Why did God plant the tree of Knowledge, if he didn't want people to eat from it?

Answer 1

I mean the bible reads like a bad sitcom, or a curious george book.

"Whatever you do, don't eat those apples"
"Ok"
"Really, I mean it"
"Whatever"
"Ok, I'm turning my back now.... the apples better still be there... Fu*k what did I just say!"

And this guy's omniscient.... and he couldn't see that coming?
It's like in those movies where the people go into the dark room with a serial killer in the house.... oooohhh! I wonder how this one's going to end!.... the suspense!

Answer 2

The tree was a literal tree, and there was nothing wrong with the tree (God doesnt create anything bad - notice every comment after each creation in the first and second chapters of Genesis. - (which also shows that even though he created the angel that rebelled and became Satan, God did not create him evil. The word “devil” means “slanderer” and thus refers to someone who tells malicious lies about others. “Satan” means “Resister,” or opposer. Just as a formerly honest man makes himself a thief by stealing, one of the perfect spirit sons of God acted upon an improper desire and made himself Satan the Devil.)

The tree was an opportunity for them to choose obedience or not, and the knowledge of good and evil really means for them to allow God to teach them or for them to decide right and wrong themselves.

He doesn't want us to serve him because we have to, although we really should and it is to our benefit (See Isaiah 48:17-19), but he wants us to serve him because we WANT to. The tree gave them the opportunity to choose.

Of course, he can see the future, but he also chooses to use it when he needs to. For him to have used it in this case, would have been prejudging them, and not giving them the chance to show what they wanted. Also, showing that he did not know until they told him is the conversation that God and Adam had, recorded at Genesis 3:9-11.

As parents, we show our children the more beneficial way to go (of course, we think it is the right way, and we have more life experience than our children, and since we love them, we want them to make the more advantageous choices that would benefit them the most) and hope they will listen to our advice. If we were to be with them, watching their every move, how would they know we are letting them have the choice to obey or not?
This is what God did.

Answer 3

The Bible doesn't say and we can only speculate. What is clear, however, that God had every right to plant whatever he wanted. He also had every right to reserve some things as his own and not share them with men--or at least keep them from men until some time in the future of his own choosing. He gave Adam and Eve plenty of other food to eat and they were lacking nothing. Satan, was selfish and deceptive and he wanted the worship of humans for himself--so, he planted the notion in Eve's mind that God was depriving her of something good. Eve was deceived but Adam made a conscious choice to die with Eve rather than trust God. Sad--the consequences of his choice remains with all of us today. Were it not for Jesus' sacrifice of his perfect human life, it would remain with us for eternity.

Answer 4

He loved fun and games, just wanted to see how long before they disobeyed him, and if He knows all, he knew darn well that snake would show up. Now we know the Bible was written by men, and primarily for men , so it is natural that the men who wrote it would start off by laying the guilt trip on the women. That would justify men's often sorry a$$ed behavior.
I think Adam begged her to take a bite first, men are always saying "Try it,baby, you'll like it', or coaxing naive gals into the sack, or, in Adams case, the bushes.
Oh, that makes God a voyeur. He was sure Jehovah on the spot to catch them doing no no. That must have been a potent fruit, cause men are still doing the same thing to this day, blaming women for their woes, and thinking up new ways to get them in the sack.

Answer 5

It's just like how at some point in every parent's life they tell their kids "Don't touch the stove top because it's hot and you'll get burned," and every kid at some point just had to touch the stove to find out for themselves, and got burned.

Free will. But it does seem pretty diabolical, doesn't it? Makes you wonder why God couldn't have put poison ivy around the tree or something.

Answer 6

God created a lot of trees for a lot of reasons; not all of them were ment to be eaten. However, it is suspected that he simply didn't want man to eat of it YET -- in that we weren't ready for the knowledge of good and evil.

Answer 7

It is a myth. Very similar to the ancient story of Pandora's box. In both myths the first woman set evil loose upon the earth. Eve ate from the tree, thereby bringing sin into the world. Pandora opened the box letting evil loose. Written by men for men and yet another proof that christianity is built upon earlier pagan mythos. There was no tree, no eve, no sin. We are what we choose to be.

Answer 8

Planting the tree was part of God's purpose before the creation of the foundation of the earth.Man was created for the praise and glory of God. Sin occured through the disobedience of eating of the forbidden fruit. No sin, no need for redemption. No need for redemption, no praise and glory for God. For other answers to biblical questions you might have with Scriptural references: http://360.yahoo.com/thewayofthecross1

Answer 9

Nothing in Gen. chapter 3 tells us weather God did, or did not plan for Adam/Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In verse 16 it says God COMMANDED man that he could eat of every tree of the garden freely.......But in verse 17 God said "THOU SHALT NOT" eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.Then God went on to tell him of the consequences, that he would surely die. Why would God sentence death, for eating from a tree that God Himself put in the garden? The answer is simple. We cannot live for an eternity with evil. Would you even want to? So I look at verse 17 as more of a statement, and a warning. One that Adam and Eve did not heed. Why did they not heed God's warning? Because....Rom. 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity (inutility, transientness, moral depravity), not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.....Then they were banished from the garden of Eden, because it was a place of eternity, and no death. If you notice, that tree of knowledge contained both good and evil wisdom. And in verse 22 God said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: etc., etc. So this verse tells us that God has the knowledge of evil, even though God is good. And who was God talking to in verse 22? (become as one of us). Thats a mystery with all kinds of possible answers. But God did appoint , before the foundation of the world (creation), a Savior ( Jesus ). So I, myself, have come to the conclusion that Adam and Eves disobedience was all in God's great plan. To each his own.

Answer 10

The knowledge was there regardless. When they ate from it, 'their eyes were opened' to the knowledge. Good and evil exist. It's just a matter of what you choose to look at and partake from.