Just a thought about the Tree of Knowledge

[simpleas]

16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but 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.”

Ok so the tree version is so easily understood for Child and adult alike, so simple, one would not really have to question it if it is taken literally. (Adam ate fruit from a actual tree and consumed it, breaking the command of God…IE disobedience…)

I was considering what the trees in the garden actually represent. From history, especially ancient history, the people of those times told of how God/s came from the sky and gave them knowledge on how to live etc.
Could the trees, as with the tree of knowledge of good and evil represent other knowledge, IE knowledge all humans would need in order to survive spiritually and bodily together.
Note God doesn’t say to eat of the tree of life, yet we know it is there in the garden, but he does say to eat of any of the trees except the tree of good and evil.
So thinking beyond trees, the story could be stating the “trees” were “tools” in respect of various knowledge man needed, that he/she could freely “consume” gaining a higher intelligence (spiritual) and that eating from the forbidden tree would “derail” this process.

Obviously eating from the forbidden tree could have been unavoidable, because in gaining knowledge one generally wants more of it. I could be wrong…

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[thirsty_cherUM]

A priest said in a homily one time that the other trees represented human pursuits such as philosophy, art, music, etc.

Personally I have to believe eating from the Tree of Knowledge was NOT inevitable. We do have free will after all.

 

[simpleas]

A priest said in a homily one time that the other trees represented human pursuits such as philosophy, art, music, etc

Yes that is what I am thinking

Personally I have to believe eating from the Tree of Knowledge was NOT inevitable. We do have free will after all.

Given that we are only human, not divine, there would have been a drive to continue with knowledge. Yes we have a freewill, and so they used it, we will always say it was the wrong choice, but it was a choice that had to be made in the end. Lack of knowledge of good and evil was the missing link, I think.

Thanks.

 

[Joe_5859]

Ok so the tree version is so easily understood for Child and adult alike, so simple, one would not really have to question it if it is taken literally. (Adam ate fruit from a actual tree and consumed it, breaking the command of God…IE disobedience…)

I was considering what the trees in the garden actually represent. From history, especially ancient history, the people of those times told of how God/s came from the sky and gave them knowledge on how to live etc.
Could the trees, as with the tree of knowledge of good and evil represent other knowledge, IE knowledge all humans would need in order to survive spiritually and bodily together.
Note God doesn’t say to eat of the tree of life, yet we know it is there in the garden, but he does say to eat of any of the trees except the tree of good and evil.
So thinking beyond trees, the story could be stating the “trees” were “tools” in respect of various knowledge man needed, that he/she could freely “consume” gaining a higher intelligence (spiritual) and that eating from the forbidden tree would “derail” this process.

Obviously eating from the forbidden tree could have been unavoidable, because in gaining knowledge one generally wants more of it. I could be wrong…

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

The best explanation I have heard is that the tree of knowledge of good and evil represents the one thing we are not free to do: define for ourselves what is good and what is evil. That belongs to God alone. When we reach for that branch, the fruit of that action is spiritual death. That is because we put aside the one true God and instead insist that we know better. We become our own god.

That’s what the devil did. And that’s what he wants us to do. And all sin—at the heart of it—is us telling God that we know better than He does what is good for us.

 

[simpleas]

The best explanation I have heard is that the tree of knowledge of good and evil represents the one thing we are not free to do: define for ourselves what is good and what is evil. That belongs to God alone. When we reach for that branch, the fruit of that action is spiritual death. That is because we put aside the one true God and instead insist that we know better. We become our own god.

That’s what the devil did. And that’s what he wants us to do. And all sin—at the heart of it—is us telling God that we know better than He does what is good for us.

Thanks

But if like I was saying the other trees were knowledge tools that God wanted man to learn and progress as a human, not a God, progressing onto knowledge of good and evil would have been the next step. Gaining this knowledge would be key to understanding why there is a difference between good and evil. We all know what is good/evil and we can struggle with it as much as we need until we see the truth. Why would this have been any different for the first two humans?
Had they not disobeyed, they would have become divine, or saw God and known all without a struggle.

 

[Joe_5859]

Thanks

But if like I was saying the other trees were knowledge tools that God wanted man to learn and progress as a human, not a God, progressing onto knowledge of good and evil would have been the next step. Gaining this knowledge would be key to understanding why there is a difference between good and evil. We all know what is good/evil and we can struggle with it as much as we need until we see the truth. Why would this have been any different for the first two humans?
Had they not disobeyed, they would have become divine, or saw God and known all without a struggle.

Let’s see if I am understanding what you are saying. Are you suggesting that maybe God would have eventually let them eat from that tree after they had eaten from the rest? And then it would have been okay because God was allowing it at the right moment rather than them eating it before they were ready?

 

[TaurusRex]

Ok so the tree version is so easily understood for Child and adult alike, so simple, one would not really have to question it if it is taken literally. (Adam ate fruit from a actual tree and consumed it, breaking the command of God…IE disobedience…)

I was considering what the trees in the garden actually represent. From history, especially ancient history, the people of those times told of how God/s came from the sky and gave them knowledge on how to live etc.
Could the trees, as with the tree of knowledge of good and evil represent other knowledge, IE knowledge all humans would need in order to survive spiritually and bodily together.
Note God doesn’t say to eat of the tree of life, yet we know it is there in the garden, but he does say to eat of any of the trees except the tree of good and evil.
So thinking beyond trees, the story could be stating the “trees” were “tools” in respect of various knowledge man needed, that he/she could freely “consume” gaining a higher intelligence (spiritual) and that eating from the forbidden tree would “derail” this process.

