The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eighteen - J Mar 22, 2020 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T008_20200322.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ Today we will begin to look at the tree of life as found in the midst of the paradise of God. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button Sunday March 22nd 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 18J ‘I Know Your Works….’ 1). Ge 2:8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 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. Re 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ ‘The tree of life’ appears in the first Book of God’s revelation to Man and reappears in the last Book of that same revelation. And the context for the appearance of the tree of life in both places is the same. As we might remember, God ‘declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which are not yet done’. a). And if we go back into Genesis Chapter 1, we will find the context for the tree of life, a context that we know very well – Ge 2:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. The Man and the Woman were created to rule over the newly restored earth in the place of its present ruler, Satan. And in order to rule the Man and the Woman were provided with sustenance. And such sustenance would have gone beyond the need for physical food to that which would also equip them for rulership. b). And as we begin to look at God’s provision for them, let’s deal briefly with what the tree of life does not provide – It has been taught in past times that the tree of life provided eternal life for those who ate its fruit, but this is not true at all. c). Let’s remember – Ge 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 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.” As we know, eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil resulted in spiritual ‘death’, a separation from God’s purpose of rulership. As well as this spiritual ‘death’, the Man’s and the Woman’s soul became corrupted, they then possessed a sin nature and their bodies having lost the covering of glory, began the process of physical decay, which would result in physical death – Ge 5:5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. Now, let’s go back to the end of Genesis 2:17 and note carefully what it says, ‘for in the day that you eat of it [the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die.’ d). This means then that if the fruit of that tree had not been eaten there would have been no spiritual death, no separation from God’s purpose of rulership, no corrupted souls, no sin nature and bodies still covered in glory that would not have begun the process to physical decay and there would have been no physical death. e). Or to say this another way – death in any form only came into being in the newly restored creation as a result of the introduction of sin. Apart from sin, and before sin, death cannot and did not exist. f). This is why at the end of the Millennial Kingdom after the judgment of the eternally lost at the Great White Throne judgment, when the new heavens and new earth are brought into being, in which righteousness alone will dwell, we find – Re 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire……….. When there is no more sin there is no longer death. And when there is no longer death there is no longer a need for a place of the dead. g). All this then to demonstrate that Adam and the Woman were created eternal beings and did not therefore need to eat from the tree of life to gain perpetuity of physical life. That was already theirs. h). So, to return to where we were when we began, the tree of life is first seen in the Garden of Eden in connection with the purpose for Man’s creation, rulership. And we see it in Chapter 2 of Revelation as one of the overcomer’s promises given to those who will fulfill God’s purpose for Man and will rule with Christ in the Kingdom Age. The tree of life then being located in the ‘paradise of God’ – literally the garden of God. i). Eating from the tree of life then is inextricably connected to Man and rulership; inextricably connected to ‘life’ in the age to come and is there for the benefit of those who will have age lasting life. And as it was in the beginning so the fruit of the tree of life will provide the sustenance necessary for those who will exercise this life in the age to come in fulfillment of God’s purpose. Ge 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. The tree of life, in accordance with that which God said in this verse, could only bring forth fruit ‘according to its kind’. And as the fruit of this tree in Eden was for the purpose of equipping those created in the image and likeness of God for rulership. So, the tree of life in the garden of God can only produce fruit for this same purpose. And as Adam and the Woman were barred from this tree once they were no longer in the image and likeness of God, so it has been kept from human beings ever since, awaiting the time when the overcomers will once again be in the image and likeness of God, having a redeemed spirit, a redeemed soul and a redeemed body covered in glory; then being in a position to eat its fruit with rulership in view. 2). Pr 3:13 Happy [blessed] is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed] are all who retain her. The tree of life is also referenced in 4 of the Proverbs of Solomon, and in the first of these, which we see here, the tree of life has a direct connection to wisdom and understanding. a). From v13 we see that wisdom is something that may or may not