Imagine endless gardens and trees all over the world. God created everything so perfect and beautiful with so many fruit trees full of the most beautiful and tasty fruit. Can you name them all. Chances are, there are many you've never heard of and many you will never even get to try in your lifetime. Then He said to them, you can have it all. It was like thousands and thousands of, 'YES, YES, YES!' There was only one no, in all those yesses. Only one.
You see, freedom is the most important aspect of love. You can't have love if you don't have freedom. God had to allow Adam and Eve freedom of choice for love to flourish. If God had not provided a choice, they would have been like robots and if God had used His power to force them to obey Him, they would have lived in fear. Neither scenario makes for a loving relationship. God is love and He desires a relationship with us.
Both were warned of Satan and knew that it was a choice, yet Eve started down a path of questioning. She didn't listen to God's warning that she stay near Adam and found herself looking up at the tree alone. When she heard the voice of the serpent, she was already open to what he had to say.
It must have seemed like an echo of her own thoughts, as the serpent questioned God's fairness, "Has God really said, you can't eat from every tree in the garden?" Eve pointed out that they could eat of every other tree, just not that one or they would die. Then the serpent implied that God was a liar, "You're not going to die". Finally, he charged that God was selfish and wanted all the power for Himself, which was a direct hit on God's character of love. "God knows that if you eat this fruit, you're eyes are going to be opened and you going to be like Him". That was all it took to convince Eve to eat the fruit. She saw that it was desirable to make her wise and it looked so good for her to eat. Then she took some to Adam and convinced him to eat as well.
When God came to visit with them that evening, they were fearful and hid. Their relationship with God had been broken. But who broke it? Why were Adam and Eve fearful? God loved them! Who changed? Was it God or Adam and Eve?
As God questioned them, Adam quickly threw the blame on Eve and Eve threw the blame on the serpent that God made. Wow! She actually put the blame on God. You see, lies believed broke the circle of love and trust and they got into a cycle of fear and self preservation. They broke their relationship with God and then their relationship each other.
The fruit allowed Adam and Eve the freedom to choose, but the fact that it was limited to only one tree gave them lots of opportunity to make the right decision. If they were to choose that one tree over everything else God provided, it would be very intentional. Eve was already on a path toward the tree, it was no accident that she found herself there. She was already receptive to the messaging of the serpent. If she had called upon God, at any time, He would have come to her aid and openly discussed the charges. He had been developing a relationship with her, she knew Him. But she chose to believe the lies of a serpent she had just met, and selfishly desired the knowledge and power the tree could give her. God mercifully limited the admission of sin in Eden to one tree, but the sin itself, was selfishness.
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