Daily Devotion
With Pastor Ancel Presnell
“ABSENTEE HUSBAND”
Through the years, I have heard preachers and other Christians throw off on women by blaming Eve for the fall of man when she took the fruit of the forbidden tree and ate it and gave it to Adam for him to eat. They were making their case for the superiority of men and were implying, had it not been for Eve, man would have never faltered.
To imply such nonsense is a clear denial of what scripture shows us. Eve did in fact eat of the forbidden tree. Adam also ate of the forbidden tree. So, Eve at first and that makes it her fault alone? Hardly! Genesis 2:15 reveals to us that God took Adam into the Garden to keep it and it was Adam that He gave the commandment to refrain from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16, 17.) Following this commandment, God created Eve from Adam.
Eve’s knowledge of the commandment came through Adam. Adam was the first absentee husband to neglect his responsibilities as the spiritual leader of the home. The text plainly tells us that Eve ate of the tree and then turned to her husband “with her” and he did eat too. What does this show us? It reveals to us that the dialogue between the serpent and Eve went on with Adam right there. He said nothing and he intervened in no way at all. Then when the time came to eat of the forbidden fruit, he allowed Eve to and then ate himself.
All of humanity is guilty of sin. Eve was guilty of her disobedience and Adam was guilty of his as well as failing to lead his wife and home. This passage shows all men the importance of their role as spiritual leaders and protectors of the home. The darkest day in human history was when sin entered in. It is no coincidence that that fateful day also included a husband failing his family and his wife. Men, we cannot be an absentee husband.
Genesis 3:6—”6 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.”
