Genesis 3:2, commentary and pictures

The woman answered the serpent by affirming God's wide and generous permission to eat freely from all the trees of the garden except one. Her answering instead of refusing to listen opened the way to doubt, for safety lay in holding fast to what God had said and turning away at once rather than reasoning with the deceiver. The serpent used her reply to deny the threatened death and to promise opened eyes and godlike knowledge, insinuating that God was withholding good and exaltation. She erred further by wandering alone near the forbidden tree, lingering and parleying with flattering praise instead of fleeing, until distrust ripened into believing the lie above God's word. Though the act looked small, venturing to transgress brought loss and expulsion, proving that disobedience at even one point carries death and that mercy does not excuse guilt.

Eden Words and Setting

The woman affirms God's broad, free and generous permission to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, distinguishing abundant permitted food from the one forbidden tree. Her reply answers the tempter's ensnaring question about God's word and defends His liberality against the suggestion that He had withheld every tree. She states that the fruit of the garden trees was free for the pair to eat, showing she entered into discussion instead of refusing to engage. That opening gave occasion for contradiction of the divine warning and for promises of opened eyes and godlike knowledge.

The permitted trees include every variety, with everything in nature, fruits, flowers and beautiful lofty trees pure and undefiled. They are God's beautiful handiwork first seen in Eden, given in love and mercy and preserved as specimens of Eden's beauty and expression of love toward the human family, permitted for man to have. They were the food God designed for humanity, while taking animal life for food was contrary to His plan and permission for animal food came only after the flood. The trees and leaves had no soul and God was not in them in person, though He gave attention to them as His husbandry, and they were passing things to direct man from nature to nature's God, not to be treated or prayed to as if God were in them. There was no danger in approaching any tree but one, for only the forbidden tree could endanger safety.

The one exception is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, standing in the midst of the garden near the tree of life. It was placed as the pledge and test of obedience, faith and love, with retention of happy estate conditional on fidelity, to obey and live or disobey and perish. Free eating of all the rest was joined to certain death if that one was eaten, and disregard in that particular would incur guilt of transgression, forfeit gifts and bring misery and ruin. Its fruit was not in itself harmful or injurious but was set as a mere test, with temptation meeting on the point of appetite by the claim there was nothing bad and increased knowledge would come. Yielding contrary to law brought terrible loss, and indulging appetite the same way brings fearful loss.

Her reply states the prohibition on the tree in the midst not to eat or touch it under penalty of death, distinguishing the forbidden tree and warning that death would follow. The phrase neither shall ye touch it was an addition to God's express command which He did not say. Yet the prohibition including touching carried death as consequence in the encounter that became the test.

Satan was not allowed to follow with continual temptations but could have access only at the forbidden tree. Attempting to investigate its nature would expose them to his wiles. They were admonished to heed the warning and be content with the instruction seen fit to impart. Eve's venturing contrary to will to gain forbidden knowledge resulted in loss of Eden, prompted by inquisitive and presumptuous spirit and by flattery, envy, distrust and desire for self-exaltation still alluring today.

The setting is holy innocence before sin entered, with humanity's first parents in communion with God and sinless angels. They were placed under most favorable circumstances, without condemnation of sin, with the light of God and angels with them and around them, and with the Author of existence as teacher, yet they fell beneath the artful foe. They began in purity and holiness, connected with and beloved by God, with every need abundantly supplied. Every flower, shrub and tree answered its Creator's purpose and everything lovely filled the mind with thoughts of love.

The serpent that spoke was Satan concealed, working unperceived through the serpent as his medium and instrument. Satan personated the serpent as best adapted and suited to his temptations, beginning there the work of ruining mankind. The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures, winged and dazzling with the color and brilliancy of burnished gold, resting in the rich-laden branches and eating the delicious fruit to arrest attention and delight the eye. His talk was subtle reasoning and deceptive advice working the mind to reject warning. For serving as instrument the serpent received a heavy curse.

The verse belongs soon after Jesus Christ created the world through divine power and placed Adam and Eve there as father and mother of all humanity. It is part of authentic history of the beginning, creation of man, his fall, origin of earth, fall of the covering cherub and introduction of sin, giving true knowledge guarding from fables, conjectures, false theories, superstition and falsehood. Adam repeated the history of the fall from holy estate to children to the ninth generation for nearly a thousand years, treasuring what was revealed, teaching necessity of strict adherence and merciful provisions for salvation, though few heeded and reproaches followed. That history was correct education about the living God known by the sons of the prophets and taught in schools established by Samuel to prepare for Christ's advent.

The same order of wide freedom with one forbidden exception exists on other unfallen worlds. There inhabitants have power to eat of two beautiful trees with beautiful fruit, one like the tree of life in the city, but are forbidden one. By strict obedience none have tasted the forbidden tree, unlike earth which fell by disobedience, and if they should eat they would fall. They remain noble, majestic and lovely, bearing the express image of Jesus, with countenances beaming with holy joy expressive of freedom and happiness.

Even a place full of moral and religious influence is not shut to the tempter, for Satan found entrance in the holy beautiful garden pronounced very good and left sin and disobedience. The enemy in the serpent found entrance at the gates of Paradise to meet Eve. No mountain home or secluded location in bush or woods can enclose from Satan, and seclusion from companionship cannot sanctify and cleanse from moral defilement.

The verse acknowledges permission to eat garden fruit while the surrounding account draws toward speculative knowledge gained in disobedience. The serpent's conversation prompts doubts about the truth of God's word. This passage does not explain the particular words further.

Eve's Reply and Failure

Eve erred by separating from her husband against the caution to stay together while working, wandering alone near the forbidden tree and lingering around it with curiosity and admiration instead of fleeing. Absorbed in her pleasing task she strayed unconsciously from his side, perceived she was alone and felt apprehension of danger but dismissed her fears, deciding she had sufficient wisdom and strength to discern evil and withstand it. She stood gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the very beautiful fruit, questioning how death could be concealed in it and why God had withheld it, speaking her thoughts aloud to herself without knowing it. When the serpent in musical voice with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness repeated her queries, she was surprised, astonished and startled, thinking it knew her thoughts and must be very wise, and instead of fleeing she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak, having no thought it could be the medium of the fallen foe.

Her answer affirming broad permission to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden defended God’s liberality against the suggestion He had withheld every tree, while leading into the one prohibition not to eat or touch under penalty of death. In giving that answer she erred by entering into controversy with the serpent instead of refusing to argue, and this encounter was Satan’s first victory in his conflict with man. Had she refrained from parleying she would have been safe, but by venturing to listen, reason and argue she gave advantage, allowed doubt to be planted and germinated into fruit, and fell a victim to his wiles unto unbelief and defeat. Safety requires refusing to engage, leaving the strange encounter at once, consulting with husband, and holding in faith to what God said instead of accepting human theories that disguise Satan’s devices.

In contrast Christ recognized the foe yet would not enter controversy, refused to reason or parley, gave no opening word, rested in the Father’s love, and answered only with the written Word, sparing many defeats. She should instead have sought Adam and told God what the serpent said, taking his words to her Maker, which would have freed them from temptation and delivered them. Her willingness to listen revealed a disposition to distrust the Word of God, daring to doubt whether surely dying meant just as the Lord said. Amid abundant food and beauty she was deceived into suspecting something beneficial was withheld, mistrusting God’s goodness, trusting the serpent’s words above God’s, and believing the lie that eating would make as gods knowing good and evil, a prospect powerful to make them yield.

Satan so disguised himself that they did not discern a fallen angel, interposing himself between their souls and God while they knowingly listened to a false god, and that temptation to decide good and evil for self and others has come down to the present. Her answer reveals the choice that caused the fall: she believed Satan’s words and disbelieved God’s words. Sincere belief in the lie did not save from penalty, for in judgment condemnation comes not for conscientiously believing a lie alone but for not believing truth and neglecting opportunity to learn what is truth. Whatever contradicts God’s Word proceeds from Satan, all lessons recorded are for warning and instruction to save from deception, neglect results in ruin, and disobedience is always disastrous despite sophistry to the contrary. Teaching children God has no law works in the lines of that same deceiver, as churches today believe Satan’s words and reject God’s words as the first parents did.

She was charmed by seductive speech promising happiness through forbidden appetite, illustrating how pleasant-sounding words draw away from keeping God’s Word clearly in mind, while God’s promise is instead fulfilled through self-denial. She and Adam listened because Satan’s words sounded more pleasant than prohibition, and that eating what God said must not be eaten, though a very little act, caused the fall and opened floodgates of woe, proving small disobedience brings great ruin and strict order must be respected. Though small in act, violation of holy law holding claims on every human being brought consequence on man and earth, and the nature of Christ’s sacrifice shows how serious it was, creating fear to do the smallest disobedient action or step over from obedience to disobedience. Eve was deceived and fell and ate, wrongly regarding the serpent as a friend concerned for her welfare, imagining it gave pleasing exhilarating new life.

After transgressing she recited to Adam what occurred and urged him to eat, prevailing upon him saying no harm had come to her. Adam was not deceived as Eve was but from persuasion, love and fear of separation doubted whether God meant what He commanded and rashly and inexcusably ate in a presumptuous act, falling from integrity. He listened to suggestions of the enemy though furnished with holy sinless pure undefiled nature, and by that one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, posterity depraved, and floodgates of woe opened. Adam and Eve were created free from every taint of evil with no predisposition to sin, no corrupt principles, propensities or tendencies, as faultless as angels, yet they fell by listening.

They were not machines but moral beings with will to obey expressed injunction and will to refuse evil, placed with one character test on penalty of death, given power to resist, responsibility to cooperate, light, warnings, admonitions and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God compels obedience from no one but gives all help required to become an overcomer, leaving free to place self under control and guidance of the Spirit or follow imaginations only evil continually. Left free to choose, they abused high holy privileges, chose evil, believed the lie, disobeyed express command, refused to follow, and accepted another teacher, so what was pure and godlike became perverted and defiled requiring propitiation and perfect life to elevate man again. Failure came because they did not keep God’s Word before them and be diligent students of His will, so they were not fortified.

