Knowing Evil (Genesis 3:1–21)

John C. Maxwell is an American prosperity preacher whose ministry largely focuses on success in leadership. He once wrote, “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.”

I have not given a lot of time—or any at all!—to reading John Maxwell but  his words above are illustrative of a biblical truth. As they prepared to enter the Promised Land, God said to his people:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

(Deuteronomy 30:19–20)

This was not the first time that God had set this choice before his people. Centuries before Israel entered the Promised Land, God gave the same choice to a man and a woman in a garden east of Eden. Having created a beautiful garden with plentiful food, he said to Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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). The choice was before Adam: life by knowing good or death by knowing evil.

The Choice to Know Evil

Most Christians are familiar with the creation account in Genesis 1–2 and the fall that follows in Genesis 3. Genesis 1 records God creating the heavens and the earth in six days. Genesis 2 focuses on one particular piece of land that God left barren on day six and shows how he crafted that particular piece of land as a habitat for humanity. A key word throughout those opening chapters is “good.”

Each day, as he looked at what he had created that day, God declared it to be “good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). At the end of it all, he determined it to be “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Turning to chapter 2, we once again find God declaring what he had done to be “good.” The trees that he made in Eden were “pleasant to the eyes and good for food” (2:9). The gold that was to be found in Eden was “good” (2:12). The one thing that God determined not to be “good” was that the man had no equal (2:18), but he rectified that when he created the woman, once again bringing good to what he determined to be not good. The emphasis of the creation account is that the good God created a good place as a good habitat with good food for his good people.

Every tree that God created was pleasant to the eyes and good for food, but there was one tree that was off limits: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:17). The fruit of that tree was likewise pleasant to the eyes and good for food, but it would bring death. The choice before the man and the woman was simple: gratefully partake of all the good things God had given or thanklessly covet the one thing that he withheld from them. How would they respond?

The sad story is all too familiar to us, as recorded in the opening verses of Genesis 3.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

(Genesis 3:1–6)

The serpent lied about the death in the fruit: “You will not surely die.” He tempted them: “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” It is important to pause here and note a couple of things.

First, the man and the woman already knew good. In fact, they knew nothing but good. They knew a good God, a good garden, good food, good life, and good companionship. They had every reason for gratitude for all the good things that God had given to them. But they chose ingratitude. They knew good, but they wanted to know evil. Evil was something of which they had no knowledge—but they wanted it.

Second, the knowledge that they desired was deep, intimate knowledge. The word “know,” in both Testaments, implies intimacy. We see this in the chapter following our text: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived” (4:1). The knowledge that leads to conception is no passing recognition but the most intimate form of knowing that exists between two people. This is the sort of knowledge they coveted. Though God had given them intimate experience of good, they wanted intimate experience of evil.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew.

(Genesis 3:6–7)

Adam and Eve chose to know evil. They chose to intimately experience what God had warned against. And that choice had devastating consequences. In vv. 7–21, we read about those consequences. We read about the things that the knowledge of evil brought about—about the things they came to know and experience when they chose to know evil.

The Consequences of Knowing Evil

God had warned that disobedience would invite death. “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” (2:17). They would not drop dead the moment they took a bite but the very day in which they chose to disobey God they would invite the inevitable consequence of death. That first bite brought them under the sentence of death and, with death, invited a litany of other consequences.

The record of the fall and its consequences is instructive for us. As we consider the consequences that Adam and Eve faced when they chose to know evil, we should be warned that all those who choose to know evil open themselves to the same consequences. As we consider what Adam and Eve came to experience through their choice to know evil, let us therefore be warned against making the same foolish choice.

Shame Within Themselves

First, by choosing to know evil, Adam and Eve experienced shame within themselves: “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (v. 7).

When God first placed them in the garden, “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). The moment they sinned, they realised that they were naked and were filled with shame. Covering their nakedness, they hid from God and one another.

We live in a name-and-shame society. When someone posts a photo on social media alongside an animal they have hunted, no stone is left unturned to name and shame the perpetrator. When an insensitive tweet from fifteen years ago is uncovered, an active campaign is undertaken to shame the culprit. Naming and shaming is an effective means to move people to action. Complaining to an in-store manager is often far less effective than openly shaming poor service on social media. I know. I’ve done it!

The truth is, the public shame that society heaps on those who violate its standards is often but a faint whisper of the shame we feel ourselves because of our sin. Sin invites both shame and guilt, and the two are not quite the same thing. Guilt is an admission that I had done something wrong; shame is the feeling that I am unworthy because of my guilt.

The devil desperately wants us to feel shame because shame often prevents confession. Not all sin leads to deep shame but, when we do feel shame over our sin, we try to hide it. We are reluctant to confess. And unconfessed sin simply breeds further shame.

