for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
I would be more interested in knowing more about this tree...
Why would God make a garden, populate it with fruit trees, and then tell them they could eat all of them except from this one tree...
Why not stick the tree out somewhere where they couldnt reach it?
I know, I know “God wanted to test them” yeah yeah... forget that- that is NOT mentioned in the bible, that it was a test- it is someone’s guess as to god’s intentions
So... nevermind about whether they should have eaten from it or not- WHAT WAS THIS TREEE?
The trees (not one) represent a choice.
These were not to be eaten of. Otherwise the first
humans would not be free. If God made us free
but we had no real choices, he would be a liar.
God created the United States through Christians.
Not a test but a choice. There is a difference.
Love is a choice. God desired that man love Him. We showed we are unable to choose love over our own desires therefore we fell.
God’s love for us is so great he can and has made up for our shortcomings by the sacrifice of his Son.
How can you have free will, if there is no choice? They only had one thing that they were forbidden, the tree. Remove the tree, and they no longer have a choice.
If the fruit was the knowledge of good and evil, then how was Eve to know that what she was doing was wrong, (evil), BEFORE she ate it? That has always bugged me.
Why do some finite humans continue to believe they can apprehend the thoughts of an infinite God?
If you wish to amuse God, tell him of your plans.
Free Will. Read “Perelandra” by C.S. Lewis. It will explain everything about this.
Those two trees exist everyday in my life. Do I decide what is right or wrong (I do often) or do I let God decide. They cannot be separated, it is one or the other. That decision is always before us.
I often thought that they should be separated also. Makes more sense from a human perspective to protect the children. My folks never moved the wood stove outside to protect me, but instructed us not to touch it. Some never got close, and some of us got burned but we had to learn. But remember Adam and Eve were not children, they were fully formed.
The choice has always been part of the deal, maybe God was just honest about it. He was. It was the devil who lied. Jesus was no different, he did not come to bring peace but to cause division. It is one or the other, no luke warm.
Just some thoughts, we don't know the mind of God but sometimes he gives clues.
By the way, the Tree of Life is only mentioned 3 times in the Bible. Genesis and Revelations are two, I will let you research the third.