By listening they came under satanic influence, captivated by deceptive presentations, giving ear to sophistry that God was withholding higher education that would make as gods. Consenting to listen lets subtle influence weave seductive theories like a deadly viper, corrupting sentiment, poisoning soul, deadening sensibilities like hypnotism until men love what they should refuse, the same sophistry now presented to ministers, medical workers and mature responsible men as popular religion developing into gods with no place for God or Christ. With results before all, men and especially leading brethren must keep God’s Word before them, diligently study His will, live by every word with daily experimental knowledge, never use powers to hurt God’s children nor become agents to deceive others. Disobedience begins in self-confidence that human wisdom and philosophy are wiser than the Creator, following dictates of human wisdom in preference to commands of the Omniscient One.

Flattered by the enemy Eve ventured to take, eat and share, thereby acting as Satan’s representative, and the command was a very light test, the lightest possible, deliberately given to reach every small test, so even small-looking disobedience is serious and calls for full surrender. The truth that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word from God was not heeded though heeding would have prevented the fall. Her error was refusing to trust God and wait for salvation, listening to suggestions to doubt, becoming dissatisfied, restless and impatient under uncertainty, seeking what God veiled while despising what He revealed, and neglecting trust, communion, watching unto prayer and coming to Jesus ordained to calm and rest the weary. By rushing to other sources to tear the veil from the future she gained only knowledge of evil, displeased God, revealed lack of unfaltering trust, and left the soul open to be led captive at will.

Her listening stands as warning example still repeated, for women still listen as Eve did and many repeat Adam and Eve’s experience despite warning before them. Wives and mothers have great power for good or evil through mind upon mind, so when one in close relation sees in wrong light the other is led to view the same way, and temptation is never so dangerous and fatal as when it comes in garb of affection and close relationship. A wife must not follow Eve in leading her husband into sin but with firm hold on Jesus be a true helpmeet leading away from sin and pride and love of show into meekness and lowliness. The same occurs when people unwilling to see and receive truth because it involves a cross open the door to Satan, are led to believe a lie, set aside sanctifying truth for pleasing delusion, and by entertaining his suggestions become adversaries misleading minds.

Serpent's Deceptive Tactics

Eve's affirmation of free permission to eat from the trees of the garden gave the tempter his opening to contradict the warning of death with denial that death would surely follow. He promised opened eyes and godlike knowledge of good and evil, a more exalted existence, broader knowledge, wisdom, power, greater happiness and equality with God. He presented the forbidden fruit itself as the source of wisdom, power and greater happiness, making God's prohibition appear as a withholding of good. Eve was thus deceived into believing God withheld something most desirable that would make them as gods knowing good and evil, just what God did not want them to know.

He asserted that he himself had gained the power of speech by eating the fruit, concealing his own rebellion while using that claim to deceive. He insinuated that God jealously withholds wisdom, power, exaltation and nobler development to prevent equality with Himself and greater happiness. He dismissed the warning of death as mere intimidation on the ground that having eaten of the tree of life they could not die. She coveted what God had forbidden, distrusted His wisdom, believed she was defrauded of rich blessings, honor and exaltation by right, and cast away faith.

He led her to believe God had not given all she needed for happiness, though abundant permitted fruit stood open to her. He made the forbidden fruit appear to promise special physical and mental excitement, improvement, greater knowledge and exaltation even to equality with God. The knowledge and benefit expected instead became a terrible curse, and the glories of Eden were lost. That lie sowed seeds of selfishness, showing all sin is selfishness, and its promised exalted enjoyment was coveting what God had forbidden.

His method begins by leading people to question what God has said, then using very subtle argument and flattering inducements to make a lie appear a very desirable fact leading into sin against God and His commandments. He chose cunning and deceit rather than force to lead to disobedience of God's command. He gilds disobedience as securing a great good, liberty and glorious advantage, leading to belief in entering a wonderful field of knowledge, while concealing that the path ends in degradation and death. That same deceiving work is still carried on by the originator of sin through evil angels, including theories exalting man where God should be to make truth of no effect.

It was deliberate plan because while obedient they kept favor and happiness and he could exercise no power upon them unless they first disobeyed and forfeited favor. He therefore counseled with his evil angels to lead them to disobedience so they would incur God's frown and come under his more direct influence and that of his angels. He assumed another form with pretended interest for man, insinuated against God's truthfulness, created doubt whether God meant just what He said, excited curiosity to pry into unsearchable plans and reason about the cause of the restriction, which questioning was itself the sin of which he had been guilty. No longer free to stir up rebellion in heaven, he turned enmity against God into a plot to ruin the human race.

He overcame our first parents by shaking confidence in the Creator and leading to doubt the wisdom of His government and the justice of His laws. He represented God as stern, severe, unjust, selfish, unforgiving, arbitrary and even worse than himself to excuse his own malignity and rebellion, shifting his own horrible cruelty upon the heavenly Father. He contrasted bondage under Jehovah's stern decrees with liberty to be enjoyed under his own mild sway, and so lured souls away from allegiance. He seeks to overcome men today in the same way, misrepresenting God's character, eclipsing untainted loveliness, assaulting the holy law as the standard of righteousness, and accusing the Father of selfishness over the smallest test of loyalty.

He accomplished the fall through self-indulgence and ambition by offering living for self as center of influence instead of unselfish love, and acceptance of that self-seeking principle brought sin, woe and death. That temptation continued on earth the rebellion begun in heaven, where Lucifer desired to be first in power and authority, wanted to be God and have rulership of heaven, won many angels, and with his rebel host was cast out. When Adam sinned man broke from the heaven-ordained center, Satan placed his throne where God's should have been and became central power receiving homage, chaining men as captives to a ruler of their own choosing. From that fall the gratification of ambition and indulgence of selfish hopes and desires have proved the ruin of mankind, perverting powers so selfishness took love's place and weakening nature so man could not resist evil.

Moved by envy at the happiness and peace of the holy pair as vision of bliss forever lost to him, he determined to incite disobedience to bring guilt and penalty of sin. His purpose was to change love to distrust and songs of praise to reproaches against the Maker, to plunge innocent beings into the same misery he endures, to cast dishonor upon God and cause grief in heaven. He used influence through the senses upon the mind to efface God's image and stamp his own satanic image in its place, gaining control of power of action so man placed himself under Satan's control and became selfish. After starting apostasy himself he envied them in innocency and tempted them to become like himself, disloyal to God, opening floodgates of universal dreadful evil from Paradise through the ages.

He worked so cautiously that sin was not detected until disobedience and fall, exercising stealthy plausible persuasion promising great advantage and great good from the questionable on plea the end justifies means. He led them to believe disobedience would secure great good, gilding temptation with attractions, casting seed of evil that grows as man reasons what was once decidedly opposed to Scripture into more favorable light until the once steadfast soul is secured by confederacies of evil. When men listen spiritual eyesight is dimmed and power of distinguishing good and evil is lost, bringing disaster, spiritual blindness, nakedness and despair. In that reasoning he exercised hypnotic power, whereas refusal to reason or parley and reliance on the quoted Word leaves him no triumph.

He worked by specious sophistry received as truth, false science, lying theories and hypnotic spiritualistic mind-upon-mind power, weaving secretive deceptive influence to seduce, spoil and captivate. He exercised power and cunning to captivate senses and mislead understanding, causing everything to appear in false light so only great benefits of transgression were seen. That same deceptive science, scientific devising, sophistry and hypnotism by which Eve was deceived still deceives men today, drawing even ministers, physicians and church members into the snare. By that listening Adam, though gifted with sinless nature, sinned and opened the door for ever-after access, losing spiritual life that would have been by continual endowment.

He perverted understanding to lead to eat, corrupting the mind through deception and blinding and confusing to replace light with darkness and shut away from God. He gained control of power of action by influencing mind through the senses, effacing the moral image to reflect his own instead of the Creator's. The deceptive science used in Eden is the same science used in heavenly courts, still used to blind, mislead and take possession in tempting to transgression. The same perverting is repeated through human agents using flattering sophistry, especially to spoil young women, tainting perceptions, spoiling purity and destroying healthy tone of mind.

He substituted his own misleading statements for the Word of God, misquoting it to substantiate error and twisting Scripture to confuse judgment and weaken faith. He suggested God defrauded them of rich blessings, honor and exaltation by right, which they listened to, accepted, and fell by. That promise that eating would make as gods shows how human theories out of harmony with the Word take truth's place; the Word is the tree of life and human theories are forbidden fruit giving disordered imagination. That work begun in Eden continues through human beings, divided hearts, unchristlike traits and every tendency to wrong, overcome only by faith in Christ and not human strength.

He came determined to carry out here his idea that men could be equal with God, leading to doubt God's word and distrust His goodness. He told the pair God is altogether too strict and deprives of privileges they may have, urging that eating opens an unexplored field, and when entered floodgates to the world are opened. He promised wonderful knowledge if she would do what he said, the same lure now in advocacy of high worldly knowledge and conformity to customs to counteract God's works. The same word to Adam he speaks to students, workers and institutions that regulations are too strict and pleasure may be followed, to make sin seem not sinful and break barriers between world and righteousness.

He spoke through the serpent to one unwary to lead astray, corrupt purity in thought and impulse, and ruin the soul under pretense of good, leading to a brackish poisoned fountain instead of Christ. The same work is done when professed believers corrupt in morals use winning attractive capabilities and God-entrusted gifts to mislead rather than bring to Christ, perverting blessing into blight, woe and curse. Such perversion is doing the devil's work and brings terrible retribution in reaping what was sown, as when the serpent as medium allures servants from trust for selfish ends, even luring workers by higher wages which heaven registers as robbery.

The same deceiving power, false science, attractive disguises, cloaks of piety, purity, holiness and angel-of-light form used upon angels and the first pair still works in every age through human agencies. His plan is ever deception, blinding eyes so men cannot see beneath the surface, seducing sentiments pressing through open avenues, endangering the cause and imperiling souls to the close of time. That work tempting to distrust love and doubt wisdom, begun after defeat and casting out for rebellion, has continued unchanged with great success, uniting powers of evil in desperate struggle with ministers, physicians, lawmakers and thousands under pretentious righteousness. Its constant motive is to make Jehovah's law of no consequence and cause the Sabbath memorial not to be respected, receiving his word against a plain thus saith the Lord.

