Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.
So He drove out the man
The phrase "drove out" comes from the Hebrew word "garash," which implies a forceful expulsion. This action signifies the severity of Adam and Eve's disobedience and the resulting separation from God's immediate presence. Historically, this expulsion marks the beginning of humanity's journey outside of paradise, symbolizing the loss of innocence and the entrance into a world marred by sin. From a theological perspective, this act underscores the holiness of God and the consequences of sin, emphasizing the need for redemption.

and stationed cherubim
The "cherubim" are angelic beings often associated with the presence and majesty of God. In the Hebrew context, cherubim are depicted as guardians of sacred spaces, as seen in the construction of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-22). Their presence at the entrance to Eden signifies the inaccessibility of the divine presence due to sin. Theologically, this highlights the separation between God and humanity, a chasm that would ultimately be bridged by Christ.

to the east of the Garden of Eden
The "east" in biblical terms often symbolizes beginnings or origins. The Garden of Eden, located in the east, represents the original state of harmony between God and man. The mention of the east here may also imply a direction of hope and future restoration, as many biblical narratives, including the return from exile, involve movement from east to west. This directional symbolism can inspire believers to look forward to the ultimate restoration of God's creation.

with a whirling sword of flame
The "whirling sword of flame" is a vivid image of divine protection and judgment. The Hebrew word for "sword" is "chereb," which can also mean "destruction." The fiery aspect of the sword suggests purification and the consuming nature of God's holiness. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of sin and the protective measures God takes to preserve the sanctity of the tree of life. It also foreshadows the eventual victory over sin through Christ, who will open the way to eternal life.

to guard the way to the tree of life
The "tree of life" represents eternal life and the fullness of God's provision. In the context of Genesis, it symbolizes the life that was lost due to sin. The guarding of the tree indicates that eternal life is now inaccessible to humanity on their own terms. This sets the stage for the biblical narrative of redemption, where access to eternal life is restored through Jesus Christ. Theologically, this points to the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life for those who believe in Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The Creator who enacts judgment and mercy, driving Adam and Eve out of Eden to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever in a fallen state.

2. Adam and Eve
The first humans, who disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their expulsion from Eden.

3. Cherubim
Angelic beings placed by God to guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden, signifying the holiness and inaccessibility of God's presence after the fall.

4. Garden of Eden
The original paradise where Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God before the fall.

5. Tree of Life
A tree in the Garden of Eden that grants eternal life, now guarded to prevent fallen humanity from accessing it.
Teaching Points
The Consequence of Sin
Sin separates us from God, as seen in Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden. This separation underscores the need for redemption.

God's Mercy in Judgment
By preventing access to the tree of life, God shows mercy, ensuring humanity does not live eternally in a fallen state.

The Role of Angels
Cherubim serve as guardians of God's holiness, reminding us of the reverence due to God and His sacred spaces.

Hope of Restoration
The guarded tree of life points forward to the hope of restoration and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

The Importance of Obedience
Adam and Eve's disobedience led to severe consequences, highlighting the importance of obeying God's commands.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the presence of cherubim in Genesis 3:24 reflect the holiness of God, and where else in Scripture do we see cherubim serving a similar role?

2. In what ways does the expulsion from Eden illustrate the consequences of sin, and how can this understanding impact our daily choices?

3. How does the concept of the tree of life in Genesis 3:24 connect to the hope offered in Revelation 22, and what does this mean for believers today?

4. What does God's action of guarding the tree of life teach us about His character, particularly His justice and mercy?

5. How can the lessons from Genesis 3:24 about obedience and the consequences of sin be applied to our personal walk with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 22
The tree of life reappears in the New Jerusalem, symbolizing restored access to eternal life through Christ.

Exodus 25
The cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant reflect the holiness and separation of God's presence, similar to their role in Genesis 3:24.

