With Unveiled Faces - Which Tree Are You Eating From? (A Study on Genesis)

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were presented with a choice. Would they choose to listen and obey God or would they choose to become the "god" of their own lives. Although, thousands of years have removed us from them, we're still presented with the very same choice today.

Whichever choice you make carries with it eternal implications. Therefore, Scripture urgently admonishes us to choose wisely.

First, let's examine Genesis 1-3 and revisit the paradise that held the beginnings of mankind. There, we'll be better equipped to decipher the LORD's plan, purpose, and heart for creation.

"The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, as well as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."

In Scripture, there are two trees specifically mentioned in the Garden of Eden. One could be eaten from freely, while the other was forbidden. The LORD gave Adam a stern commandment:

"You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

After admonishing Adam, the LORD continued the work of creation by making a helper suitable for man. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and performed the very first surgery in history.

"God took one of {Adam's} ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said 'This one, at last, is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called "woman" for she was taken from man.'"

Prior to the creation of Eve, the LORD had created every animal of the ground and sky and then presented them to Adam. He was given the task of naming each one, but none were found to be suitable companions for him. Once Eve was presented to him, Adam enthusiastically declared his praise of God's design of woman. You can almost hear the relief in Adam's declaration of "at last."

He had finally found his bride. The first marriage took place and then...

"Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame."

Adam was commissioned to care for God's creation and have dominion over the Garden of Eden. He was tasked to “work it and watch over it." It was his job to guard it with authority in obedience to God. Since the commission was given to Adam in Genesis 2, prior to the creation of Eve, it would have most likely been his responsibility to instruct Eve regarding God's commands; specifically regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

This order of creation places Eve beneath the authority of Adam, her husband. Likewise, Adam is placed under the authority of God.

It's interesting to note that when the serpent came along and tested their obedience to God's Word, he targeted the woman who was not present when God initially commanded Adam about these things.

"He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You can't eat from any tree in the garden?"’ The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.'"

Wow, there's a lot to unpack here, but briefly, isn't it interesting that the first thing the serpent did was twist God's Word and make Him seem like the "bad guy?"

Don't you see how much God is holding out on you? He's not letting you eat from any tree you desire? Why? Aren't they all pleasing in appearance and taste? He just doesn't want you to have pleasure.

What nonsense! Of course God allowed them to eat from the trees of the garden. They were invited to partake from any tree they desired, including the Tree of Life. The only one that was off limits in the entire garden was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which the LORD was protecting them from.

The first step in deceiving them was to make them question God's good intentions. He placed a seed of doubt and mistrust in their minds regarding the LORD's nature.

"No! You will certainly not die!" the serpent said to the woman. 'In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and and ate it..."

The serpent blatantly lied to Adam and Eve. Jesus called Satan the "father of lies" in John 8:44...

"He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

It's interesting that Jesus referred to Satan (personified as the serpent in Genesis 3) as "a murderer from the beginning." Further proof that he singlehandedly brought about the death of humanity by his deception. He used his cunning native language of lies to weave webs of idolatry and betrayal into the hearts of Adam and Eve. He still attempts to use these same tactics against God's children today.

He also tempted Eve with the "fear of missing out" (we abbreviate it today as FOMO and it's a real temptation). It made her feel like she was lacking something. She desired to obtain this "wisdom" that the serpent dangled before her like a carrot: ..."your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The serpent insinuated that her eyes were not yet enlightened. Yet, Eve had no need to become "like God." She had already been created in His image as evidenced in Genesis 1:27.

"So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. God blessed them."

Mankind was created with the intent to be God's representatives, His ambassadors, on this earth. After He blessed Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion (rule) over the earth. He desired for them to "be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it." They didn't need to become like God, they were already made in His image and likeness. God was not withholding any good thing from them. If they desired to obtain wisdom, then the LORD would have instructed them in wisdom. Instead, they took matters into their own hands and were led to destruction by their enemy.

