The Natures of the Trees of Paradise

     I was talking to a fine Christian man yesterday whose denomination does not focus on the Old Testament as much as the New. I said to him, "The entire gospel story of the New Testament is entirely presented in the first three chapters of Genesis. I could commence with chapter one and relate the origin of the universe and man, and relate it to the "regeneration", or the re-genesis of those who are born again. Indeed the "new birth" event is God restoring mankind to his original relationship with Him.  Bullying for Arminius for a second, after Adam's genesis he still fell away, and Arminianism is believing that after regeneration, the new creature can still do the same.

     However, this commentary is not about eternal security. It is about the trees in the Garden of Eden. They were real trees, I believe, but they also had much symbolism or they would not be there! I've written so many times before that the Tree of Life represents the "Godhead" - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    The "tree" itself represents the aspect of God which can be seen - who is Jesus Christ. The "root" represents the Father from whom the Tree emanates, and the underground water, which cannot be seen, represents the Holy Spirit. God is not the tree! The symbolism in the trees are the means of establishing a covenant - the Adamic Covenant. 

     There is a great promise in that because Jesus, alongside His Father and with reunion with his Spirt, are all in the Paradise of Heaven, Adam was promised grace and eternal life in the Promised Land. We know from John's  Revelation that Jesus is the Tree of Life, and the "promise land" is the City of God. Obviously, the Garden Paradise is Heaven! The re-genesis, it seems, is not only to be the restoration of mankind to the Designers intent but also to the "land" which is in the genesis.

     Now back to the trees in the Garden: They were real trees, and the trees represented something. Two stood in the midst of the Garden. So, now please read the tree story with open eyes:

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God 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. (Gen 2:8-10) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 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). 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 with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Gen 3:6)

      There are trees all over Paradise. However, there are two trees in the midst of the Garden, so they must serve a purpose. In another verse (Gen 2:15), Adam's job assignment was to "dress and keep the Garden." Note that "work" had not entered the world at that time. It was only after Adam sinned (Gen 3:17-19),  and was cast out of the Garden (Gen 3:29) that he was penalized by work. (Hold that thought for a moment.)
     Therefore, Adam's job assignment was effortless - to honor God and the other "trees". All combined they were the "garden" which Adam was to dress and keep. I believe that means to honor and love. That is a foreshadowing of the Greatest Commandment - loving God and others with all hearts, minds, souls, and strengths (Luke 10:27). Without work yet required, "strength" would mean spiritual communication - the harmonizing of the self with God and others. It seems that "strength" is empathy out of love! Thus, the idea of the Tree of Life is the Doctrine of God, and the idea of the Forbidden Tree is the Doctrine of Man. We find out much later that one is the Law of God and the other the law of sin (Rom 7:25). The first is doing God's will, and the second is thinking that people do as they please, but the cunning Serpent has mankind doing his will (Gen 3:1).
    Now back to work part which was put on hold: After Adam and Eve sinned, they took fig leaves and made themselves a covering for their genitals. I believe that their sin was pleasuring each other rather than what God commanded, which was to go forth and multiply (Gen 1:28). It may have been that pleasuring rather than caring for and loving God and others that was the sin. By making an apron of fig leaves, Adam performed the first work. It was for him and Eve. They had not used their strength for God and the other "trees". God had taken care of them, and all they had to do was care for Him and others. Rather than spiritually harmonizing with God and others, Adam and Eve became "one" if you know what I mean, as they pleasured with each other.
     After the sin, because they were made in God's image, they rightfully judged themselves, and the first occasion of the aspect of guilt ensued. God convicted them, they saw their infraction, and sought to redeem themselves. Their aprons they made and the works of their hands as well have been "filthy rags" to God (Isa 64:6).
    Then, because God so loved his creatures (John 3:16), He didn't want them to die, and by grace he covered their shame with the skin of an innocent animal who died and shed blood for their sins. This act is representative of Jesus's death on the cross, and this animal - a lamb perhaps - died in their place. Someone had to die because God had said so. God is merciful and by grace covered Adam and Eve's transgressions.
    Both creatures were expelled from the Garden where they had been safe from dying. The Serpent was not allowed to kill them. That is God's place as to what kind of punishment is permissible (Job 1:12). There had been a spiritual hedge around the Garden with one gate for egress and ingress, and it was guarded by Cherubim. By only one path could anyone re-enter the Garden. All men are created outside the Garden, but must know the way to return. Recognizing that the one and only "Way" is by God's Name - Jesus - can anyone re-enter. Those who re-enter the Garden by regeneration are kept in a condition of safety as Job was within his hedge.
     Outside the Garden lies the consequences of sin. Adam and Eve were safe but were still heartily attacked by the Serpent with a new title - Satan. As with Job, Satan and his dark angels could mess with Adam, Eve, and all Christians, but could not kill them or us. Thus, life is tribulation and God allows Satan to test the creatures' faithfulness. The payment for servanthood to sin is death (Rom 6:23). Outside the Garden, Adam and Eve would die "quickly" for in comparison to eternity, nine-hundred years is nothing!
     They died the first death, but it must be remembered - God covered their sins and they would not suffer the second death which is eternal. Sacred literature, if indeed sacred, indicates that Adam and Eve remained righteous in God's eyes as Job remained  righteous. Job is a type of Adam, and the Book of Job is typical of Adam's and Eve's conflicts with Satan. God allowed Adam, Job, and allows us to be tested by Satan to see if we can endure to the end: "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Mat 10:22).
    With that prologue, tomorrow the nature of the trees will be explained. Keep in mind that Adam and Eve covered their sins with fig leaves; that has significance.