The Two Trees
I remember when I was young, my mum would frequently take me with her. I would really hope that she doesn’t meet someone she knows because she would spend hours talking to them. I wondered what elderly people talked about for such long.
I would slip and start playing by the side. And when I would get so much engaged with my play, I would hear, “Siloma, where are you?”
In Genesis 2-3, the Bible notes that there are two trees in the Garden of Eden – The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. After Adam ate from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil and God asked, “Adam, where are you?”
The Bible continues to say that man became like God, knowing what is good and what is evil and therefore God suggested that they should be banished from the garden so not as to eat from the tree of life lest they live forever.
There is a constant question that I usually ask my friends, “Have you ever had a headache and you decided to do an internet search?” What answers did you get? Were you exposed to immense possibilities of death and acute diseases? Did you feel like you were about to die the next minute? Did some articles tell you to better consult your doctor?
One With God
You see, before eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam communed with God. He was one with him. So what happened after he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? His eyes were opened and he realized that he was naked. He realized that he was no longer worthy to walk with God. He felt ashamed.
When God asked him where he was, he replied:
“I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
And God asked him, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
Let me recreate this scenario
“Siloma, where are you?”
“Mum, I heard you coming and I hid myself. I was afraid that you will cane me.”
“Who told you I will cane you? Have you eaten sugar again? Something I have told you not to eat?”
When we were young, we couldn’t quite articulate what was wrong and what was right. We were taught that by our parents and that’s why they ended up becoming our mentors. Now you know why the Bible teaches why we should teach our children in the way of the Lord.
Adam, just like a young child, never knew what was wrong and what was right and God was his mentor. Because he communed with God, he was one with Him. When he sinned, he was no longer one with Him. That is why God had to ask for him.
Certain Truths
When we became adults, we realized that our parents’ ‘truths’ were not in sync with ours. That was why in our teenage years we told them things like, ‘I am no longer a kid.’ ‘I wonder how you see things.’ ‘I can’t believe you are still the same parent who brought me up.’ etc. This meant that we were exposed to a certain truth contrary to theirs.
The Israelites kept forgetting the God who brought them out of slavery, who gave them signs and wonders and who was with them through hard times. Why? Because they were exposed to a certain truth – most times the Bible says that they started worshipping other gods. This is why in Judges the Bible constantly phrased, “There was no king in Israel and everyone did as they wished.”
So this certain truth is what draws us away from God. When we are exposed to a different truth other than God’s we align to it. We become one with it and like a suction, we get pulled to more truths alike and we become perverted.
James 1:5 says “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
See, when man is drawn to certain truths like Science (I am not saying Science is bad), he gets drawn to ‘facts’ that God doesn’t exist. When man is drawn to Geography (I am also not denoting that Geography is bad), he gets drawn to ‘facts’ that the Bible cannot be correct. He cannot explain why Geography says the world was formed millions of years ago while creationists say that the Bible estimates the world to be 6,000 – 10,000 years.
When man is drawn to research about different subjects, he is drawn to the power of knowledge in those materials. For example, when man reads that bad economy and/or pandemics have a high possibility of affecting his booming business, he becomes aware of it and panics. When man reads that he needs to constantly save for a rainy day, he tends to put his trust on money and not on God. And when all comes to nothing, God becomes his last resort.
When man is drawn to Theology, he tends to decipher God. The God who cannot be studied. The God who says he reveals Himself to those who do not ask for Him as in Romans 10:20.
And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.
Is it bad to study? So how exactly do we set ourselves apart from these certain truths that deviate us from God? How do we set ourselves apart from these truths that make us aware of fears and dangers? Simple – through discernment. One needs to have the truth of God before they get other truths that are detrimental to their lives.
Proverbs 2:3-6
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Difference Between The Two Trees
If I may ask. Why do most underdogs make it in life and the elite don’t? Why are the world’s richest mostly college dropouts? Why were most inventors from poor backgrounds? Why are the most learned languishing in poverty? Why do we have the most learned people working for those who have very little knowledge in that field?
Why does the Bible feature underdogs mostly? Why does it feature people who were not necessarily the greatest? Why does it feature people from very humble backgrounds? Why does it tell stories of villains coming to the knowledge of the truth? Why does it feature great people getting humbled? Why hasn’t anyone, (Biologists, Social Scientists, Physical Scientists, Historians etc.) mastered their fields? Why is new information flowing every day?
Why haven’t we reached an end to discovery? Why can’t man explain how Adam named all animals in the world? The same animals man hasn’t finished discovering? Why can’t man explain how all animals fit in the ark? Why can’t Science explain the virgin birth? Why can’t Science explain healing and miracles? The answer is in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil gives information, ‘facts and explanations. It is where man forms doctrines, beliefs and religions. That’s why people who eat from this tree never agree on anything e.g. politicians, economists, scientists, lawyers etc are always proving each other wrong. How do you explain a clearly written law being overturned? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is physical – it made Adam know that he was naked. It makes one think, ‘Now, I am an expert in my field.’ It makes one see with their physical eyes.
The tree of life on the other hand gives life and it gives it in abundance. It sets free and free indeed. It has got no painful toil. It reveals the truth of God. It impacts. It is not physically sought after. It is spiritual. It opens ones’ spiritual eyes. It cannot be deciphered. It cannot be learnt on books. It makes one oblivious of negative things around. People who eat from this tree are in one accord. Indeed, a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. People who eat from this tree have the same characteristics. They understand each other, they know each other and they know whom they serve. I need not tell you where religion falls. So what is religion?
From Which Tree Do You Eat From?
Are you always fighting the devil. Is your belief derived from the media, books or from the word of God? Do you see people with your own lens or with the lens of God? Do you seek to do your own good or the will of God?
Are you always arguing on what is good and what is right? Are you constantly saying negative things upon your life and the life of others? Are you bitter about life? Are you always looking down upon yourself? Do you think life is never fair. Are you always crying to God asking him why you? Are you always quoting the devil in your statements?
People who eat from the tree of life don’t recognize the devil. They don’t exalt him in their statements. They always speak what is good. They are keen with their words and speak the words of life – the truth of God. People who eat from the tree of life get revelation directly from God. They are one with the Spirit of God, the Spirit that searches the deep things of God. They are elevated from the worldly realm. They are totally oblivious of things like, bad economy, pandemics and statements like ‘#NewNormal” and “Prepare for harsh times.”
People who eat from the tree of life are set apart. They are remnants. They are overcomers. Don’t you think it is time to eat from the tree of life?
