WEBVTT - The Fall 0:00:00.070 --> 0:00:01.390 This is an iHeart Podcast. 0:00:02.570 --> 0:00:03.530 Guaranteed Human. 0:00:04.430 --> 0:00:06.590 Previously on The Chosen People. 0:00:08.550 --> 0:00:12.950 Let us craft creatures in our image, imbued with our essence. 0:00:13.770 --> 0:00:17.050 Let us make man as an image of God, to 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:20.820 steward the fish of the sea, birds of the air, 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:23.200 and creatures of the earth. 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:25.960 It's beautiful. 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:31.320 This is the tree of life. Its fruit is a gift, 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:35.680 a gift to be cherished forever. It is the life 0:00:36.060 --> 0:00:43.110 I offer you, a life of unity with me. This 0:00:44.010 --> 0:00:49.570 is the tree of knowledge, the knowledge of good and evil. 0:00:50.550 --> 0:00:54.420 You may eat of every tree in this garden, but 0:00:54.460 --> 0:00:59.520 the tree of knowledge of good and evil You shall 0:00:59.700 --> 0:01:00.460 not eat. 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:02.440 What will happen if I do? 0:01:03.040 --> 0:01:08.690 Knowledge of good and evil, which leads to evil itself. 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:13.490 While the tree of life brings eternal life, the knowledge 0:01:13.530 --> 0:01:15.750 of evil brings death. 0:01:20.330 --> 0:01:20.730 Adam! 0:01:21.190 --> 0:01:21.870 Over here! 0:01:23.110 --> 0:01:27.710 Eve hopped from one stone to another, her feet perfectly 0:01:27.790 --> 0:01:33.120 balanced despite the wet moss lacing the rocks. The falls roared, 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:35.179 nearly drowning out her voice. 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.480 We're almost there. Come on, catch up. 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.759 Adam took a moment to catch his breath, but he 0:01:42.819 --> 0:01:46.520 lost his breath again when he saw Eve's hair blowing 0:01:46.580 --> 0:01:50.930 with the fall's wind. Adam smirked, pivoted his foot back 0:01:51.420 --> 0:01:55.360 then burst with strength and speed. He launched off a 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:59.560 stone with one leg onto another, leaping across the stream 0:01:59.860 --> 0:02:03.760 and onto the wet stone. He jumped straight up, grabbing 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:07.140 a ledge and pulling himself up with his shoulders and arms. 0:02:08.020 --> 0:02:11.320 Water from the falls fell onto his back and dripped 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:15.370 down his waist and legs. He breathed in the fresh air, 0:02:15.870 --> 0:02:18.730 then made the final few strides to the summit. 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:22.090 Took you long enough. 0:02:25.610 --> 0:02:29.330 I was just enjoying the view. I don't know what's 0:02:29.389 --> 0:02:32.929 more beautiful. These falls, surrounded by flowers. 0:02:34.310 --> 0:02:34.770 Or you. 0:02:35.750 --> 0:02:39.910 Eve blushed and leaned closer to Adam. He playfully and 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.119 swiftly kissed Eve on the cheek and leaped past her. 0:02:43.820 --> 0:02:46.840 He grabbed onto a root and swung to another rock 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:47.900 five feet across. 0:02:49.260 --> 0:02:55.010 Now you have to catch up. Challenge accepted. 