His first lie began continuing deception to wipe out truth and bring in falsehood, confronting justice of law and fairness with powerful falsehoods. Those serpent words belong with deceptive misrepresentation in heaven and stirring Israel to murmur and rebel, part of the same controversy renewed in contending for Moses' body, answered without railing charge. His falsehoods originated there are now proclaimed from pulpits as doctrines laying spiritualism's foundation, chiefly consciousness after death and communion of the dead with the living without scriptural basis. Through that doctrine way is opened for devils personating the dead to deceive, captivate souls and swell his religion by deception and superhuman power.

The verse shows a jealous fallen angel seeking to defeat God's purpose to re-populate heaven and reflect His character, approaching not as angel but as subtle cunning deceitful serpent whose voice seemed to proceed from it. As Eve listened God's warnings faded, she yielded, and as she tempted Adam he also forgot warnings and believed God's enemy. In Eden Satan used the serpent as instrument, and today he uses human family with cunning to hedge up righteousness' path, the same conversation wicked angels still speak through agencies. The verse shows Satan working as serpent to undermine faith by doubt and infidelity, the same undermining done by men eagerly taking up ununderstood new theories.

Fall and Its Ruin

Though Eve knew God had freely permitted eating from the trees of the garden, she and Adam ventured to transgress His prohibition by taking the forbidden fruit, an act that looked simple and unworthy of notice yet opened the floodgates of woe, caused the holy pair to fall, lose Eden and be expelled in retribution, proving retribution follows transgression and mercy does not excuse guilt, while the gift of the Son to save the fallen and pay the debt exalts the law and makes keeping the commandments possible through His merits and blood. Their freedom to eat did not cancel the one exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and yielding to appetite in disregard of that command brought the penalty of transgression and made them sinners.

The full account records the law God gave in Eden with its penalty for disobedience, then temptation and fall, then punishment inflicted, warning that disobedience brings death, that the wages of sin is death, and that retributive justice never fails but exacts strict regard for the commandments. That Eden law is the basis and rule of all right conduct with reward for obedience and penalty for disobedience, and Adam's transgression introduced sin into the fair creation after which men grew bolder in disobedience, plainly showing what follows breaking the law. Satan after his fall worked cautiously upon their minds to seduce them from loyalty to the unchangeable law until the sin was detected in disobedience, bringing the penalty of death which could not be set aside by changing the law, so Adam lost Eden and was placed with posterity on probation while Christ became substitute and surety by sacrifice, and their disregard also brought the penalty that follows the laws of nature.

They stood on trial and probation under law and government to test obedience, faith and love, with broad permission to eat freely of every other tree joined to prohibition against tasting the tree of knowledge standing near the tree of life in the midst of the garden on pain of death, free to trust and obey and live or believe the tempter and perish, and if they endured they would be placed beyond Satan's power in perpetual favor and eternally secure in holiness and happiness with blessings to posterity. They were to be exposed to temptation and could keep their happy state only by faithfulness, for while obedient they were safe but yielding would deprave nature and leave no power or desire to resist, and Satan declared man could not obey and turned them from allegiance so through failure they came under his jurisdiction and he gained supremacy. God allowed this loyalty test before eternal security, removing temptation as far as possible, yet they failed and were overcome. That failure came though the author of sin, once a covering cherub next to Christ who rebelled and was cast out and determined to win earth, was met by Christ's pledge to leave His throne, clothe Himself with humanity, stand where Adam stood and endure a harder conflict with nothing removed, including the wilderness after forty days and nights of fasting.

Both ate in disobedience and disloyalty after Satan made a lie appear desirable, obtaining a knowledge they would never have had in obedience, the knowledge that they were naked when the garments of innocence and covering light and presence departed, sewing fig leaves to supply its place, which leaves represent the arguments all transgressors since use to cover disobedience and hide the soul's nakedness when truth is pressed. Their pursuit of forbidden knowledge through curiosity and presumption brought an experience God had not intended, and instead of the sinless knowledge bringing everlasting joy they gained only knowledge of sin and its results, evil, sin and death, with loss of Eden. Through that sin what God purposed at creation was forfeited, the divine likeness marred and well-nigh obliterated, physical powers weakened, mental capacity lessened, spiritual vision dimmed and man made subject to death, yet by infinite love a life of probation and plan of salvation were granted to restore the image and bring back perfection of body, mind and soul. By that disobedience humanity was estranged from God and earth separated from heaven by a gulf of sin which Christ pledged to bridge as the Way, the Truth and the Life, a pattern for future counterfeiting of truth by human precepts.

The temptation led them away from God and obedience through imagined promises of improvement and desire for speculative knowledge God never purposed to give through disobedience, bringing confused understanding of good and evil and inability to appreciate His gifts. That test can be withstood by relying on Jesus and obeying all righteous requirements, for knowledge from disobedience is objectionable and its practice ends in eternal death, and craving Satan's offered supreme wisdom shows separation from God and rebellion against Christ. Seeking what God withheld through the tempter led into sin and its consequences, and teachings that turn students from the Word toward forbidden knowledge and unbelief repeat it.

By yielding they chose Satan as ruler, giving him ground to claim this world as his kingdom and the fallen race as rightful subjects, making earth the field where the controversy begun in heaven must be decided, so God gave His own dear Son equal with Himself to bear the penalty that the fallen might be restored to favor and the Eden home. By not resisting Eve with Adam came under his jurisdiction giving him supremacy and bringing death as penalty, and Adam believing the lie placed himself under the banner of the prince of darkness whose throne stands where God's should be seen, a work of deception and accusation still continued by long-practiced faultfinding. Cast from heaven for revolt against God's government, Satan came to draw the family into revolt here, and by leading them to transgress introduced sin and defaced God's image in man, leaving the family with few exceptions under his galling yoke, uncomfortable burdens and service doing his work.

Disregarding the expressed command even at one point was presumptuous with grave consequences, bringing woe founded on requirements of love and wisdom, and following that example brings unhappiness and ruin because the law rests on love for human good. By one act in the very beginning they lost their beautiful home though the thing forbidden was so little, the least test that could be given, proving it is not greatness but disobedience itself that is the crime, that unfaithfulness in least soon leads to greater if uncorrected, in contrast with Christ's life of obedience. Sin consists not in apparent greatness but in departing from expressed will even in small matter, denying God's authority with its consequences.

That seemingly small taking, just taking what God said must not be eaten, opened the floodgates of woe though sin was then new with no prior example of its result before them, and all violence and crime now existing can be traced to it, so any present violation of justice and mercy in word or deed with full result before all is of far greater magnitude than the Eden sin. Though small in act that violation of the holy law holding claims on every human brought consequence on man and earth, and the nature of Christ's sacrifice shows how serious it was, creating sacred high ideas of the law and fear of the smallest disobedience or stepping over from obedience. Beginning so small and seemingly recoverable, it debases by sinning against light and will bring eternal ruin to thousands and millions, requiring constant vigilance and no place given to the devil, with strict rules, order and discipline upheld.

By listening and yielding they lost heavenly innocence and its light so they could no longer discern God's character perfectly in nature, and earth was marred so nature became imperfect testimony about its Creator. Believing eating would give higher perceptions to know good and evil like angels, they found it a lie, and by transgression could no longer cultivate Eden but were shut out to work among thistles, brambles, thorns and weeds sown by Satan under the curse. Listening was disobedience, sin and departure from rectitude, causing the garments of heavenly innocence to depart and a blight to intervene between nature and nature's God with change wrought in nature itself. Before transgression it was their glory to obey in perfect conformity with no cloud, doubt or divided affections, enshrouded in soft light from God reflected in beauties where invisible things were clearly seen, but sin severed connection, departed light, defaced the image and darkened understanding so only the Son must come as light of the world.

Their yielding brought sin into the world and sin and death with ruin to them and the race, beginning the continuing conflict between good and evil, right and wrong, God and Satan which has raged ever since. In that conflict there is a right way and a wrong way, and connected with doing right is a power Satan cannot overcome because righteousness has divine vitality, so truth will triumph and God will vanquish the enemy. Disobedience after listening brought guilt and sorrow into the world leading to the Son's sacrifice to save from penalty, drove men from garden and visible presence into subjection to sin, suffering and death, and brought sin, sorrow and death in contrast with Christ's refusal to depart from the Father's will for food under hunger. The appeal to appetite was not resisted, introducing sin whose sacred history outlines fall and consequences.

Mankind fell from a perfect holy state by transgressing, after which disease, suffering and death rapidly increased, a foundational fact many profess to reject in whole or part. By that beginning sin entered and death by sin, perpetuated as men fall under its sure result with intellect darkened, conscience dulled by repetition, character degenerated until reflection of God is lost, the serpent's track and sting everywhere, earth defiled, curse increasing with transgression and preparing for purification by fire. That fall began evil and is mourned as cause of misery, yet present misery also comes from immoral habits weakening physical, mental and moral powers through succession of falls since Adam, so were his the only evil the world would be far better. Its effects have been aggravated by persistent violations of moral and physical laws, and inheritance of disease and weakness repeats that Fall.

Through transgression humanity was left under the prince of darkness separated from God, with all brought into subjection as his prisoners and claimed subjects and no human able to intercede, so only the First Begotten could liberate by entering fierce conflict, trying Satan's arts as upon angels and the first Adam, and in death-struggle under the world's guilt relying by faith on the Father to give Himself as ransom at great cost while heaven and unfallen worlds watched Prince of life meet prince of darkness to demonstrate God's justice. On that ground where Adam stumbled mankind was sold to the enemy, left unable to redeem self or of self do good, raising whether man is totally depraved and hopeless, making necessary Christ's offer as substitute to take humanity, pass the same ground without swerving and meet besetting temptations to provide return to loyalty. There Satan's kingdom was established needing redemption and God's glory, met by the second Adam as Elder Brother with intense interest taking nature, bearing the world's sin with keen sense of its shame, living sinless to prove sinless living possible through God's power, overthrowing Satan's kingdom only through agony, sacrifice and death from manger onward. One deplorable effect of that original apostasy was loss of power to govern the heart, for separation from God as strength with pride lifted up leaves inability but to transgress the moral constitution.

