Genesis 3:5
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
I don’t want to scare you but I have a 22 point message. And before you tune me out, they’re actually sub points of a __ point message and they’ll only briefly be mentioned, and in a manner I think you’ll come to appreciate regarding the tree of good and evil from Genesis 3.
I think often about that doggone tree in the garden that started it all when it comes to sin and mankind. If it hadn’t been for that tree, life would have been so much different for each one of us. And Then I think of who I’ve become because of many the evil things in my life, and it makes me ponder the tree a little deeper today.
The Fallacy of the Fruit
When God created the fruits of the tree, it says in Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
It doesn’t say there was any difference, with the exception that in verses 16-17, God said And the Lord God commanded the man, saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
They were all good for food, but one was forbidden, and yet it wasn’t entirely evil. It was the tree of good and evil. That’s where some confusion on my part comes in. How can a tree be filled with both. And why was it even there? Why would God put something so tempting in the garden that He knew would reap such destruction for all of mankind?
If there’s one thing that I have figured out in my 56 years of life on this earth, it’s that “Nothing just happens.” God has purpose for every single thing on and in this earth. And while it was not ever God’s intention for man to sin; God still knew the story before it happened. He also knew Satan’s starring role in the story and how Satan twisted the words of the Lord to confuse Eve.
“Ye shall not surely die:” he said.
And so Eve ate of the tree and the rest, as they say, is history. But what Eve set in motion isn’t just history, its future as well. There are things that have happened and things that are going to happen that are horrible because of the circumstances of the original sin.
All the fruit of the garden was good, and Eve could have had any one of them and been satisfied. But it says that upon the temptation of the Serpent’s words, that eve
6 … saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Something happened when they discovered evil. They already knew good, but now they’d discovered the opposite of good, which is evil.
They knew they were naked.
For the first time they experienced fear, shame and guilt. They no longer had confidence in who they were. Where they had once looked forward to the arrival of the Lord in the garden, now they were hiding and covering their bodies up because of that doggone fruit of the garden. And we’re still doing it today, even though it’s no longer necessary.
I created the drawing and used all the words I could think of that began with “D.” But there’s a thousand others that start with many other letters that could fit on the branches as well. All things that cause our relationship with the Lord to suffer. That was Satan’s goal. He was jealous of Adam and Eve and what they had with the Lord. He was out to destroy it. And he’s still destroying it today. He hates our relationship with God. How many of us are suffering one of the afflictions I’ve listed on the tree, or multiple. And how many times do they drive us away from God because Satan convinces us that we’re unworthy of God’s love. That’s what Adam and Eve discovered that day. That they were unworthy. Shameful. They didn’t know that before they discovered evil. But from that one act of disobedience, look at how many problems came.
When I think about how many offshoots of sin came from the seeds of that one forbidden fruit I realize how very important it is to get to the Root of the matter. Pun totally intended.
The Foreknowledge of the Father
What happened in the garden did not catch God off guard.
Isaiah 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
“Why” God created the tree in the garden isn’t as important as the fact that He “created it.” He spoke it, and it came to be. We want to question everything, rather than acknowledge that God is just amazing! He knew everything that would happen and he allowed it to happen because everything has purpose.
For certain Satan is to blame and there will come a day that he’ll be taken care of. But what the fall of man proves is that man and woman need God. The very thing Satan didn’t want. Every single bitter fruit on the tree does one thing, it causes us to search for hope and hope is found at the root of the tree.
I’ve experienced every single thing on that tree. But I’ve also experienced everything at the root of that tree. And because Christ is, (and this is the final point)
The Foundation of our Faith
He is the Root of all we need in Life.
Isaiah 11:10
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
We can find rest in His knowledge that is provided to us through the Holy Spirit because of His sacrifice.
All of the evil that Eve unleashed on that tree is covered by the blood of Jesus. Adam and Eve tried to use fig leaves to cover it up. Something else from a tree. But that wouldn’t do it, only the blood sacrifice would cover up what they’d done.
What I came to realize from this study, is that all of the things on the tree that I thought were evil, God used it for His good. That’s why I believe it’s called the tree of good and evil. Satan could only see the evil. The destruction, death, doubt, depravity of man. But God, who knew the ending would see what His Son would offer in its place. Devotion, deliverance, defense, our Daystar…
Too many other good things to count. But we have to take responsibility for our part of the evil. And then God’s shows us the goodness of His sacrifice.
We are the good fruit of someone. God handpicked us for a purpose.
I pray today you’ll remember that when Satan tries to show you the bad fruit in your life. And you’ll remind him of the good that’s come out of it. There is some.
And I pray you’ll never lose sight that we’re going to get to see that perfect garden someday when it’s redesigned by God.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
We live in an exciting time. Don’t let Satan rob you of any of the goodness of God.
