The Fruit of Life and Death
Fruits are complex symbols, with a variety of meanings and can be incorporated into a variety of contexts. An Apple can be used as a symbol of love, knowledge, wisdom, but also of death. Traditionally an Apple has been used to symbolise the ‘forbidden fruit’ spoken of in the garden of Eden, although the Bible just refers to fruit - it does stand as the symbol of temptation and original sin.
God said to the man he had created:
“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
(Genesis 2:16,17)
When Eve was tempted by the devil and took of the fruit which God had told Adam not to eat of, Adam had forsaken his responsibility to instruct and guide Eve. So Eve was first tempted to eat of it and then Adam was also tempted.
The Bible also talks about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A term that sums up nine attributes of a person or a community that is living in accord with the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Chapter 5 of the epistle to the Galatians.
”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
King David seeks the Lord’s blessing when he says:
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings (Psalm 17:8)
Eating the fruit that Adam and Eve knew that should not have eaten went against all that God had said to keep them protected, and it led to the sin which we see in the world today.
Ultimately God will judge the living and the dead and we will all have to give an account of our lives before Him. But there is a way to be free from God’s Judgement and instead free to enter into His eternal presence - and it is repentance. A recognition of our own sin and a turning away from it.
When Jesus began his Galilean ministry He said:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)