f Satan’s rebellion and fall. They then distinctly informed
them that the tree of knowledge was placed in the garden to be a pledge
of their obedience and love to God; that the high and happy estate of
the holy angels was to be retained upon condition of obedience; that
they were similarly situated; that they could obey the law of God and be
inexpressibly happy, or disobey and lose their high estate and be plunged
into hopeless despair.
They told Adam and Eve that God would not compel them to
obey—that He had not removed from them power to go contrary to His
will; that they were moral agents, free to obey or disobey. There was
but one prohibition that God had seen fit to lay upon them as yet. If
they should transgress the will of God they would surely die. They told
Adam and Eve that the most exalted angel, next in order to Christ, refused
obedience to the law of God which He had ordained to govern heavenly
beings; that this rebellion had caused war in heaven, which resulted in the
rebellious being expelled therefrom, and every angel was driven out of
heaven who had united with him in questioning the authority of the great
Jehovah; and that this fallen foe was now an enemy to all that concerned
the interest of God and His dear Son.
They told them that Satan purposed to do them harm, and it was
necessary for them to be guarded, for they might come in contact with the
fallen foe; but he could not harm them while they yielded obedience to
God’s command, for, if necessary, every angel from heaven would come
to their help rather than that he should in any way do them harm. But
if they disobeyed the command of God, then Satan would have power to
ever annoy, perplex, and trouble them. If they remained steadfast against
the first insinuations
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of Satan, they were as secure as the heavenly angels. But if they yielded to
the tempter, He who spared not the exalted angels would not spare them.
They must suffer the penalty of their transgression, for the law of God
was as sacred as Himself, and He required implicit obedience from all in
heaven and on earth.
The angels cautioned Eve not to separate from her husband in her
employment, for she might be brought in contact with this fallen foe. If
separated from each other they would be in greater danger than if both
were together. The angels charged them to closely follow the instructions
God had given them in reference to the tree of knowledge, for in perfect
obedience they were safe, and this fallen foe could then have no power to
deceive them. God would not permit Satan to follow the holy pair with
continual temptations. He could have access to them only at the tree of
knowledge of good and evil.
Adam and Eve assured the angels that they should never transgress
the express command of God, for it was their highest pleasure to do His
will. The angels united with Adam and Eve in holy strains of harmonious
music, and as their songs pealed forth from blissful Eden, Satan heard the
sound of their strains of joyful adoration to the Father and Son. And as
Satan heard it his envy, hatred, and malignity increased, and he expressed
his anxiety to his followers to incite them (Adam and Eve) to disobedience
and at once bring down the wrath of God upon them and change their
songs of praise to hatred and curses to their Maker.
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4: Temptation and Fall
This chapter is based on Genesis 3.
Satan assumes the form of a serpent and enters Eden. The serpent
was a beautiful creature with wings, and while flying through the air his
appearance was bright, resembling burnished gold. He did not go upon
the ground but went from place to place through the air and ate fruit like
man. Satan entered into the serpent and took his position in the tree of
knowledge and commenced leisurely eating of the fruit.
Eve, unconsciously at first, separated from her husband in her
employment. When she became aware of the fact she felt that there might
be danger, but again she thought herself secure, even if she did not remain
close by the side of her husband. She had wisdom and strength to know if
evil came, and to meet it. This the angels had cautioned her not to do. Eve
found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the fruit
of the forbidden tree. She saw it was very lovely, and was reasoning with
herself why God had so decidedly prohibited their eating or touching it.
Now was Satan’s opportunity. He addressed her as though he was able to
divine her thought: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of
the garden?” Thus, with soft and pleasant words, and with musical voice,
he addressed the
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wondering Eve. She was startled to hear a serpent speak. He extolled her
beauty and exceeding loveliness, which was not displeasing to Eve. But
she was amazed, for she knew that to the serpent God had not given the
power of speech.
Eve’s curiosity was aroused. Instead of fleeing from the spot, she
listened to hear a serpent talk. It did not occur to her mind that it might
be that fallen foe, using the serpent as a medium. It was Satan that spoke,
not the serpent. Eve was beguiled, flattered, infatuated. Had she met a
commanding personage, possessing a form like the angels and resembling
them, she would have been upon her guard. But that strange voice should
have driven her to her husband’s side to inquire of him why another
should thus freely address her. But she entered into a controversy with
the serpent. She answered his question, “We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of
the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die.” The serpent answered, “Ye shall not surely die: for God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Satan would convey the idea that by eating of the forbidden tree they
would receive a new and more noble kind of knowledge than they had
hitherto attained. This has been his special work, with great success, ever
since his fall—to lead men to pry into the secrets of the Almighty and
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not to be satisfied with what God has revealed, and not careful to obey
that which He has commanded. He would lead them to disobey God’s
commands, and then make them believe that they are entering a wonderful
field of know