THE CURSE

The Lord then spoke to the snake, saying, "Because you have done this, you are cursed. You will be lower than all the animals that eat grass in the field. You will crawl on the ground and eat dust all your life."SRme 1.100

The snake had been created higher than all the animals that ate grass in the field. Now the snake would be lower than these animals and would be hated by human beings. This would happen because Satan had used the snake to deceive Adam and Eve.SRme 1.101

Then God said to Adam, "You listened to Eve and ate the fruit I commanded you not to eat, so for your own good the ground will be cursed. You will have to work hard all your life to get what you need to eat. Weeds and thorns will grow in the ground, and you will have to eat herbs. You will have to sweat and work hard until the day you die, in order to get enough food to eat."SRme 1.102

God cursed the ground because Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Before sin God had given Adam and Eve only good things and had protected them from evil. Now Adam and Eve would have the results of evil for the rest of their lives.SRme 1.103

From that time on people would be tempted by Satan. Instead of the happy, cheerful work Adam and Eve had done, their lives would be difficult. They would have to work hard, and would worry. They would have disappointment, grief, and pain. Finally, they would die. They were made of the dust of the earth, and they would become dust again.SRme 1.104

God told Adam and Eve that they could not continue live in the Garden of Eden. They had believed the lies Satan had told them. They believed that God had lied to them. They had sinned, so now it would be easier for them to yield when Satan tempted them. Adam and Eve could not stay in Eden. If they ate fruit from the tree of life after they sinned, they would live forever as sinners.SRme 1.105

Adam and Eve admitted they had sinned. They knew they had no right to stay in Eden. But they pleaded with God to let them stay in their garden home. They promised that they would always obey God. But God told them that because they had sinned they had become weak. They had not been true to God when they were strong and pure. Now they would have less strength because of their guilt. So they would not be able to be always true and loyal to God. Adam and Eve were filled with terrible guilt and sadness. They now realized that the result of sin was death.SRme 1.106

Angels were sent quickly to guard the tree of life. Satan had planned that Adam and Eve should disobey God, receive God's punishment, then eat from the tree of life. Then they would live a life of sin forever. But God sent angels to keep them away from the tree of life. Around those angels rays of light flashed on every side. The light looked the same as shining swords.SRme 1.107