Blogging through the Bible - Genesis

Gen. 5:21

2010-03-27T17:36:00.001-07:00

This verse on Enoch begins just like all the others; he was a certain number of years old and then begat his son. However, a note in the next verse shows his life was indeed very different. All of us, indeed, have the same opportunity to really go above and beyond, and make a difference for the Lord; even if it seems small by some standards, because of our limitations it may be huge. Enoch, just like all the others, lived a certain number of years. Any of us, like all other believers, have been saved. Now, what will we do with it? Enoch walked with God, and prophesied.

We don’t know if there were any prophets before Enoch, or how much Enoch prophesied. We read a prophecy of his in Jude 14-15, that the Lord will return with His saints to execute judgment on this sinful world. (The number says ten thousand, but that was a number used in Greek to indicate a number so large it couldn’t be counted.)

Let us digress for a moment here. There is a Book of Enoch, but it is not on the level of Scripture. However, Jude, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that he prophesied. This prophecy wasn’t necessary to be revealed until then, in God’s eyes, though it may have been a tradition beforehand. Indeed, the apocryphal Book of Enoch could have borrowed the quote from Jude. Whatever else – if anything – Enoch foretold will only be known when we get to Heaven.

If Moses makes no mention of Enoch being a prophet, then how can we be sure? First, God doesn’t reveal everything right away. He tells us when it’s important for us to know. God chose, at this time, to let us know that Enoch had made at least one prophecy. One might also note that Lamech also prophesies about Noah, and that Enoch’s son, Methusaleh, bears a name which means “When he dies comes the emission,” or the Flood, according to John Gill’s and other commentaries. More importantly, however, the nature of the man’s life – one of a handful to be said to “walk with God” – shows he had a special relationship, different from those who merely lived and served. It’s quite likely that he was a prophet, and that some record even before that existed.

Gen. 5:6-20

2010-03-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

These verses go into more detail than those concerning Cain’s descendants. However, they each hold the same basic truth that the previous verses did. These people lived and died. What they did between those times – other than fathering the one child of many who wound up in the genealogy down to Noah - is only known to the Lord. However, we can glean things from these verses.

First, more information is given than just the genealogy. God the Holy Spirit still felt it important that Cain’s descendants be recorded. God yearns for all to be saved; He is very longsuffering toward us, and gives us many chances. He sees each person, even those who stray far from Him. And, He uses numerous means to try to draw them to Him lovingly; never forcing, but working in things so they see His love and receive His forgiveness.

And yet, in the end, all perish in this life. We only have this life to decide whether to choose Him. It’s as if there’s a flight coming to pick us up, and we must choose to get on board. Many don’t know that there is a flight, or that we must get on board. They must be told. However, the important thing is, this world will cease to exist someday. Our mortal bodies will wear out. The question is, have we got that ticket to Heaven? It was given freely to each of us, the purchase price being the perfect blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Though people could only trust that God would send a deliverer at this point, they – like Abraham – were justified by faith.

We also see that the years are numbered. God gives this information here, but not in the other line. There are a few reasons this may be; and, it is likely a combination of them.

This may be because they followed Him, so the years they had to serve the Lord were numbered, to see what each would do with them. With Cain’s line, meanwhile, if these people didn’t trust in the Lord, the clock never started ticking on what they could do for Him. This is quite plausible, as it further shows that nobody can work their way to Heaven. God only counts what works we’ve done for Him after we’re saved. Before, He doesn’t know us, and we know facts, if that, about Him. We don’t have the personal relationship with Him that lets us truly serve Him.

Another possible reason is that God, in God is detailing His plan, and the genealogy through which He was working. This explains why He shows how old they were when they fathered the next one in that genealogy which would see mankind through to the other side of the deluge. The situation surrounding each is unique – see how some sired that particular son much later than others. In the same way, each of us comes from a unique background, but we all work together to ensure that the Lord’s work continues.

This also leads back to the point about their work counting for eternity in ways that those of Cain’s line didn’t. God makes note of what we do for Him, no matter how big or small. After all, it’s ntoed that each man had sons and daughters, too; only the most prominent in Cain’s line merit mention. (See Genesis 4:22 concerning Naamah for other reasons this line may have been mentioned.)

Also, the Bible notes that these men lived. Yes, Cain’s line is mentioned as people begat others, but while God noticed them and worked in love to woo them, they became nother more than people, living and dying, most if not all with no knowledge of the Redeemer. Such is the sad state of affairs today, which is why it is vital that we get the Gospel to as many as possible.

Gen. 5:5

2010-03-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

Here, we’re told the number of years Adam lived total. We see two important facts that apply to everyone. He lived. And, he died. No matter how long it was – much longer because of that canopy above the earth – he died, just as all do.

However, we should never forget that he lived. God gave him the grace and mercy to be able to live. Some peoples’ days are shorter, some longer, but, while it may sound like baseball great Yogi Berra, it’s true. Everyone who is alive is living.

The amount of information he could have imparted is incredible. The amount he could have gathered is also incredible. Imagine 930 years of arts, science, inventions, anything. As noted, too, genetic problems hadn’t begun to haunt people. He and Eve possessed the great minds, and they were able to pass on much of that to their descendants. Given that great pioneers in various areas have changed the world in a few decades, having a few centuries would mean astounding developments. We don’t know how advanced people were in that day and time, but we do know this – these people lived, and at least a few had the opportunity to create incredible things.

Take the Pyramids in Egypt, for instance. They were built soon after the Great Flood, according to most experts. The technology just to get the shafts so perfectly fitted has only existed for a few decades. And, people still aren’t sure how they were constructed, or how Stonehenge and a few other ancient wonders were created. The Mayans, too, had very advanced astronomy.

So, why did it die out? People stopped using the knowledge. Indeed, they stopped even needing it, they were so concerned with survival after the Flood. Machines may have been built soon after the Flood, but nobody recorded how to make them, and the machines to make the machines to build the Pyramids, or Stonehenge, became unworkable. Soon, all their works perished. And, only a few scant things remained. It’s just like people forgot how to use the information to build aqueducts, or the very elaborate Roman road system, after the Roman Empire declined – the road system in Europe wasn’t as good as those Roman ones till the 1700s, if not later!

That’s just like us, though. Just like Adam, just like that technical knowledge, we all die. The great composers of history, the great painters, the great inventors, are all dead, just as Adam was. As long as he lived, he was on Earth doing things. And yet, his life on Earth came to an end. It didn’t matter how much he contributed. What mattered was that he had a redeemer.

All the great accomplishments that Adam made, whatever they were – no doubt written language, the discovery of fire and its uses, simple tools like the lever and perhaps more complex ones, were among them – added to the sum of all knowledge that people had. However, in the end, those things only added to what was on Earth. All that was counted when he got to heaven were these two things. First, and most importantly, had he put his trust in that Redeemer. Second, what had he done to point people to the future Redeemer.

This, then, is the story of each of our lives. Have you put your trust in the Redeemer – who eventually came in the flesh, and took the punishment for your sin by shedding His perfect blood on the cross, dying for you and rising from the dead – to save you and get you to Heaven? Next, what have you done to point others to Jesus Christ. That can mean witnessing, but it can also mean showing His love, goodness, and compassion to others; not to point them to yourself or just to a “noble cause,” but doing so in order to glorify God, and make Him known. It can also mean prayer, talking with God and having things in common with Him, growing so close to Him that you can understand His will, and His love, for others. It can mean seeking His face in many areas.

We don’t all have the same amount of life. We don’t all have the same opportunities. God cares only about what we do with the opportunities that we have. We all have the opportunity, in some way – even if it’s just through prayer - to show Christ’s love to others, to put the focus off of ourselves and onto God.

Gen. 5:4

2010-03-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in the discussion here (Gen. 4:3), Gen. 4:17, and a couple other places, if anyone asks where Cain got his wife, you can point them to this verse.

Jude 22-23 instructs us about the difference between people, and how to reach them. This is a perfect example. Some are ignorant through no fault of their own. They must be reached with compassion. We must understand that they have never had the chance to know the Bible. They have been taught lies, because their teachers – whoever they might be – have withheld the truth. However, others are willfully ignorant. They won’t listen, because they know if they did, they’d be converted, and forced to confess their sins. The only way to tell the difference is to trust in the Lord for guidance. Of course, it’s always best to presume that the person is genuinely ignorant, through no fault of their own. It is in this way we show Christian love and gentleness toward others.

We also see the length of time Adam and Eve had together. Tradition is that they had anywhere from 12 sons (and at least two daughters as the language shows) to 100 children. Josephus gives it as 33 sons and 23 daughters. The exact number is unknown, but with genetics not breaking down so much, it’s possible some people could have had hundreds. This time allowed him to live till Lamech was old enough to understand when Adam passed on information.

Gen. 5:3

2010-01-14T13:43:00.002-08:00

Here, we begin to see the life spans of the pre-Flood world. See Day two – Gen. 1:6-8 – for an explanation of the canopy which was likely above the Earth at that time, and which accounts for the vastly different climate on the Earth.

Even more notable, of course, is that Adam had a son, but a sharp contrast is made. This stark contrast is between God’s creation – in God’s image – and Adam’s son. Because, his son, and all children since then, were born in Adam’s likeness.

This, then, further illustrates this likeness that was God’s. God’s likeness is present in the first man, because Adam was patterned after the Trinity. Just as the Trinity is an undivided three in one, one in three – Father, Son, and Spirit – so, too, was Adam composed of a body, soul, and a spirit.

However, when he died spiritually, he was separated from God. The Spirit left Adam. He could no longer commune with God whenever he wished. This also meant a marked difference in his children. They were also born with only a body and a soul, not with the Spirit connecting them with God. We, like them, need God’s grace and mercy; we need God to reach down to us, because we can’t reach up to God. It’s impossible, because we aren’t born with that Spirit.

However, praise be to God, we can have that indwelling Holy Spirit if we simply put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us from our sins. 2 Cor. 5:17 promises that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are made new.” This doesn’t just mean that God comes and dwells in us through His Holy Spirit. We who are in Christ literally have that fellowship restored; we become different creatures than when we were born sons of Adam. We have that Spirit that we don’t have when we’re born.

Yes, that old Adamic nature is still present, meaning that we still sin on this earth. Our bodies are corrupted, too, by sin. So, we listen that that fleshly part that tells us to lie, to be mean, to do other things which are sinful. But, the Holy Spirit is the earnest, the promise, of our inheritance in heaven. (Eph. 1:14) It is the surest sign of what will be our complete redemption when we are taken to Heaven. Because, the Spirit is God Himself living inside us, guiding and helping us through everything, and convicting us when we go astray. It is God Himself, holding us fast, and not letting us become separated from Him, because He has the power to keep us from falling (Jude 24, etc.); He is God, after all. Nothing can separate us from His love, once we are in Christ. (Romans 8:38-39) We are truly new creatures on Earth, with his Spirit inside us, until that time when we celebrate with Him in glory, because we have been bought with a price; by the power of His own blood, with which he saved us. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a friend!

Gen. 5:2

2010-01-14T13:43:00.001-08:00

Male and female…called their name Adam

See Gen. 1:27 for further detail. God created male and female, but He didn’t do it at the same exact time. This is just the same as saying, “I ate a sandwich and spaghetti.” I could easily have had the sandwich for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. A further explanation of specifics, then, is in Gen. 2.

The name “Adam,” here, refers to the entire human race, as well as to the fact that the two “became one flesh.” And, they did this before they ever sinned, as Adam and Eve are married by Gen. 2:25.

Gen. 5:1

2010-01-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

These verses provides us a good place to summarize some information given in the notes on Gen. 2:4 and other places earlier in this commentary.

The generations of

While it is, of course, possible that this marked the beginning of something which may have been written by Noah, or another rpatriarch, it is highly unlikely. As noted before, the Spirit could easily have used this as a place to divide different sections, especially since now, we focus entirely on the line of Seth. God supernaturally used human writers to write what He wanted, while still somehow allowing each to retain his individual style. Therefore, He could easily have inspired Moses to write all of this history.

In the day that God created man

In other words, we are now going to discuss the line of Seth, who came from Adam. God is, first, explaining that it started on a certain day, at a certain time when He made man.

Likeness of God

See Gen. 1:26 for a further explanation of what it means to be in the image of God. He wanted to be able to fellowship with us, to have things in common. And, He still does today, if one will just put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse them from their sin, believing that He did all that was necessary to save them when he died on the cross for them, shedding his perfect blood, and rose from the dead. One must simply receive Him as Savior; “To as many as received Him, gave he the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. (John 1:12)

Gen. 4:26

2010-01-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

Unlike the note after Cain’s son, the note after Seth has a son states that people “began to call upon the name of the Lord.”

This can have several meanings. One is that they began to pray. It’s unlikely that they only then began to pray. That nobody would pray at all for a few decades is not likely. However, for there to be a specific reason for prayer is quite probably. Several commentators have written that this may hve been the “first revival,” when his son Enos was born. That is plausible, as they realized that it wasn’t going to be just Seth redeeming them. They would be there for a long time, having children upon children, populating the planet. And yet, despite all the time it took, they saw that God was still with them. Calling upon the Lord for a specific reason is quite possible.

The possibility that this meant “call upon” to mean “profane” isn’t a really well-known notion among commentators. However, I think profaning can make sense. God may have put Genesis 4:24 after those to make a point: All these other things came after a number of generations – violence, war, ungodly music, and so on. However, what started the tragic drifting away from God was not the unGodly music, the weapons, or anything else. It was the mindset of profaning God's name. And, it started *very* early; then, in the generation right after Seth's son was born. All those things people think of as profaning His name were only byproducts, the root cause was mankind taking God off the throne of their hearts.

However, in another way, this seems like a major stretch. The word for “call,” according to Strong’s concordance, is used for calling upon, or crying out to, in most instances. In other instances, it can mean “to call oneself by the name,” but it’s never used to mean “to profane.”

However, that brings up a third possibility, that it means that people called themselves by the name of the Lord, in the same way that the early believers called themselves Christians first at Antioch. This is a very likely scenario, because as the lines of Seth and Cain drifted apart, there was a need to differentiate oneself, to say, “I am a follower of God.”

Interestingly, when one looks at it, this also can tie in the other two. While this term was never used mean “to profane,” this was the time when people truly began to ddegrade God in their hearts, which caused all the problems in the later stages of the antediluvian (pre-Flood) world, which had been mentioned a few verses earlier. Not only that, but it’s quite plausible - as people saw this drastic falling way from God - that those who chose to follow god truly realized a major problem existed. And, that they needed God’s protection and provision in a great way. Because, only the Lord can protect us and help us from all of the problems of this world.

This is what we must realize today, as well. In a world that is so filled with wickedness, it is vital that people receive Christ’s forgiveness so they can have a personal relationship with Him, so He can guide and direct them through this turbulent time.

Gen. 4:25

2010-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Here, we see that Adam and Eve produced another offspring. It has been noted that this was not just the third child they had had, but the important part is that Seth’s line replaced Abel. There could have been many children in between.

She says that God had appointed her another seed. She’d come to realize what James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Cain had boasted of himself, he felt his son was his own. However, Eve realized that Seth, like Abel, was “from the Lord.”

This shows the difference between the lines of thinking. Sure, they were sinners, too. Sin was already heavy on the world, weighing it down with pain. However, Cain and the others were focused on themselves, and their anger and violence against each other grew greatly. Seth’s line didn’t focus on the Lord with all their hearts. However, this focus on the Lord leads to the next verse, which closes out the chapter.

Gen. 4:24

2009-12-23T11:28:00.001-08:00

Lamech combined his violence with a desire to put himself ahead of God. Notice that he refers back to how God would avenge Cain’s death. Who would avenge Cain if someone killed him? It was God himself, of course.

God’s justice is perfect. He takes everything into account, and knows the heart of every single person, and why they do what they do. He makes no mistakes. He will never sin – He can’t sin. He is perfect. There is such a thing as righteous anger, though some versions remove that; jesus tells His disciples that He who is angry with his brother *without a cause* is sinning. But, God has cause. He created each of us to follow Him, and to not sin. When people commit sin, He has every right to punish us, because we have fallen short of the mark of perfection.

Thankfully, God is also merciful. He doesn’t want to punish sin. He wants to show love and peace to everyone, but we must confess and forsake our sins to do so.

Lamech had no mercy. His idea of vengeance was totally based on the outward appearance, and went totally against God’s ways. His terror and intimidation is just like the devil, who wants to steal our freedom and put God’s creatures under the yoke of oppression.

In doing thins, Lamech was either placing himself above God in the delusional belief that he could cause people to avenge him like that, or he may have actually had such a large mob. If the latter, he would certainly not be the last person to have a huge group of people organized to follow his every command, and avenge any injustice. World dictators for centuries have done the same thing.

More importantly, however, Lamech continued a pattern that was seen since the dawn of time, a pattern of ignoring God in his life. However, he didn’t just disobey God, as Adam and Eve had done. He totally profaned God, by claiming the same rights as God, to determine how he was going to be avenged, and by deciding how life would be governed, ruling by oppression and not by love. Only God, who combines perfect justice with perfect love and mercy, among many other attributes, has the right to decide who lives and who dies. Even when He appoints people to do so, He is truly the one making the decision.

Gen. 4:23

2009-12-23T09:33:00.001-08:00

We don’t know when Lamech made the proclamation in this verse and the next. However, the important thing is, it was a sign of his arrogance. Hedecided that he was going to be the ruler of his domain, instead of God. He was going to set all the rules.

First, he deliberately puffs himself up while putting down his wives. What manner of person goes around referring to his wife as “You wife of mine”? God intended the marital union to be one of mutual love. However, even in the most male-dominant cultures, where woman are considered very subservient, they would be addressed by their first names. And yet, Moses, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states their names right before, perhaps to emphasize that Lamech wouldn’t even do that. He simply referred to them as “ye wives of Lamech.”

Notice, too, what Lamech is boasting about. He uses the word “hearken,” which means that they should do more than just listen. They should be extra attentive, and and act according to what he said; in other words, his desire was to strike an unhealthy fear in them. If Naamah did turn from the wicked ways of Cain, and trust in God completely for salvation by faith, one can’t help but wonder if it was the utter terror of Lamech which caused her to consider just how different and wonderful things were under the unconditional love that was Noah’s house. We who know that love must be careful to always show a great example of Jesus Christ, and to tell others about Him. We never know what kind of situation someone else lives in or has lived in – and, we never know when they might be ready to cry out to Jesus Christ for salvation, if they only know about Him.

The words that inspired such terror follow. Lamech shows himself to be a very violent man with them. He would kill just for small wounds. Jesus Christ tells us to love our enemies, and bless those who persecute us. However, this goes beyond even the “eye for an eye” justice thatGod established in the Mosaic covenant, a covenant that was supposed to show people just they couldn’t keep the whole law, and draw them to Himself. Lamech’s law was that would kill anyone who got in his way. It was a law that put all the focus on himself.

When we put all the focus on ourselves, we wind up forgetting that God is in control,a nd has placed thigns in our lives to help us. Of course, sometimes others do evil things to us, but God can turn that evil around, and use it unto good, as Joseph told his brothers, for instance. (Gen. 50:20) God wants us to keep the focus totally on Him; to be filled (that is, controlled) by the Spirit at all times. (Eph. 5:18) That is impossible in our sinful state, of course, but this is why Christ’s shed blood is so important. We must never return slights with such evil. We must instead be willing to forgive others who sin differently than we do.

Gen. 4:22

2009-12-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

We turn next to Lamech’s other wife, Zillah. We see a few interesting things here.

One of her sons was Tubal-Cain. Several people believe this is the heathens’ “Vulcan,’ as both ere skilled with the production of weapons, and of smithing iron in general. Others had done it before, but he raised it to an art form. Hence, this term is different than the verses which describe Jabal and Jubal. Tubal-Cain is said to be an instructor of every maker of brass and iron things. This implies that there were makers before. He simply introduced many new ways.

Naamah, one sister, was known for her beauty according to many, and some believe she was the inspiration for the heathen Venus or Minerva.

God’s reason for introducing these two is uncertain; especially Naamah, about whom nothing else is said. John Gill, in his commentary on this verse, does an excellent job of considering a variety of different identities for Naamah, I invite readers who are interested to look into that further, as he lists where some of these ideas came from. However, as a number of sources point to her as the wife of Noah, or of Ham, let me address these two possibilities here.

First, God would not have let unrighteous flesh on the Ark, when the mind of man was on evil continually. Of course, there is none righteous; no, not one. (Rom. 3:10) Noah was found to be “perfect” in his generation because he’d kept the commands of God, and trusted in God for forgiveness when he sinned. Like Abraham, he believed God, and that was what was counted to him for righteousness. It’s unlikely that someone who followed God that closely would allow his son to marry someone who wasn’t following God. It’s highly unlikely that someone following God that closely would marry someone who was totally away from God. However, it’s impossible that a perfect and holy God, who was destroying all flesh off the face of the earth, would allow some of that evil onto the very ark that was being used to start the world anew.

Now, that doesn’t mean that someone couldn’t have been saved out of the line of Cain. Descent from Adam caused the sin nature that we all have; and, which even Noah had. They would have had to commit totally to God’s principles, and turn away from idolatry 100%. But, someone saved out of that line would explain why the world quickly slipped back into darkness later, if that person chose to turn back to idolatry. One need only look at Moses’ brother Aaron, who was goaded by the people into making a golden calf to worship at the time of the Exodus. On the other hand, it doesn’t take a bad influence from the outside to get people to fall into sin. We are perfectly capable of that ourselves, sadly enough.

So, could Naamah have been Noah’s wife? She is a couple generations before Noah, if one counts the number of generations. However, that isn’t as important. We don’t know how long it took for people to marry in the line of Cain. We don’t even know what generation her mother Zillah was from; it’s possible Lamech chose a much younger woman. So, she could actually have been from the same generation as Noah. We also have the fact Noah didn’t have Shem, Ham, and Japheth till he was 500 years old, though he could have had others before that. So, it’s possible, but by no means certain, that he waited that long for a wife. However, as noted above, it’s not very likely. There are more “traditions” that state she was Ham’s wife than ones stating she was Noah’s; of course, traditions are not always true.

So, what about Ham? While a wife of Noah would have possibly influenced all three children in a negative way, the wife of Ham would be a much more logical person on whom to place blame for one person in particular – Canaan. Canaan’s children (Gen. 10:15-18) were the fathers of the people who did all the horrible things, including child sacrifices, that God eventually punished by allowing the Israelis to conquer them. Another of Ham’s son’s, Cush, begat Nimrod, the first man to try and build a world empire, as we’ll see later. The age thing, while more of a problem and a lot harder it was for Noah, isn’t impossible to overcome, if one argues that Naamah was Ham’s wife.

There is, then, some credible argument for Naamah being Ham’s wife, if indeed she turned back to her idolatrous ways. However, it is also possible that Naamah was like Ruth, a convert who stayed true to the faith, and that Noah simply waited a long time for her.

Finally, it is quite possible, perhaps likely, that Naamah married neither, but instead perished in the Flood. The apocryphal book Tobit is not Scripture. It has things that don’t mesh with the other 66 books of the Bible, which agree perfectly. But, according to Gill, Tobit mentions an evil spirit who mother was supposedly Naamah.

This is untrue, as a person would not literally give birth to an “evil spirit.” However, it shows the conjecture that exists. One might also note that the writer of another apocryphal book, Jubilees, gives a name for Ham’s wife that is very similar. This is much less fanciful than the Tobit example, but if it’s true, it’s merely a coincidence that an apocryphal book mentions it.

We don’t know why Scripture mentions Naamah, with Adah and Zillah the only women mentioned by name all the way from Eve to Sarah, despite many generations. Perhaps the best conclusion is that God has reasons which we don’t always understand. It can be fun to consider what that reason was. However, the important part must never be lost on people. God’s Word exist for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Naamah’s presence should remind us that God remembes all our deeds, whether good or evil, whether open or hidden. Just because nothing more is known to us about her, doesn’t mean anything was hidden from God. He knew her, and judged her according to her knowledge of Him and whether she ever received His forgiveness for her sins by faith that He would one day send a Redeemer for her.

Gen. 4:21

2009-12-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

One might guess that populations were in the millions by this time, because the ages people lived to would mean they had dozens of children, as women could have remained fertile till they were a hundred or two, given the still perfect environment, with the water shild protecting the warm, tropical earth from deadly cosmic rays, combined with a lack of deteriorating diseases yet. One tradition states that Adam and Eve had 77 children. Given that, the wording here is interesting.

