KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
65THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
Have you ever wondered how perfect and great it was living in Paradise? Adam did not even have to work except to name the plants and animals. There was plenty of food, fruit and vegetables. They never have to be worry about weight…
God said from every tree you may eat…
The only restriction (one commandment) was to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Someone may ask why?
For decades I was puzzled what “knowledge of good and evil” meant. Then I found that something must have happened before Adam was created and it did. Lucifer rebelled.
We may know what we should know. Not all we know has the benefit that we may expect. God wants to protect us from the damage of the adversary, who is the father of lies and the twister of truth. God wants to reveal to us (as He did with Adam) all the secrets and mysteries, but on His terms, since we have to be mature to handle it. He does not want us to eat the fruit of information of past which existed before, without His proper explanation and instructions. We know the general principle that we do not learn from history we repeat it. People like to try everything without knowing what is good or bad, what is dangerous for us or not. Teacher and instructing belongs to God and not to expose us to the deceiver. The reasoning belongs to God and I trust Him fully.
The tree was in the middle of Garden of Eden.
What kind of fruit was it? Some call it an apple. Other say it was a fig. I say, neither.
Whatever it was then it would still be prohibited now. But we may eat apples and figs. That tree is not there since the Garden was closed, sealed and has not been found.
Prohibited tree was I call it record room. It was library of past.
God created trees before Adam became a living soul. Some theologians say that sin existed only from the third chapter of Genesis. But information in the tree of knowledge was there in the first chapter of Genesis, before Adam existed. We know that God created or recreated everything before Adam’s existence. Evil is something, which existed before. This is puzzling, isn’t it?
Good became transparent only when evil came. Before everything was good since God is good. Negative become visible only when positive came.
Here’s another puzzling situation. I know that the Word of God never tries to hide something from us. The Bible says that for a lack of knowledge people perish. It is to our benefit to have wisdom. If somebody wants to know something they need to ask God. James 1:5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But do not consult devil or a friend or your own mind.
Gen 1:11 said: And God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herbs, and the tree yielding fruit after his kind…
It is interesting that God did not say: Be plant, be grass, be trees… as He said, “Be light.’ He commanded the earth to give trees…
The earth cannot give what it does not have. I believe that the earth already had the seed at least DNA and RNA to give forth something. Then plants started surface from the earth speedily.
It was the third day. But the plant needed light again so God restored light the next day. It was later God formed Adam from the red dirt.
Going back to Genesis 1:2. There is an interesting statement. In the first verse God created the Heavens and the earth. The earth meant “solid dry land” We have information that came later that there was not waters since the mist supplied the earth with water for plants. The Hebrew word, earth “erets” means dry land. But second verse is saying there must be flood. Spirit was hovering over the waters.
The Prophet Isaiah said that God never made anything “tohu va bohu”. It means chaotic, in a desolate state … but He made everything finished and perfectly made.
Isaiah 45:18
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, [tohu va bohu] he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
This is a very important statement, which explains everything. God did not create anything imperfect, chaotic or desolate.
Then something happened. Read next verses.
Let read the text Jeremiah 4:23-28:
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was* [became] without form, and void; [tohu va bohu] and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was* a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, the whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
To explain this it was judgment of God in distant past. The next chronological text will be appropriate in Genesis 1:2. And the earth was* without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The word was* is in Hebrew “hayah”, which in reality means “became.” The destruction of the flood during Noah’s time is different. In first Lucifer flood there was:
1. No man left
2. No animals
3. No plants
All plants need the light.
Later God had to replenish and restore everything.
In the Noah flood eight persons were saved, two pairs of animals were saved, plants did were not destroyed at all.
I do not think there was another purpose for the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Paradise. I think it was knowledge of good and evil of the past.
Someone may say that the Bible says that Adam was the first man God created. It is right.
We may call pre-Adamic race (Pre-Adamic beings), but it is true that Adam was the first man created in our race in our age.
I would like to mention that the word “worlds” means not another society in space, but means periods. I think there were worlds - periods before Adam was created.
Please take my essay as my personal believe and not as doctrine to dwell on it. It only helped me reconcile questions it puzzled me before.
