Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden

                       Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden

The Bible account (Genesis 2; 3) of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden may seem like somebody's made up story to teach children that the real world is filled with dangers that in growing up we must learn to overcome. There are no talking snakes, no fruit on trees that give life and knowledge of good and evil, no God who walks and talks among us, and the devil is only fear of the dark. This story is not an actual event testable by empirical science, but only a primitive myth.
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But could we be making assumptions we can't prove, or have misunderstandings? The theory that the world is matter, is not matter itself, knowledge and information require a thinking mind. And if physicists can honestly admit space, time and matter came into being, it's being may not be detectable physical energy such as gravity, but an infinite mind or God present everywhere. And if there's God who can create a universe from nothing, He would have no problem creating a man and woman as the account describes. Even a simple bacteria is a city of interacting machines. Its complexity, unity, and precision could never be the produce of random process even in unlimited time. It requires an infinite intelligence such as the self-existent Creator God of the Bible (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14). Further, isn't it a tremendous burden on naturalistic science to assume every reproductive male and female kind of life form appear together at the same place and time?
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The account is not useless technical evolving science, but meant to be simple truth all cultures at all times can understand. We know birds talk and can even say words we understand. If Satan is the world's deceiver, he must can do unusual deceptive tricks (Ephesians 6:11). The trees only need to represent symbols to show that we have a real choice between God's way or the devil's. Our first parents bad choice, meant mankind's spiritual death, leading to physical death, and eternal separation from God.  But God promised the defeat of Satan and sin in a coming redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15; 1 John. 3:8; John 10:10; Rom. 16:20). Evolving scientific theory must unite genes of our first parents Adam and Eve. Original sin best accounts for universal evils (Matt. 19:4; Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 11:9; 2 Cor. 11:3). God saw to it that this event was recorded and preserved for future generations.  And speaking of God in human terms is necessary to be understood in every culture and time. Any kind of scientific explanation would soon be useless.
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Biblical prophets and apostles preached God's acts to people of their day. Their preaching was fulfilled and recorded by the same groups of people the prophets condemned who surely would have challenged any false statements. Some archaeologists are strangely silent about newly discovered monument inscriptions confirming biblical kings, cities, and events. Could these critics claiming Bible history is myth and written decades or even centuries later be willfully deceived?
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Without the Bible's revealed God we must face our utter hopelessness. It means the world has no ultimate purpose, morality has no authority--there's just limited conflicting human opinions. Death means lights out eternally, man is just another perishing animal, and whoever usurps power can kill or enslave the rest of us. Can you be open minded?  Our first parents were not hairy, chattering, knuckle-walking, ignorant monkeys. And, Christians have a living hope in a risen Lord who may catch us up to Him any time (1 Thess. 4:16-18). Now allow me to discuss important points in the story.
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Our first parents were created by God in His rational, moral image. Indeed, they had all God's communicable attributes as we do today. Adam was made directly from the ground. He walked and talked with God (John 1:14), tended the garden, named the animals and could find no animal compatible with him. All this shows man never was an animal, nor descended from them, and is always responsible to God. Further, Eve, said to be our first mother also created in God's image was on the same level of dignity as Adam. And as any child knows, both are designed for each other and have compatible but separate rolls. Even supposing the sexes can be born with affection only for their own gender, they are not forced to carry it out. God calls that sin (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). We intuitively know of God, but suppress that knowledge being hard hearted not wanting or trusting even  a loving God to rule over us. But He will (Ps. 2:8-9; Romans 1;2; Rev. 2:27).
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God warned our first parents not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represent our own choice of the kind of world we desire. Our many daily choices, motives, actions either please or displease the God who sustains our life. We have a conscience that  knows right and wrong. We know that how we want to be treated, is how others want to be treated as well--which renders us without excuse (Rom.2:14-15). Whatever our heredity and environment in a wicked world may be, we still have free choice or can choose the lessor evil.
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Critics protest this in contradictory ways. Bible critics say science shows our choices and acts are determined or fixed, then try to persuade us of acceptance. They claim great evils remain in the world which show no good and powerful God exists, then claim a loving God would never punish us as in Hell. But the Bible teaches heaven or hell is our choice. God invites us to trust the Savior and be with Him in heaven or have our own way alone in eternal darkness (John 3:16-21). Now if there is a Creator, why can't there be a much lessor power as the devil?  Couldn't the critics be wrong?
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Consider how the devil deceived our parents and us. (1) Doubt. God's Word and His goodness. "Did God say you must not eat from any tree of the garden?" God in grace provided a multitude of trees from which to eat as He does give us a multitude of blessings today. (2) Discouragement. Makes us focus on troubles rather than on God and blessings. (3) Diversion. Makes the wrong things seem more attractive--beautiful tree, delicious fruit, make you wise. (4) Defeat. Makes us feel guilty ashamed failures. (5) Delay. They should immediately have repented and been forgiven. Instead they were afraid, tried to hide from God, and cover their guilty rebellion with fig leaves.

We don't have to be captive to the devil or his demons. Jesus was given all authority in Heaven and earth (Matt. 28:19-20). In Christ believers have authority over the demons like snakes and scorpions. But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you, rejoice because your names are registered in heaven (Luke 10:19-20). Fig leaves was their attempt to hide their sin. But God graciously provided for our parent's restoration with a blood sacrifice of animal skins and the promise of a coming Savior (Gen. 3:15; Lev. 17:11). That foretold of Jesus' blood sacrifice on the cross for our sin that alone can reconcile us to God and give us peace (Col. 1:20).
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Won't you admit, Lord, I'm a rebellious unholy self-centered sinner unfit for Heaven and deserve Hell. I trust you now to cleanse me of sin, make me acceptable to You, and enable me  to live a victorious life of witness to your grace. I trust you as my eternal Lord, Savior and Guide until you take me to live forever with YOU.  Thank you Lord.
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