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The Two Trees

Genesis 2-3
- Recap last week
- This week we continue to study Adam and Eve
- throughout today's message, we look at how human beings are
both creatures of creation and persons in the image of God
o humans are creatures in that they are created by God
creatures are fully dependent upon God, they do
whatever God tells them to do
for instance, a lion cannot sin, because it simply does
what its instincts were created to do
o humans are persons in that they have a relative
independence known as free will or free choice
o humanity was created to both be dependent upon God,
obeying Him, while also having free choice as a person
#1 THE FRUIT
- 2:7-9
o This is a closer more in-depth look at the same creation of
Adam seen in Genesis 1:26-27
Eve would be created later in 2:21-22
o God made a garden, EDEN, and placed Adam in it to live
o God filled the garden with every tree and plant that Adam,
and later Eve, would ever need
these trees and plants were pleasant to sight and
produced good fruit to eat
o 2 Trees in the center of Eden, the Tree of Life and the Tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
1: Tree of Life produced fruit that, based upon the
context of these passages, must have enabled man to
live eternally in the garden

2: Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil produced

fruit that gave humanity moral experience, meaning it
would open the eyes of humans to an existence
outside of God's design, sin
- ILLUSTRATION: trees today, produce fruit, but do not have some
eye opening powers, except citris fruits which can cause me heartburn; ironically, what type of tums do we have in our house?
Tropical Fruit flavored
o But Why do we have these two trees?
the tree of life existed so that Adam and Eve could
exist eternally in Eden with God
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we must
believe, was created as the means of mankind having
free-choice
God could have created a garden without this
tree, but then where would be man's freedom to
choose to obey and worship Him?
- What was Adam and Eve's life like in the Garden?
- 2:15
o as Creatures of Creation, God gave Adam work to do and
Adam obeyed God
Adam and Eve were dependent upon God in that they
longed for and looked forward to every moment they
were able to experience with God
o as Person, Adam was free to do as He please within the
Garden, eat of the FRUIT
We also note based upon Chapter 3, that God walked
in the garden with Adam and Eve; talking and having
relationship with them

of course I believe the Bible points to this being

God the Son, Jesus
o But life was perfect and wonderful
- 2:16-17
o God gives Adam one law, do not eat from the Tree of the
knowledge of Good and Evil or you will die
- APPLICATION:
o God created us to be eternal beings
the tree of life enabled Adam and Eve to live eternally
in the Garden
even in our lives, we exist for a time on this planet, but
God created us to have an eternal existence
either with Him in Heaven
or apart from Him in hell
o God created us, as creatures, to obey God and Depend
upon Him
o God created us, as persons, to have free choice
#2 THE FALL
- 3:1-6
o Adam and Eve are in the center of the Garden, likely eating
of the Tree of Life
o Then onto the scene come a serpent/snake
- V1: crafty means subtle and cunning
o Questions Gods statement
Obviously lied, not what God said
o The serpent was being used by an evil power
Satan/the devil
- V2-3 Eve restates what God said
o But she adds neither shall you touch it
Not what God said to Adam
Shows that humans distort Gods commands
Adding to and taking away
- APPLICATION:
o Brings to question:

Do you know the Bible well enough to know what God

said, did, etc.?
How do you add to or take away from Gods
commands/the Gospel of Jesus?
Would you spot someone else adding to or taking
from?
- V4-5: Serpent tells a half truth
o you wont die
we know they do eat of the tree
we know they live to be over 900 yrs old
did not immediately die
but they did die eventually, which would not have
happened had they not sinned
o it will open your eyes
half truth
yes their eyes were opened to more than
obedience because the fruit of that tree is one of
moral experience
it was not the best for them though
o Be like God, knowing both good and evil
half truth
they did learn of both good and evil
o by experiencing evil
but they were more like God in His holiness
before they sinned
- APPLICATION:
o The devil wishes to speak half-truths to you
He knows how to get you and lure you in
He will tell you sin will make you feel good
It will
He will tell you choosing to sin will means you are
making your own decisions
It will

