Genesis 2 The Trees in the Garden

[seekeroftruth]

Genesis 2:8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.​

Tree of Knowledge

There are consequences for everything we do. Some consequences are good and other consequences are bad. Rules are set up to keep us from doing bad things so that we don't have to suffer the bad consequences. We don't understand the concept of rules and their connection to bad consequences until we experience them.

Babies don't know what the rules are. They don't know that biting someone hurts them. After all, when a teething baby bites down on something it's soothing to the gums. They don't know that those sharp little teeth hurt so bad it'll bring the victim to tears. When my babies were young, I was told that the only way to stop the biting was to bite them back. That teaches the baby that biting someone else is bad [evil]. Now I could have told my children not to bite but that would not bring them knowledge. The first time a baby bites, it's experience. It makes the gums feel good and as an extra bonus it makes the victim react. Once the baby knows it hurts, after the baby has knowledge, then biting is bad and time out is needed.

The enduringword.com commentary says this.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the “temptation” tree. Eating the fruit of this tree would give Adam an experiential knowledge of good and evil. Or, it is possible that it is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil not so man would know good and evil, but so God could test good and evil in man.​

Tree of Life

The same commentary says this about the tree of life.

The tree of life was to grant (or to sustain) eternal life (Genesis 3:22). God still has a tree of life available to the His people (Revelation 2:7), which is in heaven (Revelation 22:2).​

Trees that provide shade and food are the best though. When I was just a child we use to sit up in the apple trees in Mr. Wilson's little orchard. We use to talk about life and the bible. I remember those days fondly. Trees are one of those great things that God made for us. I'm thankful.

 

[b23hqb]

"Thou shall" do's and do not's are really simple and straight forward. But, many people know better themselves, they get themselves and others into their own ways, so we are where we are.