‹‹ WEEK 6 — DAY 4 ›› Morning Nourishment John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. Gen. 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil signifies Satan as the source of death to man (Heb. 2:14). It also signifies all things apart from God....Even the Scriptures inspired by God and the law given by God can be utilized by Satan as the tree of knowledge to bring in death (John 5:39-40; 2 Cor. 3:6b). The tree of life causes man to be dependent on God (John 15:5), whereas the tree of knowledge causes man to rebel against God and to be independent from Him (cf. Gen. 3:5). The two trees issue in two lines—the line of life and the line of death—that run through the entire Bible and end in the book of Revelation. Death begins with the tree of knowledge (Gen. 2:17) and ends with the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10, 14). Life begins with the tree of life and ends in the New Jerusalem, the city of the water of life (22:1-2). (Gen. 2:9, footnote 3) Today’s Reading The record of the two trees in Genesis 2, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, is not merely ancient history, for these two trees are still with us today. If we read the Bible carefully, we will discover that throughout the Bible we have two lines—the line of the tree of life and the line of the tree of knowledge. We may refer to them in brief as the line of life and the line of knowledge. These two lines began at the book of Genesis and continue through the subsequent books of the Bible until they reach their destination....The destination of the line of life will be the New Jerusalem, where the tree of life appears once again. The river of the water of life is also found in the New Jerusalem, for it flows throughout the entire city. Thus, the New Jerusalem, a city of living water, is the ultimate consummation of the line of the tree of life. The line of knowledge will conclude with the lake of fire, a vivid contrast to the city of New Jerusalem. The city is a city of living water; the lake is a lake of burning fire. According to the revelation in the Bible, we see two streams proceeding out of the throne of God. One is the stream of living water, and the other is a stream of fire. The stream of living water is revealed in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22. In Ezekiel living water issues out of the house of God; in Revelation 22 living water flows out of the throne of God. In Daniel 7:9-10 we see another stream, a stream of fire, flowing out of the throne of God. The living water is for reviving and watering, but the stream of fire is for judging. It courses in judgment throughout the universe. The river of water proceeds out of the throne of God and will flow all positive things into the New Jerusalem. The stream of fire issues out of the throne of God and will sweep all negative things into the lake of fire. In the beginning of the Bible we have the start of two lines, the line of life and the line of knowledge. At the end of the Bible we have two results, two consummations—the city of living water and the lake of burning fire. Where are you and where are you going? Which line are you on?...As redeemed people we are surely on the right line, the line of life. However, it is possible that our walk and our work—that is, the way we live and work for God—might be on the wrong line....The Bible firstly warns people to stay away from the line of knowledge and remain on or return to the line of life. Once we are saved, we are eternally saved, and our salvation is eternally secure. Nevertheless, the Bible warns us concerning our daily walk and our work for the Lord. In Galatians Paul warns us to walk in the Spirit (5:16) and to sow to the Spirit (6:7-8)....If we build the church with gold, silver, and precious stones, this work will continue unto the New Jerusalem....On the other hand, Paul warns us that the wood, grass, and straw are only useful for burning (1 Cor. 3:12-15). (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 181-183) Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 23:52:59 +0000
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