In the opening chapters of the Bible the tree of life is presented to us. When we come to its closing chapters, again there is this tree. Why does it still prevail after so many pages, so much history, and so many centuries?
God had an eternal plan. For this purpose He created the heavens and the earth and countless other things. Then He formed a creature that differed from the animals, the plants, and the hosts of heaven. If you looked at him, there would be something about him that reminded you of God.
This man was placed in a garden planted especially for him. Of all the trees growing there, only two are mentioned by name. For many, many years this picture of man and two trees in a garden puzzled me. Why did the Lord God’s first recorded word to His creature concern the matter of eating from these trees? “Of every tree of the garden, thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17).
If I had been God, I would surely have talked to Adam about my purpose. I would have told him that since I was his creator, he should worship me morning, noon, and evening. I would have taught him some melodies with which to praise me. Then I would have told him about the wife I would make for him, his counterpart. He would need to love her, and she would need to submit to him, in order that they might be a good example to all the future human couples. I would have told him about the generations to be born and the communities that would be raised up. For all these relationships he would need to develop a good character and show kindness, humility, and patience. But these opening chapters of Genesis are void of any such explanations and exhortations.
Very gradually over these past fifty years I have come to understand the meaning of this simple picture of man and two trees in a garden. The first crucial point is that man was not created independent. Because he had to eat, he was dependent upon others. If God had created Adam with a self-sustaining, unending life, he would not have needed to eat. But man could not live by himself in an isolated way, because he was designed to need food. He was destined to be dependent.
The two trees represent two ways for man to turn to have his need met. The tree of life represents God. The other tree signifies Satan. God’s supply is simple-life. Satan’s supply is complicated-the knowledge of good and evil.
Notice that good does not belong to the category of life. Good pertains to knowledge, just as evil does. Both belong to Satan and issue in death. If you do not depend upon God, you are depending upon that second source. Do not think that you can depend upon knowledge or upon what is good. If you are not depending upon God, your trust is in something that has Satan as its source. However much you struggle to be independent, you are waging a losing battle against your destiny.
If you depend upon God, the issue is life; if Satan, it is death. The second crucial point, then, is that we have only God and Satan to choose between for the source of our supply.
Home | First | Prev | Next