Condemned Out of Our Own Mouths

Condemned Out of Our Own Mouths

Genesis 3:1-13

            A minister colleague of mine once said that it makes no difference whether the story of Adam and Eve is actually true or an allegory.  The lessons to be learned are the same.  I agree.  We spend too much time trying to prove biblical facts and not enough time trying to understand God’s message to us in the Bible.

When we consider this story we usually focus on the encounters between Eve and the serpent, and between Eve and Adam.  There are certainly lessons to be learned from them. 

Satan knows just what temptation will get through our defenses.  In Eve’s case it was an appeal to her ego—as, in a way, is all temptation:

            “God said you will die?  Surely not!  You won’t die.  God doesn’t want you to eat of that fruit because it will make you too wise.  You’ll know everything—understand everything.  Why, you’ll know so much you’ll be like God.  Wouldn’t that be something!”

            Here’s a problem:  if God had created humankind without an ego we would have been puppets, hanging around waiting for God to pull our strings and move us from one place to another.  On the other hand, it is our ego that makes us want our own way instead of following God’s commands.  God allows us to choose which path we will take.

            When Jesus said (Matthew 11:29), “Take my yoke upon you; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” he was, in a way, echoing what God had said to Adam and Eve.  “The rules are simple.  Enjoy the world that I’ve created for you.  Only one thing I command:  Don’t eat of this tree.  Stay away from it and all will be well.”  What could be simpler?  What could be easier?

            The promise of wisdom was too much of a temptation for Eve.  She couldn’t resist.  Adam joined her in disobedience.  In Paradise Lost, John Milton argues that Adam found out that Eve had broken God’s commands he was sure God would carry out the sentence of death.  Because he loved Eve so much he couldn’t bear to face life without her.  Rather than be left alone he ate of the fruit in order to share her punishment.  Sounds reasonable, but we’ll never know this side of heaven what really happened.

            Let’s look at what happened after Adam and Eve disobeyed.  They realized they were naked.  That was the extent, it seems, of their newfound wisdom:  they knew they had no clothes.  Rather than continue in that condition, they made themselves coverings of fig leaves, then hid when they heard God’s voice.  When God asked them where they were, Adam replied, “I heard your voice and was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

            That’s all he needed to say to demonstrate his guilt.  He was condemned out of his own mouth.  He didn’t have to say, “I disobeyed your command.”  When he said he was naked he admitted that he knew more than he had before.  God knew immediately what he and Eve had done.

            When we were children we frequently condemned ourselves out of our own mouths.  Those of us who are parents have watched our children replicate this behavior.  No one has to accuse us.  In trying to avoid the consequences of our actions we say the words that let everyone know we did wrong.

            How often we do this with God!  God knows what we’ve done.  God sees it in our faces, hears it in our voices, and observes it in our actions.  Like Adam and Eve we stand before God, accused by our own behavior, knowing we are guilty, but hoping to be forgiven.