the edge of desire: genesis 3

Lately, I’ve started the journey of reading through the Bible in a year. It’s a part of the discipleship program my church is doing and I decided to join in…yeah, let’s not dwell on the fact that I’m late and just praise the fact that I showed up at all.

Today was day 3. Genesis 3 (see that correlation).

I’ve focused a lot of thought and study time into Genesis 3 in the past so the verses are not unfamiliar to me. I was reading through it pretty briskly and (before today), had you asked me to explain the first few verses of Genesis 3 to you, it would have been something to the effect of:

The serpent enters the scene. He’s a crafty fellow.

Serpent: “Did God really say to not eat of that tree or you would die?”

Eve: “Why yes he did.”

Serpent: “Oh, no. You will not surely die, but your eyes will be open and you will be like God.”

Eve takes note of this, eats the fruit, passes it to Adam, he shrugs, eats some too, and their eyes are opened and they realize they’re naked and try to cover themselves as they hide.

End scene.

Now, while there is a lot of good fruit (no pun intended) in this little paraphrase of mine and a few sermons could be made focusing on shame and their sin and pride, there was a key phrase that I missed in my reading. A phrase I have missed for 25 years of my life. And this phrase is key to the text. It’s a central point and I have overlooked it for so long.

Let’s take a look at what the actual Bible says:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:1-3).

What does Eve say God said?

Not only that you should not eat of the fruit of the tree, but that you should not touch it.

Don’t touch it.

My Southern translation of that is: There ain’t nothing on that tree that’s good for you.

My other interpretation of that is: RUN! FLEE! Don’t eat it…in fact, don’t touch it. Don’t even look at it for a long time because you will want to touch it because you’re like that being human and wanting to explore things. So don’t do it.

And what does the serpent convince her to do?

That’s right—he takes what she most desires and twists it just enough for her to lower her guard and walk right up to that tree and pick a piece of fruit.

She touched the fruit.

That thing she wanted—desired—longed for—thought of—craved.

I think James speaks to this desire when he writes, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

And what did God say would happen if she touched and ate of the fruit—if she gave in to her desire?

Death would surely come.

But Eve thought it would bring life. I believe that she truly thought that whatever the fruit had would bring her even more completeness.

The fruit was not the issue though. The fruit within itself was not poisonous. It was probably perfectly good and ripe fruit. The issue was that God had commanded them to not eat it—to not even touch it.

“Don’t go there,” He said. “It will bring death because you are choosing the fruit over Me.”

Ouch.

Lately, each time I see an area of my life where I’m not surrendering something to God—where I’m staring at the piece of fruit in my life—I ask: what is my fear in giving this to God?

I believe at the root of most of my sin is a fear of something. For Eve (and for me most of the time), it’s the fear that maybe God is holding out on me. Maybe He isn’t the only thing that could complete me. Maybe this piece of fruit will finally satisfy all my longings, my hope for something greater will finally disappear, and my desire for perfection and completeness and wholeness will be fulfilled.

The danger in this is that it excludes God. It gives power to the fruit and allows my thoughts and motivations and longings and admiration and worship to go to the fruit.

We too easily give power to people or things that will never satisfy us when the only One worthy of this power over us humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross.

Do I actually think that the God Who created me, Who created my being and knows so intricately what will satisfy me and complete me and bring me joy, do I actually think that He doesn’t know what is good for me?

When I stare at the fruit—when those thoughts of something other than God bringing fulfillment to my life come along—that is when I need to remember my Creator. That is when I need to FLEE, RUN, turn around and walk away.

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose LIFE…” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

He says if we choose the fruit, we will die. We will be separated. We will be broken. The shame will come. It. will. never. satisfy. We will be left empty. Disappointed. Broken. Naked.

And what is the main thing God wants of us? What is that main commandment? “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

If you find yourself staring at your fruit, contemplating what it could do for you, how it could satisfy you, giving it power over you, then turn around.

Because I held my fruit in my hands until my Lord God came along and said, “Child, it will only bring death. And it’s going to be the end of you. Hand Me the fruit.”

May you turn around and run away from the fruit. Don’t touch it. Don’t even look at it. You will always want it. But it will never satisfy.

Run in the other direction. Run toward Eden and paradise and life with God. Walk with Him so closely. And ignore that serpent.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).