To be sure, feelings of shame may be present when they ought not to be—when there is no reason to feel shame. Nevertheless, shame entered the world through sin and can only be removed through the true knowledge of good rather than evil.

Estrangement from God

Second, by choosing to know evil, Adam and Eve experienced estrangement from God.

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

(Genesis 3:8–10)

Before they knew evil, Adam and Eve knew only good. Part of the good they knew was a good relationship with a good God. They experienced wonderful fellowship with their Creator. The implication of v. 8 is that, before sin, they experienced daily, intimate fellowship with God. But when they chose to know evil, the thought of fellowship terrified them. Their shame drove them to hide from God rather than run to God.

Sin estranges us from God. In our fallenness, none of us seeks God. If God did not draw us to himself, we would remain hidden. Isaiah stated it plainly: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2).

When we choose evil, we choose separation from God. Isaiah continues, “Your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Choosing evil interrupts our fellowship with God. We cannot enjoy intimacy with him when we choose intimacy with evil.

Tension with Each Other

Third, by choosing to know evil, Adam and Eve experienced tension with each other.

He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

(Genesis 3:11–13)

When God first brought Eve to him, Adam broke out in song: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (2:23). He was drawn to her and immediately embraced her as his wife so that they became “one flesh” (2:24)—a reference to the marital intimacy they experienced. But now that they had chosen to know evil, their relationship to one another changed.

No longer was Adam writing poetry to her; now he was blaming her for his wrongdoing. Nor would she accept responsibility for her actions but blamed the serpent. In this account, you sense the tension between Adam and Eve—because sin always invites tension between sinners.

Unity usually exists between people who choose to know what is good, for unity itself is good (Psalm 133:1). But when we choose to reject good and instead choose to know evil, we begin to experience tensions with one another. You may choose evil, but know that evil will inevitably invite tension with others.

Pain and Sorrow in Their Callings

Fourth, by choosing to know evil, Adam and Eve experienced pain and sorrow in their callings.

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

 

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

(Genesis 3:16–19)

We know that neither childbearing nor work were the result of the fall. God had commanded both these things before Adam and Eve ever sinned (1:28; 2:15). The result of sin was difficulty in these callings.

Theologians love to debate things and, unsurprisingly, there is debate over whether or not childbirth would have been a painless process before the fall. Regardless, pain was certainly multiplied because of sin. Similarly, man’s responsibility to work the ground would now become more difficult. God had created the ground to yield its fruit to man. He had created the woman’s body to bring forth children. But now ground and body would work against these callings. Pain and sorrow would become their experience.

When we choose evil, we invite pain and sorrow. Sin may yield pleasure in the short term, but its pleasures are fleeting, and pain, sorrow, and death are its ultimate end.

Hope in Christ

Fifth, despite choosing to know evil, Adam and Eve experienced hope in Christ.

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Genesis 3:14–15)

All hope was not lost. The man and the woman had chosen to heed the voice of the serpent. By doing so, they had invited shame, estrangement, tension, pain, and sorrow. But God stepped in to provide hope. Death would not have the final word. A descendant of the woman would one day come to crush the serpent’s head and to bring eternal hope to those who had chosen evil.

Theologians, who appear to have a particular love for Latin, refer to these verses as the protoevangelium—the first (promise of the) gospel. For the first time in human history, God promised a deliverer—one who would deal death a decisive blow. The devil would strike the deliverer, but he would strike back, and do so decisively. Adam and Eve needed to look forward to this deliverer who would appear to deal with sin and death once and for all. With their faith in the coming deliverer, they had hope of eternal salvation.

Adam and Eve knew nothing of the deliverer beyond what we read in these verses. We are privileged to know more. The deliverer was Jesus Christ. He was born, like all men, of a woman and, unlike all men, lived a life fully honouring to God. Never having chosen evil, he went to the cross for the sins of those who had chosen evil, but who would believe in him for eternal life. He rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and today holds out the offer of eternal salvation to all who will choose him.

The choice is yours today: Choose to know God through Christ for eternal life; or choose to know evil, resulting in eternal death. Christ is the means that God has provided to save us from shame, estrangement, tension, pain, sorrow, and death.

Adam and Eve believed. “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (v. 20). They believed that death would not have the final word. They chose to believe the promise of the coming deliverer. God clothed them to cover their shame (v. 21), a foreshadowing of the Lamb of God who would come to finally put an end to shame.

Adam and Eve believed. Will you? Will you choose to know evil and thereby invite shame, estrangement, tension, pain, sorrow, and death? Or will you choose, by repenting of your sins and believing in Christ for salvation, to know the hope of eternal life? I pray that you will choose life.

AMEN