Introduction 

Genesis 2 gives the second Creation story recorded in the Hebrew Bible. It is part of the beginning of the whole Bible narrative that explains why things are good… and bad… in the world. This story says the Creator rested Humanity in the garden He had planted in the delightful country of Eden. He put them near the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That word “evil” is a poor translation of the Hebrew word “ra“. It would be better to call it the Tree of Good and… What?

Good and Bad

Tim Mackie of the Bible Project makes the argument that the translation of “ra” as “evil” gives a meaning of moral failure. “That is a bad man; he is evil.” Instead, “ra” runs the range from bad figs (Jeremiah 24:2) to evil people.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness – ra –  of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil – ra –  all the time. (Genesis 6:5).

Tim contends that it should be called the Tree of Knowing Good and Bad.

Tree of Morality

I offer another perspective. Later in the Bible, various people are described as not knowing good from bad; they are immature or foolish. Isaiah 7:14-15 gives one example.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right…

The wisdom of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job talk about the value of learning to discern/ judge between good and bad. This is the development of a sense of morality.

The Creator did not forbid Humanity from eventually learning morality. He simply didn’t want them to make such judgments without Him.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

    To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

Human Standards of Morality

All human cultures develop standards of morality. They grow customs and traditions based on their understanding of right and wrong. This is true of post- Civil War Americans, for whom the holding of black people in slavery is evil. Few know of or understand the benign form of slavery allowed in Israel, according to Exodus 21:1-11.

This is true of Muslims, who consider the values of Sharia law and family honor more important than the non- religious laws of the U.S. Constitution. This was true of the Nazis, who considered Jews, blacks, gypsies, and other ethnic groups as less than human.

All these groups developed standards of morality apart from the values of the Judge of all the Earth (Genesis 18:25). They ate from the Tree of Morality without listening to the judgments of the Creator.

Standards of Morality Bad for Loving Acceptance

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were famous for holding to the morality of the Hebrew scriptures (Luke 11:46). On the other hand, Jesus, who came to fulfill the Law, accepted tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15-17). The Rescuer rejected the morality of the Pharisees and judged people by His Father’s wisdom (John 5:30).

Application 

The work of God’s people today is not to inflexibly separate themselves from the world and only worship God in large congregations. It is not to get people saved and teach them to live by the church’s standard of morality. 

Rather, the work of God’s people is to demonstrate the benefits of accepting the Father’s love and approval, surrendering to the reign of King Jesus, and to teach people how to live by the guidance and power of Holy Spirit. 

This is best done in small, family- sized groups who worship God, regularly surrender their bodies as living sacrifices, and expose their flaws and weaknesses so they can be supported and accepted in prayer and Kingdom solutions. This can range from correcting selfish or immature behaviors to warring against the principalities and powers that hold people in bondage to deception and ungodly behaviors.

This does involve teaching biblical standards of morality. It also involves seeking the guidance and work of Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of the people in bondage. In the end, Holy Spirit will write the Law of God on the hearts of Her people (Jeremiah 31:33) and, through the work of the governing body of king Jesus, bring all people/ nations/ ethnos in the Eden of Heaven on Earth (Revelation 21).