04_The two trees

Gen 2:9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused every tree to grow that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2: 15-17 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not [o]eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

There is a story of a young boy who was sailing with his father, the captain of a sailing ship. While he was exploring the ship, he came to the huge sails flapping above his head. Intent on getting closer, he began to climb the mast, unseen by anybody. The higher he climbed, the more exhilarated he felt. He felt like a creature of the air rather than the ground.
At the very top, he made the mistake of looking down. Instantly he froze in terror. Then he began screaming for help.

The crew crowded around below. They shouted instructions and urged him to climb down. The hubbub only frightened him still more. Then his father arrived on the scene. Calmly, he called up to his son, “Look up and tell me what you see!” The boy obeyed, and through his tear-filled eyes, saw the marvelously blue sky. As he described it, his father continued, “Keep looking up. Now, climb down a step and tell me what you see.” The boy obeyed, looking up and following his father’s steady voice. He descended step by step, until he was standing on the deck again.

His father knew that his voice would comfort and encourage his son as nothing else could do. He also knew that by looking above, his son would no longer be fearful of falling. The boy could concentrate on directing his feet as he climbed down. For the son was assured that his father’s voice would never lead him into harm. It would guide him safely through fear and danger.
This story mirrors the choice presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had created them fearfully and wonderfully. He had given them a paradise filled with every good and beautiful tree.

Especially significant were two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were free to eat from any tree, including the Tree of Life, but forbidden access to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The reason was also made clear. The day they ate that fruit, they would die.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn’t inherently evil. God declared that all He created was good. The tree symbolized the desire for autonomy, freedom from dependence on God. It offered the ability to know good and evil without having to rely on God’s wisdom. But it was not good for man and woman to eat the fruit in disobedience to God.

It certainly looks like a simple and straightforward situation. There should have been no temptation to disobey when they were in paradise, enjoying the goodness and the presence of God. This reveals that the choice to eat from the forbidden tree was an act of rebellion. It could only come from a heart that did not prize God. It reflected the value they set on the knowledge of good and evil compared to the knowledge of God. They longed to be like gods, but not like God.

In choosing knowledge over love, they cut themselves off from God who is love. Knowledge apart from the fear of the Lord leads to pride and alienation. With Adam and Eve, all humanity joins in striving for knowledge. This search is at the expense of faith, love, and humility.

Let us examine our own lives for this pattern. Do we seek knowledge because we do not trust God’s care? We want certainty, control, and understanding but cannot rest in God’s sovereignty and goodness. We are restless and unsatisfied because we do not abide in Christ. It is he who makes us wise.

Through scripture, creation, and ultimately through His Son, Jesus Christ, God reveals Himself. He is the one who is love, wisdom, truth and righteousness personified. True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. It is submission to God in faith. Faith comes from hearing His word, and obeying Him. As Psalm 19 declares, God’s word is perfect, reviving the soul. It is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

James 3:13-18 contrasts two types of wisdom. Those who seek earthly wisdom are jealous, selfishly ambitious, and churn things up. Those who are guided by heavenly wisdom are pure, peace-loving, gentle, full of mercy, and fruitful in righteousness. True wisdom is not just intellectual knowledge. It is a way of life, modeled perfectly by Jesus Christ. It brings them into right relationship with God and others. Christ leads his disciples into life, peace, and righteousness.

Hebrews 5:14 reminds us that discernment—the ability to distinguish good from evil—comes through constant practice and obedience. Adam was given the opportunity to practice obedience in the garden by refraining from eating the forbidden fruit. Had he resisted the temptation, he would have grown. He would have increased in faith, wisdom, and self-control. He would have known God better.

Adam’s failure shows that the best rules cannot guarantee discernment. It is the result of a relationship with God. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented a kind of knowledge that was withheld from Adam and Eve. They were to grow in wisdom and knowledge through the revelation of their Creator. They would not only know good and evil, but live in goodness.

When humanity rejects God, their morality becomes subjective and distorted. Today, we see this played out in society. Men and women are denied their God-given differences. Children are considered legally non-human until they have been alive for an arbitrary period in the womb. Lust is boasted of and advertised as the greatest panacea for human need. Isaiah 5:20 warns against this distortion: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

This illustrates the grave consequences of choosing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil rather than the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life reminds us of Jesus Christ who promises eternal life to all those who come to him. Yet, like the Pharisees, many search for knowledge without seeking Him. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

The Lord taught us that unless we become like little children we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Children depend on their parents to supply all that they need or want. Life in the kingdom of heaven is one of humble dependence on God, acknowledging our weakness and need.

The first sin was not murder or theft. It was unbelief, arising from a lack of humility. Adam and Eve doubted God’s goodness. Therefore, they chose to be independent like gods, rather than continue in relationship with him. Proverbs 30:3-5 reminds us of the limits of human understanding: “I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.”

Faith in God leads us to obey him. Faith is not blind. It stands on the reliability of God’s word and his love. Holiness is not just conforming to societal or religious rules. It is trusting and walking with God.

Practically, this means evaluating the choices we make daily. Do we make our own calls, or seek God’s wisdom? Do we change our decisions to align with his word, or do we conform to the world’s standards? Do we taste the satisfying solidity of his wisdom? Are we enslaved by the alluring but empty wisdom of the world?

Just as the boy on the ship reached safety because he trusted and obeyed his father’s voice, let us daily trust God. When life feels overwhelming and the voices of the world are loud, let us look up steadily to see Him. Step by step, as we listen to His word and obey, He leads us safely through.