So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:24 NKJV
Here in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned against God, God took them out of the garden where the tree of life was and put a flaming sword so that they cannot eat from the tree of life.
Is this a punishment from God? It is a good question we need to ask to know why God removed them from the garden and did not want Adam and Eve to eat from that tree.
When they made their choice to disobey God and willfully accept the consequences of their decisions, God did not punish them. Instead He made a promise to save them as mentioned in Genesis 3:15.
God sacrificed an animal and covered mankind with the animal skin instead of leaves. He gave them a temporal covering until Jesus Christ comes to fulfill that promise permanently.
God took them out of that garden not as a punishment but to protect them from eating from that tree of life and remain forever in a sinful condition.
If mankind would have eaten from that tree of life, they will live permanently under satan's rule and power.
Therefore God did all this not as a punishment but for His redemptive plans to save all mankind and live for eternity.
Jesus Christ is the bread that came down and gave life to all humanity, in Him was life and the light of men.
When we have the right view of God and His character, we will be able to see His true plans for all of our lives.
God did not come to judge the world but to save them. Everything about God is for the good of the whole world.
For God so loved the world, He took our form and died in our place so that we can come into communion with our Father in heaven, His Son Jesus and God the Holy Spirit.
Live in the blessings,
Ps Ambrose