Genesis 3: 24

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned everyway to keep the way of the tree of life 

We have been reflecting on the Cherubims. The word connotes the being associated with the glory, excellence and beauty of the Lord. It’s a representation of the Lord. At a time, as in above, the Cherubims were there, jealouse for the glory of God and were careful to see that man didn’t become irredeemably lost. But much more later as redemption of man began in parables, we begin to see Cherubims mingling with mankind in the Tabernacle, even if it’s only one race was  initiated to the process of salvation. The Cherubims which may also be seen as Living Creatures, in varying discription, are seen to be distinctly four in number, (as in Revelation) each spotting the faces of different animals or beings; or they may not be individual entities (as in Ezekiel)  with each having four faces. These faces are lion, ox or calf, man and eagle. Not necessarily in that order.

Lion is majestic, focused and determined. It represents Christ’s nature of strength. But, he was first a Lamb, a weak before becoming a lion. He’s both to God.

Ox and calf are from the cattle family. Both are castrated. The ox is castrated for the purpose of heavy duty. They represent endurance, work and purposeful ending. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). The purpose of all this? For this purpose of the Son of God was made manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Calf is one of the animals of the cattle used for sacrifice for burnt offering. Burnt offering, to me, indicates complete obliteration of self. It’s a precious sacrifice before God. Apostle Paul writes, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the lfe which I now live in the flesh I live by the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself to me (Galatians 2:20). Not yet through with his pet topic of being crucified, he writes further: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). Either ox or calf – the animal was burnt outside of the camp in the wilderness just as the Lord Jesus Christ was offered as sacrifice for redemption and sanctification, prompting the author of Hebrews to admonish: For the bodies of those beasts…. for sin, are burnt without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach (Hebrews 13:11-13).

Let it be said that the Cherubims and the sword in our reading are to prevent man from coming to salvation, eternal life, through his own efforts on his own terms. In anycase, it would be a most monstrous thing in creation if he took of the tree of life in his stage of fallen nature. The yielding to the strange voice in the garden of Eden by the female and male Adam was the greatest tragedy ever witnessed by the planet earth. By the offering of Christ on the cross, the sword was sheathed forever.

Says Paul, the apostle, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The principle of the sin of Adam’s sin being inherited by his descendants doesn’t hold here. It’s not impossible that if the Adams had had children before now, these children might not have inherited their parents fallen nature. However, whatever offsprings the Adams sired after their altered nature were bound to be altered because they were conceived in that horrible nature. The psalmists laments, …and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalms 51:5). See, the glory of God was the goal for the human race, but now it had been altered. This necessitated the initiation of the process of salvation – salvation is attaining to God’s original plan for man. This involves the removal of the offending man, annihilating him from the presence of God. This action was first made a parable in the church in the wilderness before the empirical realities came forth in Jesus Christ. Each time an innocent animal, a calf, or ox, or Lamb or bullock…was taken and killed on behalf of man and his race, the principle of complete annihilation was coming into play. It’s a statement of “the life of this victim, this animal, is for me, while my life, meant for destruction is for it.” For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, says Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The word righteousness here is talking about the true nature of God in man that makes him able to stand before God without anymore sense of guilt. Such one in this estate is one on one with the Lord. This is the Lord’s doing and it’s marvellous in our eyes. The Lord Jesus Christ is the calf and ox of our burnt offering; the Lord Jesus Christ is the burnt, destroyed victim outside of the gate to whom we need to meet.

Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ – a man who knew no sin but held responsible for my sinful life that I might become Your son, the righteous. Thank You Father for this principle of double exchange 

Thank You Lord, for this