There were two trees in the garden of Eden. One the tree of life and one the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The saints of God are called to partake in the tree of life.
Two Trees In The Garden
9-9-2012
Genesis 2:8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden , and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Here in the beginning of mankind’s history the Holy God made a point declaring there were two special trees in the garden. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil! We Christians have recognized the value of this story and many children stories have been written around this theme. However, God calls us the believer to understand the story and the significance it brings to our lives. The passages brings revelation of the goodness of God and exposes the schemes of the enemy of our soul. Because God has exposed the strategies of the enemy we can avoid the pitfalls.
Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
God put Adam in the beautiful garden of Eden. God’s command was you may eat of every tree of the garden freely except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “For in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” When God speaks a word it has authority, power, and divine order behind it. God spoke the world into existence! God fitly framed the world and indeed the universe together by His Own spoken word.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
The serpent is satan the devil. Revelation 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; The scheme of the enemy was to get Eve to doubt the authority of God’s word. Remember there were two special trees in the garden. Satan did not bring up the tree of life, he only pointed to that which God had commanded them not to partake of. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil appeals to your emotions and senses. It feels good, it looks good and it will bring great enlightenment. You will be like God knowing good and evil. Eve saw that the tree was good for food; the forbidden was pleasant to her eyes! The forbidden tree was now desirable to make one wise. It will make sin look attractive and desirable and beneficial.
Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
The ramification of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil were exactly what the authoritative word of God had spoke. That day spiritual death came and it was separation from God. As a believe you have partaken of eternal life found exclusively in Jesus. The only power satan has is deceiving the believer to go back and partake from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God brought remedy to sin and to the ramifications of sin and it is found exclusively in turning your eyes upon Jesus.
John 3:14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Life was restored by Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Faith in the Lord Jesus takes away condemnation and gives eternal life. This is based on the authority of the word of God; Jesus alone is the life giver.
When one eats from the knowledge of good and evil the immediate reaction is I must make some kind of covering for myself. Adam and Eve were naked before partaking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil but did not know it. There were in innocence before the fall. Man made a coving from fig leaves. God made a covering with an animal sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil blinds us to the lamb of God who died for sin once and for all.
John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For the first time they ran and hid from God with fear, guilt, and shame in condemnation. John 3:18 identifies when one is not condemned. At the moment one genuinely puts faith in Jesus Christ. The condemnation only remains for those who have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Putting faith in Jesus is the point of receiving everlasting life, and you shall not come into judgment! Don’t partake in the knowledge of good and evil; put your faith in the words of your Savior! Be a partaker from the tree of life. Read 1 John 4:17 boldness!
Ephesians 3:11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
Satan deceived Adam and Eve into losing access to God. Jesus restored access with boldness! The tree of life says I have access into the presence of God. I can come boldly based upon the strength of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Hebrew 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil says my performance limits my access; the tree of life say I can come boldly to the throne of grace in the hour of need. In your hour of weakness and greatest need come boldly into the throne of grace. You will obtain mercy and find all the grace you need. Which tree will you eat from believer?
John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Which tree will you eat from? The tree of life is abundant life in Jesus!
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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