In the beginning of the Book of Genesis, we see that God has placed man in the Garden and made for him a companion, woman. Life would appear to be perfect. God had provided for His creation all that they would need in this life and more, but temptation was coming.
In Genesis 3:1, the serpent asked the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” The woman answered the serpent in verse 2, explaining that they could not touch or eat of the tree in the midst of the garden or else they would die. The serpent was so cunning and clever, and he knew exactly what to say. The serpent spoke to the woman in verses 4 and 5 and said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Notice the temptation here is not just about eating food for nourishment. Yes, the fruit was “pleasant to the eyes,” and was very “good for food,” but the tree provided something more than nourishment. It provided knowledge of good and evil. It provided a way to “be like God.”
In Matthew 4, we see Jesus, God in the flesh, in a secluded place, the wilderness. The Spirit had taken Him there to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights, and at the end of this time, He was hungry. The devil spoke to Jesus in this physically weak condition and said, “If You are the Son of God command that these stones become bread.” Jesus could have succumbed to the devil’s temptation, but instead He replied, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Jesus knew who He was, and He knew what His purpose was here on this earth.
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve did not make the same decision that Jesus made when it came to being tempted. Eve took of the fruit, ate and gave to her husband, and he ate. We, like Adam and Eve, lose sight of who we are and what our purpose is here on earth. We must be more like Jesus. We must all come to realize, it is not about us, it’s about Him.
