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Genesis 2-3 – The Trees of Life
The Trees of Life
Warning! This is a tedious read, but if you endure, it will deepen your appreciation that the Bible is one story from many stories ultimately about Jesus.
Did you know there is more than one Tree of Life? First, let’s look at the implications of the first Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis 2-3:
1. Immortality is Not Inherent within Mankind – God created humans to be able die (Gen. 2:17: ; 3:19). Now that’s a hint of what’s to come!
2. Immortality is a Gift from God (Gen.2:9). Not only is physical existence God’s creation, so is eternal existence ultimately grace! Are you seeing a pattern emerge?
3. Immortality is Sustained by God (Gen.3:22). If life is created and a gift from God, then connection to God is like a branch to the vine. That sounds familiar (John 15). This leads to the next point which is found outside of Genesis 2-3.
4. Immortality is Not Once for All (Gen.3:22; Rev.22:2). The way I understand Genesis 3:22 is explained by Revelation 22:2. Adam and Eve would have needed to continue to reach out and eat of the living fruit, although reaching out for the forbidden fruit caused death after one sin. If fruit is continually produced monthly as seen in Revelation 22:2, even if symbolic, that means only God has immortal life in Himself (1 Timothy 6:14).
No doubt you are seeing Jesus already and our need for life immortal from above. The Edenic narrative that leads outside of that garden away from thre Tree of Life, leads to another garden. Like the first garden, a man walked out leading to death. But this time, His death leads to our life.
The second Tree of Life is the cross, which is sometimes called a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24).
What implications from the first tree to the second tree should we be seeing retold?
1. Jesus died so we don’t have to (Rom.4:25).
2. Jesus is given by God to give us life (John 10:10).
3. Jesus keeps us saved (Jude 1, 24-25 ).
4. Jesus’ crucifixion which leads to His resurrection, is our gift of life which can be thrown away (Heb.10:26-31).
Adam and Eve chose a tree of death and forfeited the tree of life. That is the power of man and each man.
Jesus chose a tree of death and turned it into a Tree of lLie. That is the power of God.
The Bible begins in Genesis with the Tree of Life and ends with the Tree of Life being mentioned four times (Revelation 2:7; 22:2; 22;14; 22:19). In heaven we won’t lose access to the Tree of Life.
Many books, many stories, one book, one story. Jesus is that story and our Tree of Life.
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