Good and Evil

Good and Evil

(Genesis 2:4-17)

Yearly Theme:  “Goodness is… Great”

Series Title:  “Breaking Bad:  The Consequences of Sin”

February 4^th, 2024

Something to think about:

According to the Guinness Book of World Records…

“The smallest possible size for anything in the universe is the Planck Length, which is 1.6 x10^-35 m across.

“Equivalent to around a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a billionth of a cm across (a decimal point followed by thirty-four zeroes and a one), this is the scale at which the quantum foam is believed to exist:  the laws of quantum physics cause minute wormholes to open and close constantly, giving space a rapidly-changing, foam-like structure.  If we were ever able to exploit the tremendous energy of the quantum foam, then the power contained within one cubic centimeter of empty space would be enough to boil the Earth's oceans.”[1]

This infinitesimally small unit of measure doesn’t seem like much, but if you were building something that needed to be exactly precise in measurement – with no deviation whatsoever – even this small measurement could ultimately cause a problem over the course of time.

When GOD created the Universe and everything in it, He deemed it good; in fact, He deemed it very good.  And “good” by GOD’s design is perfection, with no deviation at all (not even a Planck Length off).  However, GOD’s good creation also held within it the possibility of becoming off-center, so to speak.  In the center of the Garden of Eden, where GOD placed the first man, was a tree that was forbidden for humans to partake:  The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Let’s read the Genesis chapter two account of the ongoing creation narrative:

Turn in your Bible to:  Genesis 2:4-17

Key Point:  “The difference between good and evil is one Planck Length.”

So, what are we able to take away from this passage today with regard to good and evil?  Well, we can learn that…

• GOD is not a  .

Genesis 2:15 (NLT),  The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

• GOD’s rule is for  , not for  .

Genesis 2:16-17a (NLT),  ¹⁶ But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

• There is  within  .

Genesis 2:17b (NLT),  “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Something to take home:

There is one crucial experience that we do not have that the first humans had (at least for a little while):  life without sin.  There was a time when humans had no knowledge of evil because all they had was good.  Oh to experience that would be bliss.  To have only the experience of good would truly be heaven.  But this wasn’t to be the case.  Due to their disobedience to GOD, the first humans ushered into GOD’s good creation that which was evil thus setting in motion a ripple effect of death throughout all creation.

However, in due time, GOD would restore that which was broken by sending His Son, Jesus, to deal with the problem of sin and death by hanging on a tree of death that would become a symbol of the tree of life.  What the enemy meant for evil GOD purposed for good.  Because of what GOD did through Jesus, we now have the privilege to come into right relationship with GOD once again.  Because Jesus overcame evil with good, we too have the ability to overcome evil with good as we surrender our lives in faith to Jesus Christ.  Then, when all is said and done, we will be able to hear those words we all long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of your Lord.”  John, in the Revelation, gives us a glimpse into that time and place when those who have believed in the name of Jesus enter heaven…

Revelation 22:14 (NLT),   Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Bruce Barton writes, “In Eden, Adam and Eve had been barred from any access to the tree of life because of their sin (Genesis 3:22–24). In the new earth, God’s people will eat from the tree of life because their sins have been removed by Christ’s death and resurrection. Those who eat the fruit of this tree will live forever.”^[2]

Key Point:  “The difference between good and evil is one Planck Length.”

[1] “Smallest Unit of Length.” Guinness World Records. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/smallest-unit-of-length#:~:text=The%20smallest%20possible%20size%20for,1.6%20x10%2D35%20m%20across.

^[2] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation. Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.