Obviously eating from the forbidden tree could have been unavoidable, because in gaining knowledge one generally wants more of it. I could be wrong…

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

“It wasn’t the apple in the tree that ruined Adam and Eve, it was the pear on the ground”: Norm Crosby
Maybe the apple had a worm in it.

 

[simpleas]

Let’s see if I am understanding what you are saying. Are you suggesting that maybe God would have eventually let them eat from that tree after they had eaten from the rest? And then it would have been okay because God was allowing it at the right moment rather than them eating it before they were ready?

What I am saying is, human knowledge is still in progress, God left the temptation there, he wanted them to obey, but gave them freewill to choose. Being a human created by God and given tools to learn how to be fully human, not divine, the tree of good and evil seems to be part of the human progress.
The tree isn’t named the tree of evil, in that what they learnt was knowledge of evil only, they learnt what was good also. This may have been God’s intention when they were ready, because they would be prepared so to speak. They obviously were not ready for this knowledge and that is why God commanded them not to eat of it.

Man is made in the image of God, this would include God’s knowledge, not all knowledge of course, but some.

 

[grannymh]

“It wasn’t the apple in the tree that ruined Adam and Eve, it was the pear on the ground”: Norm Crosby
Maybe the apple had a worm in it.

It is only when there is half a worm in the apple, that one needs to worry.

Seriously, it is hard for me to imagine “symbolism” for all the trees in the garden.

 

[fhansen]

Yes that is what I am thinking

Given that we are only human, not divine, there would have been a drive to continue with knowledge. Yes we have a freewill, and so they used it, we will always say it was the wrong choice, but it was a choice that had to be made in the end. Lack of knowledge of good and evil was the missing link, I think.

Thanks.

It depends on how we define “the knowledge of good and evil”. Would the knowledge of good and evil do any good other than to, hopefully, drive us away from evil? IOW, does the knowledge have any real, intrinsic value in itself other than to help us finally recognize that obedience is the order of the day, that the Father knows best, to help us identify and embrace the good, alone, turning from evil, the first of which is this basic disobedience of our Creator?

 

[Bahman]

16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but 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.”

How then we could be here alive if they died in the day they eat the fruit? They have no kid at that time.

 

[simpleas]

It is only when there is half a worm in the apple, that one needs to worry.

Seriously, it is hard for me to imagine “symbolism” for all the trees in the garden.

Do you consider the tree of knowledge of good and evil to be a symbol for something else that they were forbidden to have?
That it need not have been an actual tree that they ate from, consuming a fruit that caused them to die spiritually and physically?
If not then the garden of eden is one of many stories told about how man gained knowledge from a supernatural source, and so the other trees could represent knowledge of any kind.

 

[simpleas]

It depends on how we define “the knowledge of good and evil”. Would the knowledge of good and evil do any good other than to, hopefully, drive us away from evil? IOW, does the knowledge have any real, intrinsic value in itself other than to help us finally recognize that obedience is the order of the day, that the Father knows best, to help us identify and embrace the good, alone, turning from evil, the first of which is this basic disobedience of our Creator?

I’m not sure knowing what is evil helps drive us away when we know goodness too. We can still commit an evil and yet not fully realise that evil until after, in some cases, not all of course.

 

[simpleas]

How then we could be here alive if they died in the day they eat the fruit? They have no kid at that time.

It was a slow death, obviously not instantly, or yes we would not be here.

When we are born we are dying in a way, but they had the gift of immortality as long as they remained obedient to their creator.

 

[Bahman]

It was a slow death, obviously not instantly, or yes we would not be here.

When we are born we are dying in a way, but they had the gift of immortality as long as they remained obedient to their creator.

Yes, we are dying slowly but they need to live at least live two years to have two kids while they could live only one day after they eat the fruit.

 

[simpleas]

Yes, we are dying slowly but they need to live at least live two years to have two kids while they could live only one day after they eat the fruit.

I haven’t heard that they could live only one day after they ate the fruit? Apparently Adam lived until he was 900 years or so…but who knows for sure!

 

[Bahman]

I haven’t heard that they could live only one day after they ate the fruit? Apparently Adam lived until he was 900 years or so…but who knows for sure!

Here there is: 16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but 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.”

 

[fhansen]

I’m not sure knowing what is evil helps drive us away when we know goodness too. We can still commit an evil and yet not fully realise that evil until after, in some cases, not all of course.

Ok, but don’t you think that we’re here, for one thing, to make a choice, or choices, between good and evil?

 

[simpleas]

Here there is: 16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but 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.”

Yes maybe it can be read as in that day, as one day, but we know they didn’t die that one day. It just meant that from that day they would die…that’s how I understand it.

 

[simpleas]

Ok, but don’t you think that we’re here, for one thing, to make a choice, or choices, between good and evil?

Our lives are always about making choices, those of us who are capable.
It was the same for the first two, no doubt about it. Knowledge was given to them freely, only one tree was not to be eaten, because once it was there was no way back from that sort of knowledge, only a progression forward I think.
Once man had knowledge of good and evil more choices have to be made, we never stop trying to progress, even when evil reigns.