No. 81209-2
© 2009 Vladimir Uhri
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Comments
Thanks. Very interesting comment. I believe that work is the blessing. But we are now in the state of when we have to work. I know Adam was very busy. But His hands were not pricked with the thorn. The thorns were outside of garden. Garden was different.
I wrote unpublished article that Adam also have to learn language. Language is something man never is born with. It is learning experience. I think God pointed on the tree and said "tree". Adam repeated it and never forget it. Adam was about less than one year old (according to some) in the garden. I do not know why they think so. I believe that they did not have children yet. It needs a least nine month to have them.
Garden was so huge at least as Israel now. He could not manage the garden. But words in Hebrew dress and keep have
many meanings, perhaps I will explain in another hub. Shortly stating the earth was not cursed yet and was perfect.
Yes the prohibited tree was teaching library, but the Librarian (God) was not there when they ate.
By the way God never said do not touch it, only Eva sad so. It is religion to add or remove to/from the scripture.
Perhaps we can talk again later.
Please come again.
What a great place the Garden would have been. For me, it's easy to see how Adam could have fallen, for he was human as we all, but, it's much harder to see how Lucifer would have fallen if there is no sin in heaven and the angels are strictly ministers of the Lord's will, and since they should have known God face to face as angels do.
Also, Noah and the eight from his family survived the flood as you say, but, can trillions of people arise from this one family? The same would be the case for Adam and Eve, yet after Cain kills his brother Abel and is instructed by God to leave, he is fearful for his life that others may try to take it, which leads me to believe that there were other families created.
Anyway, perhaps you are correct that the tree held information that we don't know, or do not need to know. I believe that there is much that we don't know, and that God has not meant for us to know now, if ever. If we trust in God that He knows what is best, then perhaps it is a small obstacle to overcome, rather than attempting to satisfy our small curiosities.
Thanks for your wisdom and ideas.
Dave
Hi Dave, my friend.
Adam and Eve had sons and doughters according to genealogy Gen 5:4. When Cain committed crime it took time and information about spreading people came later. It was not dominant subject.
Disobedient of God don't make people wise, right? It bring only troubles. I think information was there also where demons came from.
The prophecy in Jeremiah, though it does state he didn't see any man, does mention cities. Cities are settlements of people, so I don't believe this is talking about cities that existed before the creation of Adam. Adam was the first man. Now, whether he knew about the spiritual realm is not specified, only assumed. We only know he was suddenly ashamed of his nakedness and cursed for his sin, which then went on for every generation until we are redeemed by God through Christ Jesus. Regarding the angels who sinned (whatever you believe their sin was), it happened prior to the flood of Noah; that's all we know.
This is off-subject, but I keep wondering why people say Lucifer rebelled and is Satan, as Lucifer is never said to be the serpent. The "dragon/the serpent of old/the devil/Satan" are what is mentioned in Revelation 12. Lucifer means "star of the morning" and is never mentioned in this revolt? He is only mentioned once, in Isaiah 14 as the king of Babylon (so I believe he is indeed a fallen angel, who is the spirit of antichrist, the king of end-time Babyon).
Interesting read, as usual, brother.
Thanks for comment.
I understand that Lucifer was originally created as cherub. After his fall he become Satan.
There is absolutely no scriptural proof that Lucifer is indeed Satan. Check it out ~~ I can't imagine even a cherub would be so destructive a force. The Dragon, Serpent, Devil and Satan are mentioned many times together, but never in combination with a cherub or "star of the morning". Just the results of my in-depth study. It's been taught this way for generations and generations, but I don't think it's fact...
The Dragon (Satan) gives power to the antichrist (which I believe is Lucifer). Satan uses him, so I think when the Bible says "Satan/Devil disguises himself as an angel of light", it's because he uses him to do his deceiving of the nations...just my thoughts.
That's so right. People want to taste it because they are told its so good, before checking it to see if its poisonous to them. So sad when we are this way, but we learn don't we, the hard way.
We do like to do things our way, and we do usually learn the hard way, if we even learn at all.
...whether or not Lucifer is Satan, we know that he roams around looking to destroy, as well as the others who fell because Satan isn't all knowing nor can he be everywhere. They must trick us into believing that they are angels of light, otherwise, we would fall much less easily if we knew who they were and what their agenda was.
