If God wished to prevent humanity from gaining eternal life while in a state of sin, why not simply eliminate the Tree of Life instead of posting cherubim and a flaming, turning sword to guard it?
The narrative itself frames both the problem and the solution. After the human has come to know good and evil, the text expresses concern that he might also take from the Tree of Life and live forever, and then records the expulsion from the garden and the placement of the cherubim and the flaming, turning sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:22, 3:24). From these verses a principle emerges: the tree is not erased from creation; rather, the way to it is guarded.
Restoration rather than erasure
What is good in creation is not abolished; it is locked until it can be approached worthily. God prevents a corrupted eternity, that is, everlasting life without moral repair, but does not cancel the possibility of true life. The tree remains; only access to it is blocked.
A standing moral goal
The continued existence of the tree, alongside strict guardianship of the way, sets a goal before humanity: eternal life that is not the product of a shortcut but the fruit of a straight path. This is not a denial of life but a postponement until a process of refinement and repentance has taken place.
Choice and spiritual freedom
Human responsibility lies at the heart of the biblical story. The expulsion from Eden does not close off the possibility of the good; it creates a space for choice and labor. Instead of a technical fix through a single act of eating, the human being is called to walk an entire path of decision, repair, and spiritual maturation.
“The way to the Tree of Life” as a symbol of drawing near to wisdom
Later in Scripture, the Tree of Life also functions as a figure for Torah and wisdom: it is called a tree of life to those who hold fast to it and praised are those who support it (Proverbs 3:18). The survival of the tree and the posting of guardians underscore that there is a way toward whole life, a guarded way that demands effort, steadfast holding, and perseverance.
Summary
The Torah prefers to preserve the good and bar the path to it until the right time, rather than destroy it. The cherubim and the flaming sword are not only signs of punishment. They mark a closed gate that, from this point forward, will open not by force but by the merit of the way one walks.
