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We may ask why God would place a forbidden tree in the very midst of the Garden. He commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and this naturally raises questions. Was God opposed to reason or rational thought? Did He intend to keep them from understanding good and evil? Clearly, the answer to these questions is no. Yet the question remains: why, then, did God forbid them from eating its fruit?

The answer is found in Holy Scripture itself. As believers, we know that we are called not to remain in ignorance, but to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Hosea 4:6 solemnly reminds us, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Knowledge, therefore, is not optional – it is vital. Yet the question remains: where do we find this true and life-giving knowledge? The Word of God teaches us that the doorway to divine knowledge is not human intellect, but reverence. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (or wisdom)… ” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). This fear is not terror, but holy reverence – a heart that bows before God in humility and trust. When we revere the Lord (1 Peter 3:15), we position ourselves to receive His wisdom.

Adam and Eve’s failure in the Garden was not a failure of intelligence, but a failure of reverence. Rather than trusting God and seeking His wisdom in obedience, they listened to the serpent’s temptation – the desire to be “like God.” Instead of approaching the Lord as the Source of all wisdom, they reached for knowledge apart from Him. In doing so, they opened the door to moral relativism, where humanity defines good and evil according to personal judgment rather than divine Truth.

Scripture assures us that God gives wisdom generously to those who ask (James 1:5). Had Adam and Eve sought the Lord in humble dependence; He could have granted knowledge in His perfect time. Their story echoes another moment in Scripture – when God told Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water (Numbers 20:7–11). Instead, Moses struck it, acting in disobedience. Likewise, we are called to speak to the Rock – Christ Himself – who gives the True and Living Water.

Relying on our own understanding leads to confusion and distortion. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil…” When humanity detaches from God, the Ultimate Source of wisdom, truth becomes blurred. Yet we know that Truth is not merely a concept – it is a Person: Jesus Christ.

As we begin each new day, may we be reminded to seek, ask, and speak to the Lord for divine wisdom. God delights to give it. Consider King Solomon, who asked for wisdom, and God granted him not only wisdom but abundant blessing beyond his request. Let us therefore hold fast to Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” May our hearts remain reverent, our prayers constant, and our trust firmly rooted in the Lord, who alone directs our paths.