03. Where Exile Begins

In the garden, Adam and Eve dwelt in perfect relationship with God – secure, intimate and belonging.

…The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Genesis 2:9, 16-17

They were given the opportunity to trust God’s word and show their love for him by obeying in the midst of not fully understanding.

The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s words and motives. He said, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”

Eve corrected the serpent stating they can eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but they “shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden…” lest they die. (Gen. 3:2-3)

The serpent lied, “You will not surely die.” (Gen. 3:4)

He planted more doubt about God’s goodness and the validity of his word – implying God was keeping something from them.

He said, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5)

The serpent planted the idea of needing to do something in order to become something or prove who you already are.

Yet, they were already made in God’s likeness before they did anything.

God created mankind to live from identity, not to work for or earn identity.

Later, the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness with a similar tactic.

“If you are the Son of God… turn these stones into bread…” (Matt. 4:1-11)

This happened right after God explicitly declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17)

Unlike Jesus, Eve fell to the temptation.

She saw the tree was good for food, a delight to the eyes and was desired to make one wise.

She ate and “gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6)

Adam did not exercise his authority in that moment and Scripture has no record of resistance.

Then their “eyes were opened” and they saw they were naked. They tried to fix it themselves by sewing fig leaves to make themselves loincloths.

Their own efforts were not enough, but God pursued them.

He called to the man, "Where are you?"

Adam said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:9-10)

The same garden where they lived in his presence, became the place where they hid from the presence of the Lord.

Sin entered. Shame covered. Death began.

The once intimate relationship was now broken.

The sinful characteristics they were never created with began to manifest after the disobedience.

Self-centeredness, self-protection, blame-shifting, pride, fear, shame, insecurity and so much more. 

Because of man's disobedience, God cursed the same ground from which man was formed. 

However, God pursued them, and also provided for them.

“The Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Gen. 3:21)

He covered their “nakedness” – a shadow of the covering he would ultimately provide in Christ.

“The Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.” (Gen. 3:23)

Exile began here.

Throughout Scripture, exile is shown in both dimensions:

-       Separation from God’s presence

-       Removal from sacred space

This story shows hearts leave before feet do.

“He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Gen. 3:24)

The exile was completed when they were removed from the garden and restricted from the tree of life.

Relational exile began when they hid.

Geographical exile began when they were driven out.

This is a repeated pattern throughout the Bible.

Although God sent them away and drove them out for a time, he promised the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. (Gen. 3:15)

The big picture story of Scripture shows:

God creates mankind to be in his presence.
Mankind disobeys and is exiled.
God redeems mankind to his presence and promises new creation.