Genesis 3
Our study began, seeing Adam and Eve eating fruit from the tree
that gives knowledge about good and evil,
that tree God forbid them to eat.
But remember, the Garden of EDEN had two special trees:
[1] the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil, and
[2] the Tree of Life.
Four-weeks-ago, our study began focusing-on the first tree.
Now our study ends focusing-on the second tree.
Genesis 3:20-24
20 The man named his wife EVE [meaning "life"], because she became mother for every person that since lived.
21 Lord God made clothes from animal skin for the man and his wife, and God put-clothes-on-them.
22 Then the Lord God said, "Man has[finish] become same-as Us; he knows good and evil. Now, if Man eats fruit from the Tree of Life, he will live forever. He must not do that."
23 The Lord God forced the man out from the Garden of Eden, to go work the ground, that ground God took and made man.
24 After God forced the man out [finish], God put an angel, protecting the Garden of Eden, on the east side. And God put there a sword of fire. That sword turned every way, protecting [blocking] the way to the Tree of Life.
that gives knowledge about good and evil,
that tree God forbid them to eat.
But remember, the Garden of EDEN had two special trees:
[1] the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil, and
[2] the Tree of Life.
Four-weeks-ago, our study began focusing-on the first tree.
Now our study ends focusing-on the second tree.
Genesis 3:20-24
20 The man named his wife EVE [meaning "life"], because she became mother for every person that since lived.
21 Lord God made clothes from animal skin for the man and his wife, and God put-clothes-on-them.
22 Then the Lord God said, "Man has[finish] become same-as Us; he knows good and evil. Now, if Man eats fruit from the Tree of Life, he will live forever. He must not do that."
23 The Lord God forced the man out from the Garden of Eden, to go work the ground, that ground God took and made man.
24 After God forced the man out [finish], God put an angel, protecting the Garden of Eden, on the east side. And God put there a sword of fire. That sword turned every way, protecting [blocking] the way to the Tree of Life.
Two trees.
One tree gives life.
The other tree gives death.
Adam & Eve first choose which tree?
Yes, the tree that gives death.
Today we see people still making that same choice.
Often, when God offers-us life,
we choose death.
Now, Question:
After Adam & Eve sinned,
God didn't-want them eating fruit from the Tree of Life.
God blocked their way to that tree.
Why???
God said,
"If Man eats fruit from the Tree of Life,
he will live forever. He must not do that."
God first made man and woman perfect, having no sin.
God's first plan for us, means life forever. No death.
But now we are perfect no more.
We all sin, and sin leads to death.
If we understand this Bible verse right,
that Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden
can stop physical death, only.
Yes, God's judgment against Adam & Eve
blocked their way to that Tree of Life.
But also, that was God's mercy.
Imagine, living forever in sin!
I don't know about you,
but I am happy that God limited our time
for struggling against sin.
In Genesis chapter 6,
God says He limits the number of years for our life,
because person living a long time can invent much evil.
God said,
"My Spirit will not struggle against people forever,
because they are sinful flesh
From-now-on, they will live only 120 years."
But, you know-that here in Genesis chapter 3 is not the last time
we see the Tree of Life.
We see that Tree again in the last book of the Bible, REVELATION.
The Bible often compares
the Garden of Eden
and heaven.
The Hebrew word for "garden" is "paradise!"
Also, we see the Bible's description about heaven
includes the Tree of Life.
Relation chapter 2, in the first letter to 7 different churches,
Jesus said:
"My Holy Spirit now speaks to your churches.
Every person must pay attention.
Every person that wins,
I will give-him the right to eat fruit
from the Tree of Life,
that tree God's garden."
In REV. 22, the last chapter in the Bible,
JOHN saw the Tree of Life,
"that gives healing for the nations."
Then Jesus said,
"Happy are people who wash their robes.
They will receive the right to eat the fruit
from the Tree of Life.
And they can go through the gates into the city."
Yes, God kicked Adam & Eve out from the Garden of Eden.
But not forever!
Yes, God block their way to the Tree of Life,
but only for a short time!
Our way back into God's Garden is how?
That verse in Revelation explains two steps.
The first step is "washing our robes."
The Bible often uses that picture meaning
washing away our sins.
That already happened
when Jesus died on the cross for us
for taking-away our guilt.
