Unveil The Myths And Legends Surrounding The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil
.webp "The temptation of Adam and Eve")
Intriguing Insights into the Enigmatic Tree of Genesis
Introduction
The Genesis Account: A Closer Look
Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
The Forbidden Fruit and Temptation
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| The crossroads of humanity |
The alluring fruit from the tree promised knowledge beyond imagination, and this promise proved irresistible. Eve's internal struggle and subsequent choice against God's commandment catalyzed a chain of events that would forever alter the course of human history.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
The Contradiction of Knowledge
The quest for knowledge without following laid down rules and regulations is not a noble pursuit, but a perilous endeavor. As we will soon find out, the tree's fruit symbolizes the acquisition of wisdom [ ---to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Jeremiah 1:9], that carries the burden of moral responsibility. It's like nuclear energy which can be used for both good and evil.
Divine Intentions and Human Curiosity
Did the divine creator intend for humanity to remain in blissful ignorance, shielded from the complexities of ethical choices or were their choices made prematurely?
The story's unfolding suggests a delicate interplay between divine guidance and human curiosity, leading us to question whether our pursuit of knowledge without recourse to proper guidance is a blessing or a curse.
Tree of Good and Evil Symbolism
What is
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden? Why did God
forbid Adam and Eve to eat from it? What happened when they disobeyed him?
These are some of the questions that many people have about this mysterious and
intriguing tree that appears in the book of Genesis.
We have seen the curses that the serpent, Eve, and Adam received from God. In this article, we shall identify this tree and explain its spiritual significance for the work of God.
We shall also explore the biblical and historical background of this tree, its meanings, and interpretations, as well as its implications for humanity.
Philosophical Insights on The Morality Of Disobedience
God punished Adam and Eve for eating the fruits of this tree, which he had commanded them not to eat. But he had planted the tree for their use! Why then did he punish them? Was their timing premature?
In this blog post, we will explain the right stage of maturity to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and its spiritual significance in terms of power. We shall also look at the persons in the Bible who have eaten of this tree and used its power in the execution of their work for God. What other names can this tree be called?
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is one of two specific trees mentioned in the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2–3, along with the Tree of Life.
According to Genesis 2 above, God
placed Adam in a garden with trees whose fruits he could eat but forbade him
to eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” After this command
was given, God formed Eve. In Genesis 3, a serpent persuaded Eve to eat from
its forbidden fruit and she also let Adam taste it.
There are many interpretations of what the phrase “good and evil” means in this context. Some scholars think it is the release of the Kundalini, yet others think it is sexual intercourse.
Join us as we delve deeper into the story of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil and its place in the Garden of Eden.
Discover the deep meaning of the Tree of Knowledge.
Biblical indications of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil point to the almond tree of God, a golden species of the almond tree far removed from our eyes. But God showed it to the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
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| The Human Development Index of God |
Jeremiah 1:9 ---And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
When Adam And Eve Ate The Tree, They Became gods!
Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
The Spiritual Significance Of The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil
Jeremiah, And The Almond Tree Of God
And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah 1: 4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Aaron And The Almond Staff
Numbers 17:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod..webp "Aaron's rod blooms almond flowers") |
| Whom had the Lord chosen? Aaron's rod blooms almond flowers Credit:jw.org |
3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. 4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. 11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he. 12
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
King David And The Rod Of God
King Cyrus And The Rod Of God
Isaiah 45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:Moses And The Rod Of God
Exodus 7: 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Moses holding the rod of God at the Battle of Rephidim. Credit: Wikipedia
.webp "The Battle of Rephidim")
Exodus 17: 8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Moses, Partitions The Red Sea, With The Rod Of God
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| Moses partitions The Red Sea |
Exodus 14: 15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
The Rod Of God Is The Rod Of The gods
Exodus 7: 1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
This rod signifies the power of God bestowed on a prophet to exercise good or evil as an act of judgment or a blessing. Exodus 7, 8, 9, 10. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Jeremiah 1:10
The Almond, Is The Basic Design Of The Candlestick Of The Tabernacle Of God, The Universal Church Of God
This means the prophets with the rod of God, the eighth level of development on the Human Development Index of God are the basic foundation of the house of God in all fields.
Exodus 25: 31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
The Symbolism Of The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil
Delving into the symbolic layers, the tree embodies a profound duality: The knowledge of the power of good and evil. It also stands as a living symbol, the sacred almond tree of God. This is a secret higher species of the common almond tree, far removed from human eyes, lest they abuse it like our ancestors Adam and Eve.
Eve's Dilemma: Unraveling the Decision
On the surface, Eve's decision to partake in the forbidden fruit encapsulates a universal human struggle: the clash between desire and moral obligation. Her contemplations mirror our own moments of ethical dilemma, prompting us to ponder how we navigate the treacherous waters of choice.
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| The temptation of Adam and Eve |
And is a man easier to convince once the wife has agreed to the scheme? These are some of the psychological lessons we need to learn from the Adam and Eve saga.
Lucifer's Insight on Human Psychology
Females usually have better tastes than their male counterparts. They desire a higher quality than their male counterparts. This statement is however not entirely correct. Males too want the same high quality as their female partners, but will usually balance their needs with their means, unlike the females who may rather rely on their imagination.
This is the gateway. It is this high taste without an ethical balance that made Eve vulnerable to Lucifer's deception. Many women and men today fall for this bait, the acquisition of benefits without proper judgment.
Consequences and the Fall of Humanity
The consequences of that fateful bite were profound. The expulsion from Eden marked the beginning of humanity's journey through a world marred by suffering and moral ambiguity. This fall from grace highlights the intricate relationship between knowledge, morality, and the human condition.
Philosophical Interpretations
Throughout history, philosophers have engaged in spirited debates about the implications of the tree's knowledge. the narrative has sparked inquiries into the nature of evil, the limits of human reason, and the foundations of morality itself.
Ethical Implications Through the Ages
The tree's shadow stretches across centuries, casting light on ethical discussions that continue to shape our societies. It challenges us to confront moral relativism, grapple with the origins of right and wrong, and explore the delicate balance between personal freedom and moral responsibility.
Lessons from the Ancient Narrative
Beyond its religious connotations, the story offers valuable lessons for our lives. It reminds us of the importance of humility in the face of the unknown and the significance of ethical introspection. The tree beckons us to acknowledge our capacity for both good and evil, urging us to strive for moral growth.
The Modern Relevance
In an era driven by information and technological advancement, the tree's significance remains undiminished. As we grapple with complex ethical dilemmas—from artificial intelligence to genetic engineering—the lessons from the Garden of Eden remind us of the consequences of unchecked knowledge.
Cultural References and Influence
The tree's allure has permeated cultural expressions, from literature to art and film. Its symbolism has been reimagined, dissected, and adapted, echoing in tales of moral ambiguity, human hubris, and the unending quest for wisdom.
The Tree Today: Metaphorical Reflections
While the tree itself may be confined to the pages of an ancient text, its essence lives on in metaphor. It resonates in our pursuit of truth, in the choices we make, and in our efforts to navigate the intricate web of right and wrong in an ever-evolving world.
A Moral Compass for Tomorrow
As we stand on the threshold of an uncertain future, the tree's branches extend toward us, offering a moral compass to guide our way. It challenges us to embrace knowledge responsibly, to recognize the power of our choices, and to strive for a world where good and evil are understood, not in isolation, but in harmony.