That original apostasy brought alienation from truth and righteousness so complete it cannot be overstated and must not be lessened or excused, entered by all whose souls revolt, while Satan presents everything in perverted light to make warnings of no effect. The serpent's challenge to God's word and goodness in the surrounding account begins the great apostasy by denying the love revealed in His Word. Eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil brought ruin, and accepting good and evil mingled likewise brings ruin. Adam's transgression depended on a stranger's words instead of God's words, met in the wilderness where Christ on appetite did what Adam did not, answering that man lives by every word from God, making overcoming point after point possible with moral power within reach to partake of divine nature.

Their disregard brought the penalty following nature's laws and forfeited immortality incurring death, not executed at once because a Ransom was found when the beloved Son volunteered to take sin and make atonement, for without atonement there could be no pardon and pardon without atonement would immortalize sin to be perpetrated with unrestrained boldness. The scenes of temptation and fall with cross and successive steps from lowly birth through ministry, Gethsemane, trial, Calvary and death will be revealed above the throne at final coronation just as they were, with Satan, angels and subjects unable to turn from their own work, proving wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life but slavery, ruin and death, that the wicked forfeited exceeding eternal glory by refusing Jesus' reign and their exclusion is just.

God did not abandon them but before announcing suffering and death promised a Deliverer, giving the gospel promise of the Only Begotten full of grace and truth to be received and worshiped, so all lost through yielding could be regained through Christ who redeems and restores to God's image and family. At the instant man did what God forbade, Christ stood between living and dead to let punishment fall on Him, stand in man's place and give another chance, so though Satan comes with great power men can stand in Christ's strength. Though disobedience cost the Son's life, goodness shines brighter than at creation, grace abounding over sin so none need continue in sin, the Just suffering for unjust to commend love before heavenly universe and unfallen and fallen worlds, with promise to freely give all things with Him.

Violation is terrible loss to the disloyal and deepest injury to God because every transgressor's influence leads and sustains others in same transgression, perpetuated in succession of falls ever since when parents disobeying set bad example leading children to follow. Sin as transgression of law, the transcript of Christ's character, was disregard of Christ Himself, yet Jesus came to save from transgression by imparting righteousness to the obedient, for none overcome in own strength but only by faith in the present Saviour who died, obeyed every requirement and imputes righteousness, and as Eden was lost by transgressing so heaven is lost by transgressing now.

Richly endowed with reason and knowledge of God and duty in His image, they fell by listening to deceptive talk from one who though fallen could talk knowingly, obtaining undesigned knowledge of transgression, and one sin opened floodgates calling for the Only Begotten to pledge His life to restore the moral image, while Satan assailed Christ with the same temptations and the probation Christ secured leaves each to choose master, humble self, co-work by obedience and win the prepared home with eternal life, yet many knowing the history still walk the enemy's path. That original apostasy illustrates loss of self-control and danger of yielding to impulse after separation from God. Eve listening to sophistry with Adam transgressing fell from high estate foreseen before creation when Christ promised to bear the penalty, giving Satan first control of the Lord's vineyard to sow evil, forcing expulsion from the garden given to cultivate, angelic guard toward the tree of life lest transgression be immortalized, and curse upon earth.

Christ the Second Adam

Adam went directly against the express command, though he did not set out to defy God or speak against Him, and disobedience remains rebellion against divine authority however small the act appears, with terrible consequences that warn all who have clear knowledge of them, while Christ's obedience unto death stands as the contrast; Adam tested in original purity and strength failed, and Christ overcame the temptation in which Adam fell and redeemed his disgraceful failure and fall. The ground where Adam fell in that small temptation that opened the floodgates of woe is the same ground Christ afterward passed over in human nature, meeting a most powerful series of temptations and standing firm though tempted in all points as man is tempted, saving all who receive Him and giving them power to become sons of God. The choice set is therefore between following the first Adam in yielding and standing firm as the Redeemer did in resisting.

Appetite was the ground of the first great temptation, and Adam and Eve fell through indulgence of appetite when Satan approached with overpowering temptation on that point, knowing his power to overcome human beings there. Their fall cost the blissful Eden home and filled the world with misery and crime, blotting cities, bringing debasing iniquity, and leaving thousands as physical, mental and moral wrecks in premature graves. That ruin beginning at eating is just where Christ as man's substitute came to commence redemption, being led after baptism by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted by the devil over the same ground, coming off victorious in a battle fought by the Prince of life that decided the future welfare of the world, left Satan a conquered foe, and assures that through divine help men can conquer in their own conflict.

Adam and Eve stood under most favorable circumstances with communion with God and angels, without condemnation of sin, with divine light around them and the Author of existence as teacher, yet fell beneath the artful foe when Satan had not yet gained strength and experience. Adam with greater advantages than fallen people have could have resisted and overcome, but Satan's temptation took easily with the holy pair. He stood without sin in a beautiful garden surrounded by created goodness with daily fellowship with holy angels, under conditions far more favorable than those of Christ's wilderness temptation. Fallen men four thousand years later had lost Eden's advantages with lessening wisdom and power to resist until appetite and passion, love of the world and presumptuous sins reigned, yet Christ in the wilderness defeated Satan on appetite and won a victory in behalf of the race making it possible for man in all future time in His name to overcome appetite's strength.

The trial in Eden on appetite was a hundred times less trying than Christ's trial after fasting forty days and forty nights, yet Adam and Eve stumbled and fell, and Christ passed over the same ground to redeem that disgraceful fall. Satan overcame them on indulgence of appetite and still comes to man on that same point as he came to Christ, and their eating filled the world with misery and crime with thousands going prematurely to the grave as mental and moral wrecks through sacrificed powers. Christ entered a world disloyal to God and seared and marred by the curse of rebellion and was tempted in a hundredfold severer manner than Adam, withstanding the deceiver come as an angel of light, redeeming Adam's fall, saving the world and giving hope to all who come to Him as personal Saviour. Adam and Eve lost Eden through eating what God forbade after Eve spoke of eating from the garden trees, and the race cannot overcome appetite alone, so Jesus came from heaven to break appetite's power by uniting divine power with human effort that through His merits and power every youth, man and woman can deny appetite and gain Eden back. The ruin began on appetite by indulgence bringing degeneracy, ruined health and disease, and Christ took up redemption just there to teach overcoming by nearly six weeks of fasting and victory in the wilderness, the strength of perverted appetite's temptation being measured by His longsuffering, breaking its power so Satan cannot destroy the race thereby and men and women in His strength can live the Christian life by guarding appetite, eating habits and the system for God's service. Eve knew the expressed law permitting the garden trees and Adam fell disobeying Jehovah's expressed law, whereupon Satan declared no man could keep God's law and claimed the race, and the only begotten Son came as man over the same ground to reveal men could keep it.

The first Adam as a free moral agent abused freedom and allowed appetite to overcome, losing innocence and by his own free will becoming a sinner separated from God's favor. He did not reach above humanity for divine power but believed Satan's words and became the enemy's bondslave, though when assailed he had the advantage with none of sin's effects upon him, standing in perfect manhood's strength with full vigor of body and mind amid Eden's glories in daily communion with heavenly beings. In contrast the second Adam, also a free moral agent responsible for conduct, was surrounded by intensely subtle and misleading influences and much less favorably situated for a sinless life, yet amid sinners resisted every temptation, maintained innocency and was ever sinless. He met Satan in the wilderness in humanity's weakness, taking the infirmities of degenerate humanity after four thousand years of decrease in physical strength, mental power and moral worth, and would not swerve a hair's breadth from allegiance to God.

Christ passed over the same ground where Adam stumbled and fell, fasting forty days and nights where Satan came with great power, meeting temptations in every way greater than Adam's on appetite, ambition, presumption and the world. He did not swerve a hairsbreadth from allegiance but gained victory with the weapon within reach of all, the Word of God, and Satan left a beaten foe, opening the way for every son and daughter of Adam to gain victory in Jesus' name. If Adam and Eve had lived by every word from God's mouth they would never have fallen nor lost right to the tree of life.

His refusal to depart from the Father's will to obtain food contrasts with disobedience for food and shows obedience even under hunger's pressure. Where Adam depended on a stranger's words instead of God's, Christ under the same kind of testing on appetite answered with what is written that man shall live by every word from God, and because He overcame point after point He brought moral power and all pertaining to godliness within every person's reach to become partakers of the divine nature, so temptation coming to every person as to Christ can be overcome.

Where Adam yielded, Christ endured all Satan's assaults without yielding in a single instance, resisting the arch-deceiver and conquering as a man by It is written when a world's salvation was at stake, showing man must conquer in the very same manner. Appointed to put down the first great apostate's rebellion, He made this world His battlefield, stood at the head of the human family clothing divinity with humanity to pass over the very ground where Adam fell. After the forty-day fast He met strong temptations and resisted every one without yielding in a single point so Satan left defeated, conquering in behalf of human beings that temptations need not overcome them and they can resist every assault in His strength. Tempted in human nature He could have yielded but did not yield in a single point, not one jot or tittle, and through the same Source finite fallen man may connect with God and stand firmly, for by the covenant of God and the Son to rescue man from Satan's bondage every facility was provided for human nature to unite with the divine nature and through partaking of it stand pure, holy and undefiled. The test on Adam was small while Christ endured one a hundredfold greater, proving not one precept of law could be changed to meet fallen man and that law stands forever. The Son came in the sinner's stead over that ground enduring a temptation a hundredfold stronger than was or ever will be brought on the race, resisting as every tempted soul may resist by referring to the inspired record and saying It is written.

As God He could not be tempted, but as man He could be tempted strongly and could yield, for His human nature was created, identical with ours, without even angelic powers. Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, He had to pass over that ground and endure that same test in behalf of the fallen race in our own humanity to redeem Adam's failure. Satan, author of sin once a covering cherub next to Christ who lifted himself against God, led rebellion, was cast out and determined to set up an earthly kingdom by winning man, overcame man, and then Christ fulfilled His pledge as surety by leaving His royal throne as heaven's Prince, clothing Himself with humanity to stand where Adam stood and endure what Adam failed to endure, meeting the same enemy in harder conflict with nothing done to remove temptation, including the wilderness after baptism with forty days and nights of fasting.

