Two Trees
Free will is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to mankind. By being able to choose, we are elevated above the rest of creation and given the possibility to have a relationship with God as a friend. Friendship is not compulsory, but rather voluntary. Thus, a choice is necessary.
God placed two trees in the Garden of Eden. Man was given a choice: life or death, curse or blessing, freedom or slavery. Man could either walk with God or away from Him. With a free will came the consequences of its choices. Each choice is a cause that has its given effect. As the two trees represent free will, they also represent family lines, thus the expression, “family tree.” The seed of the tree, that man partook of, affected his offspring and generations to come. Adam made the wrong choice. He ate of the tree that led him away from God. The seed of this “good and bad” tree entered into all of mankind, producing people who could be as good and they could be bad, but who would not know God nor would have His eternal life.
This choice brought death, separation from God and slavery to sin. For life and communion with God to be restored to man, the seed of the Tree of Life would have to be sown into man, for each tree produces after its own kind. The seed of Life could not be sown into a descendant of the first Adam, who was already polluted by sin, but into another Adam who knew no sin. This second Adam is Jesus, the sinless son of God. When confronting temptations, (choices), He made the right decisions. He conquered sin and death and now to all who believe in Him receive a new nature, are born again and have eternal life. The seed of the Tree of Life is the Word of God. It is received into our hearts through faith in Jesus Christ. It transforms man, sets him free from the slavery of sin and cancels the consequence of his former wrong choices.
Some years ago, there was a study done of two men and their descendants, over a span of 200 years, who were contemporaries of each other in the 1700’s. One was Jonathan Edwards, a preacher and revivalist, and the other was Max Juke, a common prisoner. Of Edward’s 929 descendants, 430 were Christian ministers, 86 university professors, 13 university presidents, 75 authors of good books, 5 were elected to U.S. Congress, 2 elected to the U.S. Senate and 1 U.S. vice-president. Of Juke’s 1,026 descendants, 300 were prisoners, 190 were prostitutes and 680 were admitted alcoholics. As the saying goes: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
Free will gives one the power to make decisions, but once the decision is made, he no longer has control over the consequences. Wrong or right decisions will affect generations to follow. (Ex. 20.5-6) The tree is still before us. Will we choose life or death; curse or blessing? Through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we can begin anew. We can change the course of our lives and redirect our family tree.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Genesis 2.9; John 14.6; 3.16; 10.10; 1.14; Galatians 6.7; II Corinthians 5.17-21.