The Forbidden Fruit is a classic- or traditional style rhyming poem about the tragic encounter between Eve and the snake. It is a soliloquy in the voice of the snake, but anyone familiar with this account would know that the snake is speaking to an actual person - Eve.

One of the key features of this piece is the sibilants used ever so often, especially on key words related to the core issues of this encounter. In recording the audio, I tried to strike a balance. I tried to make the snake sound pleasant yet crafty. I would imagine that if the snake had actually sounded creepy in the actual conversation that he had with Eve, that Eve would have run off screaming and hollering. The devil's favorite disguise is light, so he must have really caught Eve off guard.

This poem highlights the subtlety that can often feature in spiritual warfare and the importance of spiritual sight in being able to detect and avoid enemy ambushes. Satan's strategy in the Garden of Eden was not frontal; it was a sidewinding ruse ... and it worked.

The final video slide reflects the emotional repercussions of the Fall, which followed soon after Eve enjoyed the forbidden fruit.

This video features the very first 'armed' confrontation between the devil and man (in the form of Eve). The illustration of the snake wrapped around the forbidden-fruit tree and Eve not far away from the two main trees, illustrates that very often the battle that we face rages in the mind when we find ourselves at the crossroads of temptation.

In the first illustration I depict Eve as being clothed with God's glory, which was (unknown to her) part of her armor. That clothing represents her righteousness and trusting submission to God (up until that point). In the final slide, she is no longer clothed with God's gloriously perfect nature. The agony of The Fall is excruciatingly clear.

Notice that Eve has a green flower in her hair. That is symbolic of the jealousy (towards God) that the devil planted in her heart with just a few sly words. The tree that the devil is wrapped around has beautiful fruit, but the color of the fruit is meant to be indicative of poison. It is so easy to be fooled by our natural senses and by our natural sight. This is why the success or failure of many great battles in the Bible depended on spiritual sight or spiritual blindness. Donning the armor of God means being equipped with divine sight and divine perspective within any given situation.

Being vigilant in prayer gives us sight. The belt of Truth gives us sight. Having the breastplate of righteousness purifies our heart and wipes clean the windshield of our innermost thoughts. Walking in faith requires spiritual sight. Everything comes back to sight!

My many books are available on Amazon under my name - Nneka Edwards.
Email: joiedelens@gmail.com

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Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field …
Genesis 3:1

The Forbidden Fruit

In a beautiful garden,
There was a sly snake -
A viper …

Psssssssssst!

Wanna try something sweet?
Something peachy to eat?
One fleshy treat
That you can sink your teeth into?

Now did God really say
That you would decay?
That you can’t play
With the pleasuressssss He created?

Truth is God is a bit low.
He just doesn’t want you to know
Things that can make men grow
Into great giantsssss and mighty godsssss.

Yesssss, take a nibble
To be wissssse is to fiddle
Be a man! Live a little!
Look into things that would make lust dribble

See how perfect it is?
How ripe with blissss?
Like a succulent kisssss;
Feast on your fantasiesssss then lick your fingers.

Of courssssse, you can trust me.
God made you free.
So eat of the tree;
And then you will see …

… what will become of your humanity.

Sssssssssss!