The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 34; Genesis 2:8-17; 3:1-24) by Rev. Angus Stewart
I. Experiencing Good and Evil
II. Determining Good and Evil
Homer C. Hoeksema: "This is precisely what man had done: while it is God's prerogative alone to determine for the creature what is good and what is evil, man had presumed, in defiance of God, to determine this for himself. While God had said that it was sin to eat of the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve decided for themselves that it was good and desirable to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is exactly the pride and the arrogance of sin. Man exalts himself to be God ... I would add, however, not only is there an act of judgment in man's expulsion from paradise. But in the light of the promise, we must view this as an act of salvation. Eating of the tree would have resulted in a perpetuation of the state of death. Hence, God expels Adam and Eve from the garden and from access to the tree of life. In Christ, however, Who is the resurrection and the life, temporal death is become the servant of the elect, to open for them a passage into eternal life and glory, and to the heavenly tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Standard Bearer, vol. 48, issue 13).
Homer C. Hoeksema: "Paradise the First was the earthly tabernacle of God with man. It was a real garden, the particular dwelling place of man, God's covenant friend, in the state of righteousness. In the midst of the garden God dwelt with man. Moreover, man was at home in the garden. Twice we read that God "put" man in Paradise (Gen. 2:8, 15). This refers to an act of God whereby He so established Adam in the garden that he understood his position and calling and was able to perform it. He was not a stranger in his environment, but the proper relation was established between him and his surroundings.
In the midst of the garden was the tree of life. Thus we are informed very briefly in Genesis 2:9: "And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Of this tree of life man might freely eat. For the Lord God commanded him, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat." The only exception to this was the other special tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of which man was specifically forbidden to eat (Gen. 2:16-17). This is also plain from the fact that after man's fall into sin he was barred from the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24).
The question is: What was the significance of this special tree, the tree of life? ...
We would explain the significance of the tree of life as follows:
1. That tree and its fruit had the power of giving perpetual, earthly life to man in as far as he had been taken from the ground. This is very plain from Genesis 3:22-24, the passage already quoted above. That tree had this power to supply man with perpetual, earthly life even after he had sinned, so that it was necessary to bar the way to the tree of life. In this connection, it seems evident also that this eating of the tree of life was not simply a once-for-all matter, but that it would be necessary to eat of this tree continually and repeatedly. You must remember that man had not been created so that he could not die and return to the dust. To be sure, there was no death in the state of rectitude. Death is not a natural process, but it is the visitation of the wrath and curse of God. But this does not mean that the first man, Adam, was immortal. Man was created fallible and mortal. He was taken from the dust of the ground, and as such he was mortal. It was possible for him to become subject to death. He was, indeed, not subject to death; but he was, so to speak, "die-able." For that mortal man, it was his connection with the tree which, in the positive sense of the word, invigorated his earthly life with that strength which made him victorious over all possibility of decay and death. Such was the significance, first of all, of the tree of life. 2. As such, the tree of life was a symbol to Adam of the gift of life: perpetual, earthly life. We must remember the nature of the tree in general. The tree transforms the earth into living and life-yielding fruit for the living soul. Man is of the earth, earthy. As such, he is dependent upon the ground from whence he was taken for his life. But he cannot live directly from that ground. The tree forms the connection between man and the ground, transforming, as it does, the substance of the ground into food for man. In the fruit trees, therefore, God opened His hand to give life to man and beast. Among all those trees there was one tree that was set aside: it was the tree of life, which was distinct in this, that he who ate of it would never lose his earthly life ..." (Standard Bearer, vol. 72, issue 8).