0:02:55.130 --> 0:02:58.390 Adam ran up the slope leading to the Tree of Life. 0:02:59.050 --> 0:03:03.590 Its leaves glowed with a brilliance matching the sun. Adam's 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:08.080 legs moved effortlessly over the enormous roots curling to its base. 0:03:08.740 --> 0:03:12.640 He dashed to the trunk and climbed smaller branches coiling 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:16.780 upward to the fruit. He sat on a branch, taking 0:03:16.850 --> 0:03:21.000 in the view with fruit in hand. Eve sat beside him, 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:25.500 head resting gently on his shoulder. The two of them ate, 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:30.320 laughed and basked in the presence of God. His goodness 0:03:30.500 --> 0:03:34.780 was all around them, expressed in the sun's golden rays 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:40.260 and the fruit's life-giving nourishment. Their naked bodies were exposed 0:03:40.300 --> 0:03:42.580 to each other in the elements, but there was no 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:48.410 shame or pain, nothing to hide, nothing to fear. God 0:03:48.570 --> 0:03:49.750 walked in their midst. 0:03:50.290 --> 0:03:51.030 He was near. 0:03:51.770 --> 0:03:52.650 He was present. 0:03:53.430 --> 0:03:56.990 They were in perfect harmony with the earth, each other, 0:03:57.690 --> 0:04:02.560 and the Creator. Adam pointed to an open meadow exposed 0:04:02.630 --> 0:04:06.440 in a tree break. Eve watched a smirk curl on 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:09.640 the sides of his lips as he explained his plans. 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.560 You see that plot of land, tucked between the forest 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:16.810 and the streams? I'm going to take some of the 0:04:16.870 --> 0:04:18.490 berry seeds and plant them there. 0:04:19.010 --> 0:04:20.150 How are you going to do that? 0:04:21.300 --> 0:04:25.320 The better the soil, the easier the seed will grow. First, 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:28.900 I'll gather some of the softer earth and the waste 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:32.800 from the animals. Then I'll take some branches and cross 0:04:32.860 --> 0:04:36.539 them over each other. I'll secure them together with vines 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.140 so they stay place. I'll put them all over the 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:43.550 planted seeds, and when the vines grow, they'll latch onto 0:04:43.580 --> 0:04:46.349 them and grow neatly so we can pick them. 0:04:47.510 --> 0:04:50.490 But we already have all the fruit we need in 0:04:50.529 --> 0:04:51.010 the garden. 0:04:51.570 --> 0:04:54.990 But that doesn't mean we can't expand. God has commissioned 0:04:55.050 --> 0:04:57.420 us to press the boundaries and multiply. 0:04:58.060 --> 0:05:04.800 Yes, multiply. Adam, imagine more. 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:05.180 Of us here. 0:05:05.779 --> 0:05:08.020 This world is ours to fill. 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:13.539 This was their calling, to cultivate the land and multiply. 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:17.740 The earth was theirs to subdue and rule over as 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:22.140 God's stewards. The garden was theirs to grow and glean from. 0:05:23.060 --> 0:05:28.219 Eve's eyes burst with curiosity and excitement. She saw all 0:05:28.260 --> 0:05:32.160 the potential in the land, the future filled with children 0:05:32.300 --> 0:05:33.279 and grandchildren. 0:05:34.020 --> 0:05:37.680 I'll help you. I can gather the seeds. Oh, we 0:05:37.710 --> 0:05:40.100 can also dig a path from the stream so they 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:40.960 get enough water. 0:05:41.620 --> 0:05:44.520 Eve scrunched her nose and held Adam's face. 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:47.200 Let's go see it now. 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:51.140 She hopped off the tree and skipped down the grassy 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:55.409 path leading back into the forest. Eve darted into the 0:05:55.490 --> 0:05:59.270 part of the woods untouched by sunlight. It was damp, 0:05:59.670 --> 0:06:03.850 with vines stretching from branch to branch. Adam called out 0:06:03.930 --> 0:06:04.630 from a distance. 