Gen 3:1-7

• Why was the serpent “more crafty than any other beast?” What was it about the serpent that made it more crafty? Was it the serpent? Or is this a euphemism for the Satan?
• Notice the serpent doesn’t even introduce himself. He just opens the conversation with a question. Questions are dangerous for they can sow seeds of doubt. “Did God actually say …?” How many times have we justified or excused our actions with the morally numbing, “did God actually say …?” Certainly God said, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden,” but what the serpent seems to suggest is, “Did God really mean what he said?” Is he trustworthy? Does his yes mean yes and no, no? … Are questions morally neutral?
• Why does the serpent speak with Eve? Why not Adam? After all he seems to be there by the context in verse 6, “and she gave some [fruit] to her husband who was with her.” Why Eve?
• Why does Eve add, “neither shall you touch it …?” Did God say this and it was not added before, or was this a misinterpretation on her part? Or did Adam fail to communicate this to her, after all, God spoke the dietary law to Adam when Eve had had been created (2:16:17).
• The serpent starts with a question and then follows with a statement. What if he had gone the other route? “You will not surely die …” this would have been a blatant offense to God’s words. Yet it appears that the initial question stuns Eve enough to miss this affront to God’s words.
• “Your eyes will be opened.” If we were to take a survey on the street, I think most people would agree that having your eyes opened to an issue is a ‘good’ thing. People want to be enlightened rather than left in the dark. Though some people say that ignorance is bliss … I think Adam and Eve would have agreed in retrospect. But was this true? The serpents words assume that their eyes were both ‘closed’ in some form and that this was a ‘bad’ thing.
• “You will be like God” Where they not already made in his image? What more did they need to be ‘like God?’
• “Knowing Good from Evil” What did they know before they ate the fruit? Did they not know good? Did they simply know good but not evil?
• When the woman saw that the tree was
  o Good for food
  o A delight to the eyes
  o Desired to make one wise
  Earlier in 2:9 the author wrote “the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Eve recognized these two God given characteristics about the fruit, but she saw something else … it was able to “make one wise.” So, is this good?
• At what point did Eve and Adam sin? When she “desired” the wisdom? “Took” the fruit? “Ate” the fruit? or “Gave some to her husband?” Their eyes were not “opened” until they had both eaten. Why then? Why after the action and not after the “heart” action?
• Are we not supposed to want wisdom? Who wants to be ignorant or stupid? Certainly not I. But this passage seems to insinuate that there is some form of “wisdom” or “knowledge” that is forbidden, that is, it is not good to know. What knowledge ought we not to know? If we say that we know, are we not then guilty for having known this? In WWII one of the tricks of the Gustapo and Nazis to catch runaway POW’s or American spies was to casually insert an English phrase in the dialogue to see how the interlocutor would respond. “Have a safe Trip.” Inadvertently, some would respond with perfect English, “Thank you.” In so doing they would blow their cover. So, if we know what we ought not to know we demonstrate that we are guilty, no? Though some could play ignorant.
• But again, this is an important question since our whole conversation is based on seeking knowledge … the “Dialogical Synod for the Pursuit of Truth” as Raj and I have called it. But is there some truth that we are not to know?
• Eve and Adam did learn something at that point … they did know something … they “knew that they were naked.” At this point, they were aware of their shame.
• What does it mean to feel shame … to be ashamed? We all feel shame … Is this what we are not to know? How then do we cleanse our ashamedness? The world says, don’t be ashamed about your nakedness … flaunt it. Embrace your nakedness. They cover their shame with lies. Just as Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves with their own “lies” … and so religion is birthed – man attempting to exonerate himself by his own doings.
• What is nakedness? Societies had differed as to what constituted nakedness, yet all agree that some category of nakedness (or inappropriateness) exists. What did Adam and Eve see as “naked?” They sowed loin clothes … what about “Eve’s breasts?”
  
  This is a good stopping point for me … I’ve got to head out. I’d love to hear your responses.