Forbidden Fruit and Lost Innocence

Try to picture what may very well have been the single worst moment in the history of the human race: Adam and his wife Eve standing outside the gorgeous Garden of Eden. Banished. An angel with a flaming sword guaranteed they would never again experience the intimate walks and talked with God, the thorn-less ground, or the delicious fruit from the Garden of Eden. In their place Adam and Eve felt only nagging, haunting emotions of guilt, fear, and shame. Paradise Lost By a single act of rebellion against God, Adam and Eve had declared their independence. They had done more than merely eat a piece of forbidden fruit. At a deeper level, they had defined the clear-cut command of their maker. They had listened to the seductive voice of the tempter and succumbed to their own pride. They had overtly challenged the right of the Almighty God to guide and direct their lives, exercising authority and power over their own lives. The consequences of that deplorable decision were catastrophic: the curse of their Creator, death, sorrow, and life of pain and regret-not only for them but for all their descendants. At some point, Adam and Eve must have taken one last look at Eden, then turned away. Were they quiet? Who spoke first? Did they blame each other? Or did they fall into each other's arms? The Gift of Hope As they began to reflect on the terrible, final moments in the Garden, they must have thought of the sorrow in God's voice when He called out "Where are you?" And the puzzling curse on the serpent kept running through their minds (Gen.3:14, 15). According to God, the serpent would inflict yet more pain and suffering on the human race, but in the end he would be crushed by the Seed of Eve. It was a small ray of hope, a glimmer of a promise that paradise would not remain lost forever, a promise of a Deliverer and Savior (fulfilled in Jesus Christ, see Gal. 3:16, 19-26). Perhaps they also recalled the gentle way the Lord had graciously provided them with clothes just before their departure-a hint of God's love, His mercy. Soon it must have become clear to them that the loss in Eden was as much God's as theirs. The more they reflected, the more they must have become convinced that God wanted to restore them to Himself. The long wait for God's promised salvation had begun. Today, unlike Adam and Eve, we don't have to wait. The day of salvation is already here (2 Cor. 6:2). Jesus has already come to save us from our sins. If you believe in Him, you can be reconciled to your creator today and can look forward to living with Him in Paradise (see John 3:16 and Rev. 2:7 for the clear promises of God concerning eternal life). Taken from the Prophecy Study Bible by John C. Hagee