still see today. Many "scholars" claim to have found errors in the Bible and mistakes, yet not one supposed problem in Scripture does not have an explanation that keeps the inerrancy of the Bible intact. Many people today try to interpret Scripture based on the feelings of the learner rather than the truth of what God said. When God's Word does the proper work of conviction- many people write it off as offensive and declare that it surely must mean something different that does not make me feel bad.