Another beautiful day in the garden, Adam did what he loved most of all–admire his beautiful bride. Eve’s hair was a beautiful auburn with kinky, curly coils framing her face, cascading down her back. Her skin was the complexion of earth’s rich soil, supple and taut. She was the personification of beauty and grace. Even Adam was what every woman today dreams of–tall, broad-chested, and strong. His hair was as black as night, his complexion a mixture of the sand and clay God formed him from. Adam’s wisdom and ingenuity excelled above all creation, matched only by Eve’s.
These two, indeed the envy of the lesser gods.
Time went on blissfully beautiful, living in tandem and fellowship with YHWH. While casually walking among the trees, Adam noticed Eve staring wistfully at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
“Love, what is it?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking of how beautiful that tree is, and what a waste of beauty at that,” Eve replied. They continued in conversation, checking on the animals and other plants before making it back to the trees.
The Encounter
“Eve,” came a low, harsh whisper.
Looking around, she spied a serpent leaning upon the tree. In those days, snakes had legs and walked. Adam saw him too but shrugged it off as another one of the snakes in the kingdom.
“How may I help you, serpent?” Eve asked.
“The question is, when will you do what’s in your heart and eat from this tree?” the crafty serpent replied.
Alarmed, Adam looked intently, and curiously, at this exchange. I’m not going to say a word; she knows what to do, he thought to himself.
“Listen, we can’t eat from or even touch this tree, or we’d die,” Eve muttered.
Wait a minute! I never told her that God said we couldn’t touch it! Why is she adding to His command? Adam still refrained from joining in the conversation as curiosity began to entice him as well.
Discerning the lie, the serpent knew she was all but dangling on the branch, ready to be devoured by him and his legion.
“My beautiful girl, you won’t die! God’s being selfish and withholding from you! Just touch the tree, beloved one, and see what happens.”
The Fall
Eve reached out, touching the tree, and everything was fine! She didn’t die! What if the serpent was right? What if God couldn’t be trusted?
With that, Eve grabbed fruit from the tree and took a bite. All at once, insatiable hunger for more of this dangerously delicious fruit flowed through her body, and seductively she asked her husband, who was with her, to take a bite.
Everything within him screamed no, but oh how Adam loved Eve. He longed for all parts of her, so he did as she asked.
With mocking laughter, the serpent hid as the two saw each other for the first time. The purity of Adam and Eve’s love for each other was tainted by lust and distrust. The shame of their nakedness pushed them to a place in creativity they haven’t known before. Although they became clothed in leaves, they were stripped of their innocence and separated from everything pure and holy, including their beloved Father.
Was it worth the bite?
Thank you for reading this exciting post. The true story is found in Genesis, reading chapters one through three for full context. I pray that as you travel through life, that you’ll realize before it’s too late, nothing the evil one offers us is worth what we’ll lose.
Lord, may we love our loved ones properly, never more than we love You. Help us not cause each other to sin. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
Featured photo by Vjekoslav Domanović on Unsplash
