... the events in the Garden of Eden

When thinking of what happened in Genesis chapter 3, I realize that all the troubles in the world, it's attitudes and thinking were defined there.

Whey did Satan target Eve? Some say it's inexperience. That's part of it. Animals will go after the easy prey, the child or the inexperienced. Here's another reason.

This is the hierarchy:

• Jehovah
• Jesus (and later, the 144,000)
• Man
• Woman
• Child
• Animals

Eve was told God's plan (Gen. 1:28) so she did enjoy some control over the animals. Adam likely took her to see them, give her the names he had bestowed on them and they appreciated the animal's playfulness (cute puppies!). These creatures were subject to Adam and Eve. The children didn't come yet, so according to the hierarchy, Eve was at the bottom. Satan knew he had to tempt her before she had children, if he waited, it would not have worked. Eve had the most to gain by being rebellious. So, he told her: ",,,God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God..." So, he basically said, "You don't need God to tell you right from wrong", and by inference, "You don't need Adam either."

I want that! Eve thought, and so she cultivated the desire for it. How long she thought about it, the Bible doesn't say. But James 1:15 says the "desire becomes fertile", meaning it has to grow. So, it could  have taken one day, a week, a month, a year or a number of years before she took action. After all, they had all the time in the world.

Did she tell Adam? Did she humbly turn to him as her head and say, "You know, this serpent talked to me and it said this to me." If she had, he would have said, "No, the serpent's wrong." And that would have been it. But. no, she kept it to herself. Maybe it made her feel a little superior, knowing something Adam didn't. Who knows? But, it's evident from what we see today, with women broadcasting their independence in so many ways, and shoeing some contempt for their husbands and men in general.

So, she took the fruit and ate it. Then, perhaps when Adam was really relaxed and comfortable, she brings him the fruit, explains to him how her eyes were opened and therefore, self-aware, he ate the fruit also, believing his wife. When he found out he was wrong, he played the blame game and threw Jehovah and his wife under the bus, so to speak. Eve, seeing what her husband just did, blamed the snake, who itself did not have anything to do with it.

Why did Jehovah curse the serpent? Because it was used as an agent of Satan, as a puppet. That's true today. Those under Hitler did their crimes because they were coerced to, as puppets for Hitler to use, but they're still liable to punishment. Jehovah is indeed just and fair.

We see manipulation, taking advantage of others for their own benefit, making yourself superior to others, contempt, cultivating wrong desire, pride, arrogance, lying, lack of respect, disobedience, rebellion, keeping secrets, blaming, refusal to take responsibility for their actions as common themes in the world today. Are these traits that we should manifest as Christians? No. That's why we are constantly counseled to put those away, to be "transformed by making your minds over". (Rom. 12:2) And woe to those who think they'll slip through to paradise while purposely keeping these traits within them, without trying their best in their imperfect state to control or remove them.

So, please continue to meditate on that event and anylyse yourself to make sure that we clothes ourselves with the new personality. (Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:24)

Stay safe!