THREE TREES

When God created Adam and Eve, they were innocent of sin; they were righteous; they were in fellowship with their Creator.  Although they lived in a garden, set apart from the rest of the world, they apparently could go in and out of it, because God told them to "replenish the earth"  (Gen. 1:28; 2:8; 3:22-24).  It is unfortunate that the KJV uses the word "replenish" because it gives the false impression that the world had previously been fully populated.  The Hebrew word מָלָא (male'), means "to fill," not to "refill."  They were to populate the earth.  

And in that garden, there were three categories of trees.  The Word says, "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." (Gen. 2:9). 

God gave them one "law."  They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17).  God told Adam the penalty for eating of the forbidden tree was death, and not just death, but immediate death (Gen. 2:17).  Since Adam lived hundreds of years following his transgression (Gen. 5:1-5), it is obvious that the death about which God spoke, was the death of Adam's spirit.  Jesus informed Nicodemus that he needed to be born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8).  Paul wrote that man, though physically alive, is spiritually dead due to his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:9).

So, Adam and Eve could eat from all the trees except one.  They could eat from the trees which provided them with food, and logic tells us that when they were hungry, they did so.  They could eat from the tree of life, but I am not exactly sure as to why they needed to.  After all, death is the result of ones sin (Rom. 6:23a).  If Adam and Eve had not eaten from the forbidden tree, they would not have sinned, and therefore, one would think they would not need the tree of life.  Oh well, I will just add that question to the thousands on my list to ask God.  LOL

Approximately 4000 years passed, and again there were three trees.  One held an unrepentant sinner who died in his sins (Mt. 27:44; Mk. 15:32), a second held a criminal who was saved by placing his trust in Jesus (Lk. 23:39-43), and the third held the Jesus, "the King of the Jews" (Lk. 23:38).  One tree held a sinner filled with hate, one tree held a sinner filled with hope, and the third tree held the sinless Son of God, filled with love (Mt. 3:17; 17:5; 2 Pet. 1:17; Heb. 4:15; Rev. 3:9).  Jesus will, one day, sentence the first man to everlasting punishment, but He had already saved the second man and written his name in the book of life (Rev. 20:11-15).

We all need to look upon Jesus and decide to either mock Him, or worship Him.

Your decision has eternal consequences!