Sleight of Tongue

Eve was all but a few hours old when she found herself wondering the newly developed garden of God called Eden. Having a husband of whom she’d only met a couple of hours earlier was off in the distance doing the same. Eve made her way over the forest, as Adam stood only a few feet away checking out the differences of himself that produced a helper to the work in the garden that he was created to do.

Little did either one of them know that they were being followed and their every move recorded by a set of eyes that had been following them since they had been released to explore the garden itself. Eve walked passed a tree that had much fruit on it having more fruit then it did leaves, she looked past it and saw a more splendid tree to which its fruit seemed more captivating to the eyes.

Suddenly a figure appear out of the shadows. “I see you have taken a liking to my tree.” “Is there anything, I can help you with?” For a moment, Eve stood shocked that someone else was able to communicate with them in a way that was equal to her and her husband. “I am amazed at how the fruit grows on this tree compared to how the fruit grows on the other trees.” Eve responded. By this time, Adam her husband could hear what was going on and came over to see what the conversation was all about.

“What did you tell her about this tree?” Adam asked the figure. “I was just saying to her how my tree was very different from the other trees because of how I tend to it and work the soil.” “I think you are wrong. My creator told me that I am responsible for the tending to and working of the soil.” “My creator told me nothing of another that would doing the same work as me.”

“Oh dear boy,” the figure said with a grin. “There are so many things that your creator did not tell you about yourself or your responsibilities in this garden.” “Can you tell us then?” Eve spoke up in the presence of her husband who remained silent. “I was hoping that you would ask.” The figure said. “You see this tree is not like any other tree in this garden.” “Why is that?” Eve asked in the presence of her silent husband who was standing there as the figure spoke to his wife.

“This tree; my tree has the power to give you power. All you have to do is take a bite of its fruit and you will come to know its power.” Eve stood there contemplating what was just said to her as her husband continued to remain silent but looked on standing nearby his wife. Just as Eve’s expression began to show a look of disinterest in the tree, the figure asked Eve. “Has your creator said that you can eat of every tree in the garden?”

Eve’s mind only a few hours old tried to remember what he husband had told her about the garden and the certain tree they were not allowed to eat from and with her husband being silent, Eve had only one reply to give to the unshapely figure. “We shall eat of every tree in the garden, however, we shall not eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall we touch it, lest we die.”

The figure began to laugh out loud which sorta confused both Adam and Eve. “Why is this figure laughing they asked each other.” While Eve’s back was turned to face her husband to try and understand the reason for the laughter, the figure grabbed a piece of fruit from the tree and called the woman. When Eve turned around, the figure yelled, “Catch” and threw the fruit in the air. Both Adam and Eve jumped to catch the fruit before it hit the ground but Eve was closer and the fruit fell in the palms of her hands.

As Eve looked at the fruit in her hands, the figure told her to, “take a good look at the fruit. Nothing will happen to you and now that you have touched it; you surely shall not die.” “So what are you waiting on?” “Go ahead; take a bite and see what the creator doesn’t want you to see.”

Eve’s eyes gazed unto the fruit that was seemingly glowing in the palms of her hands. She began to see just how desirable the fruit really was and how it was good to be consumed, so she sunk her teeth into the fruit and with her top teeth and bottom teeth both sunk in, Eve mashed down and pulled out a chunk of fruit and began chewing in the sight of her husband.

The figure told Eve, “You have eaten and have not died. So what would happen if you give your husband a bite?” By now Adam is speechless. Having witnessed a reversal of instruction. “Has my creator lied to me?” He thought to himself. Eve turned to her husband and gave him the fruit and Adam looked at the bite mark in the fruit and turned it over and took an even bigger bite out of the fruit.

It was at that moment that Eve turned around and saw nothing. There was no figure, there was no one talking to her. It was just her and her husband who had now fallen over on the ground in the cradle position screaming, “IT HURTS!” Not knowing what to do, Eve sat down and held her husband’s head in her lap and began to rub his had and back as a way to comfort him of the pain.

Suddenly Adam stopped screaming and stood up. Eve stood up as well and they both looked at each other. Adam looked at himself and everything that was attached to him and then he looked at his wife and saw everything extra that was attached to her. As Eve began doing the same thing; that’s when they heard the foot steps.

Once you know it can never be taken from you.

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Author: Pastor Vern

Greetings beloved, I am Vernon D. Sherden, Pastor, Author, & Founder of The Traveling Pulpit Podcast. I am also a sinner saved by grace and having received the full blessings from our God and Creator, I have dedicated my life to the service of mankind by introducing and re-introducing Christ into lives I reach or come in contact with everyday.