The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: Poison or Protection?

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: Poison or Protection?

Back in 2014, I wrote a blog responding to the email below, but as truth is unfolding and I continue to learn, I have discovered new insights that have expanded my understanding of this question about the Tree of Knowledge, and I want to share those new insights with you here.

Here is the original email question and my updated answer:

I have been thinking a lot about how God is a God of love and not a cruel God. I have gotten to a point that I can’t think past, What was the point of God putting the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil in the garden. I just don’t see the point in it. the only thing that could come out of that tree was death but still God put it there.

To put it into perspective its like a loving father creating the perfect environment for his new born child to live and grow, but then he puts chocolate bar in the middle of his house that he has injected poison into. Would not a loving father protect his children from death rather than putting it in the middle of their habitat?

sincerely,

A confused listener

Thanks for sharing how Come and Reason’s message has been a blessing. The key to understanding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is understanding God’s law, which is to say, understanding reality.

God is Creator, the Builder of space and time, the Originator of all creation, the Source of all energy and knowledge, the One from whom life itself arises. As such, God’s laws are the design parameters upon which life is constructed to operate. These include the physical laws, such as the law of gravity, laws of thermodynamics, and laws of health, but also the moral laws like liberty, worship, and love.

Created beings cannot build reality; instead, we make up rules that we call “laws” and then enforce those rules by threats of punishment. All human laws are like this – imposed laws, not design parameters.

When we consider the reason for the Tree of Knowledge, do we understand it through design law or imposed law?

If we accept Satan’s lie and consider God’s law to be imposed, whenever we look at the Tree of Knowledge, our trust in God is undermined rather than uplifted. This is what happened to Adam and Eve. Satan tricked them into believing a lie in regard to how God’s law functions. Right there in Eden, at the Tree of Knowledge, is where Satan first introduced humanity to his lie that God’s law is imposed and, in doing so, he undermined our first parents’ trust in God.

Satan made the claim, “You will not surely die.” What is implied by the talking snake’s declaration? Does this lie say, “God is not capable of executing you, so you cannot die”? Or simply that eating the fruit is not harmful: “You won’t die from doing so. Look at me. I am not dead; that’s proof that eating the fruit doesn’t kill.”

Think through the subtly imbedded lie: If there is nothing inherently harmful with eating the fruit, if the action itself won’t cause death, and yet God said that they would surely die if they did eat it, then what would that mean? That God would have to inflict death upon them. So, what type of law requires the ruling authority to inflict the punishment? Imposed!

But when we return to understand the Bible through the lens of God as Creator and His laws as design protocols for life, then Satan’s lie is exposed and God’s amazing, compelling, beautiful truth is revealed. We see love in action at the Tree of Knowledge. We see liberty at work. We see that the tree was not placed there to set up rules, or trip Adam and Eve up, but for their health and development.

Take a moment to consider through design law (how reality functions) God’s actual purpose in placing the Tree of Knowledge in the garden. What did He want for Adam and Eve? How was this tree necessary for them to fulfill and achieve what God desired for them?

What meaning do you take from the name of this tree – the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Do you see it as the tree of knowing reality? Do you understand it as the place where Adam and Eve would decide what they would know?

What does it mean to know something or someone?

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3 NIV84, emphasis mine).

Is knowing God and Jesus merely cognitive – to know facts, information, data? No. In the Bible, to know means to have an intimate experiential knowledge of something or someone. Think of the difference between knowing about someone from reading a biography and actually knowing them as a friend or family member. Or the difference between knowing how to swim and knowing what swimming is.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn’t a place of theoretical knowledge, cognitive knowledge, or academic knowledge. God and the angels had already informed Adam and Eve about Satan, about evil, and about death being the result of sin. The two had been instructed.

Adam and Eve had information, factual knowledge. But having mere facts is not what the tree was about – it was about experience, knowing by experience either good or evil. Choose to trust and believe God and know good – or choose to believe lies, distrust God, and know evil.

God told them, “It is at this tree you will have knowledge, so choose well; choose not to partake of the fruit and you will know good – you will know love, trust, loyalty, devotion, maturity, integrity, joy, peace, and godliness. All of this will solidify in your character. So please, my beautiful children, choose to know good! But if you choose to partake in the fruit, you will know evil – you will know fear, selfishness, insecurity, guilt, shame, distrust, pain, suffering, and death. Please, my beautiful children, don’t choose to know evil.”

God already knew evil – not in His character, but in His heart, as His heavenly home had been fractured. He was already suffering the heartache of betrayal, disaffection, rebellion, being lied about, and the loss of His beloved angel.

God did not want humankind to know this kind of pain, suffering, or heartache. He wanted humankind to know only good, but this required them to choose to trust God – to choose the good in order for them to know it.

There was nothing poisonous about the fruit; it was not physically harmful. The tree was not dangerous or deadly. What was dangerous and deadly was to break trust with God, to believe lies and to act on those lies, to deviate from His design for life, to choose to know evil, to infect themselves with fear and selfishness.

God desired Adam and Eve to live in harmony with Him and His law of love for all eternity. But this required them to think, evaluate, consider, and ultimately choose to know good. They were sinless as God created them, but they had to decide for themselves what they would know – good or evil – and, thereby, form their own characters – either good or evil. Sadly, they chose to know evil. They infected themselves with fear and selfishness, and their condition became terminal – dead in trespass and sin.

But God did not abandon His human children to suffer and die knowing only the pain of evil. No! God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that we might know God – the source of good – and be restored to good through the victory of Jesus.

Jesus, God’s Son, came to the earth and took up our cause; He picked up humanity deformed by Adam’s sin and cleansed it, cured it, and overcame its sinful weaknesses. As our second Adam, Jesus put God’s good back into the human species and restored humankind back to God’s original design – perfect love. Jesus, as a human, wrote God’s design law back into the species and purged the evil. He exposed the evil and revealed the good!

And oh, how good it is!

Through Jesus Christ, we, though born in a world where each and every one of us know evil, can partake of Him and know good. For “this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3 NIV84 emphasis mine).

So partake of Jesus – the Bread of Heaven, the Water of Life – and know for yourself what good really is!


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Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

Viliami L., Australia

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA

 

Testimony 4

I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

R. V. N., South Africa

 

Testimony 13

I borrowed “Healing The Mind” DVDs from a friend and showed them at my home for a small gathering of women friends. Neither of my friends are Adventist, but they both enjoyed and embraced the messages you taught. In fact, one of the ladies prayed out loud in our group and that was the first time she had ever had public prayer.

J.B. ,Dalles, OR, USA

 

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 63

I’ve been very blessed by “The God Shaped Brain” and this ministry, through video and podcast, over the last few years. It’s truly opened up my eyes more to the truth about God and the importance of that truth in the present world. The message is so inviting, freeing and enlightening and MORE people need to know about it. I believe it is the last message that can truly, not only prepare a people for salvation and translation, but vindicate the character of God.

Michael V., Yonkers, NY, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 3

My husband is a pastor and I listen to your lesson almost every week. Thank you for helping me in my study life and to help me love the “real” God more.

C. F., NC, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA

 

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.