TREE OF LIFE

YOU DIVIDED THE DARKNESS FROM THE LIGHT 
SPLIT THE WATERS AND MADE THE SKY 
NOW WE’RE SONS OF DAY AND NOT THE NIGHT 
TWO BIRTHS, WITH ONE ON HIGH 
YOU GATHERED THE SEAS AND MADE DRY LAND 
WE CAN LIVE ON ROCK OR SINKING SAND 
WITH OPEN EYES OR CLOSED AND BLIND 
WE BEAR THE FRUIT OF OUR KIND 

TREE OF LIFE, OH TREE OF LIFE 
SOWN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN 
TRANSPLANTED TO CALVARY 
LORD YOU GAVE US OUR FEEDOM 


YOU CREATED THE SUN, MOON AND STARS 
AND LIGHT TO TEAR DOWN ALL PRISON BARS 
WE CAN CRAWL OR FLY ABOVE 
REJECTING YOUR GIFT OR EMBRACING YOUR LOVE 
WE CAN LIVE BY INSTINCT ALONE 
OR TURN FROM OUR SINS AND HEED YOUR VOICE 
TO PICK UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW YOU 
AND CLING TO YOU LORD, OUR SAVIOUR AND TRUTH 

  CHORUS 

LIKE SHADE FOR JONAH, YOU SAY “RECEIVE MY REST” 
FOREVER IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR MIGHTY FORTRESS 
WITH WATER AND BLOOD YOU DID REDEEM 
SO WE TAKE OUR LIFE FROM YOUR LIVING STREAM
NARROW IS THE PATH AND LOVE IS THE ROOT 
YOU’RE THE TREE OF LIFE THAT BEARS GOOD FRUIT 
YOU HOLD US FAST SO WE DON’T LOSE OUR WAY 
HALLELUJAH LORD WITH YOUR HEART WE PRAY

CHORUS

Jonah was asked by God to go to Nineveh and warn the people of the coming judgment but he was too content being a fair-weather prophet in Gath Hepher (2 Ki 14:25).  His response was to run in the opposite direction, as he hated the Assyrians because of their brutality and preferred judgment rather than God’s grace. The Bible describes Nineveh, as the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims (Nah 3:1)! 

In contrast, the Son of God was asked to leave His heavenly estate and take on the form of a man and to be the sacrifice for wicked sinners. His response was “not my will but yours, Father.” His obedience fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for mankind.

We need to be more like Jesus and less like Jonah. Adam and Eve wanted to choose for themselves and they partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Their disobedience led to the fall of mankind. However, Jesus has restored and reconciled us back to God (2 Co 5:18), so let us not make the same mistake as Adam or Jonah and feed from the Tree of Life, who is Jesus and be obedient to the call of God in our lives.

On Day three of Creation, God gathered the waters causing dry land to appear (Gen 1:9). On dry land He caused vegetation to produce fruit (Gen 1:11). This was a spiritual picture of “lost” man in the sea, rebelling against his Maker (Isa 17:12), while “saved” man produces God’s fruit on dry land (Jn 15:5). Jonah is a good illustration of this truth. He was rebelling against God, as he refused to preach God’s message to the people of Nineveh (Jnh 1:2,3). So, God had the sailors toss him into the sea where he stayed three days in the belly of a great fish (Jnh 1:15,17). However, after repenting (Jnh 2:8,9) God had him vomited on dry land (Jnh 2:10), where he now obeyed God’s command to go and preach to the Ninevites (Jnh 3:3).

Two significant trees in the Garden of Eden that contained edible fruit were the “Tree of Life” and the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (eating from this tree caused death, therefore it can be called the Tree of Death). Adam had the choice to acquire eternal life by eating from the “Tree of Life” symbolizing feeding off Jesus (Jn 6:35,51) and allowing Jesus to rule (Gal 2:20), or to rule his own life, by acquiring the knowledge of good and evil where he would decide for himself what was right and what was wrong (Post Modernism).

Later, the “Tree of Life” was transplanted from Eden to Calvary (1 Pe 2:24 NKJV) allowing all who believe in Jesus’ sacrifice to obtain eternal life. We all have been raised on eating from the “Tree of Death,” (Ro 3:23) but the Good News is with repentance and trusting in Jesus, the “Tree of Life” we can enjoy eternity with God.