Q&A: Did Eve sin by adding to God's command regarding the forbidden fruit?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>Q&A: Did Eve sin by adding to God's command regarding the forbidden fruit?</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Dear M., </div> <bR> <div> You asked a question concerning Eve. You wrote:</div> <bR> <div> From the beginning, I've been thinking of something else, that I couldn't express until I thought of our mother Eve tonight. Where did the thought of it being sin to even touch the tree come from if not from within Eve herself (or within Adam, if she was repeating what he told her)? It could not have come from God, or Satan, because God said nothing about touching the tree, and she had the thought BEFORE the serpent said anything. I believe Eve heard an inner voice--her own--and she added to the word of God. Perhaps Satan used that, and pushed her up against that tree, and after that she thought she had nothing to lose. The point is that she believed something without any help from God or Satan.</div> <bR> <div> You have arrived at a number of conclusions here that need to be tested. I have heard other preachers and saints on numerous occasions declare that Eve added to the word of God here. They base this on the two verses that are below:</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 2:17<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 3:2-3</div> <div> The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" </div> <bR> <div> Did Eve add to the command of God by including the phrase, "or touch it"? Remember, she had not yet sinned by partaking of the forbidden fruit. Would not adding to the word of God have been sin? Those who conclude that she added to the word of God wrongfully (sinfully) are saying that Eve was a sinner before she ever ate of the forbidden fruit. This would mean that the original sin occurred sometime before she partook of the forbidden fruit.</div> <bR> <div> Let me share with you another evidence to consider in this matter. The Scriptures in the early pages of Genesis display a pattern of revealing something in brief summary, and then expounding upon it further in a later passage, giving us additional information. We find this in the following verses:</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:27 </div> <div> God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. </div> <bR> <div> Genesis 2:20-22 </div> <div> The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. Yahweh God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. </div> <bR> <div> I have read where some people have expressed erroneous ideas concerning the creation of man based upon the verse in Genesis chapter 1. Some have tried to state that man always existed as male and female, and this idea could be supported if we only read Genesis 1:27. However, we read in the next chapter that Adam was dwelling all alone and there was no suitable helper for him. This went on for some time, for Adam had time to view all the animals God had created and to give them names. After Adam had reviewed and named all the animals, then God acted to create woman from out of man. So we see that some additional information is now given us that we did not receive in the first mention of this event.</div> <bR> <div> It is not too difficult to imagine then that in the first brief mention of God's command to the man and woman to not eat of the tree that we have not been given all the details. When we find this event revisited, and expanded upon, we find that Eve declares that God told them not only to not eat of the fruit, but not to touch it. Why should we believe that she lied about this? At this point the only fallen creature present was the Serpent. We could well imagine that his words were lies, but why would we imagine that Eve was also being duplicitous in her words? There is no basis for such a charge. It is more plausible to believe that God did tell Adam and Eve to not eat, or touch, the forbidden fruit, and that we are now being given further information that was not revealed at the first mention of God's command.</div> <bR> <div> There are other Scriptures that reveal God forbidding people to touch a certain thing, and that the very act of touching it would result in death. Following are some examples.</div> <bR> <div> Exodus 19:12<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, "Beware that you do not go up on the mountain <I><B>or touch</B></I> the border of it; <I><B>whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death</B></I>.</div> <bR> <div> II Samuel 6:6-7<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, <I><B>Uzzah reached out</B></I> toward the ark of God <I><B>and took hold of it</B></I>, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, <I><B>and God struck him down</B></I> there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. </div> <bR> <div> II Corinthians 6:17<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And<I><B> do not touch what is unclean</B></I>; and I will welcome you."</div> <bR> <div> It seems to me that there are many parallels in these verses and the admonition to not eat, or touch, the forbidden fruit. Regarding God's holy mountain, the injunction was two-fold, "do not go up on the mountain" and "do not touch it." The injunction that Eve spoke of was also two-fold, "you shall not eat from it or touch it." As I have examined this matter by the Spirit of God I have never sensed that there was error present in what Eve spoke. Her error was in listening to the serpent and in submitting to his deception. The serpent, however, said nothing to her about not touching the fruit, so why would we believe that she was already sinning by adding to the words of God? It is my conviction that she spoke truthfully regarding the command that had been given to her, and she did not add to it, or take away from it.</div> <bR> <div> Remember also, that when God pronounced judgment on Adam, Eve and the serpent, He did not make any mention of Eve adding to His commandment. If she had done so, and this adding to His command had been the actual original sin, would not Yahweh have mentioned it? It seems to me that He would have.</div> <bR> <div> I do not condemn you in any way for judging Eve as a transgressor BEFORE she ever transgressed in eating the forbidden fruit. However, I do want to point out how easy it is to condemn the righteous and justify the wicked by having a wrong understanding of Scripture. Although Eve died many years ago, she still lives before God. Therefore, making a judgment against her is no different than if you made a judgment against a living person. One day you and I will have an opportunity to meet those people from former ages, and it would be good to know that we did not falsely judge them, but that we judged with righteous judgment. I think many men and women will owe Eve and apology in that day for condemning her in an action that deserves no condemnation. Many will in that day realize that she did not add to God's command, and their judgment of her as a transgressor actually arose out of their own misinterpretation of the Scriptures. They will realize then that they judged things with the rational mind, rather than waiting upon the Spirit to discern the truth. Look at the conclusions you have drawn concerning Eve:</div> <bR> <div> I believe Eve heard an inner voice--her own--and she added to the word of God. Perhaps Satan used that, and pushed her up against that tree, and after that she thought she had nothing to lose. The point is that she believed something without any help from God or Satan.</div> <bR> <div> You have Eve hearing inner voices, and you have her adding to the word of God, and she already stands condemned in your mind. You then postulate about the serpent pushing her up against the tree, and you suggest that she then thought she had nothing to lose in eating of its fruit.</div> <bR> <div> None of these conclusions are verifiable from the testimony of Scriptures. You have falsely judged Eve in this matter of adding to the command of God, and you have also attributed to her a rationale for eating of the fruit that is extra-Biblical, and which is in fact contrary to Scriptures. The Scriptures do not say that Eve ate of the fruit because she felt she had nothing to lose. The Scriptures say she ate of it because she was deceived by the Serpent. The Serpent said nothing to her about touching the fruit, nor are we told that he pushed her against the tree.</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 3:13<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."</div> <bR> <div> II Corinthians 11:3<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. </div> <bR> <div> I Timothy 2:14<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. </div> <bR> <div> I believe the lesson God is wanting to teach us is that we cannot judge things by our rational mind as we examine the Scriptures. We must be Spirit led, or we will always condemn the innocent and justify the wicked.</div> <bR> <div> May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days, </div> <bR> <div> Joseph </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>