What is the TREE of GOOD AND EVIL supposed to represent for us today?
IF IT LOOKS GOOD why CAN'T I Eat it? "And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. "Genesis 2:9
Someone asked me if the tree always represented sin...the answer is NO! It represents anything that has a marked boundary, God's timing, place, approval. Knowing good and evil is not SIN. But grasping and engaging in the experience of something, ANYTHING, God has currently said is off limits to us and therefore outside of His will and the blessing of God, at this time, is SIN.
A child is told, no cookies from the jar 'till' after dinner...No driving the car 'till' you have a permit/license. GET it? Some things we receive a blessing ONLY with maturity, time, and within certain parameters.
Using sex as an example...sex is not bad - sex was created by God, for pleasure, purpose and promise. It is to be fully enjoyed within the confines and the boundaries HE has set and there ONLY! Outside of that umbrella, there is a problem, a consequence, error and thereby sinful, not receiving HIS Blessing.
But its more than just that....Even in Ministry that we are called to, if we are seeking it instead of GOD, perhaps we are grasping at a fruit outside the timing and approval of God....that fruit could become an obsession/ idol and Satan then has open ground and a prepared heart to work with. The Bible is pretty clear, it says we are drawn away from God by OUR OWN LUST. IT's called Coveting...and it is sourced from self Idolatry. Satan baits us then plays with us, saying, "has God said you should not do this or that, be this or that, pursue this or that, enjoy this or that, have this or that" He Puts the very thing that God may eventually want us to partake of in the future, before our face, has us examine it with our intellect, see that it is pleasurable to the eye, and good for food to make one wise, and then has us question God's timing, purpose, and goodness.
DON'T fall for it!
This is when we have to seek GOD out, allow him to be on the throne of our heart, Trust that His timing, His Truth, His Will for our lives are abundant towards us and then resist the devil's taunting and repent of our own pride/lust and idolatry of that thing.... over all, this tree is something we willingly partake of anytime we desire something due to our selfish pride, arrogance, and idolatry of self...we want to be on the throne of our own heart and we assume we have the ability, strength, maturity and right to that which we desire.
Satan is not the culprit, he simply gives voice to something we already have in our heart, and gives opportunity for us to justify our own error...
Eve was not the only one who dealt with this folks, WE ALL DO - No one is exempt from this. Consider the things you clamor for, the things that disappoint you and cause you to get frustrated or angry when you don't have them - your way in your time -
Remember our hearts are deceitful - we are very good at deceiving ourselves and justifying with 'good intentions' our idolatrous hearts....
Surrender it all to Christ again, taking every thought captive to HIM. This is our only hope of walking in His will!
