In Hebrew "good and evil" is “tov [good] and rah [evil, bad]”.
The words tov and rah don’t suggest “good and evil” in the way we assume in the west. The use of these words in the deception of Adam and Havah is most likely meant to suggest that they would gain firsthand knowledge of; health and sickness; joy and sorrow; pleasure and pain; things working and things failing; life and death.
Adam and Havah already knew what it was like to live in the state of “tov”; but they had absolutely no understanding of what it would be like to experience “rah”. To know both tov and rah is to be outside of the covenential relationship Adam and Eva had with God (outside of God’s protection and blessing).
The enemy had insinuated that eating the fruit of the TTKGE would somehow change them for the better, and, I suggest, Eve believed it. The truth is, however, that failing to follow God’s commands, is to refuse His love and protection; to choose to live outside the blessing of walking in covenant with Him.
"You Will Be Like Angels Knowing Good and Evil":
In the Strong’s:
Angels (God in the NKJV) 430H ′ělôhiym, el-o-heem´; plural of 433H god [s] …, from 410H ′êl, ale; … strength; as adjective- mighty; especially- the Almighty (but used also of any diety) … x great, idol, might (-y one), power, strong…
X___________________________________________________.
*I want us to contemplate an idea which goes beyond the meaning of the above word being “God or angels”. Consider for a moment the other words in our Strong's definition; i.e. strength, might, great, power.... The question I'm asking here is – did the enemy tell our neophyte prototypes that the fruit of the TTKGE could endow them with more power and ability?
As we’ve noted; the tree of the knowledge belonged to God just as the tree of life did. We have also discussed the fact that Adam and Havah were created to be God’s image within His creation (note the reference to “idol”, again, in the above definition of the word translated angels or Elohim).
What if the enemy, by using the above word, was suggesting that by experiencing pleasure and pain (tov and rah), which is the natural effect of their looming disobedience (not, necessarily, a direct result of eating the forbidden fruit), would make Adam and Havah greater and wiser “representatives” of God.
You are, of course, free to disagree, but I suggest this is what is being proposed to Adam and Havah; that they can use the fruit of the forbidden tree to make themselves “better representatives of God” because they will have firsthand knowledge of tov and rah.
Once we begin to doubt our ability to understand and adequately follow God’s commands, it quickly leads to confusion, chaos, and then frustration.
This mistake is being made all around us today my friends. Without the sure direction of God’s covenant instructions we are doomed to trespass and approach God in a way that opposes His prescribed plan.
The world has been consumed by a plague - which I call "pathological sensuality". If we are not staying plugged in to our source of righteousness, we will fall prey to it.
Dear kingdom brothers,
Married men: Scripture admonishes you to love your own wife; admire her best qualities and honor her above every other woman. Ask God to help you to walk faithfully in your marriage covenant.
Single men: I strongly urge you to labor with God to stay your mind and heart upon Him. Work to overcome the world's ideas about love and sexuality. Ask God to help you see these issues the way He sees them and to learn to love what He loves and to hate what He hates.
Scripture, also, gives clear directive to God’s daughters (who sparkle with God's own light). Godly women must be modest in appearance and behavior.
Married women: You are to love and nurture your own husband and children; to be honorable, wise with your families resources and devoted to God.
Single women: You are also to be modest, honorable, devoted to God and His kingdom, to be thoughtful, respectful in your demands and to serve others as if you are serving God, Himself.
For the record; modesty does not mean ugly or plain. Modesty is the art of concealing aspects of our being to reserve them for someone or something. Concealing portions of your being causes greater appreciation of your unique nature.