One more thing to consider is at the initial onslaught of the serpent's temptation, Eve mentioned that one must not eat the fruit or touch it. Well, where did that command come from?

When God instructed Adam regarding the fruit from this tree, His command was to not eat of it. It seems as if Adam may have added on the command "or touch it" to further safeguard Eve from harm. The problem occurred when Eve decided to reach out and touch its fruit. Spoiler alert, she didn't die which may have been why she had further assurance to partake of the fruit. That's why it's so dangerous for man to add to God's Word. We need to faithfully preserve God's truth and not add to it - no matter how good our intentions may be.

So, she took the fruit, ate it, and then "gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

Both the woman and the man sinned but in different ways.

The woman sinned in her desire for wanting control, she wanted to obtain wisdom to make her own decisions, to be her own boss and no longer have need for submission to God-ordained authority. She lusted after the "wisdom" this tree would give her.

The man relinquished his authority and dominion. He became passive. He allowed himself to follow after the authority of someone other than God; specifically his wife who was to be under his leadership - not the other way around. He let his wife become the head and forsook His God-ordained authority.

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."

When they became one flesh, Scripture says that they "were naked, yet felt no shame." However, after they ate of the fruit that opened their eyes, they felt shame over their nakedness.

The Hebrew word used here for shame is bosh meaning misplaced confidence in something that humiliates and disappoints; a painful feeling of humiliation and distress caused by consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior; i.e. moral corruption.

Something else to note is that the coverings mentioned here in verse 7 can also be translated as "veils" in Hebrew. This is an important point that we'll address a little later in this post, so just hold onto that for now.

The act of sewing fig leaves together for coverings shows their self-reliant nature. Adam and Eve chose to rely on their own resources to cover up their moral corruption.

Could they have even tried to cover up their shame with the very leaves of the tree that had corrupted them?

Regardless, this behavior is defined as self-righteousness. It's performance-based and can only address the outward actions/appearances, but not the heart issue.

Adam and Eve created coverings (veils) to conceal themselves from God. Their sin created a separation between God and man that they could palpably feel and they were scared. The injustice of their moral corruption cried out condemnation and punishment for their actions. It caused them to become afraid of the righteous LORD and hide themselves from Him.

Something surprising happened next that I don't even think the cunning serpent could have predicted!

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'"

Oh, this is so powerful. Clearly, God had a daily rhythm with His children. He would return to the garden each evening to fellowship with Adam and Eve. We know that God is omniscient, meaning all-knowing. In my opinion, He was already fully aware of their failure and sin, yet He still came to the garden to be with them. Not just that, but He desired for them to come to Him. They were hiding and, yet, He called out to them.

Being a parent, this is reminiscent of a classic scenario with children. You walk into a quiet, abandoned room and you immediately see a big crayon scribble on the wall or a smushed peanut butter and jelly sandwich stuck to the floor, or maybe even a puddle of spilled juice or milk. The little culprit is hidden away as if you can't see them or the mess they made. In that moment, a loving parent will always care more about the development of the child, than the trouble they caused. Of course, there are consequences that follow in the form of correction, but the child's growth and protection are at the forefront of that parent's mind. It is the same with the LORD. He is a loving Father who cares deeply for our eternal spirits.

Once they realized they couldn’t hide from God, Adam and Eve confessed what transpired when the serpent deceived them.

However, Creator God had a plan for redemption even before His first act of creation in Genesis 1.

“…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” (1 Peter 1:19-20)

Alas, the LORD had a solution.

"The LORD God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and He clothed them.'

The LORD provided coverings that spoke of atonement. For their nakedness to be covered, it required the shedding of blood of an innocent being. An animal had to die for their skins to provide clothing. Death in exchange for life.

The first ripples of the coming redemption of mankind was prophetically placed in the garden pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The LORD had to revoke their access to the Tree of Life and they were removed from the Garden of Eden. However, this doesn't mean that the LORD stopped fellowshipping with them or removed His Presence from them. Although they no longer dwelled in the garden, there are still multiple places in Genesis and beyond where God's Presence is seen talking with and instructing mankind. You can find one such example in Genesis 4.

