“And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” Genesis 3:21-22
The first time that I read this I was confused. Verse 22 sounded as though God did not want Adam and Eve to have eternal life.
Yet this interpretation would conflict with the fact that God had just clothed Adam and Eve in garments of skin, a symbol of Him sacrificially covering their sin and a gesture of ongoing relationship. This act also prefigures the coming of Christ who offers the clothing of His righteousness if we receive it by faith.
What verse 22 communicates is that God did not want humanity to live forever in their state of sin and separation from Him. In other words, banning Adam and Eve from the tree of life while in their state of sin was an act of protection from God. Adam and Eve were not kept from life, they were protected so they could have true life. God wanted them to experience a new life free of sin and to spend eternity in that restored condition. Their banishment from the tree of life was an act of compassion and mercy. God’s first step in response to Adam and Eve’s sin was grace.
God could not bear the thought of His children living forever apart from Him. His plan from the beginning was to cover them, protect them, and through Christ, restore them to Himself forever. This life is available for you through faith in Jesus Christ. What a good and gracious God we have. Praise God for loving us like He does!