LESSON THREE

GOD'S INTENTION IN MAN

Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:8-9, 16-17; Rev. 2:7; 22:14; John 6:35a, 57b

OUTLINE

1. Two choices remaining in front of man:
   1. The tree of life:
      1. Signifying God as life to man.
      2. Issuing in a dependent life.
   2. The tree of knowledge:
      1. Signifying Satan as evil to man.
      2. Issuing in an independent life.
2. God wanting man to receive Him as life by the way of eating:
   1. Eating being the unique way to receive nourishment organically.
   2. God being man's real food.
   3. To receive God by eating being to have God assimilated into man's being metabolically.
3. God forbidding man to eat the tree of knowledge:
   1. God's first commandment to man.
   2. Eating—to receive something in—being critical to man:
      1. After man was created, God not asking man to do anything.
      2. God only charging man not to eat wrongly.
   3. To eat the tree of knowledge being to receive Satan as an evil life into man's being.
   4. God's forbidding commandment being a warning to man:
      1. Indicating God's greatness in dealing with man.
      2. Indicating God's love to man.
      3. Indicating God's desire that man would eat the tree of life to receive God into him as his life.