The Garden of Eden

 Genesis Chapter 3 - The Garden of Eden

Where does the serpent come from? Was it placed in the garden as a form of a test? Was it the only animal that could speak? There are no clear explanations; we simply encounter the serpent. Perhaps it symbolizes wisdom, a test of making choices between remaining as they were and seeking new experiences.

Did the serpent deceive them? It said they would not die, that their eyes would be opened. Indeed, they did gain awareness, but it brought unfamiliar feelings such as fear and shame. They transformed, like a child hitting adolescence and beginning to understand the world around them. This situation appears to be both a test of disobedience and a choice: to open their eyes or keep them closed.

After they disobeyed God, they felt fear and shame, particularly about their nakedness. How did this awareness come about? Often, when we become aware of something for the first time, it’s triggered by an external force—like being bullied or shamed about something we previously overlooked. Knowledge often comes from experience, which Eve lacked.

Their punishment for merely eating the fruit was severe—pain in childbirth and toil in labor, instead of living a life of ease where everything was provided for them. This raises questions about how women gave birth before this punishment. Did they not experience pain? From my understanding, the fruit grew effortlessly; perhaps childbirth was painless or they simply didn’t perceive it as painful. Before this moment, they hadn’t borne children, which suggests the original intention may not have included childbirth in the way we understand it today, but rather a creation process akin to Adam’s.

God walked and talked with Adam and Eve. How is that possible if God is a spirit? This implies that they, too, were spiritual beings. The garden might have existed in a spiritual realm rather than a physical one. They received garments for their departure, possibly symbolizing a transition to human form, if they were once spirits.

God did not want them to eat from the tree of life, leading to their expulsion from the garden. If they were given human forms, it could suggest that God intended for them to pass through this phase temporarily and return home eventually. The presence of cherubim in the east, which have not been seen in physical form, hints that this might all be symbolic rather than strictly literal.

I find the terms “sin” and “sinners” troubling. Being born burdened by someone else’s faults—this concept known as the fall of man—echoes the tale of the fallen angel, which similarly revolves around the notion of choice.

By departing from the Garden of Eden, their direct connection with God was severed. They could no longer enjoy the intimate walk and conversation with Him, as an intermediary became necessary. This shift might also signify that being in a human body complicates their ability to perceive God, given that they were no longer spiritual beings but had entered the physical realm.