I'm currently in the library reading the Bible in physical form for the first time. The world has been lying and trying to corrupt me so much...
The Dutch translation is so much more powerful than the English version...
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
All of this focussing on me needing to be blessed financially or God is not on your side... Totally inaccurate.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
Your life (as in being alive) is worth more than trying to gather money. And the stress that comes with it is not worth the clothes that will be provided to you anyway. I told you God brought me bags of clothes.
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
God knows what you need and will make sure you are provided with this. Even without you running after it... "Will be given" is not chasing after.
Matthew 6:24-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? [Luke 12:22-31] Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them.
No sowing, no harvesting, no gathering. So we don't have to even go after money. It even says in the Dutch Bible that's what unbelievers do.
I knew this was the case... That's exactly what God is trying to show me now.
The tree of life
In a book I was guided to I read that the tree of life was a Judea date palm. Since only the female trees produce fruit and have much more ostentatious flowers than the male trees, it must have been quite attractive in the garden of Eve.
This is what such a tree looks like. The tree is usually 20-30 feet tall (6 to 9 meters in European metrics).
Still Eve could have chosen to eat something else. In Genesis 2:9, the Garden of Eden is described as having many trees that were "pleasing to the eye and good for food".
It is very likely that there were also leafy greens, herbs, lots of edible plants, and potentially grains, as well as nuts and seeds.
The command given to Adam and Eve was clear: they could eat freely from any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They had a wealth of options and freedom to choose from the abundant resources available to them. Which I think is an important context to this party of the Bible.
I find it fascinating that in the garden of Eden they didn't need clothes. It says: And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other's presence. In dutch it says 'they were not ashamed for eachother'.
I wonder if the tree of life which represents the knowledge between good and evil, represents the beginning of judgement. Dividing people into good and evil is judgement right. I wonder if they started judging eachother after eating the forbidden fruit.
The garden of Eve is still a present day reality
Who are we to question God's will for our lives?
I believe that the garden of Eden is still a present day reality. And that man is still choosing to eat the forbidden fruit. I think it represents the beginning of humans judging others.
When they chose to eat the fruit they judged God by the very act itself as they thought God would be withholding something positive from them questioning God's love, protection and positive intentions towards them, and then they started judging themselves as well as their fellow man, which led amongst others to distrust and disharmony in relationships, as well as the system we live in today.
I think they kicked themselves out of Eden. And they may have projected their own judgement onto God, just like they do with their fellow man.
While it is generally seen as a tree of oppression by those judging God's positive intentions, you could actually see it as a representation of free will. The free will to live a horrible life, the free will to create this oppressive system we live in today.