Satan's temptation readily led the holy pair away from God's will, and that easy success encouraged him to hope he could similarly tempt Jesus. Their easy fall made him think his cunning and power could overthrow even the Son when Jesus left heaven and came into his power. Where they departed from God Jesus remained steadfast, refused to depart from the Father's will, told Satan to get behind Him, and chose suffering and death in the appointed way rather than yield. The failure of Adam was as complete as Christ's victory was complete, for where Adam failed Christ conquered through inestimable suffering, ending the contest and standing for a season freed from Satan and his legions. The serpent threw all beguiling, charming, fascinating power into making the will yield, and the same charm exerted on Christ in the wilderness when all kingdoms and their glory were offered for worship was met by Christ laying hold of God and standing in divine power as heaven's Commander, forcing Satan to withdraw by command.

Christ pitied the weakness and degradation from the fall that man cannot withstand by own strength or wisdom, and came to bear the test on man's behalf as representative, clothing divinity with humanity to reach man with a human arm while grasping the Infinite throne with a divine arm. Resting wholly on God's power He endured the severe wilderness conflict with the wily foe, where Satan knew everything depended on success or failure and that if Christ endured the plan of salvation would be fulfilled, his power taken and his destruction made certain. By conquering He became a perfect example, and through His merits, name, grace and exalted divine nature humanity is elevated, enabled to overcome fall's degradation, and linked to the Infinite. He came in person from glory's throne to bear in man's behalf the test Adam failed, resisting the enemy so man by faith in Him may overcome in his own behalf. He bore it in Adam's place by sacrifice, taking humanity and joining divinity with humanity, His name becoming the link uniting man to God and God to man. He took fallen human nature uncorrupted, which would be corrupted only by receiving Satan's words in place of God's, and met a far greater test than Adam and Eve's. He came over the same ground in human nature to bear God's test as man's Substitute and Surety.

Satan gained an easy victory over human nature in Eden through the woman, and that same human nature Christ took, in which relying on God for power He vanquished Satan and tore away the enemy's foundation, so all who accept Jesus share that victory in proportion to faith. As the woman's seed He took that nature so that when Satan bruised His heel in suffering and death He bruised Satan's head; Satan could bruise the heel but not touch the Mediator's head, and being overcome in human nature by reliance on God opened the same victory by faith to all who accept Christ. That seduction to unite in rebellion against law still works to draw men, but Christ by suffering and death received a death wound as victory's trophy, annihilating Satan's power over every loyal believing subject and opening Paradise's gates that fallen men may become heirs of immortality through faith in His righteousness.

Christ in sinless humanity met all the temptations assailing Adam and overcame them by relying on divine power, showing sin is not necessity, revealing what fallen beings may become through union with the divine nature, and standing as perfect pattern of childhood, youth and manhood. The same temptations afflicting humanity overtook Him, and suffering being tempted He did not yield but lived God's law through childhood, youth and manhood without sin or guile, doing as the Father commanded. As second Adam and Elder Brother with intense interest in human beings He passed over the same ground, bore the world's sin as sin-bearer feeling keenly its sinfulness and shame, and lived sinless to prove human beings can live sinless lives through God's power, overthrowing Satan's kingdom, redeeming man, meeting Adam's failure and glorifying God from the manger onward only through His agony, sacrifice and death in divine-human suffering as heaven's Majesty. Coming in likeness of human flesh to live a perfect life and overcome besetting temptations, He placed humanity on vantage ground through His example of purity, nobility and obedience as Redeemer of every fallen being, giving receivers power to become sons and daughters of God and obey righteousness, with angels ministering to heirs of salvation against Satan's temptations.

He came to unmask Satan's declaration that no man could keep God's law, taking humanity with obtainable facilities to show created man connected with Father and Son can obey every requirement. By nearly six weeks of fasting and wilderness victory He broke appetite's power so Satan cannot destroy the race through indulged appetite, making it possible in His strength to live the Christian life. Through His merits and uniting divine power with human effort every youth, man and woman can deny appetite and gain Eden back.

Law Obedience and Doctrine

The woman's words belong to the law given in Eden as the rule of conduct and basis of all right conduct, especially for those in responsibility showing amenability to God and obligation to obey all requirements, presenting reward for obedience and penalty for disobedience, and Adam's transgression of that Eden law introduced sin into the fair world God had created, after which men and women grew more and still more bold in disobeying, plainly setting forth what follows breaking God's law.

That eating of the forbidden tree was a costly work involving much, a breaking away from God's law and violation of it, set against the obedience of Gethsemane. That law was the unchangeable law of love to love God with all heart and soul and strength and neighbor as self, which obeyed would have hedged from evil paths, and the greatest evil was man becoming a law to himself, uplifting self and following his own human standard in direct opposition to the Lord's standard to please the carnal mind, making his own will and way his law and breaking the charm of obedience toward self-rule. Satan worked cautiously upon minds to seduce from loyalty until disobedience fell, bringing penalty of death which could not be set aside by changing the law, so Eden was lost and all posterity placed on probation with Christ as substitute and surety by sacrifice, while many follow the same footprints entering disobedience imperceptibly without calculating its sure result, resisting feebly or not at all, denying God in one place and dishonoring Him in another, enticed into disregard with results revealed when the scroll is unrolled, showing they did not feed on the Word by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son.

God required obedience from Adam and Eve and because they did not render it they fell, and the same God now requires obedience from every son and daughter and will accept nothing less than perfect obedience. The sacrifice of the Son was not to abolish Jehovah's law but to establish it, and while nearly all make it void God will have a keeping people; He gave free use of every kind of fruit while remaining proprietor and laying law in trial, and Eve knew free permission yet believed the tempter's false witness that the forbidden tree was good and would make wise as if God withheld good, proving the law binding then and no less binding now.

God enjoined on Adam and Eve in Eden the same condition of obedient submission to law and service now enjoined on every human being as the condition of salvation to wear Christ's yoke in meekness and humility, and when tempted they disobeyed and fell, putting the family with few exceptions under service to Satan doing his work and wearing his uncomfortable galling yoke and bearing heavy grievous burdens, until Christ as Substitute and Surety pledged His life to spare the transgressor and give another trial by living a human life from infancy to manhood in obedience to all requirements to show how to live.

God had claimed one tree as His own not to be eaten or treated as man's own, and Satan came as an angel of light questioning the word to persuade that prohibition was arbitrary, and Eve believed and fell and tempted her husband and floodgates of woe opened. That same deceiving power tempts today, setting aside God's holy Sabbath and substituting Sunday, a spurious Sabbath of Satan's own devising, to lead into rebellion and obliterate the sign instituted to distinguish commandment-keeping people, using Eve as agent to entice Adam as beginning of specious working without break gaining control of every mind receiving lies to discard the seventh-day Sabbath for falsehood. Adam created full of light and knowledge in purity and perfection with God's signature, loving his Creator in personal communion only a little lower than angels, lost Eden by believing Satan's lie rather than the word, and Satan has carried the same temptations ever since with word received through human agencies against a plain Thus saith the Lord to make Jehovah's law of no consequence and by every deception cause the great moral standard, the memorial of creation, the Sabbath, not to be respected. The ruin began on appetite by indulgence in eating bringing degeneracy, ruined health and disease, which Christ met where ruin began by nearly six weeks fasting then wilderness victory breaking appetite's power so in His strength men may live Christian life, measuring temptation's strength by His longsuffering, and reform must begin where degeneracy is felt by guarding appetite, eating habits, avoiding self-indulgence and keeping the system for perfect service. The test turned on eating the beautiful apple with self-flattering reasoning so small an act would not lose Eden, yet the least of tests lost Eden and opened woe, fastening souls in chains of eternal bondage which God will not vindicate against His Word, the same reasoning as pleading long custom and the whole world keeping Sunday though age gives the papal institution no sanctity against what God established, honored, blessed and sanctified, and intemperance in desire with errors in food, inclination, habit, delicate unhealthful cooking and dress weakening physical mental moral efficiency shows families need decided reform for piety, meditation, Scripture search and prayer.

Eve knew permission to eat from the other trees, and turning it into reasoning that it makes no difference whether to eat forbidden or permitted is yielding to Satan, setting aside God's distinction in doing what He told not to do, and that disobedience made every difference by opening woe, just as it makes every difference what day is kept for Sabbath. God gave much for livelihood and use but keeps what He reserves as His own, giving free use while reserving one tree, and taking the reserved thing is disobedience, so using the seventh day reserved to Himself for common work and merchandise is partaking of the forbidden tree as Adam and Eve did.

Eve listened to Satan's falsehoods though God gave a plain Thus saith the Lord with stated penalty, choosing deception over obedience, and that listening is repeated when churches with open Bible accept the false sabbath, trample the fourth-commandment Sabbath and follow Adam and Eve. The powerful inviting foe promised liberty and freedom making transgressors as gods, tempting youth today with glowing advantages drawing thousands into the broad road to destruction, endeavoring to change law by a spurious sabbath with every device to apostasy under his leadership so the Christian world chose another mark than God's. Eve knew God's words of free permission yet discarded them for Satan's lie, and the professed Christian world repeats it receiving perilous errors exalting a spurious sabbath and trampling the fourth-commandment Sabbath dishonoring God, though the false sabbath has not one text to sustain it.

The woman's statement of free permission led to eating the forbidden, and that eating means confirming in disobedience, so accepting a spurious Sabbath dishonoring creation's memorial is eating forbidden fruit and confirming in disobedience, by which Satan gains in the fallen world what he failed to gain in heaven, power to change law. Eve knew the permitting word yet Adam and Eve discarded it for Satan's lie, the pattern for accepting the spurious and discarding the true standard of holiness. That eating pictures accepting the first day as rest in place of the seventh-day Sabbath, denying allegiance and transgressing law, and compelling men to work the seventh and rest the first and tempting to deny God repeats taking and forcing others to eat, bringing the wine of God's wrath poured without mixture.

