Ever Wonder Why?
Have you ever wondered why life is the way it is; why life can be so hard; why life can be saddening, or disappointing? Well, when sin entered the world, hurt and pain entered the world as a consequence. The Bible tells us, in Genesis 3, that sin entered the world because humans chose to take matters into their own hands. While Eve took the fruit and ate it because the snake deceived her, Adam, who stood right next to her as she was being tempted, took the fruit and ate it because he determined that he wanted to be in control of his own life. This is proven in Adam and Eve’s responses to their sin, and when God gives them the consequences for their actions.
When God asks Adam if he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam immediately blames Eve for giving him the fruit, and God for giving him Eve, to shift the blame from himself. When God then asks Eve what she has done, she admits that she was tricked and takes responsibility for eating the forbidden fruit. When people blame-shift, it is often because they are defensive – avoiding consequence by not owning up to what they did and attempting to maintain control over the situation by placing their burdens on another. When compared to Eve’s honesty and repentant spirit, we can see the guilt and shame behind Adam’s response and trace it back to his intentional decision to eat the fruit.
After speaking with Eve, God curses the serpent by saying, “[b]ecause you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14 ESV).
But notice, God doesn’t curse Adam or Eve. Instead, he curses the Earth because of Adam’s rebellion. He says to Adam, “[b]ecause you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV).
Likewise, God doesn’t curse Eve but tells her of the sorrow to come now that sin, and its fruit (pain, sorrow, anger, and pride), are in the world. He says to Eve, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16 ESV).
God is holy. Therefore, He is also just. He has to set things right. As such, there must be consequences to sin. Because of “the fall” (which is the term used to describe Adam and Eve’s sin), there is so much hurt and pain in the world. And, these troubles are often multiplied because humans still struggle with releasing control over their personal lives. Instead of trusting God’s care and wisdom, we take matters into their own hands, and instead of being repentant when we mess up, we get defensive and blame others, which magnifies the problem. We want to be our own God and take whatever looks pleasing to us, without thinking, or caring, about how our actions affect others. This leads to broken relationships, poverty, injustice, wars, and other current global issues.
If we would only trust God, our Creator who loves us, to guide and provide for us, He will give us everything we need. He is so merciful when we are repentant; He forgives us and restores us.
I want you to notice, one more thing in Genesis 3, even after Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter the world, God revealed that He had the ultimate solution for the forgiveness of sin for all humanity. He tells the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV). Most Bible Scholars believe that this points to Jesus, who, as an offspring of Eve, took upon our sin and died on the cross (being bruised, and seemingly defeated, by the serpent/Satan) but who rose again, conquering sin, Satan, and the grave and giving the ultimate victory over sin to those who believe in Him.
So, if you ever wonder why this world is the way it is, know that, despite your troubles, you have a Savior, who overcame this world, and who wants to help you live a victorious life through belief in Him and a personal relationship with Him.
