Great questions!
To reply to the beginning of your question "was it fair," God is more than fair. "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10).
Also, He is the one who reigns over the earth "The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting" (Psalm 50:1)
Perhaps a question that could be asked is "why?" did He put them to the test. I believe that God, because of His infinite love, gives man a free will to choose, yet He also commands obedience.
For me, on a personal note, not that I'm proud to say I've sinned through my disobedience, but without failing when tempted I doubt I've would have experienced His forgiveness.
Not to be critical, but I don't believe it's a matter of fairness that God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden and allowed the serpent to tempt Eve.
You're correct in saying "Adam and Eve didn't yet know what evil was," but God had given them freedom to choose to be obedient or disobedient, just the same as you and I have. And to respond to your question "If Adam and Eve didn't yet know what evil was, would they have even considered disobeying God on their own had the serpent not come to them?" It could be that although Adam and Eve were not born in sin as we are, it is apparent they lusted in their hearts because James 1:12-15 says "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own lust. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
To respond to your last question "why did they not die then when God came looking for them? God hides Himself from us and never reveals Himself entirely (He showed only the back of Himself to Moses) because if He did we would surely die due to our sinful nature. After that test, Adam and Eve were sinful in the eyes of the Lord. Why."
The text does not read they
saw the Lord, it reads they
heard the Lord. Nor does it say Adam ever saw God because "the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh."
I hope this perspective might shine a different light.
Was it fair for Adam and Eve to be put to the test?
Before consuming fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, isn't it fair to say that Adam and Eve didn't have a concept of what Evil was? Was it fair of God to allow the serpent to come to Eve and put ideas into her head that would have otherwise never been there?
If Adam and Eve didn't yet know what evil was, would they have even considered disobeying God on their own had the serpent not come to them? Isn't that a bit like putting a toddler in charge of a nation and saying "Okay you know nothing of ruling or the complexities of right vs wrong or good decisions vs. bad decisions but you have to be in charge and make all the decisions around here now."?
Another question that comes to mind is why did they not die then when God came looking for them? God hides Himself from us and never reveals Himself entirely (He showed only the back of Himself to Moses) because if He did we would surely die due to our sinful nature. After that test, Adam and Eve were sinful in the eyes of the Lord. Why did they not die?[/QUOTE]
This question popped into my grief-addled mind the other night so forgive me first of all for asking it here. Though, I am sure I'm not the first to ask it as nothing under the sun is new on Earth.
Was it fair for Adam and Eve to be put to the test?
Before consuming fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, isn't it fair to say that Adam and Eve didn't have a concept of what Evil was? Was it fair of God to allow the serpent to come to Eve and put ideas into her head that would have otherwise never been there?
If Adam and Eve didn't yet know what evil was, would they have even considered disobeying God on their own had the serpent not come to them? Isn't that a bit like putting a toddler in charge of a nation and saying "Okay you know nothing of ruling or the complexities of right vs wrong or good decisions vs. bad decisions but you have to be in charge and make all the decisions around here now."?
Another question that comes to mind is why did they not die then when God came looking for them? God hides Himself from us and never reveals Himself entirely (He showed only the back of Himself to Moses) because if He did we would surely die due to our sinful nature. After that test, Adam and Eve were sinful in the eyes of the Lord. Why did they not die?