Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
The Two trees.
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:8-9)
Then the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you tough it, lest you die.'"
And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I myself."
And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said,
"The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:1-13)
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Adam and Eve sinned. What was their sin? They did not believe God. They did not have faith in God in that what God had said was true. They did not believe that God alone was sufficient for them. They believed there was more that could be had beyond faith and trust in God.
Instead of relying solely on God regarding how they would live, They concluded that there was an advantage to adding this knowledge of good and evil. In so doing, they demonstrated a lack of faith in God.
Adam and Eve had sinned, and sin had now entered the world.
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: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5:12-14)
Adam's transgression was his disbelief in what God had said, as contrasted to the faith of Abraham, whose righteousness is derived through faith in that he, believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)
The one who was to come was the Second Adam, Jesus the Christ.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (I Corinthians 15:45)
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
Jesus Christ is that tree of life that mankind was cut off from. Adam's sin resulted in being cut off from the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ, until such time mankind could be redeemed through Him.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Timothy 2:14)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
From the Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Redeem. 1. To regain possession of by payment of a stipulated price; to repurchase. 2. To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom. 3. To recover or regain, as pledged or mortgaged property, by the requisite fulfillment of some obligation, as by payment of what may be due. 6. To make amends for; to offset; to atone for; to compensate; as, to redeem an error. 7 To make good by performing; to fulfill, as a promise. 9. Theological: Hence, to rescue and deliver from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law.
Jesus Christ has redeemed those whom He has died for, who believe on Him and His redemption. He has come to return mankind to that state prior to man's partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, where man's life was based on faith in his God and Creator.
We know now who or what that tree of life is: Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God.
Now, who or what is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Some have speculated it represents Satan. But this creates a problem in this figurative narrative. Satan is represented by the Serpent; not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
If we can find plain scriptures in the New Testament that identify Jesus Christ as the tree of life; being the bread of life (John 6:35; 48) and the water of life (John 4:14) and that in Him and through Him we have life (John 11:25), can we identify what it is that represents the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Yes, we can.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin,
working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become
exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:10-13)
The law gives the knowledge of good and evil. The law is even described as being "holy, just and good."
But even as Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, leading to death, so too do they that live by the law. For the law cannot give life, but rather can only lead to death.
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (Romans 7:5)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (I Corinthians 15:56)
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (II Corinthians 3:6)
Jesus Christ came to redeem us. But what did He come to redeem us from?
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:4-6)
Jesus Christ has not only redeemed us from that which Adam and Eve chose, but has redeemed us from the death that is brought about by trying to live by the law:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13)
We are therefore to return to the faith in God as in the beginning.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (Galatians 3:23)
That the law provides the knowledge of good and evil is evident. An examination of the ten commandments confirms this.
It is good to have no other gods before the true God. It is evil to have other gods before the true God.
It is good to not take the name of God in vain. It is evil to speak evil of God.
It is good to honor your parents. It is evil to dishonor your parents.
It is good to not steal. It is evil to steal.
It is good not to murder. It is evil to murder.
It is good to not covet. It is evil to covet.
It is good to keep the Sabbath, it is evil not to keep the Sabbath.
But keeping the Sabbath day today is to keep the letter of the law, which leads to death, as does all the law in the letter.
"...who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (II Corinthians 3:6)
There is therefore the Spirit of the law; and the Spirit of the Sabbath of which the Sabbath day was but a shadow.
The law was designed for the purpose of regulating and guiding a people devoid of God's Spirit. Keeping the law made no one righteous before God. The righteousness God desires is not derived through the law, it is found in faith.
The Sabbath day command was to be a reminder to Israel who their God was; the God who brought them out the of slavery of Egypt; the God who created all things and rested on that seventh day of creation. They did not remember their God, they did however end up remembering the Sabbath. The Sabbath became an end in itself, as well as the rest of the law. That which was supposed to point to and lead to Christ ended up in the minds of many to point to itself.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:3-10)
It is interesting to note that it was Moses who wrote the narrative of Genesis concerning the two trees, being the moderator of that covenant provided to them by God.
Moses knew that after his death, the people would abandon the law. They feared what they could see, which was Moses, but they did not fear God, nor did they believe him. (Heb. 3&4)
For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
(Deuteronomy 31:29)
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. (I Samuel 8:7-8)
Jesus Christ has come and opened the way back to the tree of life, which is Him. Will we therefore truly turn to Him and choose Him, or will we choose to live by that which presents the knowledge of good and evil?
The one is a choice based upon faith in God. The other is to live by that which teaches the knowledge of good and evil.
You cannot choose both. As with Adam and Eve, to choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to refuse the tree of life.
Choose wisely.
