𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄?

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄?

    Kung alam ng Diyos na magkakasala ang mga unang tao kapag kumain sila sa tree of knowledge of good and evil, bakit pa Niya ito nilagay sa Eden? Masisisi rin ba sa Diyos ang fall of man dahil nilagay Niya ang puno na ito?

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗡?

𝟭. 𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱. Kung saan man exactly located ang Garden of Eden today, we can be sure na doon pinili ng Diyos na manatili kasama ang mga unang tao. Adam and Eve had a close fellowship to the point where God was walking in the garden to talk to them (Gen 3:8).

𝟮. 𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. God originally designed man to work. Gusto ni Lord na maging productive ang tao (2:15). Mapapansin na may mga halaman pa na hindi pinapatubo ang Diyos dahil naka-design ang mga ito para pagtrabahuhan ng tao (2:5). This shows that before God created them, the tasks were already prepared for them to be productive: to rule over all of God's creation (1:28) and to work and take care of it (2:15). That's what it means to be created in God’s image. Human beings are designed by God to be His representatives/ managers of all creation.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Ang Garden of Eden ay sa Diyos, nilagay lang Niya rito si Adam and Eve (2:15). The whole creation remains as God’s belonging despite the truth that He assigned human beings to rule over it. To live in the Garden, they must follow the terms and conditions, or else they will be evicted. God already gave them the instructions to take care of it (2:15) and the prohibitions on what not to do (2:16).

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘?

    Ang tree of knowledge of good and evil ay isa sa mga special trees na nilikha ng Diyos na nasa gitna ng Eden. Tinatawag minsan ito na "forbidden tree" dahil sa lahat ng puno, ito lang ang pinagbabawal na kainin ang bunga. Hindi tayo sure kung anong itsura ng forbidden fruit (pero walang basis na isipin na apple ito), but it seems that it was a real fruit from an actual tree, not just a symbol of something else. From the details given by the writer, we can say that the tree is not evil. God could not create something evil because everything He created was good (1:31), and all the trees created were pleasing to the eyes and good for food (2:9). We can say na ang fruit nito ay nakakain din at hindi poisonous. Adam and Eve obviously did not die right away. It's their disobedience that brought death (Rom 5:12).

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘?

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. God created human beings with free will o kakayahan na pumili. Gusto ng Diyos na mahalin Siya ng tao mula sa kalayaan nilang magdesisyon, hindi dahil sila ay na-program para mahalin Siya. Dahil ang kakayahang pumili ay useless kung wala namang choices, it was necessary para sa Diyos na ilagay ang forbidden tree, so that Adam and Eve could choose to obey Him or not. The tree became God's tool for Adam and Eve to exercise their will.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆. We should remember that Adam and Eve were in God’s sacred space and, therefore, under His authority. They were expected to follow God's rules para manatili sa Eden. God demanded faithfulness sa kanila, dahil in the first place, God already created them and provided for them. Loyalty is not loyalty unless it is tested. Ang puno ang naging test nila if they will remain faithful or hindi.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁. Ang knowledge of good and evil ay sa Diyos lang kaya to desire this knowledge ay to desire to be god (3:5). By reading the story, we can observe na ang tree of knowledge lang ang only restriction sa kanila. Lahat binigay na ng Diyos! The whole creation ay para sa kanila to manage. Ang lahat ng mga puno ay para sa kanila to enjoy.

    Adam and Eve, being created in God’s image, were given the privilege to rule. Ngunit kahit gaano kalaki ang task and privilege na nasa tao, they cannot be gods. Ang puno ay nandoon bilang paalala na ang Diyos pa rin ang may-ari ng Garden kaya He had the authority to set limits, and to know what is good and evil ay ang wisdom na nasa Diyos lang makikita.

𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗡?

    Kung ang Diyos ang naglagay ng puno, masasabi ba natin na Siya rin ay guilty sa pagkakasala ng mga unang tao? The answer is no. God hates sin kaya contrary sa character Niya na gustuhin na magkasala ang tao. He does not tempt anyone (James 1:3) at wala Siyang pinapayagang temptation beyond sa kakayahan ng tao. The Bible tells us that God provides a way out (1 Cor 10:13). By careful reading sa story, makikita natin na binigay na ng Diyos ang possible ways for them to avoid sinning.

𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, God gave them to each other. Maari nilang bantayan ang bawat isa para hindi lumapit sa puno. 

𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥, God was so generous to them by giving them all the trees in the garden. Isa lang naman ang pinagbawal sa kanila ng Diyos; lahat sa kanila na! 

T𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥, God provided a warning (2:17). Sapat na ang pagbabawal ng Diyos para huwag na nilang tangkain pa na sumuway. 

𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩, God placed the tree in the middle of the garden. God planted the tree in the most strategic place to protect Adam and Eve from eating the forbidden truth by mistake. 

𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘩, God placed the tree of life beside the forbidden tree. Unlike sa tree of knowledge, walang restriction ang Diyos sa tree of life (nagkaroon lang after magkasala na ang tao, 3:22). This tree could remind them to obey. 

𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, God was close to them. May close fellowship ang Diyos at tao to the point na God was visiting them from time to time! Ginawa ng Diyos available ang sarili Niya para sa tao at pinakita Niya na He knows what is truly good for them. Kaya nga Niya binigay si Eve, dahil nakita ng Diyos na, "it's not good for man to be alone." Ang pagkakaroon nila ng close encounter sa Diyos ay enough na para huwag na silang maghangad pa ng wisdom na hiwalay sa Kanya. Besides, they can ask God directly.

Ngunit alam natin ang nangyari. Despite all the ways they can avoid sin, they chose to disobey.

    Ang forbidden tree ay paalala ngayon sa'tin ng pagkakasala ng tao. Through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world (Rom 5:12). The good news is that God provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. This is through another "tree,” which is the cross (Gal 3:13). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Ptr 2:24). Stay Curious!

Source: The Curious Believers
https://www.facebook.com/TheCuriousBelievers