Most people have read this verse...
[Gen 3:22 LSB] Then Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us to know good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever”
But has anyone paid attention to it? What do you see?
I see - Yahweh said "man has become like one of us".
I see - Yahweh said "man has become like one of us".
How so? "to know good and evil"
They now had the knowledge of good and evil. Meaning, the difference is, they didn't have that knowledge beforehand.
Reading this verse doesn't really make much sense to me. Yahweh had already created man in His image.
[Gen 1:26-27 LSB] Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Mankind was basically "innocent". No knowledge of good versus evil, no judgment decisions (is this right? or is this wrong?), no ability to judge or choose correctly, no inner sense of guilt, shame, or moral weight, no accountability for any action, etc.
They had intellect, but they did not have moral intellect. The ability to classify, or judge actions, as either good or evil was non-existent. They were able to reason and make decisions clearly (as we'll see shortly). But they had no internal framework to label an action as "good" or "bad".
Even though they were created in His image, they were still capable of sin before having any knowledge of what sin was. Yahweh, the Creator, is holy by nature... His created were not.
Adam and Eve were able to make decisions. Their carnal hearts, by design, distorted those decisions. They were focused on earthly, fleshly desires rather than Spiritual matters. Paul tells us that they were not even able to do otherwise...
[Rom 8:5-8 LSB] For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, [7] because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, [8] and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God.
Now, notice Eve and her thought process:
[Gen 3:6 LSB] Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was a delight to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and that the tree was desirable to make one wise [the boastful pride of life], so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
[1Jn 2:16 LSB] 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.
Did you notice that last phrase "...she took from its fruit and ate"? It was not the "eating" of the fruit that made her a sinner... she had already sinned by looking, lusting, and fantasizing about her potential wisdom. It was after she sinned that she "did eat."
Now we can come back to the verse we started with.
[Gen 3:22 LSB] Then Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us to know good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever”
I'm reading this and thinking "what do you mean "the man has become like one of us"? You've already created man in Your image and claimed that everything was good... very good!
[Gen 1:31a LSB] And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
Something didn't sit right with me and Genesis 3:22. I did a little digging and found something that makes much more sense.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
The words should be rendered, “Behold, what has become [by sin] of the man who was as one of us”! Formed, at first, in our image to know good and evil - how sad his condition now."
Or, even more thorough from:
Adam Clarke
Behold, the man is become as one of us - On all hands this text is allowed to be difficult, and the difficulty is increased by our translation, which is opposed to the original Hebrew and the most authentic versions. The Hebrew has היה hayah, which is the third person preterite tense, and signifies was, not is. The Samaritan text, the Samaritan version, the Syriac, and the Septuagint, have the same tense. These lead us to a very different sense, and indicate that there is an ellipsis of some words which must be supplied in order to make the sense complete.
A very learned man has ventured the following paraphrase, which should not be lightly regarded:
“And the Lord God said, The man who was like one of us in purity and wisdom, is now fallen and robbed of his excellence; he has added [לדעת ladaath], to the knowledge of the good, by his transgression the knowledge of the evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever in this miserable state, I will remove him, and guard the place lest he should re-enter. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,”
A very learned man has ventured the following paraphrase, which should not be lightly regarded:
“And the Lord God said, The man who was like one of us in purity and wisdom, is now fallen and robbed of his excellence; he has added [לדעת ladaath], to the knowledge of the good, by his transgression the knowledge of the evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever in this miserable state, I will remove him, and guard the place lest he should re-enter. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,”
A more literal translation would read: "Behold, the man was like one of us...". There are several scholars who have commented on this and now the verse makes far more sense to me.
The man now has moral awareness. Man is no longer innocent and it's an irrevocable change. Man is now able to make decisions between right and wrong. The man will now be held accountable for those decisions. The change is immediately evident.
[Gen 3:7-13 LSB] And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. [8] Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden. [9] Yahweh God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” [10] And he said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” [11] And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [12] And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” [13] Then Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Ok, so we've come this far. My next question is:
"If Yahweh didn't want them to eat from that tree... why did He put it there to begin with?"
"If Yahweh didn't want them to eat from that tree... why did He put it there to begin with?"
[Gen 2:16-17 LSB] And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may surely eat; [17] but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
It's just like when I was a little kid... when mom or dad told me not to do something? I only wanted to "do something" even more! They didn't really mean "don't do this"... all I heard was "I dare you to do this!". Challenge accepted! Every time, without fail. I spent my entire childhood (and most of adulthood) learning everything the hard way and graduated summa cum laude from the School of Hard Knocks.
