The first lie in human experience was the serpent's declaration to Eve, 'Ye shall not surely die,' directly contradicting God's warning of death.
God had commanded that eating the forbidden tree would result in death. The serpent directly denied that warning and then claimed their eyes would be opened, making them like God. Les Feldick shows that Satan's strategy began with creating doubt and that the same 'you can be God' lie continues all through Scripture.
Genesis 3:4 — This verse records the serpent's direct denial of God's warning, making it the first lie in human experience.
Genesis 3:5 — The serpent expands the lie by promising that eating will make Eve and Adam like God, a claim Les identifies as the continuing lie.
Genesis 2:17 — God's original warning that eating the tree would bring death sets up the lie that directly contradicts it.
In Genesis 2, God gave one prohibition: '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' (Genesis 2:17). The woman was not ignorant of it; she repeated that they were not to eat of it, 'lest ye die' (Genesis 3:3). Into this setting the serpent came and asked, 'Yea, hath God said?' Then he directly denied God's word: 'Ye shall not surely die' (Genesis 3:4). He added a second falsehood: 'God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil' (Genesis 3:5). The first lie was this denial of God's revealed warning.
Les Feldick begins with the serpent's approach to Eve. He points out that Satan's opening question—'Hath God said?'—is one of his primary attacks: planting doubt in God's Word. Doubt is the opposite of belief, and when a person doubts God's Word, Satan has him right in his hip pocket. Les also observes that Eve understood the command well enough to repeat it. In Genesis 3 she stated God's instruction: 'Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.' Les calls this the very first law God gave to the human race: disobedience brings death. He says she was not getting it 100% right, but mostly. Les stresses that God's law was absolute: 'the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.' That law is later repeated in Ezekiel and confirmed by Paul. He then identifies one continuous lie throughout Scripture: Satan telling a person 'you can be God.' That promise was behind the first lie, and he says people will believe it again. Finally, Les describes Adam's deliberate choice to eat and enter Eve's condition, which he calls the beginning of the whole human dilemma.
God's command was clear: eating from the tree would bring death (Genesis 2:17). The woman could state it herself (Genesis 3:3). Into this setting the serpent declared, 'Ye shall not surely die' (Genesis 3:4), a direct denial of God's word. Les Feldick calls the question 'Hath God said?' a strategy of doubt and identifies the underlying promise—'you can be God'—as the one lie that runs through all of Scripture.
Les says Satan's primary approach is to plant doubt. He began with 'Hath God said?' and that same question is still one of his primary approaches today. Doubt stands in bold relief against belief, and once a human being is caused to disbelieve the Word of God, Satan has him 'right in his hip pocket.'
Les calls it 'the lie': Satan telling a person, 'you can be God.' That lie began in the garden and is still believed. He says that in the tribulation, after the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel, these people will be the first to acclaim him as the god of this world—the one they have been looking for.
Les says the first law God gave to the human race was the command concerning that one tree: 'the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.' Disobedience of God's revealed will is sin, and the result is spiritual and physical death. Les draws the line from Genesis to Ezekiel—'the soul that sinneth shall surely die'—and then to Paul's words that 'all have sinned.'
Because the serpent caused Eve to fall, God cursed him above every beast of the field. Then in Genesis 3:15 God promised enmity between the serpent and the woman and between their seeds—a seed that would bruise the serpent's head. Les calls verse 15 one of the primary verses of Genesis and the first prophecy of the coming Redeemer.
Doubt as Satan's First Move
Les teaches that the serpent's opening question 'Hath God said?' was designed to plant doubt, and that doubt is Satan's big weapon against belief in God's Word.
Eve's Knowledge of God's Command
Les points out that Eve could repeat God's command—she knew eating and touching the tree would bring death—even though she added the touch detail.
The Law of Death and the Loophole
Les traces the first law—'thou shalt surely die'—through Ezekiel and Paul, explaining that the only way out is to die in Christ by faith.
God's Judgment and Promise of Redeemer
Les shows that after the serpent's success, God cursed the serpent and in Genesis 3:15 gave the first prophecy of the Redeemer.
The One Continuing Lie
Les says there has been one lie all through Scripture—Satan telling a person, 'you can be God.' This lie will be believed again in the end times.
Adam's Deliberate Choice
Les says Adam knowingly ate against God's word to stay with Eve, marking the beginning of the human dilemma.
The First Law from Genesis 3
Les emphasizes that when God says something it becomes law, and Eve's quotation of the command was the first law given to the human race.
The Death Mandate Repeated
Les repeats that the command not to eat was the first fundamental law and that every descendant of Adam faces death; the soul that sins must die.
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.
God's original warning that the serpent's lie directly contradicted.
Genesis 3:3: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Eve's own testimony that she understood God's command.
Genesis 3:4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
The first lie in human experience.
Genesis 3:5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
The serpent's added lie that eating would make them like God.
Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
God's judgment on the serpent and the first prophecy of the Redeemer.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Paul's later confirmation that all are under the death sentence because of sin.
The serpent told Eve, 'Ye shall not surely die' (Genesis 3:4), directly contradicting God's warning that she would die. He then promised that eating would make her like God. Les Feldick notes this same 'you can be God' lie has continued all through Scripture.
Yes. Eve repeated God's command, saying they were not to eat or touch the tree lest they die. Les says she had it mostly right, though she added the detail about not touching it.
Les Feldick calls the command about the forbidden tree the first law God gave to the human race. 'The day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.' That same principle is repeated in Ezekiel and confirmed by Paul.
Les says yes. Satan continues to tell people 'you can be God.' This lie will be believed again during the tribulation when the Antichrist is acclaimed as the god of this world.
Watch the Teaching: Genesis 2-3 Bible Study: How the Fall of Man Changed Everything