We read, at the start of this first, that “Jabal’s brother” was Jubal. Not one of his brothers – his brother. It’s possible, of course, that this was just referring to his most famous brother – we don’t really know why God phrased it this way. It’s also possible he had only one brother and dozens of sisters. It’s also possible that for some reason, Lamech was not blessed with many descendants on purpose. Perhaps Adah, their mother, was treated very roughly by her husband, to where she couldn’t conceive. Perhaps she even died young. Or, perhaps God just closed up her womb after a time, because of the wickedness of the world.

Whatever the reason, we see that God is in control. It is He that decides whether someone will conceive and when. He has much more information aobut things than we do; an infinite amount, in fact. He knows what’s best, while we often stagger along in total confusion about what is best. Even when we wind up better than most, however, our best guess is still far away from God’s perfection. Imperfect man can never approach the perfection of our holy God.

We read that Jubal was the father of whose who played music. We don’t know if these were the first musical instruments. Anthropologists today tell us drums are often the first, and this seems to be born out by small children who like to pound on things. However, there’s a difference between these and what Jubal likely did.

Drums aren’t mentioned in the Bible. The more melodious instruments – the harp being one – are often mentioned, however. Drums can only provide a pounding beat, whereas other instruments can provide a more flowing melody. A beat to music can allow one to be put into a trance, if it’s hard enough; when a group of teens on a mission trip had a radio playing rock music, in fact, it prompted one native to proclaim that the music was “calling the devils.” It’s likely that there were drums before this, but the music was probably not soothing, like that of a harp, for instance.

In that case, it’s interesting to note that it was one of Cain’s line to create this melodious sound; to be the father of beautiful music, and to teach in the art of it. This brings up two points.

First, just because something sounds good doesn’t mean it is. We don’t know what kind of music was played, but again, there is no evidence that Jubal played this music for the Lord. There is no evidence that he didn’t, but we can be certain that not all of the music produced by Jubal and his craftsmen praised God. And, it’s possible none did. Music should praise the One who provided the talent, just as scientific discoveries should glorify God, as noted above.

Second, look at the Godly people who have created beautiful music through the years. King David was very skilled at the harp, for instance. God took something that a wicked, evil line created. And, He turned it into something that would glorify Him.

Many things in this world today can be used for good, or for evil. It hasn’t changed since the dawn of time. It’s no wonder that Solomon wrote that “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) Turning back to the illustrations that were used before,w hen discussing Creation, of course there have been new inventions and such. However, the age-old battle between God and the devil, with God trying to turn things to be used for good and the devil the other way, has existed since the dawn of time. There are some things, of course, that are always evil if used in a certain way, of course; people should never consume poisons, for instance. However, like other things, it doesn’t mean that the things themselves are bad. Music can be used to uplift, soothe, encourage, and strengthen one in one’s walk with God. It’s been used to wistness to others about his wonderful works. Just because Jubal was the first main teacher of things like the harp doesn’t mean that all music is therefore bad. David used the same instrument for great things.

Gen. 4:20

2009-12-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

We learn a little about the development of several modern conveniences here. First, we reach about Jabal. The Bible tells us he was the father of a couple different groups. “Father,” here, means the founder of something, just as George Washington has been called the “Father of his country” by Americans, or Hippocrates is called the “Father of modern medicine.”

The groups that Jabal founded are mentioned together. It is uncertain whether these were one and the same, or not. As mentioned in the study of verse 2, it could mean that he was the first to be involved in animal husbandry, the breeding of animals for specific purposes. It could also mean he was the first the wandering, nomadic cowboys. Both, of course, could be possible; he could have had a large empire of cattle, dominating the market, so to speak. It is also possible that cattle were not domesticated for a few hundred years after sheep – and, presumably, other animals – were.

Either way, he did something new. It was a good thing, but done in the wrong way. Jabal didn’t honor God in what he did, just like many who make the world better today.

Consider the mind of most who wish to better humanity. It might be through developing a new way to help people – like the person who first trained guide dogs. It might be through developing better ways to harvest foods. Both of these, and many other good things, can provide lots of benefits to society. God lets us dominion over all the earth because He wants us to use the gifts He gave us – whether it’s guide dogs to help the blind or cattle for milk and as beasts of burden.

However, too often, we lose sight of the Creator. We fail to give Him glory when we see an animal trained to guide people, or rescue them from things like the rubble of an earthquake. These are creatures trained to do this because they are gifts from God. If a Jabal would simply have glorified God when he discovered how to use cattle in whatever manner he did - whether through breeding, through nomadic herding and selling of milk, or whatever – think how much more wonderful it would have been. Yet Jabal, like many of us, is not shown to have ever given God any praise for the ability to use the gifts God gave him. Oh, that we would celebrate true science, that doesn’t conflict with Scripture, by praising God! And yet, when was the last time we saw something like a guide dog – and I’m preaching to myself here, too – and glorified God for the use of that animal? Indeed, when was the last time we saw any invention, and glorified Him?

Some smaller note, of course, should be made of those who dwell in tents. It doesn’t say whether Jabal himself lived a nomadic life, or whether he simply established the concept and taught others to do so. A nomadic life isn’t necessary, of course, to raise cattle; although it took the invention of barbed wire to make settling down and raising large numbers of cattle easy in America’s West. However, it’s possible, too, that the two are totally separate.

While mankind was first placed in a garden, rather than a city, God wanted man to have a place of stability. He didn’t create man to roam, always wondering where he would sleep next. He wanted people to hve stable homes, stable lives, and so on. Of course, sin messed all that up, but a simple life that is secure in the knowledge of God’s leadership in it is still possible, even in our hectic 21st century world. The fact is, Jabal’s dwelling in tents proved that he lacked that security which was only a single, sincere call for help from God away. Let us pray peole today don’t make the same mistake of living their lives in uncertainty, without seeking His forgiveness.

Gen. 4:19

2009-12-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

We se here the first example of mankind going against God’s rules on marriage by taking two wives. Nowhere does God say it’s okay to have more than one wife. He allowed in in his love and patience toward people at times, but it was always sin, going away from His intended purpose.

Note, too, that Lamech took the wives. Nothing is sais about God marrying them, or even endorsing this action. By this time, mankind – even Seth’s line – had begun to pollute the world with wickedness, which would eventually lead to the destruction of all flesh.

Notice, too, that this was the type of thing God warned Even would happen. The stronger man, accustomed to hunting and other physical labor all his life, felt that he could force his wishes upon women. As we’ll see in verse 23, he was that way with everyone, so it makes sense that he would think he could just take whatever he wanted through brute strength, not considering others and certainly not considering God.

Gen. 4:18

2009-12-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

This verse goes through the genealogy very quickly. Interestingly, while the Lamech in the line of Cain fathers a number of people who will be noted later, nobody is said to do much of anything before then. They chose to ignore God, so God, sadly, let them have free choice.

The same goes on today. People get so caught up in the world that they forget about God completely. They forget they have a Maker, a Creator, Who is looking out for them. One who loves them and longs to nurture them, if they will only come to Him. Remember, His first words to the first sinners were “Where art though” – a fact no doubt told to those of Cain’s line by those of Seth’s. However, as we’ll see at the end of chapter 4, instead of coming to Him with repentant hearts, people chose to start going away from Him far before any of the other things which will be mentioned in the interceding verses.

Gen. 4:17

2009-10-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

The first indication of this focus on self, not on God is that Cain knew (that is, knew carnally, in this case had a child with) his wife.

As noted elsewhere, Genesis 5:4 shows Cain married a sister. This could be done because there wasn’t the problem with inbreeding yet, as the gene pools were still huge, and not narrowed down like they would be. It could have happened right then or later. Indeed, they could have married before Cain killed Abel. We are not told.

However, even if Cain’s murder of Abel occurred after they married, this is the first instance where we must ask, “What could she have seen in that guy?” Forget the lack of social taboos and lack of problems with inbreeding, since the world was so young. He had walked away from God’s mercy and grace before he murdered her brother, Abel. He wouldn’t listen to God’s call to return.

Look back to our discussions of ideal relationships. The ideal relationship is one where the man is the spiritual leader, but there is unity between the two otherwise. One side doesn’t overpower the other. Instead, each side lovingly gives of himself or herself to please the other. Cain’s wife could - and should - have refused to have anything to do with a man who wouldn’t follow the Lord. If they were unequally yoked, she should have been willing to follow the Lord anyway.

We saw in Gen. 3:16 how a woman’s desire would be to her husband. This is compounded by the man being - in many cases - more physically and emotionally powerful. This is one of the major problems with relationships to this day. They’re not equal in the ways they should be. Yes, women look to men for protection at times, and sometimes, past problems demand it. Every situation is different. However, women should avoid any situation where a man can totally dominate them, unless they are very frail, and that man is so totally loving and devoted they would never take unfair advantage of this. United States President McKinley, for instance, may have been such a figure, given his wife’s epilepsy and his care for her at a time when such a condition wasn’t accepted. He protected her from much ridicule, and loved her unconditionally.

Cain, of course, was the exact opposite. Whether it was his domineering nature, or whether she became so smitten by him she couldn’t think straight, they married, and had a son. He received the same name as a later son in Adam’s line up to Noah. There is an amazing contrast between a man about whom almost nothing is known, and the later man, in Adam’s line, who walked so wonderfully with God.

Eve, on the other hand, declared immediately after giving birth that she had gotten a man from the Lord – she acknowledged God in it.

Cain didn’t honor God in having a son. The name didn’t even reveal anything of God’s nature. He named it after his son. It’s as if he was saying, “I had this child, I will build a city to show my greatness.” Cain was puffed up with pride, just as the devil had been.

Certainly, there are times in life when we name things after others. We give gifts in memory of loved ones. But, the point is, we should never allow that to overshadow God’s work. Yes, a foundation to honor the memory of someone is wonderful. A house that bears someone’s name is fine. But, these things must be done with the reminder that, “This is named after ‘x,’ a person greatly used by God for a purpose.” Even if that purpose is dying young so that others might be moved to fight a certain cause, something God can certainly use for His glory.

Cain was already out from the presence of the Lord, though, as explained earlier. He had no use for God in his life. He wouldn’t consider God’s role in his city.

Gen. 4:16

2009-10-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Cain “went out from the presence of the Lord.” God is, was, and always has been present everywhere. The Temple contained the Holy of Holies, the tabernacle did so before that. Yet, David wrote in Psalm 139 that God would be anywhere, no matter where he went.

This, then, is speaking of a couple things. It speaks of the will of God; God’s will was that Cain remain in a relationship with Him, where He had ordered things, so Cain would be protected. But, it also speaks of Cain’s heart. He’d hardened his heart so much, that he totally shut himself off from contact with God. He’d totally gone his own, rebellious way.

He didn’t have to do this, of course. As noted before, he could have repented, and accepted God’s role as Sovereign in his life. However, his mind was evil. He’d gone so far downhill, in such a short time, that he would not accept any of God’s commands. Indeed, he scoffed at the idea. He felt he could create a much better world on his own. It’s the same way the devil had tried to overthrow God; he thought he could better than God’s perfect goodness, so he sought to be as God. (Is. 14:12-14, Eze. 28:12-19)

So, Cain settled in the land of Nod. It was in the East. The whole world would fall into a pattern of man-centered religions, with many false gods. However, the East has become much better known for such religions.

Such religions are really about people. How can one better oneself on one’s own, without God’s help. That’s what Cain’s line became, for the most part – though the Bible never says there were no exceptions. However, for the most part, they were people who were focused on self.

Gen. 4:15

2009-10-01T18:09:00.003-07:00

Since it breaks God’s heart so much to see His lost sheep run from Him, He showed His grace once more.

Cain had realized that - as a fugitive and vagabond - he would likely be hunted down and killed. So, God promises to protect Cain. We’re not told how God made the announcement - that anyone who killed Cain would be avenged seven times - to everyone else who was alive. It is possible that He spoke the warning so all the world heard. However, the method isn’t important. What’s important is that this proved God was trying to protect Cain, even in Cain’s unbelief.

He wants Cain to see His incredible mercy, so Cain will turn from his own ways of worship and worship God, and receive His forgiveness through true repentance. He is calling out, “Cain, I am having mercy on you. Don’t you understand this mercy can’t come from man’s ways? Return to Me, just as I pled with you earlier.”

Indeed, even today, it’s amazing how much grace and mercy God has. Not everyone gets a lot of chances, of course. However, despite all the evil that has spread over the entire world, there is still enough goodness, enough protection, that even those who turn from God can see His love if they look for it with a heart of faith. Even the greatest daredevil who lives only for self can find himself or herself spared. Of course, they won’t always find that. God’s mercy only goes so long. And, when the restrainer is removed in the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:7), many may find God’s divine protection suddenly gone for those who don’t trust in Him.

God also puts a mark on Cain. Some have speculated this mark may have been leprosy. That is very plausible. Any kind of mark would need to tell others to stay away from him. It would also match the way leprosy is used to signify uncleanness later. The only question is, would others catch it, also? After all, Cain went out and built his own community. Diseases change over time, though, so that isn’t a huge deal. One alternative is that Cain simply became disfigured somehow, so everyone would recognize him, and have the choice to follow him or God. That would make it more analogous to the Mark of the Beast in Revelation, whose bearers swear loyalty to forces opposing God and are condemned. Either way, it showed that Cain had made his choice. God will offer mercy and grace, but will never compromise His holiness. It is through it that we see His awesome mercy, in that He loves us so much, He offers to make us new when we turn to Him by faith. He wants us to come to Him for cleansing from sin by our own free will.

Gen. 4:14

2009-10-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

One wonders, also, why Cain says what he does in this verse. Because, after mentioning that he would be driven “from the face of the Earth,” he states that he would be hidden from God’s face. Without knowing exactly what was on Cain’s mind, it appears that he wasn’t ready to receive forgiveness. In Psalm 51:11, David pleads for God not to hide His face from him, but to forgive him instead.

It’s possible, of course, that Cain doesn’t feel he can be forgiven. But, if that was the case, God surely would have approached it differently. Peter, for example, wept bitterly after denying the Lord. (Mat. 26:75) The Lord made special mention, however, after rising from the dead, that Peter should be told. He says “Go, tell My disciples, and Peter,” as if perhaps Peter wonders if he is fit to be a disciple anymore. (Mark 16:7) Mark had made a major mistake leaving the mission field once in Acts, and yet later, Paul wishes him to be brought, because Paul knows he will be of great help in the ministry. (2 Tim. 4:11) The Bible is filled with people who have had second chances, and made the most of them.

The most likely possibility is that Cain knew that God was not planning to accept his ways. And, that if that was the case, he knew God would hide his face from him. This, sadly, happens as well in Scripture, such as with King Saul. After the Holy Spirit leaves King Saul, he makes no effort to get right with God. He cares only about the kingdom that has been removed from him. In the same way, consumed with jealousy, Cain chose to destroy the one the Lord favored. Even thought turning back to God in repentance could at least restore his eternal soul.

It’s no wonder the Lord Jesus Christ makes such a major point, thousands of years later, when He tells the people to consider what it can profit a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his immortal soul. There is no profit at all. And, it breaks God’s heart when someone won’t repent and turn to Him.

Gen. 4:13

2009-10-01T18:08:00.003-07:00

Cain doesn’t look for mercy from God. When David sinned with Bathsheba, and went so far as to have her husband Urriah killed, he was truly repentent. Psalm 51 tells David’s deep, heartfelt confession of sin and remorse. David agreed that he’d sinned against God. He pleaded with the Lord not to depart from him, and begged to be purged and cleansed. David promised to teach transgressors the way of the Lord.

Cain lacked the broken and contrite heart David mentions having in Psalm 51:17, though. Instead, he complains about the punishment. Whereas David humbly accepted the death of that child he had with Bathsheba, and the family problems later, as a just punishment, Cain tells the Lord that the punishment he would face was not going to work.

The most shocking part is that the part Cain complains most about - being a fugitive and vagabond - should have naturally occurred to him. This shows the lack of rationality not only in the murder, but the murderer’s thought patterns. One has to wonder just what Cain was thinking. Did he really have so much false pride that he thought others would naturally agree with what he’d done? Did he think nobody would care? Of course, he would be hunted down. He was the brother of the others who were born and/or would be born. But, he had also killed their brother.

This totally delusional thought process shows just how far mankind had fallen in just a few short years. They had gone from a perfect world, where they knew no sin, to these uncaring, despicable depths. Sin had truly spread throughout the entire world. The moral depravity would grow worse, sadly, till the mind of man was on evil continually. (Gen. 6:5)

Gen. 4:12

2009-10-01T18:08:00.001-07:00

Adam toiled in sweat, as we read in Genesis 3, but he still ate of the field. However, God said Cain wouldn’t receive food grown to the extent Adam did. This is important for two reasons.

First, God punished Cain by removing his livelihood. It’s a logical consequence that often comes today, too, though not everyone receives the same, because God’s mercy reaches everyone. Justice sometimes isn’t served till eternity, either, because this world isn’t perfect. God gives people freedom so they won’t be mindless robots.

More importantly, people need food to survive. Cain would have to rely on someone else. Cain’s problem was that he relied on his own means to reach God. Now, Cain would need to learn to rely on others just to survive. The end result was that he would hopefully learn to rely on God. The Lord hoped that this would teach him a need to rely on the Lord for everything.

God also shows that He knows what this will mean. First, Cain would be a fugitive. This is further evidence that there were others on the Earth at this time, as it is doubtful He only refers to his parents; though they clearly suffered greatly, too. One son was a murderer, and another son had been killed! Everyone would learn what had happened to their brother Abel. And, they would hate Cain for it. He might find someone willing to care, but in general, he would fear reprisal. Therefore, he would be a vagabond, wandering from place to place.

These, too, were supposed to teach Cain to rely on the Lord. Adam and Eve had the entire Earth all to themselves at first, so they saw how insignificant they were, and how much they needed to rely on God. Now, Cain found himself in a similar situation. He would have to fend for himself, and he would hopefully turn to God for help. Sadly, there is no evidence Cain ever turned to the Lord.

Gen. 4:11

2009-10-01T18:07:00.003-07:00

The Lord continues with His marvelously picturesque language here. His ability to turn a phrase, to describe things in such a meaningful way, is incredible. He made language, and knows all the possible ways to use it. This is just one of those things that people can’t begin to grasp. The human authors God used were often very bright themselves - though not always. People were shocked at the mighty, powerful words which simple fishermen like Peter and John used in Acts, for instance. God can speak through anyone with words that move, if they totally trust Him to, for the word of God is powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword. (Heb. 4:12)

He uses such language here, when He says Cain is “cursed from the Earth.” The Earth had already been cursed, when sin entered into it. Death had come by that sin, as well. The curse of evil and suffering was so complete, that all of Creation groaned in agony. (Rom. 8:22) It continues to do so, and will till evil is purged from this world.

So, the Earth was quite separate from the perfection with which God made it. And yet, Cain was to be cursed from even that!

A picture of grace can be missed if we’re not careful, though. The Earth is said to have received the blood of Abel. When one receives Christ’s redemptive work by simple faith, that person believes that the perfect blood of Jesus Christ can wash away their past, present, and future sin. The Earth had ‘received” the blood of Abel, in the same way that we would one day be freed from the curse of sin by the blood that Christ shed on the cross.

Of course, nobody can get saved for us. We must each receive Christ on our own, once we reach the age of accountability. Even before, it is only Christ’s finished work on the cross which allows one to get to Heaven. Remember, He doesn’t want anyone to be able to boast of anything to get there. That includes being old enough.

Instead, God is saying that Abel is a type of Christ. His life featured something that would later be done by Jesus Christ Himself. Abel wasn’t killed because he did something wrong. He was killed for following the Lord. Abel’s death didn’t remove the curse from the earth. However, it was one of many little pieces of the puzzle that the disciples finally understood, after Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead.

Cain was cursed from the Earth. Those who reject Christ can’t be part of Him. They are separated because they have not allowed the blood of Jesus Christ to wash away their sins. However, those who crucified Jesus were offered a second chance, such as on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) Cain could still have been forgiven, too, if he’d simply repented. Sadly, there’s no record that he ever did. He appears to have simply gone further away from God’s perfect love.

Gen. 4:10

2009-10-01T18:07:00.001-07:00

God knows that Cain understands the proper relationship between brothers. So, He ignores the question in the previous verse. He asks “What hast thou done?” He knows what Cain did. But, the notion of taking another human’s life was such an awful thing, God wanted Cain to realize that this was something far worse, as far as consequences, than most sins. While all sin keeps us away from God, the notion of taking another human’s life is much more heinous than most, because this is a person who is in the very image of God.

This is why God speaks of “the voice of Abel’s blood” crying out from the ground. The same picturesque language is used in Revelation 6:9-10, to show the cries of many martyrs, who have suffered terribly throughout history.

People all the way back to Abel have suffered for the testimony of God’s grace and mercy. Countless numbers of people have suffered at the hands of those who would rather get to Heaven by their own good works, when in fact nobody can work their way to Heaven. It is “not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:9) God demands an even playing field, for our benefit. He doesn’t want it to be any harder for one person than for another to receive His gift of salvation. It is free to all who receive. It may take a long time. But, God will repay all who have suffered for their faith in him, through His perfect judgment.

Gen. 4:9

2009-10-01T18:05:00.001-07:00

Since they didn’t have the Word of God written yet, God chose to speak to people in these times with an audible voice. He speaks to Cain the same way He spoke to Adam and Eve. However, Cain was out inthe open. He wasn’t hiding from God, because he was apparently not ashamed of his sin, in the way Adam and Eve were. He had grown accustomed to sin.

This shows part of the horrible growth of sin, in such a short amount of time. Cain’s actions, to me, are unimaginable. Perhaps it is my being saved. Perhaps it is God’s grace in giving me a nature that was so kind and loving, even before I realized I was a sinner in need of the Savior. But, I could never imagine even thinking of such a horrible thing. Oh, I have a sin nature, like we all do. That nature shows in different ways in different people. It’s just like an athletic person may show that by being skilled in a team sport (like baseball) or an individual one (like swimming). Two people may even have very different skill sets within the same sport.

However, sin had grown so fast since the Fall, that not only did the worst parts of Cain’s nature come out, he didn’t seem to care!

We see that in this verse. God asks where Abel is. He adds the words “thy brother” onto it. This speaks to Cain’s heart even more than just asking, “Where is Abel?” The words should remind Cain that this was his brother. God emphasized that this was someone Cain was supposed to have a great family love for, the kind of love where you care for them no matter what.

Cain answers God’s loving attempt to get him to confess in a different way from Adam and Eve. His parents had each started blaming someone else. They felt shame enough to try to hide. Cain, on the other hand, had nobody to blame but himself. So, he said “I know not.” This, alone, was a bold-faced lie, but what he adds makes it worse. Cain asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Innocent, literal questions do come, of course, when someone has little or no understanding. We must lovingly answer them with calmness and compassion, and never react harshly. That is how God teaches us. We are to go to Him for wisdom, and he will give liberally and never complain. (James 1:5) He never expects us to know things we can’t possibly know. Of course, sometimes, the answer is to step out in faith. Mary, for instance, didn’t know how she - a virgin - was going to give birth. But, she knew to have faith, and asked one of those innocent questions. God gave her the information she needed, and she responded with faith, just as we should. (Luke 1:26-38) There are numerous other examples throughout Scripture.

However, Cain was not like that. He knew what a brother was, and how to treat him. Cain knew he was supposed to love his brother as an equal. A “keeper” was someone who tended lesser animals, just as Abel kept sheep. On the one hand, this could be a sarcastic comment. It may have been meant to degrade his brother. Or, it could have been outright evasion by trying to throw God off the path. Either way, it shows just how extreme a problem sin had become.

Gen. 4:8

2009-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Cain talked with Abel after this meeting with God. The exact words weren’t deemed important enough to record. Cain’s reaction - killing his brother – is what’s important. Ultimately, Cain killed Abel because of Abel’s testimony of grace - Cain’s works were evil, while his brother’s were righteous. (1 John 3:12) There was also the sin of jealousy.

Covetousness - wanting what others have - is a typical human sin. It can spiral into envy, which can then turn into jealousy. (While they are sometimes used as synonyms, I see them as different. When one is envious, one wishes one had what others have. But, they don’t necessarily want those who do have more to suffer. Jealousy, to me, only happens when the person who doesn’t have something hates the one who does.)

