Disobedience

Meaning of disobedience: Disobedience is failure or refusal to obey or abide by the rules, regulations and instructions stipulated or given by an authority.

God made Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden to till and keep it.  God commanded man to eat freely of the trees in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told man that the day he eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he will surely die.

However, Serpent came and deceived Eve that if they eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which God commanded them not to eat, that they will not die but will become like God knowing good and evil.  Eve saw that the tree was good for food, so she ate of it and gave to her husband who was with her and he ate also; so they were disobedient. Immediately they finished eating the forbidden fruit, their eyes opened and they realized that they were naked. They became ashamed of their nakedness and took fig leaves to cover their bodies.

This act of disobedience led to the fall of man from glory, and a break in relationship with God.

Evaluation:                                            

• What is disobedience
• Narrate the account of man’s fall from glory.

Sub-Topic 2: Consequences of Adam and Eve’s disobedience:

The disobedience of Adam and Eve led to the fall of man and a broken relationship with God.

1. Disobedience brings sense of guilt.
2. Disobedience brings suffering
3. Disobedience brings evil
4. Disobedience causes breakdown of law and order

God’s punishment for Adam, Eve and the serpent

All the parties involved in this sin of disobedience received a portion of the punishment which God gave to them.

Serpent:

For deceiving the woman and causing man to disobey God the Serpent was;

• cursed above all the animals;
• to go on its belly;
• to eat dust as food; and
• to be in enmity with the seed of the woman; i.e. the seed of the woman shall bruise its head while the Serpent will bruise the heel of the seed of woman.

Eve:

For listening to the Serpent, desiring, eating and giving the fruit to her husband, the woman was sentenced that;

• her pains will be multiplied during child bearing;
• her desire shall be for her husband; and
• her husband shall rule over.

Adam:

For disobeying God by eating the fruit, man’s punishment is:

• the ground was cursed
• he will toil, labour and sweat before eating;
• he will eventually die and return to the dust from where he was formed.

Moral Lessons:

1. The root of disobedience is selfishness, greed and covetousness.
2. Do not follow bad advice to do what is wrong or allow any body to deceive you to disobey instructions given to you by your parents or teachers.
3. The result of disobedience is punishment.

Evaluation

1. What is disobedient
2. Enumerate the punishment given by God to (i) Serpent (ii) Eve  and (iii) Adam
3. What are the consequences of Adam and E disobedience?