1.16 – Disfiguration

I think that this account in Genesis places such a strong emphasis on the idea of knowledge because knowledge is such a powerful thing.  For me as an individual, it is extremely daunting, and sometimes even scary, to try to even conceptualize the world that we live in. The world is extremely complex, and contains an infinite amount of aspects that make the world impossible to fully understand.  There is no way for us to truly comprehend everything in its fullest, and as mentioned in Genesis, that is not our fundamental purpose as human beings. Legapsi states that knowledge, as referred to in Genesis, is humans’ abilities to make independent judgments about what is in their best interest.  The process of eating, as he discussed it, was intentional as it indicates a certain dependence on the earth. Although human beings are meant to “hold dominion” over other living things on the Earth, they still rely on nourishment and are an integral part of the world as a whole. The aspect of eating from a tree helps to show the interconnectedness of humans with God’s other creations, such as the environment.  This failure of Adam and Eve is not only an act of disobedience, but could also be viewed as an attempt or a desire to know more and better comprehend the complex nature of the world in which they live. I think in some ways, it made them more God-like, given that they have the knowledge of good and evil, and the ability to make decisions for themselves, but it also subjected them to mortality and banishment from Eden.  I would say overall though, that this action really just brought a greater burden of responsibility to humans. When you have the knowledge of good and evil to make decisions about what is good for ourselves, it can put a fundamental amount of pressure and stress on individuals to carry it out. I think it could be considered merciful that God banishes them to limit any sources of temptation that may cause additional sin.