Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil

Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17.NIV)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Ps. 119:11) “Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.” (Prov. 8:33).

The most obvious source of godly wisdom is the Bible. You cannot think of a question or life circumstance about which God’s Word is silent. His principles for right character, conduct, and conversation apply to every situation and decision confronting human being. Godly wisdom is the capacity to see things from the Lord’s viewpoint and respond according to scriptural principles. You can’t instantly download that ability, but you can acquire it gradually over time. Knowledge is information, which comes from learning biblical principles; Understanding is the capacity to comprehend that knowledge and wisdom has to do with applying them. The Lord cautions us to keep His Word in our heart and in our heads so that we will heed His instructions;

God created man and placed him with perfect order in a garden to enjoy perfect peace, joy and happiness. Genesis chapter one is a very simple narrative of the creation of the world; the heavens and the earth, the plants and animals, and finally man. Simple, yet majestic in its beauty and profound in its depth when we come to Chapter 2 we find a kind of recapitulation of the main event of Chapter 1, i.e., the creation of man. Here we are given much greater detail of the story of God's making of man. The basic message of Genesis 2:16-17 is that God alone knows what is good for humanity and God alone knows what is not good for us. To enjoy the “good” we have to trust God and obey him. If we disobey, we will have to decide for ourselves what is good and what isn’t good. That’s what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents: ethical awareness. It’s a reference to all moral knowledge: the ability to create a system of ethics and to make moral judgments.

The tree of the knowledge of good & evil mentioned in scripture only in this verse, largely because its effects have become widespread. But the tree of life reappears again in the book of Revelation. In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold firmly to her Creator's words. All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it. He mentioned wisdom, but using her own reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us. In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way. As the serpent beguiled Eve, Bible says “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3) The mind is corrupted when the affections are alienated from the proper object, and when the soul is filled with unholy plans, and purposes, and desires. The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what Scripture says about God and His ways. Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes. “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matt. 4:4).

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; (Genesis 3:6-7)."

The knowledge of good and evil represents wisdom and discernment to figure out what is good, that is what promotes life, and bad, what hinders life. Men and women with a biblical worldview understand that unless we know everything, we only know things relatively; unless we know comprehensively, we can’t know anything absolutely. The only one who does know all, who transcends time and space, and who truly knows what is good and bad for life is God. The tree represents knowledge and power that is appropriate only to God. We, as limited human beings, are dependent on revelation from the only one who truly knows good and evil. We read in Proverbs 30: 3-5 “I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”