The Tree of Life
The tree of life first appears in Scripture at the very beginning. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). Later we read in Exodus 20:11, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day…” Therefore, the tree of life was part of the creation in that first week.
The next time we see the tree of life it is in the Garden of Eden as a food option for its residents, Adam and Eve. That tree is positioned prominently next to the only other tree mentioned in the Garden—the tree of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). The LORD informed them about those trees offering them one—the tree of life—and forbidding the other.
Those two first people did not follow God’s commands. When God confronted them, they had been hiding because they knew they had sinned. He cursed them and then He kicked out of that Garden (Genesis 3). It is at that point that we see the importance of the tree of life. “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.” (verse 24).
That tree reappears at the end of Scripture. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14). Between the beginning and the end of Scripture, we find more references to it.
Solomon uses the tree of life 4 times. Proverbs 3:13 and 18 connects the tree of life to wisdom. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom…She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her and happy are all who retain her.” Proverbs 11:30 connects the tree of life to an evangelistic life. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise.” Then, he connects the tree of life to hope. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12). Finally, he connects the tree of life to wholesome speech. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4). The tree of life stands as a monument to all that is good and wholesome.
— Mike Johnson
