Messiah For All

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 4

What others think about the tree of knowledge of good and evil

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First mention of a solution against death 6 Authority given to the send one from God coming out of the woman

June 23, 2016Marcus Ampe14 Comments

Christ or the saviour spoken of in the garden of Eden was placed in the book of life before Abraham was born, but was himself born much later, being the seed of Abraham and the seed of David and the seed of Israel.

Those born after Christ can also as seed and followers of Christ likewise should not be followers of evil or followers of satan but should “crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24) and not be followers of the world.

Galatians 5:4-6 NHEBJE You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. (5) For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. (6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

Galatians 5:18-25 NHEBJE (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, (21) envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, (23) gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 3:29 NHEBJE If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise.

Galatians 3:7 NHEBJE Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.

Romans 9:7-8 NHEBJE Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “In Isaac will your seed be called.” (8) That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

The term devil is not only used to define physical sin in the flesh, but all those who are motivated thereby. It is applied to individuals who stand in opposition to the way of righteousness (e.g. John 6:70), or to governments that are antagonistic to the principles of Christ (e.g. Revelation 2:10). As people used to say a person is of the devil, when he had badness in him so also it is said he or she is a serpent or snake, when he has evil words or likes to take on a bad attitude. The serpent is used in similar fashion to present opposition. It is applied to the sin-promptings of the flesh that must be done with or put away. Such acting be it of the flesh or coming from the mind within should be impaled or crucified (Numbers 21:6; Galatians 5:24) because otherwise they would be as a sting from God bringing death.

Numbers 21:6 NHEBJE Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

Galatians 5:24-26 NHEBJE (24) Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

Adam and Eve showed to God they did not live by the Spirit any more. They provoked one another and the venom of Eve was like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, which doesn’t listen to the good advice God offers to man.

Psalms 58:4 NHEBJE Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf viper that stops its ear,

Eve her bad choice, her actual transgression got her as an opposer of God now to take care of herself, with all the pains that could bring to her, bearing children but also facing the agonies and death in her life. Instead of becoming fully like God she became according to the likeness of the snake, with creepy thoughts and political sin-powers of the world of flesh, as a serpent pouring water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. Now she had brought forth transgression and war.

Revelation 12:13-17 NHEBJE (13) When the serpent saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. (14) Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (15) The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. (16) The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the serpent spewed out of his mouth. (17) The serpent grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

With that coming seed the time of the evil was going to be limited. Out of the woman, the virgin Mary came the one who was to tell the world about the faithfulness of That One Who always tells the truth. The One who send him is not a teller of lies, like the serpent wanted Eve to believe. It were her thoughts which are represented by the serpent, which is the father of lies, the adversary, the devil.

Revelation 13:7 NHEBJE It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.

Until now that evil staid in this world, seemingly standing strong, but are not mistaken.

Exodus 9:15-16 NHEBJE For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; (16) but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;

The diabolos or devil, in time will be captured (Revelation 12:14; 20:2). In Eureka vol. 1, pp. 248-249, Bro. Thomas has this to say on the word diabolos or devil:

“By this time, I apprehend, the intelligent reader will be able to answer scripturally the question,

‘What is that which has the power of death?’

And he will, doubtless, agree, that it is

‘the exceedingly great sinner SIN,’

in the sense of ‘the Law of Sin and Death’ within all the posterity of Adam, without exception. This, then, is Paul’s diabolos, which he says

‘has the power of death’;

which ‘power’ he also saith is ‘sin, the sting of death’.”

But why did Paul style ‘sin‘, ‘diabolos’?
The answer to this question will be found in the definition of the word. Diabolos is derived from diaballo, which is compounded of dia, a preposition, which in composition signifies across, over,… and intransitively, like the Latin trajicere, to pass over, to cross, to pass. It is the Greek for “slanderer” or “accuser”, the spirit or power of evil in English often translated as “devil“. It was in later times that false teachings created a sort of fallen angels or demons (not using that word for its original meaning or disease).

