Did Adam understand the word “die” in Genesis 2:17? In our modern world death is a natural process of life. But did death exist before the fall? The short answer is yes, but how can I say that? But what about Romans 5:12, where Paul says that death entered the world by Adam’s sin? It was part of life or else the Garden would have been overrun by bugs and animals; would it not?
In Romans 5:12 we read- “wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Paul said that death entered the world for all men, but, he did not say death entered the world. Big difference! Man was to be immortal as he was created, it does not say or even infer that animals were created to live forever. Everything else was created to be mortal.
Let me throw this thought out to you. When a fruit is picked by you and you eat it, was it not alive then? By you taking it from the source of its life would it not die? More so as you ate it your digestive system would finish it off as your body takes the life and transmits it into life for you. But this fruit that once was alive, is now dead. So you see that death did exist in the Garden and it was a natural part of life except for mankind. God said for them to eat from the tree of life and they would then live forever or be immortal. Thank God Adam did not do that or else we would be lost forever.
Keil and Delitzsch wrote this- “The teaching of scripture, that death entered the world through sin, merely proves that the human race was created for eternal life, but by no means necessitates the assumption that the animals were also created for endless existence. The decay of animals is a law of nature established in the creation itself, and not a consequence of sin or an effect of the death brought into the world by the sin of man. At the same time it was so involved in the effects of the fall, that the natural decay of the different animals was changed into a painful death or violent end.”
This subject has been discussed for thousands of years and will be until Jesus takes us home. But I believe death is part of life and you can make up your own mind as you too study Gods word. Adam was told to fill or build up again the new earth just as Noah was commanded to do after the flood. The Hebrew word for replenish in Genesis 1:28 is mala, and it means to fill up, furnish, replenish. Mr. Webster explains it as, to fill or build up again, to replace. So death was already established on the earth and the fall of Adam, pulled him and all his kind into this cycle also, but with dire consequences of eternal separation from God because of sin. In other words his spirit became corrupted and he lost the closeness he had with his creator.
God made Adam in his image, a three part being, one that is destined to be immortal just like his creator. In Genesis 2:7 we read these words, “and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” But Adam had to eat of the tree of life in order to be immortal. Every creature was created a living, breathing thing, but Adam is called a living soul. All other creatures were two part beings, but Adam was a tri-part or spirit, soul, and body.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made in Gods image (Psalms 139:14), everything we can imagine (Genesis 11:6) we can do. We are Gods handiwork (Ephesians 2:10), and we are created by Him, and for Him, and He loves us more than we can imagine. Genesis 3:22 says “ and the Lord God said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now, lest he put forth his hand , and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” This forever separates us from the rest of creation.
Genesis 3:5 is a truth, we became like God, we know the difference between good and evil. The big difference being we sometimes choose the lower or evil things. We were created to always choose the good which is why the devil pointed out to Eve how good the fruit looked. He played on her senses and instead of her looking to Gods words about this fruit and what He said would happen “you shall die”, she chose to believe her own senses. Oops! Every time we choose our own way we will goof up just as she did.
Just a little side trip here, has anyone ever thought about who Eve is talking too? Did animals have the gift of talking? She is talking to a snake! But, this was not the thing that should have startled her, it was the fact that this animal was causing her to doubt Gods word. This is still the same problem mankind has today, doubting the Word of God. Just something for you to think about.
To answer my original question, did Adam know what death was? The short answer is yes. Adam was created fully intelligent, able to talk with God as soon as he breathed his first breath. He was so smart that God allowed him to name all the animals as God brings them by him. Not a baby, but a fully grown, intelligent, man who was created in Gods image. He understood the word death, but it was only a concept to him that life would cease. He was the only human being in the Garden after all.
Adam’s world was small and safe for him to be comfortable, and the only thing he had to do was obey one command from God. Don’t eat from one particular tree! Simple life at its finest. He let his emotions of his soul lead him astray, he was drawn to that fruit by his wife. She was deceived, he was not. Adam chose to challenge Gods word and he deliberately ate of the fruit. We still have that problem today.
Why did God set up Adam to fail by placing this forbidden tree in the Garden? The answer is simple, God wanted to see if his creation fully trusted him, and would willingly submit to his absolute authority without question as to why. We still have the same problem today. We always want to know the “why.” I hope this shows that Adam knew what death was, he just didn’t understand the scope of his wrong decision that would affect his future children.
Study the Word of God daily and always keep your mind focused on God as you continue your race towards home. Please remember you will make it, just don’t give up. I love you all, and thanks for reading my words as I try to convey what I have learned in my race too.
In His Service As Kilted Priest
The Kilted Priest 