Question:

I love your website, it has helped me in many ways. I have a question that I’d love to get your take on.  When Adam was in the garden by himself, naming animals for whatever conceivable amount of time that he was there without Eve (hanging out with God, naming animals, all that), and Eve comes along, why weren’t they warned of both the snake’s lies and the possibility for deception? I understand why the snake should be allowed in at all, the fact that we have the free will and choice to give in to temptation or not. Having said that, why weren’t Adam and Eve warned of even the concept of deception? I feel like if I were them I would almost have a hard time believing that eating the apple was even going against God after listening to the Snake. They hadn’t previously experienced lies or deception due to their perfectly harmonious state with God and absence of sin yet. Presumably, it has something to do with us making our own decisions, but did they even make a decision to turn from God if they didn’t believe they were turning from God anymore by eating the apple due to the snake’s persuasion? God and the two probably had many many many conversations of which aren’t recorded, but I’ve been asked this a few times in various forms that my own logical answers now need some more foundation.

Thanks a ton.

Answer:

It is really hard to answer this question. You are asking me to give the reason for something happening which I am not confident even happened. You are assuming that God did not warn them about the lies of the snake and the possibility of deception. I do not assume that. I really have no idea whether God warned them about the snake or about lies in general. My guess is that, more likely than not he did warn them. Given that I think your speculation is not even true, I really do not feel the need to explain a scenario that I do not even believe in.

In any case, it really does not change the basic meaning of the story. Bottom line, Eve and Adam knew that God did not want them to eat from the tree but, when Satan appealed to their pride, they disobeyed God. I understand your argument that, given the “logical” argument of Satan, it could have seemed hard for Eve to not believe the snake. But is that not the human condition in general–not just for Eve? Often, the logic of the world seems very convincing. It is logical to have premarital sex because that way a couple can determine if they are compatible before they marry. It is logical to watch out for number one. A lot of sin is “logical” according to the thinking of the world. Yet, God has told us what he wants and he does not accept such excuses. Sin is sin and God expects us to obey his will.

I do not agree that Adam and Eve had no idea they had sinned. Because of their pride and selfishness, they bought into the “logic” of the snake for the moment, but I am confident that afterward, when they realized what they had done, they were very well aware that they had disobeyed God. Even if they did not (and I think they did) God does not accept such excuses. The situation where Saul disobeyed God about destroying the Amelekites comes to mind. It seemed perfectly “logical” and even “spiritual” that Saul should hold back some animals to make a sacrifice and hold back the king as a hostage. God does not buy this logic for an instant. He said to Saul, “To obey is better than to sacrifice.” I believe that this admonition that God expects obedience applies equally to Adam and Eve. It also applies to us.

John Oakes