However, we weren't told everything in the least, so it's either not that important, or we just don't need to know, don't you think? Like Paul said, it's easy to dwell on a lot of things that don't really matter and become unproductive.
Dave
Dave you are right. We do not have to major on minors. It, however, help me understand what puzzled me. The evil came far before Adam rebel. I appreciate all comments to shape my understanding. Then why there was water and chaos!
Because God is spiritual it does not mean He is illogical.
I think its all wrong to say Satan isn't Lucifer. Its just a name he has now, because he fell away from God. He is the root of all evil, Satan. I disagree with Judah's daughter. I love her but I disagree, which sisters in the Lord will. Jesus stated Himself, SATAN, GET BEHIND ME! He was talking about that ancient one of old. Who once was Lucifer.He was not talking about some other force known separate from Lucifer. Lucifer is just simply that head of all the angels who, when after he fell, he was called by Beelzebub too beside Satan. And I am sure Lucifer is referred even more by other names but it all comes down to him. I know there are dominions of demons who all work under Lucifer. The Bible in many places talks about the great deceiver, destroyer, they are all about the same person, Satan. She has a right to her opinions but so do I. The scriptures can be hard to understand and maybe she ought to do a hub on it. Would take a lot of research I think. Of course we will know it all one day won't we.
Scantinel ~ I do have a hub called "Lucifer: The spirit of Antichrist" that simply shows how I came to this conclusion. I've checked out other online forums where people have not been able to prove they are one in the same. If Lucifer is the spirit of Antichrist, he cannot be Satan because they are cast into the Lake of Fire a thousand years apart. It's not vital to salvation, just something I looked into because of the controversy as to who he is (the Devil or not).
Thank you for talking, Vladimir. Any way you come at it, this was a good hub, and I respect you for putting it out here.
Sciantel I thank you for valuable comment.
Judah's daughter, I always learn and I do thanks for comment. Learning is growing. Learning is staying young.
ButterflyWings, thank you for very good comment and point. There is more to it. We are in the different time and God will give us wisdom that our joy may be full.
I am not Jew, perhaps only adopted one. I mean through Abraham and then Jesus.
When two rabbi come together the tradition say, that they should have at least three opinions. :-) But it is just religion. We know Satan's nature and we know who he is. That's all what we have to know. It is all about Jesus.
Judah's daughter:I do know that the Devil will take over the body of the anti-Christ, and the Devil is Lucifer. So that is Satan, who is the fallen Angel. Both the Devil and the anti-christ ( The human unfortunately chosen by Satan to rule the world, but he is just a misled human) If he, the false prophet, (another unfortunate human, but human) and the Devil all share the same fate, the lake of fire, that is refering to Lucifer's end finally. Lucifer and his demons have not been dealt with yet,aside from just being kicked out of heaven, but will be. Yes Lucifer was cast out from heaven, to deceive the nations which he is doing as we speak. I looked in the concordinance of my family Bible and it lists Satan as the Devil. That cannot be any other angel but the highest ranking one that fell. I do know the Devil is the one who tempted Eve, and it was the Devil Jesus was referring to to Peter, as get behind Me Satan! No one Angel was higher than Lucifer, so when he fell away from God, he has the most grievance with Him. No one fallen angel is as Lucifer,in rank, so no other fallen angel could be called Satan or the Devil. Your just not seeing it for some reason, is how I see it. Lucifer, Satan, also the Devil as he is called, is the age long fool of fools. He once was Lucifer plain and simple, but of course that has no consequence to your walk with the Lord but I would continue to study this, as I feel real strongly in the Spirit that the Devil is Lucifer. Jesus said he saw him cast out from heaven even and referred to him as the prince of the air, he is over all the other demons. There is none more evil than Lucifer has become. If Satan casts out Satan, how can his kingdom stand? Jesus said and whose kingdom was it but Lucifer who established that kingdom of darkness. I am convinced and will not sway from my teachings.
That's okay, Sciantel. I don't want to distract from the purpose of this hub ~ again, I invite you to read my study results (not to sway you, but to bring you understanding as to why I came to this conclusion). God bless you, and Vladimir, this is a great hub!
If the bible was indeed the word of God, there would be no need for the New Testament.
