THE TREE OF DEATH

(A Commentary on the Christian Teaching Called "Man's Free Will")

It has often been said that man has free will. The Bible message in a nutshell (Gospel) is never complete unless one points out that man has free will – the choice to follow God or not. It is even emphasized that God loves us so much that He wouldn't violate our free will. He didn't create humankind to be robots, but as free beings that can express love and respect or contempt and disdain towards their Creator.

Yet many a time, as people try to draw near to God and understand His will for man, the perennial question often pops up: Where exactly in the Bible is the free will of man mentioned? We have a reference in the Bible for almost every teaching we believe, except for this one. The three other exceptions I can think of off hand would be: The Trinity (God being in three persons), the Bible as the Word of God (meaning, the Bible as the final authority in matters of faith), and the Second Heaven as the dwelling place of God's Archenemy Satan. (These topics are dealt with some place else but I deal only with man's free will in this post.)

The concept of free will becomes much highlighted when we run into passages that say, "You have been predestined…," or, "God chose you before the beginning of time…," and "… for by grace you have been saved, through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast." Yes, there are many others in the Book, any respectable theologian or Bible teacher can quote for you from the top of their heads. These verses seemingly imply that we believers didn't have a choice in this ball game. We were chosen, and for no reason. The theological belief eschewed towards this end is commonly called "Calvinism."

The other extreme, emphasizing the free will of the individual is commonly called "Arminianism." The extreme doctrine of this school of thought is what we commonly term as "saved by good works." Now this goes clearly contrary against the Ephesians 2:8,9 passage that says we are saved by grace, through faith, and not by works. Thus, I believe that the doctrine or teaching of being "saved by good works" is really wrong. Of course, there's that verse which says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling," which supports this view. However, I look at that passage more of a working together with God because it is Him who "causes us to will and to act," so we do not fall away and lose our salvation before the day of reckoning comes. Working together with God who inspires or causes you to be good still requires a choice on your part although God very much influenced the choice.

As for illustrations, free will would be seen in the stories of:

1. Orpah and Ruth. Orpah, just like Ruth, was a Moabitess who married into a Jewish family who had a strong belief in God. Just like Ruth, she was widowed – both their husbands died. When the famine in Israel had passed, their only surviving Jewish relative, Naomi, their mother-in-law, decided to go back to Israel. Orpah and Ruth were both encouraged by Naomi to go back to their own people and remarry. Orpah was persuaded. Ruth wasn't. Both Orpah and Ruth must have seen the reality of the presence of God and have tasted His goodness in the home of Naomi and their ex-husbands. But only Ruth was persuaded enough, enough to leave behind her own people and be a foreigner among the people of Israel, the people of Yahweh. Both had free will, both had choices.

2. Lot and Abram. In obedience to God's voice, Abram moved from his own people of Ur of the Chaldees (the Arameans), to the land God called him to go, a foreign land far away. Tehra, his father, was also persuaded, and went with him, so did Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew, son and heir of Haran, his dead brother. Haran also had daughters named Milcah and Iscah. Milcah married her uncle, Abram's other brother, Nahor. Milcah, Nahor (and presumably Iscah), were left behind in Ur of the Chaldees. (Note: By "presumably" I mean it is not mentioned in the Bible account but it can be deduced from the story.) Now we know that later, based on the account of the lives of Jacob, Rachel and Laban, the descendants of Nahor became the people known as the Arameans who spoke Aramaic and they worshipped other gods (idols), not Yahweh, the God of Abram. At this juncture, we see that they all had free will, to believe in what Abram said to be God's voice: "Go to a land you do not know," or not. Abram was the prophet who spoke the word of God to them. They had the free will to believe or not. Terah, Abram's dad was persuaded enough to go. So were Lot, Abram's nephew, and Sarai, Abram's wife. But Nahor, Milcah and Iscah were not. They chose to stay.

