Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "life-tree"
The Kogae Tree
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil [Genesis 2:8-9].
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. FIrst there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. FIrst there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
Tripping Over My Own Feet
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil [Proverbs 3:7].
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
These form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, their location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not complicated instructions, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
These form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, their location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not complicated instructions, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Kogae Tree
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil [Genesis 2:8-9].
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. First there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. First there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
Tripping Over My Own Feet
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil [Proverbs 3:7].
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
These form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, their location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not complicated instructions, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
These form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, their location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not complicated instructions, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
The Kogae Tree
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil [Genesis 2:8-9].
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. First there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
We take from those two verses a contrast between three categories of trees. First there was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food". Such trees, indeed, would be suitable in a "garden". Am I not right?
The second and third categories of trees were not just planted in the garden: they were "in the midst of the garden". The centrality of these two trees to man's environment meant they took center stage in the life of Adam and Eve.
Okay. Then what were the two trees around which the life of man and woman revolved? There was the "tree of life", and there was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil". For brevity's sake I created an acronym for that last named tree. I call it the kogae tree, i.e., Knowledge Of Good And Evil tree.
Hmm. Just what is a kogae tree anyway? One clue we have for deciphering it is the contrast it has with the life tree. The life tree, if we employ the definitions of the two words, would be a tree which bestows life to those who eat its fruit. It wouldn't seem to be much of a stretch, then, to suggest the kogae tree bestowed death to those who ate its fruit.
Why did death result from eating the fruit of the kogae tree? Well, it's like this. The Hebrew word for "knowledge" in the phrase "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" doesn't simply mean "information". The Hebrew word refers to experiential knowledge, knowledge we obtain by experiencing something.
The knowledge gained by eating the fruit of the kogae tree was to experience the reality of good and evil. The Lord God forbade man to eat the fruit of this tree. By eating it man disobeyed the Word of God. This is known as sin. The wages of sin is death, so man died when he ate the fruit of this tree.
This helps us more fully define why man received life, when he ate the fruit of the life tree. The Lord decreed that, by eating of its fruit, life would be imparted to man. Obedience to the Word of God resulted in man's receiving life.
Do you see from this why the life tree and the kogae tree were placed by the Lord God in the midst of the garden? Man's condition, whether to live or to die, whether to be alive or to be dead, revolves around whether he obeys the Word of God or disobeys it.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord [Joshua 24:15]. This can only be done on the basis of having life, and life can only result from obeying the Word of God.
Tripping Over My Own Feet
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil [Proverbs 3:7].
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
They form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, the location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not a complicated instruction, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We have a stunning contrast in the opening Bible text of this study. Let’s view it as a bulleted list:
• wise in your own eyes
• fear the Lord
They form a parallel of sorts, what is known as parallelism in Biblical Hebrew poetry. Most often the parallel is synonymous, meaning the two concepts are in agreement. In this case the parallel is antonymous because the two concepts are in sharp contrast and opposition to each other. This makes the text to be in the form of antonymous parallelism.
But not to be distraught over the abstract terminology, dear friends. Let me demonstrate using the particulars, and then it will become crystal clear.
Man is a sinner. His every instinct is to do the opposite of what the Lord tells him to do. He often isn’t even conscious of this motivation because it is ingrained into his very nature, a sin nature. He disobeys automatically without even thinking about it.
The Lord created man and established him as the custodian over His garden. In the cool of the day the Lord came and visited with the man and enjoyed a time of fellowship with him. Picture a country house with a screened front porch. After the outdoor work was done in the evening, folks sit for a spell inside the screened-off area and chitchat for a while.
Anyway, the Lord gave man his food, which consisted of all the fruit in the entire humongous garden—all, that is, except for the fruit of one tree. In the midst of the garden the Lord planted two trees, the location highlighting their prominence. One tree was the life tree, the other the kogae tree.
Here’s the prominence held by the two trees. The Lord instructed man that, if he ate of the life tree, he would live. In contrast if the man ate of the kogae tree, he would die. Not a complicated instruction, was it? The life tree had no medicinal properties, and the kogae tree wasn’t poisonous. Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God determined what resulted from eating the fruit of either tree.
When the woman ate from the kogae tree, two concepts were behind her action. Would it surprise you to know the two concepts are the same two which occur in our opening Scripture verse? The woman did not fear the Lord, or else she would have eaten from the life tree in obedience to his warning. Rather, she was wise in her own eyes, which led her to eat the forbidden fruit of the kogae tree.
Therein lies the real reason for the state of the world today, dear friends. Mankind is composed entirely of sinners, and sinners by nature want to disobey the Word of God. Sinners by nature have no fear of God. Sinners by nature are wise in their own eyes. Listen to another Scripture text which portrays this situation:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble [Proverbs 4:18-19].
Again we have two contrasting concepts, the same two:
• the path of the righteous
• the way of the wicked
The path of the righteous is paved with obedience to the Word of God. Accordingly it is like the light of dawn: it shines increasingly brighter as the day wears on. The way of the wicked, in stark contrast, is like darkness. Accordingly their wont is to stumble incessantly, and they cannot even see over what they stumble! What a frustrating way to live.
None of us would consciously choose to trip over our own feet…would we? I surely hope not! Let’s go by “Thus saith the Lord” and not by “I think”, okay? Light is always preferable to darkness. Speaking of light…time spent alone with Jesus is the brightest and best light available. Let’s recharge ourselves now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
