THE GOSPEL IN THE TREES
Genesis 2: 15
The Charge to Adam (Genesis 2: 9, 15-17.)
Adam was given the responsibility by God to dress and keep God's garden. Adam was one with God. He was given the right to reach forth his hand and freely choose to eat from any of the trees with God's permission, except one. Adam's transgression in taking the fruit was a forsaking of his oneness with God. Simply by eating this forbidden fruit Adam declared his own self-dependence and independence. And independence from God the Life means death. Adam's whole being was defiled, he died spiritually and he was cut off from God. So was every one born of Adam's corrupt seed (Romans 5: 12).
Forbidden to Eat of the Tree of Life (Genesis 3: 22-24.)
The eternal life of God is Christ the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7; 1 John 5: 11.) The elect of God are trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD himself (Isaiah 61: 3.) Adam lost all right to keep and dress the trees of God's garden. When God put Adam out of the garden, he declared plainly that Adam, and all who would be born in Adam, could never reach forth their dirty, self-willed, sinful hand and take of Tree of life and live. If God allowed him to do so, Adam could have boasted that by the same hand with which he rebelled against God, he also saved himself. The sword of God's holy justice would have been mocked. God's glory would have been given to Adam. And Christ would have become of no effect unto anyone (Romans 5: 15; Ephesians 2: 8-10.)
The Cherubims (Genesis 3: 24.)
The Cherubim represents the angels of the LORD. Christ is THE Angel of the LORD (Genesis 22: 11, 12; Exodus 3: 2, 4, 6.) The right of keeping and dressing God's trees in God's garden belongs to Christ Jesus the Son of God, the last Adam. He came forth preaching this gospel, whose person and work declares God just and the Justifier of those who believe in Christ (Romans 3: 26.) His messengers are angels of God sent forth to preach his person and work (Revelation 22: 16.)
The Flaming Sword (Genesis 3: 24.)
The flaming sword represents the righteous judgment of God manifest in Christ and him crucified. The sword of justice had to be plunged into Christ to justify his people from their sin that God might remain just in justifying his people (Zechariah 13:7; Romans 3: 26.) This Gospel, the Word of God, is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4: 12.) The gospel is brought forth by Christ through his messengers and by the Spirit of God, he slays the old carnal man and heals as he creates a new man within (Ephesians 4: 24; Compare Genesis 1: 27 with Colossians 3: 10, 11.) Thus it is by Christ Jesus, the last Adam, that God's children are made to partake of Christ the Tree of Life in snow-white, innocence (John 1: 13; Romans 9: 16.) This is how all glory belongs to the triune God (Isaiah 61: 1-3.) Christ is made unto us Wisdom, described by Solomon as the Tree of Life (Proverbs 3: 18.)
Holy Entrance into the Presence of God (Revelation 22: 14.)
Here is the summation. The first Adam was given charge to keep and dress the tress of God's garden, but he disobeyed the one commandment of God and plunged all whom he represented into spiritual death. Christ the last Adam fulfilled all the commandments of God and dresses all the trees for whom he died in his righteousness. Through faith in Christ the believer has done all the commandments of God and has the right to enter the gates into God's presence, partaking of the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14-17.) So it is that Christ the last Adam keeps the Way of the Tree of Life to the glory of God, bringing all his cast-out children back into eternal, unbreakable union with our God! (Romans 8: 31-39.)