Satan asserted to Eve that God's prohibition was made void and no longer binding on the race, the same claim now when ministers declare law abrogated, for Eve faced direct denial of binding authority, and disobedience now is as offensive as in the beginning. Satan's falsehood took Adam into transgression as now it takes the Christian world, while Christ suffered not to give liberty to transgress because law was transgressed but to honor, magnify and respect it yet save the sinner by enduring penalty, and those by tradition voiding law instead of leading to obedience of all commands are in the company of that first yielding. He deceived by leading from God the true Counselor to spiritualistic sophistries, and works the same now keeping people in uncertainty by false theories and false science in garments of light, determined to place them in false light, pleased when defects appear and using them, seeking to deceive even the elect, so that yielding diverts time and influence from present truth to recovering believers and blocks advancement while men trust self and make flesh their arm.

Eve knew allowed eating yet was deceived into disobeying express command, believing God too kind to punish, warning against excusing breaking. Satan's fatal delusion was they could transgress and still be saved, repeated in claiming Christ did all so men need not keep law because done away at His death and man can do nothing himself. He deceived Eve with false reasoning about God and uses the same on the fallen race claiming the Father's gift of His Son to die was to nullify commandments, told to break allegiance and remove the true memorial testifying who the living Maker is, while Christ's immense sacrifice was to bring back to allegiance.

From Adam and Eve's disobedience opening woe all may learn, so the light of law must be proclaimed as a city on a hill that all intelligences may understand if they will, filled with positive promises to the obedient as the way to become royal family, children of the heavenly King, with parents to make laws plain, urge lifelong obedience and exemplify strict obedience, for ignorance is no excuse where light abounds and God is instructor. Eve knew free permission yet they disobeyed and lost Eden, meaning having and keeping commandments is love's test, and the family must obey incoming light on law's binding claims and lift the cross before the world.

Every believer receiving love from God's heart turns to serve and keep commandments lest found as Adam and Eve after transgression, for sin cannot be afforded as expensive business, wages of sin is death, and sin is transgression of law. Their failure to render obedience to all commandments and represent mercy, goodness, compassion and love shows maintaining spirituality requires doing what they failed, obeying every commandment and revealing His character in excellence above idolatry.

Satan blinded eyes and confused understanding leading them into transgression against law as now he blinds the Christian world into transgression, but when judgment sits and all are judged by books law will appear as great as its Author, great, holy, just and good in all requirements with decisive claims, leaving thieves, burglars and murderers distinguished by moral law with serious account to settle. The verse records Eve's reply in temptation by Satan the first great rebel leading Adam and Eve to disregard God's word, fail the single test, transgress holy law and bring sin, the same deception still repeated to lead minds to break law and teach it may be transgressed with impunity.

Present Warnings and Duty

The fall stands as a beacon warning of the result of even one wrong act, showing how fearful a small departure is, calling all to shun the example, abhor sin and suffer loss rather than depart from the least commandment, with Christ's obedience joined to it leaving men without excuse.
The garden events warn against disobeying divine law and require obedience to commandments, for departure from specified restrictions though seemingly small was planned to destroy souls by leading to follow imagination into deceptive power and disregard of the standard.
Man's only safety is entire obedience without experimenting with evil which brings weakness, for God's plan was clearsightedness through cooperation interrupted by transgression, and one step out of the ordained path subjects to temptation and believing a lie.
Deceptive power aimed to make restrictions of none effect, so the will must side with divine will, enticement not consented to, and grace to resist sought in prayer with watching, keeping eyes on Christ and enjoying His presence.

Yielding minds came fully under influence, and the same remains unless the mind revealed in the Word becomes the mind through careful obedience and spiritual guidance, contrasting turning from feeding on the Word to disobey with feeding continually giving grace to walk in commandments.
Listening to brilliant sophistry and agreeing removes hold on the Word allowing seductive influence to steal faith toward seducing spirits, exchanging simplicity for infidel sentiments, while heeding false science brings curse and keeping brings blessing.
Safety requires keeping entirely free, keeping truth in righteousness, never stepping over the divine line onto hostile ground, clinging to Christ as righteousness by faith with diligent study distinguishing true from false.
The temptation aimed to gain humanity as agent against law is still employed to present loss for obeying with unrighteous deception seeking even the elect, calling law-keeping fall from grace instead of the salvation way.

The ongoing temptation is to part with faith and accept a false version of the Creator's character through transgressors claiming discrimination, arraigning God and speaking against servants.
The fall patterns future counterfeiting of truth by human precepts and charming theories leavening minds with chaff-mingled truth, requiring seeing as God sees and uprooting fibers since covering mistakes sows baleful fruit with more to come.
Temptation through beautiful representations concealing error repeats in false theories whose first appearance is only beginning to be followed by more dangerous development.
Charming deception ruining the sinless pair still charms through heresies and must be met with firm testimony, and the beguiling power exerted in Eden when forced to withdraw by divine power shows victory as complete as failure was complete.

The Christian warfare is against the same seducing spirit creeping into thoughts not against brethren, so give no foothold but resist until he flees as God lifts a standard.
The verse stands in unceasing conflict over deception costing Eden, yet through transforming grace men need not remain dupes but may resist, receive power to distinguish falsehood, and stand only placing hand in Christ's hand.
The first temptation made appetite the point with loss linked to indulgence and regaining requiring self-denial and control of appetite and passion, for failure to resist insinuations brought sin.
Though they could freely eat every variety with everything for happiness, intemperate desire made the forbidden appear more desirable, she ate and through influence Adam ate with curse on both and earth, setting the pattern where appetite controls reason and consequences are flattered as less fearful.

Satan enticed through appetite and entices the same way in tobacco to paralyze brain nerves, confuse judgment so sacred things are not discerned, holding mind and will in bondage with eternal realities eclipsed.
Satan tempted to disorder through disregard of physical laws, weakening machinery so it could not act its designed part instead of cooperating to preserve organs, and the offered knowledge would not enable cooperation but weaken from perfect action.
Loss through intemperate appetite proves indulged appetite loses discernment, so strict temperance and denial of hurtful indulgences are required for calm nerves and mental acuteness, for intemperance in transgressing brought the fall and temperance restores.
Failure on appetite perverted taste to relish the injurious unable to make best blood, repeated when childhood taste is educated to relish injurious foods, so parents must use good sense in feeding children.

The fall through appetite brought anguish, and intemperate parents transmit inclination, corrupted blood, disease and enfeebled intellect across generations groaning under accumulated woe increased by present surfeiting as repetition.
Eating the tree means forsaking Scripture for forbidden education not essential, the same leading drawing thousands through infidel authors creating distaste for the Word and corrupting teachers and students.
Had they never touched they would have stayed where God could give true knowledge from the Word to carry to paradise, while forbidden knowledge like years spent gaining education from books without God is wood and stubble to be burned with no value.
Giving attention to suggestions about forbidden knowledge perverts intellect lending powers to Satan's service instead of God's glory, so printing and handling books with subtle instruction and bewitching science is eating forbidden fruit preparing poison, holding accountable both bringers and users.

The fruit recommended by one once bright angel is not to be plucked for knowledge of good and evil, for all valuable knowledge comes from God as fountain, His Word as light, true light from Christ and divine knowledge from the Spirit for peace, not from infidels.
Eating estranges heart, hardens into disobedience and feeds vanity, the same occurring when school education follows worldly wisdom God calls foolishness instead of order giving knowledge of the Word and vital connection.
The suggestion human way is as good as divine caused the fall and still flatters continued transgression as acceptable, while true exaltation comes only by obedience in accordance with the plain word.
The forbidden tree still bears fruit in dishonest impure conduct proving divine absence, and close connection with such bearers gives confusing knowledge endangering connection and must be avoided.

The fruit God forbade means forbidden sexual indulgence, and teaching vile practices gives that fruit polluting with vile imaginations leading youth into self-abuse.
Eating means receiving evil suspicious thoughts about fellow believers and speaking them, as when suggestions planted poison mind, hinder right action, grieve the Spirit and weaken work.
Liberty to eat means knowledge of good only is essential, while forbidden fruit is evil faultfinding and criticism, and giving to sharp reproof follows Satan's plans creating appetite for evil to peddle, wrongly supposing knowledge of evil advantageous.
Taking and eating means receiving theories presented as spiritual while swallowing error, with aim to keep from believing God's words corrupting pure work with inventions, so the final message must be given in straight lines.

The evil spirit overcoming through open door still tempts, and yielding opens mind to hostile control onto false track refusing counsel, discarding truth and deceiving others, the same spirit causing responsible men discarding testimonies to misread them.
Deceptive scientific devising still works through spies in conferences and churches, so members must stand true, beware representations leading to disregard of warnings about the educational center, and not gather children where agencies sow evil.
The serpent used as agent illustrates working by influence controlling mind so the instrument speaks false representations without self-control, patterning speaking through shaken believers causing many to lose perception.
Satan using talent of speech to deceive against God while God gave speech for glory must not be copied, and luring workers from duty by higher wages brings both under displeasure with high pay for ordinary service as robbery.

Listening to temptation turning from Maker scorning mercies wins heritage of shame repeated when children of pious parents become apostates for whom it had been better never born.
Accepting serpent's words shows the first pair were not the only ones led into disobedience, for first sin spreads like contagious disease into universal hatred of law dishonoring the generous Creator who still sends rain and warnings.
The fall is connected with aim to hinder the salvation plan, yet falling stands within the redemptive plan laid before creation leaving privilege of regaining true manhood with restored image.
Meeting proposition of apparent advantage shows hardness of walking humbly and accepting divine plans, refusing ends in ruin so any plan not based on obedience is to be feared, while calamity witnesses to unchanging God whose path alone restores paradise.

A supposedly small transgression closed paradise showing no selfish work approved, yet though sin increased divine benevolence still flows earthward, and what was lost by disobedience is regained by obedience, cross-lifting and choosing God.
Eating was not little though regarded little, and smallness did not avert consequences but opened woe as disobedience, requiring refusal of dishonesty and overreaching with punctual just guileless conduct since the Word excuses no selfishness.
The slight test with terrible retribution warns youth against carelessness in little matters and liberal plans refusing particularity, calling to study the perfect life closely lest deviation widen under bewitching power.
The small common-seeming transgression opening woe where eternal ruin is also common warns to join no ring conniving at evil however trivial nor excuse because esteemed men misrepresent sin, for high profession with iniquity is pretense.