Now, let’s take a moment to unpack some imagery found in Genesis 1-3 and see how it applies to our faith as believers in Christ Jesus.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolizes the Law given on Mount Sinai. It is the letter of the Law that strengthens the power of sin and kills.

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law." (1 Corinthians 15:56)

"He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Does that mean the Law is not good? No, of course it is.

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin." (Romans 7:7)

But, our flesh is the problem - our sinful nature. We will never be able to completely obey the law with our sin nature (what every human has inherited from Adam and Eve; Romans 7). Sin causes us to hear the good commands of God, but then disobey them which equals death. We all have fallen short (Romans 3:23).

“For whoever keeps the entire Law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.” (James 2:10)

The Law clarified the difference between what is morally good and evil in the eyes of God. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (take note that it wasn’t named the Tree of Good and Evil, but the knowledge of good and evil) likewise symbolized the mental consciousness of both choices and the subsequent free will to choose which one to act upon. Eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil didn’t give Adam and Eve the ability to make the right choice. Instead, it just gave them awareness of both realities. They were left powerless to choose good over evil. In the same way, the Law revealed to mankind what was considered good and evil according to the standard of God Almighty, but it left us powerless to fulfill that expectation.

To summarize, the only Man to perfectly keep the Law was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Law was not given to mankind to produce life. Instead, it was given as a perfect standard of commandments to show man his thoughts, actions, and intentions of heart could never measure up to God's holy, pure, and righteous standard. It was given to stop self-righteous boasting, prove mankind's need of a Savior, and abate sin until the arrival of the Lamb of God - our Sacrifice who purifies.

Back in the Garden of Eden, grace ruled supreme. God provided Adam and Eve coverings of justification in place of their self-reliant ones. This prophetic picture later became the sacrificial system prescribed by God in the Torah and implemented in the service of the Temple in Jerusalem. The blood of bulls, goats, and sheep was just a foreshadowing; a temporary system put in place by God that spoke of atonement.

The temporary sacrificial system (Hebrews 10:3) and the guardianship of the Law (Galatians 3:24) both relinquished their power at the death and resurrection of Christ. This was physically fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple, along with its sacrificial system, as well as the fulfillment of the letter of the Law by Christ Jesus.

Presently, the Law of Christ (also called the Law of Liberty or the Law of the Spirit) is the presiding standard. It is fulfilled and walked out only by the empowerment and indwelling of the Holy Spirit within believers (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21) and not by human strength/performance.

At the cross, the separation between God and man due to sin and moral corruption was done away with forever. This was made possible by Jesus Christ becoming our perfect, sinless offering. He took all of God's wrath, punishment, condemnation, shame, and everything else that entered creation through the fall of man (sickness, disease, depression, etc.) into His own Body - He willingly paid the price we could never pay.

He was buried and, three days later, resurrected as the King of Kings forevermore. He is our Living Water. Our Tree of Life. Through Him, the door to Paradise has once again been opened wide and we, redeemed believers, can boldly come to His throne of grace.

At the moment of His final breath, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The veil was a very thick and considerably heavy curtain that separated the Holy Place of the Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies (or Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat were located). The tearing of the veil could not have been accomplished by human strength. Instead it was a divine confirmation that the path to eternal life, as well as the Presence of God Almighty, had been opened through the Son's sacrifice. It also symbolized God's finality with that temporary sacrificial system. The one offering of Jesus Christ sufficed forevermore.

There's an interesting passage of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 3 where the Apostle Paul speaks about a veil of separation being upon the hearts of those hardened by the Law and/or those who have rejected Christ and the Gospel message.

"For to this day, at the reading of the Old Covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ. Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Wow! There's so much here. Paul described how only when someone turns to Christ, the veil (that separation from God) is removed and freedom comes. Freedom from what? The short answer: the Law and the resulting moral failure produced by sin. Those who don't receive the gift of grace, given to us by the Father through the death and resurrection of His Son, are attempting to earn favor from God to make up for their moral corruption with performance through "works of righteousness" (outward actions that can't do away with the inner sin-nature). Not very different than Adam and Eve in the garden, huh?

