Genesis 3:12. Self-Justifying Gymnastics

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Genesis 3:12   “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

    Instead directly answering God's question, in a single sentence Adam makes a two-in-one move to excuse himself and shift the blame to the woman and to God. He begins with an attempt to disassociate himself completely from Eve. He doesn’t say “my wife,” or even “my woman,” but merely “the woman.” I’m sure that went over really well with her! If they hadn’t been standing before God, that would surely have been the beginning of the couple's first fight.

     “…Whom thou gavest…” Adam continues by pulling out the oldest-ever attempt to justify sin, straight from the arch-deceiver’s playbook. Though he doesn’t quite say so, Adam's implication is, God, you made her the way she is, and this is what she did, therefore it’s on you! How many times have you heard that argument, or one of its many variants like, “This is just the way I am,” or “I was born like this,” even coming from your own lips?  

    Next, Adam emphasizes God’s purpose for Eve “to be with me,” as if to further blame her for leaving his side in the first place and at the same time try to justify himself for eating the forbidden fruit. “It was Your plan for her to be with me God, and I was just trying to keep us together!” Don’t make the same mistake. Don’t exchange union with the Source of Life for unity with family and friends in disobedience to God.  

    Finally, Adam gets around to answering God’s question and has to admit, “I did eat.” You and I must own our guilt. Why add insult to injury by blaming others or trying to excuse ourselves by comparing ourselves with others’ faults and failures?

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Ezra James
The Word of God is bread from heaven. God sent it, but we must gather it, appreciate it, digest it, and live by it. These days it is increasingly scarce. Many are starving for it and don't know it because they keep feasting on bad bread that doesn't satisfy. But if we would learn to carefully gather up the fragments of the True, Heavenly Bread of Life, we would always enjoy a feast of crumbs, because even God's crumbs are miracles mighty to save (Mark 7:24-30). ESPAÑOL: La Palabra de Dios es pan del cielo. Dios lo envió, pero debemos recogerlo, apreciarlo, digerirlo y vivir por él. Hoy en día es cada vez más escaso. Muchos están muriendo de hambre por falta de él sin saberlo porque se alimentan de pan falso que no satisface. Pero si aprendiéramos a recoger cuidadosamente los fragmentos del Verdadero Pan Celestial, Pan de Vida, siempre disfrutaríamos de un banquete de migajas, porque hasta las migajas de Dios son milagros poderosos para salvar (Marcos 7:24-30).