Adam was in the garden of Eden by himself for (we don't know how many of years) and never was tempted by the fruit on the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Than GOD put Eve in the garden (we don't know for how many years) and neither of them ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was only when GOD put Satan into the garden that Eve was tempted and ate the fruit which has gotten us where we are today.
So my Question is why put Satan in the garden, when the temptation was already there?
Carl, the Genesis account does not give us all the details in this passage, but we would understand a few things. Adam & Eve were innocent & without sin in their creation. They remained that way & were never tempted by that tree being there, or for that matter, any tree or animal in Eden. Then Satan comes along; I don't believe that God put him there, but I do understand from Scripture that Satan was cast down from Heaven when he & those angels rebelled against God ( Ezek 28:14-18: the reference is to the King of Tyrus, is fully seen in Satan's existence before & after his rebellion). So when Satan was cast out of Heaven, he used a serpent (quite possibly very different to what we know today), to seek out & tempt Adam & Eve to sin & lose their innocence.
So I don't see that God especially put Satan there or even invited him to do what he did, but that Satan took the opportunity to destroy God's creation, which of course, he did when they obeyed him rather than God. But God, as we know, had other plans: in time & at the height of mankind's corruption, God would come Himself in Jesus, so as to give His life for us all. So Satan had a temporary victory, but God, through His Son, has given us an everlasting victory & restoration back to Himself. Satan still 'niggles' at us with temptations, but he knows that those who have been saved through the blood of the Lamb, will always have victory over him & as God has justified & sanctified us forever.
Chris, see this is where everybody gets confused. You have to either believe the bible and that GOD knows all things or you don't.
The only way I can truly believe and trust in GOD is that he is or he isn't or the bible is or it isn't. So using your logic GOD did not know that Satan was not going into the garden, which would mean GOD has no control over Satan. GOD has control over everything or he doesn't. GOD allowed the devil to attack JOB without GOD's permission Satan could not of attached JOB. GOD has a plan for us and what that plan is nobody knows. The part of the plan I don't understand is why did GOD let Satan temped EVE.
Carl, I agree that God knows all things - if He didn't, He wouldn't be the God that the Bible reveals to us.
No, I didn't say that "God did not know that Satan was (not?) going into the garden". I said, "that God didn't put Satan there". There's a difference between knowing & putting/inviting. God knows all things, but in this instance, as with Job, God didn't cause (or invite) that action to be performed.
God has control over everything, but does He intrude into our choices, even Satan's? Yes, God allowed Satan to "attack Job". But did God put Satan there or even invited him to do what he (Satan) wanted? The Scripture tells us that Satan instigated the desire to test Job & God gave him permission, albeit with a caveat.
"Why did God let Satan tempt Eve". Sure, God could have prevented this happening, simply by stopping Satan from getting close to her (them). How long would this have lasted? Ok, so maybe by doing this, they would remain innocent, but to their descendants, would Satan not try again to cause mankind to rebel & sin against God? Or, do you feel that God should be able to stop Satan from pursuing this evil act against every human in all generations?
In this temptation to Adam & Eve, I see that God made us "in His image, after His likeness", unlike His other creation. What does this tell us about these distinctive godly qualities in man? We can think, reason, choose, communicate, etc. With those godly traits, I see God would allow man to avail them for whatever purpose he chose. But since they were innocent, obviously the demonstration of those traits would have been in wholesome purity & godliness. If another comes along to change all that (e.g. Satan), it is still the same trait that would also be exercised towards him. Unfortunately, for them & us, they chose wrongly. But God in His great Design, had a rescue Plan.
So my Question is why put Satan in the garden, when the temptation was already there?
So I don't see that God especially put Satan there or even invited him to do what he did, but that Satan took the opportunity to destroy God's creation, which of course, he did when they obeyed him rather than God. But God, as we know, had other plans: in time & at the height of mankind's corruption, God would come Himself in Jesus, so as to give His life for us all. So Satan had a temporary victory, but God, through His Son, has given us an everlasting victory & restoration back to Himself. Satan still 'niggles' at us with temptations, but he knows that those who have been saved through the blood of the Lamb, will always have victory over him & as God has justified & sanctified us forever.
The only way I can truly believe and trust in GOD is that he is or he isn't or the bible is or it isn't. So using your logic GOD did not know that Satan was not going into the garden, which would mean GOD has no control over Satan. GOD has control over everything or he doesn't. GOD allowed the devil to attack JOB without GOD's permission Satan could not of attached JOB. GOD has a plan for us and what that plan is nobody knows. The part of the plan I don't understand is why did GOD let Satan temped EVE.
No, I didn't say that "God did not know that Satan was (not?) going into the garden". I said, "that God didn't put Satan there". There's a difference between knowing & putting/inviting. God knows all things, but in this instance, as with Job, God didn't cause (or invite) that action to be performed.
God has control over everything, but does He intrude into our choices, even Satan's? Yes, God allowed Satan to "attack Job". But did God put Satan there or even invited him to do what he (Satan) wanted? The Scripture tells us that Satan instigated the desire to test Job & God gave him permission, albeit with a caveat.
"Why did God let Satan tempt Eve". Sure, God could have prevented this happening, simply by stopping Satan from getting close to her (them). How long would this have lasted? Ok, so maybe by doing this, they would remain innocent, but to their descendants, would Satan not try again to cause mankind to rebel & sin against God? Or, do you feel that God should be able to stop Satan from pursuing this evil act against every human in all generations?
In this temptation to Adam & Eve, I see that God made us "in His image, after His likeness", unlike His other creation. What does this tell us about these distinctive godly qualities in man? We can think, reason, choose, communicate, etc. With those godly traits, I see God would allow man to avail them for whatever purpose he chose. But since they were innocent, obviously the demonstration of those traits would have been in wholesome purity & godliness. If another comes along to change all that (e.g. Satan), it is still the same trait that would also be exercised towards him. Unfortunately, for them & us, they chose wrongly. But God in His great Design, had a rescue Plan.
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