As for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it. - Gen. 2:17
In the face of everything Adam and Eve had, this command seems like a simple directive. It ended up being a matter of life and death.
Think about it. Jehovah had provided super-abundantly to the first human pair. For example, there are 3,000 known varieties of pears in the world today. There are around 2,500 varieties of apples.
Did Adam and Eve have any needs that were unfulfilled? No!
As imperfect people, we are prone to test the forbidden. Have you seen a sign declaring "Wet Paint" and suddenly get the urge to test and see if the statement is true? Adam and Eve were perfect! Satan made it so appealing to Eve, that she harbored the desire for it, and took her own action, showing a lack of respect to her husband and Jehovah.
And so it goes. People in the world today don't realize that authority is in place with Jehovah's permission to provide order and structure. We have Stop signs at intersections, not to cramp our freedom, but to keep us from killing ourselves and others. The Bible states that husbands are considered heads of the family. That's Jehovah's direction and structure. So, imagine if a wife routinely disobeys her husband, doesn't follow his instructions, makes her own decisions with his input, lies to him or misleads him, shows him contempt, attempts to dominate and control her mate, what is she really doing?
She's doing it to Jehovah, the God, the One who established the marriage arrangement, and set how it's supposed to work. Oh, but my mom acted that way and everything was okay. Well, sorry but the Bible is the better example to follow. Everything goes up and down the hierarchy.
If I disrespect the elders, it's the same as disrespect to Jehovah; if the elders disrespect the Governing Body, or ignores Branch instructions, they're doing the same to Jehovah; if children disobey their parents, it goes up the chain and everyone up the line is disrespected. Everyone is accountable to Jehovah. (Rom. 14:12)
The world doesn't care about that. That's why they protest and complain about everything, without realizing the God who provided
everything for man to live is figaratively jabbed and poked and reproached.
He is getting ready to act soon, and He will, He promises. We need to examine ourselves and think about why we act the way we do, stop blaming other people, and accept the counsel and discipline Jehovah provides through his Word, the Bible and the organization he uses to take care of His servants.
