CHAPTER 2
TWO TREES IN EDEN
AND THE LORD GOD PLANTED A GARDEN IN EDEN; AND HE PUT THE MAN WHOM HE HAD FORMED. AND OUT OF THE GROUND MADE THE LORD TO GROW EVERY TREE THAT IS PLEASANT TO THE SIGHT, AND GOOD FOR FOOD; THE TREE OF LIFE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN, AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. AND THE LORD GOD TOOK THE MAN, AND PUT HIM INTO THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO DRESS IT AND TO KEEP IT. AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN SAYING, OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST EAT FREELY: BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST OF IT THOU SHALT SURELY DIE. Genesis, Chapter 2, Verses 8-9 and 15-17.
As we saw in the Story of Creation, there is a dual application for the things which transpired in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was not just a physical place, but a spiritual place also. We know this because the two trees which were in the Garden were not the typical everyday trees you can find in your back yard. Thus, they represented something more than normal or natural trees. These Two Trees were planted there to represent spiritual truths which pertain to Life and Death.
Prophetically, the ground and earth speaks of the heart (spirit) of mankind. The spirit within us is like a garden. Words, like seeds, are planted in man’s garden. The good seed is the Seed of Christ. The corruptible seed is the seed which is sown by the Serpent, Satan. God planted in the ground (spirit) in Eden the two trees we are going to look at in this book.
There were many other trees God planted in the Garden, but the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil are the most important ones. They are representations of the two most important forces and issues mankind has to deal with in life.
The Tree of Life, of course, represented “CHRIST.” Jesus Christ is the Life, the Truth and the Way. This Tree represented the Truth and the Way as much as it did Life. As long as Adam and Eve were partaking of the Tree of Life things went well with them. They were in fellowship with Life Himself. Adam walked and fellowshipped with God in the cool of the day in the Garden. It was like Heaven on Earth. In reality, it was Heaven on Earth.
The temptation to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is an ongoing battle which every person in the World and in the Church faces every day. This tree is rooted in the Kingdom of Darkness, and the King of that Kingdom continues to beguile the hearts of mankind to EAT or partake of the Forbidden Fruit every day.
On the other hand, the Tree of Life is the source of all Spiritual Life, Truth and Understanding. Everything a person needs spiritually is found in the Tree of Life. This Tree is rooted and grounded in the Kingdom of Heaven where God’s Light rules and reigns supreme. CHRIST IS THE LIFE, AND THE LIGHT OF MEN.
THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented the ‘LAW OF SIN AND DEATH.” God told Adam and Eve that they would surely die if they ate of this Tree. He did not tell them He would put them to death, but that they would die if they ate of the Fruit of the Tree. FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 23.
God told Adam and Eve there would be severe consequences if they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The consequence of Sin is spiritual death. We know Adam and Eve did not die physically the day they ate of the Forbidden Fruit. However, the process of physical and spiritual death did BEGIN on the day they ate the Forbidden Fruit. It was not only the disobedience of Adam and Eve that eventually caused death, but the Fruit of the Tree itself.
In the Bible “trees” can also represent mankind. The seed of the tree is planted in the earth to grow and bring forth fruit. Adam and Eve were planted or placed in the Garden to DRESS AND KEEP IT. The spiritual part of the Garden would have been Adam’s place of spiritual servitude. The word “keep” comes from the Hebrew word which means to “guard”. It was Adams responsibility to make sure the garden was kept free of anything that would disturb or hinder his relationship with His Father. He was the guardian of His relationship with God, as we all are.
NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE SUBTLE THAN ANY BEAST OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. AND HE SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YEAH HATH GOD SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN? AND THE WOMAN SAID UNTO THE SERPENT, WE MAY EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREES OF THE GARDEN: BUT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN, GOD HATH SAID YE SHALL NOT EAT OF IT, NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT, LEST YE DIE. AND THE SERPENT SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE: FOR GOD DOETH KNOW THAT IN THE DAY YE EAT THEREOF, THEN YOUR EYES SHALL BE OPENED, AND YE SHALL BE AS GODS, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL. AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, AND THAT IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES, AND A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, SHE TOOK OF THE FRUIT THEREOF, AND DID EAT, AND GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND: AND HE DID EAT. AND THE EYES OF THEM BOTH WERE OPENED, AND THEY KNEW THEY WERE NAKED; AND THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER, AND MADE THEMSELVES APRONS. Genesis, Chapter 3, Verses 1- 7.
