The Knowledge of Good and Evil

"Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (Genesis 3:22 NAS95)

Through their sin, Adam and Eve came to know good and evil by experience.   In contrast, God knew good and evil through his infinite wisdom.  In other words, while man knew sin by means of transgression, God knew it by means of transcendence.   He could see the thing called evil without being steeped in it.  God does not know evil by practice.  But He does understand and know its effects and consequences.  And, through the incarnation, Jesus would enter into our experience... bearing the effects of sin, but refusing to sin:

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15 NAS95)

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21 NAS95)

Christ didn't know sin through practice.  He knew it through punishment.  He experienced the effects of sin that we might experience the effects of His righteousness.  He traded outcomes with us.  O Glory to God.

All this is to say...  Man knows evil by experience, God knows it by wisdom.  By a wisdom which takes our place.  By a wisdom which walks the painful path to Golgatha.  And a wisdom which cries out from the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing."  

Prayer:  O thank You Jesus for showing us that wisdom is a deeper, fuller, and purer knowledge than our own transgressional experience of sin.  Thank You for graciously offering your wisdom today to everyone who asks:

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5 NAS95)   

This is not a cheap wisdom Lord.  It cost you your very life.  But it comes free to the asker.  You entered into our experience that we might receive the free gift of Your wisdom.  You became sin for us that we might not have to sin.  That we might not have to learn by experience, but that we could know and understand through the way of wisdom.  Through the way of the cross.  At calvary, You made it possible to learn through Your death, rather than us having to experience the second death.  You made it possible for us to die with You by faith, rather than dying apart from You for eternity.  O thank You Jesus.  Thank You for the way of wisdom.  Thank You for delivering us from the knowledge of personal experience, and bringing us into the knowledge of Your experience for us.  

May we accept Your knowledge of good and evil Jesus.  A knowledge which knows but does not partake.  A knowledge which is transcendent to evil.  Which sees what it is, but does not enter into it.  Yes Lord, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

And in so doing, may we see and understand your promise:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalms 84:11 NAS95)

Yes Lord.  May we see through Your sacrifice the error of all the devil's lies.  May we understand that You have never withheld wisdom from us.  Rather, from the very beginning, You were seeking to spare us the painful knowledge of an experience filled with evil, wickedness, shame, guilt, murder, slander, theft, adultery, and every other vice.

No, You are not a God who withholds goodness.  Instead, You seek to bless us beyond belief.  And in case we would ever doubt, You gave us Your One and only Son on Calvary's cross.  

And to Him we pray, "Now lead us on dear Jesus, in the way of wisdom!"