We all know the moment—the iconic encounter between Eve and the snake that turned the most beautiful garden ever planted into a background for the second worst tragedy ever suffered. There in the good, luscious, lovely, evenly watered environment, her aptitude for new adventure and seeking opportunity was subsequently manipulated in a single suggestion:
[The serpent] said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” Genesis 3:1 NET
The question, and no doubt its tone of voice, shifted her rationale ever-so-slightly, yet just enough to muddle her memory, likely shaking her confidence, too. She babbled her reply:
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” Genesis 3:2-3 NET
Mission accomplished, the snake must have assumed. Her grasp of God’s Words slipped, and satan sealed the coffin of her doubt with this blow:
The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die…” Genesis 3:4 NET
In the next moment, out goes Eve’s faith in the Father, enamored with the tree; she took the fruit in her own hands and ate it, simultaneously severing her relationship with God and souring her union with Adam. History and holy mystery intertwine and play out so that this Garden of Eden moment patterns in every life ever since in some manner.
What Eve Should Have Said
Fast-forward with me through thousands of years, a multitude of generations, more encounters with God, tablets of commandments, prophetic revelations, and many Bible pages to an invaluable moment at the depth of David’s sin-turned-confession in Psalm 51. Implanted in David’s painful outpouring is a response to the snake’s inquisition, a simple statement driving a stake in faithful devotion and trust in God.
Surely You desire truth in the inner being. Make me know wisdom inwardly. Psalm 51:8 TLV
O Eve, these Words are for you! I love how this translation reorients satan’s “Surely” to the certainty of God’s good intent to not only bless his people with His truth but establish it deep within them. The Word reiterates “really true” from Genesis 3:1 into truth being steadfastly God’s desire. As the snake taunted Eve with wisdom (Genesis 3:6), David’s psalm confirms God’s move to impart His wisdom inwardly, in our hearts. Savor more of God’s poetic depth in the version from The Passion Translation:
I know that you delight to set your truth deep in my spirit. So come into the hidden places of my heart and teach me wisdom. Psalm 51:6 TPT
Now we can take this Word as our confident garden declaration asserting that our Father the Gardener is ever-ready to fill us and make us immovable in His truth, and give us the wisdom we may be wondering about (James 1:5). Let us take up this garden rebuttal whenever we feel muddled!
Closing Prayer
O Lord, thank you for this beautiful Word and declaration in Psalm 51:6 (v. 8 in CJB, NABRE, NCB, TLV) that reaffirms who You are and how much You desire Your truth to fill me, seeing to it that I am strong and secure. Don’t let my wondering what to do become a wandering away from You! As Eve turned from Your direction, thinking she would find wisdom on her own, so I will be continually tempted—yikes. Father, transform my natural inclination by the beauty and reality of Your supernatural Word and Spirit. Thank you for Your constant reassurance in Your Word of Your wisdom that is ready to flourish deep within me. Help me release and relinquish my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and confidently wait for Your delight—Your truth deep in my spirit—to take root in me, grow and bear fruit, like the glorious orchard of Eden conveys. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 The Message
Find more devotions about the Garden of Eden in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible beginning on page a-12
Do you love connecting your garden work to time with God? Then you will love my most recent book, My Father is the Gardener, Devotions in Botany and Gardening of the Bible
Photo Credits: ©Shelley S. Cramm Snake plants stocked at Home Depot in Irving, TX; fig tree with blooming oregano ( a cousin to hyssop, see Psalm 51:7) at Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PA; crab apple trees bursting with fruit at Utah State Botanic Garden, Ogden, UT.
NET designates Scripture quoted by permission from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
TLV denotes Scripture quotation taken from Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
TPT denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com
