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Why the Tree of Good and Evil?Introduction
Many people ask themselves: “Why did God place the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden in the first place?” Wasn’t that a trap? If God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, why did He put that tree there?
At first glance, that seems like a valid question — but only if we misunderstand what that tree actually represented. Today, I want to look with you at the real reason why that tree was there, and why it actually shows something of God’s love and justice.
1. God Created Humans with Free Will
First, let’s look at the answer that many of us may already know. God could have programmed humans to obey Him automatically. But it should be clear that in such a situation, we cannot speak of a loving relationship.
True love can only exist when there is a choice – a possibility to say no.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was precisely that possibility. It was the physical reminder of the freedom that Adam and Eve had: they could choose to trust God and obey Him, or to be independent of Him.
Without that tree, man would never have been truly free. So God not only gave man the ability to choose, He also gave him the opportunity to exercise that choice – in love and obedience. But this is certainly not the only reason for God to place that tree there.
2. The Tree as a Test of Trust
Some think that the commandment not to eat from that tree was unreasonable. But the commandment itself was actually very simple. There was nothing wrong with the fruit itself – it was not about the fruit, but about trust. We will discuss the meaning of the fruit in more detail later.
In any case, by giving one commandment, God gave man the opportunity to show that he truly believed that God’s wisdom was greater than his own understanding. God was essentially saying:
“Trust Me. Believe that I know what is good for you, even if you don’t understand it.”
So the tree was not meant to tempt, but to reveal what was in the heart of man. Would man choose his Creator – or himself?
3. Knowledge of Good and Evil – What Does that Mean?
The ‘knowledge of good and evil’ does not simply mean moral awareness. Adam and Eve already knew very well what was good – after all, they walked with God! No, it was about determining for themselves what was good and evil. It is the age-old story of our endless desire for self-determination.
By eating the fruit, they were essentially saying:
“We want to decide for ourselves what is good. We don’t need God to tell us that.”
That is the essence of sin: the desire to be independent of God, to become the standard ourselves instead of God being the standard. In other words, they chose autonomy instead of relationship.
And we still see that today: people want to decide for themselves what is true, good, and right – apart from the Creator. The tree symbolised precisely that conflict between trusting God or trusting yourself.
Adam and Eve no longer wanted to receive what is good, but to decide for themselves what is good. And that is precisely what caused the separation between God and man.
4. God Knew what Would Happen – and Yet…
Yes, God knew that Adam and Eve would fail. But His omniscience, or all-knowing, does not make Him responsible for their choice. That is an important apologetic point. There is a difference between knowing something and causing something.
If you warn someone that jealousy produces bad things, you know that it is his own choice to let jealousy fester or not – but you where not the one who made that choice when you warned that person.
God’s knowledge of the future does not mean that He caused sin. On the contrary, He knew what man would do, and He even used that failure to reveal His plan of salvation.
So the tree was not only a test, but also the beginning of God’s plan of salvation through Christ. For the fall made clear how deeply man depends on grace. Man is free, and it is precisely because of that freedom that we fail to be faithful to God. We need grace!
5. A Side Step to Calvinism
When you look at the tree of good and evil, you may also understand why so many Christians do not believe in the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election. That doctrine states that God chooses some people to be saved and others not. He would make that choice based on His sovereign will, not on the basis of their merits, future faith, or good works. This election is determined from eternity and is entirely dependent on God’s grace.
The Calvinist doctrine of irresistible grace, in which a chosen person cannot possibly say ‘no’ to God’s grace, is also untenable when we look at the tree of good and evil.
The fruit clearly shows us that God gives us the freedom to say ‘no’ to His goodness. Let me know if you want to know my position on Calvinism and Arminianism, and I might make a video about that topic.
6. Love Requires Obedience
Jesus said:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
True love is expressed through obedience. The tree of knowledge was an opportunity to show that love. Not through grand deeds, but through simple faithfulness.
Adam and Eve did not have to do anything to earn God’s favour – only trust and obey. But when they listened to the serpent’s lie, they rejected that trust. They wanted to be ‘like God’. That very sin had already been committed by Satan, and that very sin was the root of their downfall.
7. The Tree also Revealed God’s Justice and Mercy
When man fell, God had every right to condemn him immediately. But He did something amazing: He announced redemption. In Genesis 3:15, He promised that the ‘seed of the woman’ would crush the serpent – a direct reference to Christ.
The tree thus made visible that God’s justice and mercy go hand in hand. Without the possibility of sin, we would never have known the depth of God’s forgiveness and love.
God used the freedom of humans to reveal His own character – a character that is perfectly just and perfectly loving.
8. The Two Trees
There were actually two special trees in the garden: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life.
When Adam sinned, he lost access to the second tree. But in Christ, we regain that access. Revelation 2:7 says:
“To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
The first Adam lost paradise through disobedience. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, restored it through obedience unto death.
The two trees thus reveal the whole Gospel – from the fall to redemption, from disobedience to eternal life.
Final Thoughts
Why did God place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden? Because true love needs freedom. Because trust can only be proven when there is a choice. And because God, even before the Fall, already knew that He would send His Son to restore everything.
The tree was not a trap, but an invitation to relationship, trust, and love. And although man failed, God showed through that same story that His grace is greater than our sin.
Conclusion
So the next time someone says, “Why did God put that tree there in the first place?” You can answer: “Because love knows no coercion – and because that tree ultimately pointed us to the cross of Christ.”
If this teaching has helped you to better understand God’s Word, please leave a comment – I would love to hear what you think about this in the comment section below this article.
Together, we want to grow in knowledge and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.