In postbiblical Judaism and in Christianity, Satan also became known as the “prince of devils” and assumed various names: Beelzebub (“Lord of Flies”) in Matthew 12:24–27, often cited as Beelzebul (“Lord of Dung”), and Lucifer (the fallen angel of Light).

We saw the first people in the Garden of Eden “crossing the line”. This being the signification of the parent verb, the noun diabolos is the name of that which crosses, or causes to cross over, ox falls over. Diabolos is therefore a very fit and proper word by which to designate the law of sin and death, or Sin’s flesh.

The Eternal Spirit drew a line before Adam, and said,

Thou shalt not cross, or pass over that line upon pain of evil and death.

That line was the Eden law; on the east of that line was the answer of a good conscience, friendship with God, and life without end; but on the west, fear, shame, misery, and death.

To obey, was to maintain the position in which he was originally placed: to disobey, to cross over the line forbidden. But

‘he was drawn away, and enticed by his own lusts’.

The narrative of Moses proves this. The man was enticed of his own lust to cross over the line, or to disobey the law; so that his own lust is the Diabolos. Thus, etymology and doctrine agreeing, the Christadelphian definition must be correct. According to this, the original diabolos was the serpent, whose seductive, tempting voice, lured Eve and then Adam to disobey. In Eden, therefore, there was an external tempter in the person of the serpent. But as the propensities were inflamed through the original transgression, the tempter, the serpent, has been found within.

“And the woman” – The woman is representative of the Ecclesia. She was so in her formation, as well as in her sin. (See the use of this symbol 2Co 11:3; Eph 5:31-32; Isa 54:6).

“And between thy seed” – Those governed by the mind of the flesh. (See Psa 58:4; Psa 140:3; Mat 23:33; 2Co 11:3-4; Rom 8:5-9; Joh 8:44).

“And her seed” – Those governed by the mind of the Spirit, and who are found “in Christ”, God’s son “made of a woman” (Gal 4:4). The emphasis upon the “seed of the woman” rather than that of the man, points to the importance of the divine begettal and virgin birth of the Lord. Php 2:6. {Eureka vol. 1, pp. 248-249, Bro. Thomas}

With the act of Adam and Eve we get a response of them being “Cursed” – The curse rested upon all creation because man, the chief of Creation, was involved. By

“one man’s offence death reigned by one” (Romans 5:12; Romans 5:17);

“one act of transgression judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:18 mg.).

By the wrong choice Adam and Eve made, they crossed the line and as such sinned. By their act there was the death-dealing sin, the verdict on that one sin namely was the death sentence. The wrongdoing of one, death was ruling through the one, and from one generation to an other sins multiplied. Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death. For that reason God provided a solution for braking the effect of the act of wrongdoing by which punishment came on all men. If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift God offered already at the moment of wrongdoing in the Garden of Eden? This grand setting-everything-right, is the promise which got many hoping all their life. Though they did not see it come trough in their lifetime, they were assured that it was going to become a reality. That promise in the Garden of Eden was to brake with the curse of death, the curse brought by the adversary of God. For centuries there still would come many adversaries of God, but with God’s solution their acts would be nullified. God’s gift was to bring grace which came of many offenses unto justification. For if by one offense, death reigned because of one man; much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of gifts and of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus the Christ, the world is being told.

Offering of plants or offerings of animals would not any more be necessary, because there would come a man strong enough to proof he could withstand any temptation and would keep to God’s Wishes. That seed of the woman was come on earth out of man, by God’s Grace. In the same manner that by the iniquity of one guilt came upon all men unto condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, he always doing God’s Will and not his, giving his body to God as a ransom offer, grace came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:16-18)

We do not have to think that we are “condemned” or treated as guilty because of the offence of Adam, but the punishment to which he was condemned (that of mortality) rests
upon all his posterity. Nobody can avoid death. It is our misfortune, not our blame, that we inherit the physical consequences of Adam’s sin; for, let it be clearly understood, it is the physical consequences of the curse that we inherit, and not the moral guilt; and, furthermore, also the send one from God, Jeshua, Jesus Christ, inherited these in common with us all.

