Access Denied

The Lord God "drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24)

"We've got to get ourselves back to the garden." (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

The fall of mankind into sin (Genesis 3) brought with it many consequences: internal and external, physical and spiritual, individual and relational. But this verse highlights the most fundamental - ejection from the presence of God, from the sphere of his blessing.

I found these thoughts from John Walton's commentary on Genesis very helpful, and I think you will too: "The overwhelming loss was not paradise; it was God. Throughout all the rest of the Old Testament one never hears talk of regaining the comfort of Eden, but regaining access to God."

Sometimes hell as described as "separation from God," and this is indeed one of the chief biblical categories used to explain eternal judgment (another biggie is affliction and pain). We are actually born into this separation as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.

The way back has been made for us, however: and the name of the Way is Jesus of Nazareth.