Was the “forbidden fruit” very good?

Runningman · Jul 1, 2022

Just perusing through Genesis, seems like the forbidden fruit was actually very good. After God created everything, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God called His creation very good. Therefore the tree of knowledge and its fruit were very good.

Genesis 1:31 LEB
And God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:9 LEB
And Yahweh God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food. And the tree of life was in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Another point, God doesn’t make useless things. God created a “tree” with “fruit” that imparts the knowledge of good and evil to those who eat from it. So how useful is the knowledge of good and evil? What’s the usage of the knowledge of evil?

Furthermore, God possesses the knowledge of good and evil:

Genesis 3:22 LEB
And Yahweh God said, "Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil…

Just some interesting observations. Anyone have an opinion about these scriptures?

Live4Him3 · Jul 1, 2022

You might find this article interesting:

https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/tree-knowledge-good-and-evil/

oyster67 · Jul 1, 2022

Was the “forbidden fruit” very good?

To the eyes yes.

For the soul, no.

Disobedience is not good.

oyster67 · Jul 1, 2022

Runningman said:

...until somebody stuck it in their mouth.

Runningman said:

Always. I think they are very good.

Everything was very good until someone disobeyed.

TMS · Jul 1, 2022

Runningman said:

To me it isn't about what the fruit looked like. No matter how sweet, how beautiful or nice it appeared in any sense it was forbidden.
The test was about obedience. Being true to God or forsaking their creater. They had no need to eat of the forbidden fruit because they had such perfect surroundings.

Nehemiah6 · Jul 1, 2022

Runningman said:

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was "very good" in that it was a stringent test for the obedience of Adam and Eve. Just because they failed the test was not the fault of the tree. According to Scripture (1) the tree was good for food, and that (2) it was pleasant to the eyes, and (3) a tree to be desired to make one wise...

It could even have made them both wise had they REFRAINED FROM eating of its fruit. Had they both gone to God and reported the serpent, and told Him that they absolutely refused to listen to his lies, that would have been the wisest thing to have happened.

Webers.Home · Jul 1, 2022

.
• Gen 2:15-17 . .The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden
of Eden, to till it and tend it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying:
Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of
knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for in the day you eat of
it, you shall die.

FAQ: Why on earth would God plant a hazardous tree in an otherwise perfect
environment? Was that really necessary? What real purpose does a tree
serve that has the potential to reverse immortality? Why even create such a
tree in the first place?

REPLY: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was unfit for human
consumption; but it wasn't necessarily a bad tree. When God finished
creating, He looked over His handiwork on the 6th day and rated it all not
just good, but "very" good.

Take for example light. God pronounced it good; but in practice light has the
potential to burn your skin and/or cause permanent eye damage: some
forms of light can even cause cancer.

I don't know what that tree's purpose in the garden might have been but I'm
confident it was no more intrinsically evil than toad stools, poison ivy,
lightening, rattlesnakes, scorpions, avalanches, gravity, tornadoes,
typhoons, hurricanes, flash floods, cactus needles, tsunamis, the solar wind,
earthquakes, electricity, fire, volcanism, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and
hemlock. Those things are hazardous, yes, but they all fit into the natural
scheme of things.
_

Runningman · Jul 1, 2022

Nehemiah6 said:

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was "very good" in that it was a stringent test for the obedience of Adam and Eve. Just because they failed the test was not the fault of the tree. According to Scripture (1) the tree was good for food, and that (2) it was pleasant to the eyes, and (3) a tree to be desired to make one wise...

It could even have made them both wise had they REFRAINED FROM eating of its fruit. Had they both gone to God and reported the serpent, and told Him that they absolutely refused to listen to his lies, that would have been the wisest thing to have happened.

Right I agree. I just mean the tree itself, apart from the disobedience, was not an objectively evil tree.

Runningman · Jul 2, 2022

Genesis 3:22 LEB
And Yahweh God said, "Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil…

God said the man became like “on of us,” knowing good and evil, but God made people in His likeness.

Genesis 1:27 LEB
So God created humankind in his image, in the likeness of God he created him, male and female he created them.

My point is, if people are made in God’s likeness then wouldn’t having the knowledge of good and evil make them more in the likeness of God?

Runningman · Jul 2, 2022

Webers.Home said:

.
• Gen 2:15-17 . .The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden
of Eden, to till it and tend it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying:
Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of
knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for in the day you eat of
it, you shall die.

FAQ: Why on earth would God plant a hazardous tree in an otherwise perfect
environment? Was that really necessary? What real purpose does a tree
serve that has the potential to reverse immortality? Why even create such a
tree in the first place?

REPLY: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was unfit for human
consumption; but it wasn't necessarily a bad tree. When God finished
creating, He looked over His handiwork on the 6th day and rated it all not
just good, but "very" good.

Take for example light. God pronounced it good; but in practice light has the
potential to burn your skin and/or cause permanent eye damage: some
forms of light can even cause cancer.

I don't know what that tree's purpose in the garden might have been but I'm
confident it was no more intrinsically evil than toad stools, poison ivy,
lightening, rattlesnakes, scorpions, avalanches, gravity, tornadoes,
typhoons, hurricanes, flash floods, cactus needles, tsunamis, the solar wind,
earthquakes, electricity, fire, volcanism, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and
hemlock. Those things are hazardous, yes, but they all fit into the natural
scheme of things.
_

Unfit for human consumption. So who was eating from the tree? The only beings in this context who seemed to have the knowledge of good and evil before people did was God and the serpent. Did they eat from the tree? It doesn’t confirm or deny they did, but how did they get the knowledge without the tree?

CherieR · Jul 2, 2022

Runningman said:

Just perusing through Genesis, seems like the forbidden fruit was actually very good. After God created everything, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God called His creation very good. Therefore the tree of knowledge and its fruit were very good.