Man was originally in a “very good” physical state (Genesis 1:31); but afterwards was adjudged by the same Judge as evil. Once it even came to the ground being cursed and animal, plants and humans being destroyed by a huge flood. But God did not want such killing any more (Genesis 8:21)

Originally the earth was proclaimed “very good,” but afterwards it sprouted thorns and thistles in abundance (Genesis 3:18). Its proneness so to do is similar to the proneness of the flesh to sin, producing moral thorns and thistles (see Hebrews 6:8). Originally, the animals were vegetarian, and came tamely before Adam to be named (Genesis 2:19); but subsequently they became carnivorous and fierce; though ultimately they will be restored to their original state (Isaiah 65:25). Man’s physical state under the curse, his proneness to sin, is expressed in Scriptures such as Gen 3:19; Rom 7:5; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:17-18; Rom 7:20; Php 3:21, etc.

“It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” –

The Hebrew hu is best rendered “he”; and “bruise”, shuwph, signifies “to crush”, as rendered in Rotherham’s translation. To “crush” the head is to administer a fatal blow, whereas to crush a heel will only incapacitate for a time. Accordingly, the declaration promises to completely destroy the effects of transgression brought into being through the serpent’s teaching, though, in doing so, the seed of the woman would be temporary wounded thereby. This was accomplished through the offering of Christ. Though he died, it was only a temporary affliction, for he rose triumphant over death, and provided the means whereby his followers triumph over sin and death: the heritage of the serpent.

Paul’s comment is to the point:

“Through death (a crushed heel) he might destroy (a crushed head) him that had the power of death (sin in the flesh) even the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

Christ, by doing God’s Will showed that man is able to keep to the commandments of God. He destroyed “the devil” (sin in the flesh) in that in death such is rendered inactive. His sacrificial death ensured his resurrection to life eternal, Jeshua being taken up from the dead after having spend three days in hell. For what Jesus did man should show respect and be grateful he wanted to give himself as ransom. God made him now higher than angels and any other man.

Philippians 2:8-11 NHEBJE (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 10:17-18 NHEBJE Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. (18) No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”

Acts 2:22-24 NHEBJE “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, (23) him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; (24) whom God raised up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.

Being clothed upon with Divine nature, he was no longer subject to mortality, and sin in the flesh ceased to be an element of his being. Furthermore, through the mercy of the Father, the efficacy of his offering extends to those who are “in him” through baptism. They are granted forgiveness of sins, and are motivated to overcome. The Edenic Covenant of promise, therefore, guarantees life to the seed of the woman through conquest of the serpent power. It promises victory through Christ in the battle against sin and death.

Preceding articles

A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made

First mention of a solution against death 1 To divine, serpent, opposition, satan and adversary

First mention of a solution against death 2 Harm or no harm and naked truth

First mention of a solution against death 3 Tempter Satan and man’s problems

First mention of a solution against death 4 A seed for mankind

First mention of a solution against death 5 Evil its law of death

Next: First mention of a solution against death 7 Human sacrifice

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First mention of a solution against death 4 A seed for mankind

May 23, 2016June 17, 2016Marcus Ampe29 Comments

Vanity and the hope to be as God, knowing everything and being able to do everything, man made the wrong choice, going in against the Will of God, disobeying His mitzvot not to touch or eat of the tree of knowledge of good and bad.

The Divine Creator is a God of order, clarity, Who does not tell lies (= always telling the truth) and does not create chaos or confusion. (1 Corinthians 14:33) Man should have known that God always told the truth. But by letting his thoughts wander about, he was caught by his own bad thoughts that God would keep something hidden from him or did not want to give him what he also should own.