0:06:05.350 --> 0:06:05.610 Eve! 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:07.120 Wait up! 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.200 Come find me, Adam. 0:06:11.860 --> 0:06:12.839 Where are you? 0:06:14.220 --> 0:06:18.550 Eve giggled and danced in the shadows. Her feet twirled 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.469 over roots and stones. Her hair rose and fell with 0:06:22.630 --> 0:06:27.790 each playful pirouette. She danced on the moss, but stopped 0:06:28.130 --> 0:06:31.310 when she heard a faint whisper echoing from the shadows. 0:06:32.150 --> 0:06:36.290 She tilted her head and peered into the darkness. A 0:06:36.450 --> 0:06:40.190 faint glow came from one of the roots. It pulsed 0:06:40.450 --> 0:06:45.210 upward like a heartbeat. The roots were thick, intertwining into 0:06:45.310 --> 0:06:50.180 thicker sections. Eve followed the roots to their source. The 0:06:50.279 --> 0:06:55.200 tree's trunk was thick and braided like serpents coiling around 0:06:55.260 --> 0:06:59.660 each other. They glowed faint red and purple, like veins 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.790 pumping blood to the tree's heart. The branches shot outward 0:07:03.830 --> 0:07:07.740 and down, making its fruit low for picking. The fruit 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:12.080 was a deep crimson and perfect for one's palm. Eve 0:07:12.460 --> 0:07:15.380 was drawn to it. She hadn't yet. 0:07:15.300 --> 0:07:16.140 Learned to fear. 0:07:16.820 --> 0:07:20.430 If she had, then she would have been terrified. Her 0:07:20.510 --> 0:07:24.800 body tensed with every step as she inched closer to it. 0:07:25.550 --> 0:07:29.590 Eve heard the whisper again. The sound trickled from the 0:07:29.670 --> 0:07:34.790 branches like a small stream. She scanned the tree. Weaving 0:07:34.910 --> 0:07:39.030 through the coils of the trunk was a brilliantly coloured serpent. 0:07:39.790 --> 0:07:44.210 Its bright scales radiated with a similar shine as the trees. 0:07:44.980 --> 0:07:53.960 It shone as if covered with every precious stone, sardius, topaz, diamond, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, 0:07:54.140 --> 0:07:58.550 emerald and carbuncle. The edge of its body was crafted 0:07:58.620 --> 0:08:04.840 like gold. Eve was mesmerised. She approached the serpent and 0:08:04.980 --> 0:08:06.420 innocently gazed up at it. 0:08:07.300 --> 0:08:08.420 What are you? 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:14.910 The creature responded with an indecipherable hiss. Its voice was 0:08:14.950 --> 0:08:18.970 like the echoes of a thousand whispers. Eve could no 0:08:19.010 --> 0:08:23.470 longer see it, but she could hear it. I was 0:08:24.390 --> 0:08:28.050 going to ask you the same question. 0:08:29.940 --> 0:08:34.429 Who are you? I'm Eve. 0:08:35.630 --> 0:08:45.579 Ah, one of God's image bearers. What an honor to 0:08:45.620 --> 0:08:53.780 be in your presence. So elegant. So powerful. 0:08:56.640 --> 0:09:02.390 It's a shame God has held so much back from you. 0:09:04.170 --> 0:09:09.510 What do you mean? Slowly and methodically, the serpent's head 0:09:09.570 --> 0:09:13.240 emerged from the leaves. Its eyes gleamed red like a 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.580 blood moon. They held a dark canyon. 0:09:16.179 --> 0:09:16.860 In the center. 0:09:17.540 --> 0:09:23.550 Deep, mysterious, and haunting. its long tail draped over the branches, 0:09:23.950 --> 0:09:25.540 caressing the crimson fruit. 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:30.200 Didn't God say you couldn't eat from any tree in 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:32.819 the garden? No. 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.040 God allows us to eat all the fruit in the garden. 