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 middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And 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."
GENESIS 2:9; 3:22
It's an old story. The serpent beguiled Eve, she and her husband ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, death, sorrow, and disease became a fact of life.
Some people think that God was unkind in banishing Adam and Ever from the Garden. But not so. God was just. Not only that, God was kind for " After he drives the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24).
How good and merciful of God to keep diseased and sin-sick man from eating of the tree of life. Has Adam and eve done so, it's likely that mankind, in his sad and sorry state, would have lived forever. Who wants to live forever in a body of sin and death? Not me.
Far from being a story of heavy-handed, cruel justice, the real story in the Garden is one of God's wisdom and compassion.
The tree of life not only grew in the Garden of Eden, but it will one day grow in the heaven and earth. Revelation 22:2-3 says, "On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse."
Thank You for showing such mercy in the Garden of Eden, Lord. And thank You for eternal life free from sorrow and sin.
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