As He had promised they would get to know life and death, He cursed them to the hard labour which they previously never had to do. And having made out of dust, God told them they would return to it, becoming dust again, meaning to die and then to decay. (Genesis 3:19)

(Genesis 3:19 ASV): “in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

In the previous chapters we discussed that what happened to Adam and Eve still happens to us every day. Temptation today still follows the same pattern with us as it did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. Always there is first the arousing of desire; then the mind, seizing upon that desire, rationalizes it to make it seem reasonable, proper, and profitable. Then the will acts — and often immediately confusion, guilt, blame, and a sense of limitation follows without fail. The process is absolutely relentless.

Adam and Eve thought, like we often do, that we can hide ourselves. We may think that we have hidden things we did from the eyes of man, and oftentimes many of us are deluded into thinking that because no human being knows about our guilt, nothing has happened.

Yet within us, whenever we yield to evil, a darkness falls and death tightens its grip upon our throat. {Ray C. Stedman}

When addressing the evil God shows His understanding and shows His willingness to provide help in their hopeless situation. It is not that man shall be able to escape for what they have done. No, there is the curse for the woman and for the man. and to the evil or the adversary of Him, Jehovah says

Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

The evil or satan shall become subject of a war to the “death”. The thoughts Eve had, would now also come to her children, dwelling in them they shall be troubled by desires, vanity, and other bad things, bringing them into captivity to the law of sin which is in their members

Romans 7:18-23 NHEBJE For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. (19) For the good which I desire, I do not do; but the evil which I do not desire, that I practice. (20) But if what I do not desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. (21) I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. (22) For I delight in God’s law after the inward man, (23) but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.

For those who have that incapacity to be fully correct or without fault, God did not want that they would not have to face total destruction. Speaking out His judgement over Adam and Eve the Divine Creator spoke about a future saviour. Some one who would be able to break the curse of death. Between the bad thoughts and the way of righteousness shall be a battle. Those who would like to follow their own self-love and what made Eve from this world shall find tribulation and lots of problems in this world, not strong enough to fight them. Though others who not want to be of that world shall be able to be stronger and find their way out, though the world may hate them.

John 15:19 NHEBJE If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 16:33 NHEBJE I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

Yes, there will be one coming, by the promise of the Most High, who can call himself the only begotten son of God. Though the mind of the flesh may be hostile to God (Romans 8:6-7) this provider foreseen by God in the Garden of Eden, after the fall of man, long before Abraham, is the one we all have to look for and have to find. In him we shall have to put our faith to come away under the curse of death. He is the only man who succeeded to be without fault. He always managed to do God His Will. Though he was tempted many times (in the desert, in the square of the village and in the town, in the temple, in the garden of Gethsemane) he never gave in to the temptation, always wanting to do God His will instead of his own will.

Luke 22:41-42 NHEBJE He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

The writer of Bereshith notates God’s declaration that there shall be a separating of the serpent (the evil, the temptation) from the woman, and tells about the provision of a solution, which we shall hear about in later books as well. In the third chapter of Genesis we find the basis for the first promise of redemption which must be interpreted allegorically. In that light, the serpent stood for what it proclaimed:

“Ye shall not surely die” (v. 4).

This error was an emanation of the thinking of the flesh called “the carnal mind” by the apostle Paul, which, he declared

“is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7).

Moses lets us understand that there in the Garden of Eden was the base of our problems. There the first man and woman doubting God and His honesty, they becoming adversaries or enemies of God. Eve her thoughts are represented as the creeping animal, a serpent which became “the father of lies“, and all who endorse or proclaim error are considered as its seed, or children.

John 8:44 NHEBJE You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.

Accordingly, in the allegorical signification of this statement, the serpent represents the spirit of error and deceit as it emanates from the carnal mind. It is frequently used for those who oppose the Truth (Psalms 58:4; 140:3; Matthew 23:33; Revelation 12:9), manifesting themselves as adversaries of the righteous. Its error stemmed from its presumption in reasoning upon Divine law from the standpoint of the flesh. This philosophy caused Eve to view the forbidden tree anew, and its attractive appearance aroused in her the latent propensities of the flesh which then became active and demanding.

