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. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 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.
This passage of scripture reveals to us that the forbidden tree was placed in the Garden of Eden by God so that Adam and Eve's loyalty could be tested. It is worthy of note that God gave our first parents the freedom to eat of every other tree in the garden, including the tree of life, but this one tree He had reserved for His own purposes, and thus He commanded them not to touch or eat of it, for death would be the result.
There are many people, even amongst Christians who often stumble at this providence of God in placing the forbidden tree in the midst of the garden, knowing that Adam and Eve could be exposed to it. And many questions have arisen as a result as it pertains to God's goodness, His intentions, His purposes and foreknowledge, and many people have thus beaten about upon the rocks of infidelity because they were at a loss for satisfactory answers.
There is a saying that goes like this, if we want to know if a bird desires to stay with us, we will have to set it free, giving it the option to never return, but if it does, then it desires to stay with us. Thus, after sin was introduced into the universe by satan in heaven, an alternative to obedience was now available, and in order for the relationship between God and the human family to rest squarely upon the sure foundation of love, Adam and Eve must of necessity be given a deliberate choice to serve God by obeying His commands, or otherwise serve satan, the author of all rebellion.
In most homes across America, there are safe articles of food that can be consumed without doing any harm to the members of the family. But in many of those very homes we can find poisonous substances such as bleach, gasoline, and insecticides, which if ourselves or our children were to ingest, a number of fatal results can accrue, including death. Now, what is of the utmost importance to the children is that they obey the parents commands not to drink bleach, or gasoline, for if they were to obey these simple instructions, everyone could live happily ever after.
But not for once do the parents think of not bringing bleach into the house, just to protect the children, because the problem is not the bleach itself, but rather whether the children will obey the stipulated instructions. The same is true of God, for we are living in a world in which there is good and evil readily available, and like with Adam and Eve, God has given us instructions not to drink "Bleach". Once we follow His wise commands, that are always given in our best interest, we will be safe, but when we venture to disobey, then bleach is what we drink to our own detriment. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. 40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.
In our day and in our own experiences, the very same choices are before our faces, and like the curious Eve, we may be wondering why God has forbidden us to "Eat or touch" certain things. Many years ago I played with one of the top bands in Trinidad at the time, and our manager was tall, good-looking and handsome. He was often found flirting and having inordinate sexual relationships with many women, and this he deliberately chose to do, even though the wise instructions of God state that adultery should never be committed by any person.
His rendezvous with several women continued for many years, until one day he suddenly fell sick and was taken to the hospital, where after a series of tests, it was found that he had been infected wit the aids virus. From that time forward he gradually lost weight, and was brought down to bare skin and bones, since the fatal disease was relatively new, and medications and treatments for it were unheard of. What caused our manager's untimely demise was not the fact that there was an aids virus, the problem is that through his own disobedience he was exposed to the deadly infection, and succumbed to it, because the wages of sin is still death.
Let us therefore not indulge in questioning God's goodness and purposes in placing the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden, for if our first parents had obeyed the instructions of God, they would still be alive today. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which warns us against the tendency to disobey God, for there is no nation or individual who has ever reaped good, in exchange for rebellion. Let's read:
1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry".
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!