Wisdom is a Tree of Life
One of the most striking statements in the book of Proverbs regarding wisdom is found in Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, and 15:4.
“She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her” Proverbs 3:18a.
The tree of life was in the middle of the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve partook of its fruit and from it they found sustenance, strength, and eternal life. It is curious to consider that the tree of life only appears in three books of the bible. Genesis, Proverbs, and Revelation. The very beginning, the middle, and the very end.
We should take note
There was another tree in the garden of Eden that stood as a sign, and a visible reminder that life and blessing would come through trusting God. Adam’s abstaining from this tree was the appointed means of covenant faithfulness to God.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.” – Genesis 2:16-17
These two trees functioned together. The tree of life held forth the promise of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil held forth good and right covenant boundaries. You cannot have one without the other. Life apart from God is not life. And as we know, Adam and Eve violated the boundary, and lost the right to the promise of life.
“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24
The grace of God protects Adam and Eve from securing eternal life apart from Him. The tragedy of the garden was not that Adam and Eve lost a long life, it was that they lost communion with God. Peace with God. Because they lost God, they lost life. God and life cannot be separated. Since this tragic fall in Eden, mankind has made many efforts to secure the tree of life without God. Listen to author and thought leader Yuval Harari.
“In the twenty-first century humans are likely to make a serious bid for immortality. Having reduced mortality from starvation, disease and violence, we will now aim to overcome old age and even death itself. According to the current scientific and medical thinking, aging and death are not an inevitable spiritual fate, but a technical problem.” – Yuval Noah Harari
The book of Genesis tells us that death entered humanity not because of a technical problem that eventually needed to be solved, but because of a covenant breach. The wages of this breach are death. Death is not a problem that human beings will solve. Life and death are God’s domain. Life and all that is good is found in covenant faithfulness to Yahweh. Death is found in seeking life apart from God as we see in Genesis. Maybe we can see shades of this truth in the words of Christ.
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” -Matthew 16:25
There is a lot more to be said here and for sure we can only scratch the surface. We can speak of covenants and covenant keeping. Our inability to do so, and Christ’s record of perfection. We can speak of Christ as the wisdom of God. Christ as the door, or the beginning of wisdom. In regards to the tree of life we can see the imagery in the Lord’s Supper. Feeding on Him. Finding sustenance and life in Him. We can speak of eternal life when we consider the long life probabilities of wisdom, and we can speak of the security and peace of our inheritance to come. There is a real aspect to seeking wisdom and the probabilities that a life of wisdom brings that will eventually be fulfilled in their entirety, in this sense what are probabilities now, are promises later.
But we cannot lose sight that the call to the Christian, those who have entered into wisdom through Christ, through the “fear of the Lord” is to abide, to walk, to take hold of wisdom.
If wisdom is indeed what the book of Proverbs says it is.
More precious than wealth. Leading to peace, security, and long life. That it will give you good success in the sight of God and man. That literally nothing that you could ever desire could compare with her. That wisdom quite literally is a tree of life to those who take hold of her. If all of this is true. Then these are the questions we should all ponder. No matter our age, no matter how long we have been in the faith.
How are you taking hold of wisdom?
How do you seek wisdom?
Where do you seek wisdom?
How much time is given to the pursuit of it?
Who around you could help you with the pursuit of wisdom?
The tragedy of Eden was not primarily that Adam and Eve lost a long life, but that they lost communion with God Himself. To enter back into wisdom is to enter back into communion with God. There is a beginning to this and there is an abiding in this. We enter through Christ, and then we walk with Christ in a manner worthy of the calling we received. Never losing sight of Christ as the doorway. And never untethering the pursuit of wisdom from him.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Revelation 22:14
Here is a good place to begin. Think and meditate on Revelation 22:14 in light of where we have seen in Proverbs and in light of the story of redemption.
In Christ,
Anthony