The suggestion to Eve that God may have meant something other than what He said was in her mind a conundrum. In other words, was it just conjecture or was it the truth? After all, she had never tasted of the Forbidden Fruit before, and she really did not know what would happen to her if she ate of the Tree. All she knew was what God told her regarding the Tree. Now the Serpent was giving her more information about the Tree and the Spirit of Beguilement was subtly drawing her focus away from the Tree of Life.
Eve did not realize the danger she was in as the Serpent beguiled her (falsely reasoned with her) and drew her focus toward the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After all, she could see that the Tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and one to be desired because of the wisdom it produced. The Spirit of Confusion always works with the Spirit of Witchcraft to confuse and subdue the mind causing it to take its focus off of Truth. Beguilement has the same effect as a mind altering drug. It confuses the mind and dulls the spiritual senses.
Unfortunately, there are always consequences when we listen to the Serpent rather than listen to the voice of God. Eating of the Forbidden Fruit is a bitter pill to swallow. In the belly it becomes tragically detrimental and chaotic to all who eat. Creation was turned into chaos, and darkness eventually became the norm through the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
Yes, the Tree did possess certain qualities that would make one wise, but it was not the same “wisdom” produced by the Tree of Life. The wisdom the forbidden fruit produced was a devilish, sensual wisdom. WHO IS A WISEMAN AND ENDUED WITH KNOWLEDGE AMONG YOU? LET HIM SHOW OUT OF A GOOD CONVERSATION (lifestyle) HIS WORKS WITH MEEKNESS OF WISDOM. BUT IF YOU HAVE BITTER ENVYING AND STRIFE IN YOUR HEARTS, GLORY NOT, AND LIE NOT AGAINST THE TRUTH. THIS WISDOM DESCENDETH NOT FROM ABOVE, BUT IS EARTHLY, SENSUAL AND DEVILISH. James, Chapter 3, Verses 13- 15.
James, Chapter 3, Verse 16, which is the counterpart to John, 3:16, goes on to say: FOR WHERE ENVY AND STRIFE IS, THERE IS CONFUSION AND EVERY EVIL WORK. Did we see confusion in the Garden of Eden? Did we see strife in the Garden of Eden? Did we see every evil work in the Garden of Eden? We can say “yes” to all these questions.
The Serpent was envious of God’s new creation. CONFUSION arrived in the Garden to bring strife and every evil work because of the Serpent’s jealousy. Lucifer was no longer God’s covering Cherub. He was no longer God’s anointed one. His authority and beauty had been stripped from him. Lucifer and his angels were cast down to earth because of rebellion and sedition. Every evil spirit was unleashed upon all who would follow in the footsteps of the Serpent’s rebellion, starting with Adam and Eve.
The Serpent had planted a seed of doubt into the mind of Eve. Eve reasoned within her mind that what the Serpent had told her could be true. SHE ATE OF THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT AND GAVE ALSO TO HER HUSBAND TO EAT. The Serpent’s diabolical scheme had worked and mankind was plunged into a new theater of darkness and depravity.
The Forbidden Fruit contained the seeds of all things that would bring torment, destruction, death and dissimulation to the World. A Pandora’s Box of Evil was unleashed upon mankind for every generation to come through the SEED OF REBELLION.
FEAR HATH TORMENT
AND THEY HEARD THE VOICE 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 AMONGST THE TREES OF THE GARDEN. AND THE LORD CALLED UNTO ADAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHERE ART THOU? AND HE SAID I HEARD THY VOICE IN THE GARDEN AND I WAS AFRAID, BECAUSE I WAS NAKED: AND I HID MYSELF. AND HE SAID, WHO TOLD THEE THAT THOU WAS NAKED? HAST THOU EATEN OF THE TREE, WHEREOF I COMMANED THEE THAT THOU SHOULDEST NOT EAT? AND THE MAN SAID, THE WOMAN WHOM THOU GAVEST TO BE WITH ME, SHE GAVE ME OF THE TREE, AND I DID EAT. AND THE LORD GOD SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, WHAT IS THIS THAT THOU HAST DONE? AND THE WOMAN SAID, THE SERPENT BEGUILED ME, AND I DID EAT. Genesis, Chapter 3, Verses 8-13
Adam and Eve had never before experienced feelings of fear, shame and condemnation. They were accustomed to peace and security sustained through their relationship with God, their Creator.
