What happened to the Covenant of Works? It was started by God as a standard for man to live by. “Do whatever you want, eat whatever you want except, don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden” How could people mess up so easy a task?
We don’t know much about what happened during this first covenant. To read Genesis 1-3, you would think “one day they were in and the next day they were out”. God doesn’t tell us everything we would like to know but only what we need to know so let’s take a look at what the Bible tells us. In Genesis 1, we find the creation of everything that God needed to create but not everything we see today. For example, we know He didn’t make every breed of dog or horse or cow. And, we find out in Genesis 2 that He didn’t make woman on the sixth day; He made her out of man some time later.
First, God made the garden, and then, He placed man in the garden to tend it and to eat of its fruit; that was when He told man (Adam) not to eat the fruit of one tree. Then God brought all of the animals He had made to Adam to see what he would name them; and name them, he did. How long this took, we have no idea. Then God made Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and He took from Adam enough bone and tissue to make a woman, probably the most beautiful and smartest woman that ever walked the earth. Now, the Bible tells us that He “gave the woman to Adam and said to fill the earth” with descendants. But the Bible doesn’t tell us how long they were in this state of bliss in the garden (days, weeks, months or years). How many children could they have had while in the garden? Again, we don’t know because the Bible doesn’t tell us.
Next, we find Satan takes on the form of a beautiful creature; one that Adam and Eve had probably seen on a daily basis. Eve certainly wasn’t afraid of it when it spoke to her. She was probably within visual distance of the forbidden tree. Satan subtly asks “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden”? Gen. 3:1 (NLT). And Eve responded, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied. It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'” Gen. 3:2-3 (NLT). I have heard many people say Eve’s first mistake was in adding to God’s word. But, the Bible only tells us that God told Adam not to eat of the fruit; it was Adam’s responsibility to tell Eve about the prohibition, and, not wanting Eve to desire the food, he may have told her not to touch it.
Eve, being deceived, took the food and ate it; there does not appear to be any consequence for her eating it. But then she gave it to Adam, and, when he ate it, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” Gen 3:7 (NLT). Because of this, God lays all of the blame for our current condition squarely on Adam. “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Romans 5:18 (NLT). And that one act of disobedience ended the Covenant of Works between God and man. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT).