Why Did God Expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden?

It is widely accepted that God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden as punishment for disobeying Him and eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I heard something on the radio a few days ago that got me thinking in another direction than that of mainstream believers.

You see, God does everything for the good of man. The Bible declares. (Psalms 40: 5  Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.)  In our fleshly state, this is sometimes hard to see. It is harder to understand and even harder to explain. It is my hope that you will see where I am coming from and where I am going with this.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam had everything he would ever need at his fingertips. God had already provided for him. God also put a tree in the middle of the Garden and told Adam not to eat of it. This is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The penalty for eating of this tree is death. Adam knew that he would die if he ate this fruit.

Death is the punishment for disobeying God. The Bible declares, (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death). Being expelled from the Garden was not a punishment for Adam because he had already received his punishment. He became a body of carnal flesh that would feel aches and pain. This body would have illnesses attached to it and it would wear out eventually.

We must also remember that Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, (Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: ).  He had a form, but was a spiritual being.   There was no death for Adam at the time of his being created. 

Genesis 3:6  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.

Adam ate the very fruit that God warned him not to eat.  When he did this, all people were condemned to die.  Adam was no longer like God though he still had the image of God.  All sin stems from one source.  Genesis 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  There is only one being who is called the serpent many times throughout the Bible.  Other titles include, thief, liar, murderer, dragon, devil, Satan, Lucifer, etc. . .

Because of Adam's disobedience, punishment was brought upon him.  God had already declared the punishment to him before.  Why Adam ate the fruit, I really do not know.  All I know is that God loves us and provides for us all that we need if we only trust in Him.

Genesis 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

God knew where Adam was.  He didn't call out in this fashion because Adam couldn't be found.   He did it to give Adam the opportunity to confess.  Restoration cannot be made until confession and repentance is made first.  We must come clean with God.  When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus, she told Him, "All the truth." 

Genesis 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:11  And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Notice how God doesn't condemn Adam but helps him to confess.   It is hard to confess things that you did that are wrong without a little help sometimes.  Also notice that they knew they were naked.  Their knowledge of their own nakedness is the result of eating the fruit that God forbade them to eat.

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

God always provides for His children.  Adam was God's first created man and the first creation that He kissed and held.  Adam was formed by the hands of God.  The coats God provided were coverings for Adam and Eve.  God makes a way to cover our sins and their nakedness was proof of their sin. 

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

After Adam was expelled from the garden, he then had to work for his own food. He was expelled to keep him from eating fruit from the Tree of Life. This fruit would allow Adam to live forever. Though many believe God cursed Adam in putting him out of the garden, God actually blessed him and saved him from the agony and suffering of living eternally in a body of carnal flesh with all the disease and pains associated with it.  

Imagine going through eternity with the pain and agony of cancer or one of the other dreadful diseases we now have in the world today.  It would be tormenting for sure.  Liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease etc. . .  I am sure they would all show up if we were to live forever in our carnal flesh.

In order to move into the next life, one must first eat the fruit of the Tree of Life.  We know according to the Bible that we must put off the old man and put on the new.  This is a spiritual birth, not a fleshly one.  God has once again provided for Adam a way out.

I know that many times in our lives we go through changes that are unexpected.  Sometimes we kick against the changes taking place because we are comfortable where we are and we want to stay that way.   There are times that God puts us out of the Garden to put us where we need to be.  We get stagnant or apathetic towards Him and when we hear His voice in the garden, we hide.  He always knows where we are.  We can't hide from Him.  We must trust in Him completely. (Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.) 

Jesus asked a question of His disciples right after many had left Him, (John 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?)  It is a  legitimate question to ask, especially when many just ran away.  Peter answered Jesus, (Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.) 

Eternal life is at hand for all who want it.  Just believe in Jesus Christ.  (Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. )