“The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”

which John teaches is

“not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16)

were inflamed, and became “the word of the serpent” made flesh in her.

Adam and Eve wanted so much to have that knowledge of good and evil. Their aspiration to own that knowledge was fed by their lust for more. Paul calls such ‘wants’ “lusts” and gives them the title of sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3), or “sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:20).

Romans 8:3 NHEBJE For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;

The sending of that son is God’s solution for mankind. Though evil shall do everything to try to destroy him, it shall not succeed.

Michelangelo Bounarotti - The Fall and Expulsi... — Michelangelo Bounarotti – The Fall and Expulsion of Adam and Eve – detail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By the offspring of the woman the world shall come to see a Virgin Birth where “It” (AV), a singular seed, shall “bruise” (AV), or “Shuwph” = to crush (Job 9:17). This enmity which had come into existence, between man and God, is seeking the destruction of the higher interests of man. While it will inflict injury, this enmity is subject to the ultimate conquest of man.

The sorrow of woman consequent upon the Fall brings God now having a woman bringing life to a man, but this time not without pain. Also the seed God provides shall bring lots of pain to his mother and generations shall look up at that miserable pain this son of hers had to endure.

Preceding articles

Creation of the earth and man #22 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #6 Spirits, spiritual bodies and illusory perception

Necessity of a revelation of creation 1 Works of God and works of man

Necessity of a revelation of creation 4 Getting understanding by Word of God 2

Genesis – Story of creation 6 Genesis 3:13-24 Enmity and curse

What others think about the tree of knowledge of good and evil

A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made

Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #1

Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #2

First mention of a solution against death 1 To divine, serpent, opposition, satan and adversary

First mention of a solution against death 2 Harm or no harm and naked truth

First mention of a solution against death 3 Tempter Satan and man’s problems

Necessary to be known all over the earth

Next: First mention of a solution against death 5 Evil its law of death

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First mention of a solution against death 3 Tempter Satan and man’s problems

May 21, 2016February 27, 2018Marcus Ampe28 Comments

In the previous postings we have seen that the “serpent” is no ordinary “beast of the field.” Later portions of the Bible seem to imply that its subtle words were supplied by what man came ‘to believe’ or ‘see‘. Their action or attitude against God made them an adversary or satan.

The “quickness of perception” made their “voice of flesh” trouble their mind and made them to become an adversary of God instead of them becoming like God, though they still want to be the same as God and even today many want to play for god. This is what brings the world in a lot of problems.

The tempter for many became a ‘person’ or active figure called “Satan” or the devil. This Satan or adversary is the power of evil, the rebel against God. Hence the serpent has usually been treated by artists symbolically; Raphael pictures it as partly human, possessed of a woman’s head, a woman’s brain without her nobler soul. Certainly the serpent’s cunning words suggest human nature arguing with itself; the baser, beastly parts stirring the mind to ambition and rage and fear.

‎In the garden of Eden, the two mysterious trees, one of life and death, the other of “the knowledge of good and evil” were not for man. Their idea of being “as gods” was very temptive and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and had taken of the fruit thereof and had also given it to her husband, they effectively came to know “good” and “evil“.

They found that knowledge, even at its best, is but a poor substitute for innocent purity. Most startling of the grim facts made clear to them, was that they had disobeyed their Divine Maker and thus lost their sense of joy and security with Him. They could imagine He would not be pleased with their act and therefore hid ashamed for Him. Going against the Will of God they had taken into their hearts selfishness and suspicion and fear. Darkened of mind and sin-stained of body, they were no longer willing to be fully seen, to gaze and be gazed upon. They grew secretive, furtive. They began to clothe their naked bodies with leaves, and they crouched among the trees to hide from God.

