From the very beginning of humankind’s existence God looked on us, his creation, and declared us good. He was pleased with what he created, male and female (Genesis 1:27-28).

And from the very beginning we modeled the image of the creator we were fashioned after: creative, curious, authoritative, caregivers, intuitive, and ruling. God gave us a playground of beautiful creatures and bestowed on us the rights to govern them. He created us in his image, the creator of the universe, with all of his love for beauty and a desire to create.

New Rules

We took the ability to create and rule and developed new rules to play by. In Genesis 3 the serpent asked Eve, the mother of all mankind, to define the rules God had set out for her. The Bible calls him the shrewdest of all creatures as he twists the words of God into a question allowing room for interpretation. And of course Eve bites. She is confronted for the first time with one who is shedding doubt on her God, on her beliefs, and she adds rules to protect them by.

This may be the first time in Scripture that this occurs, but it is not the last. Christ admonishes the Pharisees, quoting Isaiah as prophecy to their hypocrisy. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:8-9 NET).” Paul later admonishes the Galatians who are returning to the law Christ had redeemed them from. “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (Galatians 4:24-25 NKJV).”

To protect herself from erring, Eve adds to the law. In adding to the law, the serpent is able to form an argument against it. When the Pharisees added to the already extensive list of rules they obscured the message of grace that was on its way. When the Galatians reverted back to the law from which they had been saved, they were in essence saying Christ is not enough. It is difficult to place our salvation in the hands of another, even if that other is our Creator. We were created in God’s image, to be curious and ruling, it is not a simple thing to hand over the reigns of our destiny.

Ultimately, Adam and Eve choose to eat from the tree of knowledge and attempt to become like God. Being created in His image was not enough. They seek equality with their maker. This is a precedent that is set into motion and continues throughout human history. They weren’t the first nor would they be the last.

Following in Eve’s Footsteps

Isaiah 14:12-15 speaks of the King of Babylon and eludes to Lucifer being cast from heaven (predating the creation story).

Ezekiel speaks to the King of Tyra who believes his wealth has made him equal to God, “Your heart is proud and you said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas’- yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike (28:2 NET).” Ezekiel eludes to Lucifer’s riches, corruption and destruction in 28:12-18, comparing the destruction of the King of Tyra to the path laid out for Lucifer.

This story of seeking to be equal to or higher then God is a theme throughout scripture and modern literature. Tradition tells us that Lucifer, after falling from heaven for seeking the throne, took the form of a serpent to tempt Eve into joining him in his pursuit of equality.

In Genesis 9:7 God gave Noah a command. A command to be fruitful and multiply filling the entire earth. Instead we find his descendants together in one place, creating, clustering, and declaring their greatness. It is only through God’s intervention that they follow the path they were given, a path that would lead to salvation for all mankind. The before mentioned verses found in Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of rulers who were not content with the domain they were given but sought to be equals with God, they chose to follow in the footsteps of Lucifer. A path the serpent laid out for Eve, one she chose to partake in.

God’s Grace

What is remarkable is the grace that God extends. Rather then restarting his creation, he sets into motion means of protection and restoration. He kills his own creation, an innocent animal under the protection of man, and creates clothing to cover Adam and Eve’s shame. The first death recorded and a clear example of the harm that comes when one in authority falters. God casts Adam and Eve from the garden, where they had access to the tree of life, so that they can not eat of it and eternally live in the struggle of good and evil. He gave them companionship in each other and purpose in working the land. He protected them and he gave them hope for a better tomorrow. He gave them an end to the struggle, a promise that to dust they would return.

Romans 2:4 NKJV

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

1. What rules have you set forth in your life or that of your family to protect them? Are these rules made out of fear or a need for control or do they come from God?

2. Share a time where you have set the expectations so high that it has caused you or another to stumble.

If you enjoyed this post you can read more at BibleGuy.org where I guest posted on Eve: Guilt or Hope.