The Forbidden Fruit

 

Eve found out, to her great sorrow, that God meant what He said when she and Adam, her husband were forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

 

Concerning this prohibition, Ellen White says, “The tide of woe that flowed from the transgression of our first parents is regarded by many as too awful a consequence for so small a sin, and they impeach the wisdom and justice of God in His dealings with man. But if they would look more deeply into this question, they might discern their error. God created man after His own likeness, free from sin. The earth was to be peopled with beings only a little lower than the angels; but their obedience must be tested; for God would not permit the world to be filled with those who would disregard His law. Yet, in His great mercy, He appointed Adam no severe test. And the very lightness of the prohibition made the sin exceedingly great.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 60.

 

But there is forbidden fruit today, and multitudes are eating it and will be deprived of eating of the tree of life. This month we will look at just one of these forbidden fruits described in the Bible. Although it is forbidden, many who call themselves Adventists are eating of it today. Concerning this fruit we are told that we are not to touch it, or taste of it, and we are not to finger it (handle it).

 

Many people have read this strict injunction in Colossians 2:20 without bothering to check out what it is talking about. It is described by a pronoun, which means that we must look in previous Scriptures to discover what it is. Colossians 2:20, 21 says, “If then you died with Christ from the fundamental principles of the world, why, as living in the world are you under ordinances—do not touch, do not taste, do not finger.” [Literal translation.] Obviously, what we are not to touch or taste or even finger, are ordinances.

 

What are these ordinances? Paul said that they are handwritten ordinances, which makes it impossible for them to be the Ten Commandments, because the Ten Commandments were not handwritten, but were written by the finger of God. Every time God wrote something, as recorded in the Bible, He wrote with His finger; when man writes, it is handwritten. Paul said that these ordinances were blotted out and that they were contrary to us and against us, and that they were taken out of the midst (removed) and were nailed to the cross. He also states that these ordinances involved food and drink and feast days and new moons and Sabbaths which were shadows of things coming. Future editorials will deal more with the ordinances of the Lord’s house.