‎Before their act of insubmission they were never afraid of each other, of animals or of God. But now, after they failed to comply to God’s Will, they clearly knew they had done something wrong and even felt not sure any more about themselves. Never before had they avoided their Creator who was there Father. But now when He came to them in the garden “in the cool of the day” and when He spoke to them sadly of their fall, Adam answered trembling from his hiding place, and showed how contemptible indeed that fall had been. His personal resources had failed him. Perhaps he did not come to see that if anything is withheld from us, we may be sure that it is not absolutely for our good. He came to understand that his heart and soul (his flesh, heart and spirit or thinking) had failed. His downfall brought with it that he sought excuses. He did not want to to take the lowest place. He sought with crafty, coward words to shift his blame upon the woman, and even upon God, which shows how a state of sin can affect us.

Genesis 3:12 NHEBJE The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

Putting the blame on his wife, to consider her responsible for his misdeed, is something which those who do wrong still try to do today. From that first sin those two first people their offspring got ‘bad examples’ and got the genes of troubled minds. Though

“Genetic predisposition made me do it”

is no excuse and is doing the same as Adam did. Eve also quickly learned from Adam trying to use an excuse to plead her innocence and freedom. The term “deceived” seems to mean “cause to forget”. It may be an onomatopoeia to the serpent’s hissing (i.e. hissi’ani). The New Testament mentions Eve’s actions in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:14.

2 Corinthians 11:3 NHEBJE (3) But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 Timothy 2:14 NHEBJE Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

But than we got to hear of some solutions.

1 Timothy 2:15 NHEBJE but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.

Once again we hear about certain conditions or some commandments of God, namely to continue in faith and love or charity (o. agape) and holiness with sobriety or modesty or with self-control.

Because the 1st Adam had hearkened unto the voice of his wife, not only listening to her and not pointing to her what she was thinking was wrong, but following her, he also was at fault and should have to bear the consequences like any person who does something wrong has to bear the consequences.

Man was taken out of the earth, from dust. Because both had not listened to God they had to see it was serious what God had said about life and death. Now they were going to feel what it meant knowing life and death. Knowing good and bad things of life and losing life.

Genesis 3:17-22 NHEBJE To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. (19) By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (20) The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (21) Jehovah God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them. (22) Jehovah God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…”

Biblia Pauperum illustration of Eve and the Se... — Biblia Pauperum illustration of Eve and the Serpent (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Adam should have been following God’s word, but he followed his wife’s word and broke God’s specific command or mitzvoth. Each created being has received like Adam and Eve a free choice either to follow God His Words or to deny them and to go astray from God. Adam and Eve had heard what could happen (cf. Genesis 2:15-17). Now it was too late to turn back.

The whole creation now had to bear the consequences of the fall of mankind and nature.

Romans 8:18-23 NHEBJE For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. (19) For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (20) For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. (23) Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.

Nature became involved because man now being on his own trying to look for his daily edible food started also hunting the animals, which had to become fearing man and going into their defence. As such animals and plants also became a victim of the fall of man. But God is a God of love and He does not like it when His creatures do have to suffer. God is on the side of His creatures. Therefore He provide a solution for them, but it had to come form man itself. Like the first man or Adam had to make the right choice the new or second Adam, the man for the new beginning had to make the right choice too.

Preceding articles

The very very beginning 2 The Word and words

A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made

What others think about the tree of knowledge of good and evil

First mention of a solution against death 1 To divine, serpent, opposition, satan and adversary

First mention of a solution against death 2 Harm or no harm and naked truth

Next: First mention of a solution against death 4 A seed for mankind

Additional reading

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A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made

May 18, 2016May 18, 2016Marcus Ampe21 Comments

The Divine Creator, Master of heaven and earth, reached forth His hand and blessed the whole, and Adam and Eve began their life at the Garden of Eden in that primeval happiness and intimacy with God, of which their sin was so soon to deprive them and the world.

Though we do have no knowledge about the where about of the Garden of Eden except from the biblical description which places it amid four rivers and names the Euphrates as one of these. Students have usually guessed its location between Ur, Calneh, near the mouth of the Euphrates, a region where the garden might include seashore, river-meadows, and mountains, and the ancient coastline of the Persian gulf.
‎Noah’s landing place, Mt. Ararat, the centre from which his descendants went forth for the second peopling of the earth, is fairly settled upon as being in the great culminating range of Armenia, the tremendous peaks which tower at the Euphrates’ source. The site of Babylon or Babel has been definitely established by modern research, as has also that of Ur, the city whence Abraham set out upon his journeyings.