The Two trees.
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:8-9)
Then the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you tough it, lest you die.'"
And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I myself."
And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said,
"The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:1-13)
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Adam and Eve sinned. What was their sin? They did not believe God. They did not have faith in God in that what God had said was true. They did not believe that God alone was sufficient for them. They believed there was more that could be had beyond faith and trust in God.
Instead of relying solely on God regarding how they would live, They concluded that there was an advantage to adding this knowledge of good and evil. In so doing, they demonstrated a lack of faith in God.
Adam and Eve had sinned, and sin had now entered the world.
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: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5:12-14)
Adam's transgression was his disbelief in what God had said, as contrasted to the faith of Abraham, whose righteousness is derived through faith in that he, believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)
The one who was to come was the Second Adam, Jesus the Christ.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (I Corinthians 15:45)
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
Jesus Christ is that tree of life that mankind was cut off from. Adam's sin resulted in being cut off from the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ, until such time mankind could be redeemed through Him.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Timothy 2:14)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
From the Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Redeem. 1. To regain possession of by payment of a stipulated price; to repurchase. 2. To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom. 3. To recover or regain, as pledged or mortgaged property, by the requisite fulfillment of some obligation, as by payment of what may be due. 6. To make amends for; to offset; to atone for; to compensate; as, to redeem an error. 7 To make good by performing; to fulfill, as a promise. 9. Theological: Hence, to rescue and deliver from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law.
Jesus Christ has redeemed those whom He has died for, who believe on Him and His redemption. He has come to return mankind to that state prior to man's partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, where man's life was based on faith in his God and Creator.
We know now who or what that tree of life is: Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God.
Now, who or what is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Some have speculated it represents Satan. But this creates a problem in this figurative narrative. Satan is represented by the Serpent; not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
If we can find plain scriptures in the New Testament that identify Jesus Christ as the tree of life; being the bread of life (John 6:35; 48) and the water of life (John 4:14) and that in Him and through Him we have life (John 11:25), can we identify what it is that represents the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Yes, we can.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin,
working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become
exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:10-13)
The law gives the knowledge of good and evil. The law is even described as being "holy, just and good."
But even as Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, leading to death, so too do they that live by the law. For the law cannot give life, but rather can only lead to death.
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (Romans 7:5)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (I Corinthians 15:56)
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (II Corinthians 3:6)
Jesus Christ came to redeem us. But what did He come to redeem us from?
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:4-6)
Jesus Christ has not only redeemed us from that which Adam and Eve chose, but has redeemed us from the death that is brought about by trying to live by the law:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13)
We are therefore to return to the faith in God as in the beginning.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (Galatians 3:23)
That the law provides the knowledge of good and evil is evident. An examination of the ten commandments confirms this.
It is good to have no other gods before the true God. It is evil to have other gods before the true God.
It is good to not take the name of God in vain. It is evil to speak evil of God.
It is good to honor your parents. It is evil to dishonor your parents.
It is good to not steal. It is evil to steal.
It is good not to murder. It is evil to murder.
It is good to not covet. It is evil to covet.
It is good to keep the Sabbath, it is evil not to keep the Sabbath.
But keeping the Sabbath day today is to keep the letter of the law, which leads to death, as does all the law in the letter.
"...who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (II Corinthians 3:6)
There is therefore the Spirit of the law; and the Spirit of the Sabbath of which the Sabbath day was but a shadow.
The law was designed for the purpose of regulating and guiding a people devoid of God's Spirit. Keeping the law made no one righteous before God. The righteousness God desires is not derived through the law, it is found in faith.
The Sabbath day command was to be a reminder to Israel who their God was; the God who brought them out the of slavery of Egypt; the God who created all things and rested on that seventh day of creation. They did not remember their God, they did however end up remembering the Sabbath. The Sabbath became an end in itself, as well as the rest of the law. That which was supposed to point to and lead to Christ ended up in the minds of many to point to itself.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:3-10)
It is interesting to note that it was Moses who wrote the narrative of Genesis concerning the two trees, being the moderator of that covenant provided to them by God.
Moses knew that after his death, the people would abandon the law. They feared what they could see, which was Moses, but they did not fear God, nor did they believe him. (Heb. 3&4)
For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
(Deuteronomy 31:29)
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. (I Samuel 8:7-8)
Jesus Christ has come and opened the way back to the tree of life, which is Him. Will we therefore truly turn to Him and choose Him, or will we choose to live by that which presents the knowledge of good and evil?
The one is a choice based upon faith in God. The other is to live by that which teaches the knowledge of good and evil.
You cannot choose both. As with Adam and Eve, to choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to refuse the tree of life.
Choose wisely.
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