How did the knowledge of good and evil make man like God (Genesis 3:22)?
The story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. God had told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that if he ate from it, he would surely die (Genesis 2:16-17). Yet, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and chose to disobey God’s command, eating the forbidden fruit in hopes of gaining wisdom like God. As a result, their eyes were opened to their nakedness, and they realized they had sinned, hiding from God (Genesis 3:7-10).
When God questions them about what they’ve done, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent (Genesis 3:11-13). As punishment for their disobedience, God curses the serpent, Eve, and Adam, and banishes them from the garden, lest they eat from the tree of life as well and live forever in their fallen state (Genesis 3:14-24). The tree of life represented continuous physical life, while the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented the moral wisdom of God. Before eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve only knew good, but afterward they understood evil as well. By eating what God had forbidden, they sought moral knowledge and wisdom like He has.
In Genesis 3:22, after Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree, God says, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever…” This statement reveals key insights about how the forbidden fruit made mankind “like God”:
1. Mankind became like God in knowledge of good and evil
Before eating the fruit, Adam and Eve were innocent (Genesis 2:25). But after gaining moral knowledge, they realized they were naked and felt ashamed (Genesis 3:7), understanding their disobedience was wrong. Likewise, God has perfect moral wisdom and the knowledge of good and evil innately. The forbidden fruit gave Adam and Eve a new awareness of morality they previously lacked – making them more “like God” in that way.
2. Mankind foolishly grasped at godly wisdom
Seeking wisdom is good, but grasping for it in ways God forbids is foolish. Adam and Eve sought moral knowledge by breaking God’s command instead of trusting Him. God already had a plan to impart wisdom to them over time in relationship. But they wanted it instantly on their own terms, ignoring God’s warning of dire consequences for disobedience. Their rebellious action was a prideful attempt to gain godly understanding without God.
3. With knowledge came increased moral responsibility
Just as God’s knowledge of good and evil means He is morally responsible for using that knowledge righteously, Adam and Eve now bore that same weighty responsibility. Their sin brought awareness of their guilt before God (Genesis 3:8-10), and the need to repent. James 4:17 says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Adam and Eve could no longer claim innocence. The wisdom they took came with greater moral obligation before God which they immediately failed to fulfill, proving they lacked godly character to wield such knowledge rightly.
4. The potential to live forever in sin made man more urgently accountable to God
Once Adam and Eve understood good and evil, God knew they could not remain in the garden and eat from the tree of life in their fallen state, living forever while still bearing sin. This would be unwise and unjust. So God banished them from Eden lest they arrogantly grasp at continuous physical life before dealing with their sin through repentance and trusting in Him for redemption. Genesis 3:22 reveals Adam and Eve’s godlike moral knowledge made their repentance and redemption more urgent, lest their foolishness compound.
5. Man’s desire to be like God apart from God results in distance from Him
Adam and Eve’s sudden new knowledge immediately backfired, separating them from God when they hid from Him in shame and were banished from Eden. Genesis 3:22-24 shows that mankind’s attempts to be like God apart from dependence on Him only leads to greater distance from Him. We must guard our hearts against prideful desire for godly wisdom on our terms instead of trusting God’s timing and ways. Proper pursuit of godliness comes through humility, worshipful reverence for God, and seeking Him earnestly.
So in summary, the forbidden fruit imparted some godlike moral knowledge to mankind, but without godly character to handle it wisely. Adam and Eve foolishly thought the wisdom would make them “like God” in a good way. But their failure to obey God revealed they lacked the maturity, humility and reverence to gain knowledge righteously. As a result, they actually became less like Him relationally. Though the fruit gave them mental awareness, it could not transform their hearts. This holds an important lesson for us today about the difference between godly wisdom and worldly knowledge. We must discern whether we are pursuing enlightenment with a motive of pride, or out of reverent love for the God who is wisdom itself. The beginning of true wisdom is awe, surrender and worshipful obedience to our Creator.