TWO TREES
"Where did SIN (evil) come from?" you might
ask. "Was evil in the Garden?"
God planted two particular trees in the Garden where Adam lived. The New
Living Translation says in Genesis 2:8-9, 'Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the
man he had created. And the Lord God planted all sorts of trees in the garden--beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit.
At the center of the garden he placed the TREE of LIFE and the TREE of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL.'
The KNOWLEDGE
of EVIL has been in the world since Lucifer (also called the Devil, Satan, and King of Tyre). He was created a beautiful being
with all manner of jewels and gold, pipes for music; and he was created a guardian cherub, which is a high ranking angel,
that was next to God's Throne. He was anointed of God and was perfect as God had created him, 'til iniquity was found in thee',
according to Ezekiel 28:15.
An astonishing description is given of the Devil in The New Living Translation, Ezekiel
28:11-19, 'Then this further message came to me from the Lord; "Son of man, weep for the king of Tyre. Give him this
message from the Sovereign LORD: you were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing
was adorned with every precious stone --red carnelian, chrysolite, white moonstone, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise,
and emerald--all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created.
I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the
stones of fire."
God further said to Ezekiel concerning Lucifer, "You were blameless in all you did from
the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with violence, and you sinned.
So I banished you from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your
heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So I threw
you to the earth and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest
trade. So I brought fire from within you, and it consumed you. I let it burn you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all
who were watching. All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you are no more."
The terrible end of Lucifer that God is describing here is mentioned in Revelation 20:10 where he is thrown into the lake
of fire at a future time after the Rapture and the thousand year reign of Christ which will be "at the end of days".
Isaiah 14:12, 15, explains Lucifer (the Devil) tried to take over the Throne of God and was thrown out of Heaven.
Job 1:7 says he now walks to and fro in the Earth. The New Living Translation says in I Peter 5:8 that he is in the Earth
seeking to devour, 'Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion,
looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your FAITH. Remember that your Christian
brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.'
The Devil still
has access to God's Throne in Heaven to ACCUSE us and CONDEMN us, using the LAW, before God, until a time appointed by God
when he will be destroyed, Revelation 12:10; 20:10.
I John 43:8, 'He that committeth SIN is of the Devil; for the
Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that HE might destroy the works of the Devil.'
The works of the Devil is the power of SIN that brings about destruction to all partakers. He held the KEYS to DEATH, Hell
and the grave until Jesus took them away from him when He rose from the dead. In Revelation 1:18, after His Resurrection,
Jesus tells the Apostle John in a vision, 'I AM HE that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and
have the keys of hell and of DEATH.'
The second tree found in the middle of the Garden was the TREE of LIFE, which
bore fruit of ETERNAL LIFE. The New Living Translation says in I John 5:11, 'And this is what God has testified; He has given
us ETERNAL LIFE, and this life is in HIS SON.' So, whoever has God's Son has LIFE; whoever does not have His Son does not
have life.
GREATEST GIFT LOST
As a consequence of Adam’s disobedience, called
THE FALL OF ADAM, he lost the KINGDOM OF GOD; that most precious gift God gave him, namely, HIMSELF.
God could
no longer live with Adam in the Garden He had prepared for him, because he was now evil. No longer would He visit him in the
cool of the evening. Adam was now in a sinful state, so God drove him from His Garden, Genesis 3:22. Had God not closed the
Garden to him, he could have lived forever in a degenerate condition, had he eaten the fruit of the TREE OF LIFE. A Holy God
will not permit SIN or anything that defiles to live in His Garden, whether during Adam’s time or a future time when
He has a New Garden, called NEW JERUSALEM mentioned in Revelation 21:27.
Genesis 3:23-24 relates how Adam now finds
himself to be in a harsh environment where he has to grow his food with much labor. Worst of all, “Old Adam” was
now out of fellowship with his MAKER.
Chapter 1-3 O Death More Trouble!