“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 14, 2018): Genesis 3

Some years ago I spent some time studying L. Frank Baum’s book, “The Wizard of Oz.” The book at its core is an allegory expressing the opinion of Baum that the United States needed to move from an economic model based on a Gold Standard, toward one based on a Silver Standard. As hard as it might be to believe today, there was a time when the amount of money that the government could print was limited by the amount of gold that the government had in its vaults. Because gold was a rare commodity, the lack of gold meant that more money could not be printed to keep the economy running. By switching to a silver standard, with silver being the more plentiful metal, then more money could be put into circulation to help farmers and others with their business. Today, the value of the national currency is based on the health of the national economic system of the nation. No longer does the dollar bill you carry in your wallet correspond to a certain amount of gold locked away in some government vault.

And so the images in “The Wizard of Oz” are very specific. In the book, Dorothy does not have ruby shoes, they are silver, reminding the reader of the silver standard. The Yellow Brick Road is a representation of the gold standard. But maybe most important imagery in the book is used to describe the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. Each has a lack. The Scarecrow wants to be smart, the Tin Man wants a heart so that he can become compassionate, and the Lion lacks the courage that he needs to move through life, or down the Yellow Brick Road which can only carry you toward the Wizard of Oz.

Of course, it is all also a lie. The Scarecrow is already smart; he just doesn’t know it. The Tin Man is compassionate and already possesses a heart. And the Lion is not a coward. All of these traits need to be unlocked. And, of course, it is Dorothy, the girl in the silver shoes, that unlocks them. In the mind of L. Frank Baum, a move to the Silver Standard would unlock the hidden potential in all of the people of his day.

As Satan confronts Eve, it should not be surprising that he lies. From the first moment that he opens his mouth, the lies start to pour out. But the most important lie might be here. Eve, if you eat from the tree at the center of the Garden, you will become like God. The truth; Adam and Eve were already like God; they had been created in his image. What they were about to gain was an experiential knowledge of Good and Evil, something that God actually lacks. In this one moment, they would find out what it was like to oppose God and commit sin. At this moment they would not become more like God, but less like him.

It had been a test, and Adam and Eve failed. And so God had no choice but to remove them from the Garden. Where God had passed his test and had not committed evil, his creation had failed. And at that moment, we became less like the one who created us.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 4