3. Eli and Saul. Eli was the high priest in Shiloh when God spoke to him through the young boy Samuel. God told Samuel in an audible voice that He would punish Eli for failing to restrain his sons from desecrating the temple of God by doing fornication while at the same time serving at the altar of God. When Samuel told him about it, at his own insistence, he didn't repent. God actually gave him a chance to repent by using the young boy Samuel as a prophet to speak to him of the coming wrath of God. But he chose to leave things as they were. He didn't get into sackcloth and ashes to fast, pray and humble himself, as David, the man of God would have done if spoken such a strong word by a prophet. His reaction in our language today would be: "So be it."

In the same way, when Saul, the first king of Israel, disobeyed God he was told by the prophet Samuel, then already full of years, that God was going to judge him. In the same way, he was given a choice. But he chose to let things be; he refused to repent. There was no sackcloth and ashes, no praying, no fasting, no humbling. His reaction was, "Pray to your God for me." He didn't even consider Yahweh his own God! In fact, later on, when Samuel was already dead, in desperation, he even went to a witch to "bring up" the spirit of Samuel, to know the outcome of the final battle he was facing. Divination – consulting a witch, and geomancy – communicating with the spirits of the dead, are both clearly against the commandments of God. Both acts are tantamount to rebellion, and both acts Saul actually committed on different occasions. Saul had free will. God revealed Himself to him through the prophet Samuel and through extraordinary events in his life when he tasted the goodness of God. He was made king even though, in his own estimation, he came from the smallest clan of the smallest tribe of Israel. He knew he was most unlikely to be leader but God chose to bless him by making him one. Yet, he still did not choose God to be his God, he did not pray to Him, he always depended on the prophet Samuel to pray in his behalf. He did not cultivate a personal relationship and knowing of God that in the end, it showed him out and he lost everything. He had a choice, a free will. He could have chosen God to be his God but he didn't.

The same thing can be said about Judas or even, debatably, king Solomon.

And how about Adam and Eve then, where it all begun? Did they have free will?

According to the creation account in the first 2 chapters of Genesis, God made everything good, even very good, before He finally created Adam. God even planted a garden for Adam to stay in. In the garden were supposed to be every nice-looking tree that bore delicious fruits for him to eat. And right in the center of the garden, the centerpiece, I suppose, were the two trees - the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now God told Adam that if he eats from this latter tree, he would surely die. So, basically, that was the tree of death. Just as there was the tree of life, so there was the tree of death. I believe God had hoped Adam would choose to remain in His life. In the latter part of the Bible story, Jesus came and he was described as "life" Himself: e.g. "He who has the son has life, he who does not have the son of God does not have life," "I am the way, the truth and the life…," "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men," etc. For that reason many argue that Jesus Himself was actually there in the garden, as the tree of life. Thus, in the same way that through the Lord's Supper we Christian believers now partake of Jesus' flesh and blood, that we may have life, Adam also partook of Him whenever he ate from the tree of life. So, there, bright as the contrast of night and day, is the free will of Adam. He was free to eat from both trees. He had a choice – life or death. The trouble with the tree of death was that it was deadly poison; one couldn't try it, even just once, without being killed. And curiousity did kill the rat!

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:-) Cheerio!

Tree and sunset image from http://www.bibleexplained.com

The Betrothed, the Prince and the Emissary

Part 2 : The Emissary Arrives

Suddenly the betrothed woke up and realized it had been a dream. The gust of wind through a window, inexplicably left ajar near her bed, made her feel it was so real, as if he just left through the window!

