Why did we have to know the difference between Good and Evil if we lived in a perfect relationship with God?
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So Scott go ahead and repost your last comment - I need to think about it before responding so it might take a bit before I post on it
Joshua☩
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I don't think that we ever "had" to know did we? I always felt that God wanted to keep that knowledge from Adam and Eve for their own protection (and by extension, ours).
ScottA
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Okay. So...to play devil's advocate, just as Satan pointed out, their/our eyes were not opened, and they/we were not like God, knowing good and evil. I would not now put it as he put it, but I guess we lacked the "fullness" that was/is shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We introduced evil by misusing the Tree - it was a fools bet, so to speak. The serpent tricked humanity by promising a dove and delivering a serpent
Indeed.....I can imagine first time heroin users can relate - addiction is eye opening, yet completely unnecessary
It also makes sense to me that the Tree might have been referred to as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, based on the very act of misuse - in hindsight; sort of like a pistol being referred to as Peacemaker
VictoryinJesus
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It is fascinating that when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were instantly open to their sin and the first thing they realized was that they were naked(physically). I personally don’t believe Adam and Eve were put out of the garden because they ate from the tree they were told not to eat from, but more importantly, so they would not eat from the tree of life.
(Genesis 3: 22) “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
God slays an animal to cover their (physical) nakedness. After the garden, to bring man back into a relationship with God, man must once again have his eyes opened to his sin and the result is the realization that he is spiritually naked. Again, God provides a sacrifice to cover our nakedness. The lamb was slain from the foundation of the earth.
Who is the tree of life? And have we not all been given the chance to eat from the tree of life through faith in Jesus Christ?
(Genesis 3: 22) “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
God slays an animal to cover their (physical) nakedness. After the garden, to bring man back into a relationship with God, man must once again have his eyes opened to his sin and the result is the realization that he is spiritually naked. Again, God provides a sacrifice to cover our nakedness. The lamb was slain from the foundation of the earth.
Who is the tree of life? And have we not all been given the chance to eat from the tree of life through faith in Jesus Christ?
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bbyrd009
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when it is contemplated that "eating from a tree" does not necessarily have to be a physical, actual eating from a physical, actual tree--as is supported in other passages about eating from trees--it might be seen that it is possibly a different action that is being described there.
Also it seems naive to me to suggest that eating from the tree was something that Eve was not expected to do at some point; by that logic God was "surprised" that A&E ate from the tree? Lol.
Also it seems naive to me to suggest that eating from the tree was something that Eve was not expected to do at some point; by that logic God was "surprised" that A&E ate from the tree? Lol.
bbyrd009
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it is interesting imo to contemplate "Who told you that you were naked?" in this light. Apparently God wasn't tripping at all :)
ScottA
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Yes, and yet we cannot discount the idea, for God himself has laid it all out in such a way, by his own choosing.
It’s not that they had to know the difference, it’s that they should have trusted God to know what is good, or believed and trusted in His Judgement. As Jesus says “only God is good”, therefore only God knows what is good, but in the case of A&E they trusted their own judgement of what is good. Note in the chapters before that, God declares all that He made as good very good.
Jesus explains that being the Son of man He can execute judgement, but it is His Father’s Judgement or will, that is to be executed.
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Therefore, it is the purpose of man, in God’s eyes to execute His Judgement in the earth by giving man His place in the earth with dominion over all the living in the earth. Therefore A&E falling from that Life originally given them, was left with the life in the flesh like the rest of the flesh that was before them, ashes to ashes and dust to dust, a result of their own judgement. (but also take note that the Lord God gave is Word to man to have dominion and He still keeps that Word despite man's desire for the fulfillment of man's own judgements)
And when one is born into the world by the will of the flesh they receive the same life, when born of Spirit by the will of God then the Life of Christ restores you to the life given Adam. and that life is:
Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
But make no mistake on this, God’s Judgement is Life, and man’s judgement results in otherwise, which wouldn’t be life.
Yes! I agree completely. Yet, humanity continues to forsake loving others and instead, labels God's Good Creation, "good" (based on how it benefits self) and "evil" (based on how it interferes with self)
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yea well consider, so does God. What is good and evil is in His own view according to His own will, Himself. hence it's not man's place to judge what is good and evil. it's God's creation and property, not man's, hence the rightful judge. man is only to discern according to what God says is good and evil.
man is given place in God's creation like God has given all living things, even the Satan has been placed in darkness.
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