Adam and Eve threw a pebble on the pond of living. Whatever the pebble, the first ripple produced shame at their nakedness. This awareness triggered mask-making and hiding. Finally, FEAR was aroused (Braided Cord of Fear).

WHAT WAS THE PEBBLE?

“Don’t eat from it.
The moment you eat from that tree,
you’re dead.”
“Eve took some and ate it.
She also gave some to her husband,
and he ate it.”

I shall be using an extended quote from Dr David G. Benner’s book, “The Gift of Being Yourself.”  Why? His words are light years beyond my ability to express that which I wish to communicate. 

“In all of creation, identity is a challenge only for humans.

A tulip knows exactly what it is. It is never tempted by false ways of being. Nor does it face complicated decisions in the process of becoming. So it is with dogs, rocks, trees, stars, amoebas, electrons and all other things. All give glory to God by being exactly what they are. For in being what God means them to be, they are obeying Him.

Humans, however, encounter a more challenging existence. We think. We consider options. We decide (choose). We act. We doubt. Simple being is tremendously difficult to achieve and fully authentic being is extremely rare.”

According to common sense, theology and philosophy (or, whatever else one may want to include)) the word “God” connotes a being who is unconditionally free. 

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.“ (Genesis 1:26-27) Hence, whatever else “to be like us“ means, it must include freedom. Tulips do not have freedom. They will be that which is mandated by genetics. Not so with “image bearers.” Within the limits of their creatureliness they had freedom to choose. 

“Choices are the ground of our great freedom, but they also can lead us into a great bog of quicksand.” (Human Being and Becoming. p3)

This is the background against which we must examine the Genesis passage above.