John 14
Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, providing access to the Father, contrasts with the restricted access to the tree of life.
Eden Lost and RestoredAlexander MaclarenGenesis 3:24
Expulsion from Paradise, But not from EdenH. Bonar, D. D.Genesis 3:24
Fallen, Yet RedeemedBishop W. Alexander.Genesis 3:24
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 3:24
Man's BanishmentG. Clayton, M. A.Genesis 3:24
Man's BanishmentProf. J. G. Murphy.Genesis 3:24
Man's Expulsion from EdenJ. S. Exell, M. A.Genesis 3:24
ObservationsJ. White, M. A.Genesis 3:24
ObservationsJ. White, M. A.Genesis 3:24
ObservationsJ. White, M. A.Genesis 3:24
Paradise LostJ. Alexander.Genesis 3:24
Paradise Shut, Guarded, and ReopenedR. Watson.Genesis 3:24
Redemption Typically Seen At the Gate of ParadiseW. B. Williams, M. A.Genesis 3:24
The BanishmentL. Bonnet.Genesis 3:24
The CherubimProf. J. G. Murphy.Genesis 3:24
The Closed Eden, the Opened HeavenL. D. Bevan, D. D.Genesis 3:24
The Dispensation of RedemptionR.A. Redford Genesis 3:24
The Expulsion -- its Character and LessonsC. G. Brown, D. D.Genesis 3:24
The Garden of Eden LeftI. Williams, B. D.Genesis 3:24
The Guarded WayJ. Parker, D. D.Genesis 3:24
The Irretraceability of Human LifeD. Thomas, D. D.Genesis 3:24
The Plan of Redemption Exhibited At EdenSketches of SermonsGenesis 3:24
The Way of Life and its Guardian ForcesH. T. Edwards, M. A.Genesis 3:24
The Word of God in the Moral ChaosR.A. Redford Genesis 3:9-24
People
Adam, Eve
Places
Eden
Topics
Casteth, Causeth, Cherubim, Cherubims, Cherubs, Direction, Drove, Dwell, East, Eden, Flame, Flaming, Flashing, Forth, Garden, Guard, Itself, Ones, Placed, Round, Stationed, Sword, Tree, Turning, Winged, Yea
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 3:24

     4150   cherubim
     5330   guard
     5572   sword
     5698   guardian

Genesis 3:1-24

     6023   sin, universality

Genesis 3:16-24

     6026   sin, judgment on

Genesis 3:21-24

     4241   Garden of Eden

Genesis 3:22-24

     4526   tree of life
     6112   banishment
     6512   salvation, necessity and basis

Genesis 3:23-24

     6109   alienation
     8718   disobedience

Library
Eden Lost and Restored
'So He drove out the man: and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.' --GENESIS iii. 24. 'Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.' REVELATION xxii. 14. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning.' Eden was fair, but the heavenly city shall be fairer. The Paradise regained is an advance on the Paradise
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

How Sin came In
'Now the serpent was more subtil 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? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know, that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ignorance of Evil.
"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil."--Gen. iii. 22. It is plain that the temptation under which man fell in paradise was this, an ambitious curiosity after knowledge which was not allowed him: next came the desire of the eyes and the flesh, but the forbidden tree was called the tree of knowledge; the Tempter promised knowledge; and after the fall Almighty God pronounced, as in the text, that man had gained it. "Behold, the man is become as
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

God Willing that all Men Should be Saved.
"Who will have all Men to be saved,--." In verse first, the apostle directs "prayers and thanksgivings to be made for all men;"--which he declares to "be good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved." Had salvation been provided for only a part of the human race, prayer and thanksgivings could have been, consistently made only for a part. Those for whom no provision was made, would be in like state with persons who have committed the sin unto death, for
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

Christ the Conqueror of Satan
Is it not remarkable that this great gospel promise should have been delivered so soon after the transgression? As yet no sentence had been pronounced upon either of the two human offenders, but the promise was given under the form of a sentence pronounced upon the serpent Not yet had the woman been condemned to painful travail, or the man to exhausting labour, or even the soil to the curse of thorn and thistle. Truly "mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Before the Lord had said "dust thou art and
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 22: 1876

On the Fall
(Sexagesima Sunday.) GENESIS iii. 12. And the man said, The woman, whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. This morning we read the history of Adam's fall in the first Lesson. Now does this story seem strange to you, my friends? Do you say to yourselves, If I had been in Adam's place, I should never have been so foolish as Adam was? If you do say so, you cannot have looked at the story carefully enough. For if you do look at it carefully, I believe you will find
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

The Voice of the Lord God
(Preached also at the Chapel Royal, St. James, Sexagesima Sunday.) GENESIS iii. 8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. These words would startle us, if we heard them for the first time. I do not know but that they may startle us now, often as we have heard them, if we think seriously over them. That God should appear to mortal man, and speak with mortal man. It is most wonderful. It is utterly unlike anything that we have ever seen, or that any
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