That slippery slope was part of what led to the first murder. Some time passed - again, we don’t know how much. Cain allowed his anger to grow. This is why it’s so important that we never let the sun go down on our wrath. (Eph. 4:26) We, as humans, are going to be angry. But, we must never let anger cause us to sin. We must solve problems in a Godly manner. Cain’s killing of Abel may have come in a moment of passion. Or, it may have been premeditated. Whether or not he planned it out, though, he committed a horrible sin. God knew exactly what would happen if Cain didn’t turn to Him for cleansing from sin, instead of relying on his own works.

Gen. 4:7

2009-09-25T05:06:00.002-07:00

God tries to help Cain in several ways.

First, He says, "If thou doest well." In other words, He takes away any chance of CXain thinking of it as "Abel versus me." God points to the absolute right and wrong which has existed fromt he foudnation of the world. "Doing well" means to do that which is right.

When God established the proper sacrifice by shedding blood to cover sin, that became the accepted way. Since animals rely on instinct, sacrificing them was different than killing people. People have dominion over animals by virtue of being living, breathing souls. Yes, animals have some instinctive reactions that can be considered to be like feelings. But, they are not nearly as highly developed, and should never be confused with human feelings. The sacrifice is not killed because it has done something wrong. But, this just makes the analogy of Jesus as the Lam of God all the greater He never sinned. And yet, Christ died for the sins of all manking, past, present, and future.

It was right, therefore, for Cain to make a sacrifice like Abel's. It would have been very easy for him to find a sheep and start raising it, or to ask Abel for one. God doesn't expect us to do more than we can with His help. Finding an animal to sacrifice was no huge burden for Cain. Then, he'd have been accepted.

This is the next part of God's plea to Cain. If he does well, he will be accepted. God phrases it so that Cain has to realize that, yes, he will be accepted. People have looked for acceptance since the beginning of time. It's why church doors must always be open, to anyone off the street who wants to be changed within by God's amazing grace. To shut the doors to anyone is a horrible sin. God is holy, but He has also told us to go into all the world and preacht he Gospel to every creature. (Mat. 28:18) He wants everyone to come to Him. The story is told of a man who went to church to steal coats. He was convinced to come in and listen, and he was convicted of his sin. he got saved, and became a wonderful member of the church, serving in numerous areas for many years! It is not we who win souls, it's God.

However, it is never by just being there physically that God accepts us. That man would not have been accepted of God by stealing coats. He was accepted of God by coming to Him with humility, accepting he was a wretched sinner in need of the Savior. God wants Cain to realize the same thing. Yes, he begins with talk of doing well, but remember the context. Doing well, in this case, means the very same thing - recognizing his need for forgiveness, and that God Himself has provided the sacrifice. He called for Cain to come to repentence. he was not asking Cain to do a work, as salvation is never by works, always by faith.

The Hebrew words note the 'excellency" of that acceptance. This goes back to what was said about the prominence of the firstborn male in Hebrew culture. Cain was the firstborn of Adam and Eve's children. The honor of having the line of the Redeemer go through him might have been Cain's if he'd followed God's ways, though we don't know for sure.

Next, God reminds Cain what will happen if he doesn't turn to God for the remission of sin. If he doesn't follow God's way, sin "lieth at the door."

Of course, there had been sins before this - that's why sacrifices were needed. However, this notion of it "lying at the door" means some greater sin (with regard to consequences) than ones he'd committed before this.

Cain had been born with a sin nature. he inherited that from Adam. We all inherit that sin nature. The Adamic nature is what Christ must lovingly guide us away from once we are saved. When we follow that old, Adamic nature, however, we fall into our old, sinful habits. When we keep up in those habits, they become worse and worse, and we lose sight of how Jesus made us new creatures. (2 Cor. 5:17) We are still saved, but it becomes harder and harder for us to hear His Holy Spirit calling us.

That was Cain's problem. The Holy Spiri couldn't indwell people till Christ's blood was shed when He died on Calvary. That's when the veil was torn in two, and the glory of God went from the Holy of Holies in the temple, and spread over all the Earth. (Mat. 27:51) But, it was still possible for God to reach people.

However, Cain faced the very seirous danger of getting so far from God's perfect love, he could have trouble finding his way back.

God explains this with His next statement. He says that "unto thee shall be his desire." Sin, here, is personified. It's given a human attribute - desire - so God can explain the problem more clearly. That thirst for sin - separation from God's perfect love and compassion - would grow, as Cain's desire to sin grew. The possible pain and suffering caused by this sin would grow. It would spiral totally out of control

Finally, God tells Cain what should happen instead. He tells Cain that he should be the one to rule over sin, instead of sin ruling over him.

Charistians are warned of the same thing. The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) We are warned many times about the dangers of sin, and that we should put those sinful puarts away. Meanwhile, we can focus on many positive things, such as those in Philippians 4:8.

We can't do it alone, of course. We need Christ's redemption, and we need His Spirit to guide us. Cain couldn't do it on his own, either. He needed God's help, too.

The fact God's appeal to Cain doesn't work is sad. However, it is still the right model to follow. Not everything modeled in Scripture is a good example to follow. Some really bad people have lived. But, God's way is always the one to follow, becuase He is perfect goodness.

Beside, not every outreach will be successful at that moment. But, some will bear fruit years later, that would only have worked with the outreach at the time. As an example, a woman a few years back prayed for her husband to be saved for 44 years! He was saved not just by her prayer, but surely by her attitude all those years.

Gen. 4:6

2009-09-25T05:06:00.001-07:00

God's love of missions is shown here, just as it is everywhere. He wants people to worship Him, not to turn away. He is just, but that justice is mingled with grace and mercy. That is the only way any of us can be effective in winning others to Christ and having them truly born again. We must tell them both of Christ's mercy and forgiveness and of His holiness, unable to look upon sin. He is willing that none perish, but that all come to repentence. (2 Peter 3:9) But, He is also just, and Christ died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3), becuase our sin is so bad to a Holy God that He required perfect blood for the remission of sin. Christ was punished in our place, and we can only be healed by His having suffered for us. (1 Pet. 2:24)

God wants people to love Him, and to see His goodness and mercy. That's why He spoke to Cain. We noted that His slaying of the lamb near the end of Genesis 3 was likely a Theophany. He could easily have just spoken in an audible voice, but that is uncertain. He could have been a Theophany only there and here, but not later, too.

What's important is that He gives Cain a chance. He awants Cain to explain, so He can help Cain avoid sin. Christ is always waiting for us to talk to Him, and seek His help. We fail miserably all too often, because we don't see any way out, we get scared, or something else. But, his mercies endure forever, and He is always wiling to hear us.

One other thing is worthy of note about this. God wants us to be happy and joyful. This is so clear elsewhere, such as in Philippians. The words "rejoice" and "joy" show up a lot there. God wants us to find joy in Him even in our struggles. That's where we often draw closest to Him. God wanted Cain to serve Him, but also wanted him to be joyful about it. He wanted CAin to accept this as a learning experience and avoid sinning any more.

One may ask why this is different than how He approached Adam and Eve. Remember that they had just brought sin into the world. it was perfect before then. the incredible change int he world meant God had to confront the problem right away.

Here, on the other hand, Cain and Abel had merely continued what had already been going on - sins such as lying, coveting, and son on, were growing. A plan of sacrifice for those sins had been put in place, to cover them until the Redeemer came to wash them away completely.

"But wait," one might say, "aren't all sins equally bad?" We must remember that the way God sees sin, and the way He deals with the consequences of individual ones, are two different things

All sin causes us to fall short of God's perfect glory. God can't touch any sin. if He had come the first time in all His glory, this sinful world would have perished. This is why, in Isaiah 6. the prophet feels he is "undone" - literally a dead man, cut off - after seeing God, in all His splendor, in His Heavenly temple. No person can see God, and live.

However, all sin does not carry the same consequences on Earth. The Mosaic law shows this - stealing is not met with the same punishment as murder, and so on. Common practice shows this - lying about one's age doesn't carry the same weight as cheating on one's taxes. Small sins can begin a slippery slope that lead to bigger sins, as Davis learned with Bathsheeba, when he lusted after her in 2 Samuel 11. However, God wants us to confess and forsake those small sins, so they don't become bigger ones later.

So it was that God lovingly approached Cain, so he could be won back to God, before his sin grew and made things worse. God sought to help Cain out of; an attitude of going against God's perfect plan.

Gen. 4:5

2009-09-25T05:05:00.001-07:00

We know, then, it was not an accident that Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's wasn't. Abel had learned what was acceptable to God, and why. Cain was upset and disappointed that his way was not accepted.

Cain tried a different path. God is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34) He will accept anyone. And, people have lots of freedom within the rules. The important part there, however, is that it must be within the rules.

Adam and Eve had only one thing they couldn't do in the Garden of Eden. they went against that, and brought sin into the world. they were insistent on doing things their own way. That way was sin, and God is so holy that He can't come in contact with sinin any way. That's why sacrifices were needed right away to cover sin, until Christ came as the Lamb of God.

Cain didn't do that. His sacrifice was another sign of people choosing their own way, instead of following God's way. There was nothing terribly hard about doing this God's way. It was going to be by faith, anyway. So, if Cain couldn't get a lamb, he could always borrow a lamb from his brother.

Cain insisted on doing it his way, however. Thus, the Bible says that God not only had no respect unto the sacrifice, but also no respect unto Cain himself. Cain was not yet justified.

We who have received Jesus Christ's forgiveness are all justified by faith. We have Christ's perfect righteousness placed on us. God is able to look on us in a way He can't look on sin because of His holiness. That's because when He sees us, He sees the Holy Spirit living in us. It is the earnest - the promise - of our salvation. The Spirit is the proof God will one day take us home to be with Him. He can't see sinners the same way. That redemption was future for Cain and Abel, but God was still able to see Abel's faith and look favorably on Abel, because Abel - in performing the sacrifice he did - was justified by faith.

Cain was really mad about this. He wanted things his own way. Also, he may also have felt some entitlement, being the firstborn, as is human naturem. His countenance fell. He was gravely discouraged at being rejected. Just as He had done with Adam and Eve, God goes in search of His lost sheep.

Gen. 4:4

2009-09-25T05:04:00.002-07:00

At this time, the sacrifices were still needed to cover sin. This is why Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. The firstfruits of the flock isn't just the first numerically. The first, in Hebrew culture, always had the most important and prestigious spot.

This spot of greatest imoprtance and prestige is why Jesus Christ is called the "firstborn of every creature," (Col. 1;15) This verse says nothing about birth. Jesus Christ has always existed, and always will exist, becuase He is eternally God. There is just no better term in English to refer to that position in the family of utmost importance and prestige.

Similarly, Christ is referred to as the firstfruits of those that sleep - in other words, die - in 1 Cor. 15:20. This doesn't just mean He was first to rise, although He did open the gates of Heaven for those who had been in Abraham's bosom. he is the most important, the essential one, as the next verse says. Just as by one man - Adam - death entered the world, so by one man death was conquered forever!

What Abel brought, then, was called for as a picture of what would occur later, just as every other proper sacrifice would be. We see Abel doing what God had shown Adam, and what he had shown his children. This, then, is why God "had respect" toward Abel and his sacrifice; it was a "more excellent" one. (Heb. 11:4) It typified just what God would do for mankind.

It also showed that Abel was righteous, according to that same verse in Hebrews. Of course, there is none righteous; no, not one. (Rom. 3:10) But, Abel had been justified by faith - faith that God would one day bring that promised rRedeemer to redeem everyone. Salvation has always been by faith, becuase it was impossible to keep the whole law; if anyone keeps it all, yet offends in one piont, he is guilty, and therefore condemned. (James 2:10) Abel's righteousness came by his faith in what was then the future death, burial and resurection of our Lord for our sins. He just didn't know how it would happen.

Finally, Hebrews 11:4 mentions Abel's gifts. This refers to his gift of the firstfruits. God's Holy Word tells so many awesome things, that we can only scratch the surface of them.

Gen. 4:3

2009-09-25T05:04:00.001-07:00

One thing that doesn't need speculation is that Cain and Abel had brothers and sisters. (Gen. 5:4) The "process of time" mentioned here easily allows others to have been born. Of course, we aren't told how time passes here, except that it was less than 130 years; the age of Adam when Seth was born. (Gen. 5:3) While we are told later that Seth replaced Abel in the bloodline, that doesn't mean he was born right after the others.

Ruth 4:17 and 4:22 are perfect illustrations of this. Jesse begat David - but David was the youngest of a whole brood of boys. it doesn't matter that the others were older. What matters is that God doesn't look at people like we do. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh upon the heart." (1 Sam. 16:7) Who is to say that the murder of Abel didn't set sibling against sibling, with God choosing to appoint a child not yet born, who had not become part of the fighting? It is entirely possible. It's also possible they were younger, and Adam and Eve had to wait for the right one.

Getting back to the sure things of God's Word, we see that Cain brought an offering of grain. That, of course, could have been proper - but, notice that Numbers 18:12 says it shall be the firstfruits. Whether Cain brought the best is unclear.

We do know he brought an offering unto the Lord. One's offering should be the best, becuase He has give us his best; it is our reasonable service. (Rom. 12:2) Even if it was, however, it must be the right kind of an offering for a specific time, as that verse in Leviticus shows. Only blood can bring about the remission of sin.

Finally, moving away fromt he specific sacrifices made by Cain and Abel, we see that a system of sacrifices had already been put in place. We're not sure what it was. However, the important thing is that it showed the continued relationship between God and mankind. The first sacrifice - made by God Himself to make clothes for Adam and Eve - would be followed by many, many sacrifices, all of which could only cover sin. These were pictures of what Christ would do one day on the cross, when - as the Lamb of God - he was slain for the sins of all mankind. Even in the Millennial Kingdom, there will be sacrifices, but these will only be for a memorial, like the Lord's Supper is today. There is no more need for sacrifices now. The curse of sin is broken forever, thanks to Jesus Christ's death and resurrection! Hallelujah!

Gen. 4:2

2009-09-25T05:03:00.001-07:00

This verse begins by stating she "again bare Abel." I'm not sure why some believe Cain and Abel were twins, but it is certainly possible. In populating the Earth, it would be very helpful to have many multiples. On the other hand, Seth is singular. Yes, he could have been singled out for God's purpose, at first. Still, whatever tradition states that they were twins can't really be proven one way or the other.

Abel was a keeper of sheep, whichmeans tender of them. In verse 20 of this chapter, we read that one of Cain's line, Jabal, was the father - that is, the first - of those who had cattle. This seems to refer to the roving, cowboy-type who takes his cattle over vast areas, as he also was the father of those who dwell in tents. It could also refer to animal husbandry, the breeding of them for specific purposes. Either way, this is different from Abel.

Abel's interest was in caring for sheep. He'd heard of the animal slain by the Lord as the first sacrifice - one of many, which would lead to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) Abel would be able not only to clothe people, but to provide that for which one could repeat what was done for his parents.

Abel, then, didn't just "guess right." There's a reason Abel chose the sacrifice he did later. It's one which Cain ignored. We can't see into their minds to know for sure. But, we know God's Word. He says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Lev. 17:11)

Cain, on the other hand, was a farmer. As that incredible, new world, which held so much promise, turned on its axis, and went around the sun, Cain would see how wonderfully the ground produced food; even if there were thorns and thistles, too. Abel, meanwhile, could discuss the wonders of animals.

One imagines Cain and Abel's dinnertime conversations must have been fascinating, as they learned about the world. Cain, after all, tilled the ground - it doesn't say what kinds of seeds, so he must have seen so many interesting ones. Abel, on the other hand, kept sheep. But, he would have seen so many other unique things in the process. Including, perhaps, wolves killing one of the flock. It isn't known how quickly some aniamls became meat eaters, though they were originally all plant eaters. (Gen. 1:30) They may, however, have become meat eaters rather quickly.

Gen. 4:1

2009-09-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

That brave new world began here. It began with Adam and Eve having left the Garden. One would think that they'd take time to "stop and smell the roses," as they say today. After all, this enormous planet was all theirs. True, they were no longer in Paradise. But, they could look at the incredible Creation around them, the amazing animals, the beautiful sky with its protective layer to shield from harmful radiation, and many other things. And, in doing so, they could celebrate the glories of Creation, and call on the Lord. They could praise Him for their great salvation. After all, He forgave them for bringing sin into the world.

Instead, we don't see mention of people calling on the Lord till the end of this chapter. They're too busy. We see the start of farming, industry, music, and other things. We also see many not-so-nice things. Why? Because people got so busy they forgot about God. In the very next breath, it seems that the first husband and wife were already having children.

Of course, Eve - like others - thought about God. She quickly states that she had gotten a man from the Lord. This is, at least, better than the line of Cain, which refuses to accept God's ways. In this, she set the stage for one of her sons, Seth, to learn about God, and for people to call on the name of the Lord when his son is born. Also, there's no doubt that Adam and Eve taught their many children ((gen. 5:4) all about Creation and the Fall. This is how Abel knew how to sacrifice.

Still, it is so easy for any of us to become so busy - even in doign the Lord's work - that we forget to realize He is the one holding everything together. It's only through Him any of us could function. We should do far more than just say, "Okay, that one's done" at the end of what we do. We should give thanks to the Lord.

Gen. 3:24

2009-09-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

We see first that God drove out the man. Obviously, Eve was driven out, too. But, the mention of Adam shows that he was left to start his own family. He had a choice, whether or not to follow God’s path for him. This happened, of course, but on another level, it is also symbolic of how we must live our lives. We have a choice, whether to seek God and do according to His will, or to act on our own.

At the start of the chapter, people could still fellowship with God at any time, and there was no separation. Now, a very short time later, people could not automatically do that. They were separated from God by sin.

Of course, God is everywhere. Just like today, He was always working in peoples’ hearts to get them to do what was right. And, His incredible creation – along with other things mentioned as we considered this chapter – would remind mankind of what he had lost. And, of the incredible power of God to save him from his sin by simple faith.

Martin Luther once said that the story of the Resurrection is told in the rebirth of nature every spring. The seasons probably weren’t quite as noticeable there as they are in less equatorial places on Earth today. However, there was still an incredible variety of creatures. There was the incredible expanse of land and sky. Eventually, Adam and Eve came to another place that was very impressive – the sea. Even if it wasn’t an ocean, that large body of water still told them something about the incredible power of God.

This let them see how small and insignificant they were against the incredible planet they lived on. That, Creation, and even some specific creatures – such as the caterpillar which became a butterfly – would remind them, hopefully, that they should not abandon God. He hadn’t abandoned them. He had removed a blessing because of their disobedience. But, they could still multiply on the Earth. They could still see that they needed God’s guidance as they built a world.

Just as we need to see that we, too, need God’s guidance in our lives.

Gen. 3:23

2009-09-11T08:57:00.001-07:00

To protect people from themselves, God drove them out of the Garden of Eden. But, it was also a logical consequence to the fact that they hd disobeyed God. We see something interesting, then, in this verse. We learnt hat Adam was driven to the ground from whence he was taken. As noted, Adam had been placed in the Garden. He was not made there originally. At all times, the great things God provides us are a gift. Even to Adam, who had been taken from some ordinary part and placed in Eden.

Notice, however, that nothing is said about his position with God. It didn’t change when he lost the blessing of Eden. In the same way, we lose blessings and rewards if we mess up once we are saved. But, we will never lose our salvation. God only required that Adam come forth to receive forgiveness. Then, God sacrificed that lamb, and clothed Adam and Eve. He never made them go back to their own, failed fig leaves.

Gen. 3:22

2009-09-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

God gives us freedom within the rules. He loves us so much, He gives us freedom to explore the consequences, even if we do wrong sometimes. However, He also does things to protect us, though, when it’s important.

This was clearly one of those times. Whereas God – the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost conferring, hence the term “one of us” - knew good and evil, and always did good, He knew that people would sometimes choose evil. That would mean bad things for the evildoer, or for others. God wanted people to turn to Him so they would always choose good. However, there was a problem.

The way thigns stood now, Adam and Eve would slowly get older – much more slowly because of the protective layer of water which was mentioned. They would die, but by trusting God to change them on the inside, they could still live for Him without sin. In other words, they wouldn’t have those tendencies to do bad things.

However, there was still that tree of life. People had to be shielded from it, because if they weren’t, they might eat of it. Oh, the horror of a body that decays, but never dies! Oh, the horror of always having to live with sin! They would have lived forever, but without the cleansing power of God.

Of course, in John 3:16 and elsewhere, we see that those who believe on Jesus to save them have everlasting life. It’s yours now if you trust in Him! You don’t have to wait to have your sins cleansed. You are cleansed, right away. All your past, present, and future sins are forgiven.

That wasn’t the situation here, of course. God hadn’t yet come in the flesh, in the person of God the Son, Jesus Christ. People had to believe by faith that God would, in the future, redeem them, and thus save them from their sin. This is why Gen. 15:6, as we’ll see later, says Abraham believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness. His faith let Christ’s righteousness be imputed to him. Still, he had to die to receive that full blessing, because he always had that sin nature while he was alive.

That’s why the tree of life was a huge problem, now that sin was in the world. The sin nature that Adam and Eve now had would never go away, as long as they lived. If they lived forever, they could have all faith, and have their sins washed away, but they would live forever on a fallen world. They would always feel that decay that comes from sin. They would always feel be able to feel pain and suffering.

God could let them have the freedom to choose to sin in the first place. He had the remedy already available – the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, which washes away all of our sins. That problem can be solved, by our choosing to allow God to make us new on the inside. Then, He comes and lives inside us, through His Holy Spirit.

Once our bodies get old and die, if we’ve trusted in that precious Redeemer to make us new on the inside, we go to live with God in Heaven someday. We don’t have to suffer or feel pain or anything bad anymore. All is perfect in Heaven, and for His children, like it was supposed to be when God made the world.

But, here on earth, we have a sin nature. And that’s why it was vital that God get us away from that tree of life. Because, the earth had already been contaminated with sin. All the violence and depravity and selfishness of this world mean that it can never be a perfect place. It couldn’t be even if everyone god saved, though it would be a whole lot better. No, the only place that is perfect is Heaven. In fact, Revelation 21 shows that this world will perish, and a new Heaven and new Earth formed, in order to finally eliminate all the ravages of sin that have taken their toll on this one.

In order to get to that perfect, awesome Heaven – a place so incredible one can’t even imagine how awesome it will be - we need to either die or be caught up in the air with Jesus in the Rapture. Life on this world will always have sin in it. So, God removed the tree of life, for our own protection.

Gen. 3:21

2009-08-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

God next made coasts of skin, and clothed them. There are several interesting points to make concerning this.

First, despite what some commentators say, this appears to be a theophany. That is, a preincarnate (before the virgin birth) appearance of God in bodily form.

Normally, a theophany is called “the angel of the Lord.” Here, though, Moses has just spent an entire chapter discussing the Fall, and God’s reaction to it. It would not have the same power had Moses used “the angel of the Lord” before this, and it would be confusing if he were to suddenly switch to that term here.

So, was it Jesus, in preincarnate form, before? That is less certain. We know that God came down in “the cool of the day,” but He could have come down just as He looked down upon Sodom to see how great their sin was. He could have easily spoken in an audible voice from heaven when correcting Adam and Eve, just as speaks from Heaven at other times, and those to whom His words are not directed merely hear thunder, such as Paul’s Damascus Road experience.

Int his verse, He does something only possible with physical hands, barring some divine miracle. And, the beauty of the Genesis account is that it is so simple – too simple for many, as God has used the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. (1 Cor. 1:27) it is too filled with awe and wonder for the humanist, and for the pagan, has none of the really flashy and confusing things. The story of Creation is very simple – God made, man sinned, God promised a redeemer. It is much more plausible that God would simply come to Earth, in preincarnate form, and make these coasts.

. The beauty and simplicity lets us see our promised Redeemer work. Thousands of years before He took our sins away for good - through His death on the cross and resurrection - He covered the sins of the first man and woman. Their first realization of sin was nakedness. Now, the reminder of God’s blessing would be with them through clothing. It was not sinful for them, as husband and wife to see each other naked. But, the very fact they knew that concept showed that sinful, carnal nature was there.

We see, then, that God Himself covered their sin. It was the shedding of blood that caused that to happen. We don’t know if it was a lamb, but I believe it was. It carries the same symbolism as would come down through history. All the lambs slain from the beginning pointed to the ultimate sacrifice, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, died to pay the sin debt for the world. He didn’t just cover our sins, He washed them away.

This shedding of blood became known as the only proper sacrifice, a picture of how they were to give to God. The Lord would later inspire Moses to write that the life of a thing is in its blood (Lev. 17:11), and the author of Hebrews to write that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22)

But, every single one of those sacrifices, starting with this lamb could only cover. Jesus, however, took it all away, so it would be on us no more. Hallelujah!

