Outline
Ⅲ
We need a vision of the tree of life—a vision of God in Christ as our food—Gen. 2:9; Rev. 22:1-2, 14:
A
The tree of life signifies the Triune God in Christ to dispense Himself into His chosen people as life in the form of food—Gen. 2:9.
B
The tree of life is the center of the universe:
１
According to the purpose of God, the earth is the center of the universe, the garden of Eden is the center of the earth, and the tree of life is the center of the garden of Eden; hence, the universe is centered on the tree of life.
２
Nothing is more central and crucial to both God and man than the tree of life—3:22; Rev. 22:14.
C
The New Testament reveals that Christ is the fulfillment of the figure of the tree of life—John 1:4; 15:5.
Morning Nourishment
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 15:1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.The most important item in the garden is the trees. In the Scriptures the
concept concerning the tree is crucial. When the Scripture mentions man, both in the beginning and at the end, it also mentions the tree. Whether man will have life or will die, will live eternally or will perish, all depends on how man deals with the tree (cf. Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-3, 22, 24; Ezek. 47:12; Rev. 22:2, 14, 19). The concept of the tree is absolutely vital to man’s destiny. Genesis 2:9 says that the trees were good for food. Notice that the Bible does not say that the trees were good for producing materials, for the concept of Genesis is not that of human labor or achievement. Thus, no manufacturing materials are mentioned. The concept of Genesis 2 is fully focused on life. Thus, it says that the trees were good for food because food is related to life. Without food we cannot live. Food maintains our life and satisfies us. (Life- study of Genesis, pp. 139-140)
Today’s Reading
The tree of life was in the middle of the garden. If we study the record of Genesis 2, we will realize that, apart from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, no tree is mentioned by name except the tree of life…This shows that the tree of life was the center.The tree of life is the center of the universe. According to the purpose of God, the earth is the center of the universe, the garden of Eden is the center of the earth, and the tree of life is the center of the garden of Eden. We must realize that the whole universe is centered on this tree of life: nothing is more central and crucial to both God and man than this tree. It is very meaningful to see man in the garden standing before the tree of life.
This tree enables man to receive God as life…The following books of the Bible reveal that God is life. Therefore, the tree of life in the garden was the indicator that God intends to be our life in the form of food. One day, according to the Gospel of John, God came in the flesh (1:1, 14). In Him was life (v. 4). The life displayed by the tree of life in Genesis 2 was the life incarnated in Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus told us that He Himself is life (John 14:6). Furthermore, John 15 tells us that Christ is a tree, the vine tree. On the one hand, He is a tree; on the other hand, He is life. When we put together all these portions from John, we see that Jesus is the tree of life. Jesus said that He is the bread of life, meaning that He has come to us as the tree of life in the form of food.
Let me ask you a question: how tall was the tree of life? If you turn the question to me, I will answer that it was not taller than I…If the tree of life had been of a great height, its fruit would have been out of reach. Adam and Eve had no ladder or other instrument to use in plucking the fruit of this tree. Therefore, I believe that the tree of life was not very tall. As the almighty God, Jesus is high, but when He came to us as food, He was lowly. He was a loaf of bread. He was even the crumbs under the table (Matt. 15:21-27). The very Jesus who came to us as life in the form of food was not tall and great; He was small and lowly. Anything we eat must be smaller than we are; if it is not, we cannot take it into us. Even if our food is larger than we are, it must be cut into pieces small enough to eat. Thus, Jesus came to us as life in the form of food. He said, “I am the bread of life,” and, “He who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.” God in the Son is the tree of life, which is good for food. DAY after day we can feed on Him. We can eat Him.
The tree of life typifies Christ who imparts life to man and who pleases and satisfies man (cf. John 15:1; Exo. 15:25). Christ imparts divine life into us, pleases us, and satisfies us. Many of us can testify of this. We can say, “Hallelujah! Jesus has imparted life to me. He satisfies me all the time.” This is the tree of life. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 140- 141)
Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 11