One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
—Psalm 145:4, 8
...at the east of the garden of Eden [the Lord] placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
—Genesis 3:24
And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
—Exodus 26:33
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...”
—Exodus 34:6
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
—Galatians 5:22-23
The old saying expresses that "the acorn doesn't fall from the tree", sometimes with variations on which kind of fruit is used. Although it often refers to children and parents, it also provides a reminder about the Tree of Life: obtaining its fruit means drawing near. The rebellion of humans caused access to the Tree to be blocked and guarded. But the One who created light and life, humans and the Tree, began working in grace to open the way.
The Holy Place offered the priests an opportunity to remember the Tree of Life and the light that its Creator gave—the light that was separated from darkness. And the veil served as a reminder that they had lost free access to the Mercy Seat. Although the Law, Prophets, and Psalms proclaimed and praised His steadfast love and faithfulness, humans were not ready to stand before Him.
They were not yet ready to return His steadfast love; they were not yet faithful, and never would be, if left to their own devices and wisdom and strength. So, the creator of life and light created atonement. His purpose was always for them to bear fruit. But first they had to learn the difference between good and bad, right and evil. And so the Law was given by grace and mercy to teach them.
Tree of Life and Light (part 2)
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
—Psalm 145:4, 8
...at the east of the garden of Eden [the Lord] placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
—Genesis 3:24
And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
—Exodus 26:33
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...”
—Exodus 34:6
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
—Galatians 5:22-23
The old saying expresses that "the acorn doesn't fall from the tree", sometimes with variations on which kind of fruit is used. Although it often refers to children and parents, it also provides a reminder about the Tree of Life: obtaining its fruit means drawing near. The rebellion of humans caused access to the Tree to be blocked and guarded. But the One who created light and life, humans and the Tree, began working in grace to open the way.
The Holy Place offered the priests an opportunity to remember the Tree of Life and the light that its Creator gave—the light that was separated from darkness. And the veil served as a reminder that they had lost free access to the Mercy Seat. Although the Law, Prophets, and Psalms proclaimed and praised His steadfast love and faithfulness, humans were not ready to stand before Him.
They were not yet ready to return His steadfast love; they were not yet faithful, and never would be, if left to their own devices and wisdom and strength. So, the creator of life and light created atonement. His purpose was always for them to bear fruit. But first they had to learn the difference between good and bad, right and evil. And so the Law was given by grace and mercy to teach them.
On the Lord's terms, not on their own.