Did God Know?

In the whole discussion of God and the existence of evil, there is this constant intent to rescue God from the skeptic who seems to be bent on assigning evil to God. We can't have that. We'll argue it out of existence. I've come across a question, though, that might give you something to think about.

We read in Genesis "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1) and, ultimately, "behold, it was very good." (Gen 1:31) In the third chapter of Genesis, then, we are introduced to the serpent who "was more crafty than any other beast." (Gen 3:1) Well, you know the story. He tempts Eve. Eve succumbs and gives of the fruit to Adam. God is not pleased. Oh, wait. What fruit? Well, it was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9), the tree that God put in the garden and the fruit that God forbade Adam to eat (Gen 2:17).

Okay, so Adam and Eve are now sinners because they choose to violate God's direct command not to eat of the fruit of the tree that He put in the garden. So far, so good. Here's the question. Did God know they would do that before they did?

You see, if God knew, then God planned for it. No, He didn't make them choose to eat the fruit. Nothing would suggest that in the slightest. But if He knew they would and there was no demand that He put that tree in the garden (and there was no such demand because He is the ultimate authority), it would seem to be inescapable that, regardless of your conclusions as to why or how, God planned the sequence that occurred. "Here's the tree; don't eat of it." They did. There are consequences. That is, evil occurred at the hands of the creation, but with the prior knowledge and, therefore, allowance (for whatever purposes He might have) of the evil that occurred. He didn't cause it, but it was part of His design.

We all agree that God is not the cause of sin. No question (James 1:13-14). But then we use terms like "author of sin" and I'm not sure what is meant. If you believe in the Omniscience of God, you're going to have to think through how it is that God would know what Adam would do with the fruit if God put it there and why, knowing that, He would do it. Of course, if you don't believe in the Omniscience of God, but prefer the "guess" of God like some today ("God knows every possibility but can only guess as to what will actually happen.), then you're home free. Oh, a different God than what the Bible portrays, but yours is home free. ("I didn't know that would happen. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I'll have to figure out how to clean up this mess somehow.") For the rest, however, is it possible that God knew, allowed it anyway, and did so with His good purposes in mind? If so, that is an answer to the objection of "capricious evil". Doesn't exist. Evil has a purpose (and is, therefore, not capricious). Don't know for sure what it is, but God does and, as such, it must be a good one. Or maybe you have another answer?