Genesis 3:12-13 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
The Lord confronted the first Man and Woman: ”Have you eaten of the tree?” In this way the Lord gave them another chance to admit their guilt, confess their sin, and repent. But, instead of repenting and taking responsibility for their sin, they resorted to blaming. Blaming someone else deflects the guilt and avoids facing our own sin. Therefore, the subsequent Curse comes into effect. They had already died (been separated from God, evidenced by hiding), but now also man’s short life will become hard.
Ever since, all people respond to pain of all kinds by blaming, making excuses, and complaining. We are like Israel in the wilderness, blaming God for their problems and complaining dozens of times. Complaining implies that it is someone else’s fault, certainly not mine. Unbelief in God’s judgment and mercy and pride in ourselves prevents us from repentance, and confessing ”It’s my fault. I am the sinner.” Therefore, we blame and complain. We blame others (“the woman gave me to eat”), or God (“whom you gave me”), or the devil (“the serpent beguiled me”).
The proper response is repentance, admitting guilt and receiving mercy. The proper response is ”pray, praise, and give thanks.” The proper response is trust in Jesus for life and forgiveness. The gospel breathes God’s life into us. That life knows how to respond when confronted with sin and guilt.