Remember in Genesis chapter 3, after Adam & Eve sinned,
they tried to cover their shame using fig leaves.
But that didn't succeed.
In our story today, we see God covered them, using animal skins.
Those animals that died to cover Adam & Eve's bodies,
that becomes a picture for Jesus, God's perfect Lamb,
sacrificed for us,
covering our ugly sins in His perfect blood.
If we want to enter heaven, we must be covered in Christ Jesus.
The second step for entering heaven, Jesus said,
is eating fruit from the Tree of Life.
But what exactly does that mean?
We find the answer
in the Greek word the Bible uses for "tree."
In English we have only one word: T-R-E-E.
And in ASL we have only one sign: tree.
But the Greek language, has two words:
[1] DENDRON
[2] XULON
The first word, DENDRON, means a living growing green tree.
For example, Jesus said,
"Every good tree - DENDRON - grows good fruit,
but a bad tree - DENDRON - grows bad fruit" [Matthew 7:17]
That is the word the Bible most often uses for naming a tree.
But the Bible also uses the other Greek word, XULON,
meaning WOOD.
For example, Peter on trial for preaching about Jesus,
Peter told the judges,
"You killed Jesus by nailing Him on the Tree - XULON." [Acts 5:30]
...meaning the cross.
Later Peter wrote in his first letter,
"Jesus carried our sins in His body on the Tree - XULON -
so we can stop living for sin and start living for what is right."
[1 Peter 2:24]
And in several other verses, the Bible uses that word XULON
for naming the cross where Jesus died.
One tree gives life.
The other tree gives death.
Adam & Eve first choose which tree?
Yes, the tree that gives death.
Today we see people still making that same choice.
Often, when God offers-us life,
we choose death.
Now, Question:
After Adam & Eve sinned,
God didn't-want them eating fruit from the Tree of Life.
God blocked their way to that tree.
Why???
God said,
"If Man eats fruit from the Tree of Life,
he will live forever. He must not do that."
God first made man and woman perfect, having no sin.
God's first plan for us, means life forever. No death.
But now we are perfect no more.
We all sin, and sin leads to death.
If we understand this Bible verse right,
that Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden
can stop physical death, only.
Yes, God's judgment against Adam & Eve
blocked their way to that Tree of Life.
But also, that was God's mercy.
Imagine, living forever in sin!
I don't know about you,
but I am happy that God limited our time
for struggling against sin.
In Genesis chapter 6,
God says He limits the number of years for our life,
because person living a long time can invent much evil.
God said,
"My Spirit will not struggle against people forever,
because they are sinful flesh
From-now-on, they will live only 120 years."
But, you know-that here in Genesis chapter 3 is not the last time
we see the Tree of Life.
We see that Tree again in the last book of the Bible, REVELATION.
The Bible often compares
the Garden of Eden
and heaven.
The Hebrew word for "garden" is "paradise!"
Also, we see the Bible's description about heaven
includes the Tree of Life.
Relation chapter 2, in the first letter to 7 different churches,
Jesus said:
"My Holy Spirit now speaks to your churches.
Every person must pay attention.
Every person that wins,
I will give-him the right to eat fruit
from the Tree of Life,
that tree God's garden."
In REV. 22, the last chapter in the Bible,
JOHN saw the Tree of Life,
"that gives healing for the nations."
Then Jesus said,
"Happy are people who wash their robes.
They will receive the right to eat the fruit
from the Tree of Life.
And they can go through the gates into the city."
Yes, God kicked Adam & Eve out from the Garden of Eden.
But not forever!
Yes, God block their way to the Tree of Life,
but only for a short time!
Our way back into God's Garden is how?
That verse in Revelation explains two steps.
The first step is "washing our robes."
The Bible often uses that picture meaning
washing away our sins.
That already happened
when Jesus died on the cross for us
for taking-away our guilt.
Remember in Genesis chapter 3, after Adam & Eve sinned,
they tried to cover their shame using fig leaves.
But that didn't succeed.
In our story today, we see God covered them, using animal skins.
Those animals that died to cover Adam & Eve's bodies,
that becomes a picture for Jesus, God's perfect Lamb,
sacrificed for us,
covering our ugly sins in His perfect blood.
If we want to enter heaven, we must be covered in Christ Jesus.
