Adam, Eve, And a Lesson in False Shepherds

The other Sunday I was listening to the radio while driving, and there happened to be a sermon on. I don’t usually listen for very long to broadcast sermons because I always find some ½ truth in it and then I turn it off. This happened again on Sunday.

The topic was Adam and Eve. Very briefly, the pastor was explaining Adam’s predicament after Eve had eaten the fruit. He could 1. abandon her 2. intercede for her 3. eat the fruit too. Now, this pastor thought he had this all figured out. By doing the first, Adam would be following the first, most important commandment and putting God above all else. By doing the second, he might be able to avert judgment for Eve. By doing the third, this “shepherd” reasoned, he would be following the second most important commandment and loving his neighbor as himself.

Now, to his flock I’m sure this all sounded like good, sound reasoning. But there is a major flaw in this reasoning. Adam and Eve did not have he Law of Moses. They did not have the 10 Commandments. It was very early in creation and Adam and Eve were like children. They knew nothing of sin or of sinful behavior. Everything in existence was in complete harmony and balance with Yahweh. And so, in teaching Her children their first lessons, Father gave them only one command, and that was to NOT eat the fruit of that tree.

Genesis 2:15-17 The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

Now, it is certainly safe to say that Adam and Eve knew that they had to obey Father. She was their God, the One who gave them life and the One who told Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But for the “shepherd” mentioned above to reason out that for Adam to eat the fruit he was following the second commandment is false teaching! Adam ate the fruit because he loved Eve more than he loved Father. Adam knew that Eve was going to die and he couldn’t imagine living without her. Adam chose Eve over Father. It was sinning with intent. He knew that tasting the fruit Eve was offering him was the same as committing suicide.

The simple point I am trying to make is this. Yes, The Word is a jigsaw puzzle. However… you must be careful, because the pieces don’t always go together the way you think they do at first glance. You must always pray and seek guidance from Father when pondering and meditating on scriptures.