For millions of years, the world had been uninhabited. Until, nearly 6000 years ago.
The earth had been created. A garden was planted, filled with every tree and plant that beautiful and produced delicious food. Every flower, plant and fruit!
In the middle of the garden, there stood the Tree of Life, and also the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Out of this garden, four branches of rivers flowed, which were the Pishon, Gishon, Tigris and Euphrates. These rivers divided the lands which were covered with gold, precious stones and every valuable thing that the world had ever known.
This was, the Garden of Eden, created by God, as the home for mankind.
Out there in a corner, God carried the man and placed him on the ground.
“Oh, my God! Where on earth am I?” the man asked as he looked around in amazement. "Is this... hhhhmmmmm… Heaven?”
(If we were to say “Oh, my God! today” there is not going to be response from the sky!)
But it was different for that man. God was the only friend, this man had! And God answered him.
“Adam – this the Garden of Eden……where you will live, to work and tend this place.” God replied.
“Oh, cool!” replied Adam, walking around stark naked, never even knowing the meaning of CLOTHES!
Although he was naked, there was not even a tinge of embarrassment.
But remember this – God said, interrupting his excitement: “You can freely eat the fruit of any tree in the garden – except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you eat it, you will surely die.”
"Remember – this is your FORBIDDEN FRUIT."
“That’s wayyyyyy toooo easy..….I already have all kinds of fruits to eat. Why would I even want to try that fruit?” Do you think I’ll go hungry…of course not!...Do I really need that rule? I won’t even think of eating that fruit!" Adam kept going on and on, like a teenager nagging over his curfew.
Just at that moment, Adam started feel sleepy and dozed off. It was as if God had injected tranquilizers into him.
“It is not good for man to be alone. I’ll give him a helper.” God laughed as he took a rib out of the sedated Adam.
Out of Adam’s ribs, a woman was made.
When Adam woke up, it was the most exciting day of his life! Finally, another human being! He had a wife!
Eve was her name.
Days, weeks and months passed. Adam and Eve had the most blissful life, you and I could never imagine. They tended the garden and named every animal and creature on the land. Things were just too beautiful and perfect, to be true.
But the snake was just about to mess things up.
The snake was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made.
One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said: You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN CREATION, where the man and woman had to make serious CHOICE in their life.
It was that moment in time, that could change the entire history of mankind.
It was a CHOICE that had GREAT CONSEQUENCES to pay; to try or to die.
Seconds ticked, as the woman looked at the fruit. It was beautiful to see and behold.
“How would it taste like, I wonder?”
“See, Adam…..it’s just a fruit…Can’t be so bad just to take a bite…and we won’t die……we will become all knowing, just like God!” Eve told her husband.
“But God said…..we will die….and we already have every other fruit to eat…” Adam tried to protest.
“Come on….don’t be such a spoilsport…..we’ve been good all this while….It won’t hurt to be a little naughty…just today…just to try one bite….just this once….never again….”
Eve took a bite into the fruit, and handed it to Adam.
Unable to control his curiosity, Adam took a bite too.
THEY HAD MADE THEIR CHOICE, to break God’s rule…to try the FORBIDDEN FRUIT.
At that moment, both their eyes were opened. The serpent was right! They knew they were naked, and they were ashamed! They ran and hid themselves.
They knew that things would never be the same.
Their CHOICE came with a great PRICE.
From that day, Adam and Eve were banned from that beautiful garden which was filled with everything they had ever needed.
God cursed him to work hard to live, and Eve to suffer terrible labour in giving birth – FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, and everybody’s lives!
One simple CHOICE, to leave every good thing behind and take just one bite from the forbidden fruit – just to try!
They DIED to their innocence, and the great life that was given freely to them….the after effect was passed down to their children, and children’s children.
THEY HAD EVERYTHING, but lost it all, just because of ONE CHOICE.
In life, all of us are faced with that CHOICE to make.
All of us will encounter chance to see that FORBIDDEN in front of us - just like Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden.
That beautiful and attractive thing which makes us curious to try….just once, never again…..just for a little fun….just to KNOW.
For a child, that fruit may be the feeling to be free and go out alone – which can get him kidnapped.
For a teenager, that fruit may come in the form of drugs, alcohol and sex – which can ruin his life forever.
For a married man, it may be a beautiful woman who is not his wife, who will break his family.
For a single woman, it may be sweet words from a married man – which could steal her innocence and break her heart.
For an employee, it may be temptation to take an offered bribe, which could send him to jail.
There will always be that feeling “just try, just feel, just know, just once…..”
We are all given that CHOICE at one point or another……..that FREEDOM to have all the fruits, except the THAT one.
Do you really need to know? Do you really need to try? Do you really want to break the rule, and try THAT FRUIT?
What will be your CHOICE?
