The Knowledge of good and evil

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4

The story of creation tells us two things, that in the beginning there was darkness but as God starts the process of creation he did not destroy the darkness, He first created light. Then He took some time to evaluate this “light” and concluded it was good. Then he separated the good light from the darkness, and from then on the foundation of his creation was the good light. From the above explanation we can draw and infer 3 things

1. To counter the effects of darkness God created light which was good, the implication is that darkness is evil.
2. That God had the option of destroying the darkness/evil but opted not too
3. That God understood  the difference between good and evil but made a choice to build his kingdom on the platform of good

The bible documents that when God created Adam, he was put in an environment that was light – and very good, Adam had no concept of darkness or evil. Although he was made in the image and likeness of God, God intentionally kept him away from evil.Because God is not a slave master, he put in the garden two options, the tree of good and evil and the tree of life. God’s thinking was this “they can choose to be totally dependent on me and one command or have the ability to understand good and evil and therefore make the decisions to navigate through the choices of life themselves ”.

Autonomy

The choice before them can be summed up as, to remain totally dependent on God or to be autonomous, dictionary – “freedom from external control or influence; independence“. Autonomy also meant something else, that they forfeit the privileges they had in the kingdom of light i.e. sonship.

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:22

They became rebels, dictionary – “Someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action” .They now had the ability to distinguish between good and evil, and therefore choose between the two i.e. be gods and therefore not need God, but as is demonstrated in the story they could and did choose the evil choices, when they decided to shift blame when confronted by God. This ability to make evil choices, made them a threat to the kingdom of light.

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.  Genesis 3:

They acquired a different kind of wisdom, to see themselves and the world around them for what it really was without God. To look and perceive things not from God’s perspective, but from their own perspective, to do what was right in their own eyes.

Two stories in the bible help us to understand the kind of paradigm Adam had before he acquired this new ability. During the exodus, God restrained himself from killing the under age children of Israel , and gave the reason below

And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. Deuteronomy 1:39

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you,if anyone does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child,he will never enter it.” Luke 18:16 – 17

Children are blameless before God because of two unique attributes, innocence and child like faith. The innocence that Adam had was a lack of knowledge and a lack of options to sin, instead what he had was a child like faith, obeying blindly the only command he had been given.

Death and Darkness

Unfortunately autonomy or separation from God also meant something else; Adam is exposed to his true nature without God the source of light and life. Adam and Eve were created naked and had no shame – “No awareness of inadequacy or guilt or fully accepted by God and Each other”. After the sin Adams eyes were opened, and he now understood how inadequate he was, knowledge he did not have before. This new revelation came with an emotion he had never felt called shame “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior;”

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

When God asked Adam who told you that you are naked, God had quickly deduced that the power of  sin  had separated Adam from his divine nature that kept  him feeling accepted loved and secure in identity, and that his eyes were now open to the reality of who he was without God – A sinner, Dust.

Adam now had the ability to make evil choices and introduce darkness in to the good, light filled creation that God had created. God had no choice, but to separate light and darkness or else Adam would have destroyed Eden.

Expelled

The cycle of sin had started, and death is the only thing that can stop this cycle. Adam is now a danger to himself and God’s good creation. God expels (separates good and ‘potential evil’) him from the garden and like any good father takes away most of the privileges, that will help him experience the consequences of his evil choices i.e a curse. Fortunately or unfortunately he has the ability to distinguish the difference between good and evil, that will help him survive the new environment he has been placed in. He will need it because he now lives in a world that is at the center of a conflict between light and darkness, two kingdoms will clash to influence and win his loyalty.

Conclusion

Through out the old testament the most coveted ability is this new kind of wisdom that eve discovered, it is reflected in the life of Solomon

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 1 Kings 3:9

The authors of the new testament, recognized it but downplayed its important. This is because Jesus, taught and showed us the way back to the better option i.e. the tree of life.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12