“How strange!” she thought. Was that a dream or was he really here? Suddenly feeling chilly she closed the window. She found its latch was loose, for the window, and in fact, the whole house itself was really old. They have not done any changes to it since her dear parents passed away. Her aunt and uncle and their little children, her adoptive family, have gone through dire times, farming the estate of the cruel feudal Lord Migdol who enjoyed the protection of the king, the Sly One. They are lucky the exacting Lord Migdol has not evicted them when for a few years they couldn’t meet the quota of produce he demanded. Her uncle Kelubai had insisted that the land need to lie fallow for a year after every six years of tilling, so it could recover in vitality, but Lord Migdol and the Sly One said those beliefs are passe, obsolete. They have dismissed the farming traditions, passed from generation to generation, of the betrothed’s clan, and their way of life in general, as “dogmatic” and “farcical.” The Sly One is purported to have hired knowledgeable experts, who know better, on how to make the land and its associated “assets” cough up the highest “returns on investment.” Of course, the use of such foreign terms was calculated at intimidating uncle Kelubai and all his clan. Yet, the farming community of the whole fiefdom knows in their heart of hearts that the Sly One and his puppet underling Lord Migdol are wrong, dead wrong. For the land, the rivers that water it, the animals, the climate and the associated “assets” – the farmers themselves – have always proven, for generations, to respond and function according to the basic principles taught by their ancestors, the founding fathers. In fact, it was for this reason that this major disagreement fomented the revolt among the farmers against the exacting Lords. And sadly, the parents of the betrothed perished in that bloody and unfortunate uprising. And her adoptive parents refuse to talk about it reckoning she is too young to face such painful realities.

The dream consumed the betrothed’s thoughts for the weeks that followed, even till mid-summer. “If he had laid down his life for me and my people, would that mean he’s already dead? But why did he say he is coming for me, very soon!?” she pondered deeply. The more she thought about it the more she went for long walks in the woods, recalling the treasured times they had together, wondering if the words her prince spoke to her in the dream were true. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and gasped, “Oh, yes! The emissary! He should be here, soon,… IF the dream was real! He would be the proof if this dream is true!” For a moment she was elated. And then the better side of her took over: “Or it’s just another meaningless dream… probably a most elegant concoction of imagination by my subconscious…because I miss my prince… my love, my friend… so much.” And once again the very air she breathed, the warm humid air of summer, seemed to be sadness itself.

For some days she left her silk embroidery untouched. Neither did she pick up her easel, brush and paints. She took to berry-picking as it was summer and some berries have ripened. It was also a good excuse to be out of the house for her long walks. Her only comfort was her flute. She would fill the woods with its sad tunes and brooding tones. Even the birds would sometimes hush their singing to listen and the squirrels would sit still, petrified by the seemingly weeping melodies. One day, when she was weary of the flute-blowing, she was sitting on a tree stump lost in reverie over her beloved, when all of a sudden a breeze swept over her. Awakened from the assault of such a wind, she got up to pick up her bonnet swept adrift. Suddenly, a human form seemed to be conjuring itself in front of her. It was transparent, yet had the amazing colours of rainbow, and yet like a precious stone, an emerald. She froze in fright, yet awed by its beauty, too. The breeze that had earlier assaulted her seemed to hang around, playing with her long tresses, her skirt and her ribbons. The air wafted with a smell, like a collection of spices - the sweet pure smell of cinnamon, calamus, spikenard, camphire, frankincense, myrrh, - all together. She felt like passing out but was steadied by the pleasant comforting feel of the warm breeze and the refreshing smells. It was like a dream! But then the “rainbow person” started talking, in a clear quiet voice:

“Do not be frightened, child, I am the emissary. The king himself had sent me, as a gift to you, the future bride of his son, the prince. Here, take this tongue of fire, a token of myself, the deposit guaranteeing your royal destiny as the betrothed of the prince.”

A tongue of pure fumeless fire suddenly appeared in the emissary’s hand but it didn’t burn him. He brought it over her head and it rested there and burned her neither. The sweet smells in the air seemed to intensify but instead of feeling giddy it refreshed her and she kept inhaling it, like taking in all of this wondrous moment.

“All these is too much for you at the moment. I shall come again to renew our acquaintance.”

And just as suddenly as the breeze came, another breeze swept over her and the “rainbow person,” the emissary was gone. The smells lingered for a moment and she saw the branches and the leaves, even the grass, move as being blown by a wind. She felt her cheeks flushed and inside her was a feeling of warmth, of joy, satisfaction and well-being, like she just had a hearty meal. She savored the peace and the blessedness of the moment, knowing her dream had been real, though it still left many questions unanswered. She slumped to the ground as weakness of knees took over and she lied down there for a long time.

