The Forbidden Fruit

The Making Of The Garden

After the creation of man, what was next was where that man would live. Although each of the characters in this story have their own connotative meanings. It is logical to take up the fact that a man that is made would surely need a place to live. Hence, the creation of a garden called Eden may not be an afterthought; but rather the fact that the created man needs a place to live.

Genesis 2:9

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

In the above verse, it is clearly stated that God planted the garden and then put the man there. The creation of the garden for man has a goal. This is that he should dress and keep it as seen below:

Gen 2:15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it

It is important to stress that the creation of the Garden of Eden is done by plantation. Of course, this could have diverse meanings but not that God literally plants a garden. It could mean that God made the garden as a form of plantation containing diverse trees.

The Creation Of Adam

According to the record in the book of Genesis chapter one, Adam was made from the dust of the earth. He is the first man, made after every other creature had been made by God. At first, God made male and female, he blessed them and called them Adam as seen:

Gen 5:2 He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them "human."

The Giving Of Eve

After the creation of Adam, Eve was made from him and given to him. It is God that created Eve, too. The verse below gives more explanations:

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made him a woman, and brought her unto the man.

In the above verse, it is clear that the person that named the woman God created Eve. This is because she is the mother of the living. The naming of Eve by Adam is not far-fetched seeing that God earlier gave him the authority to name things

What necessitated the creation of the woman is that Adam needs a help meet which became obvious after the naming of things as seen below:

Gen 2:20 He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him

God created the help meet of Adam by causing him to sleep. God did this by removing one of his ribs.

Gen 2:21 So the LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it.

22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam.

When God fixed up the opened space where the rib was removed, he introduced Eve to Adam. Remember, he had the intention of making a help meet. As Adam saw her, he said this is the bone of his bone. And he named her woman because she was from him. This is the creation of Eve.

The Fruit And Trees Being Introduced To Adam

As God created man and his help meet and put them in the Garden of Eden, He gave instructions concerning the garden. More keenly, a garden contains a conglomeration of trees. This is why there are introductions to trees and their fruits in the book of Genesis.

Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

The trees in the garden as shown in the verse above are of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve are introduced to the trees when they are put in the garden. However, another introduction is given concerning the ones they should touch/interact with and those they should not. Again, as the humans were introduced, there is a crux on the fruits they can partake of and the ones they should not. The two trees from the verse above are all with the instructions. As God said in the verse below:

Gen 2:16 But the LORD God gave him this warning: "You may freely eat any fruit in the garden

17 except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die."

The instruction above is given to the man Adam. This is after he has been told to care for the things therein. Invariably, it literally means that as Adam is taking care of the trees in the garden, a tree will keep waxing strong, yet he should not partake of it.

Even though God said he would die, the death talked about here is spiritual. This is evident in the fact that God still discusses with them after they have eaten the fruit of the tree.

Animals and the Place of The Serpent

After God introduced and instructed Adam and Eve concerning the tree and fruit, other important events include that with the serpent. Reading from the verse above, it is obvious that the instruction concerning not eating the fruit was given when Eve was not yet formed. Yet, she was the one that was deceived as shown in the verse below:

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"

2 "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him.

3 "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die."

4 "You won't die!" the serpent hissed.

In the passage above, it is clear that it was the serpent that came to Eve concerning what was given to them. Leaving other usage of characters for the last chapter, the serpent is serving as an emblem of deception. The serpent is luring the woman against the instructions given to the husband. Though there might not be a clear place where God directly instructed the woman, the evidence that she knows about the instruction is seen in the fact that she responded with the same thing the God said.