The God of Nature (Preached During a Wet Harvest. )
PSALM cxlvii. 7-9. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. There is no reason why those who wrote this Psalm, and the one which follows it, should have looked more cheerfully on the world about them than we have a right to do. The country and climate of Judea is not much superior
Charles Kingsley—The Water of Life and Other Sermons

The Protevangelium.
As the mission of Christ was rendered necessary by the fall of man, so the first dark intimation of Him was given immediately after the fall. It is found in the sentence of punishment which was passed upon the tempter. Gen. iii. 14, 15. A correct understanding of it, however, can be obtained only after we have ascertained who the tempter was. It is, in the first place, unquestionable that a real serpent was engaged in the temptation; so that the opinion of those who maintain that the serpent is only
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

His Past Work.
His past work was accomplished by Him when he became incarnate. It was finished when He died on Calvary's cross. We have therefore to consider first of all these fundamentals of our faith. I. The Work of the Son of God is foreshadowed and predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures. II. The incarnation of the Son of God. III. His Work on the cross and what has been accomplished by it. I. Through the Old Testament Scriptures, God announced beforehand the work of His Son. This is a great theme and one
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

Adam's Sin
Q-15: WHAT WAS THE SIN WHEREBY OUR FIRST PARENTS FELL FROM THE ESTATE WHEREIN THEY WERE CREATED? A: That sin was eating the forbidden fruit. 'She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband.' Gen 3:3. Here is implied, 1. That our first parents fell from their estate of innocence. 2. The sin by which they fell, was eating the forbidden fruit. I. Our first parents fell from their glorious state of innocence. God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.' Eccl
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The First Lie.
"Ye shall not surely die."--GENESIS iii. 4. I.--WHO WAS THE FIRST LIAR? The old serpent, the devil, called elsewhere "the father of lies." But he had not always been a liar; he had fallen from a position very eminent, teaching us not to measure our safety by our condition. The higher we are elevated, the more dreadful the fall. Some of the most degraded vagrants were cradled in comfort, and have wandered from homes of splendour. Perhaps the vilest of the vile once were ministers of the Gospel.
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

Adam. Gen 3:09
John Newton 8,6,8,6 ADAM. Gen 3:9 On man, in his own image made, How much did GOD bestow? The whole creation homage paid, And owned him LORD, below! He dwelt in Eden's garden, stored With sweets for every sense; And there with his descending LORD He walked in confidence. But O! by sin how quickly changed! His honor forfeited, His heart, from God and truth, estranged, His conscience filled with dread! Now from his Maker's voice he flees, Which was before his joy: And thinks to hide, amidst the
John Newton—Olney Hymns

Elucidations.
I. (We here behold only shadows, etc., p. 335.) Schleiermacher, [2821] in commenting on Plato's Symposium, remarks: "Even natural birth (i.e., in Plato's system) was nothing but a reproduction of the same eternal form and idea....The whole discussion displays the gradation, not only from that pleasure which arises from the contemplation of personal beauty through that which every larger object, whether single or manifold, may occasion, to that immediate pleasure of which the source is in the Eternal
Methodius—The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, or Concerning Chastity

Man's Responsibility for his Acts.
THE STORY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN.--Gen. 3. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible, Vol. I, 37-42. Drummond, Ideal Life, Chaps. on Sin. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eye, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened and they beard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Job's Faith and Expectation
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. C hristianity, that is, the religion of which MESSIAH is the author and object, the foundation, life, and glory, though not altogether as old as creation, is nearly so. It is coeval [contemporary] with the first promise and intimation of mercy given to fallen man. When Adam, by transgression, had violated the order and law of
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Curiosity a Temptation to Sin.
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."--Proverbs iv. 14, 15. The chief cause of the wickedness which is every where seen in the world, and in which, alas! each of us has more or less his share, is our curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures of sin are like. I believe it is even thought unmanly by many persons (though they may not like to say
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob,
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of Its Author
In Isaiah 41:21-23 we have what is probably the most remarkable challenge to be found in the Bible. "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods." This Scripture has both a negative
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

On Earthly Things
The earth is man himself; in the gospel: another has fallen into the good earth. The same in a bad part about the sinner: you devour the earth all the days of your life. [Mark 4:18; Genesis 3:14] The dry lands are the flesh of a fruitless man; in Ecclesiastes, to work in a dry land with evil and sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 37:3] The dust is a sinner or the vanity of the flesh; in the psalm: like the dust, which the wind blows about. [Ps. 1:4 Vulgate] The mud is the gluttony of sinners; in the psalm: tear
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

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