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Tree of Life

We have looked at the topic of trees several times this year. We saw that trees play a big part in life. Today we want to look at another tree, the Tree of Life. We saw that Yeshua/Jesus died on a tree that brought us life: Yeshua, the Living Torah, the Word of God. Once again we want to take a closer look at another tree that brings us life: the Tree of Life.

Genesis 2:9 says, “LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The Tree of Life has been somewhat of a mystery to us. Some people debate that the Tree of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life are one and the same. We do know that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Good and Evil and their eyes were opened to exactly that: the right and wrong of things. They saw into the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light. They saw their sin, and their sin multiplied with Cain killing Abel.

Could this be the reason why God put these two trees in the center of the garden? Because these two trees were and are still the center of life. Could life be all about good and evil, the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light? Psalm 1:1-3 tells us, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” Proverbs 3:13-18 tells us about the Tree of Life: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.”

The writer tells us that wisdom (the Word of God) is so valuable to us that it is worth more than anything that we might hold dear. No money, no jewels can even come close to the value of God’s Word (wisdom). Yeshua is the Word, the Torah made flesh. John 1:1-5 says this about Yeshua: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Yeshua Himself said that He was the way, the truth, and the the life (John 14:6). So what gives us the knowledge of good and evil? God’s Word, His Torah (which is God’s Word). The Torah was from the beginning, and it is the same yesterday and today and forever. It is the foundation, and it is God’s wisdom. It is what we as believers must find and let our roots go down deep into. It is our foundation and it is our life because God has told us this in His Word. This is who Yeshua is, and we must not close our eyes to it. It was Yeshua who was in the center of that Garden. He is the Tree of Life, He is the Tree of Knowledge. As believers, we have closed our eyes to this fact. We have been told that we do not need our foundation, we do not need the Tree of Life, we do not need God’s Wisdom, for all we need is Yeshua. YES, we need Yeshua, the Word of God, the Torah. YES, we need the shed blood of Yeshua also. But Yeshua (salvation), God, came down to gain us salvation, but that does not negate the fact that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life. His flesh is His fruit, the bread of life that sustains us for life. His blood cleanses us from sin for life. We must have both. We too must be trees of life so that others can come and eat of our fruit. Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” The book of Revelation also speaks about the Tree of Life: “Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory” (Revelation 2:7). Revelation 22:1-3 says this: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the Tree of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.”

How do we get the victory? We must live by God’s Word. We must search for it like the one who found the great pearl: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46). How about you? What will you do to eat from the Tree of Life? Will you search for God’s wisdom and make it the center of your life? Will you forsake evil to obtain good? Will you live by the Torah, which you can do by keeping the Ten Commandments? Yeshua said, “If you love Me keep my commandments.” Will you be planted by the streams of God’s Word so that you will produce fruit?

I leave you with this thought: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live…” (Isaiah 55:1-3). It’s free! What is stopping you from coming and eating from the Tree of Life, Yeshua, the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Word of God, the Torah, the fruit of righteousness?