When we speak of Adam and Eve, a question arises: why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit, knowing God’s command not to touch it? The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is a foundational narrative that reveals the creation of the first family, the entrance of sin into the world, and God’s redemptive plan.
God’s Command to Adam
God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden with a clear instruction:
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
Adam had full access to everything in the garden and could eat from any fruit, except the one from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This command set a clear boundary, testing Adam’s obedience.
The Creation of Eve and the First Family
After giving the command to Adam, God created a companion for him:
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:22-24)
In this moment, God established the first family on Earth, uniting Adam and Eve in a sacred bond. It can be said that God performed the first “marriage,” instituting the family as a perfect creation.
Why the Rib?
Why did God form Eve from Adam’s rib? Scientifically, humans have 12 pairs of ribs. For many Bible scholars, the number 12 symbolizes governmental perfection, often associated with divine authority and order. By creating Eve from Adam’s rib, God emphasized the perfection of the family unit, declaring that everything He creates is good and blessed. Any deviation from this original plan is the work of the enemy, who seeks to destroy what God has established.
The Temptation and the Fall
The narrative takes a dramatic turn when the serpent enters the scene. Before Eve’s creation, the enemy had not appeared in the garden. However, after the woman was formed, the serpent emerged to tempt the couple:
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not certainly die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)
Eve, persuaded by the serpent, exercised her free will and ate the forbidden fruit. She then offered it to Adam, who also ate, despite knowing God’s prohibition.
Why Did Eve Eat the Fruit?
The serpent deceived Eve, promising that eating the fruit would make her like God, knowing good and evil. Seduced by the fruit’s beauty and the serpent’s proposal, Eve succumbed to temptation, using her freedom of choice.
Why Did Adam Eat the Fruit?
Why did Adam, aware of God’s command, choose to eat the fruit? The answer lies in God’s purpose and the value of family. If only Eve had eaten, she would have been expelled from the garden, while Adam remained, resulting in the separation of the first family—something God does not approve. United with Eve as one flesh, Adam chose to share her fate, eating the fruit to preserve their unity.
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. (Genesis 3:23)
The disobedience of Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and both were expelled from the garden. Yet, the enemy, though he induced sin, could not destroy the family God created.
The Consequences of Sin
After sinning, Adam and Eve realized their nakedness and hid. In His mercy, God provided clothing:
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)
This act, involving the shedding of animal blood, symbolized the covering of sin and foreshadowed the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The blood shed in the garden pointed to the redemption that would be fulfilled on the cross.
Jesus Christ: The Last Adam
The story of Adam and Eve does not end in defeat. The Bible presents Jesus Christ as the “last Adam,” who came to restore what the first Adam lost:
Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:45-57)
The first Adam had perfect fellowship with God but failed in his mission. Jesus, the last Adam, overcame sin, death, and the afflictions of this world, showing that it is possible to restore communion with God. He declared:
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, we were redeemed from our sins, receiving the promise of eternal life.
Conclusion: The Victory of Family and Redemption
The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden teaches us about the perfection of the family created by God, the consequences of disobedience, and the hope of redemption. Though sin entered the world, the enemy could not destroy the family. The sacrifice of Jesus, the last Adam, brought victory over death and opened the way to salvation. May we live in obedience to God, valuing the family and trusting in Christ’s redemptive plan.
