Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway?

    Have you ever thought about why there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden anyway?  Didn’t God know Adam would eat that fruit and sin would enter the world?  These are the types of questions we’ve talked about as we’ve started going through the book of Genesis with some college students. 

    In Genesis 1:1 we have God’s creation and in Genesis 3:1 we see a serpent in a tree.  What’s up with that?  Why is a serpent in the garden of Eden anyway?  By linking together several verses throughout the Bible and using insight from G.M. Pember’s book, Witness Lee’s  second message  in the Life Study of Genesis is eye opening!

    Here's my paraphrase of what I've been reading:  Satan was once  a beautiful archangel that led all the other angels in worship God.  His name was day star which in the Latin Vulgate means Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12).  Isaiah 14 portrays this time in heaven long before Adam’s creation.  It also reveals that the cause of Lucifer’s fall was his pride and his desire to overthrow God’s throne and take His place.  Satan wasn’t satisfied to go it alone; Revelation 12:4 tells us that his rebellion impacted one-third of the angels.  Then the message ties the account Ezekiel gives in Chapter 28 of the prince of Trye and how he symbolizes what happened with Lucifer. Ezekiel 28:16 shows that after Lucifer rebelled, God cast him to the earth.

     In the Bible we see that from that time onward Lucifer is called either Satan which means adversary or the devil which means slanderer or accuser.  It was enlightening for me to see all these bits and pieces put together in one place. With this understanding in view, the stories in the Bible have  taken on a deeper meaning for me—what I’ve noticed is they often depict the battle that's been going on for centuries between the will of God and the will of Satan. This got a bit long, so I will post the second half next week.

Other  College Student Dinner Fellowships on This Blog:

Do You Have the Assurance of Your Salvation? 

Getting Spiritual Food From God's Word

What are the Securities of Your Salvation?

Hearing God - Dinner Fellowship with College Students

Why Should a Believer Get Baptized?

Why Should We Read the Bible?

Coming to the Lord in His Word

Did You Know God Made You With Three Parts?

What is the Key to Experiencing Christ? - A Fellowship with College Students

Calling on the Lord Makes a Difference! 

What's the Secret the Third Generation of Mankind Found?

Why Are Just 2 Trees Mentioned in Genesis 2?

Discussion with College Students--What is the Church?

Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway?  Part 1

Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway?  Part 2