# 45 The Flaming Sword Is Closer Than You May Think

The Book of Genesis Day 45 Ge 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" - 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. What you don’t know, won’t hurt you. It’s an old saying but it seems to apply here. Adam and Eve had it so good! They had no knowledge of good because they had no knowledge of evil! All was good, but they didn’t know it because they had nothing to compare it to! Ignorance, in this case, was indeed bliss! But once they tasted of the tree, they became like, (as God put it) “one of us.” The “us” here is likely the Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are aware of good and evil, but they know how to handle that knowledge…..man doesn’t. Think of how awful it would be for man to live eternally with the knowledge of good and evil. How awful it would be, to be resurrected on the Last Day and continue living as we do today. Paradise would be a living hell of reincarnation subjecting us to the effects of evil forever! God, in His great love for us, protected us from this possibility by kicking Adam and Eve out of the Garden before they could munch on the Tree of Life! They (we) must not taste of this tree of life until everything is restored, and that happens when Jesus Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. In the meantime, cherubim have been placed east of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword was placed in a position to guard the way to the tree of life. This flaming sword turns in every possible direction; there is no way anyone can partake of the tree of life without dealing with this flaming sword. This flaming sword should make cause us to think of the Word of God as it says in Eph 6:17b, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” This flaming sword then represents, the Holy One, Jesus Christ Himself, who is referred to as the “Word, and who states unequivocally that “He is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father (no one will be able to taste of the Tree of Life) except through Jesus! Aren’t you glad that God decided to guard and protect this tree? It’s their waiting for you and me and all others who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Persevere in the faith and you will one day taste of its fruit: Re 2:7 says, "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."' Paradise restored! No more knowledge of good or evil because all will be good! Reflect: What are some things you regard as good? What are some things you regard as evil? Why is it important that the flaming sword turns every way? How many paths lead to God? Pray: Father, give us a yearning to return to Paradise, help us to finish the race through faith in Jesus, knowing and believing that He is the only way to the Tree of Life. Amen