"You Will Not Surely Die"

It’s amazing how much different things appear when you step back and look at them again...objectively...for the first time. For instance, I found myself recently reading (or re-reading) Genesis Chapter Three and approached it, this time, with an open mind. And to my astonishment, I realized I had been misled into thinking the story was saying one thing when in actuality it seems to be saying something completely different.

For starters, let’s look at the obvious: If Adam and Eve lived in paradise, why was there a supposedly deceptive, evil serpent living in their midst? Furthermore, if God loved his children so completely, why didn’t He remove the evil presence or, at least, warn His children that there was danger? These simple facts alone should challenge the preconceived notion of what is considered biblical paradise.

But as I read the story, it started to become glaringly evident that both Adam and Eve were extremely immature. First, they didn’t realize they were naked, much like a small child. Second, they didn’t know right from wrong (or good from evil), much like a small child. Thus, when a parent tells his child NOT to touch the stove because it’s still hot, and the child does it anyway, does it come as a surprise? If the child doesn’t know right from wrong, should we even blame the child? Or is this the parent’s fault?

Enter the Serpent.

I had always been told that the serpent deceived Eve, but as I read FOR MYSELF, it seems the Serpent was simply a truth teller. Consider the following:

God: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Eve (talking to the Serpent): “…but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’.”

Serpent: “You will not surely die…God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.”

God: “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden..."

(Yes, I am skipping around.)

Interestingly, God banished Adam and Eve from the garden, NOT because they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good evil, but simply to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and, thus, living forever.

Now let’s go back and examine a few commonly held beliefs.

Did the Serpent lie? Did the Serpent deceive Eve? According to the Bible, the Serpent seems to be an honest broker. Again, look at the Serpent’s words: “You will not surely die…you will become like God, knowing good from evil.” This is the exact description that God himself is recorded having said toward the story's end, “The man has now become like us, knowing good from evil…”

And did Adam and Eve die after they ate the fruit? Obviously not. The serpent said, “You will not surely die,” and they didn’t.

Many people would argue that the two humans died a spiritual death (not physical), but this is a stretch and is nowhere indicated in the story. Furthermore, God himself said, “He [Adam] must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Thus, Adam was not immortal. He had not yet eaten from the Tree of Life.

I found it interesting that when I initially opened to Genesis Chapter Three, there was a title: “The Fall of Man.” Of course, this title is not part of the original text. It was placed there many years later…but why and by whom? Who claimed the authority to add to the original text? Doesn’t the Bible itself provide a warning about this? “If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book” (Rev 22:18). Granted, perhaps this warning only applies to John’s writing in Revelation, but I think the point is obvious: someone added titles and this one is grossly inaccurate.

The story of Adam and Eve is not about “the fall of mankind,” but something much more profound and meaningful. In fact, as I continued to read and re-read the story…BY MYSELF…without the “help” from supposed experts…I began to realize that Genesis Chapter Three contains ARGUABLY the meaning of life. In my opinion, it is ARGUABLY (at least for me) the single most important chapter in the entire Bible, yet for whatever reason, the authorities have completely hidden this meaning by deceiving us with an inaccurate title.

So what does the story mean?

God created Adam and Eve. Now, whether these two are symbolic of mankind is for you to decide. From my perspective, it is irrelevant, at least at this point. God created them and apparently they were intellectually immature. They hadn’t learned much about life, sacrifice, or hard work. They were living in the confines of “paradise” in which they never had to persevere, make important decisions, or do anything for anyone else. They didn’t understand about “nakedness” and they certainly hadn’t learned right from wrong. Yes, they may have been disobedient, but aren’t children by nature curious? Don’t they test the boundaries? If you tell them not to touch the stove (for their own safety), don’t they desire to see for themselves what will happen? And if they do touch the stove, do we point fingers and call them "SINNERS!"

As for Adam and Even, they appear to be intellectual children…living at home where everything is provided. But there comes a time when the child has to leave the comforts (and safety) of home and go out into the real world. To be sure, a vast majority of parents train their children for this massive change. In fact, I would argue this is what childhood is all about: growing into adulthood.

Let’s assume for a moment that Adam and Even never “sinned.” They would simply live out their lives in the comfort of mom’s perfect basement, never taking a risk, never striking out on their own. I recall a few people in history who have gone this route: Nero comes to mind and the countless other “royal” figures in history who never had to lift a finger to do anything, much less consider other people before themselves.

But, if a person is ultimately tossed from the nest and forced to go out into the real world, his survival and happiness are based on his ability to build relationships with other people. Long story short, an adult needs to learn how to sacrifice in order to become a person of quality. (Sacrifice? Does this sound biblically familiar?) If a person spent his entire life enjoying life’s comforts, and never spent a moment earning these enjoyments, what good is he? Isn’t this what we call a spoiled brat?

To put it another way, how can a person fully understand justice if he or she hasn’t been treated unjustly? How can a person fully understand compassion if he or she hasn’t experienced intolerance? And how can a person truly experience love if he or she hasn’t been the benefactor of another person’s sacrifice?

The lessons in Genesis Chapter Three are abundant and obvious, but the big question is why this isn’t taught on Sunday? Why are these lessons being hidden? Why are we so quick to blame Adam for our own difficulties? Have we simply been programmed to play the blame game at our own convenience? Isn't this what children do?

In my opinion, God’s plan here is nothing short of perfection. He actually uses mankind’s deficiencies as a means for man to learn how to build relationships. Perhaps God is not in the business of building robots but takes a greater interest in helping his children grow into men and women of quality. And as we all know, no person is perfect. Our shortcomings are merely opportunities to grow, to become better, to improve upon our current condition by living a lifetime filled with experiences that include trial and error and getting back up after falling down.

Bottom line: If life were designed to be a 100-year walk through paradise, what would be the point?