Topical Bible: Temptation: Yielding to Adam and Eve

◄ Temptation: Yielding to Adam and Eve ►

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Introduction

The account of Adam and Eve's yielding to temptation is foundational in understanding the nature of sin and the human condition from a biblical perspective. This narrative, found in the Book of Genesis, serves as a pivotal moment in Scripture, illustrating the consequences of disobedience to God's command and the introduction of sin into the world.

The Setting

The account unfolds in the Garden of Eden, a paradise created by God for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. In this perfect environment, God provided everything they needed for life and sustenance. Among the trees in the garden, two are specifically mentioned: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God commanded Adam, "You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).

The Temptation

The serpent, described as more cunning than any other beast of the field, becomes the instrument of temptation. Approaching Eve, the serpent questions God's command, saying, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). This question introduces doubt and challenges the truthfulness and goodness of God's word.

Eve responds by affirming God's command but adds, "You must not touch it, or you will die" (Genesis 3:3). The serpent counters with a direct contradiction, "You will not surely die," and suggests that eating the fruit will open their eyes, making them like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5).

The Yielding

Eve, seeing that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom, takes the fruit and eats it. She also gives some to Adam, who is with her, and he eats as well (Genesis 3:6). This act of disobedience marks the first sin, as both Adam and Eve choose to follow their desires over God's command.

The Consequences

Immediately, their eyes are opened, and they realize their nakedness, leading to shame and the attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). When God confronts them, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. This passing of blame highlights the disruption in relationships caused by sin.

God pronounces curses as a result of their disobedience: the serpent is cursed above all animals, Eve is given pain in childbirth and a desire for her husband who will rule over her, and Adam is told that the ground is cursed because of him, leading to a life of toil and eventual death (Genesis 3:14-19).

Theological Implications

The yielding of Adam and Eve to temptation is not merely a historical account but carries profound theological implications. It explains the origin of sin and the fallen state of humanity. Through this act, sin entered the world, bringing death and separation from God. The narrative sets the stage for the need for redemption, which is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The account of Adam and Eve's temptation and fall is a reminder of the subtlety of sin and the importance of obedience to God's word. It underscores the reality of human free will and the consequences of choosing to act contrary to God's commands. This account serves as a foundational element in understanding the biblical narrative of creation, fall, and redemption.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 3:1-19
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Temptation
... in Adam's position; He could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain ...
He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 12 the temptation.htm

Moral Depravity.
... yields to the temptation, and this yielding, and not the temptation, is sin or moral
depravity. This is manifestly the way in which Adam and Eve became morally ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxiv moral depravity.htm

The Sinner's Excuses Answered
... Yielding to this temptation and making ... When Adam yielded to temptation, he made the
same change in his heart; he gave himself up to selfishness and sin. ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/vi the sinners excuses answered.htm

Essay
... in which is the fruit of a tree, yielding seed ... The next point, the third in order,
is the temptation, which he ... How long it was after the creation of Adam and Eve ...
/.../an essay on the mosaic account of the creation and fall of man/essay.htm

The Interpretation of the Early Narratives of the Old Testament
... it is a leaf from the diary of Adam and Eve ... Thus in all temptation the diviner impulses
struggle with those ... the call of the diviner, sin is the yielding to the ...
/.../xiv the interpretation of the.htm

How Sin came In
... The law to which Adam is to be obedient is in ... In the undeveloped condition of primitive
man temptation could only ... But the act of yielding was, as sin ever is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/how sin came in.htm

Chapter iii
... and verb, here emphatically stands first, yielding the emphasis we ... that at the outset,
when the temptation began, Adam ... On the one hand, contrasting Adam and Eve ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter iii.htm

Questions and Answers
... other, and have not the slightest fear in yielding themselves to ... This experience
does not place us beyond temptation. ... not in the image of God as Adam and Eve ...
/.../byers/sanctification/chapter xii questions and answers.htm

From the Creation to the Fall.
... The temptation was to better herself ... Adam was not directly approached, but he willfully
disobeyed without ... does not originate in God but in man's yielding to his ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter i from the creation.htm

Sin and Grace
... The wave of temptation may even wash you higher up upon ... his greater grace, a good
reason for yielding to him ... never have dreamed, had we lived with Adam and Eve ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/sin and grace.htm