Instruction from Genesis 2 and 3

Someone might ask us whether it was of love or enmity that God said to Adam (as representative head in the covenant of works), “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” We reply to this that according to God's Word (and also according to human reasoning) it was pure love that He said it.

Why do we say this? I would like to try to make this clear by an example.

Suppose we have a father and his son. This father never speaks to his son about what he must do or not do. Neither does he tell him that there are evil and good things, and that he must leave the evil undone and do the good. Such a child, so to speak, grows up wild, without any distinction of good or evil.

If, in process of time, the son begins to commit punishable crimes and comes into contact with the police, is only the boy himself guilty? No, the father is also guilty, because he neglected to teach his son the distinction between good and evil. On the other hand, if the father had always admonished the boy, pointing out to him that which is evil and holding before him that which is good, and then the boy committed things punishable by the law, in that case the father would be free, and the boy would be so much the more guilty, precisely because he had been warned.

Thus it was only love for God to say to Adam, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Why was this? It was in order that, if he would sin, he would not sin ignorantly. He was warned of the pit into which he could fall. And when the temptation came, he did not watch out for it, but, while gazing toward a still higher state, he walked willfully into it.

From this we see clearly how dangerous it is to reason with the devil. In the form of a serpent, he began by putting a question to Eve. Notice well, he did not begin his speech by denying God's existence! Oh, no! He knew well that there was at that moment no place for this with Adam and Eve. Therefore he began very humbly with a question, namely, “Yea, hath God said?” etc.

Therein lay contained the implication that the devil believed in God. He made it appear as if he did not quite understand the matter. Precisely in speaking with her by way of questions lay the poison! Under God's permission, his devilish trick did succeed, for he managed to get Eve, first, to speak; secondly, to look at the tree; thirdly, to desire the fruit; and fourthly, to take it for herself and give it to her husband.

Once Eve was busy negotiating with the devil, he went on to say that God was a liar, for he said, “Ye shall not surely die.” In order to make this lie believable, he confirmed it with God's omnipotence, saying, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Why did he add this last part? Sometimes man is rather poor, but free; others may be rich, but at the same time bound! The devil knew this, and for this reason he pointed out to Eve that now they were bound. Indeed, they were bound in their state, willingly bound to the prohibition, for one does not read of any opposition. However, they were not in the least burdened by their being bound, and neither did they know that another freedom existed. For them the commandment was not force, but only love.

By his question, the devil made it appear as if they were under tyranny, and in order to confirm this, he dared to appeal to God's omniscience. Figuratively speaking, he built a gate, which he called “Independence,” and behind it he mirrored liberty for them! He even took the virtue of God's omniscience as a witness. Although man had been warned by the God of truth, he listened to the liar, then he believed him, and finally he followed him. Do you now see the consequences if one begins to reason with the devil?

(1878-1949)

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