0:09:36.660 --> 0:09:39.910 It's just this one we can't eat. We can't even 0:09:39.970 --> 0:09:41.150 touch it or we'll die. 0:09:41.170 --> 0:09:41.240 Die? 0:09:41.890 --> 0:09:43.070 Oh, my dear.... 0:09:50.490 --> 0:09:56.150 You won't die. Do I look dead to you? God 0:09:56.270 --> 0:10:01.360 doesn't want you to eat it because... if you do, 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.140 your eyes will be opened. 0:10:05.700 --> 0:10:07.660 My eyes will be opened? 0:10:08.260 --> 0:10:08.940 What do you mean? 0:10:09.900 --> 0:10:16.030 God is a petty and jealous one, isn't he? He 0:10:16.070 --> 0:10:23.080 knows everything. If you eat this fruit, your eyes will 0:10:23.100 --> 0:10:29.480 be opened. You'll know the secrets of the universe. You'll 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:37.429 have knowledge. You'll have power. You'll be like God himself. 0:10:38.390 --> 0:10:39.530 Like God? 0:10:40.710 --> 0:10:45.160 Eve examined the fruit. Dew dripped from its smooth skin. 0:10:45.660 --> 0:10:50.390 It looked delicious and inviting. How could something so beautiful 0:10:50.809 --> 0:10:55.750 be dangerous? Eve reached up for the fruit. The serpent 0:10:55.990 --> 0:10:59.190 coiled its tail around one of the branches and bent 0:10:59.230 --> 0:11:03.459 it closer to Eve. She recoiled for a moment, then 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:04.280 reached again. 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.679 I can be like God. 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:09.940 Knowledgeable. 0:11:11.260 --> 0:11:11.720 Powerful. 0:11:13.059 --> 0:11:13.670 Yes. Yes. 0:11:15.590 --> 0:11:19.630 Eve was inches away from the fruit. Her heart beat 0:11:19.790 --> 0:11:23.950 in tandem with the pulsing roots. Adam finally caught up 0:11:23.990 --> 0:11:26.130 with her and stopped at the tree's shadow. 0:11:26.650 --> 0:11:28.949 Eve, what are you doing? 0:11:29.750 --> 0:11:33.870 But it was too late. Eve's fingers touched the fruit. 0:11:34.750 --> 0:11:36.450 She waited to see what would happen. 0:11:37.429 --> 0:11:37.839 Nothing. 0:11:38.650 --> 0:11:43.060 She felt the same. Her eyes gleamed with anxious curiosity. 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:46.729 She plucked the fruit. and held it firmly in her palm. 0:11:47.590 --> 0:11:48.490 She looked at Adam. 0:11:49.809 --> 0:11:58.390 Maybe it was a lie after all. We could be 0:11:58.610 --> 0:11:59.950 like God. 0:12:01.270 --> 0:12:05.900 Eve stroked the fruit. Adam was frozen. He knew he 0:12:05.940 --> 0:12:09.160 should stop Eve. He knew he should smack it out 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:12.719 of her hand. But he was drawn by a similar curiosity. 0:12:13.380 --> 0:12:17.470 Could he really be like God? Would this fruit unlock 0:12:17.540 --> 0:12:22.850 something withheld from him? Eve raised the fruit to her lips. Then, 0:12:23.429 --> 0:12:27.630 as a decisive act to claim autonomy from her creator, 0:12:27.770 --> 0:12:32.949 Eve took a bite from the fruit. Dark red juices 0:12:33.050 --> 0:12:36.650 dripped down her mouth and chin. It stained her hands 0:12:36.690 --> 0:12:41.110 a dark, blood-like color. It was the sweetest fruit she'd 0:12:41.350 --> 0:12:46.320 ever tasted. She didn't realize that the bitterness would come afterward. 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:50.100 She looked back at her husband, who was meant to 0:12:50.179 --> 0:12:53.199 care for her soul and help her live in God's will. 0:12:54.020 --> 0:12:57.910 She held the fruit up to him with a red-stained smile. 0:12:58.850 --> 0:13:03.010 It's delicious. Taste and see for yourself. 0:13:04.230 --> 0:13:04.730 I shouldn't. 0:13:05.910 --> 0:13:07.490 Adam's brow furrowed. 0:13:07.510 --> 0:13:09.210 He was conflicted. 0:13:09.990 --> 0:13:12.340 The voice of God echoed in his mind. 0:13:12.980 --> 0:13:18.610 Knowledge of good and evil, which leads to evil itself. 