So when the woman saw that the tree [of the knowledge of good and evil] was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:6-7)
Health, wealth and the knowledge of self! From the beginning of time, this has been a concern of mankind. God gave man and woman "health" - God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:29-30) God gave man and woman "wealth" - God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
And God gave man and woman the "knowledge of self" - God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27) But God put one restriction on man and woman, because He is Omniscient and knew that it would lead us to a life of choices and consequences that He didn't want us to have to experience. God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17)
God was very clear what would happen to mankind if they disobeyed Him, "for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” But instead of believing God, Eve believed the lies of the devil, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:14) But why did Eve believe the devil's lies? Because she was seeking health - the woman saw that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was good for food; wealth - the woman saw that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was pleasant to the eyes; and knowledge of self - the woman saw that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was desirable to make one wise.
From the beginning, mankind has tried to find a way to have everything they've wanted outside of having a relationship with God. It didn't turn out the way they hoped back then, and it's even worse for those of us who try to do it now. God had taken care of all man's health needs - of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:16) God had taken care of all of man's wealth needs - God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2:15) God had given man great knowledge - Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19)
Well, this transgression leads to the first lesson in our "knowledge of self" - blaming others for our mistakes! Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:9-13)
Not once did either of them repent, admit they chose to do wrong, and then ask God for forgiveness. First Adam said the woman made him to it; then the woman said the devil made her do it! No one can make us do anything we don't want to do. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:3-4) Unfortunately because of man and woman's knowledge of good and evil, sin is naturally in all of us. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)
And how did believing the lies of the devil instead of obeying God work out? Mankind's health was affected - Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 NLT) Mankind's wealth was affected - And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19 NLT) And we already mentioned man's knowledge of self lead to the first blame game.
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Psalm 14:12, 16:25) Apart from a relationship with God, health, wealth and knowledge of self have no eternal value. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:36; Matthew 16:26) These things in and of themselves are not bad, but apart from God, they are of no good. Job had health, wealth and a knowledge of himself, but God allowed the devil to take it all away, except his life. (Job 1-2) Throughout this period of trials and tribulations, God and Job finally had a conversation. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me." (Job 38:1-3)
After a long dialogue by the Lord (Job 38-41), Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6) Once Job realized Who God is, and who we are in comparison, he repented, And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; (Job 42:10, 12) So if we want health, wealth and knowledge of self, we need to be wise like Job and realize that all these blessings come from the Lord God! But how do we apply these truths to our lives today...
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