There were the waters and by time the dry land appeared and became more and more coloured by plants or cultivated, step by step developing to its present outline. Throughout history there came people who wanted to notate these developments and how man evolved in that big system of things. These successive steps, as detailed in the Bible narrative, are told also by the investigations of science, which show that our globe must indeed have progressed through just this development. Though the biggest fault many people make is that they all want to see it happening in their notation of time, forgetting that God has an other view of minutes, hours and days.

2 Peter 3:8 (ESV): ⁸But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

It is with this knowledge that we should look at the creation of the earth and at the evolution of our world which is still continuing to evolve and undergoing many changes, regularly presenting to mankind for him newly discovered animals and plants.

‎It was of the productions of God’s fourth day, the sun and moon, with all their wonder and splendour entered the Bible narrative. Those elements at the sky could be used by man as signs. The lights in the firmament of the heaven were given by the Creator so that man could divide the day from the night and have them for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. That is to say, man from a very early period measured his days by the sunlight, his weeks and months by the changes of the moon, and his years by the shifting of the sun and stars. By them he knew the coming of spring and fall, and when to plant and when to reap his crops. They served as guides to travellers by land and sea.

In the wording of the writer of the Bereshith or the Beginning of everything we can find some indication of multiplying elements and even abundance.

Genesis 1:20 (ESV): ²⁰And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”

Psalm 104:25 (ESV): ²⁵ Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.

Genesis 8:17 (ESV): ¹⁷Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”

Genesis 9:1 (ESV): And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

‎

As the culmination of the sixth day of effort, God had created man, formed from “the dust of the ground” the first male and as a companion who might be with him and share his joy in God’s teaching and uplifting, from the rib of man the first female was created, who also could reproduce and bring forth new generations. Both were made in God’s image, with intellect, with an eternal soul, even with something of God’s own creative power, able to create new things.

God was even willing to give responsibility in the hands of man and gave him the right to give the things names. As such in the glow of God’s inspiration Adam named them; and he was given dominion over them, and dwelt among them as their ruler, in peace and joy. At first the beasts had no fear of Adam, nor of one another; for as yet death had not come into the world. Adam did not live, as do we, by meat, by devouring other lives.

The first book of the Bible mentions the need of the first man to have other company than those animals. God could see that it was not so good that man was alone.

Genesis 2:18 (ESV): ¹⁸Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

God’s first charge to man, or perhaps it were better to say the first wisdom He instilled into him, His first fatherly counsel, was that man should live on the fruit and herbs, that his “meat” should be of these alone.

Genesis 2:20–23 (ESV): ²⁰The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²²And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Those first human beings had no shame and found no reason to be clothed. Naked they were part of a universe that was in unison with God’s Wishes. Together they could enjoy early happy days of innocence, ignorant of any evil, because there was not yet such thing. They were at first happy in the presence of God, conversing with Him as with a father, conscious of His ever-presence and at ease and security therein.

‎God, in His love and joy for His beautiful new creatures had made them a garden, a beautiful paradise for their dwelling in which they could dwell freely. Out of the ground made the Elohim God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, in a marvellous garden surrounded by four great rivers .

God had provided only one or two restrictions. They had to follow His Words and should not eat from a certain tree, which would bring the eater of its fruit, the knowledge of good and bad. The writer of the Torah (or The Law) use symbolically a creeping animal, the serpent. Also later the serpent has usually been treated by artists symbolically to represent that temptation that came over man. The serpent’s cunning words suggest human nature arguing with itself; the baser, beastly parts stirring the mind to ambition and rage and fear.

The more sophisticated ‘animal‘ or ‘possessor of an anima or soul‘ got so much taken by the inner voices that his own thinking got so strong that he dared to go against the Wishes of the Most High. The 1st Adam and the first mannin or first woman could see that their Maker could do everything and had all wisdom. Would it not be nice for them to have such wisdom and power themselves?

