A spin-off of this question is another question: 1. If Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good and evil, how could they know it was wrong to disobey God and eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? He says to us Gentiles. All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED. It only takes a minute to sign up. Did Adam Already Know Good From Evil Before Eating From The Tree Of Knowledge, How Could Adam And Eve Sin Before Knowing Good And Evil. Gods warning to Adam against disobedience should have been enough. The doctrine of predestination portrays God as an absolute monarch who does as he pleases in all creation (Ps. We see many a person that has the knowledge of good and evil, but they often still get it wrong! We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. The commandment here is actually more related to the matter not of a punishing death, but of a death that is caused by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It deals well with Hubble's law. Want to improve this question? God delivers us all as helpless children, caught between the forces of evil and the sea of Gods wrath. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Its not a product of free will understood as self-determining power. Looking backwards - fond memories of the past can be crippling as well as we know those events can never be repeated. The other reason why God does not kill Satin is that would put fear into the hearts of angels and men and God does not want us to be afraid of Him. How to help my stubborn colleague learn new ways of coding? God has purposefully instructed Moses to lead Israel there because he had determined to humiliate Pharaoh and the Egyptians one last dramatic time one more dramatic exclamation point to place on the declaration to Egypt and the world that would reverberate for the remainder of human history: I am the Lord (Exodus 14:4). In taking the tree, man did become like God, to a degree, but failing in that calling, as finite, he died from it. It seems that this assumption is the only thing that makes the story seem funny, by your account, and I don't think it's a necessary or evident one. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Christianity Stack Exchange offers great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. And Max is asking, Well, please help me understand Gods reasoning behind the hardening of certain hearts to keep them from repentance. And then he quotes Luke 8:910. I think thats a philosophical presupposition brought to the text and taught nowhere in the Bible. In God's infinite wisdom and intelligence, it's not only possible but even likely that God could have had other plans to redeem us from eternal separation from Him. Maybe God wanted us to wait longer before this news was deliver. Please support us by disabling these ads blocker. We saw Karma at its best Today, with Hunter's Plea Deal Big Guy! Doctrine differs between different Christian sects, but in general . And like most of us would feel, the people were scared and angry. The astounding fact is not that God damns sinners to hell, but that he saves and reconciles sinners to himself. Any philosophy that would exclude him excludes Wisdom himself. Therefore, while we understand why people may struggle with the doctrine of predestination, a Spirit-illuminated faith in this doctrine leads Gods children to embrace Gods promises, obey Gods will, and rejoice in the hope of Gods glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Theyre both good. . Share How can I find the shortest path visiting all nodes in a connected graph as MILP? Sin is rebellion against God's Kingship (Ruling). (Numbers 32:19-33). We really think we would like to know more. Why Did God Not Want Us To Have The Knowledge Of Good And Evil? I believe that Genesis 3:22 indicates that, despite the fact that Adam and Eve were in a sinful, fallen condition (from which they could never return to their former unfallen state) after having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, if they had subsequently eaten of the . The other question is, What is Gods reasoning or purpose behind preventing some people from seeing the truth and being saved in Luke 8? If we want to oppose the anti-child forces in this world, we will need more than a pro-life position, a high view of motherhood, and a robust Sunday school program. Can a judge or prosecutor be compelled to testify in a criminal trial in which they officiated? I dont think man has that kind of free will that kind of self-determination that can thwart Gods sovereign will to save whomever he pleases by overcoming their hard heart and their resistance and rebellion and giving them a new heart of faith. For those who struggle with predestination because they think that it implies fatalism, we acknowledge that Gods will controls all his creatures and all their acts, but assert as well that God decrees not only the end but also the means by which that end is achieved. Take a 1-minute survey to join our mailing list and receive a free ebook in the format of your choosing. Thats why he put them in the weak, helpless place. So, in reference to Maxs question about Luke 8, about Gods choosing not to liberate some from their rebellion and spiritual blindness, what we have seen so far is that this is not a contradiction of 1 Timothy 2:4, where God desires all people to be saved. There was probably plenty of murmuring about what in the world they were doing camped at what looked like a dead end. According to John 3:16, Gods love for humanity made Him send His beloved Son, Jesus Christ so that whoever Believes in Him will receive Eternal Life (John 3:16). So, what was so bad about man knowing good and evil? 1) It was never said. Such doubts could cause a person to have difficulty praying to God or rejoicing in his love. God will surely save his elect. The potential loss of information is staggering. 2) Language loss in translation. To prove that He is not everywhere, all we must do is find one place where He is not. 1,500 years had passed since God told Moses that a great prophet would arise to lead the people. 1:15; Eph. The consequences of Adams sin still affect us today. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.. Thus, man operates in his gifting and purpose to be a son of God, but is not guilty of sin because he has no inherent knowledge of it himself. And by Exodus 14, Israel was encamped by the Red Sea, in a vulnerable and probably puzzling position. Man is the only animal to peer both forward and backward in the detailed manner thy we can. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. God knew before creating the first Atom exactly what would transpire ever second of every day from Creation to the return to his eternal kingdom, who would and who would not obey him. For from him and through him and to him are all things. But another commitment in God, another commitment to act with wisdom and justice and a wider love love seen through a wider perspective, a wider lens prevents him from acting on the desire for all to be saved in a way that saves all. Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. What are some ways to elicit positive emotions from your audience, such as hope, gratitude, or joy? But we can clearly see what terrible consequences can come our way through lack of knowledge: "calamity terror destruction distress anguish no answer from God." (24) Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, (25) Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, (26) I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, (27) When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. Make the heart of this people dull, Many times those in power do not want people to know the truth and use laws to achieve this. Now think of the translations that any biblical document has been through and the oral version of the stories and the time lapse. Someone else might argue, We should not exert ourselves to call sinners to Christ. The doctrine of predestination is the teaching that before the creation of the world, God decided the eternal destiny of all rational creatures, that is, all angels and all human beings. First off, we fall into the realm of speculation at this point, so I totally admit I could be wrong and your thoughts are as valid as mine. Paul calls upon believers to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Whats the big picture? John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. All scriptures are quoted from the King James translation: And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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. Unconditional election is the friendnot the enemyof sinners, for without it no one would be saved. They have chosen to alter their lives by creating a vulnerability that they did not have to create. Behold, the man had been given everything that God wanted him to have, including authority over all the rest of Gods creation. And you dont need to know when it will be. He knew before creating that first Atom exactly what Adam and Eve would do. We do not understand why God has chosen some and not others. To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that [and heres the divine purpose] seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.. . After thinking for a bit, her father stood up and took down his suitcase from the rack. Joel R. Beeke (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) has written over one hundred books. Gen 3:22 And Jehovah 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 -. READ what the TEXT says: Gen 3:22 "the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil;" When God did say that? Jesus is our deliverer, and his cross and resurrection our deliverance. His methods and ploys are many: He is the author of temptation ( Genesis 3:1-5) Jews were forbidden to eat from this tree (read and study it on their own) without the guidance of a capable teacher, lest they die 'spiritually.' Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. As an omniscient God, he knew before creation man would eat from TKGE. Comments. He wanted us to know and love him. What Does The Bible Say About Taking Advantage Of Opportunities? And then, at some point in the vast spectrum of the process that was creation of the known universe, He did something different. I have often wondered why; if God has the knowledge of good and Evil, why having that knowledge is so abhorrent that it is a death sentence to man. 7:20 But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I God wants man to be dependent upon Him, which man could do by eating from the Tree of Life, but knowledge makes man independent and separated from God, as is the case after man partook of the tree's fruits. In Exodus 12, the people of Israel had been miraculously released from slavery and led out of Egypt by Moses. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. The armies of the Lamb overcome this world, for they are called, and chosen, and faithful (Rev. Even before He died on the cross and rose from the grave as our sin substitute, in a profoundly real sense, his saving work was already finished. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. Then he let the Egyptians loose and they chased Israel hell-bent into the sea, which swallowed them. While it is true that predestination is not the central theme of the holy Scriptures, it is a major biblical doctrine, not human speculation. In other words, Now is not the time. 1:2; 2:9; 2 Pet. He knew every nuance of the human mind and character. God is also a wise Father who knows when knowledge is too heavy for us. God called it the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil ( Genesis 2:9; Genesis 2:17 ). If we think our burdens are heavy, we should see the ones hes carrying. In fact, Paul says as much in these very letters to Timothy. Perhaps a better way to say it is this: God wants us to be really strong, which is different from the way we might typically desire to be strong. And the typical modern (and by modern I mean the last two to three hundred years) answer is to say that mans free will, his self-determination, keeps God from doing what he desires to do namely, save them. In Isaiah 6:10, God says to make the heart of this people dull, . So what meaning of knowing is intended? Predestination is an important feature of the larger doctrine of salvation by grace alone (Rom. With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men. (Judges 15:16). I did not say 'I believe', but "Scripture suggests" for it follows from what is being said in the TEXT, not in my belief. While holding off the Egyptian army with the pillar of fire, he opened for the Israelites a dry path through the Red Sea. A brilliant young man named Jonathan Edwards once wrestled with what he then viewed as a horrible doctrine, though he later became fully satisfied with it and found himself overwhelmed with the sweet beauty of the King eternal (1 Tim. Unless God had some compelling reason, He could have saved a lot of heartache by just not creating, to begin with. This is analogous to a mother saying to her children, "you may play with all things in the living room, but of that fire in the fireplace, you shall not touch of it: for in the day that you touch it you shall surely feel pain." If this knowledge was not gained would our struggles on earth be easier. And on the other hand, 2 Timothy 2:25 says God may perhaps grant, as a gift, that some particular people will come to a knowledge of the truth. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Jon Bloom serves as teacher and cofounder of Desiring God. I sure dont want to be like them; I need Gods knowledge: so lets learn some more of what he says about it. dwells; for to will is present with me, but to work out the good is He knew that the timing had to be perfect and these events recorded in Matthew were "too soon". Predestination is part of Gods decree, his eternal purpose in which he has decided all that will take place, ordaining everything for the manifestation of his glory. He is not being deceptive when he does not give us the full explanation. So does Dad No Doubt we were made in His image Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. God wants to be our strength. . The Gentiles are us, and they come through the great world mission of the church. How do you learn from other presenters who use humor well? I struck down. There is no hymn to God by Samson after any of his exploits, and he didnt survive the one that likely got him mentioned as a model of faith in Hebrews 11:32. To desire EQUALITY with GOD can also be seeing as desire to be in control of one's own life ("to dictate the rules") - which leads man (still today) into rebellion. ( Genesis 2:16-17) Adam and Eve probably could have eaten from the Tree of Life originally ( Genesis 2:16 ), but God gives no decree that they had to eat of it to sustain their life at that point. and their ears heavy, As far as God teaching us, I feel that he is not so much teaching us right from wrong as he is choosing what is right instead of what is wrong. 24 lordxela 6 yr. ago Couldn't you just not posit that God was frustrated, and still have a cohesive story?
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