Genesis 2:16
Genesis 2:15-17
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Question: Why did God put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, and then tell them not to eat of it, unless He was actually tempting them to eat of it, knowing that they would it, and thus securing the Fall of Man?
Answer: Among the many different trees, the Tree of Knowledge was not the only special tree, as there was also the Tree of Life, as Genesis 2:9 states: “Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
There was no mandate against partaking of the Tree of Life until after Adam and Eve had first partaken of the fruit from the forbidden tree: “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’—therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22-24) The fruit from the two various trees represented two different choices. One produces life while the other produces death. One relies on the knowledge that comes from God, while the other steals knowledge from God. One seeks to trust in God’s ways, while the other seeks knowledge to govern by one’s own judgment. The evil choice was not placed within them. That came from themselves.
Question: If God foresaw the fall of man, then why didn’t He remove the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden?
Answer: Mankind was not created with strings. God created mankind with autonomy of reason or free-will, in order to be adequate caretakers of God’s living ways, and so their choice was important to God and their choice was uniquely their own, not God’s, and when God foresaw their choice, He also foresaw a means of redemption, and which would also come at His own great personal cost.
The book, A Land Unknown: Hell’s Dominion explains: “Hear then, in a garden long ago there were two special trees: a tree of Life and the other a tree of Knowledge. This tree of knowledge had branches reaching every direction, exhibiting the nature of knowledge, reaching for the stars and sky. It produced fruit that nurtured knowledge that, if partaken, would steer one away from God. By it, one could make life bad or good, according to desires. Likewise, the tree of life had branches reaching for the sun, the light from God, that without which none could exist for long. Its fruit was meant for food, to be freely partaken of, which steers one pure in heart to walk in unison with God forever, as an extension of the Master’s hand. Two courses, double choices lain bare. Live with God or without. One produces life. Another produces death. Sorting and ordering decree: who will follow God and who will follow cravings? Would one choose knowledge of how to live as they deem fit, or choose a free gift from another tree they did not grow to keep life justly live? The caretakers chose the tree of knowledge, for knowledge. After all, it seemed desirable to make one wise in governing their own life reasonably well. The shots they could now call to make life good according to their own understanding. Like God they could be, walking as they saw best. By this, the grace of reason became corrupt as foreseen. How come a tree of knowledge was left in the land if foreseeing everything foresaw calamity? Is not God perfect in all His ways? The tree of knowledge was to be tended too, but not partaken of. It was placed so as to find what was already known to be in both caretaker’s minds, where they were assigned. Would these two caretakers rely on the knowledge that comes from God, or seek to take knowledge from God so as to grasp for the stars? The caretakers were told not to eat from this tree. A test, you see, based on an answer foreknown. The conclusion was foreseen as the best course to complete the design, thus finalizing God’s plan to restore order. Yes, knowledge was provided, as a refining fire, to test what was known would be found inside human mind, which was created without strings. Foreknowing the result of the caretaker’s decision, a living way was fashioned to redeem. Yes, mortality swallowed up by eternity’s victory sealing the deal. There is one important question concerning life one needs to make: will one choose to walk with God or walk without God? How could the choice be made, if its need was not first foreseen, before it was justly foreordained to begin the process of making all things perfectly complete in the new heavens and earth? Remember: Redemption is always birthed from calamity proving God truly is in charge of the universe worthy to be served, keeping life perfectly live without another chance for corruption at the appointed time.” (A Land Unknown: Hell’s Dominion, pp.139-141)
