The Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil

~ Expounding the Parable ~

On a deeper level, the story of the garden of Eden and the trees and the fruit they produced serve as a parable… for the Word of יהוה communicates through parables. One of the most profound of the parables communicated in the Scriptures is the parable that men are as trees who are known by their fruit. Through understanding the parable as well as which “trees” represented the lamp and the priests in the tabernacle in the wilderness, the type of tree that Adam & Eve likely ate from will come into focus.

The story of the garden and the trees and the fruit they produced serve as a parable about MEN. Precept upon precept, Christ (aka the Righteous Branch) later expounded the parable.

According to the account, the tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil was a tree that produced two different kinds of fruit:

1. ​the fruit of the knowledge of good, and
2. the fruit of the knowledge of evil​.

Yet, in the beginning, יהוה had created “fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind” (Gen 1:11-12). This means that a peach tree should produce fruit with a peach seed (which would yield a tree that brings forth peaches), an apricot tree should produce fruit with an apricot seed (which would yield a tree that brings forth apricots), an apple tree should produce fruit with an apple seed (which would yield a tree that brings forth apples), etc.

So a tree that יהוה created would not produce two different kinds of fruit with two different kinds of seed. Rather a branch of the tree that יהוה created would produce the same kind of fruit with like kind of seed within each fruit on the branches of the tree.

However, a tree whose branches produce two different kinds of fruit contains two different kinds of seed… MINGLED seed! Consider what יהוה says about mingled seed in Lev 19:19 and Deu 22:9.

In order to understand what יהוה is communicating through the parable of the fruit bearing trees in the garden, it is important to note the following:

• Adam was warned to NOT eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil… in other words, Adam was warned to BEWARE of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil
• In Scripture, good is associated with following the doctrine of יהוה (Mic 6:8, Deu 12:28, Psa 34:8, Psa 119:39, Jer 6:16)
• In Scripture, evil is associated with following doctrines and traditions of men (book of Judges, 1Ki 11:6, 2 Ki 17:13, Jer 18:10, there are a multitude of verses throughout the Scriptures, just do a word search for the word “evil”)

If men are as trees, then the “fruit” men produce is what they do and what they say.

Note that in the gospel accounts, Christ echoes the warning that was given in the garden. He, too, warns his faithful “branches” against “eating” from the “trees” which produced two different kinds of “fruit”. Yet the “trees” that Christ was referring to were MEN:

(Mat 16:6,11-12) Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees… How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

So what “fruit” were the Pharisees and Sadducees producing that was so harmful?

(Mat 15:3-9) He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ... So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

(Mat 23:2-3) “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were men (aka “trees”) who produced the “fruit” of the knowledge of Good & Evil… for they mingled the doctrine of יהוה (GOOD) with doctrines and traditions of men (EVIL). While they may have taught the doctrine of יהוה (GOOD) when they were “sitting in Moses seat”, they did not practice it. Rather they practiced following doctrines and traditions of men (EVIL). This mingled “fruit” was harmful to the people because the people were not able to discern the difference between the two. They did not know which were doctrines of יהוה and which were doctrines and traditions of men.

Contrast this with Christ - the Righteous Branch. Only GOOD fruit came forth from him. He only taught the doctrine of his Father (Joh 7:16, Isa 7:14-15).

Christ - the Righteous Branch - was as a “branch” of the Tree of Life, and those who “ate” of his “fruit” would “live”. That is why he proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

That is why Christ - the Righteous Branch - told his disciples to abide in him… to be grafted into him. Because if the disciples abided in a tree that only produced the fruit of the knowledge of GOOD, then they would produce the same fruit. Those who truly abide in the Righteous Branch will only produce the “fruit” of the knowledge of the doctrine of יהוה… the “fruit” of LIFE. However, those who abide in the Pharisees and Sadducees (and those who continue like them today) will produce the same “fruit” as the Pharisees and Sadducees… and will be as “branches” of the tree of the knowledge of good AND evil… mingling the doctrine of יהוה with doctrines and traditions of men. This “fruit” brings forth death… spiritual death and separation from יהוה.

So which literal tree likely represents the Tree of Life? Which literal tree likely represents the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil? Remember that the enemy is a deceiver who counterfeits the real thing. A counterfeit is so similar to the real thing that only a discerning eye can distinguish between the two. So then, the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil would be a counterfeit of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil is so similar to the Tree of Life that only a discerning eye can distinguish between the two.

Regarding the Tree of Life, consider which tree יהוה chose to represent the lamp and the priests in the tabernacle in the wilderness. Regarding the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil, which literal tree looks so similar to the one that יהוה chose to represent the lamp and the priests yet its branches can produce both good and bitter fruit? According to the Scriptures, יהוה chose the ALMOND tree to represent the lamp and the priests. (Exo 25:31-40, Exo 37:17-23, Num 17)

One of the principal duties of the priests was to "teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses." (Lev 10:11) Keeping יהוה's commands is associated with LIFE (Deu 30:6, Deu 32:46-47, Eze 20:11, 13, 21). Since a faithful priest is represented by an almond tree (a SWEET almond tree, that is!), someone who ate the "fruit" from a faithful priest would be as if they were eating from a branch of the "tree of life"... from a SWEET almond tree.

But what about the instances when the priests were very bad… when they were NOT faithful to teach and do the commands of יהוה? In this instance, such priests would lead people astray and be separated from יהוה… resulting in spiritual death and perhaps physical death. Such priests would be represented by a BITTER almond tree. A literal bitter almond tree produces fruit with a seed that contains cyanide. A BITTER almond tree looks exactly like a SWEET almond tree. The only difference is in the taste of the seed. A BITTER almond seed is so bitter that most people would spit it right out. (Also, in the wild, a bitter almond tree would still have bitter almonds hanging from the branches because birds and rodents won't even eat the bitter seed).

So what about the instance when a priest mingles the commands of יהוה with doctrines and traditions of men? Such a priest would be as a branch which produces mingled fruit with mingled seed… a branch which produces both sweet almonds and bitter almonds.

Christ warned his disciples from eating the fruit of such tree. For such a priest would be as a "branch" from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.

In a previous post, we explained how the word Eden means "pleasure", "delight". Thus the Garden of Eden was a garden of delight… יהוה's delight. How? Well, יהוה told Jeremiah the things he delights in:

RIGHTEOUSNESS
JUSTICE
LOVING-KINDNESS (MERCY)

(Jer 9:24) but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices STEADFAST LOVE, JUSTICE, and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.

Since men are as trees, the planting in the Garden of Eden represents men. (The Garden was actually what we would refer to as an orchard… since the focus in the garden was on TREES.) If men are teaching and doing the ways of יהוה, then such men would be doing the things that יהוה delights in. Thus a "planting" of such faithful men would be a planting of יהוה… men producing the fruit of righteousness… trees of righteousness… that יהוה may be glorified.

(Isa 61:3) that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

So how did the tree that produced mingled fruit of knowledge of Good & Evil get there? Since יהוה only created "fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind”, then someone else must have planted the forbidden tree. As explained in Matthew 13, "...an enemy has done this." Christ even told the Pharisees & Sadducees that they were sons (branches) of the devil:

(John 8:44) You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The warning issued in the Garden of Eden still remains today… for the field is the world and men are as trees who are known by their fruit. We are to eat freely from the "trees" (men) who produce the fruit of righteousness and justice… men who teach and practice the ways of יהוה without mingling doctrines and traditions of men. Yet, sadly, most are still learning from men who mingle the way of יהוה with doctrines and traditions of men. Most are still eating from the tree of the knowledge of Good & Evil… and the mingled seed is producing mingled fruit in their lives.