The whole concept of the biblical Gods is based on human imagination. All of the passages are of human creation and not a divine one. There is nothing in the bibles that man on his own did not know about. Genesis is so ambiguous that it is useless. The Garden story is a tale that makes no sense. You have Paradise but it is already infested with evil. There were no guardian angels to protect Adam and Eve from the temptation. If there was evil then God is responsible for it and he shouldn't have punished Adam and Eve. After all, even though they were created as adults, they were mentally only children.
And because of their punishment, the entire population of the world is guilty until proven innocent. If God cannot control his angels then what expectation would he have when he created man?
God is supposed to have created Adam and Eve in his image, well there is no female divinity in God. It is God and his Son, the word Son cannot be applied in this situation. Why didn't God create Eve in the same manner that he did Adam, from the dirt.
My view is that because man alone wrote the bible, they didn't want women to be important. At the times that the bible was written, the world was ruled by men or even boys but not women. Women were treated as chattel and even in the US they didn't get to vote until the 1920s.
After being thrown out of the Garden, Adam and Eve had children and these children had children. Sounds like incest to me.
At one time, we all believed in Santa but then we grew up and did the math. Both Santa and God have believer that have faith in them. But having faith in Santa fades away with reality.
Opinion duck, thank you for comment.
This is not my or God's fault you believed in Santa.
God did covenants with the people. What law you choose you must live by. If you choose Sharia Law you must fallow it. Adam agreed with God on the blessings he got from God. The same time with not eating from the tree.
It took time as you said to learn even language they talk together (God and Adam). But not touched by sin Adam was very quick learner and high Q intelligent.
God gave to Adam an authority over the earth. The same time He gave him seed. Only one restriction by covenant was not eating from the tree of information. Information was not the problem. Problem was who will interpret it, God or Satan. God did not punished Adam. I am sure God wept when Adam transgressed. Separation from God brought the curse: poverty, sickness and death. This is what we have it today.
God made 16 covenants, 15 recorded in the Bible. I am ready to publish new hub explaining Mystery of God/Bible and it will cover many unanswered questions.
Opinion Mr. duck is base for religion not for the faith.
ButterflyWings says:
4 months ago
Vladimir, I appreciate your articles very much. But there are a couple of things you keep saying that do not agree with what is stated in Scripture. They are small things (or could be), but they are nonetheless misleading.
You keep saying that Adam did not have to work. It is quite true that he did not have to work in the same exhausting way we do now, just to get a bite to eat. But Genesis 2:15 says: "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." He was therefore to take care of the garden...work, if you will. Man is designed to work. Doing nothing breeds boredom, and mischief. (For examples, just watch children on a Satuday, who are given no chores and such.) I do not know if you garden or have raised crops, but even if we remove thorns and thistles from the equation (part of the curse on the ground, according to Genesis 3:17-19), Adam no doubt had to prune trees, watch the growth habits of certain plants, maybe fertilize others... There was still much to do, I am convinced, even though he was living in a veritable paradise.
Secondly (and I know you have stated your opinions as such, not as doctrine, so please do not be offended), what kind of tree the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was, doesn't matter. Apple, fig, something unknown to us... It could have been any of these, and it still wouldn't matter - the important thing was God's command to Adam not to eat of it. You may very well be right that it contained strictly the knowledge of what happened to the earth and fallen angels and such before Adam's time. I like this theory. But mostly I believe the tree was a training object. For instance, if I am teaching my toddler not to touch things that are not good for her, or that she may damage, I could put a plastic flower vase in the middle of the floor and tell her, "Don't touch this vase," and reprimand her as necessary. Soon, she would know better, and my command would have meaning. Just because I use a vase wouldn't mean that all vases need to be off limits to her forever...it would mean only that this one is, for now. If she learned her lesson well, I could put an expensive china vase on a shelf where she could reach it, instruct her not to touch it, and not have to worry about it, because she would know better, and have been given reason not to touch it. I do believe that God used the tree as an elementary lesson, and that He no doubt meant to go on to bigger and better things with Adam and Eve (and their offspring) later on...had they obeyed and trusted Him to do so. I believe they would have learned about Satan and his fall, and all other necessary things, in God's own good time. Clearly God taught them many things, in their walks in the cool of the day through the garden.
Keep telling us your thoughts, please. They are interesting.