The Edenic Scene: An Exegetical Summation

THE EDENIC SCENE: AN EGEGETICAL SUMMATION

The tree of knowledge of good & evil is not merely symbolic of the inherent tendency of we human beings to stray from the will of God, but is also an allegorical representation of the "fall" from innocence & ignorance of both the good & evil within ourselves & within the world at large into the full prescience of these phenomena & of our inherent human weakness in the face of them. The "forbidden fruit" thus also symbolizes the epistemological and ontological limits God has placed upon humankind (us).

In essence, God is saying to us: "Surrender yourselves to my Sovereignty & Superiority alone or perish. Only I know all & can safely & effectively guide you through this mortal human life. You must therefore pay the consequences or "sin wages" for attempting to know what I know, as this is simply beyond that which you are able to handle, & I am your heavenly Father, & your eternal protector." (Psalm 2:11-12 "Serve the Lord with fear & trembling lest he be angry with you & you be destroyed in your own way...")

Thus, God is not some "Petty-Tyrant-In-The-Sky-God-Nazi-On-A-PowerTrip" or metaphysical fascist merely making rules which he knows full well human beings cannot & will not follow just so he can derive sadistic pleasure from torturing us or "punishing" us. That would be creating God in our image, as we can all attest to human beings behaving in this way from time to time. Rather, it is a matter of Him guiding us in the most fruitful & safest direction & teaching us the way to go so that, through our hard-learned surrender to Him & submission to His will, we can reap the fruits of true & everlasting Joy & Fulfillment. (Ezekiel 33:11 "As surely as I live," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways & live...") (Romans 2:11 "For God does not show favourtism.") For God does not wish to harm us, but to prosper us & to preserve us. (Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you & not to harm you.")

Furthermore, although it remains to be self-evident that we are self-evidently limited in that which we can know & could benefit from knowing, there are, of course, provisions made for humankind to have some limited access to God's knowledge & His wisdom. For He must afford us some advancement in that we might be best equipped & honoured with the task of fulfilling His plans for the good of all & everything. (Psalm 18:30 "As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.") Yet ultimately, the eating of that forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden in & of itself is not the problem. Rather, the root of all human ills & depravity lies at the heart of how we fail to recognize "why" we have been granted that which God has granted us & how we "sin" ("hamartia" (Greek): to fall short of the mark) & fail to properly employ it.

And this is where that demarcation between "knowledge" & "wisdom" is most sharply drawn. For as God's Word tells us, all are privy to the wisdom of God who are willing to submit to God's will for its subsequent employment & engagement in & with the outside world. All in all, a loss of innocence (a gaining of knowledge) or "the fall" of humankind is not merely an intractable aspect of the human experience & condition itself, but is, in fact, a necessity as it pertains to the gradual spiritual refinement & salvation of each individual. For the loss of innocence, or the gaining of worldly awareness & indeed, even world savvy is necessary to cultivate to a certain degree within the psyche of each individual in that we may live most wisely & honestly. It is also significant to build up within ourselves so that we may successfully navigate the world towards the ends of our own self-preservation as it pertains to the higher good (or righteousness) & God's will.

Ultimately, becoming equally aware of or "mature of mind" to both "good & evil" is a prerequisite in order that we may defeat those evil forces which seek to deceive & blind us to their methods & means. Yet, we must also keep in mind, that evil can only truly be defeated with good in the end. (1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled & alert. Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers in Christ throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.") (Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil; rather, overcome evil with good.")

Hence, although we must wisely heed the call to grant the realization & vigilance of both good and evil equal deference & equanimity, the only true way to defeat the devil is to take ownership & inventory of the darkness which always resides deep within our own human recesses of desire & potentiality. (Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned & fall short the glory of God.") Indeed, we all must, in our own way, and much like that of Christ Himself, descend to each our own Hades, if we are to not only know the enemy which we battle against daily, but if we are to have ultimate victory through Christ's power over him. Integration thus, is always key concerning both our virtue & our vice, as both light & darkness depend upon one another for their fullest actualization.

In finale, we must also remember, that integration of our "shadow" or our "dark side" does not necessarily have to entail a full embrace or a complete engulfment by or immersion into its goading & callings. For wholeness, if we are seeking it in the righteous place through the Holy God & His Spirit & will themselves, is intrinsically synonymous with goodness & with eternal moral victory & salvation, not that further dehumanization, demoralization & fragmentation which this current world, ruled as it is by evil, can offer.

Therefore in closing, we must: (Ephesians 6:10-18 "Finally, be strong in the Lord & in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil & his schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground & after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, & with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation & the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers & requests. With this in mind, be alert & always keep on praying for all the saints."