As we read the beginning chapters of the Bible in the book of Genesis, we can’t help but notice that God established the law concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told Adam and Eve clearly:
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Once tempted by the devil to eat of the tree, Eve remembered God’s word and told the serpent:
Genesis 3:2-3 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Eve understood that eating of the fruit of that one particular tree meant death. Just like today, the law of God states in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
What kind of death though? God did not specify. Satan, as would become his custom disputed the Word of God with Eve and said:
Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
We know the story. Eve did eat and gave to her husband Adam, and he ate also. Then what happened? Did Adam and Eve fall down dead on the spot? Certainly they must have–after all God does not lie! If God says something, then it will surely come to pass. The Lord definitively stated they would die in that very day. It was very much Judgment Day for Adam and Eve and the whole human race as all of us were in Adam’s loins. God declared He would judge mankind and kill them for their iniquity.
And yet, they ate of the fruit–more than likely very carefully–and then they waited to see what would happen to them?
What did happen to Adam and Eve? Physically death did not come to them. Physically it would have appeared to any outward observer that the devil was right as he said, “Ye shall not surely die.”
The question we have to ask ourselves is–did God lie to Adam and Eve?