0:13:19.429 --> 0:13:23.410 While the tree of life brings eternal life, the knowledge 0:13:23.470 --> 0:13:25.670 of evil brings death. 0:13:26.750 --> 0:13:31.100 Adam looked at his wife. She smiled at him, eyes 0:13:31.380 --> 0:13:34.579 urging him to partake. She didn't seem different. 0:13:35.260 --> 0:13:41.200 Maybe it was a lie. Maybe there's something more for me. 0:13:44.660 --> 0:13:48.130 He gently raised the fruit to his lips and took 0:13:48.190 --> 0:13:52.270 a bite. Adam knew what he was doing. God had 0:13:52.330 --> 0:13:56.340 made himself clear. This was a deliberate act to be 0:13:56.460 --> 0:14:00.400 like God. They had been deceived into thinking God was 0:14:00.460 --> 0:14:04.160 holding back from them, and perhaps something better awaited them 0:14:04.460 --> 0:14:06.280 if they separated themselves from him. 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:07.800 It's great! 0:14:08.610 --> 0:14:09.350 You were right! 0:14:10.190 --> 0:14:13.400 What did I tell you? Why would God keep this 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:13.939 from us? 0:14:15.220 --> 0:14:16.500 What else have we been missing? 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:21.560 Adam's eyes glowed with thrill. The two laughed and took 0:14:21.620 --> 0:14:25.300 another bite. A smile etched on the sides of the 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:30.080 serpent's mouth. His eyes pulsed with wicked pleasure as he 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:34.160 slid back into the dark shadows of the tree. A 0:14:34.250 --> 0:14:38.030 cold wind howled through the forest and the earth's surface 0:14:38.150 --> 0:14:42.150 shook with a single quake. Adam looked around him. Birds 0:14:42.220 --> 0:14:44.600 flew away at the sight of him and the plants 0:14:44.700 --> 0:14:45.840 curled back slightly. 0:14:46.420 --> 0:14:47.380 Something happened. 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:51.080 His heart beat heavily in his chest and sweat fell 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:51.900 down his brow. 0:14:55.110 --> 0:14:56.290 What's happening? 0:14:56.310 --> 0:14:59.350 I don't know. 0:15:02.750 --> 0:15:03.410 Something's wrong. 0:15:04.540 --> 0:15:07.770 Adam grabbed his chest and winced. It felt like a 0:15:07.830 --> 0:15:10.760 tightened grip on his heart, as if something invisible was 0:15:10.860 --> 0:15:14.880 squeezing the divinity from him. What followed was the immediate 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:21.000 feeling of overwhelming and soul-crushing shame. Adam didn't just feel naked. 0:15:21.540 --> 0:15:25.970 He felt vulnerable. He looked at Eve. She didn't look 0:15:26.010 --> 0:15:31.090 the same. She looked like a stranger. His whole body tensed. 0:15:31.650 --> 0:15:36.350 He was agitated, confused, and angry. Her face wore a 0:15:36.430 --> 0:15:38.430 similar pain and something else. 0:15:39.310 --> 0:15:39.650 Fear. 0:15:40.630 --> 0:15:42.910 She didn't know whether Adam was going to run from 0:15:42.950 --> 0:15:47.250 her or attack her. She felt weak, vulnerable, and alone. 0:15:48.090 --> 0:15:52.530 Her lower lip quivered. She looked at Adam's eyes, searching 0:15:52.590 --> 0:15:56.410 to discern his intentions. He was scanning her up and down. 0:15:57.170 --> 0:16:00.630 Feeling exposed, she fled like a deer into the bushes. 0:16:01.310 --> 0:16:04.990 She frantically gathered fig leaves together to cover herself. She 0:16:05.050 --> 0:16:08.770 wanted to disappear. The weight of her fear and shame 0:16:08.810 --> 0:16:14.970 was overwhelming. Panic overcame her. Adam's throat clenched. He stepped 0:16:15.010 --> 0:16:17.950 to follow her, but then he felt something shift in 0:16:18.010 --> 0:16:18.410 the air. 0:16:19.990 --> 0:16:20.770 He was coming. 0:16:21.590 --> 0:16:22.340 The creator. 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.440 Adam pulled some leaves off a fig tree and covered himself. 