Innocence Lost

Genesis 3
In just a few minutes, the innocence died. Unending life in fellowship with an adoring God was gone. Perfectly harmonious companionship was gone. Ownership of the earth was gone. Relationship without shame was gone.

It started with deception. God’s command to the people was to subdue the earth. It makes sense that wild things don’t want to be tamed. That’s why it also makes sense that one shouldn’t be taking advice from the very thing that doesn’t wish to be subdued.

The serpent was very crafty. Eve disobeyed the one command she was given. Adam joined her in it.

Then the innocence died.

The results of rebelling against God were devastating. Immediately, they both experienced shame.

Shame causes people to hide. They became aware of their faults and hid from God in order to hide them. In running from Him, they disconnected themselves from Him. Without Him, they were destined to die.

Shame leads people to look for someone to blame. Adam blamed Eve and God, Eve blamed the serpent. Shame says, “don’t look at my failure, look at someone else’s.”

Rebellion also resulted in hardship. The earth would no longer cooperate with Adam. Eve would feel severe pain with the joy of birth. Without God, life is very hard.

Barbara and I were talking about the loss of innocence. I wondered if or how we could get it back. She doubted it because we know too much about good and evil, the thing that the forbidden fruit promised. Of course, she is right. But in a sense, shouldn’t salvation begin a process back toward innocence? It is something I think about, and dream about. One day, there will be a new earth and things will be the way they were before the fall.