Adam had hidden himself from the Presence of the Lord. Adam said he was afraid because he was naked. The problem the First Couple had after they sinned was not their nakedness, but now they were cognizant of their nakedness.
They were not aware they were naked before they sinned because they had done nothing wrong. Now they knew that they were naked, but it was not a natural nakedness. The Holy covering, the Presence of God, had departed from them. This was one of the spiritual lessons they learned as a consequence of their rebellion.
The problem was not that they were naked before one another, but their sin had made them naked and ashamed before God. It was a spiritual nakedness before God which caused them to feel ashamed. They committed Spiritual Adultery when they listened to the voice of the Serpent and partook the Forbidden Fruit. When they ate the Forbidden Fruit, they sinned against God and now their ability to have open heartfelt fellowship with Him had been lost.
Now, for the first time, Adam was experiencing emotions he had never known or felt before. Adam was afraid, and because he was afraid, he hid himself from the only one who could help him.
Adam was experiencing many negative emotions for the first time. He was confused and afraid. He did not understand everything that had transpired. One thing he did know, however, was that there would be consequences for his actions. BECAUSE FEAR HATH TORMENT, HE THAT HATH FEAR IS NOT MADE PERFECT IN LOVE. 1 John, Chapter 4, Verse 18.
In the Greek the word “torment” speaks of pending judgment. Adam knew he had sinned and that judgment would follow. That is why Adam hid himself from the Presence of God.
He was afraid of the punishment he knew would come. He was tormented by the fear of being judged.
Adam’s first inclination, after being confronted by God, was to try to cast the blame for his sin on his wife, Eve. Eve, in fearing judgment, then tried to cast blame on the Serpent. The best thing they could have done would have been to repent of their sin and ask for forgiveness.
They tried to hide their shame (sin) by sewing fig leaves together to make aprons for themselves. However, Adam was still afraid when he heard the Lord speaking to him in his Garden. Fear had entered his heart because he had sinned and judgment was imminent. One of the biggest problems in Christendom today is that God’s people are searching for natural remedies for their spiritual problems. The Tree of Life, Christ, is the only answer for the sin problem.
UNTO ADAM ALSO AND TO HIS WIFE DID THE LORD GOD MAKE COATS OF SKINS, AND CLOTHED THEM. Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 21. Mankind cannot pay the price for his own sin. Only God can remove the stain of sin in the hearts of men.
Many Bible Scholars believe the animal skins God clothed the First Couple with came from innocent lambs. Jesus is the Lamb of God slain for the remission of our sins. BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. John, Chapter 1, Verse 29.
WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE IS NO REMISSION OF SIN. Hebrews, Chapter 9, Verse 22. The blood of goats, bulls and lambs where just types and shadows of the pure righteous Blood of the true Lamb of God. Christ would one day shed His Blood on Calvary for the remission of sin.
All Religions, outside of Christianity, are Works Based Religions. However, many Churches are preaching a Works Based Gospel. In reality this is not the Gospel at all, but just a form of godliness. In other words, they teach that you can gain the approval of God and forgiveness of sins by your works. Paul warned the Christians at Galatia that they had been BEWITCHED and were reverting back to a “legalistic” form of Religion because they were advocating works rather than faith.
Today many Churches have fallen prey to the lie that works can get them to Heaven. The Blood Jesus shed at Calvary is the only door to Heaven. Christ is the only Truth that sets men free from the bondage of sin and the only Door by which man can enter Heaven.
A Works Based mentality comes from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is a trap of Satan which many people in the Church have fallen into. They have taken their eyes off of the Tree of Life and have donned a self-centered mentality. When Paul wrote “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENS ME”, he was affirming that he depended on the Finished Works of Christ for his salvation and not his works.
If we are working to find the approval of God, we are in essence saying that the Sacrifice of Christ at Calvary was not enough. When we are working to find approval from God, we not resting in the fact that ALL THINGS we have need of spiritually was provided at the Cross. There is nothing we can do to gain the approval of God other than having faith and being obedient to His Commandments.
We are guardians and custodians of our own Spiritual Garden. We have been given the task of protecting our hearts from the schemes of the Evil Empire of Darkness and the Serpent who desires to control our life. We are told to “GUARD OUR HEART (spirit) WITH ALL DILIGENCE BECAUSE OUT OF IT FLOW THE FORCES OF LIFE. Eating of the Tree of Life daily assures us we are on the Path of Spiritual Renewal and Restoration.