#6: One of The Great Metaphors
The Tree of Life
This is the sixth in a series of the 12 greatest metaphors for life.
The breath of life: a person can live three minutes without air.
The shelter of life: in harsh climes a person can live 3 hours without shelter.
The water of life: a normal person can live three days without water.
The bread of life: the average person can live about three weeks without food.
The light of life: if the sun were to stop giving its light, global temperatures would drop, plants would die, trees would vanish, and all life would cease to exist.
The tree of life: without trees, we would have little fruit to provide our bodies with the antioxidants we so desperately need. In addition, trees provide beauty and shade, as well as leaves which provide healing substances.
The Tree of Life
In the Garden of Eden, God planted many trees that were beautiful and good for nourishment. He told Adam to eat freely from all the trees in the garden (except one). God had given fruits and vegetables as the main sustenance for life. Read here why it is of fundamental importance for us to eat fruits and vegetables to bring health and life to the body.
But God had planted a special tree in the garden of Eden: the tree of life. This tree was different than all the other trees because it was said to be the wellspring of eternal life.
After man fell, God sent angels to guard the garden so man could not eat from this tree and live eternally in their state of sin.
But God had another plan to bring everlasting life to the first couple and their future progeny (even those who believe today). This plan would save mankind from sin in the process (oh, how God loves us).
Jesus is the Tree of Life
God promised a seed (or descendant) of Eve who would crush the head of the serpent who had deceived her. This perfect seed was born of a virgin and hung on a tree of anguish so He could be planted into the ground through death. Three days later, He raised up into the tree of life with leaves that would bring healing to all the nations (Revelations 22:2). [1]
Application
This metaphor of life should cause us to value fruits and vegetables as life-giving sustenance — and even more cause us to eat from the true Tree of Life, Jesus Christ. When we sup on Him, the nourishment feeds our soul into eternity — and the fruit we bear while still on this earth is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
We serve a good God who cares about both our physical and spiritual bodies. He knows exactly how we should live in the world He designed.
Please share His goodness with others by sharing this post on your favorite social media.
[1] Charles Spurgeon says of Revelation 22:2: "But here we translate the metaphor—we do not understand that tree to be literal. We believe our Lord Jesus Christ to be none other than that Tree of Life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations!"