Gen. 3:20

2009-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Adam’s world had been turned upside-down like nobody else’s could have been. And yet, he chose to consider the life that could come. Indeed, many writers believe that this name, Eve,” was a step of faith. Many say it points to Adam’s believe that this promised Redeemer would come from the womb of Eve.

Adam had named her before, of course. The name “woman” was descriptive – she was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. But, it was still a name. The description remained, but the name changed, just as it does elsewhere in Scripture. A change had been made in their relationship, of course – they would no longer have it perfect. There would be problems between them now, which they would have to overcome. However, another change had come, too. Eve was now the “mother of all living.” Whether this was stated by Adam, or a commentary by Moses, it shows a certainty that many would come forth from her. A large group, known as the human race, emerged. And, in the end, the promised Redeemer came, too, so all who came to Him could have eternal life. Because, Jesus Christ was God in flesh, born of a woman.

Gen. 3:19

2009-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

That toil and sweat of the brow from our work comes at us just as it came at Adam. This verse points to more than just the thorns and thistles of work. It points to the fact that will be so evident later on. Eternal rewards are the only ones worth earning.

Consider Adam’s situation. He learns that he will have to work much harder to get any yield from the land now. He will do this in sorrow his whole life, realizing what once was. Yes, he would be able to get the herb of the field eventually. But, even when he did, it would seem so fruitless to him at times. The toil and sweat of his brow would make labor so tiring. And, after all that labor, what would he get? A physical body that would grow old, decay, and die.

God knew this. He didn’t want Adam to be surprised. He wanted him to be forewarned. He doesn’t always tell us every consequence of wrong actions. However, He tells us the important ones in His Word. The fact that Adam would have to toil and sweat now wasn’t mentioned specifically. It was, instead, a part of that warning back in Gen. 2:17 that he would surely die. This is because that phrase, literally translated, says, “dying, you will die.” In other words, the process of death would begin right away, and that process would continue until, at long last, Adam returned to dust. This verse, then, is telling Adam just how that would happen.

Of course, some work is more joyful than others. When Paul Harvey, the great radio commentator, passed away, there was a clip of him stating something to the effect that he’d never “worked” a day in his life. It was always so much fun.

That, however, is an element of God’s grace. It shows that God, in His perfect love, has created each of us with interests that, if we hone them, will grow into lifelong work that we’ll love. We’ll love it because God has matched us to that work. Paul Harvey still worked, of course. But, he had found that one specific thing which he could do that brought him pleasure. This is not a sign of salvation per se; plenty of saved people toil in unhappy situations, and plenty of unsaved love their jobs. What it means is that God loves us, and it’s one of the ways He shows that love to us. There is always that reminder – through how we age – that our bodies are but dust. However, he provides us with grace, so we can have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

So, why didn’t God give Adam a job like He gave Paul Harvey, one where Adam could say that he “never worked a day in his life?” He might have. Adam’s attitude may have changed to where he grew to love farming. We don’t really know much about Adam’s life, unlike later Bible figures, except that he and his wife had numerous sons and daughters (Gen. 5:4), and that he died at 930 years. Perhaps he said with satisfaction, like King David, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken.” (Ps. 37:25) However, even if he was pleased with what he did, and enjoyed it a lot, he would come to realize something else very important.

That other important thing is the last part of that verse. He would return to the ground. Even if he was the greatest farmer, the greatest inventor, or whatever, it would all be for naught. Yes, Adam could receive God’s forgiveness. He would then have the certainty of that promise of a Redeemer. However, that would be for the hereafter. The only thing remembered on earth would be that he’d lived. Whatever he cultivated, all the things he had done in this life, would be treasures on earth. Ones that moth and rust can corrupt, and thieves can break forth and steal. (Matt. 6:19) He would not be taking it with him into the next life. That frail, physical body would simply return to the dust.

It is, therefore, vital that we lay up treasures in Heaven, where they can’t grow old or be stolen. (Matt. 6:20) This verse applies just as much to us as it does to Adam. We, too, have physical bodies that will return to the ground. However, we also have that promised Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He longs for us to turn to Him. He longs for us to be born again, through what He did for us on the cross, dying and rising from the dead. And, then, He longs for us to build those treasures iN heaven, so we don’t have to be empty-handed when we approach the throne of God. We can have crowns to lay at His feet. We can have wonderful, eternal blessings that go beyond this world, into eternity.

Gen. 3:18

2009-07-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

What he’d brought into the world also caused that world to develop its thorns and thistles. The next two verses not only contain God’s admonition to Adam, they also speak to the problems of working that have existed since sin entered the world.

Till the garden would have been easy. But, now it would bring forth problems, instead of simply bearing fruit. Every difficulty we encounter, no matter what our work is, can be traced back to these thorns and thistles. Every task that seems fruitless, every attempt to get something done that ultimately fails, comes because of this.

Of course, work has success, too. God promises that success will come, when He tells Adam he shall eat the herb of the field. What he is saying, though, is that that herb is going to be hard to come by, much harder than if sin were not present.

Some jobs bring more difficulties than others, of course. In some, it’s the location – a house in a poor market might not sell for man months, even with the best seller. With some, it’s the nature of the job – the best doctor can’t save every patient. Even in a field where that doctor would rarely ever see something bad, there will always be that one case that turns out to be an untreatable cancer. Thorns and thistles come up in every field.

And yet, when all is said and done, that agent can find someone to buy, if the price is low enough. The surgeon in the busiest emergency room, with the worst accidents, will be able to save some. The herb of the field will come. It will just be with a lot of effort, a lot of toil, and a lot of sweat.

Gen. 3:17

2009-07-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

God addresses Adam next. The first thing one sees here is that God states that he listened to his wife. Aside from the obvious point – which was stated earlier – that they were already married before the Fall, there are a few interesting points to this.

First, God doesn’t say that Adam listened to the devil himself. This could, as noted, be a clue that Adam wasn’t present during any of the time his wife was tempted. However, more importantly, it continues the warning mentioned earlier.

We should never listen to anyone but God. We, our leaders, our loved ones, everyone else is human and subject to the wiles of the devil. The devil will often use those who love us, and who we love, the most; he goes around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) God is warning us, as well as Adam, not to be tempted because someone we love, or respect, or anything, has this great idea. We need to make sure the idea is along the lines of what God commands. Of course, there will be gray areas that God hasn’t said specifically – but in these areas we must still be wise stewards of our time, money, and other things that God has given us.

We must also realize that God is going to call us to account for what we have done, and that leaders – such as Adam, who was the spiritual leader – are accountable for much more, because they must take the lead. Adam, then is also chastised for not being the leader in this situation, but for following the one he should have led.

Also, God notes what Adam had said earlier. In blaming his wife, he tried to take the blame off of himself, and even off of the devil. He tried to say, in essence, “Well, this is the woman You gave me. Isn’t this Your problem?” God gives a flat out “no” to that. If we don’t use the things God gave us in the right way, it is totally our fault. Similarly, since we have God’s Word, the Bible, we must never misuse it for our selfish interests. Just because God gave us a gift doesn’t give us the right to do as we please.

Next, the Lord repeats His original warning. This is to echo what was just said – just because the one God gave him said differently, doesn’t mean that he should act differently. God’s Word was that Adam should not eat of the tree, and that was that.

Next, God points out that the curse of sin had spread. Not only was man cursed. Not only was the serpent, like all creatures, cursed. The ground itself was cursed. Sin had spread to the entire world with just that one act of defiance.

The trial of Galileo wasn’t just about science; it was political, too. However, the Catholic Church’s position during this time – that there could be no imperfections – shows that these leaders had totally abandoned the Bible, and were trying to have everything their own way. The ground had been cursed. Sin had spread everywhere. Indeed, we are told that Creation itself groans in pain until now. (Rom. 8:22) Not every Protestant Church has been perfect. They have made errors themselves, because they are people. However, if a church remains founded on the Word of God, that church will be in far less danger of problems. Because, the Bible may not say, specifically, that ‘the earth revolves around the sun.” It does, however, provide everything we need to know about living and loving others in a way that will build them up, and keep them from evil.

We don’t stay totally committed to God, because of our sin nature. Adam would have that sin nature with him the rest of his life. It would bring him sorrow.

Many people enjoy the simple life; farming, as noted above, is something that brings one closer to nature, and to God. Why, then, is it different for Adam? Because he knew where he’d come from. He’d been in Eden, and one of the consequences of his sin was that he would no longer be in that perfect world. God still loved him; but, like a Christian who sins, he lost blessing and rewards. He would sorrow the rest of his life, realizing just what he’d done, and what he’d brought into the world.

Gen. 3:16

2009-07-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Notice first that the punishment is only here on earth, as with the man’s. After death, if one trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior, there is no more curse. Indeed, there is no condemnation at all to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1), but that speaks of eternal condemnation. The consequences for sin on earth must still exist. It is not just for the sins we commit that Christ had to die, but for our very sin nature, that He suffered, died, and rose victirously, having gotten the victory over death. This world has problems, but Jesus has conquered the great foe called death, and we can be conquerors of it, too, by trusting in Jesus Christ to save us. Thus, the second death has no power on Christians.

God speaks to the woman next. First, he tells her that her sorrow and conception would be greatly multiplied. This has a few different meanings.

First, since there was no pain or suffering before the fall, there would be no pain in childbirth, either. This term may refer to pregnancy in general, as well as the actual conception of a baby. This ties in with God’s promise that women would bring forth children in sorrow. Indeed, while the birth at the end is joyful, the labor pains and problems beforehand are tremendous. Oh, there might have been some discomfort from carrying a baby for nine months, but it would have just been like normal work for the man. Carrying a baby would have been as easy as caring for the garden, like Adam had been told to do in the beginning.

Add to this the problem of stillbirths and young children dying. Infant mortality rates were enormous at times, and childhood diseases claimed many lives, before modern medicine. The average life expectancy – the average age at which people died - among just the nobility in England in the mid-1300s was below 20! And they were often much better off than peasants! This doesn’t mean people only lived to that age, it means that children died so often, it totally skewed the averages. Of course, it was a little better at other times, but not out of the 20s in most places in the Middle Ages.

All this adds up to a very sobering picture. Because sin had been brought into the world, the incredible discomfort of child bearing, and the possibility that she, too, would die in childbirth, entered the world.

The possibility of death is there, too, if we take each of these statements individually. A woman’s sorrow is noteworthy, first, because of the problem of death, which entered into the world because of sin. Indeed, years later, when Cain killed Abel, Eve suffered the terrible fate of having to bury a son. It’s a fate no woman should have to face. It’s an expected part of life that parents will die before their children, after they have lived long and productive lives. Seeing one’s child sick, hurting, or dead is something no mother wants to think about.

There was another problem, too, though. Her son Cain was a murderer. Even thus became the first woman to second guess herself constantly. What had she done wrong in raising that boy? What could she have done differently? Could she have prevented it? And, how did she handle the conflict between wanting her son to get help, and yet wanting justice to be served because Abel had been killed? It is sorrow that has come upon every mother whose child is in trouble, whose child has rebelled.

Sorrow, too, over relationships was increased. Because God provided for woman to be the better nurturers (though because of sin there are vast differences at time), they also seem to care more deeply on the outside. Since your author is legally blind and has trouble reading people anyway, though, it’s hard to say how much of that is true, and how much is that men just don't' let it show, except in more hidden cues. I leave it up to those who have made great study of this part to go into this more.

Her conception was also multiplied. Even would have many children – some speculate they already had a lot by the time Cain killed Abel. But, others would also have more, because the danger of children dying so young meant more needed to be born. Of course, that tradition had continued in some areas even with modern medicine.

Whether this meant that her pregnancy was meant to only last a short time is not cler, but hat is doubtful. God could make baby humans more completely in a faster time in the womb if He chose. However, as noted above, Adam’s job was the care for the garden, anyway. Therefore, it is quite likely that this would have simply been a nine month job that, again, would have been much less work.

Next, God says that the woman’s desires shall be to thy husband. As with the above, and many verses in the Bible, this has several aspects.

First, her desires would be to please him. Simply wanting to please people, and nto God, is a problem that we all have. This is made worse when the devil – the father of lies (John 8:44) – distorts the command to honor those in authority and makes people think that people are to be placed above God. In fact, God’s Word says the opposite – we ought to obey God, rather than man. (Acts 5:29) We should obey authority in all areas that do not conflict with God’s rules. However, When God’s rules say something different from what people say, God is the one to be followed.

Great examples of this are found in the Book of Daniel. Shadrach, Mechach, and Abed-Nego, and then Daniel himself, show perfect what God expects. We should never bow down to idols. We should always pray. It’s okay for authority to say that prayer out loud at a certain place is disruptive, such as in the middle of a court session. But, nobody had the right to forbid Daniel from praying privately to God.

Because we want to please others, however, get caught in the trap of forgetting about God. This casues us to commit other sins at times, too. Most lies, for instance come out of a desire to please someone else in some way.

Those desires toward her husband also cause Eve – and all since – to have more sensual desires, too. This means men and women can be drawn away by their own desires. However, this isn’t the final point of this verse.

Not only were the woman’s desires to please the man, but this verse is often read to mean that her desires would be supplanted by his desires. This means that she would feel things she never should have had to feel.

Look back at where we talked about the problems that knowing good and eveil would cause. One of those problems was that selfish communication and desires would take the place of selfless communication. In other words, because Adam and Eve ate of the tree, they suddenly knew how to be selfish, and not care about others.

So, instead of always being the man’s soulmate, a woman now must be careful that she marry the right person. Because, if she takes someone who is not that perfect match, she might wind up in a much worse distuation. It could be with a husband who is cold and uncaring, or who has no time for the family, or something else bad. Instead of the man being the spiritual leader, the man may lead the woman down the wrong path, and the woman will be along for a very bumby ride.

This is nto to say, of course, that such a woman can’t make it trying to follow God as the spiritual leader with a husband who is absent. The Shumannite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-37 is a perfect example. But, she has two huge advantages that most woman don’t. First, her husband isn’t fighting her over her suggestion to build a prophet’s chamber and serve the man of God, Elisha. Rather, her husband is apathetic. We don’t know why, but we do know wha the Bible says. God, in 2 Kings 4:8, calls her a great woman. She had the determination that not a lot of women have.

As we close the discussion on this verse, it should be noted that the Shumannite women never boasts. She also never complains about her husband’s mental absence. Instead, she gives all the credit and glory to God, and all her focus is on Him. This is where it should be for men and women. However, God wants us to have an easier life. He didn’t want the Shumannite woman to have to work that hard to serve Him. He wanted the husband to do it because he was to be the spiritual head. The wife was supposed to have it easier. Many things were made harder, however, because of Eve’s choice.

And, harsh consequences were handed down to Adam, as well.

2009-07-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Some have taken the enmity in verse 15 to mean that people would be afraid of snakes – especially women. While there may be some truth to that, not all despise such creatures. Not only that, but using only this meaning robs this verse of its richness. This is the first verse with a promise from God, who can’t lie.

In speaking to the devil, God singles out the one responsible for the serpent seducing Eve. God will always get at the root of a problem. Far to often in human circles, we treat secondary causes. This isn’t just because of laziness – sometimes we don't' always understand full that there are underlying causes.

However, whether sins of omission or commission, ignoring the root cause of something is sin. The root cause of a problem is not always as black and white as humans want it to be. This is why we must always be led by the Lord, and filled with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 5:18) The Greek word “filled” here is a word which means “controlled.”

Let’s use a thief as an example. If that thief steals because he has never found Christ, he needs to find Chirst so he can stop stealing and trust in the Lord for all his needs. A person who is on that path must be gotten off of it before they begin a life of crime. But, first, that person must be shown why stealing is wrong. They may need to be shown an entirely different way of living, based on god’s Word. Just saying “don't' steal” does no good. Yes, the Israelites were told this as one of the Ten Commandments, but remember that they had seen God’s power and might. They were His chosen people. They had the society that some people don’t have. Certainly, thieves must be punished, but God’s number one purpose is to see souls saved. And, that thief may not be able to stop stealing until he is told an alternative.

Remember, Adam was given an alternative to eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, after all. He was told he could eat of every other tree. We must trust God, through the Holy Spirit, to direct us in how to approach every situation. We must realize that, as humans, we can’t do it ourselves. We don’t have perfect knowledge. We must get at the root of the problem to help a person to get rid of that sin. That’s why programs such as Reformer’s Unanimous are so important, and so successful. They help people get at the root cause of their problems.

Getting back to the verse, notice that the promise is made to put this enmity between the devil’s seed and the woman’s seed. Why isn’t this promise given to the man? Because Jesus Christ would not come from a man. The first Adam brought sin into the world. It is through the man that we all inherit that sin nature.

What, then, is the devil’s seed? It is all who follow after him. Our Lord Jesus Christ, when he was in His earthly ministry, announced that very plainly when he said the Pharisees were of their father, the devil. (John 8:44) The devil is the father of lies, a murderer from the beginning, and the begetter of all things evil. His seed are all those who follow the world’s ways, ways that are the complete opposite of Christ’s.

It’s so wonderful, then, that this promise is given! Because, we all fall short of God’s perfect glory. All of us have followed that evil way at one time, because of our fleshly nature. It is only through Christ’s redemptive work that any of us can be changed on the inside, and come to know Him as our Savior. We go from being the sons of darkness to being the sons of light!

See, too, that this promise is unbreakable. God says this will happen, and when God says it, that settles it Some people have missed the promise here, perhaps because God doesn’t tell the woman this directly. But, who He tells doesn’t make it any less of a promise. God’s Word will always prevail. And, the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, would and has bruise the head of the devil.

Why the head? Because it’s the most important part of the body. The Lord dealt a death blow to death itself when He rose from the dead victoriously! Now, people don’t have to fear death. Some do, because they don’t realize that by simple faith they can go from darkness to light. By simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His finished work on the cross, each person can become a wonderful new creation, and then grow closer to Christ’s perfect love and goodness till it’s time for the Lord to take them home.This fact was foretold right here in the Garden of Eden. It was made before God even passed judgment on Adam and Eve for their sin. Because, he wants to show mercy.

But, notice that the devil’s seed would bruise the heel of the woman’s seed. A bruise to a heel is not lasting. It causes pain and discomfort, but it heels quickly. So, too, Jesus was in the tomb for three days, then rose from the dead. Certainly, snakes nip at peoples’ heels, but not all snakes do this. Those commentators who think this is just about snakes never considered the mighty boa constrictor, which squeezes the life out of its prey. They never considered how some snakes can get up off the ground a little bit. This is clearly a reference to the devil, and how he would interact with Jesus.

But, there is one other thing it refers to. Remember, John 1:12 promises anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior has the power to become the Sons of God. They go from being the seed of the devil, to being kinfolk to Christ. The saved are no longer of the devil. And yet, he continues to nip at our heels, constantly trying to bring us down. The aches and pains caused by life are awful at times. Thankfully, to the saved person, all it is is like a bruise to the heel. Painful fro a time, but then, heeled and all better. Because theahces, pains,a nd injuries of this life are not worthy to be compared with that which is to come! (Rom. 8:18) There is constant enmity between the devil and those who have received Christ. But, one day, in heaven, that will all be over.

Gen. 3:14

2009-07-07T11:49:00.001-07:00

Unlike Adam and Eve, the serpent isn’t given a chance to explain. The devil had already rebelled, and been cast down. Angels were created individually, whereas we reproduce. When Jesus Christ came in flesh – 100% man, and 100% God – His death allowed all of Adam’s race to be reconciled to God, because He was human. However, angels are not part of a race, per se, like the human race. Each is separate. So, the fallen angels can’t be reconciled to God in the same way. Each would have to be reconciled to God individually. They are spiritual beings, not fleshly.

We discussed under Genesis 3:1 that the serpent was likely occupied by the devil at this point, instead of the devil being in the form of a serpent. The question then becomes, why is the serpent punished? My theory is that parts of this verse are for the devil which used the serpent, but that the serpent’s willingness to be used in this manner caused it, also, to be cursed. The serpent will indeed always eat dust, even in the Millennial Kingdom, when the devil is banished. (Isa. 65:25) The serpent is a loathsome creature, which has little redeeming value. Cattle, at least, are used for meat, milk, and as beasts of burden like the llama. It is possible that this particular type of serpent was upright, if it didn’t actually have feet.

The main thrust is against the devil, though, in the next verse. As we will see, to not consider the devil's part in the next verse is to rob God's Word of its richness.

Gen. 3:13

2009-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

This problem with communication is not just a male problem, though. God gives Eve the same chance – He lets her have the chance to accept blame. However, she refuses, too. She simply says that the serpent had done it.

Whether we blame the devil or not, however, we are still the ones who ultimately choose to sin. God understands our weakness, of course. He will always provide a means of escape, so we can bear the temptation. (1 Cor. 10:13) Sometimes that way is to flee quickly. Sometimes it is to recall Scripture – which means it requires preparation. Sometimes it is the peace that passes understanding (Php. 4:7), so we can get through tough times without giving up hope. Whatever way it is, however, we must rely on the Lord for it. Eve tried to do it all on her own, without the Lord’s help.

Gen. 3:12

2009-07-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

The woman…gave me of the tree: In this verse, we see all that is wrong with communication, relationships, and so forth; problems that have existed since sin entered into the world. Consider the following problems, and how to solve them..

First, love, without God as the centerpiece, is fleeting. His wife was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, just a few short hours to a couple days earlier. To use a modern term, Adam was quick to “throw her under the bus,” when in fact he had just gotten done saying how she completed him perfectly. Adam, in blaming Eve, chose to forget his undying love for Eve in that moment, simply because it was convenient. The terrible evil of convenience causes so many other lusts today, as there is so much opportunity for sin. However, it has always been a problem. People choose the easy way out rather than sitting down and talking with each other.

The sat part is that this was doable. Adam and Eve had hidden together. And yet, it appears that they took no thought to consider just what had been done. They focused entirely on themselves, instead of on confessing their sins and forsaking them.

What should people do, instead of playing the blame game? Not only admitting their faults, but forsaking them. There are times when one side is totally innocent. The builty party must accept that when it happens. Such was not the case here. When both have messed up, they must be willing to confess to each other, and not put the self above the relationship. Remember the New Testament command to always esteem others better than yourself. (Philippiand 2:3) This is a command, it is necessary for parents, spouses, children, friends, employees and employers, everyone.

How does one do this? By putting on Christ; by making sure that we recognize that we are not perfect, and never can be. By always being ready to realize we can improve, we will recognize better those times when we must. It is up to each of us to take the lead in being humble. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Pet 5:5)

Speaking of that necessary leadership, Adam’s actions and words show an incredible lack of it. First, he displayed a lack of leadership in allowing himself to be tempted. But, then he showed further lack of it when he refused to admit he was wrong.

As noted, the family was set up so God could bring order out of chaos. It is, of course, possible for someone else to take the lead when the man is absent physically, mentally, or both. The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 is a prefect example. However, that leader must display the same humility that the man is supposed to display as the head of the home. Humility includes doing what’s right and quickly accepting responsibility for what is wrong, and working to make it right.

That lack of leadership shows today, too. It shows in the character of everyone who refuses to lead by example. It shows in the character of all who shirk responsibility to follow the ways of sin. And, it has been a problem since sin entered the world.

The way to correct it is to stand firm on Godly principles. This doesn’t mean to be legalist. This means to show meekness, goodness, gentleness, and all the other fruits of the Spirit. It means, first, that one must have a relationship with Jesus Christ, so he can be the true leader. Then, the person will have a firm foundation on which to build a life, a family, and everything else. A place must be found for compromise and acceptance of others if it doesn’t go against Godly principals. But, that is part of being humble, and recognizing that not everyone is the same as the leader. We all have different needs. We all have different interests and concerns.

Our number one concern should be advancing the cause of Christ, though. It’s sad that working together for a cause – even an evil cause – can bring people together. Pilate and Herod, who had hated each other, suddenly became friends after going through the trial of Jesus, in fact. (Luke 23:12) However, when confronted with one’s own faults, many people too often blame only others, without looking at their own shortcomings.

They not only blame others, they blame God at times, too. Adam specifically says this is the woman that He had given him. As if there isn’t enough blame to go around, he figures on multiplying it.

That’s the problem with blame. It multiplies so easily, which leads to more bad feelings, which leads to more blame, and so on. On the other hand, when a problem is corrected right away, with a person accepting his or her role in things and apologizing when needed, suddenly the blaming stops. There’s no place for the fire to spread when good communication has snuffed out the flame.

