Joined: 7/5/2007(UTC) Posts: 544 Thanks: 4 times
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I've been pondering the passage from Genesis 3:22-23 that tells of Adam being in part expelled from Eden to prevent him from reaching out his hand and eating of the Tree of Life, becoming like Us (Yahweh speaking). What I've been wondering is whether this was a metaphorical tree or like the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad, a ppears to be an actual tree which would have a real consequence? From YY Nesama chapter of Genesis: Quote:Quote:“Then Yahuweh, God (‘elohym), said (‘amar), ‘Behold (hen — now look and see), the man ‘Adam has become (hayah — exists) like (ka — similar to) one (‘echad — a singular unity) of (min — from) us (nahnu — a discourse reference to the speaker and associates) being acquainted with (yada’ — being aware of and knowing) good (towb — beauty, prosperity, and generosity) and bad (ra’ — evil, distress, and trouble). Now (wa), lest (pen) he stretch out (salah — reach out and extend) his hand (yad) and also (gam) take (laqah — receive and obtain, accept and grasp) from (min) the Tree (‘es) of Life (hayyim) and eat (‘akal), existing (hayah) forever (‘olam — for all eternity, forevermore), Yahuweh, God, sent him out (salah — dispatched him and sent him away) from (min) the protected and sheltered enclosed garden (gan) ‘Eden (‘eden — of overwhelming joy, delight, ultimate pleasure, extreme satisfaction and luxury, a favorable state of great gladness) to (la) work (‘abad — toil in) the ground (‘adamah — earth) from which relationally (‘asher) he was taken (laqah — grasp).” (Genesis 3:22-23) Most of the time ‘elohiym is used, it is designed to convey the ancient Hebrew concept of the “royal we,” and represents a singular entity held in the highest esteem. However here, ‘elohiym, the plural of ‘el, meaning “mighty one” or “god,” is followed by nahnu, so Yahweh is expressing an association with an audience. Therefore, we can hold that “we” refers to the heavenly host of spiritual beings in His presence or that Yahweh is at this important juncture suggesting the existence of His two set-apart manifestations: Savior and Spirit. Adam’s and Chawah’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden might sound intolerant, overbearing, and uncompassionate, but had God not done this, He would have become dishonest, unjust, and unreliable. As such, there would have been no hope for any of us. It bears repeating, Adam had unabridged access to all that was good. All he “gained” in his deal with the devil was an awareness of evil, of distress and trouble. He had been given everything: direct access to God, companionship, nurturing, shelter, joy, pleasure, and life everlasting. He didn’t have to do anything for it; Eden was a gift. But as a consequence of choosing to reject Yah’s directions and generosity, he was now out on his own and destined to work for his own survival. It is the same choice we must all make. Do we want to rely on God or on ourselves? As we previously discovered, in the Garden, the Tree of Life represents the upright pole upon which Yahushua hung. It is the permanent solution to Adam’s dilemma, the doorway to complete reconciliation and to eternal life. Those who consume its fruit live forever. Based upon what we are told later in Scripture, Adam would ultimately come to avail himself of this gift and was eventually immersed in Yahweh’s Spirit, but not on this day. He had chosen to be acquainted with “bad, evil, trouble, and distress,” and he would get his wish. Adam was banished from the protected enclosure, and it was a hostile world out there, replete with suffering, anguish, fear, toil, pain, and even death. These troubling conditions had existed outside the garden enclosure all along. That was the reason Eden had walls and armed guards. The fact is, we aren’t told how long Adam, Chawah, and Yahweh camped out together before the fall. It could have been a million years—although I suspect seventy (based upon Adam representing the first millennium of human history and of his life lasting 930 years post exile). Yet it doesn’t matter, because prior to the fall, Adam was incorruptible and thus immortal. Time was a meaningless concept for him, or at most a dimension, as it will one day be for us. I see Yada saying the tree alludes to the upright pole and Yahushua's atoning sacrafice. I agree that this makes sense in an ultimate sense, but the passage seems to be meaningful to readers before Yahushua's earthly life and wonder if there might be more to it? I thought possibly it was in rejecting trust in Yahweh, and thus disassociating Adam's soul from Yah's Spirit, continuing to eat of th Tree of Life would result in associating his soul with the Advesary's rebellious Spirit? It just seems that there's more to this concept then I'm making sense of and welcome input from the forum. Repectfully, -Theophilus
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