Joel M Bradshaw

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”2And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.–Genesis 3

Three steps led to the fall of Adam and Eve.

1. QUESTIONING OF GOD’S WORD. The serpent’s first attack was getting Eve to question what God had already clearly said. This is always society’s first attack: get you to question and doubt what you believe.
2. ADDING TO GOD’S CLEAR LAW. Biblical knowledge is so important. I can’t tell you the number of times I have had conversations with Christians who just don’t know what the Bible says on a matter and are shocked to find out that they hold positions that are in opposition to what God has already said. Eve added the ‘can’t touch it’ part.
3. ADAM’S SILENCE. God gave the command to Adam. Adam was in the unique position to tell the serpent to take a hike. But Adam was both passive and silent. It was a leadership moment he utterly failed. Eve was deceived, but Adam knew better!

15The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”–Genesis 2, with emphasis

Adam failed to tell Eve the correct words of God. Adam didn’t correct the serpent’s or Eve’s mishandling of the words of God. Adam was silent when he should have spoken up. Know the Bible and obey the Bible. Don’t add your own words or mishandle what God has clearly said. Our thoughts on the Bible are less important than the words of the Bible.–JMB