Gen. 3:11

2009-07-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

Who told thee that thou wast naked?: God’s question here reminds us that, no matter how far we go from God, that built-in conscience will be there. Adam tried to play the blame game, but he had to admit to himself, anyway, that nobody had told him this. Nobody had to. It was a direct result of Adam’s disobedience that he knew this fact.

God continues to work in the consciences of lost people today, pleading with them to come to know Him before it’s eternally too late. Most eveil people still have some kind of code,w hen they sit down and think about it. However, it is their own, made up code, just as Adam tried to cover his nakedness on his own.

Hast thou eaten…?: God gives us a chance. He desires mercy, and not sacrifice, and it is His own desire to show mercy, too. It is His will that none perish, but that all come to repentance. This doesn’t mean that He’ll accept sin – sin is awful. But, a repentant heart is far preferable to one that is not.

Even if God takes the life of one who sins, as a direct consequence, that person’s soul might be spared. After all, nothing can separate us from His love. Not death, not life, not angels, principalities, or powers, not things present or things to come, not life, death, or any other creature. (Romans 8:38-39) We are creatures. We can’t even separate ourselves from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. This is one of the most powerful versus to show the eternal security of the Christian. It’s not a license to sin. It’s a license to be free from condemnation, as there is absolutely no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1) Again, it’s that perfect love which casts out fear.

Here, God is giving Adam a chance to confess. What would have happened had he done so? Adam had already brought death into the world, and death by sin. The process of dying physically had also begun. Most likely, a prayer similar to David’s excellent prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 would have brought about the same response that God gave David. It would have been the same judgment, but God’s tone might have been kinder, and perhaps those torns and thistles wouldn’t have been as tough. It’s hard to say. Because, God knew that Adam would choose to play the blame game, as we see when we look at the following verse.

Gen. 3:10

2009-07-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

As noted, Adam was afraid because God’s perfect love – which casts out fear – had departed Adam. This does not mean God stopped loving him. It means that the perfect love was not present in Adam’s heart.

Perfect love is only able to cast out fear because of the relationship involved. When a child goes to a parent during a thunderstorm, they can feel comforted because of the relationship. At times, someone else can try to suffice. A monstrous thunderstorm several years back so terrified a camper at our church camp that her counselor had to take that girl in her arms and rock her to sleep. The child eventually got to sleep, but what might have been a couple minutes in the arms of her parents took longer because – while she sensed the love and care that young lady had – it wasn’t the same as the kind of love her parents had for her.

Adam, too, had Eve, but what comfort was that? That perfect love, that peace that passes understanding, that relation with the God of all comfort, had been damaged. Something had come between Adam and the Creator. Something called sin, which God can’t come in contact with, as God is perfect goodness. If He had come in His full glory, Adam would have been destroyed. This is why, even in His earthly ministry – and those times He appeared as the Angel of the Lord, as a Theophany, in the Old Testament - Jesus Christ, who was, is, and always will be God, had to come veiled in flesh. At His Second Coming, aas Revelation 19 shows, all evil will just melt away.

God wanted to restore that relationship, but Adam had a problem. He knew now that he was naked. The fact that he knew this now showed two things.

First, he was no longer innocent. This has been sovered in depth in the discussion of the last parts of Genesis 2, especially Gen. 2:25. However, it’s interesting that Adam says this without any statement from God about it. God never tells Adam he is naked. Adam not only knows this now, but he turns to his own methods to cover himself. Instead of what God will provide later, he made a leaf to cover himself.

Second, all of this was exposed before a Holy God. He had no need to fear before this, because he had that perfect relationship. Now, he realized he was totally undone. As David said, the Lord knows our thoughts afar off. He knows all about us, and is just waiting for us to recognize our need for Him.

Of course, Adam was still close enough to his innocent state that he realized he was a sinner, in need of God’s saving grace. Later, people willrebel with no concern for what God thinks. Now, however, Adam’s mind is still young, and full of life.

The situation, then, is not unlike a child who has been caught doing something wrong. They must be treated with love, mercy, and forgiveness, as well as with justice that is appropriate for their age. If the parent is too harsh, or doesn’t show love, or does something els ehta twill led that child to be discouraged (Eph. 6:4), there will be very negative consequences. That child may not know they are loved, for instance. Of course, it’s also true that if the parent ignores sin completely, they learn to get away with more. In the same way, God had to correct this. However, He also showed mercy.

Gen. 3:9

2009-06-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Where art thou? These were God’s first words, to the first sinners. What lovely words they are. They are true for any of us.

He is always calling out for us. He knows where we are, but He wants us to come out from hiding. He wants us to come to Him, to receive His grace and mercy.

Now, of course Adam and Eve suffered loss. They lost incredible privileges, including the ability to fellowship with God personally. This is a rigvht that was only restored for all mankind when the veil was torn in two, at Christ’s death. Now, people must only repent and receive His forgiveness for their sins. They must believe that Jesus Christ – God in flesh – took the punishment for their sins. He died in our place, on the cross, and then He rose from the dead.

This was God’s plan from the foundation of the world. He was not caught by surprise. He knew exactly what Adam and Eve would do. He gave them freedom, however, so they would nto be forced to come to Him. It’s a personal choice for anyone to be reconciled to God, and forgiven for their sin.

Notice, too that He called unto Adam. He didn’t wait for Adam to come to his senses. God immediately came down, knowing His children had sinned. He called out, just as he has been crying out to people ever since. It is not the harsh, angry cry of the tyrant. It is a cry filled with emotion, sensing the doomed state of the one that does not return to Him. It is the pitying cry of a loving, Heavenly Father, who knows that His children are hurting, and is pleading with them to come to Him and be healed.

So it is that God, in His infinite, unchanging love, came down. He called out, just as He would come down and call to others to receive Him in His earthly ministry. And, just as He calls out to everyone today. He cries out to them, to come to Him int heir lost condition. He longs to put His loving arms around them. He longs for them to come out of hiding, so He can restore them. Yes, He must chasten sometimes, but only be removing blessings and rewards from the saved. And, only because in doing so, He is helping us to be more loving, more compassionate, more of all that He is. Because, he is a God of mercy. His justice is forever mingled with his grace.

It began right here. When God called out to Adam, knowing what Adam and Eve had done, and yet wanting to restore that relationship as best He could, while still punishing sin. Every action has consequences, but He never intended for one of those consequences to be the dooming of mankind. He has always wanted to restore, so much so that He would ultimately come down Himself. He would come Himself, after many, many lambs were slain as pictures of what He would do. He came down Himself, as the ultimate Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Ge. 3:8

2009-06-24T06:29:00.001-07:00

Adam and Eve finally heard the voice of the Lord. David was the same way when Nathan finally confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba, and all the other sin that came from it. If he had only turned away. Indeed, if he had only confessed to Urriah. Had he merely repented, “Urriah, I’m sorry, I sinned against your wife and you; I have sinned against my Lord,” would Urriah not have forgiven him? King David would have had to live with what he’d done. Urriah and Bathsheba probably would have raised their son with David never seeing or knowing about him, for God would certainly not have sanctioned the stoning of the King. It would have been as when Joseph, being a just man, didn’t want to make Mary a public example, and considered putting her away privately, before learning she was pregnant of the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 1:20) But, King David still would have been saved many troubles. It would have been a beautiful picture of God’s mercy. The Law was put in place so we might see God’s grace and mercy once we come to Him in repentance and receive it. But he didn’t, and he suffered horribly. His family became all messed up because of it.

In the same way, Adam and Eve sinned. In the heat of passion, they had acted, and now, in the cool of the day, they heard the voice of the Lord. They realized that they, too, had fallen short of His perfect glory. They had no idea of the total cost, either. But, they felt they had to hide, too! Many sins are made worse by not coming out and confessing right away. The Law sounds harsh, but only because we fall so short of it. There is none righteous; no, not one. (Rom. 3:10)

Notice, however, that in His love, the Lord God still came down and was walking in the Garden. It would have been so easy for God to forget them. He could have zapped them right there. He could have made everything new, with the next people being robots that had to worship Him. But, He didn’t.

He wants people to worship Him because they want to. He wants to show them that love and compassion that is such a part of Him. This is why He was in the garden, so he could reach out to them. When he reaches down, people have three choices.

1. The proper choice is to receive Him. He stands at the door of each heart and knocks. (Rev. 3:20) He wants to be invited in to each person’s life. He wants people to come to Him just as they are. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) We have all come short of God’s perfect love and glory. We simply need to accept that, and let Him cleanse us. We must let Him make us new. (2 Cor. 5:17) We need to do that at first to be forgiven, so we can escape God’s judgment and go to Heaven. But, then we must do it once we’re saved to restore the fellowship. Saved people will always be saved, and part of the family of God. But, He can’t touch sin. So, He comes down to the saved, also, and guides them in the path He has that is best for them. And, to lovingly guide them back if they stray.

2. Too many people try to reach up to God. That’s what religion is. God doesn’t want religion. He wants a relationship. But, when He walks in the Garden of our lives, to either save or to restore the relationship, too often we try on our own merits to please Him. He desires mercy, though, and not sacrifice. (Ho 6:6, Mat. 9:13) He doesn’t want people to come in their own righteousness. He wants people to admit they are sinners and unable to do anything on their own to restore that relationship with God. It’s all by His grace.

3. Other people try to do what Adam and Eve did. They hide. Some feel they have done something so horrible that they can’t be forgiven. However, that is impossible. If your conscience is bothered, then you are capable of being forgiven, if you just come to Christ. He is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance. (1 Pet. 3:9) However, some don’t want to accept guilt for they they’ve done. This is what Adam and Eve were like. They were afraid of God’s judgment, because that perfect love that they had felt was gone. But, they tried to get around it, instead of coming right to God, confessing, and forsaking. They would have still suffered consequences, but it would have been much better than the fear they felt when they hid.

Mankind can never get high enough to reach God. He must come down for us. When He comes down, and urges us to come to Him, we must never hide, or try to work our way to Him. We must simply come, just as we are, with nothing of ourselves. We must admit that we can only cling to that old, rugged cross.

Gen. 3:7

2009-06-23T18:37:00.001-07:00

The eyes of them both were opened: The sad tale of the Fall was complete. They now knew what sin was. Their eyes were open, and they learned that God’s Word was true. And, they found out that it was a lot better back in the state of Grace they were in. The best place for anyone to be is in the center of God’s will.

The first man and woman had fallen from God’s grace. Now, instead of always being able to fellowship with God, they were totally cut off from Him. They had died spiritually. That part of them that could interact with God easily was gone.

What would they do? The two were alone, in a world that suddenly seemed so strange to them. Everything must have seemed different, because they noticed something that hadn’t been a problem before. It was something that couldn’t’ cross their minds, in their innocent state. As noted, they had no lustful thoughts, no reason to hide themselves. Suddenly, they felt the sensation they’d never felt. They knew they were naked. And, they needed to hide.

We don’t know exactly how they realized this. They had to have studied their physical appearances, though. At the very least, they had looked at each other – hence the reason I think they would have eaten the fruit together. So, what does this mean, that they knew they were naked? What changed about their image of themselves?

One, I believe, was a sensual change. They had been tempted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That this was with the forbidden fruit. They hadn’t felt these urges with their own bodies, though. Suddenly, they had sensations they’d never felt. They looked at each other, and they desired each other physically in a way they hadn’t before. They felt their own bodies in a new way. They felt pride in them, instead of siply glorifying God for making them Adam and Eve probably each felt they were something special. Adam, for instance, may have felt the need to show off his muscles, or Eve to demonstrate some other ability.

More importantly, there was a spiritual change. They suddenly felt vulnerable, partly because of the sensual change, but mostly because of something else. Their connection with God had been lost. They were alone, in a plce where they didn’t know what God would do or how He would react. They’d always known God personally. They’d felt His perfect love, perfect love which casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) That fear also made them feel very vulnerable.

They tried to fix this by sewing fig leaves together. They realized there was an outer part that needed fixed. For the moment, it worked, because it was only them. They weren’t worrying about God approaching. They didn’t hide immediately.

In the same way, when people sin, if they don’t have the knowledge that God will see them, they become bolder.

Sometimes, this is because they are saved, and have totally chosen to ignore that part of them that has communion with God. If that’s the case, God will try harder and harder to get their attention. A person who is fleeing from God, like Jonah, may need to suffer a catastrophe before they realize they need to listen.

More often, though, it is because the person has never been saved. They don’t realize that there will come a day when they must face the eternal consequences of their actions. They need to call on the Savior to rescue them, and take the punishment for their sins. However, they refuse to do so, until that time when they meet God face to face. Just as Adam and Eve would face in the next verse.

This is why it is vital that we receive Christ as Savior, and tell others about Him, quickly. We never know when we will breathe our last, and we must make the most of our chances. And, we never know when Christ will return.

Gen. 3:6

2009-06-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Many have considered the types of temptation in this verse. They are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as noted in 1 John 2:16. They are the same things Jesus was tempted with when He resisted. They are of the world, and not of God. They are tools the devil uses to try to get at people.

The sad thing is, all of these things were already present. So many things were good for food – in this Paradise, everything tasted so incredible. God had made it perfect. Fruit from any other tree would have been just as good.

All of these have bothered people since time began. This lust of the flesh is that fleshly nature that we keep, even after we’re saved. As long as we live, we must keep the flesh under control.

However, those who try to live ascetic lives totally miss the point. Life is supposed to be enjoyed. Most things are not evil in themselves; it is the way people use them. The wonderful, warm relationship that exists between a husband and wife, in the marital bedroom, is a thing of beauty that was created to be shared by that couple. This shared intimacy is something which is cheapened when spread around to others. God didn’t make it for that purpose.

Food is another one. Eating food is lots of fun. But, eating it till a normal sized person weighs 500 pounds is unhealthy. Some people need special diets, so only certain foods are right for them. God built all of us in a slightly different way. He wants us to have self control, but we can have lots of fun with in those rules.

The same applies to the sight. The sights were incredible. The landscapes, the setting, were beyond imagination. Adam and Eve had just been created, they had so much to explore. And yet, they chose to look at one fruit because it was pleasing to the eye.

The eye, of course, is the gateway to the heart. Jeremiah, for instance, wrote that his eye – what he’d seen in the destruction of Jerusalem – affected his heart. (Lam. 3:51). David learned with Bathsheba that when we don't' take our eyes off of something quickly, it can start a terrible, downward spiral. He should have turned away and thought of God’s love and grace. He should have done anything but use his power to pressure that lady into sleeping with him.

However, there are so many great things to see. The eye, when it looks on something good, is a wonderful thing to have. Even having limited vision, I still enjoy many things. A person can enjoy the body of their spouse – Urriah could have gazed at Bathsheba’s beauty perfectly well, just as she could gaze at his. It was when that visual image was put out in the open for all to see that problems began.

And, what of wisdom? This was certainly of the devil, because they had access to God through a personal relationship. Why take a fruit to make oneself wise, when God Himself was there to show His love, goodness, and wisdom?

This is just what people have always done, though. That pride of life has led many people to run roughshod over others. They speak, think, or act without regard for others, because they are so enamored with themselves, and their own way of thinking. This is how children are led astry by their parents – fathers are warned never to lead children to wrath, lest they be discouraged. (Eph. 6:4) It’s the way rulers attempt to conquer the world. And, everything in between.

But yet, life is vital. In addition, enjoyment of life is vital. Jesus came so we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) The ways one can experience the joy of living, in a way that is pleasing to God, are very numerous. We have great freedom within the rules. The only thing is, we must remember that God gave us all this ability. As Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13) From the most incredible survival stories, to the person who just uses the senses God gave them, everything is by His grace. Even if another person taught someone something, God put them int hat place to teach it. It was just a matter of people listening.

Modern people, just like those all the way back to the beginning, use only those first five words. Whether they mean they to be that they are allowed to do all thing, or that all things are possible, they wish to emphasize the human.

Emphasis should instead be on the divine, just like Eve should have focused on what could be done. Yes, there are many, many other things which can be done, even if one can’t eat the forbidden fruit. Yes, we can overcome any obstacle, including that of extreme temptation, if we just trust in Christ to guide us. Just like she should have done.

This is why this is so sad. They had everything. And yet, Eve took the fruit and ate. Of her own free will, she chose to listen to her own desires, instead of the perfect love of God. But, she also chose not to listen to the perfect leadership of her husband, as to that point he and she had enjoyed a perfect relationship.

Of course, after she ate, so did Adam. But, where was he while all this happened?

We’ve already said that he was probably not present at first; the serpent only spoke to Eve then. A few different ideas have been proposed.

One is that Eve ate, and then went to Adam, and told him the same things the devil had told her. And, that he proceeded to eat. This is possible, but I doubt it. First, one would think that he would have noticed something different about Eve. Remember, they both hid, because they were naked. If Eve recognized that she had to hide from God, wouldn’t she also realize there was a difference between her and Adam? One counter to that, of course, is that we are not always told things in a clear timeline in Biblical narratives. But, it just seems awkward to place these things in a timeline.

Another, which I’ve heard a few times, is that Adam noticed after Eve disobeyed God. And, that he erred in putting her ahead of God, and ate of the fruit, also. In other words, rather than see her destroyed, he sinned by disobeying God. This would give our Lord great reason to warn that one shouldn’t love their spouse more than they love God. However, I don’t think this is possible. Adam blames God in verse 12, and blames the woman. He showed no signs of care or concern for her. In fact, he doesn’t even admit what he did was wrong. To use a modern expression, he “threw her under the bus.” That is not the tone of a person who has just acted so chivalrously.

I believe the answer which most fits with later Bible verses, as well as this timeline, is that Adam was either present for the last part of the dialogue, or arrived just after the devil snuck away. And, that Eve and Adam then ate at the same time.

Consider this, for instance, A person is in a minor car accident. They are telling you about it. They say, “I got in an accident, and broke my ankle; I was in a cast for weeks. And, on top of that, I had to be pay over $1000 in repairs!” Did they have to pay all that in repairs only after their cast came off? No, they are just finishing one part of the story, and then going back and telling something else that happened.

Now, as to why this seems to be most likely, consider the following:

1. The Bible says that the woman, not the man, was deceived. (1 Ti 2:14) Adam, if not for his wife, might or might not have eaten, too. But, she was the one who was tempted first. And, given the context – teaching men in church - it was likely her input that led Adam to eat.

2. Adam is still the one who sinned. It was by him that sin entered into the world, and death by sin. (Romans 5:12) It’s true that, as the leader of the home, Adam was ultimately responsible. However, it’s also true that we each must bear our own sin, unless we trust in the Redeemer to take that sin away.

3. As noted above, Adam was the spiritual head. He should have stopped Eve before she consumed the forbidden fruit.

To those who feel that Eve ate, and then went to Adam, it can be argued that Paul, in his letter to Timothy, is implying that the man knew just what he was doing. However, as noted, it seems that he would have noticed something was wrong. As with all speculation like this, it’s not vital to doctrine. Therefore, it’s important to let it teach, and that we simply do as Paul urged the ladies in the Philippian church, and “be of one mind in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:3)

Gen. 3:5

2009-06-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Pride is Original Sin. The devil’s attempt to play on Eve’s pride is very strong here. He wanted to lift himself up to be as God, and failed. (Is. 14:14). Now, he gets Eve to consider the same possibility. But, that is an incredible error.

There is only one God, and He was never formed. He has always been. He exists in that dimension beyond our physical dimensions, just as time is beyond our physical sight; though we are in it, we can’t actually ‘see” time. There will never be another God. (Is. 43:10) The devil sought to be as God because of his incredible pride and arrogance.

So, why did people consider sex to be Original Sin years ago? In their false human pride, they tried to make their own rules. Some of them meant well, and just didn’t read their Bible well. However, many of them only sought to suppress. They may have driven people away from God as a result, because they showed an unloving nature. God is just, but we can’t forget that He is also merciful. He wants a person’s heart to be humble, and willing to learn from His Word. And, His Word clearly states that the original sin was to puff oneself up and attempt to be as God.

People have done this since the dawn of time, as we see here. The devil wanted to destroy God’s plan, and be their master. He knew Adam and Eve were untested creatures. They couldn’t be told, straight out, to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They had to be persuaded. Those reasons were lies. The devil told them that once they ate, their eyes would be open, and they would be gods. But, there is only one God> He simply manifests – shows - Himself in three persons; the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Of course, the fact their eyes would be open implies something else, too. It implies that God was hiding something good from them. But, He wasn’t. Knowing good and evil is an awful thing – but they didn’t know that.

Just think, if we didn’t know what evil was, it would mean there was no crime. We’d never have to suffer. There would be no mean people, no hurtful words, and no people taking advantage of others. The introduction of sin into the world was an awful thing. God had told them flat out, too, that this was the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” God doesn’t mince words. He didn’t just say, “Don’t eat of that tree.” Now, just as then, His Word says exactly what will happen, with a name here that drove home the message. If they ate of it, they would die – they would lose that relationship with God.

The devil usually doesn’t start by telling someone, flat out, to sin. He may be able to once we have a sinful habit. But, at first, the devil tricks us, as he does here. He takes one thing that is true – that they would know good and evil – and twists it. Sin can feel good for a time, unless we keep ourselves under control. We lose that control when we choose to follow our own lusts, instead of trust in God. That is true whether we are talking about Eve – and, later, Adam – in this chapter, or whether we are talking about making rules that are way too strict, and twisting God’s Word to make something else out to be Original Sin, instead of the selfish kind of pride that is. It’s no wonder that Paul says, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 6:14)

Gen. 3:4

2009-06-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

Whether it was Eve relying on her own strength, or Adam’s suggestion that a boundary be put up that was stricter than God’s Word, what mattered is this. A seed of doubt was planted. The devil took advantage of that, by denying outright what God had said.

The devil has always tried to be like God. When he couldn’t be, he chose to wreck God’s plan. He was successful here. His hatred for God’s perfect love, goodness, and so on knows no bounds. The verses mentioned in Isaiah and Ezekiel show a fallen angel who is very puffed up with pride. Because he was so puffed up, he felt he would try to play on Eve’s pride. It’s just like when he challenged Jesus, in the wilderness, to worship him. Jesus could never fall, because He was God in the flesh as man. The fact the devil even tried that shows how arrogant he is, to think God would worship him.

Gen. 3:3

2009-06-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

“Neither shall ye touch it” were the words Eve added. As noted, we don’t see adverbs like “she spoke defensively” in the Bible. However, her defenses were clearly up. She didn’t doubt God’s goodness yet. She may have even known something was wrong with what the devil had said. But, she didn’t go to someone to get a clarification. Instead, she relied on her own strength, though the devil’s misquote had caused her to stumble.

Several things need to be considered first to explain this point.

First, was it sin to add to God’s Word? The answer is no, it couldn’t have been. There were no false prophets, because there was no need for prophets. True prophets told people God’s Word, and warned of God’s judgment, because people didn’t have direct access to God. Eve did, however. She hadn’t yet been separated from God by sin.

Others have said this was Adam’s doing. They say he either told her more than was needed out of protectiveness, or he explained it wrong. Both seem dubious at best.

One possibility is that Adam told Eve the rule, but also said that, for her own protection, she should think of it as not being able to touch the fruit of that tree. I don’t think this can be true, though it has the greatest chance of anything if it was Adam’s doing. For one thing, Eve quotes God; not Adam. Second, Eve was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. There was perfect trust between Adam and Eve. Since Adam trusted her so much, why would he feel the need to tell her something different? He may have had the same boundary in his own mind. And, boundaries are important in any relationship. So, I don’t totally discount it. The error of relying on one’s own strength could have been Adam’s to begin with. But, it was more likely Eve’s.

Some say there could have been miscommunication. Adam may have confused the rule when he repeated it to Eve. But, this doesn’t seem possible. Communication problems began when sin entered into the world. They don’t exist in a perfect world. Adam had perfect recall of what God had said.

It wasn’t possible for Adam to lie, either. Lying is the worst form of miscommunication; it is deliberately misleading someone. Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship, though, before sin entered into the world. It’s one thing if he told Eve, “We’re not allowed to eat of it, so for our own sake, let’s both vow not to touch it.” It’s a totally different thing if he told Eve the wrong rule on purpose. Lying is a sin. Since lying is a sin, it was something that came into the world by Adam’s act. But, if he had committed that sin and lied, he would have already fallen, and the devil would have had no need to tempt Eve.

You may wonder, then, why Eve’s misquote was not lying? A paraphrase is different from a total lie, for one thing. She likely added the “Neither shall ye touch it” herself. Consider this: Your friend tells you that he bought a new car. You learn from a mutual friend that he has since begun to build a house. Now, a different mutual friend asks you how this person is doing. It would be very proper, grammatically, to say, “Our friend told me he bought a new car. He is also building a new house.”

