04.05. SHADOW: The Shadow of the Tree of Life

SHADOW: The Shadow of the Tree of Life Genesis 2:9 ; Genesis 3:22-24 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/5%20Shadow-%20Tree%20of%20Life.mp3

    Man has always had a fascination with finding the fountain of youth or a fountain of life. The fountain of youth is found in legends in both Europe and America. Indians in Central America believe it was in the Bahamas. Spanish explorers searched for in that area. Ponce de Leon as you will recall looked for it in Florida. There is a spring in St. Augustine today that is, not the fountain of youth or life, what he found. Men have been fascinated with the fountain that was supposed to make old persons young.

Well that was then, we know better now that we are in the new age of understanding. Yea, right, as the teenagers would say. On the front cover of November 2003 Reader’s Digest is emblazon the words, "The New Pill That Can End Aging." As the article is introduced on page 71 it says, "The End of Aging, Breakthrough science may keep us all from growing old." Today men still search for the "Pill of Youth," if you will. Today we are going to explore a topic that is no mythical legend or a hope of modern science. We are going to look at the Shadow of Life as we look at the foreshadowing of the tree of life found in the garden of Eden as it gives us an understanding of who Jesus was to be (before He came) and is.

I- The Tree of Life in Eden:

    We often place a great deal of emphasis on the tree that was forbidden to Adam and Eve that we skip over the other tree mentioned by name in the Bible, the tree of Life.

    Genesis 2:9 "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."

    Along with the tree of knowledge the tree of life grew. It was not forbidden, if fact it was probably encouraged to be partaken of. This tree was there to remind Adam and Eve that God was the giver and supplier of life. It has been referred to as the tree of immortality, we might could call it the tree of youth.

    Please go with me now to the next part of our text Genesis 3:22-24 "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: ²³Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. ²⁴So 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."

    After the fall of Adam and Eve God drives them out of the Garden of Eden. One of the critical reasons was so they could not eat of the tree of life. Would this have negated the sentence of death and made God out a liar? Satan would probably have said so. Could they have eaten of it and lived forever in their sin decaying body? Most do not think so.

    They are driven out, not willingly, then the access to this tree is guarded and forbidden. The tree of life fades from the scene of earth.

II- The Tree of Life Resurfaces:

    We find the tree of life is absent from the Bible until we come to the book of the Revelation. Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

    Revelation 22:1-2 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² 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 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

    The tree of life is not accessible for men until eternity as evidenced here. It resurfaces in heaven. It is said to be in the midst of the paradise of God. It is hidden from view in the shadows, if you will, in the present time.

III- The Type of Christ:

    Let us establish an important fact quickly. The tree of life only gives us a picture while Christ is Life itself. John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

    John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

    John 5:26 "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself."

    There are several things we need to observe about this foreshadow.

    1- It Pictures Healing: One thought that is attached to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden is that it was for healing. It certainly is not just implied in Revelation 22:2 "…for the healing of the nations."

    This gives us a picture of Christ in that we are healed by Him. Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."    

    2- It Pictures the Need to Partake to Have Life:

    The tree was there to be partaken of as opposed to the tree of knowledge which was forbidden. Remember when the angel was posted it was so they could not, "eat, and live for ever."

This reminds us that it is necessary to partake of Jesus. You cannot just know about Him you must experience Him in the new birth. Jesus said, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John 6:54-56

    Jesus was not talking about take the elements of the Lord’s Supper nor was He talking about cannibalism. He was talking about accepting Him into our being as food is taken into the body.    

John Gill says The situation of this tree in the midst of the garden well agrees with him who is in the midst of his church and people, (Jeremiah 1:13 2:7) stands open, is in sight, and is accessible to them all now, who may come to him, and partake of the fruits and blessings of his grace, which are many, constant, and durable, (Jeremiah 22:2 ) and who will be seen and enjoyed by all, to all eternity:"

    3- It Represented Eternal Life:

    This tree that stood in the garden represented life without end to Adam and Eve. In the Revelation it represents eternal life for the saints in the age to come. We know that Christ is the giver, sustainer and securer of eternal life that the tree of life pictures.

    John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

    Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

    Remember John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

    4- The Separation Speaks of Need of Reconciliation:

    Today we are separated from the literal tree of Life. We have Christ who is the one who is the bridge between God and man. The tree being absent from the world today is not without significance. It speaks of the separation between man and God and the need for reconciliation.

    Look at a couple of places in the Bible with me. Zephaniah 2:15-16 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."

    Colossians 1:20-22 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. ²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight."

    So we need to make a decision to live our life in Christ.

[My friend Marge had an experience] aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of the sunset. As the plane’s engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her. You have noticed the windows, He murmured beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to "abide in Me" with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. So it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway. And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or feel along the way. Learn this, act on it and you will be released, able to experience the "peace that passes understanding."

-- Catherine Marshall in Touching the Heart of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 6.