How were God's punishments to Adam Eve and the serpent appropriatewhat merciful elements can you see in these punishments?

Answer 1

According to the Book of Genesis, the main punishment meted out to Adam and Eve was to be driven from the Garden of Eden.

After Adam and Eve had eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they became like gods (Genesis 3:22: "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us..."), except that they were still mortal. They now knew that by eating of the Tree of Life, they would then also be immortal, just like the gods, something which God clearly did not wish to happen.

God told Eve what she now already knew: that she would bear children in pain. And he told Adam what he now already knew: that he would one day die. Certainly God was angry, and cursed the ground. But it was so that they would not also eat of the Tree of Life, that he had no choice but to banish them and place cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance of the Garden of Eden, to keep [block] the way to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24). Without the idyllic existence offered in the Garden of Eden, Adam would have to work all his days, to provide food.

In this story, banishment from the Garden was necessary once they had eaten the forbidden fruit, and therefore entirely appropriate. God also told the snake that he would crawl on the ground for the rest of his days, a typical animistic, or 'dreamtime' story.

Answer 2

Mercifully, God allowed Adam and Eve time to bring forth children, even though these inherited imperfection. And through Christ, Jehovah made provision for us to get back what Adam had lost-everlasting life on a paradise earth. (John 10:10; Romans 5:12)

How encouraging it is for us to be able to look forward to living forever in the new world amid Paradise surroundings, where we will be free from sickness, sorrow, pain, and death, as well as from wicked people! (Proverbs 2:21, 22; Revelation 21:4, 5)