What is The Fall of Man in the Bible?
The Fall of man in the Bible refers to the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
The scripture says, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden with the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
However, they were tempted by the serpent, who convinced them to eat the forbidden fruit.
And As a result, they disobeyed God's command.
This act of disobedience brought sin and death into the world and resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
But the question is what really led to this rebellious disobedience. Why did they disobey God.
I studied, and I came across 2 glaring, yet Unnoticed Acts that led to the fall of man.
Let's see them.
The Glaring, Yet Unnoticed Acts That Makes man to fall in the garden
“…And everything was very good”… Genesis 1:31
Generally speaking, it is undisputable that everything was good (perfect so to say); In His image made He man, suggest the perfect and upright estate of man.
However, imperfection (fall of man) came from that which was presumed to be perfect. This is because a test of perfection was soon established through a command that:
“… But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:…” Genesis 1:16-17.
But man cannot but (even in his upright and perfect estate) do the do not.
A sin called disobedience. And everything that was good and perfect initially was soon plunged into chaos, and all manner of evils entered into the perfect world.
Also, man was soon dispatched from the presence of God (Eden), sin and death spread to all; this defines the FALL OF MAN.
Broadly, anyone may likely conclude that the fall of man was as a result of disobedience and such and one would be right.
However, the major reasons that led to the very act of disobedience are glaring and many times unnoticed.
Considering the perfect manner and the upright estate of man, there remains no doubt indeed that there are some reasons or acts that makes man to disobey. Read on as I shed light on them.
What Led To The Fall of Man?
1. Evil Communication
Communication is a vital force of nature created by God whose importance cannot be overemphasized, because the world would just be in a rigid place where there would be no growth, interaction, development among others.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
The above verse shows that God never abandoned them in the garden, He often visit and commune with them.
“Evil communication corrupt good manners”
Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Nevertheless, Eve, an upright and perfect mannered being had her manners corrupted because she communed with the devil.
Adam is there for her to communicate with or make enquires from; God is also there to address her curiosity, yet, she went outside.
2 peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
The same can be said of many Christians these days entirely; many got their good manners corrupted, and their upright estate besmirched not because of anything but because of the acquaintances they choose.
“Show me your friends and I will show you who you are”
2. Longing For Power and Wisdom
In view of the foregoing; behind every communication is a flow; a flow of information. Information in turn brings about power and wisdom.
Genesis 3:5-6
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
“…Ye shall be as gods…”, “…and a tree to be desired to make one wise” indicates that the woman wasn’t conscious of her perfect and upright estate; hence, she wanted some level of power or authority (being like god), accompanied by more wisdom.
Her longing for power and wisdom I came to understand because, the woman who desires to be like god has for some times (many perhaps), seen the beauty, glory and the splendor of God while He was walking or communing with them in the garden.
The devil beguiled her indeed: “to be like god”
The tree that was never the kind to be desired for anything became good for food and pleasant to the eye. Gen 3:6, why? Because it can make one to become wise and also be like a god.
The teacher rightly put it when he said:
Eccl 7: 29 “ lo, this only have I found; that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
The woman was actually seeking to have power and become wise the more; and this in turn led to the fall of man.
NB: this article is not saying that some levels of power/authority and wisdom is not good, of course they are, but the source of getting them matters most.
“If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask from Him (God) who giveth…” James 1:5.
Conclusively: man fell as a result of disobedience, and the two major reasons that led to the act are evil communication and longing for power and wisdom.
This is therefore a reminder for us to shun evil communion and in our getting of power and wisdom; God should never be neglected.
Feel free to share your thoughts.