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:30.760 Then he ran. He ran like a frightened animal from 0:16:30.820 --> 0:16:34.880 a predator. Fear was new to him. his tensed muscles, 0:16:35.220 --> 0:16:36.260 his shaking hands. 0:16:37.230 --> 0:16:38.760 Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make 0:16:38.780 --> 0:16:38.950 it stop. 0:16:39.620 --> 0:16:44.130 Adam buried himself under leaves and brush. God's presence used 0:16:44.150 --> 0:16:46.450 to feel as near as his own breath and heartbeat, 0:16:46.770 --> 0:16:52.170 but now, after eating the fruit, God seemed distant. Adam 0:16:52.310 --> 0:16:55.690 trembled in the shadows, listening to the wind and churning 0:16:55.730 --> 0:16:56.250 of leaves. 0:16:57.090 --> 0:16:59.770 Adam, where are you? 0:17:00.890 --> 0:17:05.930 God's voice was no longer comforting, but terrifying. Adam's heart 0:17:06.010 --> 0:17:09.980 was about to burst. He groaned, anxious tears falling from 0:17:10.020 --> 0:17:14.480 his eyes. The closeness with God was gone. The sense 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:19.399 of purpose, the feeling of destiny and endless possibilities, it 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:23.619 all burnt to ash and blew away with the wind 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:27.570 rushing through the forest. The voice of the Creator called 0:17:27.650 --> 0:17:29.070 out again, Adam. 0:17:29.090 --> 0:17:29.369 Adam. 0:17:30.500 --> 0:17:31.660 Where are you? 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:33.740 It wasn't a question. 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:36.300 God knew where Adam was. 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:41.109 He didn't speak with a question, but an invitation. An 0:17:41.150 --> 0:17:46.830 invitation to return and repent. An invitation to plead for forgiveness. 0:17:47.550 --> 0:17:52.380 But anxiety and shame wrapped around Adam's heart like weeds 0:17:52.460 --> 0:17:53.160 to a flower. 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:54.820 He was motionless. 0:17:56.060 --> 0:18:00.970 The earth pulsed again, this time with rage. Adam fell 0:18:01.070 --> 0:18:04.730 forward and out of the bushes. He remained on his knees, 0:18:05.210 --> 0:18:08.990 eyes fixed on the ground. His arms were crossed, fingers 0:18:09.090 --> 0:18:12.689 gently stroking his skin for comfort. He wouldn't turn his 0:18:12.760 --> 0:18:14.420 gaze upward. He couldn't. 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:15.740 Here I am. 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:22.380 I heard you coming. And I was afraid. 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:27.480 Why were you afraid, Adam? What have you to fear? 0:18:27.500 --> 0:18:28.439 I'm naked. 0:18:28.460 --> 0:18:28.899 I'm naked. 0:18:29.859 --> 0:18:30.959 I didn't want you to see me. 0:18:32.060 --> 0:18:34.140 Who told you you were naked? 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:36.239 Nobody. I. 0:18:37.060 --> 0:18:37.300 I. 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:40.720 Did you eat of the tree, Adam? Did you eat 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:43.010 of the tree I commanded you not to eat? 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:48.030 God's voice rumbled with the quaking earth. A chilly air 0:18:48.150 --> 0:18:53.070 blew around Adam. He felt even more exposed. Adam's eyes 0:18:53.230 --> 0:18:57.950 finally darted up, wide with worry. His face curled forward. 0:18:58.390 --> 0:19:02.930 then tensed into anger. He shook his head, warring with himself. 0:19:03.630 --> 0:19:06.790 He didn't want to own his shame. He wanted it gone. 0:19:07.670 --> 0:19:11.359 Then a thought slithered into his mind. It was a 0:19:11.430 --> 0:19:17.820 new thought. Something evil. The tree had given him knowledge 0:19:18.060 --> 0:19:22.380 of how to sin, how to lie, how to hurt. 