The Source Of Conflict.

 

And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die:
Genesis 3:4.

If Adam and Eve were created to be in fellowship with God and one another, what happened? Genesis 3 explains the initial source of the conflict between women and men. The devil, in the form of a serpent, tempted the first woman, Eve, to eat what God had forbidden her to eat. Personally, I don’t think this was the first time the serpent had approached her. First, she didn’t seem surprised to see him or to hear him speaking. Second, I believe they had talked earlier about God’s instructions because of the way the devil phrased his crafty question: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”. He wanted to cast doubt on Eve’s understanding of what God had said. Eve replied, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’”. She had most of her information correct, so the devil’s next ploy was to try to undermine God’s integrity in her eyes. “You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’”. Eve succumbed to the temptation, Adam joined her of his own free will, and they both ate of the fruit of the tree. This decision to reject God’s purposes resulted in the spiritual deaths of the man and the woman. It was the beginning of the conflict between man and God and men and women that we are still dealing with today.

A Place Of God’s Continual Presence.

The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9.

God chose a special place on the planet and put His anointing on it for the sake of man, whom He had created. First Adam, and then Eve, as well, was placed in a delightful environment~ a little spot of heaven on earth. A central reason that God placed Adam and Eve in the garden was so that they could be in His presence all the time. They could walk and talk with the Lord in the cool of the day. They could hear God’s voice. This was a place where communion, fellowship, and oneness with God was always intact. A manufacturer will always position a part in the location where it can best carry out its purpose. God, as our Maker, chose the best possible location and plan for mankind. Thus far, one can conclude about the environment of the garden that the primary purpose of man is to be in God’s presence. Man is not wired to function outside the presence of the Lord. Here’s the significance: God never intended for Adam and Eve to move from the garden. He intended for the garden to move over the earth. God wanted them to take the presence of the garden and spread it throughout the world. This is what He meant when He told Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth. This is still God’s purpose. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. They could fulfill this purpose only if they were in constant communion with the God of Eden.