That's why it is so profound that Adam and Eve’s man-made coverings from fig leaves are referred to as veils in the original Hebrew language. Likewise, so many of Israel today still reject Jesus as Messiah and are using the Law (Torah) and good works (Mitzvot) as fig leaves from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thinking it can somehow justify them before the Judge of the Universe.

However, the only acceptable payment is the blood of Christ. He paid for our moral corruption with His own life. He came as the Second Adam (I Corinthians 15:45) and His sinless lifeblood was poured out for our atonement. It was credited to our account as righteousness. His resurrection proved the Father's acceptance of both His sacrifice and our acquittal.

The Tree of Life has been restored.

Jesus is our Tree of Life.

We are no longer under the covering (or veil) of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The veil has been lifted and we have been transformed into His image by His Spirit. It is all done by His provision, power, and strength.

Here’s some practical application...

Let's end here with a thought-provoking question I urge you to meditate on:

When your mind wanders tirelessly into worry, anxiety, depression, frustration, fear, lack, lust, envy, bitterness, etc., ask yourself which tree are you eating from?

A tree was designed by God to provide fruit, offer shelter, and so forth. When you sit under a tree, you partake of its shade. You draw near to its resources. When you eat its fruit, it becomes food for your body. But not all food is nourishment. For example, there is a big nutritional difference between eating a dozen donuts versus a vitamin-packed bowl of fresh fruit or vegetables.

When you begin to mentally spiral and fear pushes you to seek safety somewhere, you may be unknowingly eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

This can look like taking matters into your own hands. Seeking worldly solutions or wisdom. Being carnally-minded: consumed by what you can see, hear, taste, smell, or touch in this physical/natural realm, while not taking into account the LORD’s supernatural power in the spiritual realm.

On the other hand, the Tree of Life sits there serenely bidding us to come and sit beneath its shade and feast on its fruit. Jesus offers us the abundant, overcoming life that He provided as our Good Shepherd (John 10:10). His is a true peace that transcends all human understanding.

He offers divine healing provided through His own flesh. He supplies the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He gives us all things pertaining to life and godliness both in this present age and in the age to come.

So, I urge you, when you begin to feel overwhelmed, take a moment to pause your thoughts and ask yourself: Am I eating from the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It’s Satan’s quest to keep you eating from the Tree of Death.

Examine your thought process: What kind of fruit are your thoughts producing in you?

If they are causing you dread, worry, anxiety, anger, bitterness, depression, hopelessness, apathy, etc., then you’ve allowed yourself to be nourished by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

If your thoughts have caused you to walk in sin or hurt those around you, you’re under the shade of the Tree of Death.

Make the choice to dwell in and eat from the Tree of Life.

The first order of business is to stop eating rotten fruit.

Fast from anything that is hardening your heart against the Word of God or that’s causing you to become distracted, apathetic, lustful, envious, etc.

This includes Netflix, Instagram, TikTok, secular books, certain podcasts, reality shows, gossip, music that doesn’t edify, online gaming, fill in the blank with whatever you’re struggling with.

Then, turn your thoughts onto your Savior and begin to praise Him.

Thank Him for His goodness and faithfulness.

Take a moment to breathe deeply and relax.

Listen to an audio Bible, pray, rest….

Get out your Bible and meditate on a promise from Scripture regarding your situation.

Show kindness, gentleness, or faithfulness to someone through a good deed.

Put yourself last and serve someone else instead.

Choose to only dwell on things that are life-giving and edifying.

"Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“…Seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for hanging in there with me. I know this has been a long post. My prayer is that your spirit’s been edified in Christ and you now have some spiritual tools & insight for overcoming fear, temptation, and worry in your tool belt.

Warmly from my home to yours,

~Kate