Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the
LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat
from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may
eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat
of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you
touch it, or you shall die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You
will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and
that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and
ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then
the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.[1]
…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.[2]
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.[3]
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is
not from the Father, but is from the world.[4]
Knowledge - daath - concern (1), know (3), knowledge
(81), premeditation (2), skill (1), truth (1),[5]
The knowledge of good and evil:
There are a few things that can be gleaned about the early
life of the first man and women in paradise. Whether or not the eternal
paradise in which the saved live is the same as that in which Adam and Eve
lived, I don’t know, but there will be I’m sure some similarities. It seems to
me we have to step outside the boundaries of everyday life to be able to notice
some of the features of life in paradise. I believe it is almost impossible to
understand events in the garden period by using modern perceptions.
It appears that humans and animals communicated with each
other, based on the evidence that Eve showed no surprise that a snake talked to
her. Paradise was designed to be eternal, by virtue of the tree of life being
in the middle of the garden, and its fruit was available to be eaten. Adam and
Eve were man and wife living together in the garden among creatures from the
animal kingdom. While living in obedience they were childlike. Adam and Eve
lived in innocence. “And the
man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this
child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.[6]
Satan deceived Eve, telling her that she would not die, and
that, “God knows that when
you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good
and evil.”
Eve “took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked…”
Eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden
carried as a consequence, “the knowledge of good and evil”. Their eyes were
opened; they realized that they were naked. In this setting what does nakedness
have to do with good and evil? The act of doing what they were ordered not to
do shattered the innocence of their existence. Shame, guilt, or embarrassment
were never experienced when living blamelessly. From the moment they ate the
fruit Adam and Eve were human in every aspect, just as we are. The spiritual
tranquility of the garden collapsed as all things became material. God met with
them one last time; only to denounce their actions, and deliver the
consequences. What does it mean, “their eyes were opened, and they realized
they were naked”? Their nakedness was not a sin, it was exercise of their will
in opposition to God’s command. They were accountable for their choice to eat
the fruit and for all choices going forward. Their innocence was gone and they
were culpable. I don’t think that knowing right and wrong is quite the same as
“the knowledge of good and evil”. It occurs to me that we teach children the
difference between right and wrong with the hope they will learn to make good
choices. I believe teaching children right and wrong is necessary for their
development. I do not see that knowing right from wrong has the same
consequence as “the knowledge of good and evil”. Teaching children right from
wrong is a parental duty, and the consequence for doing wrong is determined by
the parents. There is no spiritual consequence for a child’s disobedience. “The
knowledge of good and evil” has I believe to do with the cognizance of making a
wrong choice, and its spiritual consequence.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was
with her, and he ate.
Eve went through a mental process of selection, weighing the
evidence provided by Satan against what she knew God had said. Her action was
not the random act of child, it was willful. The consequence of her act, the
result of going against God’s order, opened the experience of worldliness,
resulting in separation from God. Adam and Eve, no longer innocent were
banished from the garden. Cut off from the tree of life, they were mortal.
Spiritually disconnected from God, they needed redemption.
Children after the onset of puberty transitions from the
state of innocence, in which they lived and in which they were not responsible
for their actions, to being fully accountable to God. I believe this principle
arises out of the events in the garden, and based on the initial response of
Adam and Eve toward their nakedness. Once their “eyes were opened”, they
recognized their nakedness. Which I believe suggests that children reaching a
similar awareness become accountable to God.
When you disrobe without being ashamed
and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children
and tread on them, then will you see the son of the living one, and you will
not be afraid.[7]
I do not believe The Sayings of Thomas are inspired unless a
saying is an exact copy of the biblical original. But it is interesting that as
far back as the fourth century being unashamed of nakedness is associated with
childlikeness.
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