Genesis 3:5 NIV “You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. “For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Raise your hand if you’re familiar with the story of Eve, the serpent, and the apple. I suspect that even those who don’t attend church have some idea of this classic Christian story. Often called “the fall,” this single event is usually blamed for all of mankind’s tragedies.
At first glance, it might seem like a story about a harsh or manipulative God—one who tests humanity with a single tree and then punishes them for their curiosity. However, the story is actually the opposite, and when read with understanding, we see it as an illustration of deceit and desire, which lies at the heart of what we call sin.
It always begins with a question crafted to plant doubt. “Did God really say…?” The serpent’s smart tactic was to spark a response. “Did he say you couldn’t eat from any tree?” Notice how the word “any” is an exaggeration, and an exaggeration is just another form of deceit, since it’s meant to mislead.
Unfortunately, Eve exaggerates in her reply. She clarifies that only one tree is off-limits, then adds, “and you must not touch it, or you will die.” Unfortunately, this isn’t what God had said, and her exaggeration now allows a truthful statement in the verse above.
Deceit sets the stage, but desire seals the deal. The temptation presented to Eve, and really to all of us every day, isn’t about gaining knowledge. This wasn’t a choice to satisfy hunger for food or to have a better moral understanding of right and wrong. The temptation is to be like God.
What does it mean to be like God? It means having the power to control your own destiny; it means being sovereign in deciding what is right and wrong, and it means complete independence with no need to answer to another authority. Those things don’t seem so bad at first, until you realize that this choice is about putting yourself above everyone and everything else.
Consider the negative consequences we face daily because of “evil”. Behind the suffering, pain, and harm caused by others, you’ll find this truth: it results from their choice to act as their own god.
When we catch ourselves thinking “I know better…”, or “This doesn’t apply to me…”, or “I don’t have to listen to you…”, we need to be careful that we aren’t falling into the same trap as Eve.
It’s truly remarkable that a story passed down from so long ago has managed to address most of the problems we face today. The “fall of man” occurs when our pride and self-centeredness take control of our lives. As you see your own reflection, in what ways have you been tempted to seek power, control, and autonomy, and to be your own god?
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