be found, but for the person who finds wisdom and therefore gains understanding, the profit to be gained from it is better than that of silver or gold. And wisdom itself is ‘more precious than rubies’ and indeed is more precious than ‘all the things you may desire’. b). And to have found wisdom and understanding is inextricably connected to the tree of life – clearly not the tree of life from the Garden of Eden for that had long since disappeared, but the tree of life that will be accessed yet future, to be found in the garden of God. c). Now, let’s remember something about Solomon, who wrote Proverbs 3 – 1 Ki 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. When Solomon succeeded his father David as king over Israel, he was painfully aware that he was ill equipped for such an enormous task, describing himself as being like ‘a little child’ in his understanding of ruling a kingdom. d). Because of this he asked God to give him ’an understanding heart to judge Your people’. And this request ‘pleased the Lord’, and he gave Solomon ‘a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.’ e). God supernaturally provided Solomon with the wisdom and understanding he would need to rule the kingdom within the Theocracy. And because Solomon had not asked God for anything for himself, God also gave him what he had not asked for, ‘both riches and honor’. 1 Ki 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 1 Ki 10:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her…………6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Solomon’s experience provides us with the type for the faithful Christian who will become a crowned ruler in the age to come. And it is the tree of life that will provide the necessary sustenance to equip the ‘little child’ with the wise and understanding heart to rule with justice and righteousness within the Theocracy of the 7th Day. And because the crowned rulers will also be joint heirs with Christ, who will possess ‘all things’, so, riches and honor will also come into the picture. f). However, according to Proverbs Chapter 3, before we can have access to the tree of life ‘in the midst of the Paradise of God’ as an overcomer, we need to find ‘wisdom and understanding’ in our present, first. g). This is not the wisdom and understanding necessary to rule in the Kingdom, that must come later, nor the wisdom of the world as that is foolishness with God, but the wisdom and understanding that is necessary to produce a profit while dealing with the Lord’s business during the time of His absence, the wisdom and understanding necessary to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. h). And the Scripture teaches us – Mt 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jas 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. And where is the wisdom we are to seek to be found? – Col 2:2…….and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 1 Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” The wisdom we are to seek is to be found ‘in Christ’, the Word made flesh, and therefore in the written Word which is alive. i). We are to eat from the tree of life only when our pilgrim journey has been successfully completed. But while on the journey toward that end God has provided for us the spiritual manna to sustain us and equip us as we go – Jn 6:48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. Or to say this another way – Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be [continually] filled with the Spirit, We do find this in the letter to Pergamos – Re 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. The ‘hidden manna’ would be an allusion to the manna that was kept inside the arc of the covenant in the Holy of Holies and as such this hidden manna would parallel the fruit from the tree of life – that which is reserved for those who overcome to sustain them and equip them for the high office they will then occupy. j). In this sense, that which we are to eat in that future day, whether the hidden manna or the fruit of the tree of life, is entirely different from what God has provided for us during the course of our wilderness journey. k). As Christ hung on the ‘tree’ of Calvary, in one sense He became the fruit of that tree – a ‘tree’ of sacrifice, suffering and death. And as the ‘tree’ can only produce fruit according to its kind, as we eat His flesh and drink His blood, so we are to be the living sacrifice, to patiently endure through the ‘sufferings’ of this life, putting to death the deeds of the body. It is as Paul said – Php 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 3). Pr 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. In the second of Solomon’s Proverbs that reference the tree of life we see the tree connected to ‘the fruit of the righteous’ and the wise ‘who wins souls.’ a). Those then who will have access to the tree of life in the garden of God in that future Day are those who are righteous, who have sought first the Kingdom and His righteousness, who have produced the ‘fruit’ of righteousness, the righteous acts of the saints; those then, whose souls have been won. b). And as the winning of souls is the province of the ‘wise’ only, we will make the connection with the wise virgins from Matthew Chapter 25, who were prepared for the Bridegroom’s coming and had provided themselves with an extra supply of oil in anticipation of that event – 2 Ti 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. c). Soul winning, contrary to what the phrase has come incorrectly to mean, has nothing to do with the proclamation of the gospel of grace. Rather, it has to do with the proclamation of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the Word of the Kingdom, to those who have already passed from death to life. d). This is the message that has to do with the purpose for the eternal salvation that we have received through hearing the gospel of grace. And these 2 messages are entirely different from one another and must be kept as such. e). Soul winning is what goes on here each week where the proclamation of the whole counsel of God is given to turn us to righteousness that we might produce the righteous acts that make up the wedding garment; that we might be busy about the Lord’s business while He is absent, in eager anticipation of His return when He will settle accounts with us. And even more specifically that we should be focused on the righteous acts, the making of a profit, on that part of the Lord’s business that He has given to us individually, as exemplified through the parables of the talents and the minas. f). This is how we are to be properly prepared that we may win life in the age to come and to be equipped, to be properly prepared, can only come, as we have seen, from eating His flesh and drinking His blood, by being transformed by the renewing of our mind through the Word of God into the image of Him who came to be about His Father’s business. g). And the tree of life is promised to those who will do so – Dan 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. Mt 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 4). Pr 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. The 3rd reference to the tree of life in Solomon’s Proverbs has to do with ‘hope’. All the while ‘hope’ is deferred the tree of life is out of reach, but when ‘hope’ is realized the tree of life will be attained. a). This is the hope that Christians have, as recorded in – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The hope that we have is living and has come to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope, an inheritance and salvation, the salvation of the soul, are all inextricably connected. b). And to state simply what our hope is we need only go to – Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, In the original language the ‘blessed hope’ and the appearing of Christ’s glory are synonymous. Our hope is the appearing of Christ’s glory and when Christ’s glory appears, then the overcomers from Revelation 2:7 will also appear with Him in glory and will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. They will be crowned as rulers in the Kingdom and the tree of life will be theirs. Ro 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance [patient endurance]. 5). Pr 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. What can we say about ‘a wholesome tongue’? Well, next time. If the Lord is willing. The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eighteen - J Mar 22, 2020 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T008_20200322.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ Today we will begin to look at the tree of life as found in the midst of the paradise of God. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button Sunday March 22nd 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 18J ‘I Know Your Works….’ 1). Ge 2:8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 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. Re 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ ‘The tree of life’ appears in the first Book of God’s revelation to Man and reappears in the last Book of that same revelation. And the context for the appearance of the tree of life in both places is the same. As we might remember, God ‘declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which are not yet done’. a). And if we go back into Genesis Chapter 1, we will find the context for the tree of life, a context that we know very well – Ge 2:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. The Man and the Woman were created to rule over the newly restored earth in the place of its present ruler, Satan. And in order to rule the Man and the Woman were provided with sustenance. And such sustenance would have gone beyond the need for physical food to that which would also equip them for rulership. b). And as we begin to look at God’s provision for them, let’s deal briefly with what the tree of life does not provide – It has been taught in past times that the tree of life provided eternal life for those who ate its fruit, but this is not true at all. c). Let’s remember – Ge 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 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.” As we know, eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil resulted in spiritual ‘death’, a separation from God’s purpose of rulership. As well as this spiritual ‘death’, the Man’s and the Woman’s soul became corrupted, they then possessed a sin nature and their bodies having lost the covering of glory, began the process of physical decay, which would result in physical death – Ge 5:5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. Now, let’s go back to the end of Genesis 2:17 and note carefully what it says, ‘for in the day that you eat of it [the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die.’ d). This means then that if the fruit of that tree had not been eaten there would have been no spiritual death, no separation from God’s purpose of rulership, no corrupted souls, no sin nature and bodies still covered in glory that would not have begun the process to physical decay and there would have been no physical death. e). Or to say this another