Eve: hath God said?
Today's focusThe serpent questions God's word to the woman, 'Yea, hath God said?' and tells her she will not die; she eats the fruit and gives it to her husband who is with her, and the eyes of them both are opened to their shame.
Read
1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But 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. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For 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. 6And 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. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Reflection
In the quiet of the garden, a "subtil" voice introduces a shadow of doubt. The serpent begins by questioning the boundaries God established, asking the woman, "Yea, hath God said?" This moment is not just about a tree or its fruit; it is a challenge to the reliability of God’s word. The serpent suggests that God is withholding something valuable, promising the woman that "ye shall not surely die" and that her eyes would be opened to become "as gods."
When you face moments of uncertainty, remember that the temptation to doubt often starts by questioning what is true and good. The woman saw that the tree was "pleasant to the eyes" and "desired to make one wise," choosing to rely on her own sight rather than what had been spoken. After she and her husband ate, their eyes were indeed opened, but they found only the heavy weight of their own nakedness. In our own lives, seeking wisdom apart from God can lead us away from peace and into the "aprons" of our own making as we try to cover our shame.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
What lies about God's goodness are you most tempted to believe, and how can you answer them with what God has really said?
Pray
Lord, the enemy still whispers, 'Hath God said?' Keep me close to your true word and help me trust your goodness. Thank you that even after the fall you did not give up on us.