They ate from the tree they were commanded not to eat from. They had no, or limited, knowledge of good and evil prior to this. I find this fascinating, but the serpent knew his theology when he responded to Eve:
They ate from the tree they were commanded not to eat from. They had no, or limited, knowledge of good and evil prior to this. I find this fascinating, but the serpent knew his theology when he responded to Eve:
[Gen 3:4-5 LSB] And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! [the lie!] 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.
Who put that tree there to start with?
[Gen 2:9 LSB] And out of the ground Yahweh God caused to grow every tree that is desirable in appearance 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.
Why would Yahweh put that tree in the Garden if He didn't want them to eat from it? He put it there, and then commanded them "you shall not eat from it".
He created man in His own image but apparently, they were missing something... the knowledge of good and evil.
Turns out Yahweh did want them to eat from that tree. Why?
Knowing "good and evil" is one of the most essential requisites in being formed into the image of God, our Father. Yahweh gave them the opportunity to become moral beings... not fleshly robots, but partners in relationship with Him - their Father.
To truly know both good and evil they HAD to partake of its source, which was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" which then DEMANDED that they SIN in order to obtain this knowledge.
No other tree in the garden possessed this needed knowledge. Without the tree, they had no moral decision to make - only obedience by default.
It really boils down to this:
[Deu 30:19 LSB] I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your seed, [20] by loving Yahweh your God, by listening to His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
The knowledge of good and evil is necessary. It transforms us from ignorant, innocent creatures into moral agents capable of love, responsibility, and a real relationship with God. We now choose obedience versus obey by instinct. We choose good because we know evil.
That is how we are transformed into the image of our Creator. Holiness = choosing good over evil. Love without a choice = programming. Love with a choice = relationship.
Knowing evil, and choosing evil over good, now holds man accountable. We are held accountable, but Yahweh has chosen to take responsibility and planned on doing so from the beginning (see below).
Cain was our first example:
[Gen 4:6-7 LSB] Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? [7] “If you do well [if you choose to do good], will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well [if you choose to not do good], sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
You must choose to rule over it!
[Pro 8:13 LSB] The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the mouth of perverted words, I hate.
Having a knowledge of good and evil gives us freedom, enables love, creates responsibility, and allows room for growth and return. Without that knowledge, we'd be innocent - but could never know holiness.
There are a couple of directions I could head now... like:
[1] Well, then I guess it's a good thing that glorious angel "Lucifer" (NOT a name for the adversary - aka Satan) decided to rebel (no, he didn't rebel - he was created as the adversary) against Yahweh... if not, he wouldn't have been there to deceive Eve, right?
nah... I'll save that for another discussion.
Or,
[2] Yahweh knew what He was doing, from the beginning, and how things would turn out BEFORE He created anything...
"Declaring the end from the beginning..." (Isa. 46:10). .
"Declaring the end from the beginning..." (Isa. 46:10). .
He put that tree there intentionally. He created evil... yes! He did (Isa 45:7). He created an adversary to deceive and destroy.
Oh, and by the way - He provided an answer for all of this before He even created the world and man!
The first time the Gospel was announced:
The first time the Gospel was announced:
[Gen 3:15 LSB] And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Yahweh provided a Saviour before the foundation of the world...
[Act 2:23 LSB] this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.
[1Pe 1:19-20 LSB] but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. [20] He was foreknown before the foundation of the world...
[Rev 13:8 LITV] And all those dwelling in the earth will worship it, those of whom the names had not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world.
He chose us, He knew us, He planned for us before the foundation of the world:
[Eph 1:3-6 LSB] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, [5] by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [6] to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.
His coming Kingdom was prepared for us from the foundation of the world. All will be restored back to as it was in the Garden of Eden:
[Mat 25:34 LSB] Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
There are so many passages I could continue with. I'll leave with this.
The overarching message, of the entirety of Scripture, starts with Genesis 3:15 (above) and results in Matthew 25:34. All throughout Scripture, you will find that message.
Yes, the first coming of Yeshua was critical... but that was just the beginning. Scripture is all about His second coming and the Day of the Lord... when the wicked suffer the vengeance of the Lord, and when He restores what was lost in the Garden of Eden at the beginning.
