10 February 2021

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’.
Genesis 2: 4-9, 15-17, NRSV

In this, the second of the two accounts of Creation, we hear about God creating man out of dust. After breathing life into the man, God puts the man into the garden of Eden. This garden has plenty for man to enjoy. There is a plentiful supply of water and trees offering an abundance and variety of food. As well as enjoying the garden, man is given the task of cultivating and caring for it. He will want for nothing. There is only one thing that the man is not allowed and that is to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. This tree represents God’s authority. The man is not free to choose to eat from that particular tree and he is warned that disobedience will cost his life. The man is given the opportunity to have a productive and good life in trust and dependence on God.

• • Why do you think God places on prohibition on man?
  • Does God still expect obedience and trust from people?

Today is the feastday of St. Scholastica – a saint who welcomed and lived her life in obedience to God’s will. You may like to research her life.