Let’s read the words of the Lord to Adam while he was in the Garden of Eden.  We read in Genesis 2:16-17, “And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, `Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat; and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it — dying thou dost die.’” (Young’s Literal Translation).

Surely Adam understood these simple and plain words from the Lord.  Permission was given to eat of any and all trees in the garden EXCEPT for this one tree…the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If he were to eat of that tree, “dying thou dost die.”  On the day Adam ate of that tree, he would die spiritually and begin to die physically.  Adam knew what the Lord said, so we must assume he understood the consequences of disobeying God.

When Satan, in the form of the serpent, tempted Eve, he began by questioning the words of God.  He asked in Genesis 3:1, “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”  He soon moved that strategy to say that what God had told Adam was a lie.  We read Satan’s word in Genesis 3:4, “And the serpent said unto the woman, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE.”  So, in tempting Eve, Satan, the serpent (read Revelation 12:9), questioned God’s word and then contradicted God’s word.  How subtle is Satan that he caused Eve to doubt and then to deny what God had said.  Adam must have been in the presence of Eve when she partook of the fruit for we read that, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6).  While Eve was caught up in the temptation, Adam partook of the fruit in full realization that he was sinning against God. We read in 1 Timothy 2:14, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”  Perhaps Adam decided to join Eve in her sinful act of disobedience.  Perhaps he realized she now had died spiritually and began dying physically and decided to attach himself with her in that sinful, dying state.

Adam’s act brought sin into the world and had far reaching consequences.  We read in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”  We also read in verses 18-19, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”  Indeed, the consequence of Adam’s sin is great and affects each one of us.  We also read in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that, “For as in Adam all die…” 

So, did Adam and Eve know what death was?  Did they know the far-reaching consequences of their sin?  Did they understand their action would impact the whole world?  I don’t know if I can comment on that with great assurance, but they did know what the Lord had said.  They did know what disobedience was.  They did know the immediate consequences of their own sins.  Even today, we must consider the far-reaching consequences of our sin and rebellion against God.  If we reject and disobey God, think of how that impacts our children and grandchildren.  Think of how that impacts those who might look up to us.  Think of how that impacts our influence on our society.  Yes, our sins have a negative impact of others, besides bringing death to us.

My dear friend, do you know Christ as your savior?  Have you trusted Him and received His salvation and received eternal life?  If not, I encourage you, right now, to repent of your sins and trust Him for your eternal salvation.  (CC)  (647.6)