He will tell you it is ok, just this once

BUT, what will the cost be?
It will cost you your fellowship/closeness with
God
But well get to that next point
- V6: they ate of the fruit
o It looked good to the eye
ILLUSTRATION: watching RIO with Judah; monkeys were stealing
valuables from tourists in RIO De JANERO; Got me thinking of a pet
melody and I had; our ferret Newman; Seinfeld theme; ferrets are
known to steal your valuable objects and hide them for themselves
(money, wedding rings, keys, etc.)
o why do ferrets steal these things?
o they have no need for them
o they take them because they are pleasing to the eye, shiny
- APPLICATION:
o Sin always looks good
If it didnt we wouldnt want to
but it always leaves you empty
- THE FALL describes how mankind is PERSON
o out of their freedom of choice, Adam and Eve chose to
disobey God
ILLUSTRATION: building hammocks on my fort/swing set, falling,
thinking I had broke my back
o falls always lead to fall out (results)
o as far as my back, it went away within minutes
o as far as the "Fall of Mankind" we still live with the
consequences
#3 The FALL OUT
- The FALL of Adam and Eve led to FALL OUT for them and all of
mankind

- 3:7-8
- V7: they knew they were naked
o Nakedness was not the problem
o Noting their nakedness revealed their shame
They covered themselves with leaves
- V8: they hid from God
o Bc of their sin they were ashamed before a HOLY God
- APPLICATION:
o when we sin, do we not try to hide it and cover it?
- 3:21
o because Adam and Eve acted as Persons, choosing to sin,
they were ashamed in their nakedness
o they attempted to cover their nakedness and sin by making
clothes out of leaves
o but because Adam and Eve are now sinful beings, only the
actions of God can cover their sin
o so God killed an animal and made clothes for them from the
skin of the animal
this is the first living thing to have ever died
this is also the first SACRIFICE made to COVER the
sin of mankind
- APPLICATION:
o Because mankind's free choice led to choosing to eat of the
FRUIT of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, all
mankind since have been born into the same state of Adam
and Eve after the FALL
o The FALL OUT has had results that last even to this day
o You may think you are a good person, but you were born
already under the umbrella of Adam's sin
o But God, our creator, made a way for our sin and shame to
be covered, much like He did for Adam and Eve
God sent a sacrifice to end all sacrifices

Romans 4:24-25 "It will be counted to us who believe

in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who
was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our
justification."
Jesus came and died to COVER your sin and shame
- 3:23
o Another part of the FALL OUT was that God sent Adam and
Eve out of the Garden
o Why would God need to send them out of the Garden?
was it because He would not allow them to walk with
Him in the Garden any more?
yes, bc God is Holy and cannot be in the
presence of sinful man, or rather we cannot be in
His presence
BUT there is more
- 3:22
o because mankind could "reach out his hand and take also of
the tree of life and eat and live forever"
death was part of mankind's FALL OUT
God could not allow Adam and Eve to live forever on
earth
- 3:24
o God drove them out of the Garden of Eden and placed a
Cherubim and a Sword that is on fire to guard the Garden
and the Tree of Life
o Because mankind ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good
and Evil and experienced sin, God could not allow them to
live forever on earth by eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life
the two trees of immensely important
o BUT WHY COULD NOT ALLOW MANKIND TO LIVE
FOREVER ON EARTH?
death was punishment

but more importantly GOD LOVES YOU AND ME AND

ADAM AND EVE TOO MUCH TO LET US LIVE
FOREVER IN OUR SIN AND SHAME
in our being CREATURE (dependent upon God)
God created the means to our sin and shame
being covered
however, in our being PERSON (having free
choice) we must choose to place our faith in
Jesus Christ to cover our sin
we are both CREATURE AND PERSON
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INVITATION