way – death in any form only came into being in the newly restored creation as a result of the introduction of sin. Apart from sin, and before sin, death cannot and did not exist. f). This is why at the end of the Millennial Kingdom after the judgment of the eternally lost at the Great White Throne judgment, when the new heavens and new earth are brought into being, in which righteousness alone will dwell, we find – Re 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire……….. When there is no more sin there is no longer death. And when there is no longer death there is no longer a need for a place of the dead. g). All this then to demonstrate that Adam and the Woman were created eternal beings and did not therefore need to eat from the tree of life to gain perpetuity of physical life. That was already theirs. h). So, to return to where we were when we began, the tree of life is first seen in the Garden of Eden in connection with the purpose for Man’s creation, rulership. And we see it in Chapter 2 of Revelation as one of the overcomer’s promises given to those who will fulfill God’s purpose for Man and will rule with Christ in the Kingdom Age. The tree of life then being located in the ‘paradise of God’ – literally the garden of God. i). Eating from the tree of life then is inextricably connected to Man and rulership; inextricably connected to ‘life’ in the age to come and is there for the benefit of those who will have age lasting life. And as it was in the beginning so the fruit of the tree of life will provide the sustenance necessary for those who will exercise this life in the age to come in fulfillment of God’s purpose. Ge 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. The tree of life, in accordance with that which God said in this verse, could only bring forth fruit ‘according to its kind’. And as the fruit of this tree in Eden was for the purpose of equipping those created in the image and likeness of God for rulership. So, the tree of life in the garden of God can only produce fruit for this same purpose. And as Adam and the Woman were barred from this tree once they were no longer in the image and likeness of God, so it has been kept from human beings ever since, awaiting the time when the overcomers will once again be in the image and likeness of God, having a redeemed spirit, a redeemed soul and a redeemed body covered in glory; then being in a position to eat its fruit with rulership in view. 2). Pr 3:13 Happy [blessed] is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed] are all who retain her. The tree of life is also referenced in 4 of the Proverbs of Solomon, and in the first of these, which we see here, the tree of life has a direct connection to wisdom and understanding. a). From v13 we see that wisdom is something that may or may not be found, but for the person who finds wisdom and therefore gains understanding, the profit to be gained from it is better than that of silver or gold. And wisdom itself is ‘more precious than rubies’ and indeed is more precious than ‘all the things you may desire’. b). And to have found wisdom and understanding is inextricably connected to the tree of life – clearly not the tree of life from the Garden of Eden for that had long since disappeared, but the tree of life that will be accessed yet future, to be found in the garden of God. c). Now, let’s remember something about Solomon, who wrote Proverbs 3 – 1 Ki 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. When Solomon succeeded his father David as king over Israel, he was painfully aware that he was ill equipped for such an enormous task, describing himself as being like ‘a little child’ in his understanding of ruling a kingdom. d). Because of this he asked God to give him ’an understanding heart to judge Your people’. And this request ‘pleased the Lord’, and he gave Solomon ‘a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.’ e). God supernaturally provided Solomon with the wisdom and understanding he would need to rule the kingdom within the Theocracy. And because Solomon had not asked God for anything for himself, God also gave him what he had not asked for, ‘both riches and honor’. 1 Ki 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 1 Ki 10:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her…………6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Solomon’s experience provides us with the type for the faithful Christian who will become a crowned ruler in the age to come. And it is the tree of life that will provide the necessary sustenance to equip the ‘little child’ with the wise and understanding heart to rule with justice and righteousness within the Theocracy of the 7th Day. And because the crowned rulers will also be joint heirs with Christ, who will possess ‘all things’, so, riches and honor will also come into the picture. f). However, according to Proverbs Chapter 3, before we can have access to the tree of life ‘in the midst of the Paradise of God’ as an overcomer, we need to find ‘wisdom and understanding’ in our present, first. g). This is not the wisdom and understanding necessary to rule in the Kingdom, that must come later, nor the wisdom of the world as that is foolishness with God, but the wisdom and understanding that is necessary to produce a profit while dealing with the Lord’s business during the time of His absence, the wisdom and understanding necessary to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. h). And the Scripture teaches us – Mt 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jas 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. And where is