Expectation, Part III || What Things Soever?

Expectation, Part III || What Things Soever?

The expectation of God is for man to find eternal life. Everything God has done is for man to find it and even so, early.
1. Man was created in the image of God, Christ. Genesis 1:26-28
Hebrews 1:1-3
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

2. The tree of life was in the centre of the garden of Eden symbolizing God's offer of life.
Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

We know this because Genesis 3:22 tells us eternal implication of the tree of life.
Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

3. Man's desire should ordinarily derive from God's expectation set before him. So, God told him to perish the idea of looking towards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the tree of independence, self will and ungodly wisdom. The fruit of this tree leads to death leaving the tree of life the only plausible choice for man.
Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

This tree is symbolism for independence. It is called a tree of knowledge..., a knowing set in your own ways, you become god to yourself with the power to self determine good and evil.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man , but the end thereof are the ways of death .

Why would God offer him a regimented choice if he made him a free moral being capable of making his own choices? Your honour comes from the person from whom your position derives. Man is man because the Lord made him in His image (the title of wife derives from being married to a man etc, etc.). In other words, man is a product of God's wisdom. This honour is well utilized when it serves your Lord's interest.
Proverb 3:5-7
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Man was offered a choice, but truth be told, he was nudged towards the godly choice to make it easy for him. Imagine yourself in an examination, each question with two answer option to choose from, only one of which is correct. In this instance, the examiner already helped you by indicating the wrong option, leaving you with only the right option to choose. But you decidedly chose to pick the already eliminated wrong option. This is not just Adam exercising his power of choice but more succinctly his demonstration of rebellion against his benefactor especially because the choice of the eliminated wrong answer was out of a special revelation from an enemy-friend.

In the same way, God in showing His overwhelming love for His creatures provided means for their sustenance in the garden having planted it, for mankind and animals. There were trees pleasant to the sight and good for food. The garden was also well watered.
Genesis 2:8-10
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted , and became into four heads.

He went a step further to give them power over the garden to tend and to keep it.
Genesis 2:15
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

The implication of this is simple, they would be able to work the garden to extend the garden should the need arise. This can be seen as divine authorization for growth and development. Man has power to over it to cultivate and guard it not to prevent non existent invaders from intruding but to preserve its God ordered purpose.

Now, man cannot desire beyond the limit of God's provision although His provision is according to His riches in glory. If His provision is without limit, how then is it possible to desire beyond the boundary of God's provision? Lust, greed, covetousness etc.

Just consider how sin and death came into the world. Satan's temptation!
Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

The woman's would indicate a clear grasp of the limit of their boundary but Satan pressed further with a direct attack in the integrity of God and effect of His word.
Genesis 3:4-5
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Satan did not put the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in her hand, he simply aroused her curiosity which led to lust for the eliminated wrong option. Though deceived, she took of the fruit to eat with her husband.
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Temptation is the product of lust which leads to sin the consequence of which is death. To say it more clearly, it takes lust to pick the eliminated wrong answer from God's multiple choice question.
James 1:13-15
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

This lust was not borne out of the human nature but deception of Satan to look away from your source, to live outside His wisdom and to under under your own power. This godly wisdom is the tree of life.
Proverb 3:13-20
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

The blessings of life are in the way of wisdom, the wisdom of God. For only from God promotion comes.
Psalm 75:4-7
I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

1 Samuel 2:7-9
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

Isaiah 2:12-17
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up , and upon all the oaks of Bashan , And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

James 1:9-11
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.