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"Juliet" of the painting by Philip Calderon (England, 1887) from http://www.romeo-juliet.newmail.ru
Rainbow image from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia
Emerald image from http://www.worldofrockhounds.com

The Betrothed, the Prince and the Emissary

Part 1

A few nights ago I wanted to catch up on my sleep but I couldn’t sleep. As I prayed for cleansing from the worldly strife of the day and for all the other myriad needs that came to mind, I asked the Lord why I couldn’t sleep and what it is He wants to tell me. The following thoughts came to mind:

There’s this young girl who was betrothed to a prince when she was a baby. As she grew older sometimes the prince would visit her and they would play and spend time together. However, it seems that the prince couldn’t really stay that long or frequently with her as he seems to have some important business to attend to in the house of his father, the king. But because they played and spent quite a lot of time together, when the girl became a damsel she realized she was falling in love with the prince. However, all the while the prince had loved her but was just waiting for her to grow up and be ready to be his bride. It gave him much joy that she was truly falling in love with him because though they were betrothed, he didn’t want their marriage to be just another arranged marriage, but a “love marriage.”

One day while they were wandering around the woods she started playing her flute and he sat down on the grass to listen to her. Then he said, “One day, you will play more music in my kingdom, our kingdom.”

Suddenly curious about his kingdom about which he wasn’t in the habit of talking about with her, she quickly put aside her flute and asked, “Tell me, my dear Prince, what is it like in your kingdom? I know I am just a child, … but… tell me, first of all, how did we get betrothed? My mom and dad … alas, God rest their souls, they didn’t live long enough to tell me.”

“My dad, he just knew, even before the beginning of time, you are the one just right for me. He chose you. Besides, you are only in the hands of caretakers; the ruler of your kingdom, the Sly One, has all rights to your freedom. You may not realize it but you are practically under house arrest; you can’t go further than the territories of this kingdom of the Sly One. One day, when the time is ripe, I have to pay the price for your freedom and you can join me in my kingdom. That is my father’s plan for us.”

“House arrest? Freedom? … and YOU are going to pay for my freedom??”

“Yes, and yes! And that of your people, too, your kindred, your brothers and sisters and your household. It will be wonderful!” the prince enthused. And with sadness in his voice, “But it will cost me everything.”

“I do not understand, my Prince. All I know is you have been so kind to me and my family all this while, but, … oh well, …ah, you’re right. My aunt and uncle, they work so hard for the masters, the men of the Sly One, yet they get paid so little. I pity them.”

‘It’s time for me to go… my father’s servants are calling me now… there is no time to tarry. Hush now my love, I love you with my very life. I will see you another day.”

For a long time the prince didn’t visit anymore and the damsel often thought of him. She blossomed into her late teens. One cold night in mid-autumn, she had a dream. Her prince came to her room, held her hand and said, “Peace to you, my dear sister, my betrothed, my fair one, my dove. I have paid the price of your release from the kingdom of the Sly One. Your freedom is no less costly than my very life and I have laid it down that you may live. For my father had deemed that this is how we should outwit the Sly One. He had deceived your father and your ancestors; thus had he enslaved all of you. Now you know how much I really love you, for I laid down my very life for you. This is the only way to set you free from the clutches of the Sly One, you and your clan. Now I cannot come to meet with you in the woods any longer. My emissary is coming and he shall keep you company. He will prepare and train you so you will be ready in the ripeness of time, to take your rightful place at my side as my bride. My emissary is very much like me and my dad, he will care for you in my absence and will teach you everything. I am coming for you, very soon.”

And just like a real dream, he was gone.

Young girl image from http://www.fln.vcu.edu
Teen image of Olivia Hussey and as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet from http://www.romeo-juliet.newmail.ru