The usual breakdown of Genesis 3 tells the story of the fall, curse, and banishment of Adam and Eve. It’s even the butt of a few jokes about blame games. Yet, what if that wasn’t the intended attitude we should have as post-resurrection readers? As I started studying this chapter for a Bible Study group, the Holy Spirit opened a new perspective and brought everything into a different focus. 
 
We tend to focus on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but forget its equally important counterpart – the Tree of Life.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Genesis 3:1-3

The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:8-9

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 2:16-17

If you notice, both trees were in the midst of the garden, but only one was explicitly banned for food. It wasn’t the tree of life. While the Scriptures do not say if they ate it before this, it leaves the possibility open for them to have eaten it since Genesis 3:22 only states that God didn’t want them to live forever in that state of disobedience. Curse and hardship followed hot on Adam and Eve’s heels as they left the garden, never to return. Yet, the focus isn’t intended to be on their sin, but on the breaking of their covenantal relationship with God. They had chosen the lie that God was holding out on them and, in doing so, rejected Him as all-sufficient. He had created everything and placed them in the Garden of Eden, but Adam and Eve chose to turn on His goodness in rebellion.

It reminds you of a small child who is told not to do or touch something but does so because curiosity gets the better of them. They want to know what they are missing out on. It is the same with us. We believe in the lie that God is holding out on us, so we take matters into our own hands, just like Abraham and Sarah.

We are told the promise and the general consequences but not the overarching pains that come with it. Adam and Eve had been told they’d die, but not how. They hadn’t known they would be cursed and banished until after it happened. However, reeling it back into the main discussion, when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, a cherubim guarded the entrance while a flaming sword the tree.

Ties Throughout

Thunder quakes, lightning strikes, and the fear of God comes into the camp of the Israelites. In the wilderness of Sinai, at the foot of the mountain, the nation of Israel receives its law and the blueprint for the tent of meeting. The construction details of the ark of the testimony in Exodus 25 describe Cherubim stretching over the mercy seat, the dwelling place of God. Exodus 26 explains the embroidering of Cherubim on the veil of the holy of holies. These two references alone make a beautiful connection back to the beginning, but before we reverse time, let us go forward once more. 

Starting in 1 Kings 6:23, the mentions of Cherubim show they are inlaid throughout the temple, and massive carvings are placed by the mercy seat. It is the tabernacle made permanent. What a beautiful sight that would be for an Israelite! Cherubim enveloping the presence of God. The writer of Hebrews even states the pattern is made after Heaven. 

For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 8:4-5

From Eden to the wilderness and the Promised Land, God wanted to dwell with His people. Then, when Jesus came, God chose to start a new covenant and live with us. Now, we are His temples, His presence living with us constantly. That was the goal all along – covenantal and unbroken relationship. 

Tying it Back

When Adam and Eve broke the relationship and were banished, a cherubim marked the entrance to the presence of God while the flaming sword guarded the tree. No, it wasn’t a cherubim with a flaming sword, but a cherubim AND a flaming sword. They are independent and separate pieces. 

“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Genesis 3:24

The fun has just begun. Leaving this for a moment and backing up to verses 14-21 of chapter 3, God gives the curses to Adam, Eve, and the deceiver. The serpent’s curse ties to the woman’s, the woman’s to herself, and Adam’s to the creation. Each curse has a deeper connection, but for this discussion, let’s zoom in on Adam, starting with Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:45-47.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:12-21

So it is written [in Scripture], “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL (an individual);” the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit [restoring the dead to life]. However, the spiritual [the immortal life] is not first, but the physical [the mortal life]; then the spiritual. The first man [Adam] is from the earth, earthy [made of dust]; the second Man [Christ, the Lord] is from heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:45-47 (AMP)

Adam is a type of Christ. The Greek word used is typos, and in this instance, refers to a figure who resembles or foreshadows Christ. But how? Romans 5:12-21 explains that through one man’s (Adam’s) offense bringing death, so did Jesus’ death and atonement bring justification for all. To go even further, Adam was the son of God, being the first created human, and Jesus is the second Adam because He is the only Son of God, being God in the flesh. These two historically and biblically changed the scene of mankind – Adam bringing death and curse, and Jesus bringing life and healing.

