Part IV ... Was God Too Harsh In His Punishment?

Was God Too Harsh In His Punishment?

Well ... was it really just a matter of eating a piece of fruit? 

No.

Sadly, Adam and Eve were not content to have Jehovah as their Sovereign.  Instead, they chose to follow a rebellious spirit son of God, Satan. Gen. 3:1-6. And as we have seen in our time, life apart from God's rule brings/brought pain, suffering, and death to them and their offspring.  Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12.

Our Creator no longer had obedient subjects on the earth.

This was the beginning and all the heavenly angels were watching.

How sad! ... And how this emboldened Satan.

But did this mean that The Almighty lost control, that he had relinquished sovereignty over the earth and its inhabitants?

Absolutely not!

He exercised his authority by driving the man and woman out of the garden of Eden; prevented their return by assigning cherubs to stand guard at the entrance. Gen. 3:3, 24.

Is this not what companies do to those no longer under their employment ... have them escorted out?

However, at the same time, Jehovah showed his fatherly love by confirming that his purpose to have a universal family of devoted spirit sons as well as humans sons would be accomplished.  He promised an "offspring" who would bring an end to Satan and undo the effects of Adam's sin.

This first prophecy is found in Genesis 3:15:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel."

The mystery began ... how does it affect us? 

Let us first identify the players.