Knowledge of Good and Evil

Often, because we know the future events surrounding "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," we have a tendency to think of the tree itself as being evil. That perhaps the fruit of this particular tree is bad for human consumption, whether physically or spiritually

Yet we know that nothing that the Lord made was bad. He proclaimed it all to be "good!" So it can't be that the fruit of that tree was bad.

So, let's look at only the tree itself, or the fruit of the tree, at this point.

If we go back to the name given to the "tree of life" and understand by its name that it "gives" life; then the same practice could be applied to this tree. Its name being "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" seems to tell us that it also "gives" knowledge of good and evil.

Again, the tree of life we understand gives life as in "immortality." That was clear from the other scriptures that refer to the tree of life. It doesn't seem to indicate that there is life given and that eventually that life will end in death. It indicates life everlasting; as God Himself is everlasting, having no beginning and no end.

Well, then the other tree must "give" knowledge that never ceases as well. It is clear to us that God Himself has such everlasting knowledge that does not cease, of both good and evil.

But we should also pay careful attention to the fact that the knowledge given by this tree is of BOTH good AND evil; not just of evil. Why is that important to note?

I think it is because just as we understand darkness as being the absence of light, we must first understand what light is or we would never understand that the darkness is lacking in light. Do you see?

So to understand what evil is one must also understand what good is. And I would think that this knowledge carries a burden of weight or responsibility with it. At least it does, in comparison to a new-born infant who has no knowledge of either.

The infant cannot discern that "oh this diaper is warm and dry and therefore it is good". Versus "this diaper is damp and mushy and therefore it is bad". The infant only knows what it's sensory perceptions tell it; the infant's mind is not developed enough to "label" it good or evil. Perhaps this is what "innocence" is.

But now add "knowledge" to that infant's mind, and things change; innocence is lost. And everything then becomes "labeled" either good or evil. And once that process begins it cannot stop….at least not without divine intervention.

How do you think our Father intended for us to be: innocent as new-born infants, or having knowledge of good AND evil? How did He create us to be originally?

Well, there's something to think about until we get further into Genesis.