Deceived by the Serpent
Read Genesis 3:1–7. What criteria did Eve use to choose between
God’s word and that of the serpent?
Genesis 3 is one of the clearest examples of the psychology of
temptation. God had warned Adam and Eve that if they ate the for-
bidden fruit, they would certainly die (Gen. 2:16, 17). Assuming the
form of a serpent, Satan used several rhetorical strategies to mislead
Eve into sin.
First, he generalized God’s specific prohibition. He asked her, “ ‘Has
God really said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” ’ ” (Gen.
3:1, NASB). Eve counterargued that the prohibition was in regard only
to that specific tree, for if they were ever to eat from it or touch it, they
would die.
Then, Satan contradicted God’s statement. He asserted categorically,
“ ‘You certainly will not die!’ ” (Gen. 3:4, NASB).
And finally, Satan accused God of deliberately suppressing essen-
tial knowledge from her and her husband. The deceiver argued, “ ‘For
God knows that on the day you eat from it [the forbidden fruit] your
eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good
and evil’ ” (Gen. 3:5, NASB).
Eve’s curiosity led her onto the enchanted ground of Satan. There
she was forced to decide either to remain faithful to God’s restraining
command or to embrace Satan’s seductive allurements. Doubting God’s
word, she used her own senses—the empirical method, that of personal
observation—to decide between the two conflicting statements.
First, she saw that from a dietary perspective, “the tree was good
for food.” Second, from an aesthetic viewpoint, she saw that “it was a
delight to the eyes.” Third, from a logical analysis, “the tree was desir-
able to make one wise.” Hence, in her own mind, she certainly had good
reasons to heed the words of the serpent and to eat from the forbidden
tree. Unfortunately, this is what she did.
Some people argue that all forms of knowledge are valid, as long as
we retain “that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21, NASB). But the tragic
experiences of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden demonstrate that
knowledge, in and of itself, can be very detrimental. There are some
things that, indeed, we are better off not knowing.
What does this account teach us about how easy it is to rational-
ize and justify our sinful choices?