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:27.950 Adam stood in anger. and pointed to the bushes where 0:19:28.250 --> 0:19:28.850 Eve hid. 0:19:29.670 --> 0:19:33.150 It was the woman! The woman you gave me! It's 0:19:33.170 --> 0:19:36.169 her fault, not mine! She gave me the fruit and 0:19:36.190 --> 0:19:40.580 I ate it! Talk to her! She's the one to blame! 0:19:41.740 --> 0:19:46.740 Eve's breaths became frantic. She thought of running away. Instead, 0:19:47.220 --> 0:19:52.199 she froze, unable to move. She felt God's anger thicken 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:56.859 the atmosphere. What have you done? 0:19:58.260 --> 0:20:01.030 It wasn't my fault. I. 0:20:02.990 --> 0:20:07.170 It was the serpent. He deceived me. I only ate 0:20:07.190 --> 0:20:09.530 it because of what he said. If I had known 0:20:09.590 --> 0:20:11.109 that this would happen, I would have. 0:20:11.570 --> 0:20:16.310 Suddenly, a ferocious wind blew through the forest. The trees 0:20:16.590 --> 0:20:19.950 all bent as if bowing to a king. The tree 0:20:19.990 --> 0:20:24.639 of knowledge shook, and the serpent was thrust downward, convulsing 0:20:24.700 --> 0:20:28.360 on the floor. God's rage fell upon the serpent. 0:20:29.460 --> 0:20:30.640 Ah, Satan! 0:20:31.820 --> 0:20:36.639 The voice of God boomed, shaking the entire garden. The 0:20:36.700 --> 0:20:41.250 beautifully adorned creature writhed in pain. Adam and Eve looked 0:20:41.310 --> 0:20:45.250 with dismay. For a moment, they saw the serpent for 0:20:45.290 --> 0:20:49.670 who he truly was. The majestic creature was possessed by 0:20:49.810 --> 0:20:57.520 something else, something heavenly, beautiful, and terrifying. Something otherworldly was 0:20:57.580 --> 0:21:01.260 happening in front of them. Flashes of light and fire 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:07.330 filled the atmosphere. God spoke to Lucifer, the angels, underneath 0:21:07.410 --> 0:21:08.730 the skin of the serpent. 0:21:09.750 --> 0:21:14.389 You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and 0:21:14.510 --> 0:21:19.409 perfect in beauty. I placed you here in Eden as 0:21:19.470 --> 0:21:24.690 an anointed guardian. I set you on this holy mountain. 0:21:25.190 --> 0:21:28.369 You were blameless in your ways from the day you 0:21:28.390 --> 0:21:34.040 were created, but your heart was proud because of your beauty. 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:38.320 Adam and Eve couldn't see what was happening in heaven's plain. 0:21:39.080 --> 0:21:43.270 All they could see were clouds circling above. God's presence 0:21:43.410 --> 0:21:44.510 circled Satan. 0:21:45.010 --> 0:21:51.890 You corrupted your wisdom for power. And now unrighteousness has 0:21:52.010 --> 0:21:59.649 tarnished your glow. I will destroy you with stone and fire. 0:22:00.520 --> 0:22:04.340 Lightning flashed and Adam and Eve could see the serpent again. 0:22:04.859 --> 0:22:09.119 quivering with pain and fear. Its scales were muted, and 0:22:09.180 --> 0:22:13.580 its legs and wings were torn. God's judgment was cast 0:22:13.660 --> 0:22:14.600 upon the serpent. 0:22:14.980 --> 0:22:20.540 Cursed are you, serpent. You will tremble under the feet 0:22:20.640 --> 0:22:26.340 of livestock. On your belly you shall crawl, and the 0:22:26.520 --> 0:22:29.609 dust shall be your food day and night. 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:36.959 The serpent's eyes glowed red with rage. It bore its 0:22:37.100 --> 0:22:40.980 fangs up to God in defiance. He slithered toward Eve, 0:22:41.260 --> 0:22:45.610 bent on striking. It looked at Eve with bloodlust. She 0:22:45.670 --> 0:22:49.350 turned to run, but God tossed the serpent against the rocks. 0:22:49.990 --> 0:22:53.470 Blood-curdling screams poured forth from the creature. 0:22:54.109 --> 0:22:59.020 I will put enmity between you and the woman, your 0:22:59.260 --> 0:23:04.510 offspring and her offspring. will be at war with one another. 