Genesis 2:4-27 - The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil
Genesis 2:4-27 - The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
It is no slight exaggeration to say that there are no 2 chapters more important for the proper understanding of history than these 2 chapters of Genesis. In chapter is the secret of man's sinfulness, the relationship between the sexes, the proper place of man and woman in marriage, the solution of the problem of divorce and most important the revelation of the meaning of divine redemption and grace.
In chapter one, the whole universe was in view.
In Chapter two, the record narrows its focus to the human family alone.
2:4 The word "ACCOUNT" or "generation" in the Hebrew means the same thing as genealogy. It is used 10 times in Genesis as a division marker.
Notice in verse 4 a new name is given for our Creator. Did you notice it. Verse 4 says,
Genesis 2:4
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. NASV
Previously, only the word "God" was used. Now a new name "LORD GOD." is also used. Why? What is the significance of this new name?
A study of the names of God found in the Old Testament reveals that each name emphasizes a different aspect of God's character.
The name God ELOHIM, is used to describes a powerful Creator. The name LORD Yahweh, is used to describe a personnel, close caring covenant keeping God. The powerful God of creation who created the laws of science is identical to the God who wants to be personally involved with His creation.
Genesis 2:5
5 Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth; and there was no man to cultivate the ground. nasv
2:5 At the beginning of time, it didn't rain. Because the earth's atmosphere was protected and shielded by a huge special water canopy. How did the world water its gardens and lands?
Genesis 2:6
Genesis 2:6
6 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
Genesis 2:7
7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
2:7
The word translated "FORMED" in verse 7 is a potter's term. It speaks of an artist who forms and fashions an object according to his own design. It speaks of molding something new out of already existing materials.
The Hebrew word translated "MAN" is Adam. It is used to describe to reddish soil of the earth.
Do you know what the world's largest living thing is? The worlds largest living thing is a tree. It is located in Sequoia National Park in California. The tree has a name. It is called the General Sherman Tree. It towers more than 275 feet and has a trunk about 37 feet wide. It has been around for so long that it dates back 200 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
There is another three in Madagascar that is called the Travelers Tree. What makes the travelers tree so unique is that each branch of the tree holds 1 pint of water. So when people traveled they knew they could always receive a fresh drink of water from the traveler's tree.
There is another tree that is unique. It is called the Ombu Tree. You find it in Argentina.
It can survive insect attacks, violent storms, and intense heart. The tree's wood is so moist it will not burn and it is so spongy it can not be cut down.
But they are not the most unique tree. The most unique tree is found in Genesis 2:8-9. It is called the "The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil."
Genesis 2:8-9
8 And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. nasv
And that is about all that we are told about the tree. We are told the tree is in a garden. And it is a very special garden. The Hebrew word for garden means a garden that is fenced in.
This tree is so unique that God gave very special instructions for it. Look at the instructions.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." NASV
Is God threatening Adam? No God is not making a threat. But He is giving a warning. Let me ask you a question. When a parent says to a child, "Do not touch a hot stove" is that a threat? That's not a threat, it's a warning. God is just trying to warn man. There is no threat.
Someone may be thinking, Why didn't God just create the human race so we can not sin? Do you know why God did not create you like that? Because you would be a computer, and a computer can not respond back wit
So God creates man and places him in Eden with the freedom to choose.
Now there are 3 things that I want you to notice about this tree and the cross of Jesus Christ.
FIRST -- NOTICE WHERE BOTH TREES ARE PLACED.
Genesis 2:8-9
8 And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. nasv
We know that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was placed in a garden, But did you know that the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ was also in a garden? Look at John 19:41
John 19:41
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid. nasv
Now here is the point. The tree of death was in the Garden of Eden. But the tree of life, the Cross of Jesus Christ was also in a garden.
Now let me illustrate what I mean. Adam was in a beautiful garden. A perfect environment. And yet he still sinned. We are told today that man's primary problem is his environment. We are told that if we can just change man's environment that we will be able to have a perfect society.
The thought is that if we could get man out of the slums, if we cold get feed everybody, properly cloth everyone, and properly educated everyone, we could solve the problems of the world. We are told that we could eliminate all murders. And that we could eliminate all forms of crime.
I want to tell you something,
If we could get man out of the slums, we still would not be able to get the slums out of man.
You see when Adam sinned, he passed on the everyone the desire to sin.
