HOW THE NAME WAS FIRST SLANDERED

8. What did Adam and Eve know, and what questions arise?

⁸ Adam and Eve knew Jehovah’s name, as well as vital truths about the One bearing that name. They knew him as the Creator, the One who gave them life, their lovely Paradise home, and a perfect mate. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18) However, would they continue to use their perfect minds to meditate on all that Jehovah had done for them? Would they keep building up their love and appreciation for the Person represented by that name? The answers became clear when God’s enemy tested them.

9. According to Genesis 2:16, 17 and 3:1-5, what did Jehovah tell the first couple, and how did Satan twist the truth?

⁹ Read Genesis 2:16, 17 and 3:1-5. Using a serpent as his mouthpiece, Satan asked Eve a question: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” That question contained a subtle lie that was like hidden poison. What God had actually said was that they could eat from every tree, with one exception. The variety available to Adam and Eve must have been tremendous. (Gen. 2:9) Yes, Jehovah certainly is generous. However, God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of one tree that He had designated. So Satan’s question twisted the truth. Satan made it seem as if God were not generous. Eve may have wondered, ‘Is God withholding something good?’

10. How did Satan directly slander God’s name, and with what effect?

¹⁰ At that point, Eve still saw Jehovah as her Ruler. She answered Satan by reciting God’s clear direction. She added that they should not even touch the tree. She knew of God’s warning that disobedience would lead to death. But Satan replied: “You certainly will not die.” (Gen. 3:2-4) Satan was no longer subtle. He was now directly slandering God’s name, in effect telling Eve that Jehovah is a liar. Satan thus became a devil, or slanderer. Eve was thoroughly deceived; she believed Satan. (1 Tim. 2:14) She put more trust in him than in Jehovah. That made it easier for Eve to make the worst possible decision. She decided to disobey Jehovah. She began eating of the fruit that Jehovah had forbidden her to eat. Afterward, she gave some to Adam.​—Gen. 3:6.

11. What could our first parents have done, but what did they fail to do?

¹¹ Think for a moment about what Eve should have said to Satan. Imagine that she had said something like this: “I do not know who you are, but I know my Father, Jehovah, and I love and trust him. He has given Adam and me everything we have. How dare you say anything bad about him? Go away!” How delighted Jehovah would have been to hear such loyal words from a loving daughter! (Prov. 27:11) But Eve did not have loyal love for Jehovah; neither was Adam guided by that quality. Lacking such love for their Father, Adam and Eve failed to defend his name against slander.

12. How did Satan sow doubts in the mind of Eve, and what did Adam and Eve fail to do?

¹² As we have noted, Satan started by sowing doubts in the mind of Eve. He got her to question the kind of Person who was represented by the name Jehovah. Then Adam and Eve failed to defend Jehovah’s name and reputation. They left themselves open to Satan’s suggestion to rebel against their Father. Satan uses similar tactics today. He attacks Jehovah’s name by slandering it. People who believe Satan’s lies are easily influenced to reject Jehovah’s righteous rule.

15. How is Satan slandering God’s name today, and with what effect?

¹⁵ Satan is still slandering God’s name today. He fools people into doubting that God is powerful, just, wise, and loving. For example, Satan tries to convince people that Jehovah is not the Creator. And if people do accept that God exists, Satan attempts to make them believe that God and His standards are restrictive and unfair. He even teaches people that Jehovah is a heartless and cruel God who burns people in a fiery hell. When they believe such slander, they are more likely to take the next step​—rejecting Jehovah’s righteous rule. Until Satan is completely defeated, he will continue his campaign of slander, and he will target you as well.