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Genesis 3:22-24
22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Disregard for and disobedience to the Word of God had dire consequences. Before God imposed sanctions on Adam and Eve, God discussed the situation and made a decision that would dictate the future of humans.
22a And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.
The words of the serpent were reinforced by God. Humans have indeed become like God. But they did not become God; they only shared some similarities. God may have the knowledge about evil, but He cannot commit evil.
Adam and Eve immediately tried to cover themselves. Wickedness would always try to keep sin under wraps. Then they tried to evade the issue and when that failed, made attempts to shift the blame. From the very start of knowing evil, sin was never acknowledged.
Isn’t cover-up the standard response to evil deeds when discovered by others? Wrong actions would always be conveniently explained away no matter how weak the justification! How often, do I first blame others and not myself?
God was forced to take necessary actions because of what the humans had done. They disregarded God’s Word and heeded the serpent’s word instead. God took two actions.
The eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil resulted in two specific punishments:
Eden was meant to be the home of humans. God had meticulously prepared every aspect of the Garden so that man could live in the best environment possible. There is nothing burdensome about living there, except to enjoy it.
Almost no effort was needed to produce food but there was never a food shortage! The wide range of the fruits and the different tastes would make every meal a delight. To eat, all the humans had to do was to simply select, pick and eat.
One would assume that the Garden was planted not only with fruit trees but ornamental plants too. The Garden would have been a delight to the senses. The great variety of plants and flowers must have looked not only beautiful but must have smelt heavenly too!
Everything in the Garden was beautiful and enchanting; it was the perfect place! Unfortunately, humans disqualified themselves from continuing to live in Eden. They lost their resident status in the best place on earth. God evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden. They had to leave and build another home somewhere else.
As they went out, their last glance at the Garden must have been the most heartbreaking moment of their lives. They didn’t realize how much they had lost until it was lost! No amount of regret would bring Eden back to them.
In Eden, life was so easy. Adam and Eve didn’t need to exert extra effort to live and enjoy life. The exact opposite now awaited them. Tedious work was needed and necessary for survival. Hard labor was required to cultivate the land. There was no shortcut or stopping. Hard work became a way of life. One cannot circumvent the steps needed in food production.
After enjoying a life of leisure, they must now endure hardship just to survive, putting in extra effort if they wanted a better level of existence. Everything must be paid for by sweat and sometimes with blood. Hardship is the new way of life.
2. Perimeter Defense for the Tree of Life.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
When the forbidden fruit was eaten, there was no longer any purpose for the Tree of Life then. Its name suggests that it could not be destroyed. So strict security was established around it.
The primary concern of God was to protect the tree of life from the disobedient humans. If its fruit was eaten, it would give eternal life! God could never allow the wicked to have eternal life. To prevent humans from eating the forbidden fruit, the Tree of Life must be protected so that they would not have access to it.
God built a sort of a force field that would bar anyone from going near the tree of life. The most sophisticated and reliable security system formed this perimeter fence. No one could go near it, much less touch it and pick its fruit. The tree was invisible. A sentry with a flaming sword guarded it. Anyone who got near it would be instantly killed. Evil, the wicked and the tree of life cannot coexist. Utmost care and protection surrounded the tree of life so that no one can ever eat of its fruit!
The best sentry was chosen. No one could fight and defeat this warrior-guard - a heavenly being with extraordinary strength and skill. He is a 24/7 custodian who never tires or sleeps.
The sentry carries the best weapon - a flaming sword that’s loaded, locked and in active combat mode. Anything that passes the perimeter would be cut off and killed instantaneously. No questions are asked. The action is swift and automatic.
Rev Dr Betia emphasizes, “This simply shows how serious God was, is and will always be. Those who disregard Him, and His Word will be dealt with severely and suffer the consequences instantly. His plan is set and will proceed at the right time and the right way.
Creation will have to simply listen to God to enjoy blessings in store or endure the consequences.
As always, it is up to man….”