It’s still the error of legalism, though, because legalism isn’t necessarily adding to God’s Word, although it can be, and cults often do this. Legalism is often adding mankind’s rules to God’s rules, and making them as if they are God’s rules.

Only God’s rules are perfect. Because Eve trusted in her own strength, a seed of doubt was placed, wondering if God’s Word was enough. If we wonder if God’s Word is enough, we wonder if it is right. And, if we wonder if God’s Word is right, we began to wonder if it is even true. God’s Word must not be added to or taken from; that is why our Lord says that "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matt. 5:18)

Ge. 3:2

2009-06-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

Eve started to give a good defense of the rule. She countered the devil by saying that they could eat of the trees in the garden. This was true. God had not denied them the right to eat of these trees. There was only one rule. They could not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, as we’ll see, she likely committed the error of legalism, which shall be discussed more as we look at the next verse. Although, even if she only did it for her own protection, it eventually came back to haunt her. Because, in times of trouble, we must rely on God’s Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 have been true from the dawn of time. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Gen. 3:1

2009-06-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Gen. 3:1

Chapter three has the sad story of the introduction of sin into the world, and death by sin, which would see death pass onto everyone. (Rom. 5:12) There had been no death, no suffering, and no pain before this. God never intended for sin to enter the world, but as noted, He had a plan. Because, He knew what choices would be made, yet He loved people enough to give them freedom.

The Serpent…said: This creature has caused some confusion among scholars. While I don’t claim to know everything, I’ll try clear a few things up.

First, despite what some say, it is very unlikely that animals could talk before the Fall. Remember that mankind was created differently. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over creatures. People were given something more than instinct – they were made living souls. While some animals communicate more information than others through their sounds, only people can do such things as engage in small talk, use language to influence, and so on. That’s because our brains are so complex.

Most likely, the devil dwelt in the serpent. I believe three things point to the devil as being the one who truly controlled and spoke. 1. The devil is referred to, in Rev. 12:9 and Rev. 20:2, as “that old serpent”; 2. The devil is consistently called the “father of lies,” not the serpent; and, 3. The pronoun “he.”

This last is especially noteworthy because of the article – “The.” “The serpent” can refer to a particular one, as well as the creature in general. It may be that this particular one, inhabited by the devil, was using the subtlety of the devil.

The animal, then, didn’t originate the temptation. Nor would the devil have just taken the form of a serpent, because God does render punishment against the serpent, and God’s Word says that the serpent was very cunning. Also, note that demons can inhabit animals, as with the ones cast out of the man and put into the swine in the Gospels. (Matt. 8:32, etc.) Plus, God can speak through animals, too, at His will, as in Numbers 20:32.

So, why didn’t Moses say it was the devil? Remember that we see through a glass darkly. God only revealed through Moses what was necessary. In Isaiah 14, and probably Ezekiel 28, there are clear indicators of how the devil fell from grace.

The purpose of Genesis, on the other hand, is mainly: 1. To tell of the world’s beginning and the Fall from Grace, including what led up to the Flood and world’s rebirth through Noah and his family; 2. To promise a Redeemer; 3. To show how Abraham was called out to found the nation from which that Redeemer would come; and, 4. To tell the stories of the Patriarchs until Jacob and his family entered Egypt. Isaiah and Ezekiel were led by the Spirit to write what they did because God felt it was the right time to reveal it, for reasons only He completely understands. It’s just like John, in the last book of the Bible, reveals the devil’s end, and makes allusion back to the serpent in this narrative.

Was more subtle: This, of course, makes some think it was the serpent which spoke. However, remember that while the devil’s power is limited, he can use the things of God and twist them to his advantage. The devil can even quote Scripture, as he did to Jesus when Christ was tempted in the wilderness.

But wait, you say; aren’t there other animals more clever? We say sly as a fox, not sly as a serpent, for instance. That’s true, but we don’t know exactly what measure is used. One could make an argument that serpents are more subtle; or, at least a certain kind. Hiding in the bushes, able to attack their prey, bite, and retreat in almost the blink of an eye. Possessing the skill to swallow a mouse, let us say, that is much wider than its whole body. Serpents are incredibly crafty, so this need not be a different type. Also, this was before the Fall. The creature could have had some of its subtlety reduced.

More on the talking animal: If animals were not talking before the Fall – as shown above and as noted in biology – then why isn’t Eve said to be surprised? Many have tried to argue that Moses would have recorded it – but, I see no reason to include it. It’s not an important part of the narrative. Jewish writers didn’t write like we do today, detailing posture, facial expressions, and every other part of a scene. God only moved them to record what was important to His purposes. Not only that, but Eve may have been spoken to before this. If so, perhaps she got used to it.

More likely, though, is that – in the wonder of innocence – why wouldn’t she expect animals to talk? A baby, experiencing a jack in the box for the first time, might express a little shock or excitement at the creature popping out of the box. But, that baby has no concept that there can be something in the box; that part of them has not yet formed. Eve, however, possessed all her senses. Adam and Even no doubt viewed the world as a baby does his or her hands, with awe and wonder, but with no sense of alarm at something “not being right.” They had no need to fear. The entire world was so new, with no sense of any danger. God had not warned them, “Animals can’t talk.” God had only warned them of the one tree, and the consequences of eating it. For all they knew, animals could and would talk, if only they could learn how. God gave them freedom to explore this and every other facet of that new world, except the one.

Hath God said?: The devil attacked that one thing God did say, though. He spoke as if to say, “Did God really say that?” He wanted to cause Adam and Eve to question whether God had really said what He did. And, He did it by dividing them. Two against one will win a lot more easily than one on one, and ‘a threefold chord” is not easily broken. (Ecc. 4:12) He could have tried ti with both of them, but he chose to go after just one, knowing he had a much great chance of success.

He also went after the one who was weaker. Eve hadn’t been formed for as long as Adam. She didn’t have as close a relationship with god because she hadn’t been around for as long. True, it was a very short time, but the devil will pounce on any weakness. This is why it’s vital to not only teach youngsters God’s Word, but live it. If adults around them don’t live God’s Word through their actions, there is a big, fat, gaping hole that the devil can fly right through. A child can only do what he or she sees. They have no other way of knowing how to act. If a child has never experienced unconditional love, they won’t know it’s possible. Even worse, if that child sees someone doing the opposite of what they say to do, then the gaping hole is even wider.

Even in the best situations, though, there is a hole caused by sin in everyone’s heart, that only Jesus Christ can fill.

That hole exists because of the Fall. At this point, the devil has Eve apart from Adam. Some say they were together, and Adam was silent, but this is doubtful. The devil is said to only be speaking to Eve, not to both. Adam’s silence would be very strange if he were to have been silent. It is possible that Adam joined her before she ate, but what is important is, the devil spotted a potential weakness. He questioned God’s perfect love, and even the very Word of God.

He began by twisting God’s Word around. We must have God’s Word ready to be called up from our heart right away. We must know exactly what it says, so we can know exactly what the boundaries are. The devil asked if God had said, “Ye shall not eat of every tree.” He resorted to liberalism. Liberalism means throwing God’s specific rules out, and stating that anything goes.

But, the devil would not have been as likely to get anywhere if he had come right out and suggested that Eve ignore God’s Word. Instead, he attacked it subtly. He asked, “Did God really say that?” while misquoting the Lord. This misquote was his way to begin to question God’s goodness, as if to ask why God would not allow them to eat of every tree.

Gen. 2:25

2009-06-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Adam and Eve not only had the perfect marriage, they had perfect innocence. They were naked, and were not ashamed.

This bring to mind how some people groups have been discovred, in very temperate climates, to be without clothing. What is the difference? Matthew 5:28 is a good place to start � because there, the Lord tells us that if a person looks on another in lust, that person commits adultery in their heart.

It is not just the state of nakedness that made Adam and Even unashamed. It was the state of nakedness, and the fact that there were no lustful thoughts, no selfish desires. If they had conceived in this state, and bore children, and a society grew, the people would not have lusted after one another. Instead, as the first chapter of Romans warns us, if people continue in their lusts, eventually they will totally become reprobate. That means they will follow only their lusts, and nothing else. Clothing allows a civilized society to prevent that. This is why it�s so important now for people to wear clothing.

It is, of course, possible to go overboard � modern day Pharisees disallowing even the showing of a married couple sharing a bed went too far, because for a married couple to have twin beds was unnatural itself. It divided the couple. A married couple together in a bedroom with one bed, clothed decently, would not create lustful thoughts. Such sights would draw one to wholesome thoughts. A viewer would think, �This is the way it is meant to be, a warm, affectionate married couple, but one that keeps their nighttime activities behind closed doors, because it is for them alone.�

We will discuss the errors of legalism and liberalism more when we consider the next chapter. However, the point is this. Even as Adam and Eve were naked, there was no danger of that nakedness inviting lustful thoughts until the Fall. Hence, they were not ashamed, because they knew no lustful thoughts would come from either of them.

Not only were there no lustful thoughts, there were no sinful thoughts, period. Remember, Jesus often made it a point that sin comes from the heart. Sin always begins with the heart. The heart can bring lovely thoughts, too, of course. This is why Philippians 4:8 is so important, a verse that should be hidden in everyone�s heart, that they might not sin against God. (Psalm 119:11)

Adam and Eve had no problems with sin in this verse, however. This state of innocence was one that allowed them to develop freely. If they chose, they could have composed incredible psalms of praise to God, painted rich, beautiful landscapes, allowed their imaginations to soar to incredible heights. They were unburdened by sin. They didn�t have to worry about the depths of evil to which man would later sink. The shckles of sin always stifle creativity to some extent, whether it is because the person gets preoccupied with something more worldly, because they are burdened by sin and must deal with the guilt, and for many other reasons.

Sin has robbed us of so many great minds. Think of any performer who died young. Think of any athlete overcome by substance problems or injury. Indeed, think of the greatest performer or athlete who has managed to live their lives for the Lord. Any one of these people could have accomplished so much more. Indeed, our first parents, Adam and Eve, could have done so much more. The world was perfect! It was theirs to do with what they wanted, as long as they obeyed that one command. They had a perfect relationship with God. They would keep the garden, and do things in a way that would honor and glorify God, because they still had that relationship with Him. It was a perfect world.

However, they chose to go their own way. The first two chapters of the Bible, filled with awe and wonder at a perfect world, now descend into a world of sin, untilt he last two chapters. It is a story riddled with sorrow.

And yet, one great thing shines above all that evil. That is this. That God, in His grace and mercy, knew they would make the choice. Yet, instead of making His creation mindless robots that had to listen, He gave them the choice. He lovingly coaxed them to listen. And, when they didn�t in His grace and mercy, He loved them anyway, and calls back to Him any who will come and receive his free gift of eternal life, through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who took the punishment for each of our sins. All we must do is repent � turn from our sins � and receive Him as Savior.

Gen. 2:24

2009-06-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

This verse, so beloved at weddings, describes the first marriage. It was between two people united in perfect bliss. They were so totally in love with each other, just as man was meant to be with woman. However, at this moment, before the Fall, they could also communicate and understand each other perfectly. There was no sin in the world as of this time, nothing that would cause a breakdown in things.

A majority of commentators favor Moses, under Divinde inspiration, as having penned these words, as the Hebrews’ teacher in the Wilderness. Still others believe this was a continuation of Adam’s thoughts in Verse 23. This is what I, personally, have often felt. It makes sense that God talked with our first ancestor about this helpmate. He would therefore be able to speak prophetically about the institution of marriage. A third possibility is that God Himself spoke these words prophetically, establishing marriage as a sacred institution. God was, in a sense, giving his daughter away to Adam, and this could be a pronouncement by God He had joined the two as one flesh, and that it would be like this in every marriage after that. And, therefore, what God has joined, man should not tear asunder. (Mark 10:9)

Of course, that image – God, as Eve’s Father, giving her away in marriage – is a beautiful image that holds true no matter who the speaker is in this verse. Because, it shows tat the institution of marriage is a holy one. It is one where the parties should act with utmost love and devotion toward each other.

It’s worth noting that the Bible doesn’t mention a man taking a wife. Instead, it mentions him leaving his parents and cleaving to her. This, like the fact that Eve came from Ada’s side, shows a truth about marriage. The man should still love his parents, of course. However, his devotion to his wife should be beyond that. His love for her should be very deep. It should never be just about the physical. Thinking about only the physical robs marriage of its beauty.

See, the two shall be one flesh. Sure, they can have different interests, but they should be willing to give for each other. They must be willing to work together, and agree to work together to build a great life together. This is especially important since the Fall.

Before the Fall, however, it was perfect. The two could much more easily become one flesh. A married couple should grow closer as the years go on. If they aren’t, something is very wrong, and they need help to start getting closer again, because they have chosen to spend a lifetime together. That is what marriage is, a lifetime of loving each other. However, Adam and Eve didn't' have to grow closer.

Picture a married couple who have been together 75 years, complete each other’s sentences, and always know what the other is thinking. They delight in each other all the time. That couple has worked to get to that level. But, without the breakdown in mankind, Adam and Eve were already there.

It’s a great shame that mankind has regressed, since the Fall, to the point it has. As we’ll see, a man named Lamech, in Cain’s line, not only violated the notion that the two would be as one by having a second wife, he totally refused to cleave to his wives. His loud boastings are those of an emotional abuser, one who would take whatever he wants, instead of giving out of love and a lack of selfishness.

For now, however, Adam and Eve had the perfect relationship. There was no problem with communication, no drifting apart, just a couple that truly understood the notion of unconditional love, because they hadn’t yet experienced that sin nature that they would soon bring into the world.

Gen. 2:23

2009-05-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:23

Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh – What an incredible description of the ideal couple. There may be a God-sized hole in each of hearts that only Jesus can fill. However, the great love between spouses in the ideal situation should be such that they come close.

As we shall see later, Sarah called Abraham Lord, but it was not blasphemy. She was not ascribing Godlike virtue to him. We must never put any person on a pedestal and see them as Godlike! That includes those in authority. She was simply showing that he completed her in such a way that his love for her – and hence her devotion to him – was very near that unconditional, perfect love of God’s. Her devotion to him therefore led to a title of great reverence. To argue it any other way is to threaten to ascribe Godly characteristics to man, and that is a very, very dangerous thing.

Let’s look for a second at what this implies, then. The ideal couple should be one where the man bestows great respect on the woman (Eph. 5:25), just as they complete each other so fabulously, that there should be that incredible honor, because she was made for the man. (1 Cor. 11:8) this is bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. If only men could grasp this incredible thought, they would never treat a woman selfishly, but would give themselves totally for her. She is a gift from God so incredible, that the right woman is literally going to be – to the man – such a part of her that when she hurts, he hurts. They should cater to each other’s needs out of a desire to provide unselfish love and comfort to each other, because they are one flesh.

Gen. 2:22

2009-05-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

God formed Eve out of a rib, not out of the dust of the ground? Why?

For one thing, if he had made the woman out of the dust like Adam, they would be able to mate, being the same special, but there wouldn’t be that special connection that man and woman are supposed to feel as husband and wife. There are, of course, some animals which stick to one mate their entire lives. However, that is merely instinct, and while they might feel something, there is nothing like the joy one has when finding that one, special someone with whom they want to spend their whole lives. It is so magnificent; words can’t begin to describe it. The ideal spouses must complete each other.

Also, remember that this was before sin came into the world. The ideal situation is marriage between two people who love and complete each other. This isn’t always true in our fallen world. There are people who won’t find a special someone like that. For them, it is better not to marry, as singleness is a gift, too.

This does not mean that God didn’t create a special someone for them. We don’t know if He does or not. He may have a special someone for everyone, and that someone – perhaps through no fault of their own – never even meets the person they were intended to marry. This doesn’t mean God was caught off guard in such cases. It merely means that God – knowing the choices people would make – gave that person a gift of being single, knowing that their perfect help mate would not be available for them.

The situation in our fallen world is far different from the situation here, however. In this ideal situation, God brought the woman to the man. It’s a wonderful picture of marriage. God – the Father – gave away Eve and united the two. It’s interesting that – even in the very liberal times we live in – men still follow that wonderful tradition of asking the daughter’s hand in marriage. If there is no father, they as the one who had the most to do with raising the woman. It shows great respect. It recognizes that the future groom understands the great love and devotion that the father should have for his daughter, and that he wants to pledge to provide the same great love and devotion.

It is often said that women will marry a man who is much like their father – or like whatever male role model they can find. Women who have been mistreated can still become stable, loving wives and mothers, and they can still find good, caring husbands. However, they must be careful to see God is the model of what a true Father should be. It is only through Godly, unconditional love in relationships she can feel fulfilled.

This is why some go from one man to the other so much. They have had no truly loving, giving male to guide them. It has often been said that there is a God-sized hold in each of our hearts, that only Jesus Christ can fill. And, it’s so much more true of someone with no father figure, be that a father, an uncle, a grandfather, or someone else.

Gen. 2:21

2009-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam. Whether he was told what God was doing during this sleep is uncertain. He knows what has happened several verses later, but the Lord didn’t feel it important to tell us when Adam was told.

The important part is, God performed this operation with Adam suffering no ill effects. He felt no pain. When God works in a situation, he does it effortlessly. We won’t always avoid suffering in this life, because we’re in a world of sin. But, when God finally brings about a resolution to a problem, He does so with perfect timing. He does it in a way where a person can see it’s His work. He won’t always do it in a flashy way. But, He will give a person exactly what they need, when they need it.

God provided what Adam needed by taking a rib from Adam. It was taken from the side, because the woman was to be equal, to Adam; a true help meet, not one for Adam to trample on, and not one to rule over him..

Adam would probably not have been created with an extra rib, for two reasons. First, if it was an automatic genetic feature, everyone else would have been worn with thirteen ribs, instead of twelve. People do not inherit things from their parents that happen after they’re born. A person who loses an arm in a war won’t have children with only one arm. The second reason is, if it was a genetic variable – like color – there would have been some people born with an extra rib, and there don’t seem to have been any.

What seems more likely is that Adam was missing a rib the rest of his life. Remember that Jacob had a similar thing happen. After a night of wrestling with God, he demanded that God bless him. God touched his thigh, and made him walk with a limp. (Gen. 32:25) Many commentators feel he had this limp the rest of his life, as a reminder that it was not in his own strength, but in God’s, that he must walk. There is also Paul’s thorn in the flesh, likely a physical malady, which he was allowed to have, lest he be exalted beyond what he should. (2 Cor. 12:7) Such a loss would not have been vital – even after sin was brought into the world, God could protect him from anything that would bruise his heart of lungs. And yet, it would always remind him of God’s power, as well as the fact that his wife, Eve, came directly from his side, as a gift from God. She was truly part of him.

It is, of course, also possible that God gave him a new rib and we are not told.

This is one of numerous things which remind us that – while we must remain true to doctrines which are vital – there is also much which we are free to disagree on, and must do so in a way that shows we love and accept each other. And so, even in silence God’s Word can teach important lessons.

Gen. 2:20

2009-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Adam gave names to all the creatures. Adam’s mental capacity, and the names given, have been discussed. But, this also shows an order that God had in mind for the universe. It was one where God allowed man to have dominion over the other creatures. Hence, whatever he said, that’s what they were called.

This, in turn, allowd man to think of just how different he is from God. I’ve sometimes used the following analogy with Heaven. I’ll say that to describe Heaven to someone here on Earth is like telling a dog what it’s like to play the piano, or produce a work of art.

Elephants have been taught to use a paintbrush, but that creature is not creating the way humans create. Human artists have a feel for things which are pleasing to the senses. That means painters can make things that pelase their eyes – and hopefully the eyes of others. Musicians can compose or play wonderful melodies. Humans have an appreciation that goes far beyond what animals have.

This superiority, of course, does not mean mankind has the right to abuse animals. It also teaches mankind to be humble. When we recognize that animals have less capacity than we do, we should have compassion on them. However, because of our sin nature, we can be really cruel – not just to them, but to each other.

God knew that just being on top wasn’t enough, though. He knew man needed someone who could experience things in the same way, as noted earlier. But, He created male and female animals right away, according to most commentators. Why didn’t the Lord do the same thing with man? It’s impossible to say for sure. However, remember that the world was made to be perfect. Before the Fall, Adam could educate everyone not only about God, but about his own experiences. One of those experiences was loneliness. God knew that there could be times when people questioned why there were so many others on the earth. Adam could tell them that it was no fun to be alone, away from fellow humans. He could then elaborate on how God had given him an equal.

Gen. 2:19

2009-05-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

The start of this verse means that the Lord God had formed the animals at some point before Adam. It reads the way it does because of the way language is used. Adam was not made before any of them. However, he was given a special duty which shows God’s love, and also shows man’s intended superiority over the animls, in that he was given the responsibility of naming them.

Once God formed them, and then made Adam, He sent them to Adam just as He would with Noah later. Animals have instincts that cause them to go where God leads. The fish were not part of this because they wouldn’t have been able to make the trek.

Though the Bible says that among them all was not a help meet found, that doesn’t mean every single one was tested for this purpose. They may have been, we don’t know. Before the Fall, animals were naturally obedient and tame, so it is possible that even plephants and giraffes were among the possible help meets. The giraffe would certainly have a long enough neck to reach things man couldn’t.

More importantly, the fact that whatever Adam called them, that was the name of them, shows the incredible mind that Adam and Eve had. Consider the vast imagination, the incredible perception, and the mental stamina that Adam had to have to be ble to name all those animals. True, we only had kinds, as noted earlier. There was only one canine, not a wolf many breeds of dog, and so on. However, it still required a genius to be able to do allo of this. This demonstrates how far people have come since the Fall.Not only have our bodies broken down, so, too, have our minds.

So, what did he call them? He likely used names that would describe them in some way. Perhaps it was by their looks, their agility, or something else. It’s possible that these were even scientific-type names, though that isn’t as likely. The term implies that they were what the animals were regularly called. On the other hand, it’s not out of the question that Adam engaged in scientific classification as well. It’s not certain that he only gave one name to every creature. Even if this was only done later, it still shows Adam’s mind. It also demonstrates that language was granted to man immediately.

Gen. 2:18

2009-05-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is not good that man should be alone – what an interesting statement. It’s great to fellowship with God. However, God, in saying this, reveals important things.

First, He is far more powerful than man. Yes, it’s great that man could fellowship with Him. It was more wonderful then than it is now. Back then, God could come down and communicate personally with man. Now, it must be done through prayer. And, even when a person has trusted in Christ for salvation, if that person has sin in their heart, God can’t hear their prayer. (Ps. 66:18)

So, why wasn’t it enough for man to hang out with God? Because man needed someone on his level. Adam needed an equal. He needed a relationship with someone with whom he could share happiness over knowing the Lord. However, he also needed someone who could do it on the same intellectual level. God, as Creator, could never share the joy of being one of God’s creatures, of having God’s protection and provision.

Adam was always small and insignificant compared to God; even back then, the relationship was not like two buddies. God was still reaching down in love to fellowship with the man. It’s just that this was possible, with no mediator, before the Fall.

This lets us know, in our prayer life, just how important it is to reverence God. Yes, we can go boldly before the throne of Grace. He understands all our infirmities. And yet, He is separate from us on two levels. One is obvious – we are sinful creatures. He can’t sin. Even while living on Earth, Jesus Christ never once sinned. The second is that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. (Is. 55:8-9) He has an understand of the world, the past, present, and future, and everything that we just can’t grasp, no matter how hard we try. And, Adam and Eve, even in their perfect state before the Fall, couldn’t match that.

Along with this, we see that even angels would not have been enough. Yes, they are also God’s creatures, but they were created one at a time. Adam, on the other hand, was meant to start a race – the human race, the only true race there is. This was God’s plan to replenish the earth, through families filled with love.

A third thing He reveals in saying it isn’t good for man to be alone is that man is a social creature. Yes, there are some people, especially those with an autism spectrum condition, who have problems with human contact. Interestingly, they still harbor some desire for contact, as they often enjoy animals. However, the point is, any lack of interest in human contact is because of the Fall.

All the good things about human contact are indicated here, in God’s desire to provide this help meet. Unconditional love, stability, peace, and every other positive thing about humanity was brought out in this desire to provide man companionship. So, too, was a division of labor. Yes, man could domesticate animals, and soon would. However, a true help meet would be able to share in the same things man could do. They could work together, co-operating in the task at hand, the keeping of the Garden. This help meet was to be a perfect compliment to Adam. God had a rule for man, but He also provided for all of man’s needs.

Gen. 2:17

2009-05-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

God lovingly explained not only the rule, but said in very specific language what the result would be. There are several interesting points.

