Proverbs and the Tree of Life—Part 1

 

L'arbre de Vie (The Tree of Life) by Raphaël Toussaint

The Book of Proverbs

Before this study, the Book of Proverbs wasn't one of my favorite books of the Bible. Not that it lacked thought-provoking and helpful content, but for the most part, it seemed merely practical and was quite random in its mid-section. In this presentation, we will discover that there is more than meets the eye. A deeper look will reveal a pattern, purpose, and design in Proverbs that fit into the larger story.

The Tree of Life and its three strategic placements in the Scriptures are the common thread we will trace from Genesis to Revelation. We will discover how God granted humankind eternal life in the beginning, lost it in the middle, and restored it by the end of Revelation — but not before passing through the natural world's exhibit in Proverbs. At this crossroads, we will uncover the allegories and metaphors that will animate what happened in that garden event and foreshadow the glorious redemptive conclusion of eternal life with God.

The above image shows a tree and lung bronchi illustrating the life-giving properties of trees. Trees produce the oxygen our lungs receive, giving life to our bodies. Symbiotically, trees absorb carbon dioxide, which we exhale.

The Tree of Life Mentions 

The Tree of Life is noted four times in the Book of Proverbs. There are only two other places in Scripture where it is explicitly named, and these are in Genesis and Revelation, the first and last books of the Bible. There are three mentions of the Tree of Life in Genesis and three in Revelation, which places the four Proverbs' mentions at the center of all its usages. These strategically placed references form a literary sandwich, a chiasm, which will be studied later.

Counts and Placements of the Tree of Life

Our examination of the uses of the Tree of Life (three in Genesis, four in Proverbs, and three in Revelation) will provide intriguing insights into this natural, physical existence and the eternal. The four Proverbs mentions, being in the center of the three, will lead us to valuable insights and applications to the garden temptation narrative. Before diving into that, some knowledge of Bible numbers will be helpful in our study. 

When added together, the total number of occurrences of the Tree of Life is ten. In the Bible, ten is associated with mankind's obligation of responsibility and loyalty to God, as demonstrated in the Ten Commandments.

Proverbs, chapters one through nine, contains ten speeches from a father to his son. In theme, ten is also frequently accompanied by a test, as we shall see in the garden experience and its connection with this section of the Book of Proverbs.

What is a Chiasm?

The following few sections will explain a chiasm used in the Bible's "Tree of Life" phrases. A chiasm places the main point at the center of a portion of a text with parallel supporting details on each side. As we shall see, the outermost matching texts are like the two slices of bread on a sandwich. 

This structure is similar to an arrow aiming at a bullseye. As shown in the image above, it relates to Matthew 6:24, which connects well with our topic. Visually, the indentations form an arrow pointing toward the center, illustrating the main idea of the section. 

Based on the above display, Love and devotion, represented by the "Cs," are the central themes of Matthew 6:24. The sandwich's meat, or the tip of the arrow, points to the bull's-eye of God's message.

This arrangement shows that what we love and devote ourselves to will be our master. Throughout this study, decisions about whom or what we serve and to whom we commit ourselves will be significant.

The Torah—A Tree of Life

Regarding the arrow structure of Scripture, as it relates to chiasms, it is interesting that the Hebrew word "Torah," most commonly translated as "law," is rooted in an archery term meaning "to aim at an intended target."

The Torah is synonymous with God's Word, laws, and instructions that aim us at the bullseye of His will and intended purpose. Ultimately, aiming at God's purposes is always in our best interest. "Torah" is also the name given to the first five books of the Bible. The Word of God, Wisdom, the Tree of Life, and the Torah are all related in concept.

Moreover, Judaism refers to a Torah scroll as a "Tree of Life." An authentic Torah scroll is made from parchment, typically prepared from lambskin, which reminds us of the eternal Word of God, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. 

— John 1:1-2 
 
He was the "Lamb of God."

... Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 

— John 1:29

The olivewood dowels used to roll the scroll are analogous to the "Word of God that stands forever."

The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

— Isaiah 40:8

In combination, the parchment attached to the olive wood dowels relates to Jesus, the Lamb of God, on the cross. 

... who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree ... 

— 1 Peter 2:24

Modern biblical scholars have made this same connection between God's Word and the Tree of Life, associating it with the beginning, the end, and everything in between.

"... since man was driven out of Paradise, it (The Word of God) is for fallen man the tree of life." He that eateth thereof shall live forever. Its roots lie in Genesis, its crown in Revelation, and its body is Christ" 4 

— M.A. Zimmerman 

The Eternal Olive Tree

Before moving on to the chiastic part of the Tree of Life mentions, it's worth noting that Olive trees are a metaphor for eternal life, considering they can live for thousands of years. There are olive trees in Israel today that date back to the time of Christ. The olive tree is also associated with the Tree of Life in the Garden account, according to Jewish sages.

Regarding the Torah as law, God did not make laws to confine us. His law contemplated our freedom and life. The Hebrew word "Torah" actually means something akin to teaching and instruction. It is the truth about God's laws governing life and how things function in the spirit and natural realms. God's command not to eat from the forbidden tree was to protect our freedom. 

Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat. 

— Genesis 2:16 

In Hebrew, the word "freely" is expressed as "eat, eat." The double eat represents the idea of abundance, as in "eat as much as you would like." In English, we might say, "Eat to your heart's content." The main thrust of the message is that nothing that they need or desire is withheld. 

