No Laughing Matter

Back in my earlier years there was a popular comedian whose trademark line was, "The devil made me do it!"  He meant it for laughter, but when those words first appeared in the holy story of God and His people, it was no laughing matter.  As the taste of the fruit of the to be left alone tree soured in her mouth, Eve heard the Lord God asking, "What is this that you have done?"  (Genesis 3:13)  Her husband had already blamed her, so as she sought to move the blame elsewhere, she saw the serpent who had lingered.  She seized the moment and said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."  (Genesis 3:13)

 

The Lord God did not laugh.  Neither did He shrug His shoulders in disbelief.  He did not say, "Oh, I see, now I understand.  It's ok.  After all, no one is perfect."  As we read the story, we learn none of these were the responses of the Lord God there in the garden.  Instead, He turned directly to the serpent saying, "...cursed are you among all animals..."  (Genesis 3:14)  The Lord God did not excuse the woman, but neither did He dismiss the power of the temptation she heard whispered in her ear.  There was even in a place like the Garden of Eden the possibility of making wrong choices, choices that would be disappointing to the Creator, and choices which would sever the special relationship with Him.

 

With His response we see evidence that the Lord God took the possibility seriously.  Even on those primal grounds of beginning there lurked the possibility of choosing evil over good.  It was not a possibility at which to laugh, or take lightly.   Both of the two who had lived in the garden were driven out of their home with the Lord God and would endure the consequences of their choice, but the way God responded to them enables us to see that the one bent on doing evil is powerful and that God understands how powerful is the lurking evil in the world.  He did not excuse their choice, but they were not eternally condemned because of it.  Instead, they continued to live inside His mercy.