Child Version: The Ripple Effect of Silence: How Adam Screwed Up Way Before Anyone Ate the Forbidden Fruit!

In the beginning, God made a beautiful garden called Eden, and He put Adam and Eve there (Genesis 2:8). It was like a magical place, full of tasty fruits and wonderful plants, just for Adam and Eve to have fun in!

God said, "You can eat from any tree here, but not from the special tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat from that one, bad things will happen and you will die" (Genesis 2:16-17).

God said Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden, except for one special tree in the middle called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned them lovingly not to eat from it because it wouldn't be good for them, even though it might seem tasty. He didn't want to be mean; He just wanted them to stay safe and happy.

God, who knows everything. He gave Adam and Eve a big choice: to obey Him, which shows how much they trust Him, or to be curious about what they don't know and disobey Him. It wasn't a test to control them, but a way to show how amazing God's gift of free will is.

God doesn't make people do things they don't want to do; instead, He gives them the power to make their own choices. He didn't make Adam and Eve do anything, but He let them decide what they wanted to do. This freedom is really important to God because it shows how much He loves us. He respects the choices we make, even if they're not always the best ones.

But one day, while Eve was looking at how pretty the garden was, a sneaky serpent, known for being tricky (Genesis 3:1), came to her. The serpent said in a clever voice, "Hey, did God really say you can't eat from any of these trees?" (Genesis 3:1).

The snake wanted to make Eve doubt what God had said. Even though Eve knew what God told her, the snake tried to make her question it. This sneaky trick is still something we need to watch out for today.

Eve, feeling surprised, told the serpent, "We can eat from any tree here except the one in the middle. God said if we eat from that one, we'll definitely get hurt" (based on Genesis 3:2-3).

With a tricky tone, the serpent said, "No way! You won't die. Actually, God knows that if you eat from that tree, you'll see things differently. You'll be like God, knowing what's good and what's not" (based on Genesis 3:4-5).

This made Eve wonder. Could the serpent be telling the truth? Could the fruit really be that powerful? The thought of being like God, knowing everything, sounded really tempting.

The serpent tempted Eve with the idea of wanting to know more and be like God. Have you ever felt that craving to have more, just because? Or maybe you wanted to be better than a friend, or even show off to someone you like?

That's why God tells us to be happy with what we have right now and not always want more. He says, "Don't love money too much, and be happy with what you've got. I'll always be with you; I'll never leave you alone" (Hebrews 13:5).

The story of Adam and Eve is about more than just disobedience; it's also about important themes like freedom of choice and the consequences of our actions. Adam and Eve had the freedom to choose whether to follow God's guidance or not. This teaches us that God wants to guide us towards what's right, but He also respects our ability to make our own decisions.

When Adam and Eve made the choice to eat the forbidden fruit, there were consequences. They became separated from God, experienced spiritual death, and the world changed because of their actions (Genesis 3:16-19). This reminds us that our choices can have big impacts, both on ourselves and the world around us.

Even though the sneaky snake talked to Eve, both Adam and Eve got in trouble for eating the fruit. It's interesting that God talked directly to Adam in Genesis 3:17, not to Eve. God said, "Because YOU listened to your wife and ate from the tree I told you not to." This shows that Adam had a bigger responsibility for what happened.

In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam a job to take care of the garden with Eve. This shows they both had important roles. Adam was like a leader, which means he had a big responsibility to guide their actions. This means Adam and Eve shared the job of taking care of the garden, and Adam had an extra big job to lead them in the right way.

Even though family is important, loving and following God comes first. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. That means God should be the most important thing in our lives, and we should listen to Him in everything we do.

Ephesians 5:23 says husbands are like leaders in their families, but it's not about being bossy. Instead, husbands should take care of their families with love, just like Jesus loves the church (Ephesians 5:25). This means husbands should be responsible and caring, not trying to control everything. Just like Jesus showed love by putting others first, husbands should lead their families with love and kindness.

Adam didn't say anything when the sneaky serpent talked to Eve. He should have told Eve not to listen to the serpent's tricky words. But Adam didn't stop the serpent or tell Eve the truth.

This shows that Adam and Eve both had a part in disobeying God. Even though God talked to Adam about it later, both Adam and Eve had to face the consequences because they both did something wrong. It teaches us that we are responsible for our actions, just like Adam and Eve were.

Adam, as the leader, was supposed to take care of Eve and make sure they both did the right thing. But when the tricky serpent came and told Eve to eat the fruit, Adam didn't say anything to stop her. He just went along with it and ate the fruit too.

This story teaches us an important lesson. Adam's mistake was not speaking up when he should have. Have you ever seen a friend or family member about to do something wrong, but you didn't say anything? This story shows that we are responsible for what we do and don't do. If Adam had spoken up, maybe he could have stopped Eve from disobeying God. It's possible. It's likely.

When we do something wrong, there are consequences. Even the sneaky serpent got in trouble! In Genesis 3:14, God talks to the serpent after it tricked Eve. God said to the serpent that it would have to crawl on its belly and eat dirt forever. This means the serpents body changed a lot because of what it did. Maybe before, it might have looked more like a dragon with legs.

In Genesis 3:14, God talks to the serpent and says, "Because you did this, you're in trouble! You'll have to crawl on your belly and eat dirt for the rest of your life."

Before Adam, Eve, and even the sneaky serpent did something wrong, life was much better and easier for them. But because of their disobedience, things changed. Now, Adam has to work really hard to grow food, and it's never easy. Eve has to go through a lot of pain when she has babies. And the sneaky serpent has to crawl on its belly all the time because of what it did.

In Genesis 3:16-18, God talks to the woman and says, "Having babies will be really hard work for you, and it will hurt a lot. You'll want to be close to your husband, and he'll be the leader in your family."

To Adam, God said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to, now the ground is cursed because of you. You'll have to work really hard to grow food, and it will be tough for you every day of your life."

After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they realized they were naked. So, God gave them clothes. But God was worried that they would continue to eat from the tree again. Now, He couldn't trust them. So, God made them leave the beautiful garden and put angels with a fiery sword to stop them from going back in.

The story of Adam and Eve isn't just about a special fruit; it teaches us how important it is to speak up. When we don't listen to God, it doesn't just affect us—it affects everyone, like when you drop a rock into a calm pond and it makes ripples all around.

Imagine God's instructions were like a special present, showing the way to a really happy life. When Adam and Eve followed them, they kept themselves happy and helped make a world full of love and obedience.

When Eve saw the fruit she wasn't supposed to eat, Adam didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't want to start a fight, or maybe he wasn't sure what to do. But his quietness caused a lot of trouble that we still feel now. It's like when someone doesn't say anything when they know something is wrong—it can make things even worse.

Here's something really important we can learn from this story: When we see someone we care about make a wrong choice, we can't just stay quiet. We should speak up, but with kindness. We can remind them about what God wants and help them make the right choice.

Just remember, even if you're small, your voice can make a big difference. Don't be scared to speak up. Follow God's rules, not just for yourself, but to help and keep safe the people you care about.

Copyright © Amanda Allen, Kingdom Revelations, 2024. All rights reserved. This article may be shared with acknowledgment of the author and the original source. Artwork included.