BACK TO THE GARDEN

Genesis 2:16,17 - And the Lord God commanded the man (he/she), saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

The command was given to man when man was a he/she, so both Adam and Eve knew what was said. There was no ignorance on either's part about what God had said. When God took Eve from Adam's side He gave her dominion in borders. Helpmeet in Genesis 2 means to revolve, surround, border. The he spirit is to cover; the she spirit is to surround, border. The she spirit has influence on the he heart. Satan went after Eve to have her use her God given influence over Adam and lead him to disobey God and therefore sin.

Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil invoked the law of sin and death (Romans 5:12,13) thereby both sin and death entered the world.

Romans 5:12,13 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when their is no law.

Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil man fell from light to darkness. (I John 1:6,7) Man fell from the light of God (I John 1:5b - God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.) to the darkness of the world (I John 2:11 - But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not where he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.)

I John 1:6,7 - If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Genesis 3:1 - And the serpent was crafty above every animal of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it true that God has said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?

Satan challenged what they heard. His attack was really aimed at the Godhead. The disobeience needed to be against all three persons of the Godhead. It needed to be total. He was attacking, and trying to remove, God's sovereignty over His creation. He uses the same technique today. If a person does not recognize an accusation and yields to it, satan has dominion over them at that point. People cannot overcome the accuser if they don't recognize an accusation. It is imparative that the Body of Christ learn who the real enemy is and not do his dirty work for him. It is satan that accuses the brethren, Christians are not suppose to accuse each other. So, let us learn how to recognize an accusation.

Satan asked what was true, not what was the truth. Accusations focus you on what is true, what are the facts? True - a single point - and away from truth. What is truth shows the whole and its many pieces. True narrows the focus down to tunnel vision on a single word or fact, going from broad to narrow to one word focus.

What is true may be an accurate fact - but it is stated without mercy or grace and usually stated as a question - is it true? Looking at the facts point the focus to the Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil (the knowledge of right or wrong, true or false, good or bad.) This tree is a knowledge tree and it is clouded by darkness. The result of eating the knowledge from this tree is doubt - doubt of God. Eve already was doubting God.

Truth is seeing things from God the Son's eyesight. The Blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11) is the eyesalve for mankind's eyesight.

Revelation 3:18c - and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Satan turned God's statement around, converting it from a positive to a negative statement. From of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat, to you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?

Satan challenged God's commandment using the negative. The result was elicitation of a response to clarify, defend, or justify God. People respond to the negative. See a sign 'Do not touch', people are motivated to touch. The negative focus elicited Eve to respond.

Genesis 3:2,3 - And the woman said unto the the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

In her response Eve misquoted and added to God's commandment. The tree in the midst of the garden was the Tree of Life not the Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil. 'Neither shall ye touch it' is an addition to God's commandment. Elicitation of a response was the result of converting God's positive statement to a negative statement. But the negative focus also elicits a rejection of the commandment. Eve was already rejecting what God had said.

Mark 7:9,13 - And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of none effect through your traditions, which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye.

The positive focus promotes love of God. It promotes obedience to His Word. It builds the word of testimony in faithful lives. (Revelation 12:11)

I John 5:3 - For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous,

Genesis 3:4 - And the serpent said unto the woman, Dying, you shall not die. (Hebrew) Ye shall not surely die: (King James)

Satan capitalized on the facts Eve give him and centered on one word - die. (Revelation 12:11 - love not your life unto death.) The focus of his challenge was now totally narrowed on one fact, one word, one truism. The trap was sprung, Eve had already fell. Eve misquoted the command, so did Satan. Eve added to the command, so did Satan. Eve focused on the punishment for disobedience of the command, so did Satan. Hatred toward God and His Sovereignty has occured.

Satan added to God's word - ye shall not die.

Revelation 22:18 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.

Satan's addition cancelled out and took away from what God said. It removed the effect and punishment for sin - you can sin, you won't suffer anything if you do.

Revelation 22:19 - And if any man shall take away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.

Satan declared God a liar. The result was that Eve declared God a liar also.

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

The accusation has done its dirty work. Eve has fallen. God's sovereignty over her was lost. Satan now owned her and she would do his bidding. Eve influenced Adam against God. Man has fallen from light to darkness; fallen from life to death; fallen from love to hate. This is the result of not recognizing an accusation - darkness, death, hate.

Revelation 12:11 - And they overcome him (the accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.

You can not overcome the accuser if you don't recognize an accusation!

Author, Jacqueline L. Davis