“Forever” | Psalm 119

We’ve been looking through the imaginative paintings of God’s life-creating power in Genesis 1-3 as we read Psalm 119. (To understand more what makes Psalm 119 so unique in the Bible, read the show notes from the Dec 21 episode.) Imagine eating the fruit from the Tree of Life. What might it have tasted like? What would you feel like afterward? Genesis 2-3 tells us that its fruit was the ultimate superfood – the life-giving nutrient of “forever”! After Adam and Eve rejected the commandment of God, God banished them from Eden. One big reason was so that they could not eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in their state of brokenness and dysfunction. It was a mercy killing of sorts so that God could bring resurrection through the Offspring of promise in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203%3A15&version=NIV (Genesis 3:15). Genesis 3:22 NIV And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” Genesis 3:24 NIV After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. The Tree of Life promises in Revelation. Revelation 2:7 NIV Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 22:2 NIV On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:14 NIV “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:19 NIV And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. God’s word is the most tangible thing we have that’s a kind of Tree of Life. Imagine eating from the Tree of Life as you read and meditate on God’s word. Psalm 119 ESV 89 Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 142 Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. 144 Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. 152 Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever. 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Abundance. Genesis 2:9-10 NIV 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. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden. Speaking of the wisdom of God’s word (the word for “wisdom” in Hebrew is femine in gender). Proverbs 3:13–20 NIV 13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. 19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. God’s word (commandments, promises, etc) are eternal because they are entwined into the very fabric of the universe. Repeated throughout all of...