the wisdom we are to seek to be found? – Col 2:2…….and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 1 Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” The wisdom we are to seek is to be found ‘in Christ’, the Word made flesh, and therefore in the written Word which is alive. i). We are to eat from the tree of life only when our pilgrim journey has been successfully completed. But while on the journey toward that end God has provided for us the spiritual manna to sustain us and equip us as we go – Jn 6:48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. Or to say this another way – Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be [continually] filled with the Spirit, We do find this in the letter to Pergamos – Re 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. The ‘hidden manna’ would be an allusion to the manna that was kept inside the arc of the covenant in the Holy of Holies and as such this hidden manna would parallel the fruit from the tree of life – that which is reserved for those who overcome to sustain them and equip them for the high office they will then occupy. j). In this sense, that which we are to eat in that future day, whether the hidden manna or the fruit of the tree of life, is entirely different from what God has provided for us during the course of our wilderness journey. k). As Christ hung on the ‘tree’ of Calvary, in one sense He became the fruit of that tree – a ‘tree’ of sacrifice, suffering and death. And as the ‘tree’ can only produce fruit according to its kind, as we eat His flesh and drink His blood, so we are to be the living sacrifice, to patiently endure through the ‘sufferings’ of this life, putting to death the deeds of the body. It is as Paul said – Php 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 3). Pr 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. In the second of Solomon’s Proverbs that reference the tree of life we see the tree connected to ‘the fruit of the righteous’ and the wise ‘who wins souls.’ a). Those then who will have access to the tree of life in the garden of God in that future Day are those who are righteous, who have sought first the Kingdom and His righteousness, who have produced the ‘fruit’ of righteousness, the righteous acts of the saints; those then, whose souls have been won. b). And as the winning of souls is the province of the ‘wise’ only, we will make the connection with the wise virgins from Matthew Chapter 25, who were prepared for the Bridegroom’s coming and had provided themselves with an extra supply of oil in anticipation of that event – 2 Ti 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. c). Soul winning, contrary to what the phrase has come incorrectly to mean, has nothing to do with the proclamation of the gospel of grace. Rather, it has to do with the proclamation of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the Word of the Kingdom, to those who have already passed from death to life. d). This is the message that has to do with the purpose for the eternal salvation that we have received through hearing the gospel of grace. And these 2 messages are entirely different from one another and must be kept as such. e). Soul winning is what goes on here each week where the proclamation of the whole counsel of God is given to turn us to righteousness that we might produce the righteous acts that make up the wedding garment; that we might be busy about the Lord’s business while He is absent, in eager anticipation of His return when He will settle accounts with us. And even more specifically that we should be focused on the righteous acts, the making of a profit, on that part of the Lord’s business that He has given to us individually, as exemplified through the parables of the talents and the minas. f). This is how we are to be properly prepared that we may win life in the age to come and to be equipped, to be properly prepared, can only come, as we have seen, from eating His flesh and drinking His blood, by being transformed by the renewing of our mind through the Word of God into the image of Him who came to be about His Father’s business. g). And the tree of life is promised to those who will do so – Dan 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. Mt 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 4). Pr 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. The 3rd reference to the tree of life in Solomon’s Proverbs has to do with ‘hope’. All the while ‘hope’ is deferred the tree of life is out of reach, but when ‘hope’ is realized the tree of life will be attained. a). This is the hope that Christians have, as recorded in – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The hope that we have is living and has come to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope, an inheritance and salvation, the salvation of the soul, are all inextricably connected. b). And to state simply what our hope is we need only go to – Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, In the original language the ‘blessed hope’ and the appearing of Christ’s glory are synonymous. Our hope is the appearing of Christ’s glory and when Christ’s glory appears, then the overcomers from Revelation 2:7 will also appear with Him in glory and will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. They will be crowned as rulers in the Kingdom and the tree of life will be theirs. Ro 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance [patient endurance]. 5). Pr 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. What can we say about ‘a wholesome tongue’? Well, next time. If the Lord is willing.