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Text: Genesis 2:16-18
This is the first and only commandment God gives Adam.
God’s good commandment
- Poisonous tree in the garden, at least if you eat it. God created a lot of things, but not everything is to eat. Some things have other purposes and uses.
- Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
- This is not a test for Adam. This is a commandment. The Lord doesn’t warn Adam of the poisonous tree in order to see what Adam would do, He told Adam not to eat it because it would kill him if he ate it. It’s like a parent telling their children not to eat rat poison. Parents wouldn’t say that to test their children, it would be to prevent them from being poisoned.
- Mushroom story.
- Romans 16:19 there is little benefit to knowing evil although Satan presented it as something desirable.
What’s this tree?
- You’ve heard Adam and Eve ate an apple. I don’t know where that came from, but the world believes that’s the fairy tale of Genesis 3. One of the most popular and influential companies in the world today is a company called Apple whose logo is an apple with a bite out of it.
- There are two trees described for what they do in Genesis 2. One tree physically gives life and it’s found in Revelation 2:7, 22:2, and 14. It probably works like medicine in that it would cure whatever o9you have. I don’t really picture Adam and Eve taking one bite of the tree of life and just living forever. At least not based on the descriptions given in Revelation.
- The second tree physically introduces a knowledge of evil. It’s like eating something that looks good, but when you bite into it your senses are disturbed; something tastes off. So physically, through their sense of taste, the knowledge of evil is introduced. We’ll talk more about that in Genesis 3.
- What is the knowledge of good and evil?
- Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
- 2 Samuel 19:35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
- Jeremiah 24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
- Deuteronomy 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
