God Allows Tests: the Tree (Genesis 2)

 God Allows Tests: the Tree

Humanity was created sinless and God would have loved to keep it that way. He commanded against sin and it is made quite clear He hates it.

He hates death too and He makes it clear to Ezekiel that He does not enjoy the death of the wicked.

Yet from the very start He decided to give an area of testing for humanity with a dreadful warning. He would test their loyalty:


[Gen 2:15-17 NKJV] 15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."


Humanity had it good. Adam and Eve were placed in a beautiful garden which was prepared for them and they had food in abundance. They also had the tree of life which would keep them alive for eternity.

But God decided to put another tree there as well. It was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they ate of that tree they would know or experience evil too. In the end they would die as a punishment. 

But if God doesn’t want humanity to sin or die, why did He place this there in the first place?
It is obvious that God needs a law of morality and it is fair for God to ask us our loyalty to Him. He made us and therefore we are to be loyal.

If God’s desire was not for the sin to be done or for the death of Adam and Eve, then His intent with three must be in the choice Adam and Eve made.

Adam and Eve sinned despite God's ideal will. This means they had a free will that does not depend on the direct decree of God. God did not make them sin, they did this themselves. 

Therefore they had a choice. And though God does not want sin and death in His ideal will, this ideal does not take into account this liberty of choice.
This must mean He cares a lot about the free choice people make to serve Him.

The tree was a clear and easy to see test for humanity. Would they be loyal to God and trust Him or would they rebel?

The choice was up to them.

God’s character is here seen. He cares about a free and clear choice and He wants it to be clear to all. It is a simple test that would give them a simple choice.

God, therefore, respects the free will of men to love and serve Him a lot.

He wants a completely free loyalty. He does not force it or program it into our brains. The kind of love He cares about is a love that is given out of their own volition.

And God still cares about this today. It is Satan who tries to keep the will captive and tries to force it. But God leaves the choice up to us and frees us from our bonds.

He’s still the same as in Eden. Still He loves our voluntary obedience and faith. He will not force a relationship with us. He doesn’t even like that.

So what do you choose oh man?
A God who loves our voluntary love or an evil one who is quite satisfied with forced obedience.

Now of course the warning of death is given for disobedience.

But the difference between God and Satan is in what kind of obedience they are satisfied with. Furthermore, God actually deserves such love and obedience as our Creator.

Can we not respect Him then for giving us a choice and for putting so much weight on our volition?
Why not respect Him who respects our freedom of choice?

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