Why did God put the tree of good and evil in the garden if he didn't want them to eat from it?

Question

And since He's omniscient, He knew they were going to eat it.

And also, since He's all-powerful, if he didn't want them to eat it, how were they able to resist the Almighty Will? I can't even resist gravity.

Is there anything that God wants that we can prevent from happening?

Thanks for the responses, particular P. Junes and Nicolas. Those are the only pro-God ones that actually make any sense. Unfortunately all of your peers actually take the story literally, which is why I posted the question.

The rest of you who talk about God "testing" us don't seem to understand the implications of all-knowing. And those that talk about God "wanting" something don't seem to understand the implications of all-powerful. God cannot simultaneously want us to choose him and want us to be free -- they are mutually exclusive because anything that an all-powerful being wants MUST necessarily happen.

Answer 1

Because clearly the biblical god is an utter tosspiece, who created people in order to test them to see if they would fail, knowing beforehand that they would fail, in order to punish them for their failures.
Or it doesn't exist, and never happened

Answer 2

The first human pair were given the gift of free will. They could make their own choices based on the knowledge they had.
The tree of the knowledge of good and bad was put in the middle of the garden as a test of their obedience.They had everything they could possibly want or desire in that paradise garden and would have passed that tree lots of times. It wasn't until Satan planted the seeds of doubt in Eve's mind as to what life would be like without God's rule that they succumbed to temptation.
Even though Jehovah knows all things. He can chose to not know the outcome.Otherwise what good would having free will offer?
Jehovah God is Almighty and the Creator of all things. No.We cannot prevent his will from happening.And the Bible sets it all out for us and also tells us what is required of us if we want to be part of that will and enjoy life everlasting on a paradise earth. (Ps.37:9-11,29)

Answer 3

If you would recall there were two trees. The tree of good and evil and the tree of knowledge. These are metaphors of the positive and negative aspects in all of evolution/creation. This is why there are always TWO items or beings in all spiritual teachings. Good and evil, God and Satan, Cain and Able, Adam and Eve, light and darkness, etc etc. The story in Genesis is only a metaphoric elaboration, or parable. Remember what your bible tells you of parables? Not to take them literally. Always search for a deeper meaning.

Answer 4

In the beginning man had free will and disobeyed God.I know in the book of Acts it says Known unto God are all his works.Even from the beginning.So then to glorify the only begotten(Jesus)I believe he allowed these things to happen.You see I believe God has a direct and permissive will and no one can defy God.He may allow man to be insubordinate for a while but sooner or later he will step in.

Answer 5

Because it didn't happen this way. They were not the first man and woman on earth. There was a tree, the tree of eternal life, which would have allowed them to remain immortal. Adam and Eve were suppose to be the shining example of a perfect godly family residing here on earth for all of mankind to aspire to. However, they defaulted. Eve gave in to her own little scheme to advance God's divine plan and it back-fired. Cain was not Adam's son. Need I say more?

It really matters not if God knew they would default, for all of his creatures have free will.

Answer 6

God gave us including Adam and Eve Free Will! Doesn't matter where he put it, they just needed to obey. If your father told you not to touch the gun in the bottom drawer, and you know better, then you should be obedient and not touch it. It was God's garden and there was no need for them to eat from that particular tree, he had given them everything else they needed. They were not in lack.

Answer 7

From the very beginning God gave people free will and His law and commandments. It is you who make a choice every time what to do and how to do it. God warns but you decide what to do. This is the same and now.

Best regards and may God help you in your searching.

Answer 8

God meant for man to have free agency; the right to choose for themselves and the Tree of Life of Good and Evil provided that choice with the other commandment of multiplying and replenishing the earth.

Eve recognized that she had to transgress against one commandment so she and Adam could fulfill the important one of multiplying, giving all mankind the opportunity to come to earth and gain a mortal body.

Adam knew that if he did not partake of the forbidden fruit, Eve would be cast out and they could never fulfill the first commandment to multiply. He was married to Eve for time and all eternity and his priority was to remain with his wife.

Answer 9

Question # 3. No, but yet in a real way God gives us freedom to choose to do contrary to His holy will (2Pet. 3:9).

Question # 2. God is surely omnipotent, but that does not mean He cannot chose to give man freedom to makes choices. And Scripture records man resists God's call (Prov. 1)

Question # 1. He that will know and show love must be able to choose, but choice is meaningless unless there is sometime to choose between. We may question the love of a man for his wife if he never met another women, but if he stays faithful despite some competition, then it makes it more manifest that his love is true. In the case btwn God and the devil, God offers "plan A" for your life, and has a proven benevolent character, whereas the devil offers "plan B, " and has a proven malevolent character, being driven by selfish resentment, and he attracts those of like mind. As Jesus stated, "The thief [satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We know not how long Adan and Eve were enjoying Gods' His creation, and there was only one single thing that they were forbidden from, as it was not good for them, and they freely choose, having no sinful nature such we now have form them, as they evil affected all that was under their influence. And in every type of situation man has chosen to sin, and yet as in Adam and Eve's case, it is God who sought man out, providing a means of salvation, which was ultimately on His expense and credit, on Jesus blood and righteousness.

God has given us both good things and good laws, but we have broken His good laws and misused His good things, thereby incurring His just punishment. But which led to God giving the most costly gift He could give, someone uncreated, His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ! Who in turn "who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20) dying for our sins and rising again, so that all who choose Him over sin, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior, can receive eternal life! That is giving.

What you do with Jesus reveals what you truly love, and where you will spend eternity. Choose Jesus - Choose Life! Thanks .

As far as His omniscience, that is a mystery, which

Answer 10

It was test to see if they would respect his authority and remain faithful to Him. He wanted them to obey him out of love and respect his boundaries. He gave them EVERYTHING and only withheld ONE TREE. It was selfishness they displayed by not respecting that.

God gave them free will - which means he allowed them the right to make choices and to decide if they wanted to remain faithful. He did not foresee their choice, nor direct it according to his power. Such would have meant CONTROL, which would negate free will.

Yes, God has the ability to know all things... but does having this ability mean he always uses it? No, God can decide what to foresee, what to know in advance, and what to not know ahead of time.

Yes, God is all-powerful. But he can decide when to use that power to propel events in a desired direction and when to abstain from doing so.

Answer 11

Well, if God hadn't invented the talking snake, who knows whether Eve and Adam would have eaten from that tree ever?

If the talking snake wasn't there or a snake was there but couldn't talk, then things may have turned out quite differently.