Disobedience To The Lord
The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:6-7 (CSB)
The freedom granted to humanity in creation allowed them to either obey or disobey the Lord. In Genesis 3, we encounter the first instance of disobedience, which brought the plague of sin and a death sentence upon all humanity. This disobedience occurred as humanity succumbed to the temptation of the evil one.
DISOBEDIENCE WAS FUELED BY AMBITION
As Eve approached the tree, she noticed that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. This phrase reveals that Eve’s disobedience was fueled by the desire stemming from ambition. This desire was not unique to Eve; rather, it is a stumbling block that continues to exist today. Humanity has a tendency to gaze at sin through the lens of ambition, believing it can provide us with something we lack. Ultimately, ambition is a tool of the evil one that tempts us to become blind to the ways of the Lord and to respond out of the desires of the flesh.
DISOBEDIENCE WAS FUELED BY APPETITE
Eve “saw that the tree was good for food.” The moment Eve recognized the food as good to eat, she allowed her fleshly appetite to guide her instead of her faithfulness to the Lord. The appetite of the flesh drives us to respond without discernment and react without thought. When we let the appetite of our fallen nature compel us to act, we often find ourselves consuming what the Lord has forbidden.
DISOBEDIENCE WAS FUELED BY AESTHETICS
Eve recognized the tree as “delightful to look at.” This phrase indicates that Eve was swayed by the tree's appearance and its fruit. She was more focused on the outward look than on the true nature of the fruit and the tree. The act of disobedience was driven by it looking good and not by what is right. Let us not be to hard on Eve, humanity continues to be driven by what looks right and good more than what is right and good.
QUESTIONS
How do these three factors of driving disobedience continue to impact humanity today?
How do these three factors of driving disobedience appear in areas such as social media?
