Genesis 3 explains the origin of sin and shows us the Fall of mankind. In this chapter, we see the serpent asking Eve the question “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen 3:1), a question which sowed doubt into Eve’s mind about God’s character and motives. In essence, he was making her question who God is and why He would utter a prohibition that didn’t necessarily make sense to her. That is a typical tactic of the enemy, because once we start to doubt God’s character and motives, once we lose sight of God’s goodness, love and power, then we are far more likely to disobey His commandments. Eve looked at the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and saw that it was pleasing to the eye and desirable to eat, so she took it and ate it and also gave it to Adam to eat. (Gen 3:6-7) This was the start of all the problems which still beset us in the world today; everything stems from this one act of disobedience and rebellion. Once they had eaten that fruit, ‘the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.’ (Gen 3:7) Innocence was gone; fellowship was gone, for now they no longer enjoyed God’s presence the way they used to do. Instead, when they heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid from Him among the trees of the garden. (Gen 3:8) Sin had brought separation and a lack of joy, even before God said anything at all.
Satan’s questions are never pure and disinterested; he has an ulterior motive like no other. His own rebellion against God, when he desired to be like the Most High (Is 14:14) and was cast down to the earth (Is 14:12), means that any questions he asks about God are intended to deceive us, to lead us astray, to lead us into sin, so that he is not the only one to know judgment. Not all questions are innocent; not all questions will lead us to life. Beware the questions which are slanted and biased; they can be answered, to be sure, but so often, like Eve, we don’t answer them wisely. Her answer was not accurate: she said, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 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.’” (Gen 3:2-3) God had not said anything about not touching the tree; she embellished His commandment to the point where she began to feel He was negatively prohibitive instead of being carefully protective, and that’s where her problems started. When Jesus faced temptations in the wilderness, notice that He replied by simply stating God’s word: three temptations, and three times He used the answer ‘It is written’ in His replies. (Matt 4:4, 7, 10) God’s word is the only way we can answer Satan’s questions safely and wisely; once we start embellishing His word, adding on our own understanding of it or justification or excuses, we are in trouble.
