“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
(Genesis 3:24)
The fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was the original and primary instance of man’s disobedience to his Maker. Adam and Eve’s choice to doubt God’s word and intent while engaging the deceit of the serpent and opting for the dire consequences revealed the level of both their deception and disregard for the parameters of life in paradise laid out by their Creator.
In response to their disobedience, God pronounced judgment in the form of curses – first on the serpent, then Eve and Adam, and finally the earth itself (Gen. 3:14-19). Of course, the last curse is the curse of death because sin brings death (James 1:15). And the most devastating consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience was the death of their relationship with God. They were immediately expelled from paradise and removed from their Creator’s presence, blessing, and fellowship.
In addition to the curses pronounced in Genesis 3, the consequences of their disobedience also included the loss of God’s favor, the constant burden of living with a sinful nature and guilty conscience, and the despair and anguish over the prospect of being separated from God for all eternity (Rom. 1:18, 5:12; John 3:36).
Yet even in this, the grace of God emerges. God commissioned cherubim and the presence of a flaming sword which “turned every way” to block entrance to the Garden and the path to the tree of life. This prevented Adam and Eve from eating from that tree and living forever in their sinful state, forever separated from God with no hope of reprieve!
In the grand sense, the fall cannot be replicated, for Adam was our covenant head. But in a lesser sense, each time we dismiss the supreme superiority of God’s word and his commands in exchange for our own desires, we rob ourselves of his favor, the joy of his presence, and his blessings. We are immediately removed from this Garden of fellowship where we might otherwise commune with him, where endless spiritual refreshment can be found, and where the water of life flows freely.
Thomas Vincent said, “The bare reading of the holy Scriptures will be unprofitable to you. It will be to you as he that speaks in an unknown tongue, whom none of you understands; or as he that speaks into the air, whose speech is unfruitful. Indeed the Scripture is the water of life, but to you the fountain is sealed. It is as the Garden of the Lord where cherubim, and a flaming sword which turns every way, keep you from the Tree of Life.”[1]
Lord, keep me from suffering the consequences of disregarding and disobeying your Word. Instead, may I be found as the psalmist, delighting and meditating in your Law day and night! (Ps. 1:2).
Contemplations:
- Lord, of everything that I read, your Word is the most profitable to me (2 Tim. 3:16). Because of its superiority over all other writings, it is called The Scripture, and I might even appropriately think of it as the handwriting of God.
- Lord, I know Adam was expelled from the garden and cherubim with a flaming sword were placed at its entrance to keep him from returning. What a great loss that was; but at the same time, I know in this way you prevented him from eating of the tree that would give him eternal life, so that he would not live forever in a cursed state. So even a flaming sword can be merciful when used by your providence.
- I know Lord, that the angels (cherubim) were to keep Adam out of paradise (Gen. 3:24). But being at peace with God, we are also at peace with the angels. The angels praise God for man’s redemption and proclaim with triumph the news of Christ’s incarnation in Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
- Further, Scripture tells us that the angels are our supporters, Psalm 91:11, “He shall give his angels charge to keep thee.”
Further References for Gen. 3:24:
Psa. 104:4; Gen. 3:23; Psa. 99:1; Ezek. 36:35
[1] Thomas Vincent, An Explicatory Catechism: Or An Explanation of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism (London: 1675), 286.
