3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Most of us have read this many times. We focus on Eve eating the fruit, giving it to Adam, and both of them becoming ashamed and hiding from God.
Have you ever wondered about the tree, and why the tree existed?
God gave Adam and Eve free run of what we can only imagine as a beautiful garden. I’m confident there isn’t anything we can visualize that truly captures what God gave them as this garden for them to live and work. We can be assured that they had everything they needed. They lived amongst the animals, and there was bountiful food for all.
There were actually two important trees in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9):
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
The tree of life points us toward life with God. The command did not restrict them from eating from that tree. Or from any other tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That boundary gave them a real choice – to obey God, or not. To trust Him, or not. To believe Him, or not.
But God put this one tree and said not to eat of it.
Why? Why put the tree there? What does that tree represent?
The passage doesn’t give us every reason God placed the tree there. That boundary was an opportunity to trust God. To believe that the One who created them and gave them the garden could also be trusted with what what they need, and with what He told them not to eat.
Think about a child around some poisonous plant. We tell the child not to eat of that plant – it could hurt you. The child grows up without eating from that fruit – knowing that the fruit could hurt them.
While the fruit was not said to be poisonous – God did say not to eat it. Trust Him. He has His reasons.
Have you ever wondered why they couldn’t just be okay with all of the other trees? I imagine an incredible variety of fruit and other wonderful things to eat – hershey bars etc. ;) Just kidding. It would probably have been just chocolate berries or something. Still kidding. :)
But this one tree was off limits. They already lived surrounded by God’s wonderful supply. Why reach for what He had told them not to take?
I want to explore that.
Was there protection in that boundary? What if part of trusting God was accepting that they didn’t have to experience evil to know that His way was good?
Think of a child. There are things we don’t put in front of a child because they don’t need to see it – it would harm or confuse them. Their little minds just cannot handle some things. I remember keeping horrors or adult themedshows off limits for my kids when they were young. When my daughter was tenish, I took her to Woman’s Hospital to learn about the upcoming changes to her body. I then took her to Barnes & Noble to buy a book so she could read more about it on her own. When we got home I found that the book went way farther than just discussing upcoming changes. And I didn’t think she needed to know those things – some things ever – but especially at her age. I ripped the pages out of that brand new book.
Why? Because I wanted to protect her little mind. Not to keep something wonderful from her, but to keep her from being scared or confused by things she wasn’t ready to understand.
That example isn’t a complete explanation of Eden. But it helps me picture something important: a boundary can come from love. Not every “no” means someone is withholding something good.
You may have seen those videos of a toddler told to wait before eating a yummy snack. The parent walks away to see what the child will do. The little hand at first isn’t in sight. Then it appears on the edge of the table. Then it inches toward the plate. Just the edge. Then a touch. There is this pull toward something we have been told not to take.
In the garden, the serpent questioned God’s command. The fruit looked appealing, and the promise of wisdom made it sound even better.
Sound familiar?
What does the forbidden tree represent to us today?
choice between God's will and our own will
God gave Adam and Eve freedom to enjoy the garden, but He gave one boundary. They could choose whether to believe Him and trust Him. Something we face all the time. But there was the temptation to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong
The serpent told Eve that eating the fruit would make her like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5).
The temptation wasn’t simply about eating fruit. There was this desire to know what is good on our own – without God – and yeah, it may confirm what God told us, but we want to see for ourselves. Independence – lack of dependence on God. Why? Because we know better? Than God? And yet we still do it. Why didn’t they just ask God? Lord, please help me understand this boundary. Why would you put a tree here that I can’t eat?
We see that same temptation today when we allow culture, emotions, or personal preferences to determine what is right instead of looking to God's Word.
doubting God's goodness
The serpent’s words encouraged Eve to question God’s true goodness – His intentions. God had given Adam and Eve an entire garden of blessings, but the serpent directed attention toward the one thing God had forbidden. Isn't that still true today? We can become so focused on what God hasn't given us that we overlook everything He has.
consequences of sin
When Adam and Eve disobeyed, sin entered the human story, bringing shame, and separation from God.
Our choices have consequences, even when something appears harmless or desirable.
Eve had repeated the warning about death, but the serpent contradicted it. She ate, and she accepted a promise from the serpent over the word of the God who had given them everything. And although she did not fall dead at that moment, the consequences were real and it did open their eyes - but to what? Are they suddenly amazingly smart and knowledgeable of everything? The Bible suggests it opened their eyes to their disobedience – and to their nakedness – so they hid. Ashamed. Embarrassed. Sound familiar?
What would have happened had they just trusted God? Could death of any kind have been avoided? All evil? Just pure paradise – pure living – perfect life. But we don’t know because we know sin. Because of disobedience.
I’ve heard people ask why God allows us to suffer. Why do people get sick? Why do people die? Why are people harmed or abused? So much pain – and I don’t want to belittle any bad experience that people are carrying. We live in a broken world where broken things happen. We don’t have answers to why things happen. We just know we live in a broken world – and that the painless life we seek lies on another realm that we can only reach on the other side of death. For Christians, that is our hope.
Still, when it comes to our own choices, we can hear that familiar question – why can’t you? Why can’t you do whatever you please and still worship God?
Because choosing to disregard God’s word damages our relationship with Him and with others. It can make us want to hide, just as Adam and Eve hid. But God did not leave them in hiding and in shame.
God called to them. And later, He provided clothing for them (Genesis 3:21). He gave them skins to cover themselves – and their shame. (which an animal had to die to provide – foreshadowing the future Sacrifical Lamb in Christ). It shows the mercy and grace of God. Even after their disobedience, God cared for them.
That did not put everything back exactly as it was. They still faced consequences. Mercy and consequences can exist in the same story.
We can’t rewind and undo. A former pastor once told me, “Youcan’t unscramble eggs”. Forgiveness does not erase our choices. But grace means we don’t have to live in shame and hiding. God can bring healing and restoration. Our past does not define our future.
We want to control our circumstances, make our own decisions, and understand why God allows certain things. Yet God continually invites us to trust Him.
I need God’s care and wisdom. And I don’t need to cross a boundary He has clearly given me just because I want what is on the other side. Some of us need to realllllly sit on that for a while. Some of us are like – but I want it.
Sounds like Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – “but I want it now!! I’ve been that person too. Sometimes the fact that something is off limits makes us want it even more. But wanting it badly does not make it good for us.
I think one thing that is important to remember is that God’sboundaries are not an invitation to miss out on life. The world would tell us differently. But God’s boundaries are an invitation to a different life. This past weekend I attended a CeCe Winans concert - or better - worship event. One thing that stood out to me was she seemed to have a radiant joy on her face. I’m not saying she is perfect - but to me - she clearly had the joy of Christ living in her. That is available to every believer right now. A different life.
What is the "forbidden tree" in our lives today — where are we tempted to trust ourselves (with minimal/limited knowledge) more than we trust God (who sees/knows everything)?
Trust God. Bring Him your questions. Enjoy the bounty He has given you and let His word guide what you choose. And if you have already crossed that boundary, don’t let shame keep you hiding. Turn to Him. Give it to Him. He already provided the sacrifice. He just wants to cover your shame. Erase it. And get you back to a good life.
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