Adam and Eve lost Eden in very small matter proving beauty of soul is obedience regulating heart springing from love, and disobedience in taking forbidden knowledge by touching warns teachings can turn students toward unbelief.
The teaching of the fall opening woe together with Christ's first advent as helpless babe in stable is among most important knowledge to receive, to be kept before tender minds training children to obey all statutes.
Satan prevailing at beginning whose mischievous work still goes on even in churches means people must be on guard, for the devil and angels are not dead but remain to do mischief, requiring watching.
Eve beguiled through subtilty meaning minds are corrupted from simplicity in Christ is an evil coming into church, and deception continues to present originating insinuations received as heavenly truths, requiring watch and prayer lest laborers become messengers of Satan.

Satan leading to transgress in serpent form suited to bewilder, fascinating imagination to corrupt, is the same power working through children of disobedience to be fully brought near the close with conflict intensifying toward the second appearing.
The fall caused by powers of darkness working with deceivableness amid calamities while Christ loves and gave life means people must stand ready as prepared for the Lord.
The fall caused by prince of darkness heading one of only two parties opposed by Prince Emmanuel leaves no middle ground, for all are on one side choosing ruler revealing spirit as when the divine Son was rejected for a murderer.
Deception warns teachers not to be likewise deceived but humble souls searching truth as treasure in view of law's claims on thoughts as well as acts.

The first parents' temptation by fallen angel continues as the same angel still presents propositions through human agents where consent repeats failure, and the same deceiver beguiling with enticing words still tries everywhere including spiritualistic interpretations not to be accepted, while fixing eyes on the conqueror gives victory.
Satan tempting with false worldly inducements unchanged today presents evils still that can and must be resisted on every point with truth purifying mind so the prepared resister sees the devil flee.
The exchange where the woman answers and first parents listened bringing loss belongs to Adam's insult believing Satan and disbelieving the Lord, so teachers must study and practice the Word instead of repeating it.
The test Adam failed no human strength can meet is the ground where he stumbled the same Christ came to pass over in fallen nature subject to every temptation even in childhood yet unyielding through self-denial deserving love.

Beginning of deception where deceptive words twisting Scripture confuse is continued through human beings and affliction overcome only by faith not human strength, testing every pillar requiring firm faith looking to the abiding helper.
The start where yielding brought fully under influence and innocent yielding depraved nature lessening resistance opening readier access leaving conscious guilt meant despite confession they could no longer dwell in Eden.
The first pair reasoning with the enemy giving advantage opened to hypnotic defeat, where believing puts the enemy in God's place failing to live by every word bringing believed lie handed down instead of purifying by obeying truth.
The issue questioning plans and taking independent position is where the fall occurred, while steadfastness later refused controversy met only with the Word gaining victory on behalf of race.

Conversation where misrepresentations believed costing permission to work in Eden shows through mercy lost work reopens calling men from disloyalty as heritage to build character in obedience.
False theories about God denying consistency are the same in kind as later false teachings despoiling people, and the approach in the test failed while the same approach from desert to cross striving to overcome God in Christ failed finding nothing where it succeeded with Adam.
Accepting wily words is repeated as multitudes following man of sin keeping spurious sabbath do the same led opposite from city and refuge.
Prince of darkness using sophistry to lead to transgress as constantly now is met while Prince of life breaks yokes to free the oppressed, requiring human agents to labor to help the needy lest Satan take them.

Adam's disobedience believing falsehood over word costing the Son's life leaves goodness shining brighter with grace abounding leaving no excuse, Saviour promised in Eden and Son given as perfect image commending love with promise to freely give all.
The fall from high estate by voiding law is that because of which Christ entered Redeemer work and probation was granted.
Innocent yielding and beginning of arch deceiver ending in disgraceful fall bringing curse came under far less severe circumstances than Christ met where Satan came as angel of light yet was withstood and exposed giving hope.
The reply in temptation took the same course as wilderness where sovereignty disputed, appetite assailed, pride appealed and world scenes presented to allure, and disgraceful failure was redeemed by the second Adam through perfect obedience placing man on vantage.

The Eden conversation where speaking through serpent falsified God shows those bruising fellows choose his side over the Lamb as he still tries by oppression to compel transgression and worship of idol sabbath without authority.
Satan conniving at start of sin's experiment continues the same conniving now through responsible agencies as much to be feared and shunned.
Adam's experience warns not to turn aside since God compels not but leaves free to follow Spirit or imagination determining resistance or yielding.
Temptation in which tempting spirit overcame opening mind to enemy control putting yielders on false track means being deceived they deceive others so testimonies should not be placed in their hands.

Satanic science most dangerous false science resembling what is now printed dishonoring God infatuating minds sowing ruin means reproducing does Satan's work revealing blindness and inability to distinguish sacred from common.
The answer in temptation causing fall brought by deceiving mind misrepresenting truth shows the same mind still inspiring spiritualistic ideas repeating true words misinterpreted as common instead of holy fire.
Satan's part as self-exaltation working by deception on minds knowing truth presents ideas doing away with personal God as essence pervading nature, the same part acted when exalted trusted man leads those knowing truth.
Not even a leaf to be taken from the forbidden tree means taking diverts mind to human devising instead of using heaven's means and looking to Jesus.

Yielding in disobedience estranging and the fall patterning counterfeiting joins speaking to draw from saving truth to fables patterning speaking through shaken people causing loss of perception while received truths must not be disregarded.
Brilliant disguised serpent prepared to stamp impure work as divine shows the same method now disguising cheap theories to corrupt the straight message making truth disgusting to sensible people.
Work proceeding through speech under righteousness holding out good for the forbidden shows the same principles worked in heaven and through agents corrupting empires and churches in secrecy as angel of light so skillful only God fathoms purpose.
Deceptive promise obedience would make as gods leading to doubting, substituting false theory and transgression, is the same sophistry still working on minds.

The woman answering during temptation to believe lie joins with evil confederacy now tempting the world the same way to unsettle truth and choose falsehood.
Eve knew permission for other trees yet listened because words sounded more pleasant than prohibition, proving God's law binding then no less now by happy obedience and fall.
Eve stating free provision for the highly favored pair given fruits, angels and visits shows the originator of sin emptied from heaven continued battle leading to disbelief, leaving history as warning so those now led carry greater blame.
Eve answering as Satan put voice repeating lies law abolished imperfect needing remodeling shows the sinless pair believed in place of God becoming sinners, and the world ever since received tempter's words.

Eve answering in Eden where belief in lie sold humanity leaving needy in need of Saviour whom God loved at infinite cost purchasing life to be accepted means none acting Satan's character be counted worthy.
Eve answering in test calling for loyalty where loyalty or disloyalty decides destiny shows failure to obey all commandments and represent mercy requiring obedience to every commandment.
Eve answering just before listening to tempter instead of God obeying his voice to eat claimed the whole family with calamities while Jesus laid aside crown clothing humanity to bring back not following Adam, passing the same ground against the same tempter as angel of light coming conqueror to place on probation.
Eve answering where sophistry brought in Eden will test every pillar most tryingly shows falling in garden within redemptive plan leaving privilege of regaining true manhood with restored image.

Eve speaking of freely permitted fruit where trees were beautiful handiwork specimens of beauty expressing love without soul or personal indwelling directs to nature's God not worshiped, while after fall prince of air claimed control permitted to sow tares while God protects the heavenly-principled.
Eve speaking where easy victory over human nature was gained shows the same human nature as seed taken so in suffering heel bruised while enemy head bruised, and falling stands within plan where transgression did not implant new passions but Christ began converting so through obedience and faith image may be regained with purified powers.
Eve conversing as part of vain attempt to exalt self following own way gaining knowledge of evil at loyalty's cost opening woe shows the woman answering at point where created sinless might have retained innocence living by every word refusing strange voice but abused privileges choosing evil requiring propitiation and perfect life to elevate.
Eve in conversation with counselor urging partaking working through serpent as busy attendant once covering cherub continuing seducing work stands in the setting where Adam fell surrounded leading to obedience while Christ passed the same ground in fallen nature.

The first human pair reasoning with the enemy instead of refusing shows failure from not keeping the Word before them, and the account distinguishes permitted fruit spoken of from forbidden eaten in disobedience leading to expulsion learning God carries out warned punishment.
The serpent as medium alluring servants from trust for selfish ends joins the woman answering in temptation where Satan used lying sophistry substituting for plain word passing hellish shadow so the agent beholds him between soul and God instead of discerning God, resulting in separation so sinners hide though none can hide.
The woman answering at point where Adam yielded beginning conflict and speaking with serpent as original deception shows error attractively presented illustrates how beautiful truth garb deceives, the same agencies still clothing untrue ideas attractively turning minds to fables through dazing influence.
The woman speaking with serpent where beguiled with subtle mysteries infatuating mind shows charming words as prepared fallacy stinging to death foreign to the Spirit not leading to life so education tinging minds with such science is unsafe.

The woman answering where sophistry and strife follow serpent shows Eve knew permission yet discarded words for lie repeated by professed world receiving errors exalting spurious sabbath trampling fourth commandment to dishonor God.
Eve answering as part of holy pair's temptation taking effect easily departing from will ending in failure shows easy yielding leading adversary to suppose he could overthrow the Son, but Jesus remained steadfast.
Eve answering as part of deception by satanic science still deceiving including doctors requiring guarded ministers and members warns against reproducing it.
Eve answering in Eden as part of deceptive temptation easily overcoming leading readily to throw off allegiance accepting foe's word on which fall claims as prince of world were founded shows deception by fallen apostate teaching children God has no law working in deceiver's lines.

Eve answering in temptation where lying sophistry substituted and answering soon after creation as deceptive approach to win to apostasy effacing image succeeded as father of lies accuser and murderer.
The woman answering serpent in Eden temptation leading to first transgression belongs to serpent conversation, to test whether they would obey Maker's command in setting of coming transgression, and to history of first transgression warning against disobeying express commands yet repeated rather than learned.
The story of first transgression bringing sin whose example warns belongs to disobedience losing beautiful home and right to Eden and life bringing woe where continuance in grace is conditional, and to entrance of sin into holy place made beautiful.
Satan tempting to distrust and question wisdom leading to Adam's disobedience deceived the first pair drawing toward disobedience, and tempting to eat meaning disobedience planted death's seeds while the garden had no noxious plant until after sin poisonous herbs sprang corrupting earth.

