Understanding Dispensations
The First Dispensation
After renovating the earth to sustain biological life, God created Adam (Genesis 2:7). The earth had been covered with water when Lucifer was judged and lost his position of authority in the government of God (Genesis 1:2; Ezekiel 28:14-16). God then placed Adam within a garden that He had planted in the east of Eden (Genesis 2:8) to work the garden and partake of its fruits and herbs (Genesis 2:15-16). Within this garden, God also planted the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).
Although Adam did not possess the knowledge of good and evil—he did not have a conscience—he was created in a mature state with great intelligence, along with free will. With free will also came the consequences of one's own choices. If Adam does good and obeys God, he will live; otherwise, his actions will lead to death. Therefore, God instructed Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning him that in the day he eats dying he will die (Genesis 2:17). To ensure Adam had all he needed to do right, God walked with Adam each day, providing him instruction concerning what is beneficial and what causes calamity.
We see an example of Adam’s mastery of perception, vocabulary, and memory when God formed all the beasts of the field and birds of the air to show Adam that there was no other being on the planet like him (Genesis 2:19). Adam named each animal, discerning that among them there was not a single one that would serve as his helper—a suitable mate (Genesis 2:20). It is after this realization, given to Adam, that he understood man is neither an animal nor a mere product of birth, that God builds Eve from his side (Genesis 2:21-22). Therefore, Adam’s state of innocence did not imply ignorance or a lack of discernment.
We previously examined the rules of a dispensation based on its normal use in Scripture. A dispensation is a household rule; therefore, a master, steward, and members of the house are required. The steward is the member of the household to whom the master gives instructions concerning the rules of the household and is tasked with distributing those instructions to the members in such a way that they understand and abide by them. As the steward, Adam was instructed by God, before Eve was built, that he was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was also informed of the consequences of eating from this tree—dying he would die (Genesis 2:17).
After some time in the garden, Satan chose to cunningly deceive the woman by using a serpent to speak to her. By questioning God’s instructions, he was able to thoroughly deceive her into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (1 Timothy 2:14). Adam had shared with Eve the rules for their household: they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In these rules, Adam also added that they were not to touch it, which was not what God had instructed concerning the tree (Genesis 3:1). This addition to God’s word likely assisted Satan in thoroughly deceiving Eve, for in touching the fruit, she did not die.
Adam, on the other hand, was not deceived. He was with Eve when she ate from the tree and heard what Satan spoke to her. Rather than going to God to determine what was good in this situation, Adam perceived that his knowledge was sufficient to choose what to do and, therefore, he determined to violate God's law, listening to the voice of his wife. In his trespass, when he chose to disregard God’s standard, he separated himself within his spirit (rational and logic) from God. By his sin, when he ate from the tree, he subjected himself, Eve, and all their offspring to physical death, stripping them of their garment of light (Genesis 3:7). Out of mercy, God gave Adam and Eve a promise that the seed of the woman would crush Satan's head, thereby bringing salvation to them, and clothed them with the hide of an animal (Genesis 3:15). He then kicked them out of the garden so they would not be able to eat from the tree of life, which would have prolonged their physical life (Genesis 3:22-24).
From the first dispensation, we learn that as humans, even when given everything we need to sustain our physical life and to obtain knowledge concerning what is beneficial and what causes calamity, we choose to walk our own way, bringing calamity upon ourselves, while knowing full well what the consequences of our actions will be.
Due to disobedience, the dispensation of innocence ended catastrophically with expulsion from the garden, the earth being cursed. Now, humans must work by the sweat of their brow, are born separated from God in their spirit due to Adam's trespass, and face physical death because of Adam's sin. Therefore, these rules no longer apply. The household has failed.