First, it was about eating. Why eating? Eating allows people to grow. It provides nourishment. It provides pleasure, too, as long as you like the food. Pleasure food doesn’t have to be bad for you, after all, though some foods are better than others.

Taking this analogy further, God was saying there is one food here that is poisonous. It wou lnot only pro ide no nutritional value, it would actually destroy, in the same way swallowing a poison today can cause many bad things, even death. However, it wasn’t a poison like we think of today. It was a poison to man’s spiritual well being.

Ye shall surely die was not just a warning that they would die physically, although they would eventually. The Hebrew states, “dying, you shall die,” meaning that there would not only be a death right away, but a continual process of dying that would end in physical death, as well.

God told Adam that this death would happen at that moment. This was spiritual death. Remember that man had a body, soul, and spirit at first; the Spirit was how he could commune with God. That Spirit would depart from man if he ate from that tree. He would be spiritually poisoned.

This was as clear as it could be. Even the name – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – spelled it out. Adam didn’t know how to do evil, until the time when he chose to disobey God. Tradition says it was an apple tree, though we don’t know for sure. What we know is that God called that tree by a specific name not because it was some unique type of tree, but because it was the tree with which He would test Adam to see if he wanted to obey God willingly. God didn’t want him to be a mindless robot. God wanted Adam to be free to choose to obey Him.

When Adam and Eve rebelled, God had a plan all ready. It was a plan that would replace the food which had been consumed as spiritual poison, and would instead restore man to spiritual health.

Jesus Christ is the bread of life. Each person must receive Him personally, receiving His forgiveness for their sins, to have that relationship with God restored. This is true for reasons we’ll explore further later. To put it simply here, one is because mankind inherited a sin nature from Adam. The second is because every person has sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) We don’t all commit the same sins, but every person has chosen at some point to fall short of God’s mark, which is perfection. Thankfully, God has chosen to forgive us.

Gen 2:16

2009-05-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

The devil has tricked people into thinking that God never gives us choices. This verse proves that God loves to give us choices. If only Adam and Eve had focused on what they could do. They could eat of the fruit of every tree of the Garden, except one.

Choices within rules are always there. Sometimes there can’t be very many choices within the rules, but there are always some. Even strict “no” things – like “don’t touch that hot stove – contain things which may be done instead – like “you may play nicely with this, this, or this.”

Here, God shows His love for us in that He tells Adam specifically what he can do. There is only one restriction, which we’ll get to with the next verse. But, first, God tells him that there are many things he can do without breaking the rule. God is not in the habit of just implying things. He communicates very clearly if there is something which is definitely right or wrong. This is one example. He spells it out in such detail that Adam can’t miss it. Why? He didn’t want there to be any confusion.

Today, on the other hand, the devil had clouded things. The Gospel is hidden by some because they confuse it with works. God never meant for works to save Adam. Adam was already in the Garden of Eden – he was already there by God’s grace.

What he had was untested creature holiness. In other words, Adam could sin if he chose to; he hadn’t yet been tested. It was the same with the devil and all the other angels. The devil had been the beautiful cherub which was around the throne of God. (Ez. 28:13-17) He chose to try to take over and be “like the Most High.” (Is. 14:12-14) His pride brought him down once he was tested.

Now, Adam had the same choice. He could do many things within the rules, though. There was just one thing he couldn’t do. That was named in the next verse.

Gen. 2:15

2009-05-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

God reveals His special purpose for man in this verse. This tells us a lot about God, and His love for His creation. We’ve looked at how man was placed in the garden. There are a few other really neat things to see here, too.

First, The man had a purpose. Being bored isn’t fun. Even if a person has very limited brain power, they still want to be doing something. It might be seen as “play” to others, but even what children do is exercising their minds.

Think about it. When a child throws a ball in the air and tries to catch it, that child is learning about a number of things. They are seeing gravity at work. They are learning about how wind currents carry things, if they are outside. They are learning about angle of descent and depth perception and all kidns of neat things about how that ball falls. They are also learning fine motor skills – closing the hand around the ball – and large motor skills – moving the arms to reach out for it. They are learning how to use those, as well as hand-eye coordination.

This doesn’t mean that every time a child is playing he or she is actively trying to learn these things. And, some play is just idle fun. However, they are learnings kills which can then be used as illustrations when they learn how the body works, how gravity impacts things,a nd so on.

Man was given a job. His job was to keep the garden. Notice that God doesn’t say how the man was to do it. He could have put all sorts of interesting decorations and patterns in the garden if he wanted. His job was simply to dress the garden, and keep things growing. This, in turn, allowed him to keep his mind active. Considering the greatly advanced minds Adam and Eve likely had, his mind may have been on many things. However, one important thing could occupy his mind as he took care of the garden. He could fellowship with God, as noted earlier.

God wanted man to be able to learn all about the natural laws – like gravity – that He’d put into force, but more importantly, about His great love. The easiest wway to do that was to give the man the chance to be in wonderful natural surroundings, free from worry, and totally relying on God for his well-being.

So, why not just relax and “take it easy?” Because the need to relax only comes about because of our fallen nature. Yes, some people take it to an extreme, but even with those who would rather sleep than do anything, they are doing so because of something that is missing from their life, something which may indicate a chemical problem or it may indicate a spiritual problem.

Normally, though, people relax because they want to escape stress. There was no stress in the perfect Garden of Eden which God provided for man; or, to put it better, there wasn't the bad kind of stress. A certain amount is healthy; such as that created by a job you love, in a life with no worries.

That was life in the Garden of Eden. He didn’t need to worry about taxes, mortgages, family problems, or anything bad. He was like a small child, who has no cares in the world. In a good family surrounded by love, that child will have no worries. They know someone cares for them, loves them, and will provide all their needs and protect them from any problems. They are free to do their job. And, doing that job is very simple, because there are no worries to distract him or her. So, too, this man was free to do his job. And, since it had no burdens, no worries, associated with it, it was something which he would love.

Gen. 2:10-14 - Location of Eden

2009-05-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:10-14 – Placement of Eden

Here, we will take a brief look at the placement of Eden.

It’s a testimony to man’s attempt to solve things himself that pretty much everyplace has been considered as the place for Eden. Some, in their foolish pride, tried to place it in Europe. Others, trying to ignore the actual meanings of words, tried to place it in the air. Some people say something a bit more logical – they say it is a place which the Flood of Noah not only destroyed, but placed underwater. So, where was it?

First, we get a clue a few verses back that it was eastward. This would be from the perspective of the readers. Moses’ first readers were Hebrews, meaning it was somewhere east of where they were.

Two rivers are major ones we know today – the Tigris and Euphrates. The other two may be in far northern Iraq or the Armenia area, while others believe it may have been in southern Iraq. While it doesn’t matter, there are a few things to think about here.

First, it’s true that the world changed a lot after Noah’s Flood. The waters of the deep were opened, so that water flew into the air like a million geysers, at the same time that the rains poured down on the earth. So did the geography change, too? It might have – that would explain what scientists believe about there being one large continent at one time, called Pangaea. The earth could have been ripped apart, as the Flood lasted months, the “40 days and 40 nights” mist think of was only the amount of rain. However, it isn’t necessary. The Flood could have deposited billions of dead things in layers – mostly near water – all over the Earth quite well without a breakup. See the website www.answersingenesis.org for more details, searching terms like Pangaea or underwater. It should be noted that an earthquake in Revalation is said to be like no other, and islands will even disappear or be combined with land. So, it is at least possible; but the disruption would have to be less than the Revelation earthquake.

Second, the important thing in this verse is not where, but the fact that there was such an idyllic place It was a region which was more fabulous and pristine than any other on earth. It didn’t survive to the present day, but Paradise will be restored one day. However, in describing the land, notice that even in Moses’ day, he talks about the goodness of parts of it; not only with the wealth in stones he mentions, but the gold. He says the golf of the land is good – of course, pure gold is always good. However, he is emphasizing this, again, to show God’s grace. He left some of that beauty through the minerals and stones, even though the real blissfulness isn’t there anymore.

Gen. 2:9

2009-04-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:9

The description of this incredible gift – a home in Eden – begins here. We learn that it had all variety of trees. The sights and tastes were so incredible, and incredibly diverse! Plants covered the earth from the third day of Creation. But, this region – where it was we’ll get to with the next verse – had special significance. Two special trees were preset. They were the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

These were specific trees. People often make the mistake of trying to make this an allegory. That is the very problem other creation accounts have. They are so fanciful, whereas this is simple and straightforward. It is a true account of our beginning. However, one can see a special purpose in the mention of these trees, which God inspired Moses to write so we could learn something about God’s love.

See, as noted, God had already offered grace to man. That free gift was life in Eden, perhaps with man conscious of where he had been formed, perhaps not. That part isn’t important. What is important is that Adam and Eve were untested. They had not yet brought sin into the world. They had a choice, though.

Had they obeyed God, and only eaten of the tree of life, they would have had no problem. They could have lived forever. However, instead, they chose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This shows several things.

First, we see that there was a choice between systems. God’s system was entirely by grace. Had man stayed with that system, he could have remained in Eden.

However, man chose to do it his own way. The wonderful mercy of God then allowed the man to be restored, but there was an awful price that would be paid.

This is what happened in the beginning, but it is also a picture of our status. When we are born, we have a choice – whether or not to accept God’s grace. We must accept it to be reconciled to Him, because of our sin nature. It is that sin nature that makes us sin. When we accept that grace, He places us in a wonderful place. No, He doesn’t take us to Heaven right away. But, He does place us in a position of being able to fellowship with Him while we are alive here – He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) This is also called positional sanctification.

Because of our sin nature, we mess up even after we’re saved. However, God’s grace and mercy continues, even then. We are never kicked out of His family. In the same way, God didn’t forget Adam and Eve and start over. They were still His children. They were simply the first example of what Jesus told of in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

However, we do lose blessings and rewards. Our fellowship with God isn’t as close, until the wrong is made right. And yet, the wrong is made right only through God’s grace. It is only when we repent and accept His forgiveness that fellowship can be restored. We can’t do it on our own. This will be discussed more when chapter 3 is explored.

Gen. 2:8

2009-04-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Lord planted a garden in Eden. We don’t know exactly how, except that it was fully grown. It has become another name for Paradise, but all Earth was like this then. So, why this special place?

First, God wanted to give mankind a home base. Hence, He put the man in the garden. He knew that a place for comfort and security would be important. Eden, then, was man’s first home. It was a place where – as children were born, grew up, and had their own families – they could leave and come home to whenever they wanted.

As Christians, our home is in Heaven; we are travelers in this world, on our way to what comes afterward, which depends on where we put our trust while alive here. In Heaven, there won’t be any pain, suffering, or anything else bad. God won’t allow any of that stuff to hurt us.

Will people leave New Jerusalem – Heaven on Earth as shown in Revelation 21-22 – and explore? I don’t know. It will probably be so different that human words would not be able to describe how incredible it is, and how unlike our existence today.

Second, it wasn’t just a home, it was a place God could show His grace. Notice that He put the man there, which seems to imply Adam was made somewhere close by. God had established linear time with the foundation of the world. He was further putting things in order by having an established place for people to be. They could go anywhere, but oh, what an incredible place that was which God had given them.

Just think what that may have been like, when God placed man there. Presuming Adam was not created there, this means God made him somewhere nearby, and placed him in the most incredible place, filled with all sorts of wonders. We don’t know how. Perhaps as the first theophany – God taking on human form before the Incarnation as Jesus Christ – He walked with the man, or He carried him. Whoever, whatever it was, imagine the thrill of knowing that God had not only breathed life into him, but had placed him in Paradise. What heights of love, that God would do this for man. Man had done nothing to earn or deserve it – He was simply placed there. What great love God had for this most special of all creations!

Gen. 2:7

2009-04-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Dust of the ground

It’s interesting that the word “dust” is used. Did you know that when you have to dust a room, much of that is dead skin or hair? Of course, pollutants and other things can come in from outside with the windows open. But, some of that is still be dead skin.

Of course, we are much more than dead skin. We have amazing DNA, which is so complex that it could never have come about by chance. Remember, genes are never added; it’s always the same number. They’ll change over time, but the number will never expand. God made each person special. And, when people rebelled against Him, He knew just what to do. The first Adam was made a living soul, but the second Adam was made a quickening spirit. That means a Spirit that is not only alive, but continues to make all things new. Because that last Adam, Jesus Christ, makes that change to anyone who is in Christ, and continues working in them.

Breath of life…A living soul

We must have Christ make us new, because we are dead in our sins. However, that was not the case with Adam and Eve before they sinned.

Man being made a living soul doesn’t just mean that he was alive. Everything living is alive. However, the type of soul was special. This was a soul which had spiritual life. Because man was alive spiritually, he could fellowship with God. That’s what the breath of life was all about. It is a different Hebrew term, according to Strong’s concordance, than is used in Genesis 6:17. That term simply refers to the breathing of all creatures, and can be related to wind. However, this breath of life relates to that living soul which man became. If God had not wanted man to be special, He would have simply said “let there be man” and that was it.

That living soul could fellowship with God because God had breathed into the man the breath of life. When man brought sin into the world, he brought death because of it. (Rom. 5:12) This was a separation from God. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, though, they get quickened. They are made alive. In a way, it’s as if God performs mouth to mouth on our souls. That quickening Spirit – which makes us alive – resuscitates us. He restores life to us. In the same way that God breathed life into the first man, he gives us Spiritual life now, whenever we seek Him.

While we might fail to make use of that life, we can never lose that life. To do that, we would have to totally reverse the process. That would be like when George Bailey, in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” wishes he’d never been born. One might be able to imagine the effects. But, a person can never be unborn. Nor can a person ever have that new birth in Christ taken away.

Gen. 2:6

2009-04-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:6

There went up a mist

After considering several commentaries, there are two main possibilities here.

1. This mist could have simply fallen as rain later. Notice that this is just the way clouds form; there is dew, that dew evaporates into the atmosphere, and so on. This could be God’s way of explaining how rain occurs. In other words, what is meant here is that it had not rained on the earth, but a mist went up from the ground, so it soon would. Or,

2. It could haven a supernatural mist, which changed when man brought sin into the world. God’s ways are incredible, after all.

I believe God could have used just this dew and mist to water the plants. However, option #1 is equally valid. The Bible doesn’t state clearly that there was no rain till the Flood of Noah. This is another area where we see through a glass darkly.

The important part, however, is coming. It shows God made man special. It shows consistency with chapter 1, also. We will see more specifically how He made all those creatures on the sixth day of Creation.

Gen. 2:5

2009-04-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:5

Before it was in the earth…before it grew

God created the plants of the earth, in all their variety, totally mature. There was no need to create seeds, and then wait for things to grow. He had everything available for them, however, just as He provides for all of us.

In the discussion of the third day, it was noted the plants were made before the sun. Here, we learn they were created before it had rained, too. Whether it ever rained before the Flood is less certain, but these plants certainly thrived without it. They also survived without anyone cultivating it. And, everything was in place for them to spread their seeds and expand all over the earth.

It’s stunning – yet expected – that people have become so prideful that they try to regulate where seeds can grow, and insist on farmers not using seeds from nature, but only seeds produced by some company. God provided fruits, vegetables, and other foods from the foundation of the world, and mankind insists on trying to control it.

Not a man to till the ground

Not only was there no rain, just a mist from the earth, there was nobody to till the ground at first.

It’s little wonder that Jesus spoke of Creation that even Solomon in all his glory wasn’t like one of these. Seeds could go anywhere, blow anywhere, and be placed where God wanted. B birds could be fed on them, yet there would be plenty left over for the next generation of plants. This was a perfectly designed system. And yet, mankind in his fallen state has ruined it on more than one occasion. Man-made famines have occurred in history, killing millions of people in some cases. Greed, wickedness, and selfishness have caused countless problems.

Of course, God wanted man to till the ground. He set it up that way so mankind could revel in God’s awesome creation. Just as I wept tears of joy at seeing another world through the Mars rover, God knew someone who was close to land might find it easier to commune with Him, as such a person would see the splendor of His creation more consistently. The men and women on the farm could enjoy the spectacle of nature. They could consider God’s great provision in the former and latter rains. There is a reason that rural communities, quite often, are more conservative and down-to-earth. Sin means that they aren’t perfect, either. But, they do appreciate much more of Creation because they are closer to God and all that He has done. They don’t experience – and thus don’t get caught up in - all the manmade things one sees in the big cities.

Gen. 2:4

2009-04-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:4

The generations of

Because this phrase is used often in Genesis, some have speculated that Moses borrowed from Noah, Abraham, and others. However, any internal textual evidence - like the dividing of parts of Genesis by the words “the generations of” - is almost certainly there as a method that the Spirit used to set landmarks, to help readers.

This is especially likely when one considers that chapter and verse headings are not inspired. Each book of the Bible was divided into chapters in the 1200s. These chapters were divided into verses in the 1500s. Before that, people needed some kind of marking to show them when a section of material, or an important point, was being made.

This is the purpose of this phrase. Each occurrence lets one understand that a section of Genesis, dealing with some of the patriarchs, is starting. It can mean the same thing if this phrase, in Genesis 2:4, is being used to indicate that the telling of the “generations of the Heavens and the earth” is ending, with more specifics to come.

The notion that anyone before or after Moses assisted in the writing also goes against common sense. Moses may have written the Torah over decades, given the time spent in the wilderness. People change styles bit by bit, and may write differently depending on their feelings that day.

Finally, even if Moses used a list of names, this does not mean someone earlier “wrote” parts of it. It just means that he incorporated these lists in ways that only the Spirit could instruct him. God, after all, did not dictate his Word, word for word. He supernaturally used human writers to write what He wanted, while still somehow allowing each to retain his individual style.

In the day

This doesn’t mean a literal day. “Day” is used here to refer to a time, just as the end is often referred to as “the day of the Lord.”

God

Another of God’s names is used here, just as we see new names for the Lord at other times through the Bible – Jehovah Jireh, for instance, meaning “God will provide.”

This shows the many aspects of God, and the many hats He wears. He is the Almighty, the Creator, our Provider, the Godhead, and so on. So many different ways exist to describe Him, because of His all-powerful nature. One can’t be satisfied just giving Him a name like “the Creator,” He does so much more than that.

Those who think this is a change don’t understand just how incredible He is. One explanation of the Godhead which has often been used, as mentioned earlier, is how a man can be a father, a son, and a brother at the same time. If this same man has several jobs – like Bo Jackson did back in the 1980s – one might say he is a power hitter, an outfielder, a powerful running back, an incredible athlete, and so on. A person can have many, many different descriptions given to him.

So it is with God. Moses, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wanted a way to describe God which was different than he’d used earlier, because he felt another way was better. This way points to God as the great “I AM,” the eternally existing one.

Seventh Day - Genesis 2:1-3

2009-04-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Gen. 2:1-3

The Sabbath was set aside to allow people to have that quiet time which he knew w4e’d need to fellowship with Him. As Jesus says, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) the legalist views of what people can and can’t do on the Sabbath must be given with grace, or they are not of God. Remember, He desires mercy, and not sacrifice. (Hos. 6:6, et. al.) For instance, one can certainly drive in an emergency.

We see here that God rested, though. Why? He could have kept going. For that matter, he could have created everything in an instance.

Stability: Mankind was created to fellowship with God. A biological clock of sorts was placed in people that required a period of rest. When governments have sought to abolish the 7-day week, their attempts have failed miserably. The Soviet Union abandoned their attempt after just one year. People were totally overworked; the time is needed for people to rest. Jesus Himself says that the Sabbath was made for man. It provides people with the opportunity to relax, fellowshipping with God without the bother of having to work, as if it were a normal work day. It allows for a stable cycle in peoples’ minds.

Certainty: Every civilization has some idea of a seven-day week. That stable cycle is ingrained, something Soviet officials couldn’t grasp in trying to abandon it. Yet, it’s more than just a cycle. It allows certainty to exist. If God had not emphatically ceased from His creation, one would never know when something new would appear. Instead, as Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes, “There is no new thing new under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9)

Now, of course, professional baseball, computers, candy canes, and many other things were waiting to be invented. But, this verse means that any different thing is just a combination of things which had existed since the dawn of time, or at the latest since man introduced sin into the world. Professional baseball is just a combination of two things – people being paid to work and playing as a form of entertainment. Computers are simply combinations of existing materials, put together in a certain way, which people can use for good or for evil. Candy canes are combinations of things which had existed. Someone developed that combination of flavors and shapes to tell about Jesus – who, as noted, was slain from the foundation of the world - during a holiday – a type of day which already existed, even though the particular holiday didn’t when Solomon wrote.

God’s rest from His work, then, created certainty which allowed mankind to flourish. And yet, there were so many combinations within the things and concepts that creation within those things would seem infinite.

This, in turn, can lead us back to all of Creation. All the stuff that is new since Solomon’s time is just combinations of stuff which was there in his day - silicon for computer chips, fiber optic communication, etc. - albeit mostly undiscovered. In the same way, all the creatures we now have are just combinations of creatures which were there at the dawn of time, just in different forms.

Genesis 1:27-28

2009-04-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Gen. 1:27 – Male and female

As noted, this is the general explanation, for which the specifics will be given later. This says nothing about creating them together, any more than the sentence “The plane has stopovers in Cleveland and Atlanta” indicates that the stopoves are at the same time.

Let me use an illustration. "I had a sandwich, fries, and a brownie for lunch, then after lunch I did some work. My sandwich had meat and cheese on it."

When did I have the sandwich? For lunch, of course. Is it out of order? No, I'm detailing what I did, then going back and adding extra detail into one portion of my day.

Going back to the sandwich illustration...

"Ihad a sandwich and fries for lunch...my sandwich had meat and cheese." I might continue, "It was a philly steak and cheese sandwich. Oh, while I was there, I ran into an old buddy from high school. We chatted about our school's recent state title - he'd been to the championship game! What a game it was! We both had to get back to work, but after we left the Philly steak place, we decided to continue our conversation in the bakery where he works, nd he bought me a brownie."

At first, i don't even mention what kind of meat, or that I had run into my old friend, much less our conversation about the title game. yet later on in my story, I go back and describe our entire conversation.

In the same way, God created Adam and Eve, and then goes back and gives every detail. Just like the way we talk sometimes. In part one, you may have thought the brownie was purchased in the same place as the Philly steak and cheese sandwich, but that's just the way we talk - it was in a totally different place.

Gen. 1:28 – Replenish the earth, and subdue it

This is not replenishing as we use that term today, when we say to put back things that have been taken out. Rather, it means to put them in the first time. Mankind was told to be fruitful and multiply so people could spread over the entire planet, and so they could work to establish that dominion which god had given them over everything. Because, while god had given it to them, they had not yet claimed it. Instead of claiming it God’s way, of course, they instead fell from grace. Before that sad story, though, comes chapter two, when this sixth day and the perfect earth are explained in more detail.

Genesis 1:26

2009-04-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Gen. 1:26 – In our image

Again, we see the Godhead expressed. This doesn’t mean that God literally has a nose, eyes, and so on. Instead, it refers to the inner person. The body, soul, and spirit is similar to the three parts that make up the Godhead. Until the Fall, there was perfection.

Let them have dominion

This perfection led to mankind being able to rule wisely and completely over all the other creatures. People have dominion because they are more able to plan, more able to build, more able to think complex thoughts, by far than any other creature.

However, whereas now, people are known to do things for evil to animals, then their dominion was a perfectly wise one. Mankind could do all the wonderful things that he can do with animals – train them, allow them to assist him, and so on. Once the Fall came, people kept that dominion, because it still involved order, but God added to it that animals would be eaten, just as they ate each other.

Mankind’s dominion, then, does not come only because people are smarter. It comes about from a sensible order that God created – a hierarchy among His creation. Because god knew that man was going to Fall, He allowed it because, in his sovereignty, He knew people could use this dominion for wonderful things, if they chose. For instance, our ability to train dogs to help the blind is wholly because of that dominion. The animals, too, were happy servants of man – and still are, when people treat them properly. There was likely no stubbornness among them, but instead they worked in man’s best interests.

Take, for example, the story of Balaam and his donkey, starting in Numbers 22:5. God placed in that donkey the desire to help Balaam, acting in his best interest so Balaam wouldn’t run afoul of God’s angel which was ahead of him. God even caused the creature to explain this to Balaam. Whether animals could speak before the Fall is doubtful. However, the important thing is, this may have been a small picture of what it was like before, when peace ruled the earth, and animals always worked in man’s best interests.

