Delve
We begin our Bible Journeys Soundbites in the Garden of Eden with a tale about two trees.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009 00:00 | and posted in Two Trees
The Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden... Genesis 3:22-23
Adam and Eve begin their journey away from the garden in what could be seen as a severe move by God to banish them from Eden. However, God in his grace is actually protecting them; if they ate now from the tree of life they would have to live forever with their sin. God sends them away, but he doesn’t abandon them. It’s like God too moves away from the garden to walk in the desert…
Tuesday, 14 July 2009 00:00 | and posted in Two Trees
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17
God does not forbid eating fruit from the tree of life… I only noticed this recently and it has added real poignancy to this story for me. Like Adam and Eve, we regularly choose to focus on what God says is unhealthy or bad for us rather on the good things he has already given us access to. Do you need to do some re-focusing this week?
Monday, 13 July 2009 00:00 | and posted in Two Trees
The Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed... In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9
In the centre of Eden were two trees. One of them offered life, while the other offered death. One represented intimacy with God, the other represented knowledge. We already know from which tree the fruit was taken, but I am still struck by how often this choice of two trees mirrors our own stories. How often do you choose knowledge about God over intimacy with him?