The second step for entering heaven, Jesus said,
is eating fruit from the Tree of Life.
But what exactly does that mean?
We find the answer
in the Greek word the Bible uses for "tree."
In English we have only one word: T-R-E-E.
And in ASL we have only one sign: tree.
But the Greek language, has two words:
[1] DENDRON
[2] XULON
The first word, DENDRON, means a living growing green tree.
For example, Jesus said,
"Every good tree - DENDRON - grows good fruit,
but a bad tree - DENDRON - grows bad fruit" [Matthew 7:17]
That is the word the Bible most often uses for naming a tree.
But the Bible also uses the other Greek word, XULON,
meaning WOOD.
For example, Peter on trial for preaching about Jesus,
Peter told the judges,
"You killed Jesus by nailing Him on the Tree - XULON." [Acts 5:30]
...meaning the cross.
Later Peter wrote in his first letter,
"Jesus carried our sins in His body on the Tree - XULON -
so we can stop living for sin and start living for what is right."
[1 Peter 2:24]
And in several other verses, the Bible uses that word XULON
for naming the cross where Jesus died.
Now, guess which word Jesus uses for naming the Tree of Life
in the last book of the Bible. ??
[1] DENDRON - a living, growing, green tree?
or [2] XULON - the cross?
Which?
Yes #2.
The Tree that gives Life forever
is the cross of Jesus Christ.
In His death that happened in our sin-filled world,
we receive life forever in His perfect world.
Sin kicked us out from Eden,
but Jesus and His cross leads us back in.
An angel and a sword of fire blocked the way to the Garden.
Now Jesus stands blocking our way to hell.
The tree that gives knowledge about good and evil
brings us death.
But Jesus' cross becomes the Tree of Life,
that makes possible again
God's first, beginning plan for us,
when He made our world good and perfect.
Now in Christ, we can live forever!
Thank you, Jesus! Amen!
in the last book of the Bible. ??
[1] DENDRON - a living, growing, green tree?
or [2] XULON - the cross?
Which?
Yes #2.
The Tree that gives Life forever
is the cross of Jesus Christ.
In His death that happened in our sin-filled world,
we receive life forever in His perfect world.
Sin kicked us out from Eden,
but Jesus and His cross leads us back in.
An angel and a sword of fire blocked the way to the Garden.
Now Jesus stands blocking our way to hell.
The tree that gives knowledge about good and evil
brings us death.
But Jesus' cross becomes the Tree of Life,
that makes possible again
God's first, beginning plan for us,
when He made our world good and perfect.
Now in Christ, we can live forever!
Thank you, Jesus! Amen!
END NOTES ("tree")
Other NT verses that use DENDRON for green, growing tree:
Matt. 3:10
7:17-18
12:33
13:32
21:8
Mark 8:24
Luke 3:9
21:29
Rev. 7:1-3
8:7
9:4
Matt. 3:10
7:17-18
12:33
13:32
21:8
Mark 8:24
Luke 3:9
21:29
Rev. 7:1-3
8:7
9:4
Verses that use XULON for the "tree" of the cross of Christ:
Acts 5:30
10:39
13:29
Galatians 3:13
1 Peter 2:24
Verses that use XULON for the "Tree of Life"
Rev. 2:7
Rev. 22:2,14,19
Acts 5:30
10:39
13:29
Galatians 3:13
1 Peter 2:24
Verses that use XULON for the "Tree of Life"
Rev. 2:7
Rev. 22:2,14,19
What is the Hebrew word for "tree" in the Genesis texts? The Hebrew word ETz is the word for "tree" most freqently used throughout the OT, including the Genesis texts. That word also refers to virtually anything made of wood - timbers and planks in houses, fire wood, gallows, wood carved into idols, etc.
What about the Septuagint? How does it translate "tree of life?" Surprise! Three hundred years before the crucifixion of Christ, the rabbis and scribe who translated the Septuagint also chose the Greek word XULON, rather than DENDRON, when translating "tree" in the Genesis 1-3 texts
What about the Septuagint? How does it translate "tree of life?" Surprise! Three hundred years before the crucifixion of Christ, the rabbis and scribe who translated the Septuagint also chose the Greek word XULON, rather than DENDRON, when translating "tree" in the Genesis 1-3 texts