The useless (?) tree of life (moved)

LittleLambofJesus said:

If one says the tree, the flood and parting of the Red Sea are metaphors, would that not essentially make Abraham, Moses, King David and all the other OT people in it all metaphors also? Just curious.

Exodus 7:1 And YWHW is saying unto Mosheh, `See!, I give thee [as] Elohiym to Par`oh, and 'Aharown thy brother shall be thy prophet;

Mark 14:53 And they led away the Jesus toward the Chief-priest, and are coming together to Him all the chief-priests, and the elders, and the scribes;

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A common understanding of the tree of knowledge in Genesis is that it was put there to function as a means by which mankind could gain free will. Others have suggested that it was a means by which man could earn, and not merely receive, "absolute perfection and intimate communion with God at a higher level than the one on which they were created." In any case, one of the major outcomes of Adam and Eve's action was the loss of immortality. As god said in Gen 2: 16-17.

16"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
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So, as I understand it, up to that time A&E were not subject to death, ever!. They were destined for immortality.
However, the tree of knowledge was not the only magical tree in the garden. There was also the tree of life, but we only find out about it because A&E really blew it with the tree of knowledge. In Genesis 3:22 the Bible has god telling us

"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
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So, a couple of points and a question.

1. As I pointed out, if eating from the tree of knowledge would mean A&E would know death, then it would appear that they already had immortality, which would seem to make the tree of eternal life superfluous.

2. Even having been burdened with mortality, the tree of eternal life was made off limits to A&E, which would also seem to make the tree superfluous---obviously no one else ever ate from it.

The Question. Why did god even bother planting such a tree in the first place? In the beginning it wasn't needed, and later on, when it was needed, or was at least desirable, it was taken out of service.

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KCDAD said:

Are you familiar with the George Washington chopping down the cherry tree or Abraham Lincoln walking ten miles to return a penny stories?

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