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There are types and shadows in the scriptures. I find one such type and shadow that I believe continues to exist is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know that there were two trees in particular referenced in the book of Genesis; the tree of life as well as the tree of the knowledge of both good and evil. The tree of life Adam and Eve were commanded to eat from whereas the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they were told to not eat of its fruit. For the day they would eat of its fruit they would surely die.

Now Eve as we know was beguiled by the serpent who dwelt in the tree of the knowledge of both good and evil into taking the fruit of the tree, tasting it and sharing it with Adam. The scripture states “immediately, their eyes were opened, knowing both good and evil.” Knowing here could be interpreted as saying “their imaginations were opened.” We find later in the book of Genesis during the time the tower of Babel was built and God came down and confounded man’s language that God said, “nothing will be impossible that they will have imagined.”

The Apostle Paul later writes to Christians “to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ casting down vain imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge and love of God.” Imagination becomes the tool Satan uses to beguile mankind by reintroducing the tree of the knowledge of both Good and evil once again offering its fruit to every man, woman and child. Vain imagination becomes the branches of this tree that stretch out further and further in knowledge mingling both Good with evil in its fruit. Those that choose to live by this tree and eat of its fruit choose its fruit over that found on tree of life found in Jesus Christ. The question becomes, What tree do you choose to live by and eat from?

We know that the tree of life that existed in the garden of eden was brought back after mankind’s fall from grace through the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself becomes the source of life as he rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God the Father and makes intercession for us. Those who profess Jesus as both Lord and savior following his teachings are those who eat from the tree of life. Whether we like it or not we are eating from one tree or the other.

It is through vain imagination that Satan who still lurks on the branches of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he works his magic on the nation’s through deception. He needs your mind with your imagination to bring both temptation and draw you or I into sin.

Before a person commits a sin they first imagine it in their minds. Scripture states in Proverbs, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Actions are based on choices and choices are based on things imagined. Let’s look at the word “imagination” for a moment. The word itself seems to contain the phrase, “I will bring “magic” to “destroy” a “nation.” In this we see Satan’s power against mankind. He uses our knowledge of both Good and evil combined with rejection of going to the tree of life found in Christ Jesus to deceive us. The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil may look right, feel right even taste right yet not be right.

We see this tree resurrected even in our own Country during the 1960’s and 1970’s during a time of rebellion as a generation listened to popular songbirds singing from the tree of knowledges branches. Some of these songbirds were: Janice Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and others. One songbirds at the top of this tree sang a song for the world to hear and it did; the song was call “imagine” by John Lennon. The message of his song sounded like a message calling for world peace but it was from the wrong tree and the fruit of that tree was death.

A wise Pastor once said Satan can take the life of an unsaved person at any time. He or she has no protection from the enemy and the only prayer God will hear from them is the prayer for repentance when asking Jesus into their life. If they do this they are suddenly partaking of the tree of life instead of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They are then encouraged to continue as new born babies in Christ desiring the sincere milk of God’s Word and grow thereby. They do this by remaining near the tree of life in the person of Jesus Christ, reading his word and becoming part of the body of Christ by joining a Church that preaches the uncompromised Word of God.

For the Christian God’s Word becomes the moral standard for daily living, thinking which involves the imagination. Thoughts or imaginations are brought captive to the obedience of Christ and vain imaginations are cast down in favor of one’s in line with God’s Word. This is not positive thinking but rather God thinking. This is the renewed mind the Apostle Paul speaks of in Roman’s and it all begins with living near the right tree which is Jesus Christ.