Genesis 3:22-24

Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

God knew the evil that was instilled in the heart of mankind that day. He knew that, although we claimed to want to be like God, we would continue to leach off of Him and take all of the credit for ourselves. Not only would we take the credit, but we would use what we stole and do even greater evil to God and to each other.

There was another tree in the garden that could actually make a man live forever. It is clear that it was God’s intention for mankind to eat from that and not eat from the tree of death. Now that mankind had chosen to do it their own way, living forever by eating God’s fruit while taking all of the glory for ourselves would be completely unjust. The person who made the fruit should get all of the glory for it!

No, if man wanted to know what it was like to be a god then it only makes sense for man to go make their own things out of dirt. Fortunately, God had mercy and allowed Adam to use His dirt, seeds, rain and sun. God didn’t want mankind eating and living forever in evil, but it is clear that He didn’t want mankind to die either. God actually had a big plan that was just starting to unfold.

God didn’t take the tree of life away forever. It is mentioned again in the book of the Revelation.

Revelation 2:7 :

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.