Adam lived in a covenantal relationship with God, broke that trust, brought a curse on creation, and died in his flesh, returning to dust. Yet, Jesus was born God in the flesh, lived a perfect life, died for our fleshly works, and broke the curse, bringing life and spiritual healing to those who believe in Him. But it doesn’t stop there. 

Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). We are invited to boldly come before the throne of God, but how? Yes, His blood covers us and has declared us clean, but how? 

There’s one final point that must be answered first for our discussion in Genesis 3 – the flaming sword guarding the Tree of Life. How can a sword guard a tree without someone holding it? That is a fantastic question, and I had the same thought. However, while that discussion is more in-depth and more theologically based, the Holy Spirit led me only to the following conclusion, which I will share with you – starting in John from the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:1-2

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

Separately these verses don’t say much, but together, they speak volumes for Genesis 3. In the Bible, the sword is not only a weapon from the armor of God and for physical battles but the very words of Jesus. When Jesus returns it is described in Revelation 19:15 as though a sword comes out of His mouth to strike the wicked armies of mankind. Hebrews 4:12 says His words are like a double-edged sword. John 1:1 tells us the Word of God was in the beginning with God and became flesh. We know that Jesus is the fulfillment of this phrase and that His words carry a powerful armory of defense against the enemy’s lies. Yet, the Word of God is also the word of Jesus. The Bible is the very definition of the words of Jesus. Paul explains in Romans 10:17 that without Him, we cannot know what is absolute truth. We also know that without faith it is impossible to please God. So how can we enter into the presence of God without faith? But that’s the thing of beauty. It’s where it all ties in with Genesis 3. 

Summing It Up

Jesus is the second Adam. He came to redeem our relationship with God by laying down His life in place of our required sacrifice. He was born of flesh to reverse the brokenness. He became our High Priest. In the Old Testament and before His crucifixion, only the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies past the veil with Cherubim embroidered into its heavy weight. Only the high priest could go into the presence of Adonai. But once Jesus became the High Priest and bore our sins before the Holy presence of God, the veil with cherubim was torn. Jesus, the second Adam, re-entered Eden. 

Once He entered Eden, it was time to redeem the broken covenant and open the way to eternal life once more. Jesus, the very embodiment of the flaming sword, stood there being the door to eternal life. He is the man with eyes of fire that searches the thoughts and intents of your heart. He is the Word of God. His very mouth speaks words that pierce into you like a sword to the body. He alone is what we believe. Confessing Jesus is Lord and the only way to God and a redeemed relationship with our Father is the essence of faith. Jesus is the Tree of Life. He is the vine whose fruit we must take in a worthy manner. If Adam and Eve were to take the fruit of the Tree of Life in a broken spiritual state apart from God, they would’ve incurred the guilt of condemning Jesus to the tree (1 Corinthians 11:27). So they were sent out in mercy from the presence of God. But through Jesus, we can enter the garden again and place our faith in His sacrifice so that we may have a life of eternal fellowship with God our Father. Through Jesus, we are sons and daughters of God restored living spiritually in Eden.

Lastly, Revelation 22 takes us to the New Jerusalem, the location of Paradise on earth once more. It went from Eden – the presence of God on earth dwelling with mankind – to being in a tabernacle, to a temple, then to the bodily temple of each believer individually and collectively, to once more on earth as it was in the beginning. It’s the story of redemption and it ends in healing. The leaves with which Adam and Eve tried to hide their nakedness are replaced with the leaves of the Tree of Life being a healing to the nations from sin, curse, and death. In Jesus, all things are restored, redeemed, and healed. 

He’s calling each of us back to a life of individual and collective relational healing with our Father. Jesus made the way by becoming the second Adam, God made flesh. He reversed the curse and entered the holy of holies. Breaking through the cherubim guarding the way to communion with God, He became the way for us to return to eternal life with God. Faith in Jesus is the only way to return to Eden.