0:23:05.130 --> 0:23:10.050 But an offspring of Eve shall rise against you. You 0:23:10.170 --> 0:23:15.290 will bruise his heel, but do not mistake it for victory. 0:23:15.930 --> 0:23:23.820 He shall vanquish you and crush your head. Those words 0:23:23.920 --> 0:23:27.800 resounded in Eve's ear. It echoed forward into the future, 0:23:28.300 --> 0:23:32.600 a prophecy of deliverance. One day, A son of Eve 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.360 would crush the serpent and undo what was set in motion. 0:23:37.359 --> 0:23:41.880 The serpent turned to Eve again, then slithered away in defeat, 0:23:42.400 --> 0:23:46.660 retreating into the shadows of the canyons. Adam and Eve 0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:50.610 stood there, awaiting a word from the Creator. His presence 0:23:50.790 --> 0:23:53.969 was directed to Eve. She fell to her knees and 0:23:54.030 --> 0:23:57.109 gripped the dirt. God's voice resonated. 0:23:58.480 --> 0:24:03.300 I called you to multiply and fill the earth. Now 0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:09.310 I will multiply your anguish as you bring children into 0:24:09.369 --> 0:24:13.149 the world. You will be at war with yourself and 0:24:13.190 --> 0:24:17.380 your husband. You will contend with him, but he will 0:24:17.430 --> 0:24:23.300 rule over you. Eve crumbled into herself. She wanted autonomy 0:24:23.340 --> 0:24:27.980 from God, but couldn't fathom the consequences. God turned to Adam. 0:24:28.480 --> 0:24:31.909 The man fashioned from breath and dirt, hewn in the 0:24:32.070 --> 0:24:36.649 image of himself. Adam, I called you to cultivate and 0:24:36.770 --> 0:24:41.169 steward the earth. But now it shall be cursed because 0:24:41.230 --> 0:24:45.780 of you. The earth will struggle against you. You will 0:24:46.000 --> 0:24:50.520 eat of the earth through sweat and pain all the 0:24:50.619 --> 0:24:54.750 days of your life. You will wilt against the stones. 0:24:55.480 --> 0:25:00.890 Thorns and thistles will scrape your hands. This pain will 0:25:00.930 --> 0:25:07.550 remind you of the paradise you rejected. Then, after a 0:25:07.650 --> 0:25:11.330 lifetime of struggle, you will return to the dust of 0:25:11.390 --> 0:25:15.250 the earth. For from the dust I made you, and 0:25:15.270 --> 0:25:17.830 to the dust you shall return. 0:25:17.850 --> 0:25:21.520 What do we do now? Where should we go? 0:25:21.540 --> 0:25:24.420 What is there beyond Eden? 0:25:25.190 --> 0:25:28.850 Adam's trembling arms covered his body. He was like a 0:25:28.910 --> 0:25:33.310 whimpering child. The harsh wind of judgment ceased for a moment. 0:25:34.250 --> 0:25:35.310 All was still. 0:25:36.250 --> 0:25:36.630 Calm. 0:25:37.450 --> 0:25:41.710 A pocket of what once was. The stag and doe 0:25:41.869 --> 0:25:45.150 pranced through the forest in front of them. Their innocent 0:25:45.430 --> 0:25:49.300 eyes stared blankly at them. Adam smirked for a moment. 0:25:49.940 --> 0:25:50.879 They were old friends. 0:25:52.220 --> 0:25:52.420 Then. 0:25:52.960 --> 0:25:57.700 Suddenly, like an invisible blade slashing through the atmosphere, both 0:25:57.820 --> 0:26:03.180 the animals' throats were cut and they fell to the floor. No! 0:26:03.760 --> 0:26:06.449 Adam ran to the creatures and knelt by their sides. 0:26:07.050 --> 0:26:09.810 He watched the life vanish from their eyes. They were 0:26:09.850 --> 0:26:14.450 no longer there. The breath of life had faded. Adam 0:26:14.570 --> 0:26:17.210 stared for a long while at the blood on his hands, 0:26:17.810 --> 0:26:22.890 realizing what death actually was. God removed the skin from 0:26:22.930 --> 0:26:26.610 the animals and fashioned clothing for Adam and Eve. They 0:26:26.670 --> 0:26:29.990 wore the animals' skins to keep them warm and unexposed. 0:26:30.850 --> 0:26:35.380 Adam felt the clothing and cried. An innocent life was 0:26:35.480 --> 0:26:38.560