Do Not Be an April Fool!
When was the first ever April Fools’ Day hoax? Have you ever thought about it? I submit to you that it must have been April 1, 6000 BC (roughly). It was not really a joke at all; it was a mean, horrible and malicious attack. I am talking about the very first April Fools’ Day in history. This sad event is recorded in Genesis Chapter Three. The first ever April Fools’ hoax was pulled on Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden by the father of the foolish – Satan himself. On that April Fools’ Day, foolishness (sin) first entered the world, marring God’s perfect creation, and mankind has been falling for the same old April Fools’ hoax ever since.
What is a fool? Webster’s defines a fool in this way,
“1. One who is destitute of reason, or the common powers of understanding; an idiot. Some persons are born fools, and are called natural fools; others may become fools by some injury done to the brain. 2. In common language, a person who is somewhat deficient in intellect, but not an idiot; or a person who acts absurdly; one who does not exercise his reason; one who pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom. 3. In scripture, fool is often used for a wicked or depraved person; one who acts contrary to sound wisdom in his moral deportment; one who follows his own inclinations, who prefers trifling and temporary pleasures to the service of God and eternal happiness.”
The Bible defines the fool in this way, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) Therefore, a fool is one who does not fear God and who despises His wisdom and instruction. That is exactly what Satan was able to tempt Adam and Eve to do.
God Had told Adam and Eve, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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 2:16-17). A proper fear or reverential awe of God should have kept Adam and Eve from ever approaching that particular tree. Yet they listened to Satan’s lie, “Ye shall not surely die…” (Genesis 3:4). And they fell for his sick joke, “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…” (Genesis 3:5).
Their foolishness opened the door for more foolishness to follow and we have all at one time fallen for Satan’s April Fools’ hoax. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…” (Romans 5:12). We can thank God, however, that there is a remedy for that mistake, a way to escape the eternal consequences of the horrendous April Fool’s hoax perpetrated by the devil. “For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many… Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous…” (Romans 5:15, 18-19).
Don’t fall for the same old April Fools’ Hoax. It has not changed in thousands of years. Though it has many guises and variations, it remains essentially the same. Satan knows that if he can first get you to lose your respect and awe of God then he can cause you to despise God’s wisdom and instruction – resulting in sin. Don’t fall into his trap! Avoid being entangled in his web of lies and deceit. Flee temptation – run away from its presence! Follow Solomon’s advice, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Don’t be a fool!