The Tree of Life

Genesis 2:9 (NKJV)-⁹  And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:21-24 (NKJV)-²¹  Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.²²  Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”–²³  therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.²⁴  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

When I was younger, I loved to identify trees. I would go to the park with my Audubon book of trees. I would look at different trees such as pine, oak, maple, and poplar trees. The book was great, filled with amazing photos of every kind of tree. God in Scripture uses trees as a metaphor or symbolism for many things in the Bible. From Genesis to the Book of Revelation. Such as righteousness, stability, spiritual life, spiritual growth, blessings, life, evil, curse, fruitfulness, knowledge, protection, prosperity, flourishing, wisdom, character-fruit, fulfillment, joy, a wholesome tongue, eternal life, healing, and earthly kingdoms. You can see this in the scriptures below. I wanted to write them out so you can see some of them.

• Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)-¹⁶  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;¹⁷  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
• Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)-³  To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Prov. 11:30).
• Psalm 1:3 (NKJV)–³  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (Jer. 17:8).
• Psalm 92:12 (NKJV)-¹²  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
• Isaiah 55:12 (NKJV)-¹²  “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
• Proverbs 3:18 (NKJV)-¹⁸  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
• Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV)¹²  Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
• Proverbs 15:4 (NKJV)-⁴  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
• Daniel 4:20-22 (NKJV)-²⁰  The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,²¹  whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home–²²  it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
• Ezekiel 17:23 (NKJV)-²³  On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell.
• Matthew 7:17-20 (NKJV)-¹⁷  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.¹⁸  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.¹⁹  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.²⁰  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
• Luke 13:7 (NKJV)-⁷  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’
• Revelation 2:7 (NKJV)-⁷  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ‘
• Revelation 22:2 (NKJV)-²  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Throughout Scripture, a healthy tree often represents a person whose life is rooted in God, while a dying or fruitless tree represents spiritual barrenness or judgment. God has given us the gift of trees for so many purposes. They provide food, shade, wood for building, paper, oil, medicine, and protection. Trees generate oxygen. They convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into oxygen and glucose, contributing about 21% of the planet’s oxygen supply. Trees prevent soil erosion; trees mark the different seasons in life. Trees are important in sustaining life in so many ways.  “If we get rid of all the trees, we will live [on] a planet that might not actually be able to sustain us anymore, as one lecturer noted.”  All in all, trees became necessary and important in life, not just a powerful metaphor. I find it interesting when driving that there are multitudes of telephone poles that look like crosses along the road. They carry power and information. There is power in the cross and the wonderful information of love and redemption that the cross carries. The Gospel of Christ. ( Rom. 1:16-17). What a reminder of the goodness of God as we travel life’s road!

In Psalm 92: 12, the righteous would be like a Palm tree. What is great about a palm tree is its root system and its ability to withstand strong winds. In the winds of adversity, as believers rooted in Christ, we can withstand them. We are to be rooted in Christ. Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)-⁶  As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,⁷  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. God doesnt want us to faint in the day of adversity (Prov. 24:10). What makes a strong root system is the Word of God dwelling richly in us ( Col 3:16, Isaiah 33:6). We can be rooted in ourselves, our careers, sports, money, religion, and those root systems can fail us! We can not put our hope and trust in these. The cross, the tree of life, and God’s Word will never fail us!

I like Job 14:7 (NKJV)-⁷  “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Life can cut us down at times; people can fail us, disappointments can come, but when we are rooted in Christ, rooted in the scriptures, there is always hope! Proverbs tell us this: Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV)¹²  Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life ( Job 14;7). One translation says unrelenting disappointment. When there is a fulfillment of a promise, it is a tree of life. Why is that so? Because a tree represents firmness, stability, and surety. The promise is not dead! It stands as a testimony of fulfillment. The world seemed hopeless in the days that Jesus walked the earth. A government oppressed people, and the yoke of a religious system was around their necks. Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV)-²  The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. Jesus, the promised Messiah, would change everything, for He is the light and hope of the world.(Acts 26:18). Jesus died on a tree. He became a curse for us that brought us life (Gal. 3:13, Acts 5:30). Deuteronomy 21:22 (NKJV)-²²  “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree. Jesus is the tree of Life! The Old Test. depicted in the type and shadow of the serpent on the pole that Moses made to bring healing to the Israelites bitten by serpents (Numbers 21:8). We see this in John’s gospel:John 3:14-15 (NKJV)-¹⁴  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Also in John 12:31-32 (NKJV)-³¹  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.²  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” The word “people” was added by translators but was not in the original Greek. It should read I will draw all judgment to myself. Jesus took God’s wrath and judgment for sin on the cross on our behalf. He paid the penalty for our sin. That is why we can look to the cross, the tree of life, and receive forgiveness of sin and healing just like the Israelites did! That is good news ( Hebrews 12:1-2). Where we look means everything! How wonderful the tree of life!

In conclusion, the Bible talks about a tree of life both in the Garden of Eden and in the paradise of God, the eternal city. (Rev. 2:7, Rev. 22:2). It represents abundant life, eternal life, and healing. No longer barred from the tree as Adam was, no longer forbidden. What a day that will be for the redeemed of the Lord. Yet today we can benefit from the man who hung on a tree for us. He gives us eternal life, wisdom, knowledge, healing, protection, refuge, and covering ( Psalm 103:1-6). He is the great and true vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit for Him (John 15:5). His life flows through us! Rivers of living waters ( John 7:37-39). The tree of righteousness became our righteousness ( 2 Cor. 5:21). He is sure, stable, rooted, reliable, and immovable! From the tree of life came a wholesome tongue of love and forgiveness. The tree of life, the cross of Christ, is an eternal testimony of fulfillment! Promises made and promises kept! Keep looking!

Acts 17:28 (NKJV)-²⁸  for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

At the Cross

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!

At the cross, at the cross,
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

In Christ’s love;

Brent and Linda Bushen

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