Hey Everyone, Welcome back to Critical Thinking Aloud. Today we are going to continue to answer some questions that popped up during our massive 8 part series on Why is the World the way it is? If you haven’t had a chance to check out those teachings yet, do so now by clicking Here.
As I said last time we got some great feed back from our audience (you guys) on that series and we also got some great questions along the way. We are going to seek to answer those questions a three part series of which this teaching is the second installment. To check out our first teaching on the Garden of Eden click Here
How we are going to learn
Today I want to use scholarly sources from experts in their field of studies on ancient cultures to cement my case that what I teach is in fact what the ancient Near Eastern biblical authors worldview was on this topic. We will be using two amazing sources which we highly recommend.
- Faithlife Study Bible: This is an amazing resource that is free if you download the app or use it online. To download the app or use this resource online visit their website here. This resource is also available in print which you can purchase here.
- The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: This is my favorite resource for gaining a better understanding for the ancient Near Eastern worldview of the Biblical authors. This is available in a multitude of variations all of which you can find on our resource page here.
Lets get started
Ancient worldview
Mountains and Gardens
We have seen over the course of our studies that while we here in the 21st century may have certain views on everyday things, the people in the ancient world could possess quite a different concept about that same particular topic.
We saw this last time with our modern view of Gardens. What the ancient Near Eastern people believed about Gods Garden, Eden is much different then what comes to the mind of a modern-day reader. Here is a quote to help jog our memories of the differences.
“In the ancient Near East, garden imagery was used to describe the abode of deities, representing luxury and abundance… The divine abode represented the place where heaven and earth met.”
Faithlife Study Bible: Notes on Genesis 2:9
Our modern concepts of gardens can hinder us form understanding what the ancient Near Eastern biblical authors were trying to convey about Eden, Gods Mountain.
Trees
Not surprisingly, it is the same with trees. What we would generally consider to be true about trees, the ancient Near Eastern worldview has a vastly different concept.
Here is a quote from the same source
“The Old Testament often connects trees with divine encounters and sacred geography Genesis 21:33; 35:4, Josh 24:26, Judges 4:5; 6:11, 19“
Faithlife Study Bible: Notes on Genesis 2:9
There seems to be a pattern forming here and I hope it is not lost on you. In the Old Testament trees were special because in many cases people came into contact with Yahweh and or other spiritual beings around a tree.
Here is an another excerpt from an article in the Faithlife Study Bible. The Article is called Sacred Trees in Israelite Religion. Talking about trees in the Israelite belief system, it says:
“Trees play a particularly interesting role in this faith. Sites marked by trees often became associated with appearances of Yahweh that involved divine revelation.”
Faithlife Study Bible: Article is called Sacred Trees in Israelite Religion under the notes on notes on Genesis 2:9
In the Israelite religion trees are often connected to communication with Yahweh.
Although not all the trees and worship surrounding them were directed at Yahweh. The Israelites became saduced by the nations surround them, to run after other deities who also where known for communicating around trees and “high places” or poles (man made trees).
The Article goes on to say:
“Later in Israels history, the land was apparently dotted with trees (or pillars, to mimic a tree) to mark the location of false gods and their places of worship… Pegan tree symbols were particularly associated with the goddess Asherah… This unfortunate evolution profaned a sacred symbol of Israel and Yahweh’s presence with the nation.”
Faithlife Study Bible: Article is called Sacred Trees in Israelite Religion under the notes on notes on Genesis 2:9
Sadly like everything else that man gets ahold of this idea of trees being used as a means of communication to God gets corrupted.
The Tree of Life
The concept of a spefic Tree that grants life is a primeval one. The idea of The Tree of Life existed in other cultures in the ancient Near East as well as in the biblical narrative.
“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:8-9
Here is another helpful insight from the Faith Life Study Bible
“The tree is described as being located in Eden, which is a garden with abundant water and lush vegetation, paradise for those living in agrarian or pastoral settings.”
Faithlife Study Bible: Notes on Genesis 2:9
Do you see the connections?
We always say here on Critical Thinking Aloud that we hope by exposing you to the way that the ancient Near Eastern mindset thought, in time you will be able to to connect the dots for your self. There is a lot of over lap going on between this two concepts with the Mountain of God the Garden of Eden, and that of The Tree of Life.
God dwells at the top of His mountain, exactly where the Tree of Life is said to have presided. This Tree grants eternal life, which is a capability that only God can extend. Access to both God and the Tree of Life are barred when Humans became sinful.
The Tree of Life is God and God is the Tree of Life. Only God gives beings eternal life and only by consuming Gods own life was eternal life attainable.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.”
Revelation 22:1-2
The bible ends with the restored Eden and Human beings being grated access to the Tree of Life, which is God. The setting is the same where in paradise a tree that grants eternal life is at the center of a garden mountain with abundant waters flowing there from.
Here is our last quote from the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible to finish our study for the day.
“Revelation, however, envisions the single tree of life, since there is one source of eternal life, namely, Jesus.”
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible note on Revelation 22:2 pg 2270
The source of eternal life and The Tree of Life has, is, and always will be, Jesus Christ.
I hope you enjoyed and learned something new while being left with a desire to discover more in your own personal studies. Go and get these incredible resources for your own studies and dive into the bible with your new ancient Near Eastern perspective.
All of the resources we recommended in this teaching as well as all of the others form our other teachings are available here.
Citations:
Faithlife Study Bible. J. D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012.
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Grand Rapids, Michigan USA Zondervan 2016
Check out this short video from the Bible project on The Tree of Life. It is incredible!
If you are interested in this topic and want to learn more then check out this incredible podcast on Trees in the Old Testament by clicking Here
Check out this short video series on Spiritual beings by our friends over at The Bible Project by clicking here. They are amazing and super helpful to better grasp what we will be covering in this series.
Call for action: Help us out by learning more
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U.K.- Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World And Why It Matters- Paperback book, Kindle Edition Audiobook
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Let us know your thought about our series in the comment section. If you have any topics you would like to suggest please let us know and we will add them to the list of future subjects we will covered.