1 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. NASV
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. NASV
Romans 5:12
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. NASV
Years ago a famous evangelist was preparing to have a crusade in a large city. He wrote a letter to the mayor of that city asking for the names of individuals who had a spiritual problem. The mayor mailed the evangelist the telephone book saying everybody in the city had a spiritual problem.
When Adam took the forbidden fruit, he passed on the entire human race a sin nature.
Therefore, in another Garden, Jesus Christ hung on a cross to take a way our sin.
Changing the environment does not change man.
You and put a new suit on man, but only Jesus Christ can put a new man in a suit.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASV
When I was in grade school my mother used to shop at Seattle's public Market. And there would be men from skid row. I used to think that if we could just take one of those men home, give him a good mean, and a bath, and a new set of clothes he would be OK.
But changing the environment does not change the heart. Adam sinned in a perfect environment. And it took Jesus Christ in another garden to die for all our sins.
FIRST -- THERE IS THE PLACING OF THE TREES.
SECOND -- THERE IS THE PURPOSE THE TREES.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." NASV
A. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST TREE.
The purpose of the tree of knowledge of evil was for whoever eat of that tree to receive sin.
Now how do you know sin? By experimentation. God said, "Here is a tree. It is the knowledge of good and evil. Don't eat it."
But there is something about human nature that wants to experiment with sin.
Have you ever seen a sign that said, "Wet paint, do not touch?" What is the one thing that you want to do? We want to experiment by touching the paint. We want to see if the paint is wet paint.
In the same way we want to experiment with sin.
A builder who installed new windows put up a sign, "New windows. Do not throw rocks."
You see when Satan came to Eve, he said,
Genesis 3:1
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?" NASV
What did Eve say to Satan?
Genesis 3:2-3
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’" nasv
But then Satan said,
Genesis 3:4-5
4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." nasv
What is Satan doing? He is trying to get Eve to experiment with sin. And he added an appeal. He was saying, "Eve you will be like God. Now go ahead and experiment with it Eve. You will know evil.
You will never know evil or perceive evil as you can until you behold the cross of Jesus Christ.
A THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST TREE.
B. THE PURPOSE OF THE SECOND TREE.
What was Jesus doing when He hung upon the cross? Jesus was paying the debut for our sin.
You see sin is so evil that Jesus Christ had to die for our sins.
Colossians 2:13-14
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. nasv
"Canceled out" Roman jail cell - listed all the crimes... and when they crucified you, they would place write your crime on the cross.
In Reader's Digest, a contributor told of an Aunt Ruby and Uncle Arnie who had adopted a baby boy after five years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive. To their surprise, a short time after the adoption, Aunt Ruby discovered she was pregnant, and she later gave birth to a boy. One day when the two boys were eight and nine years old, the teller of the story was visiting Aunt Ruby, and a woman in the neighborhood came to visit. Observing the children at play, the woman asked, "Which boy is yours, Ruby?"
"Both of them," Aunt Ruby replied. The caller persisted. "But I mean, which one is adopted?"
Aunt Ruby did not hesitate. In her finest hour, she looked straight at her guest and replied, "I've forgotten."
When we are forgiven God not only forgives us, He also forgets our sins, and forget our past, and gives us the full rights of sons or daughters.
Romans 8:32
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things. NASV
But there is that marvelous, matchless, wonderful, glorious grace of God.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. NASV
FIRST -- THE PLACE OF THE TREES
SECOND -- THE PURPOSE OF THE TREES
THIRD -- THE POWER OF THE TWO TREES.
A. THE POWER OF THE FIRST TREE.
The first tree had the power to drive a man from paradise.
Genesis 3:23-24
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life. nasv
When Adam partook of the first tree he became a thief. It was not his to eat. All the other trees God had given to Adam.
Genesis 2:16
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely, nasv
But one tree did not belong to Adam. And when he eat of that tree, he became a thief.
B. THE SECOND TREE HAD THE POWER TO BRING A THIEF INTO PARADISE.
Luke 23:39-43
39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." nasv
This thief realizes that Jesus Christ is Lord. and he said, "Lord remember me when Thou comest into they kingdom."
This thief placed faith in Jesus and he was invited into paradise.
When Jesus said, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise," that is the power of the two trees. One tree had the power to take a thief out of paradise. The other tree had the power to take a thief into paradise.
People today are trying to figure out how to get into heaven.
The industrialist says, "Work your way in."
The financier says, "Buy your way in."
The philosopher says, "Think your way in."
The deceiver says, "Bluff your way in."
But Jesus Christ says, "I am the way in."
Through His cross one can have total forgiveness of sin.