Why did God make a 'devil tree' in the Garden of Eden?

Answer 1

A:Nowhere in the Genesis story of the Garden of Eden is there any suggestion that Satan was in the garden. True, there was the serpent who tempted Eve, but the serpent was a common motif in ancient Near Eastern religions. Judaism has never held that the snake was Satan in disguise, and it is only a later Christian view that the snake must have been Satan. Perhaps the Christian view is based on the obvious ansurdity of a talking snake, but Leon R. Kass (The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis) tells us that the story of the Garden of Eden is really a moral tale, not a historical story of an ideal life we once had, but lost. God did not allow Satan into the Garden of Eden.

Answer 2

In Christianity, there is no mention of a specific "devil tree" in the Garden of Eden. The story of the Garden of Eden focuses on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which represents the choice given to Adam and Eve to obey or disobey God's command. The concept of a "devil tree" may be from other belief systems or folklore.

Answer 3

One thought:

According to The Bible, the Garden of Eden was full of trees that God made for Adam and Eve (and subsequent generations) to enjoy for beauty and for food(Genesis 1:29-30), but the tree you are referring to, I assume, is the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" in the middle of the Garden(Genesis 2:9). It was not a 'Devil's Tree', but served good purposes.

1. It symbolized God's 'right to rule', his right (as creator) to make the rules for his creation. He had given mankind an unending future, the gift of everlasting life on a paradise earth(Genesis 1:28), based on their obedience to him. As long as they were obedient, they would live forever. However, if they disobeyed, that gift would be taken away(Genesis 2:17).

2. Obediently NOT eating from that one tree, was a way for mankind to say Thank-you to their creator for all he'd given them. Their obedience and loyalty was all God asked back for all he'd provided, and this obedience would have filled their hearts with joy, knowing they were pleasing their creator. Heartfelt devotion and obedience is still what God requires from his people today(Micah 6:8)(Matthew 7:21-23)(Matthew 15:7-9)

3. The tree would have been a constant reminder of God's love and care for his earthly creation. Every time they saw it, it would remind them of who was responsible for their beautiful paradise home, who was caring for them and who made the rules...like a signature on a work of art.

God, as creator, has the right to make the rules in life(Revelation 4:11) and we humans were created with the need to worship something higher than ourselves. Satan knew this and, though initially created loyal to God, chose to rebel (John 8:44), resorting to lies to turn humanity away from their true creator. Setting himself up as god, he promised them that they would have the ability to make life's decisions apart from their creator's guidance. (Genesis 3:1-5) It was a lie and the disastrous world today, filled with 'independent thinkers' is proof.

There was nothing wrong with the tree itself...it wasn't poison (since Adam lived on for hundreds of years before dying (Genesis 5:5). It wasn't put there to trick him or tempt him. IT was put there as a loving guideline and a symbol of God's authority, and Adam died because he purposely shunned this authority (Genesis 3:17-19).

Answer 4

A:

Leon R. Kass examines the Book of Genesis in his excellent book The Beginning of Wisdom. He says that the Garden of Eden is a purely mythic place. Man was never put in the Garden of Eden, because the garden never really existed. Kass says we can learn most from the story by regarding it as a mythical yet realistic portrait of permanent truths about our humanity, rather than as a historical yet idealised portrait of a blissful paradise we once enjoyed but lost.