Shema “Tree of Life” Living Series #1

Bookends…so simple but wow, they are so helpful. Bookends are designed to help books to remain standing up in place. We have all had those moments of “wrestling” with our books to remain upright as we add another book or work to set-up the books on the shelf in an organized way. The help bookends provide allows a bookshelf to appear well-organized and orderly with a touch of character and/or personal expression added to compliment.

Bookends…often you need one on the left-side, let us say the beginning, and another on the right or at the end. In between the beginning bookend and the ending one stands, as a collection, the placed books to be kept and found. Perhaps an overextended introduction to make the point, when it comes to the “Tree of Life” the biblical revelation and narrative presents this organic image as a beginning “bookend” in Genesis as well as the ending “bookend” in Revelation. In between, in the various canonized Bible books, a thread of the “tree of life” is presented as an ongoing image of spiritual meaning.

Moreover, various trees and vegetation are mentioned throughout the Scriptures. Sometimes simply to their physical state but many times their living existence illustrates a truth of the character of God, or God’s servant, or spiritual living. This is the thrust of this series, Shema “Tree of Life” Living. In this introductory post the tree of life bookends are presented.

In Genesis 1-2, LORD God is demonstrating He is the Creator. Such large things, He speaks into existence in Genesis 1—sky, sea, the lights. But as He continues the creation, just a spectacular, becomes more smaller to decorate the larger landscape. Like on Day Three we read,

God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees on the land bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds.” It was so. The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11-12)

God creating and having in place the plants and trees was integral as He would provide on Day Six the inhabitants who would enjoy the bounty of shade and nutrition from the vegetation.

Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” It was so. (Genesis 1:29-30)

Then as God had Adam in place with assignments to care, rule, and name the animals a detailed description of two trees—the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil are highlighted for two reasons. First, for obedience as God instructs not to eat of the knowledge of good and evil tree. Second, to foreshadow the upcoming narrative of temptation and sin in Genesis 3.

The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.) (Genesis 2:9) 

Then the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Now the serpent was more shrewd than any of the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:1-6)

The sin and fall of man. Departure from the garden. No partaking of the tree of life.

God is Life! His creation story emphatically communicates He is the Source of Life. He gave a tree…a tree of life…located in the very center of His garden, to be a source of abundant provision and life. Yet, the forbidden tree, was chosen not only for a substitute for the tree of life but because of belief in a lie about God. Life was exchanged for a lie…a lie of death!

Yet, God still had His heavenly tree of life with Him. That tree is revealed in its heavenly state in final book, against the ending bookend, in final chapter of Revelation...

On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2) 

The Genesis Garden of Eden Tree was not only a wonderful earthly provision but a future  indication of the heavenly version. As true of  the Garden of Eden version, the Revelation 22 description of the tree of life denotes how the tree is surrounded and feed by rivers of water, the River of Life. (Remember, whether a tree or a river,  all God can be is life!)

At the left-hand side of the bookshelf is God’s beginning bookend with us in mind. It included a tree of life. The ending right-hand side of the bookshelf we see a second bookend. It, too, is a tree, an eternal, heavenly tree whose fruit comes forth each month and whose leaves or healing medicine for the nations.

Our Father, thank You for the image of Yourself and Your creation provision as the Tree of Life. Guide us fully into understanding Your Person and purpose in beginning and ending your revelation of Story with the image of a tree. We also thank You for the middle moment on the bookshelf of life that involved a tree…a cursed tree…the cross. It is that rugged tree that, in the end, demonstrated the superior tree of life living through death…that Your Son would carry and die on to allow us the opportunity to experience the eternal tree of life. You are Life, even after death!  In Jesus’ name. Amen