The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

“The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9b). It was forbidden of course, to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (verse 17).  So was it wrong? If so why on earth would it be wrong to know good and evil (3:5)? Would it not help us to do the good,  and avoid the bad? The world has many such questions, and if we don't wrestle with them ourselves,  how on earth will we be able to give an answer of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15).  

Let's look at the good first. If you think about it, it makes sense that “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). You could have pulled a child away from oncoming traffic, but you did not want to get involved! It places a huge  responsibility on us.  And let's face it in many things we all fail (James 3:2)! As civilization progresses we learn things we never thought of as wrong. I hope a 100 years from now I wont be judged by the sensibilities that will have been revealed by that time. We can get overwhelmed with what we aught to do, I know I can!

But surely it would be good to know what's evil,  so we can avoid it!  But it's eating that's wrong, symbolically partaking of evil! You see knowing in the Biblical sense, is much more than intellectual knowledge, it's experiential knowledge (see Genesis 4:1 NKJV). They knew intellectually it was wrong wrong (3:3), but when they ate they knew wrong, they experienced evil.  Think for a moment about how you become an addict. You would never have gotten addicted,  if you had not taken your first fix.  It's a parable of sin. Jesus puts it this way “he (or she) who sins is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). It's like an aggressive cancer, a cancer that's chosen! They were warned there were consequences, but they chose not to believe God (2:17; 3:4, 6).

Jesus told us “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17). In fact the Bible chronicles the bad fruit from the eating of this tree. Just for a start we see the rapid spread of evil.  It started with disobedience, went to murder, and onto the genocidal attitude of Lamech (36; 4:8, 24). But it didn't stop there. The Lord laments “My people are ....  wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22). What's more, in rebelling against God,  we seem to want to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. The Lord warns through Isaiah “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).

Father, concerning our knowledge of good and evil Paul, like many of us,  could declare “the good that I want to do, I don't do; but the evil I don't to do, that I practice” (Romans 8:19).  And that's talking about the things we ourselves know are either good or bad, it's not even thinking about the things we rationalize away (Romans 1:18). We needed (I did) to be rescued (John 3:16), and we need Your help to live Your way. I for one am asking for it this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen