What, exactly, was Eve’s sin?
The simple answer of Eve’s sin is that she ate of the tree. But is it really that simple? God had one rule for Eden: Eat of whatever you want, but not of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (2:17). In all of Creation, this was the only action prohibited for Adam & Eve. We see no prohibition of anything else, whether thought or deed. Curious!
If we look closely at Gen 3:6 we see a bit of lusting going on. Last time I checked, lust counted as sin.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
As I break it down, I see the following:
“saw that the tree was good for food” = lust of the flesh;
“was a delight to the eyes” = lust of the eyes;
“was desirable to make one wise” = pride of life.
I find it highly curious that this lust list looks very similar to 1 Jn 2:16. Clearly she contemplated the fruit – for an unspecified amount of time. Considering how human nature works, I’m betting it wasn’t a one-time session with the serpent. Was it days? Weeks? Longer? And when she finally crossed the line, Adam was standing “with her”. Was the action premeditated, or did she slip by under-estimating her adversary? Did they discuss it together and cross that line in unison, or did she spring it on her unsuspecting husband?
When discussing it with my wife last week, I raised the question of Eve’s lust. She thought I was reading into it a bit too much. I asked how she might feel if I looked at a neighbor’s wife using Eve’s “3-step plan”; would that be a sin, even if I didn’t touch said woman? She instantly changed her mind.
Fast-forward to the New Testament: we do not see Eve’s lust listed as sin; in fact, we see Adam as the main sinner – by taking of the tree, not lusting after it.
How very curious!
My questions:
-Is this really lust (even though the same thoughts directed at someone you’re not married to would most certainly count as lust)?
-Was this lust sin, or did they operate under a different set of rules? (remember: the *only* prohibition for them in thought, word or action was an action: that they not take and eat of that tree. Compare this singular rule to the myriad of ways we can sin today.)
-Why is Adam often credited with the first sin, even though Scripture consistently says that it was Eve who sinned first.
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