Have you ever heard the argument that God either wanted Adam to fail or man was given an impossible task to perform? Some have even said God foreknew Adam would fail, so Adam had to fail, because, if God foreknows anything, what he foreknows must come to pass. Some have even gone so far as to say eating of the forbidden fruit was a good thing! They argue that God concluded it was a natural progression of man to desire to know for himself, vis-à-vis to experiment and decide what is or is not good for him. Is any of this true?
If this is true, then God must be playing solitaire, and the game is rigged in his favor, because his will is the only real will in the game. Mankind can only do what God wills him to do, vis-à-vis what God foreknows. So, does man actually have freewill, and if so, does his rebellion in Genesis 3 indicate God failed? No! and I’ll explain why in a moment. God cannot fail, because he is almighty. The fact that Adam rebelled and was cast out of the presence of God, doesn’t indicate God has a problem. He knows how to fulfill his own will, even when opposed by the plans of mankind. God’s failure is not an option, if he is, indeed, almighty.
So, what about the fact that God foreknew Adam would rebel? Such knowledge does not mean that God knew Adam would rebel prior to the act itself. How so? The scriptures indicate that God created time (Hebrews 1:2). This means, wherever God resides, he is not incumbered by time. Past, present and future exists as present with God, vis-à-vis Adam’s life prior to the rebellion, the rebellion itself, and Adam’s life after he rebelled was present with God at once. Therefore, in a very real sense, God didn’t know Adam would rebel until Adam rebelled! However, when dealing with mankind, he can predict man’s future, not because he predetermines it, but because it is present with him, when it is still future with man.
Therefore, Adam was fully cognizant of what he was doing, when he ate of the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 3:6; cp. 1Timothy 2:14). He was not satisfied with God’s guidance in coming to know truth, but he wanted to decide for himself what was good and what was evil, and behind this motive is the desire to become completely independent of God (cp. Romans 1:28). In other words, Adam was not satisfied to rule over all creation; he wanted to rule his own life without God’s participation, as well.
So, if Adam wasn’t deluded but knew full well what he was doing (1Timothy 2:14), he had to have planned the whole affair. He was responsible for teaching his wife, but he told her only what he wanted her to know (Genesis 2:16-17 v/s Genesis 3:3). Adam set Eve up for the fall. Telling her God said what God didn’t say, slandered God, causing him to appear to be a liar. But, the real liar was Adam! Once Eve saw that she could touch and not die, she believed her husband’s lie (Genesis 3:5). When Adam saw that Eve did not die immediately, he assumed it was safe for him to eat, and he did (Genesis 3:6).
Therefore, the scriptures tell us that God neither wanted Adam to fail, nor did he give him an impossible task to achieve. God did not foreknow Adam’s rebellion, nor did he secretly approve of Adam’s experiment, any more than a parent approves of, is honored in or is proud of his own child’s rebellion. Nevertheless, does this mean that God’s original plan had failed? No, it does not.
(God), …Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; (Isaiah 46:10 NASB)
God has not changed his original plan. He declares the end from the beginning, and he will establish his desires and bring them to pass. He is able to do as he pleases, because he is willing to pay the price to make it so. God’s original plan cannot be thwarted by man, because God is willing to do what is necessary to make it successful. So, in the last days, before our present age of grace, God sent his Son that in him he could reconcile the world unto himself (2Corinthians 5:14-19). Praise him and lift him up!
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This study has been updated from the original in December of 2024.
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