After God has given man the administration of the government and of the home, has set him up as king of the creatures, and has added the tree of life as a safeguard for preserving this physical life, He now builds him, as it were, a temple that he may worship Him and thank the God who has so kindly bestowed all these things on him. Today in our churches we have an altar for the administration of the Eucharist, and we have platforms or pulpits for teaching the people. These objects were built not only to meet a need but also to create a solemn atmosphere. But this tree of the knowledge of good and evil was Adam’s church, altar and pulpit. Here he was to yield to God the obedience he owed, give recognition to the Word and will of God, and give thanks to God, and call upon God for aid against temptation. (Lectures on Genesis, AE p. 95)
Huh. I never thought of it that way before.