Genesis 1:31 LEB
And God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:9 LEB
And Yahweh God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food. And the tree of life was in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Another point, God doesn’t make useless things. God created a “tree” with “fruit” that imparts the knowledge of good and evil to those who eat from it. So how useful is the knowledge of good and evil? What’s the usage of the knowledge of evil?

Furthermore, God possesses the knowledge of good and evil:

Genesis 3:22 LEB
And Yahweh God said, "Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil…

Just some interesting observations. Anyone have an opinion about these scriptures?

I don't know really. I wasn't there to try it. It is possible it may have tasted good. Sometimes people like to share foods that taste good with others.

Webers.Home · Jul 2, 2022

.

Runningman said:

From whom God obtained His own personal knowledge of good and evil
I have no clue: in point of fact, I know virtually nothing about God's origin.
_

Webers.Home · Jul 2, 2022

.
In the past, I was sure that the chemistry of the forbidden fruit had
something to do with the first couple's altered moral perception; but now I
seriously doubt it because the woman was the first to eat the fruit, and when
she did, nothing happened. She remained just as shameless in the buff as
before. It wasn't till Adam tasted the fruit that the woman began to feel
exposed; so I'm pretty sure that the underlying cause is far more serious
than the chemistry of that fruit.

Ruling out Adam, and ruling out the fruit; we're left with two alternatives:
either God did it to the woman or the Serpent did it. My money is on the
Serpent, a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 20:2)

He has the power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the
human body and the human mind in ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke
13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph 2:2.

The Serpent was apparently all set and ready to wield his power the moment
that Adam crossed the line and ate that fruit. It amazes me how quickly it
takes effect. Not long after Adam tasted the fruit, he and his wife both
immediately set to work cobbling together some rudimentary aprons to
cover up their pelvic areas.

FAQ: Why wasn't the woman effected by the Serpent's power when she
tasted the forbidden fruit?

REPLY: It was apparently God's decision that if sin and death were to come
into the world, they would come via a lone male's actions just as life and
righteousness would later be offered to the world via a lone male's actions.
(Rom 5:12-21)

FAQ: When does the Serpent go to work on people. . . in the womb or out of
the womb?

REPLY: Adam and his wife demonstrate that it can be done on adults, but
I'm guessing that for most of us it's in the womb. (Ps 51:5 & 58:3)
_

tourist · Jul 2, 2022

oyster67 said:

It's never a good thing.

Runningman · Jul 2, 2022

Webers.Home said:

Genesis 3:22 LEB
And Yahweh God said, "Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What if he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?"

Us? How many individuals had the knowledge of good and evil aside from Adam and Eve? God and the serpent? Some people say the “us” is a reference to the Trinity, but within the context it seems like it’s also including the serpent, a.k.a. the Devil. Am I way off or is that accurate?

NotmebutHim · Jul 2, 2022

I don't believe that the tree of knowledge was inherently evil. Rather, it was "very good", as was the rest of creation at that time.

However, God knew what the consequences would be if Adam & Eve were to eat from it, which is why He warned them ".......in the day you eat of it you shall surely die". They ignored His warning, disobeyed and having their eyes opened to good & evil was the result.

There are many things in this life which are not evil in and of themselves, but can be harmful & dangerous if not used/utilized properly.

Runningman · Jul 2, 2022

NotmebutHim said:

That’s true I agree. This opens an important question about God’s foreknowledge. I believe God knows all things and can predict the future with 100% accuracy. Did God know they would be disobedient?

Pilgrimshope · Jul 2, 2022

Runningman said:

Discernment of Will

if you have something very good the. It means evil exists as the measurement against what is good

what I mean is for the term “very good “ to have any meaning at all there has to be the opposite of good

the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil is a good thing because it discerns between good and evil. The problem is it was never meant for mans mind and heart to have the knowledge within us it wasnt meant for mankind But as a valine judgement or discernment of good and evil without good evil can’t exist without evil “good” has no relevant meaning

the discernment between good and evil is very good it was just something man didn’t need and didn’t belong inside our mind before the fall into sin

Lanolin · Jul 2, 2022

Runningman said:

Just perusing through Genesis, seems like the forbidden fruit was actually very good. After God created everything, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God called His creation very good. Therefore the tree of knowledge and its fruit were very good.

Genesis 1:31 LEB
And God saw everything that he had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:9 LEB
And Yahweh God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food. And the tree of life was in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Another point, God doesn’t make useless things. God created a “tree” with “fruit” that imparts the knowledge of good and evil to those who eat from it. So how useful is the knowledge of good and evil? What’s the usage of the knowledge of evil?

Furthermore, God possesses the knowledge of good and evil:

Genesis 3:22 LEB
And Yahweh God said, "Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil…

Just some interesting observations. Anyone have an opinion about these scriptures?

you forgot that the last tree was good AND evil

also, the serpent was more cunning, so does that mean the rest of all the creatures were actually stupid and dumb or just not as clever?

Webers.Home · Jul 2, 2022

.

Runningman said:

Deut 6:4 reveals God as a singularity, yet the first chapter of Genesis
suggests that He wears three hats: 1) Himself, 2) His spirit, and 3) His
voice. That's a Christian explanation.

And then there's a suggestion that the "us" speaks of God plus His holy
angels. That's a Jewish explanation.

There's a bit of difficulty with the serpentine suggestion because the
pronoun "us" has a role in the creation of human life (Gen 1:26). If the "us"
speaks of God plus the Serpent, then human life would be an amalgam of
holy and unholy: a mixture that probably wouldn't be given a grade of
"very good" per Gen 1:31
_

Was the “forbidden fruit” very good?

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