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul's prayer for wisdom includes this same thought regarding our abundance in Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ ... that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places ... 

— Ephesians 1:3,18-20

He continues with the same language of richness and abundance in Chapter Two. 

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

— Ephesians 2:4-7

And again in chapter three. 

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

— Ephesians 3:14-21 

The Tree of Life Chiasm

Let's examine what this arrangement looks like in terms of all "Tree of Life" usages. As you read, the two outer sections of Genesis and Revelation occurrences are lettered according to their parallel matching themes, which will be discussed and compared.

A) 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. 

— Genesis 2:7

B) 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 

— Genesis 3:22 

C) 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 

— Genesis 3:24

The four uses in Proverbs. 

She (wisdom) is a Tree of Life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

— Proverbs 3:18

The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life,
And he who wins souls is wise.

— Proverbs 11:30

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a Tree of Life

— Proverbs 13:12,18

A wholesome tongue is a Tree of Life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

— Proverbs 15:4

And the three Revelation occurrences.

A) "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." 

— Revelation 2:9 

B) In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

— Revelation 22:2 

C) Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 

— Revelation 22:14 

Parallel Lines

Comparing the Parallel Themes

When comparing the "A's of Genesis and Revelation, they both show us the granting of access to the Tree of Life. In "A," from the Genesis verse, the first humans had the choice to eat from the Tree of Life, which is synonymous with trusting God.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; 
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

 — Psalm 34:8

Their other option was to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which meant they wanted to experience and define "good and evil" for themselves.  

Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

— Proverbs 1:30-31

Adam already knew God and had experienced goodness. Evil was the only extra ingredient on this table. Everything God created was good. This "good" tree held a blend of something sinister, evil, and poisonous. The bite of that particular fruit contained enough toxin to paralyze the human race into a sinful state of decay and death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

— Romans 6:23

It's interesting that a snake's venom not only paralyzes but also destroys red blood cells, leading to bleeding both inside and outside the body, where blood can escape.  

In Revelation, "A" reveals that eating from the Tree of Life is synonymous with hearing and obeying God's words. Obedience corresponds to faith. 

Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

— James 2:18-20

Another common element of these bookend themes is the location of the tree of life: it is in the middle in both cases. In Genesis, it is at the center of the Garden. In Revelation, it is in the middle of the Paradise of God. These combined themes of tree placement and eternity are practically described in a Psalm of David. 

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

— Psalms 52:8

Comparing the "B's" in the Genesis event, man's right to the Tree of Life is broken. In Revelation, it is healed. 

The Revelation account reveals that the Genesis event was a clear-cut act of treason and disobedience, and the rights to that tree were reserved only for those who were loyal to the King of Kings' commands and decrees.

On either side of Proverbs, we can see the eternal themes that intersect in the middle of this central book. Like links in a chain, all three books —Genesis, Proverbs, and Revelation —are connected by the Tree of Life.

So, let's examine Proverbs and see how the more tangible concepts will illuminate the eternal truth and central message of all Scripture.

Old New Synagogue
Wolfgang Souber

Liberty and the Tree of Life

Paul's exposition details the freedom that Christ purchased for us. I believe it was the same freedom proposed to Adam and Eve had they chosen to believe in God and obey.

It is evident that the law was not for restricting them, but instead, it was for the unveiling of how God designed things to work, which is for our benefit, freedom, and fruitfulness.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free ... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. 

— Galatians 5:1,22-23

The instructions God gives aren't merely suggestions or good advice; they are the laws of life.  

Interestingly, the cross, made from a dead tree, was both the instrument of execution and a sign of the covenant. 

This concludes part 1 of this series. Links to all parts are listed below.

Proverbs and the Tree of Life—Part 1



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Proverbs and the Tree of Life—Part 3

Image
Review and Introduction  Part 2 of this series explored the bigger picture in the book of Proverbs, along with its allegorical and metaphorical meanings. This installment will explore the fig tree as a type of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Proverbs 31 woman will also be examined in the context of making the Lord (Tree of Life) the center of her life.  The Fig Tree It is believed that the tree of life was the olive tree, which we discussed earlier, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was likely the fig tree. The fig tree is more of a shrub than a tree. It produces both good and bad fruit, similar to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The "bad" fruit is the fruit that grows from the previous year's growth; it is called Breba figs. They develop before the leaves appear and are far inferior in flavor and quality compared to the main crop. Most harvesters discard them. Breba figs are also larger than the main figs. They can deceptively appear ...
Read more

Proverbs and the Tree of Life—Part 2

Image
  Review and Introduction Part 1 of this series studied the Tree of Life as it is mentioned throughout the Bible and the literary structures that reveal its deeper meaning. This article will explore the bigger picture in the book of Proverbs, along with its allegorical and metaphorical meanings.  King Solomon shares his wisdom. Isaak Asknaziy An Introduction to the Book of Proverbs The Book of Proverbs will provide us with a deeper insight into how the event of eating from the forbidden tree was about much more than just food selection. It was about knowing, or could we say, shacking up with an immoral woman and forsaking the virtuous one, which are both presented in chapter two of the Book of Proverbs. Before examining the two women, we will discuss the book, its author, and the book's purpose. The Book of Proverbs is credited to King Solomon's wise sayings. It begins with what the Tree of Life in the Garden had on its menu. To know wisdom and instruction,  To perceive t...
Read more