trees of life and that of good and evil

 

Among all the trees in the Garden of Eden, God identified two special trees: of life, and of the knowledge of good and evil.

Sometimes in remembering Adam and Eve, we forget that there were two important trees in that garden. Along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, there was “every tree that was delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden” (Gen. 2:9).

Right there, near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the tree of life. Not much is said about this tree — except that God expels Adam and Eve before they can lay hands on it. God said nothing about eating from this tree until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Then God said, “Now, what if he (man) also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of it and lives forever? The Lord God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden” (Gen 3: 22-23).

In fact, God is so concerned about Adam and Eve not getting back into Eden that he stations “cherubim and the fiery revolving sword … to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Why would God — who hadn’t forbidden the tree of life in the first place — protect it so carefully from humans now?

One common explanation by Archbishop Denis J. Hart of Melbourne, Australia: “God hastened to evict Adam and Eve from the garden — not as a punishment, but because he feared ‘lest the man put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever’ (Gen 3:22). The effect of this would have been to make sinners (and sin) immortal. “Imagine being immortal, but always being subject to sin and the evils that come from it.

Unlike the first days of creation, not all things are good today. We quickly learned about evil from that first tree. So, what to do? Before you say it, Selmy’s notes that the tree of life was not the immediate answer. “The second tree is the antidote to this problem,” she wrote, “but it is also dangerous. When God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden and the tree of life, bodily immortality is no longer possible.” Instead, Selmy’s noted, God was merciful to kick us out. Imagine having eternal life, but living it in forever in an imperfect world. Imagine living eternally with evil.

That’s the part we missed when we grabbed the forbidden fruit. We short-circuited the path of knowledge: we didn’t want to learn to grow to love God better, we wanted to know everything and know it right away.

In other words, the tree of life doesn’t offer an easy way out of the mess of good and evil unleashed. Things had to be set right first — good and evil had to be dealt with in this imperfect world before we could return to Eden’s perfection. The tree of life does hold the answer — just not right away. When God separated us from it, he never meant to forbid it to us forever. Only until the proper time.

That tree of life appears again in the Bible: in the last book. There John receives a vision of “the river of life-giving water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb … On either side of the river grew the tree of life that produces fruit 12 times a year, once each month; the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations” (Rev 22:1-3).

We see Eden restored and accessible again. Fruit is abundant and always available. But why? Because of the Lamb, the slain Lamb, whose throne produces the water to nourish the tree of life. Through the Tree of the Cross, sin is forgiven, death is defeated and life is restored.”

The obedience of Jesus reversed Adam’s disobedience and allowed all of us to return to Eden. On the Easter Vigil, the ancient triumphal prayer of the church — the Exulted — was proclaimed: “This is the night when Jesus Christ, broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.”

Now we can see why God planted two trees — one had the potential to lead us out of Eden, if we disobeyed; the other, when the proper hour of salvation had come, could lead us back to the good life with God, because of Jesus’ obedience

Those in the new heavens and the new earth will enjoy the fruit of the tree of life for all of eternity.

“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7b)

“On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2)

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” (Revelation 22:14)

“If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22:19)