Day Six - Genesis 1:24-31

2009-04-22T09:17:00.001-07:00

Those animals needed something to eat, though, and therefore they were created after the plants. As said, God is a God of order and logic.

This section is consistent with chapter 2, because it doesn’t say that God created man and woman at the same time. It only says that He created them. Chapter 2 of Genesis goes into more specifics than chapter 1. Here, we see the incredibly diverse nature of Creation, as we realize the awesome Creator that God is. He molded so many fascinating creatures, creatures that sing His praise by their design.

There are numerous cases, which other writers explain much more thoroughly, where they could not have come about by chance. Take the caterpillar, for instance. The first ones had to get the transformation to butterflies right immediately. They couldn’t make a mistake, get close, but not be able to do it. It had to be built in. Same with the birds which fly many thousands of miles in a season. They couldn’t just go halfway and then fail; It had to be right the first time.

Proof of this is found in what scientists have learned about so-called “prehistoric” creatures. For a deeper analysis, I again recommend Gary Parker’s “Creation: The Facts of Life.” However, here is a short sampling of what scientists have found:

Dinosaurs ate the same plants w4e see today;

Fossils of some things have been found to be the same as those which are living now – this includes animals as well as plants;

Blood cells from dinosaurs have been found, cells which would not have lasted millions of years;

The carbon-14 found in fossils must be only a few thousand years old; and,

Adam and Eve could have had every type of genetic variation within them, and it would have been enough to produce every type of variation we see in the world today.

Before the Fall, everything was perfect. The incredible diversity among the animals after their kinds would produce many wonderful creatures. The wolf, coyote, and the many breeds of dog we see could come from one couple, because of the change that would occur over time as each species mated. The many species of cat would develop. The insect world would grow. And, before the Fall, there were no mutations. Mutations have never been shown to produce beneficial things, only harmful ones. That didn’t matter. The incredible number of creatures that could result naturally lent itself to singing the praises of God and His great love and majesty.

When sin came into the world, of course, these creatures started eating each other. God had established a manner in which different creatures would become predators and different ones prey. However, it is still an orderly system that allows a lot of fabulous creatures within that system. And, it is a system established by God from the foundation of the world. Schools of fish and birds in their nests have something in common with the most advanced of creatures – mankind. That something is a desire for community. Some people with autism spectrum conditions seem much more satisfied by nature. The reason is probably because the certain aspects of nature’s communities are much more consistent and out in the open than the hidden body language and social cues of human ones.

Part of that, of course, is because mankind’s communities are so burdened by sin at times. However, it wasn’t always this way, as we shall see.

Day Five - Genesis 1:20-23

2009-04-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

God not only wanted His creation to cover the universe, He wanted it to abound here on Earth. Just as He would soon send creatures cascading over the land, here He creates them to inhabit many parts of the sea and air.

The richness in diversity of this creation is incredible. Scientists are consistently going deeper into the oceans, and discovering more and more unique creatures. God loves diversity. That’s why He created genetics, and DNA.

The Bible says each creature was made after its kind. Kinds have incredible diversity, as each kind has a different number of genes. The diversity is among the genes that each has. Mathematically, there are an enormous number of possible differences just within these genes – color, shape, size, and so on. Gary Parker, in his excellent book “Creation: The Facts of Life,” explains this well. Creatures can’t just gain or lose genes; there will be changes, but they will always have the same number of genes.

God loves diversity, but He also loves the order and routine which this fabulous ecosystem provides. This is a great object lesson for mankind, as well. As we will see later, God wants people to love each other, to care about each other, to put others before themselves, and so on. He allows us great diversity in the way we live, but there will be consequences if we sin. That is unavoidable. A world of cause and effect was created, and its first signs are here. The plants, originally, provided all the food that was needed, from berries and herbs and things to tiny plankton to whatever else might be used. If an animal ate too much, it meant not enough for some other animal.

Day Four - Gen. 1:14-19

2009-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Day Four

Gen. 1:14-19

On the fourth day, God made the sun, moon, and stars.

Notice that He is said to have made them for times, seasons, days, and years. God had a specific purpose in mind when He established the rotation of the earth and its revolution around the sun, and the moon around the earth. There was no need for that invisible force we call gravity to hold things together before, but now that He made these, He had it planned so that everything would work together perfectly.

If the earth were tilted just a little more toward or away from the sun, life could not exist. If the earth were just a little closer to the sun, it would be way too hot; just a little further, it would be way too cold. Also, if the moon were just a little bigger or closer, tides would be so violent life might not be sustainable; and yet if it were a little further away, or smaller, the tides which keep water from becoming too stagnant wouldn’t exist. Everything works together so beautifully, so perfectly, that the odds of all of it coming together are astronomically small.

Donald B. DeYoung, in a couple books on astronomy and the Bible, explores this and other issues in a very understandable way. To summarize one point, when God stretched out this great expanse, He could have set the light from stars in a way that would let us see many more stars than we could ever imagine. In other words, He may not have only started light coming from those stars at the moment of Creation. Instead, God may have stretched out the light so that it was only a short distance from our planet. Another option is that the speed of light was faster back then. The rest is rather complex for this work, so for more in depth study, I highly recommend DeYoung’s work. But, I do want to add one other technical note, as far as science is concerned.

Astronomers have found that a sort of hum is observable in space, using the most modern technology. Job 38:7 speaks of the morning stars “singing together.” Now, it could be that this was simply a poetic way of saying that all of God’s Creation sings His praises. However, I don’t think so. I think the Spirit-led author of Job used it as poetry, but that God inspired that phrase to be used because of the low hum emitted by the Universe. Just like us, the writer saw through a glass darkly. So, there were certainly things he didn’t totally understand.

He knew, however, that God’s amazing creation was present throughout the universe. And, God knew one day, we would come to recognize that “low hum,” and those who believed would glorify Him for His mighty works when it was discovered. What an incredible, powerful, and mighty God we serve!

From the scientific, and back to the poetic, realm, the vast distances also demonstrate God’s incredible power and might. The distance between worlds, as mentioned before in relation to Mars, is amazing enough. The speed that traffic on a city street goes, it would require half a year of constant driving to reach the moon. Our own sun would require two long lifetimes. The distances are phenomenal, the void in between fathomless.

And yet, the One who made it all displays that and then some – all the stars in space – for sinners like us. This, too, is part of what I mean when I say that He loves to show off His handiwork. Not just to show it off. But, so we can get a glimpse of how awesome He is, how incredibly loving, and how able to help us with anything we need.

It’s all so incredible to consider. It can even be eerie, to fathom no sound able to be heard, because there is no air for it to travel through. The firing of rocket engines, the pounding of astronaut boots as they walk in space or on the moon. Even the sound of an explosion would be absent.

And yet, God hears, even if our ears cannot hear. And, He understands, and loves, and works His wonders in such mighty ways that we can only dream. For He knows, the whole universe is in His hands.

And, with no light, no way to see on the dark side of the moon, nothing to run into but tiny dust specks, and not even those for billions of miles at times

Yet there is. For our Heavenly Father is there, in all those empty reaches of space and of our own, less expansive hearts, working, tirelessly moving in our lives, to draw us closer to Him, to cover those empty, empty times, those times when there is no encouragement, nothing but despair and loneliness, with the three most fabulous things imaginable. To fill our hearts as He fills the emptiness of space with his presence, and to satisfy our hearts, with those three simple words. I love you.

Had he not let us know He made this vast expanse, it would have been more difficult to understand that He could fill all those gaps. But, he did. And, He can.

Day Three - Genesis 1:9-13

2009-04-22T09:00:00.004-07:00

Day Three

Gen. 1:9-13

Here, we see the creation of the third day, and notice a few interesting things.

First, God has a purpose for every creature. The ecosystem is very complex, because of an intelligent Creator who loves to display His craft. In fact, this is the beginning of His plan to occupy this whole world with His creatures. God won’t spare any detail when it comes to fashioning a home that is full of life.

On this day, He made the first living things – plants. Specifically, He caused land to be separated from the water, and grass, trees, herbs, and every other plant to form. These plants have been functioning the same way since the third day of Creation! It’s been an unbroken cycle. Mankind might try to wreck it through manmade famines caused by evil tyrants. Or, chance might happen to slow it down via natural disasters. Still, it remains with us from the foundation of the world. People, in their arrogance, can try to control it, but God has established that seedtime and harvest, among other things, will not cease, till the end of the world.

The other thing to notice here is that the plants were made before the sun. Sunlight is necessary in normal conditions to grow plants. But, God can suspend physics any time He wants. As the Creator, He can say “Peace, be still” and a storm will stop. This applies to the storms of life, as well as the storms of our weather. Of course, many times, He will help us to get through the storm some other way, but, the important thing is, He controls things. And, His light was enough for these plants for the day before He made the sun.

In turn, this speaks to His provision for us when there seems to be no other way, too. Certainly, the first plants were only without the sun for one day. Incredibly dark, dreary days which provide clouds, but no rain, cause plants to go a day with almost no light today. But, God didn’t leave them totally without light. His light gave them all they needed. In the same way, God provides us with what we need, when we need it, as long as we trust in Him; even when it seems impossible to people.

Day Two - Genesis 1:6-8

2009-04-22T09:00:00.003-07:00

Day Two

Gen. 1:6-8:

Firmament: Here, God created the atmosphere, and stretched it out so life could be sustained. That’s why the word literally means “expanse.” This is the unending beauty, the fabulousness with which the sky stretches up into infinity.

Infinity forever like His grace, like His mercy.

For the same sky that we view, clothed in blue, is illuminated all around thanks to a great force at work in the center of our solar system. It stretches beyond the clouds, beyond the imaginable. Atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, yet are held together by that invisible force called gravity that which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. God holds it together, just as He wants to be in the center of our lives, guiding us.

What we more technically call the atmosphere starts not at some point where we see blue, but as the very tips of our feet. Indeed, what little boy or girl has not gleefully sat on Daddy's shoulders and felt so excited at being "way up there." They know the truth the “sky,” that firmament God created, starts at the ground. When they sit on Daddy's shoulders, to them they are in the clouds.

It could only be because of gravity that this atmosphere this "sky" exists. And it can only be through faith that we can exist, perched on our Heavenly Father's shoulders. Even as infants we are in it. Maybe not very far up, but that's okay, because it's the very nature of God. He stretched the sky down to the ground, just as He reached down to us in our sinful state. To allow for us to fellowship with Him through prayer and His Word if we only have faith in Christ, just as we have faith in that invisible thing called gravity to hold that sky down to the ground, and keep these thin molecules from spiraling upward out of our reach, thus taking all the breath, all the life, out of us.

The Bible says He divided the waters from the waters. The many clouds above us contain immense amounts of rain. God organized the clouds in the way He did to provide rain when he saw fit.

There is a further explanation of how waters may have been divided, which has been deduced in the last century. The ultraviolet rays from the sun are strong enough that – though we receive only a fraction of them – they cause decay. While the sun gives us vitamin D, too much exposure to it causes manifold problems. Mankind could never live for centuries under present conditions.

However, if there was a canopy of water less than a foot thick surrounding the earth, the earth and all on it would be shielded from harmful rays. It would be warmer than it is today, yet it would also be cool enough to sustain life easily. In other words, it would be like a giant rainforest. This is exactly what scientists say the world was like, but they fail to understand that it was like that mere thousands of years ago, not millions. This is why people were able to live to the ages of the antediluvian patriarchs. The Great Flood of Noah, then, was caused not only by the “waters of the deep” opening up, but also by the pouring down of water from that canopy onto the earth. And, as you can tell from reading, life spans got much shorter, very quickly, after the Flood.

It is possible, of course, that by Heaven, the Spirit-inspired author meant the solar system, or even the physical universe. Whether it was created on day One or here, though, one thing is certain. God saw that it was good. There was a splendor, a majesty, that can’t be described.

The closest I can imagine, perhaps, may be the scenes streaming back at me on TV from the Mars rover years ago.

To be able to gaze at real, live footage, from a totally different world, in which the sky, the ground, everything was so distinct from my own Earth, gave me goose bumps. I wept tears of joy at the beauty of it, and at the fact that the Lord was showing to us just one little piece of His amazing Creation. Somehow, it was far more than still pictures would have been. Even if there was no physical life, it was so unique, so fabulous, that words escape me, even now, as I ponder the immense distance, and the fact God is so powerful as to have done all that, and yet so loving as to concern Himself with each of us.

2009-04-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

Day One: Genesis 1:3-5

2009-04-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

Day One

Gen. 1:3-5:

And God said: Many verses tell of how powerful the word of God is. His power is such that He speaks, and what He says happens. God can’t lie. (Titus 1:2) Therefore, what He says must come to pass. Here, we see the first sign of that.

It also shows that God loves to speak. He loves to communicate with His creation, and longs to fellowship with each of us. It’s certainly understandable when some neurological problem causes one to be unable to communicate well. However, communication was created to allow us to get along with others, as well as for God to communicate with us. Even among the heathen, Paul says, after the Fall, God didn't leave Himself without witness; even though they didn’t have His word. He was still good to them, and provided rain, food, and so on. (Acts 14:17)

Consider all the different ways God could have created the world. He could have just started a process, and let it continue. Some scientists claim the Big Bang was like this, but this so takes away from the loving involvement of God in His work. He could have formed everything wordlessly, but then how would we know anything about Him? The distant or absent person is not going to be able to have a true impact, because they will never be known to those they are trying to help. Only through a relationship can we really have meaningful growth in anything. An absentee business owner, of course, may be successful of he or she has a good manager for the affairs of the business. However, then it is the manager who becomes the face of the business in the public’s eye, not the owner.

In the same way, God is not absent or distant. He is involved in every minute detail. His face, his handiwork, is visible to all who those to see it. He tells this molecule to do something, and it does it. He tells this seed to fall, and up springs a tree. The fact that He spoke, from the very beginning of Creation, shows how involved He is with everything. This involvement has always been a part of who God is.

Let there be light: Those who complain that the sun wasn’t created till day four miss several important facts. First, the sun is only a star that creates light through chemical processes, just as many other stars do. However, more importantly, this was not just a light created through chemical means. This is a different word than the “light” used in Gen. 1:16 to describe the sun and the moon. Strong’s concordance records that it can mean lights in Heaven, but it can also be used for other “lights,” including the light of life and the light of prosperity.

It was good: There are numerous reasons God could see that it was good. The distinction between day and night, causing a natural time for work and one for rest, is one of them. The feeling that light creates is another one.

Consider a spring day, with sunlight flooding a home. It is not just a bunch of rays that provide warmth. It is so much more than mere science can describe. It raises hopes, and allows life to function. The idea of a night lasting for months, as in the Arctic in winter, is depressing to most people. Yes, artificial light allows one to function at night, but that fact itself proves the point. If there was no artificial light, that life and activity which modern people engage in at night can’t occur anywhere.

Not only that, but light comforts. The beauty reminds one of all that is good, for Christians it can remind us of all that Christ has done. Because Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12, et. al.), conquered death, and rose from the dead on a spring day 2000 years ago. Death was swallowed up in victory! He had conquered the darkness that surrounded us, just as when light floods a dark room.

Jesus is God, of course; without Him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:3) He had a part is creating that light, speaking it into existence, because part of His plan was to divide the light from the darkness. If we simply put our trust in Christ, we can cast all our cares on Him, and let Him guide us in life. Christ said, "It is finished" on the cross, and so the battle has already been won. Those dark recesses of our fears have been vanquished. For if you have Christ in you, you are in the light.

The light He created at this time was real, and also foretells the goodness that He would bring us, and how He could sweep away the darkness that is in our minds and in our lives at times. Thus, He separated the light from the darkness.

The first day: I don’t know if the radiance from God shone on the world while it spun like our sun does. I only know that Rev. 22:5 says that in the New Earth, there will be no need for a candle, or for the sun, because God will be the light. But, we don’t have to know exactly how it worked. As with other things, God will reveal them in His time, that being when we, who see through a glass darkly now, will see Him face to face.

However, we do know it was a literal, 24-hour day.

First, numerous peoples, besides the Hebrews, considered the day to begin in the evening, as if the darkness had come before the light. John Gill covers these more specifically in his commentary on Genesis 1:5. Also, every human society has a seven-day week. This is completely arbitrary, as opposed to the month, which is based on the moon, or the day, which is based on the earth’s spinning on its axis. More will be mentioned on this when we consider Genesis 2:2-3.

This raises the question, in some minds, about where God was when He was doing this. The answer? The physical world is not all that there is. There are more than three dimensions. Time is considered its own dimension by many. Some scientists believe there may be even more dimensions that we can’t understand. The important thing is, God did not have to be in a physical place the way we perceive it. The Spiritual realm is different, and connected in ways which we, as mere mortals, can’t comprehend. It would be like trying to explain to an insect the joy of creating a fantastic work of art.

Genesis 1:2

2009-04-22T08:58:00.001-07:00

Gen. 1:2

Without form and void: Here, the lifelessness before Creation is emphasized. Elsewhere, the Bible talks of God quickening things. That means that He makes them alive. He loves to make all things new; indeed, His mercies to us are new every morning. (Lam. 3:22-23) Whether we choose to accept them or not, they are there for us.

This shows the glory of God as a Creator, one who takes great joy in His creation. As people, we may get joy out of writing something, or out of teaching someone a skill. However, this pales in comparison to the joy God feels over His creation. God is love. And, He has a special love for everyone. It hurts and disappoints Him so much when we fail to do what He calls us to do.

Here, however, we see the world before any of that creation has occurred. It is a mass of chaos. God is in the business of making order out of chaos.

He does this in many ways. In the solar system, for instance, the planets were formed to move around the sun in predictable obits, instead of zigging and zagging everywhere. This is done through gravity. Here on earth, He creates families. Where people refuse to act as parents should, His Spirit moves others to intercede and be the emotional father or mother that child needs. He creates governments, yet assures people that obedience to His laws is the most important thing to Him, and that He will be with those who must live with ungodly rulers. There are two notable examples in the Book of Daniel alone – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who were saved from the fiery furnace after they wouldn’t bow to the emperor, and Daniel, who was saved from the mouths of lions after he prayed to God in defiance of the ruler’s orders. There are many other ways in which God creates order out of chaos, so things will run smoothly.

Here, we see Him making order out of the chaos of a lifeless, formless world. He does this by His Spirit moving over the face of it. The Holy Spirit is shown as Creator here, as He is in Job 26:13, just as God the Son is shown in John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17, and Hebrews 1:3, and as God the Father is shown in many places.

Genesis 1:1

2009-04-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1

Gen. 1:1

In the beginning: Children often love to hear the story of their birth. A favorite pastime of some is learning about their ancestry. This world, too, had a beginning. It was not eternally pre-existing. But, God was. God created it with a special purpose in mind.

God: This is the Almighty. He is present everywhere, all-knowing, and all-powerful. An example of His power is here, as in this chapter, we see Him merely speaking, and the world comes into existence. As noted above, this is in sharp contrast to creation stories of other people groups. While they involve the creativity of man, here, we see something simple and wonderful. And, it begins with the Lord choosing to create a perfect world.

The word used often early in Genesis for “God” is “Elohim.” This refers to the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Spirit were all involved in Creation. Jesus states “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) it does not mean there are several gods. It only means that He shows Himself in different ways. A man can be a father, a son, and a brother at the same time, but he interacts with members of his family differently. An egg consists of three parts – the yoke, albumin, and shell. They are all “egg,” though. H2O, the formula most know as “water,” exists, at the same time in different places, as a solid, liquid, and gas. These help us to understand the Godhead a little. However, there are many things – like this - where we see through a glass darkly. We can’t understand the many wonders of God; nor should we. We are mere people, and He is so much greater than we are.

It is especially worth noting that He created the Heavens and the earth perfect. He did so with a specific purpose. He knew what choices people would make. But, He gave mankind freedom, so we would not be mindless robots, with no freedom. God gave us freedom, in His love and mercy, so we wouldn’t be forced to serve Him. He gave us freedom to serve Him, if we want to do so. We are free to reject Him, but that has consequences, which He clearly explains. He tells us everything we need to know when we need to know it. It is one aspect of a loving father.

God did not want anyone to be separated from Him forever, for He is willing that none perish, but that all come to repentance. (1 Peter 3:9). So, He had a plan. He Himself would become the ultimate sacrifice. God the Son came to this world as the Lamb of God, which was slain from the foundation of the world. (1 Peter 1:20, et. al.)

At this foundation, when God created the Heavens and the earth, the plan of salvation was already in place. God has never been caught off guard. He has perfect foreknowledge of what will happen. And, He won’t allow anything to happen that goes against His perfect plan to redeem mankind.

So it was that all was created, but we are not told everything right away. Instead, God presents the first two chapters in a way that lets us see something wonderful.

The first two chapters of Genesis show us the world the way it was meant to be, before people chose to sin. It was perfect. There was no pain, no suffering, and no disease. Yes, He created bacteria that cause it now, but at the time of creation, it may have been meant to provide helpful things, just as there are creatures now in relationships where they help each other (symbiotic) now in this world.

The first two chapters of the Bible and the last two chapters describe a world without sin. That’s how God wanted it to be, with no pain or suffering. And yet, He knew that He had to give people freedom.

Still, there is also one common theme. That theme is God’s love, grace, and mercy despite the wickedness of the world.

We will look at that in detail later. For now, let’s continue looking at that perfect world which God created.

Introduction to self, the Bible, and to Genesis

2009-04-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Introduction

How does a simple man, with a mere Master of Ministry, attempt to comment on God’s Word? It is simple. Born again by the grace of God, I’ve got His Spirit inside me, as we see in various Scripture verses. It is done by one who trusts in the Lord, and what He did for me because I believed on His name. (John 1:12) I put my faith in what He did for me on the cross, that He took the punishment for all my sin, died, was buried, and rose again the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Of course, I don’t have perfect knowledge – like Paul, I see “through a glass darkly,” (1 Cor. 13:12). I will explain what can be explained, and speculate where only that can be done. At times, this tome will become poetic, philosophical, or instructional. It will not cover every verse, but it will cover what makes enough of an impression on me that I feel it’s important to write it down.

My fervent prayer is that it be a blessing and draw the reader closer to God, who so loved each of us – you – that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Introduction to the Bible

Many modern people try to cast doubt on the Bible. However, the Bible is to be taken by faith. Of course, we don’t have time machines. However, what we can do is live by the same faith by which we breathe and live. It is the same faith by which we sit in chairs without holding on for dear life. Indeed, it’s the faith that what is under the floor – which we can’t see – will hold us up, instead of breaking and making us fall through.

If we did not have the faith that a chair would support us, we could not relax in it. If you were offered a chair, as a guest, and refused, that host would not accept the fact that you had never tested it. In the same way, we are guests. God has graciously given us this life, and we should put our faith in that which God has provided – namely, His Word. It was not written by men, but “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21)

People refuse to have faith in God’s Word for several reasons.

A. They refuse to trust in God’s Word because they have been taught wrong. All humans are capable of error. There are many verses which talk of the danger of false teachers. The Bible itself should be our only authority;

B. They wish to follow their own ways, to which the Scripture applies that, “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22) Also, God made the “foolish things” of this world to confound the wise.” (1 Cor. 1:27);

C. They wish to avoid being confronted with their sin. This is an error because they will be confronted eventually, for in the end, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Php. 2:10-11) They may feel they can gain more on earth, but “what doth it profit a man, to gain the world, and lose his own soul?”(Mark 8:36) It is best to confess and forsake sin now, and turn to Christ as Savior, before it is too late. And, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, for any of us. Jesus came that we might have life – in Heaven – but also that we might have it more abundantly – here while we live. (John 10:10)

Introduction to Genesis

Moses is the writer of “the law,” which means the first five books of the Bible. We must never make the mistake in thinking that the ancients were all illiterate cavemen. People lived in caves during the Ice Age following the Great Flood of Noah, it’s true. Lack of sunlight and improper diet led to things like rickets. This caused features of what modern science mistakenly thinks are Neanderthals. However, these people had the intelligence to read, to write, and even to work with iron, as Tubal-Cain did. (Gen. 4:22) It’s an error of false pride on the part of modern man to think that those in that time period couldn’t have read or written. And, growing up in Pharoah’s court, Moses would clearly have been very literate.

Genesis is written to explain the world’s beginnings. It does so in simple fashion, compared with the often fanciful writings of other ancient works. Such works can have similar themes, of course, such as the myriad Flood accounts of different civilizations. But, they have been corrupted by man’s ideas. The original, true story of Cretion is found here. God gives clear, concise explanations for how the world was made, how sin entered, and how He began the process of redeeming mankind by calling forth a people, from whom the Savior would later come