Satan's deliberate scheme tempting to eat to disorder tempted to eat as scheme to disregard physical laws, and the fall in great weakness mourned is yet not sole cause of present conditions for succession of falls and habits weakening powers cause misery.
The Eden encounter causing fall is the same deceiver teaching human science apart from Word so learners fall victims becoming deceivers, and the fall caused by prince heading opposed parties.
Disobedience in taking forbidden knowledge by touching caused Adam's fall opening woe where violation is terrible loss, and transgression bringing death continues.
The fall where desire for self-exaltation lost dominion redeemed by self-abnegation so humble overcomers inherit earth marks beginning of transgression whose effects aggravated by persistent violations.

Adam's disgraceful failure under temptation Christ passed over redeeming by suffering without sin to sympathize and make escape belongs to test Adam failed showing man cannot overcome in own strength why Christ came to enable in His name.
The ground where Adam fell the same Christ came to pass over as Substitute joins the moment accepted temptations doing what was forbidden when Christ stood offering to let punishment fall giving another chance so in His strength men can stand, and refusal of God's words leaving Him grieving as parent though giving Son requiring acceptance since eternal life exceeds worth.
History of beautiful Eden degraded by sin's introduction belongs to setting where Adam fell though surrounded leading to obedience, and to assault causing fall whose strength lay not in indwelling sin for Adam was pure upright as angels a mystery to be made plain.
Satan's working by secretive influence weaving seduction recurring among possessors of Testaments despite warnings joins seduction to unite in rebellion still working but through suffering death wound opening paradise to heirs through faith.

Temptations by which Adam was assailed Christ in sinless humanity overcame by divine power showing sin not necessity and what fallen may become through union with divine, and temptations still employed with coming in likeness living perfect life give receiving believers power with angels ministering.
The test of obedience failed while the same temptations later borne without yielding through sinless life belongs to test from Satan Adam failed.
The fall compassed by fallen apostate with beguiling as example of danger of being deceived belongs to fall in which Adam became law to himself bringing discord contrasting Christ's perfect obedience all can follow.
Satan deceiving holy pair to separate from God by same method under piety blinding to purpose made disobedience make every human transgressor sold under sin unless repenting with justification only through faith in atoning sacrifice.

History after disaffection showing workings since Adam proving same principles still work revealing end leaves all on trial as Satan plays for souls while Christ works urging laying hold by faith receiving merits and image perfecting character like Christ's.
The account of using serpent as medium through supernatural power to deceive and cause fall joins talk where eating would make as gods showing human theories replacing truth are false for Word is tree of life and theories forbidden fruit giving disordered imagination.
Satan's successful deception by which family made in image lost innocence becoming disloyal opening universal evil joins temptation leading woman to distrust love doubt wisdom transgress law through her overthrowing Adam illustrating beginning of continuing effort.
Satan's temptation to disobey making disobedience appear securing great good gilded concealing end joins tempting by portraying gains making desirable as seduced angels though way ends in death requiring quick turning, and deception turning from law by telling to wait preparing excuses falsifying character the same work keeping from fourth-commandment Sabbath.

Eve's exchange in beautiful Eden losing it by transgression joins conversation perverting understanding the same repeated when sophistry spoils young women tainting perceptions destroying healthy tone, and perverting to lead to eat.
True history where Adam discarded plain word heeding Satan with same science exercised today with devil not dead remaining to do mischief joins transgression costing Eden showing transgression costs heaven forcing choice which side to stand.
Temptation where innocent yielded depraving nature lessening resistance opening access leaving guilt so could no longer dwell joins temptation where refusing words leaving Him grieved.
The moment man accepted temptations doing what was forbidden joins Satan's first lie beginning deception kept ever since.

The test by Satan with Christ's test far greater taking fallen nature not corrupted shows He would have been corrupted only by receiving Satan's words in place of God's.
God gave every fruit remaining proprietor laying law in trial, and speaking through serpent draws from truth to fables.
Indulgence of appetite and passion in violation of law in this fall brought sin, and yielding forfeited immortality incurring penalty.
The temptation appeared to offer freedom and bliss through forbidden but promise deceptive, and failure was as complete as later wilderness victory complete.

Faith would have led to trust love and obey while presumption led to disobey assuming love would save from consequences.
The yielding casting seed of evil is repeated when Sabbath set aside for spurious rest on plea of custom, when appetite guarded where degeneracy felt, when powers perverted to selfish pleasures and impurity, when business advantage sought by dishonesty gaining only evil knowledge, and when pride in dress shows tempter access.
Taking and eating in that account means receiving theories as spiritual while swallowing error, and listening and yielding forfeited immortality.
By one act they lost Eden for forbidden was little and least test, and disobedience at even one point brought woe bringing unhappiness on followers while requirements rest on love for good.

Temptation shows sin consists not in greatness but departing from expressed will even in small matter denying authority, and breaking least teaching others cooperates with deceiver bringing wrath.
Eve knew what was said yet deceived into disobeying believing too kind to punish warns against excusing breaking, and Eve's answer reveals believed Satan disbelieved God.
Satan led first parents toward knowledge withheld seeking through tempter into sin warning teachings can turn students from Word toward unbelief, and seeking it led into consequences.
Satan tempted to distrust question wisdom penetrate plans, and through fall knew she would not fall alone for Adam from love resolved to share fate repeating heavenly rebellion where followers fell with him.

Satan sought to deceive causing fall separating from God bringing under power, while obedience showed law not oppressive or opposed to good.
By misrepresenting as severe Satan led to sin then blamed restrictions for fall as blamed them for own rebellion, and tempted by falsifying character creating distrust with sin darkening ideas shaped by narrowness as knowledge faded bolder in sin.
Being deceived into thinking becoming wise exchanging heavenly wisdom for human judgment discovering deception joins serpent talk suggesting defrauding of blessings accepted and fell by same work carried today conquering many not watching.
Satan after disloyalty cast out tempted with lying reports, and Eve's words were part of listening believing lie bringing fall so sin entered death by sin whose labors must be met until close.

Satan brought sin by leading to disregard Word transgressing single test, still repeating through agents teaching may transgress with impunity, and deceived through false reasoning seeking to turn blessings into snares using gifts against Giver.
The temptation worked through false statement man could attain more even as God sowing selfishness showing all sin selfishness, and claimed forbidding defrauded of blessings by right still zealously carried conquering those not watching.
Adam and Eve listened to specious sophistry receiving as truth though sinless, with hypnotism so listening sinned opening door losing spiritual life continual endowment would give.
Eve's conversation led to disbelieve disobedience brings death, and that transgression made Christ's death necessary to preserve law's honor opening escape with sacrifices teaching humility and trust in promised Redeemer.

The woman spoke before yielding, and disobedience brought guilt showing God does not treat transgression lightly.
Satan's work begun after cast out tempting to distrust love doubting wisdom by which humanity sided with rebel has continued unchanged to closing struggle when powers unite with thousands already with agencies under pretentious righteousness.
Even minds walking with God can be worked by another power, for seductive influence lying against God alluring until fully seduced could not discern power leading into apostasy though providence would have kept had warning been heeded.
The serpent speaking was coiled disguise with specious temptation to question and distrust, and Eve's answer stands amid same snare repeated whenever exalted problems sow doubt making Prince of life as nothing.

Through disobedience likeness marred yet infinite love devised salvation granting probation to restore image bringing perfection which is redemption object of education and life.
The deception by deceptive reasoning is presented as sophistry also misleading present and later times.
The disobedience opening woe after heavenly rebellion under lie is reversed through truth adapted to wandering sheep bringing back to allegiance with Christ's life given so believers may become children laboring in restoration.
Satan coming as busy attendant once covering cherub joins Adam testing under salvation plan where temptation removed as far as possible yet failed with author once next to Christ lifting against God leading rebellion cast out determining earthly kingdom when overcome Christ fulfilled pledge leaving throne clothing humanity enduring harder conflict including wilderness after baptism.

The setting where Adam fell though placed surrounded leading to obedience shows Eve answering when under most favorable circumstances without condemnation with light angels communion and Author as teacher yet fell on appetite beginning separation with declining power until victory in wilderness made future overcoming possible.
Free will yielded in Eden but kept later shows believing doing word with written answer in perfect obedience could have resisted.
The condition of obedient submission in Eden remaining salvation under meek yoke shows disobedience brought grievous yoke.
The forbidden tree still bears fruit warns, and deceptive charm works by presentations departing from right fascinating senses warns.

Losing home warns against repetition requiring obedience where bending heavenward point others, overcoming by perfect obedience bringing ransomed back.
Beginning of great apostasy challenging word and goodness denying love revealed marks great weakness beginning evil mourned as misery with present misery from habits weakening powers through succession of falls.
Believers receiving love turn to serve and keep lest found as after transgression, because sin costly wages death transgression of law.
A seemingly small sin at start opened eternal ruin to multitudes debasing by sinning against light requiring vigilance giving no place to devil.

Before transgression glory was obedience with conformity no doubt affections given enshrouding light reflected in nature understanding invisible, but sin severed departed light defaced image darkened understanding so Only Son must come as light.
Listening to false representation attracts to earthly bringing loss leaving unfit for eternal debased beholding gain disconnected from good molded to earthly under idolatry.
Deception by great apostate refusing obedience opened woe putting race on disobedience side against obedience side.
God's restraint was snapped asunder and education under the teacher of lies began to gain refused knowledge, showing human curiosity and ambition for self-exaltation ends in vanity compared with true holiness opening God's city.

Satan presenting falsehood as truth to pervert principles still sends purported messages from the Lord to God's workers to hinder work by fixing eyes on a man instead of Christ.
Eve beguiled by subtlety making God's word of none effect shows the same work done by Jewish teachers misinterpreting and misplacing Christ's teaching into false paths.
The forbidden tree where eating means evil and disobedience requires prayerful parents to keep children unspotted and submissive so through Christ they gain inheritance when the city opens to truth-lovers.