Introduction
Genesis 3 tells the story of the humans in Eden disobeying the Creator by eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Instead of trusting His provision and wisdom, they took things into their own hands and obeyed the enemy of God and humans rather than the Creator. I maintain that the knowledge of good and evil gives one a standard of morality. The Creator wanted Humanity to grow into His morality, not create their own standards.
Creator Makes Judgements of Good and Evil
As Yahweh finished each day in the creation process, He perceived that what He had just accomplished was good. He made a judgement according to His own wisdom and said, “That thing is good.” It wasn’t until Genesis 2 that He declared that the human being alone was not good.
God Most High also proclaims judgement against the members of His divine council in Psalm 82. Having made them rulers over the Gentile nations (Deuteronomy 32:8-9), He condemns their abuse of those nations.
Sense of Morality
I contend that the knowledge of good and evil brings with it a sense of morality. The Creator did expect the humans to grow into the ability to judge right from wrong (Isaiah 7:15). He gave the Israelites His Law or Instructions (Torah) how to live well individually and together in the Eden land He had promised them. Other peoples would say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (Deuteronomy 4:6).”
These instructions were reinforced in the Prophets and Wisdom literature (See Proverbs). They were elevated by Jesus (“You have heard… I say to you…”, Matthew 5) and Paul (“The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good,” (Romans 7:12).
Guidance for Behaviors
These Instructions, these standards of moral behavior, were never meant to be absolute. They were always to take second place to Holy Spirit’s guidance. Along with the Instructions, He told the Israelites to obey the Voice of Yahweh.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Solomon wrote,
Trust in the Lord with all your Heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and He will make your paths straight.Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.Paul wrote,
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant— not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Finally, he also wrote,
…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
Peter lived as a good Jew throughout his life. When the Spirit commanded him in a dream to eat unclean animals, he protested. The Spirit said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean (Acts 10:9-15).” As the rest of the story reveals, the apostle was being instructed to lay aside the custom of avoiding Gentiles to maintain Temple cleanliness. He would proclaim the Good News to a household of Gentiles, who would become accepted by God and marked by Holy Spirit.
Instructed by the Law, Led by the Spirit
Yahweh’s Instructions provide excellent moral guidance for how to live with Him and with others. More importantly, His Spirit provides on- the-spot guidance and enabling, even when it appears to contradict His Instructions, His morality.
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