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NASB | Genesis 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 3:3 except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, 'You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.'" |
Bible Question: Why did God put the forbidden tree smack in the middle of the garden? Why not in a corner, behind thistles and thorns? Analogy: if I go to a party - best way to increase likihood of interaction is to be inviting, to be in the middle of the room. To shut myself off, I can go to a corner or behind large obstacles. Why did God tempt us so well? |
Bible Answer: Our God is not one to hide the fact that He gives us complete freedom to choose the way of life we would prefer. Since He provided the ultimate home without any defects, it satisfied every need Adam and Eve could ever have. God was welcome to decorate it any way He saw fit. God knew this was going to be a temptation so there was no need to hide His tree. After all, there were many other sources of food so as far as God was concerned, it boiled down to one single issue: was His creation going to choose Him and His way of life or some other choice. It also makes it very clear for us today. Our lives boil down to one simple choice: will we choose to obey our conscience and live by what God tells us or will we succomb to temptation and choose another way of life which results in eternal separation from God. Of course, this decision has to be made every hour of every day. And we're always able to reverse course and go the other direction. By setting this tree in the middle of the garden, our God makes this choice very, very clear for all of us thereafter. We can't possibly deny that God has made it very clear. He puts himself in the middle of our lives each and every day of our lives. What would be your thoughts on this matter? Any opinions? God bless. |