Choosing Which Tree To Nourish Life

Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17, 3:1-3, 17, 20-24

In Genesis 1:1-2:6 God created the earth.

A.   God formed man from the ground and put him in the garden. In the midst of the garden God placed two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 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.

In verses 10-14 God created the rivers

B.   God told Adam that he was not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told Adam that if he should eat of this tree he would surely die. (die means to be separated from, not cease to exist.)

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17

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.

In verses 18-25 God created Eve

C.   The serpent questioned God's word and guided Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan deceived Eve by telling her she would not die, and then used her desire to be wise to cause her to disobey God. She was mistaken when she believed that wisdom comes from gaining knowledge of what is good and evil instead of following God. Wisdom begins with fearing God, not individually figuring out what is good and evil. Wisdom comes from accepting what God says, not deciding if what He says is good or evil.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 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. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 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. 7 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.

In verses 8-16 God met with Adam and Eve and proclaimed His curse upon the ground and told Adam and Eve that they would have to eat from it the rest of their lives.

D.   Adam listened to the voice of Eve (hearkened) instead of following God's command. Because of this God told Adam that in sorrow he would eat of the ground all the days of his life. They could no longer eat of the trees of the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

In verses 18-19 God's curse upon the ground was thorns and thistles, and Adam and Eve would have to work until they returned to the ground from which they were made.

E.   God stated that Adam had become as "one of us." God put Cherubims (special angelic beings described in Ezekiel 4 and 10) to guard the Tree of Life. God did not let Adam and Eve continue their lives in the Garden of Eden after they had the knowledge of good and evil. God separated Himself from their presence and Adam and Eve lived knowing and choosing what is good and evil instead of being with God.

F.   Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Introduction

There were two trees named that were in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were given the ability to choose between these two trees.

Adam and Eve chose the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil instead of the Tree of Life. After they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God would not let them eat of the Tree of Life and live forever on the earth. In their state of being (condemned to living without the presence of God) it would have been insufferable for them to live eternally on this earth in their state of knowing good and evil. What would life have been like for Adam and Eve if they were still alive on the earth today and suffered through all the evil and pain of the last six thousand years? How many times has someone stated things like "I'm sure glad your mother didn't live to see this?"

When Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they became as gods. It was placed upon them to be the ones who would decide what was good and what was evil based upon their own (man's) knowledge - which is not God's knowledge.

Choosing Which Tree To Nourish Life

Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

There is great danger when people believe in false gods. Throughout the Bible God condemns worshiping and giving any kind of offerings to any god except Him. When people make things or people into gods it causes them to live their lives giving to their false gods. In their own deceit they believe the false god will in some way help them. Adam and Eve became "as gods" when they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and since that time all humans are "self-gods" by making their own decisions about what is good and evil. Since Adam and Eve, mankind has lived to give to their own self (god). Mankind trusts in its own choices based on its knowledge of good and evil.

A.   When people trust in themselves they are gods, which are idols. Idols are things which usurp the place of almighty God in the hearts of people. When people elevate humans or things above God, they have moved into idolatry. When people choose to determine what is good and evil from their own knowledge they are gods making themselves idols.

1Chronicles 16:25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

B.   Those that choose false gods over the Lord God (to replace the Lord God) are an abomination to God. Abomination is to detest something with extreme hatred. God loves humans and feels abomination when they trust in false gods because it removes almost all hope of them being saved. Romans 6:16 tells us that we become servants to whom...