Bible Reading: Psalm 66; Revelation 22.
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” – Revelation 22:2 (KJV).
When God planted the garden of Eden, he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in it. Man was warned not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There is no record that man was commanded or instructed by God not to eat of the tree of life which also was in the midst of the garden. Because satan, which the old serpent represents, meant evil for man, he rather drew man’s attention to the forbidden tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). If man had eaten the tree of life instead of the forbidden tree, he would have lived forever with God; satan is an adversary and not a friend. He deceived man to eat of the forbidden fruit instead of drawing man’s attention to the tree of life.
Jesus is to the Christians what the tree of life is to Adam in the garden. In him you have eternal life. He is the living bread, the living water, the tree of life, the truth and the life. The tree of life is God’s nature in man; the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, that results in eternal life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the nature of sin, satan and the death he brings. He is the source of sin and death. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destoy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” – John 10:10 (KJV). God in his wisdom kept the tree of life away from man to protect him from being in the fallen state forever after he had eaten the forbidden fruit. Today, having received the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, we have become part of the tree of life.
PRAYER: Thank you Jesus for qualifying us to eat of the tree of life.
Rev. Vincent Diolu