The Tree of Life

In the center of the Garden of Eden, there were two trees: (1) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and (2) the tree of life.

Genesis 2:9 tells us, "Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

Adam and Eve were free to live in the peace of God's presence with only one condition. God commanded, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

The tree of life fed Adam and Eve so long as they were content to rest in the provision of God. On the other hand, the tree of knowledge was a temptation toward arrogance and the belief that mankind deserved to share the throne with God. Pride was mankind's ultimate path to death, and Satan already knew that path very well. He whispered to Eve: "God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

The consequence was massive. Genesis 3:24 declares, "So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." Thus, this sin-drenched couple was expelled from God's holy presence. God chose to guard the tree of life, because He was too merciful to allow all of mankind to live eternally in this corrupted state.

God had already ordained another way for men to recover the tree of life. Jesus is the way. His Cross is our tree of life. It not only cures us of our corruptions, but it leads unto everlasting life. The Apostle Peter wrote, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

The tree of life is a major theme of the Bible. It was the prized object in the Garden of Eden, and so it will be in Heaven. In the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus made a promise: "To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God." There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible, and the last chapter promises that we will once again be able to eat from the "tree of life" in the Paradise of God.

Today, we often wonder why our first parents chose to mar the world with sin. Surely we would have chosen differently. Yet these two trees are still in front of us daily. Will we choose to be content in the goodness of God's provision, or will we arrogantly assume that we could do better with our own destinies? Even today, we face this decision; will we eat from the tree of life, or will we partake in the leftovers of Adam's error?