Pursuing our Own Wisdom

Scripture: Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6

Observation: In deciding to disobey God, Eve has three reasons for eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. The fruit is, in fact, food. The fruit looks good. And the fruit is "desirable for obtaining wisdom." This produces the question, what wisdom was Eve in need of that she decided eating a piece of fruit would give it to her?

The serpent had said the knowledge to be obtained was about good and evil. In other words, he temptation was to understand what is good in the world, and what is evil. Since Adam and Eve directly interacted with God without this knowledge, it could be reasonably assumed that they already knew 'good' per se - though they may not have called it by that name - so what Eve really wanted was ... to know evil. She wanted to know what else might exist in the great, big world besides just goodness and happiness.

Ever since that moment, mankind has tried to find a life within nothing but goodness and happiness in it. We are want for ignorance of misfortune and evil, and cannot get back away from it.

Application: Seeking our own definition of wisdom caused the fall. It is failing to trust that God has provided us with all we needed - and thus wanting our own understanding independent from God - that introduces hardship.

James tells us to ask God for wisdom. God knows what we need to know and understand. When we try to find our own knowledge, through any source, we invite the opportunity to instead find evil. I will pursue wisdom, but on God's terms, not through my own understanding.

Prayer: Lord, in some ways I follow this lesson, and in others I do not. I seek today your wisdom in my daily matters. Help me avoid my own understanding, and instead let me understand through your context, teaching, and eyes. Amen.