The idea that when they would eat of that forbidden tree, they would become like God “… ye shall be as gods” was so much carrying them away from the Will of God that they did not mind trying it.

Genesis 3:5–7 (ESV): ⁵For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

As the first human beings had chosen to go against the Will of God and as such went wrong or sinned, their offspring became ‘infected’ as it were by that attitude of them.

Genesis 3:16–24 (ESV): ¹⁶To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband,and he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; ¹⁸ thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹ By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

²⁰The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. ²¹And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

²²Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” ²³therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Preceding articles:

Creation of the earth and man #17 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #1 In the image and after the likeness

Creation of the earth and man #18 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #2 Assimilation of character

Creation of the earth and man #19 Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #3 Beholding image and likeness of the invisible God

Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #8 The Formation of woman #1

Man in the image and likeness of the Elohim #9 The Formation of woman #2

Genesis – Story of creation 5 Genesis 3:1-12 Eating of the fruit-tree of knowledge

Genesis – Story of creation 6 Genesis 3:13-24 Enmity and curse

Next: First mention of a solution against death

Additional reading

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Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #1

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015Marcus Ampe24 Comments

Man living in Garden of Eden in Days of God

At a certain time in history of the universe the Divine Creator made “from the dust of the ground” a human being. Just with dust man would be nothing so there had to be a spark or something special to bring the material to live. The “essence” of the being for man came from God Who is the “Supreme Being” Itself.

The Eternal Spirit Who Is Who He is the Being in Itself made man in His own image by His Voice and by “a spark”, or particle, scintillated from His Divine Nature, giving the being life, having intelligent faculty and existence independently of the substantial organism with which it is associated.

Man felt lonely and got a partner, a mannin or woman, called Eve. Together they could sojourn freely in the Garden of Eden. In essence they where good and had the free will to stay good, by keeping to the ordinances of their heavenly Father.

Seventh day Day of rest for God

They too came to understand the days of God and how they should honour Him and respect His creation. For them the seventh day was also a day of rest where they could show how much they loved their Creator. We do not know whether the earth’s first population organised themselves by means of a seven day week. Whereas other periods of time or various calender units based on the time the earth takes to revolve once around the sun (the day, month and year) are based upon observable movements of stars and planets, the seven day week has no such basis-that can be found only in the explanation in Genesis. As the time passed days, month and years got names. A Rosh Chodashim (head of the months) came to exist next to a month of the salvation or Chodesh ha Yeshuah, a month of redemption or Chodesh hageulah, a year of recompense and many others.

From beginning the stars, planets and man’s being may have been very complex and not understandable for man. Darkness and light made a difference for him giving him an idea of a time element. But the things man did not know seemed to worry them. Also the matter that That Holy Spirit they could not be seen made their mind weary. They started wondering how This Spirit could order days and demand them to take rest or have period of inactivity, relaxation, or sleep, on a certain day and not to eat from a certain fruit-tree, calling it the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, which was going to bring life and death over man.

Organisation of days and food provision

In case man had decided to organise his living according to periods of seven days nowhere can we find proof that God said they would be punished for not resting on the seventh day. They had total freedom of choice about this. In fact, God gave no instructions about how the seventh day should be spent until after the nation of Israel had been brought out of Egypt (the Shemoth) and led miraculously through the Red Sea into the wilderness of Sinai. Being a large community, they needed a good and regular supply of food and water, but in desert conditions these were very scarce. The people soon complained, and wished they were back in Egypt. A further miracle brought them their food. Each morning around their camp

“there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as the hoarfrost on the ground” (Exodus 16:14).

The food was called “manna“, and could be collected for six days each week.

This was literally food which could be eaten. On the first five days each week any manna not eaten that day, but kept overnight “bred worms, and became foul”.
On the sixth day, if a double portion was collected, it would keep fresh for use on the seventh day when no manna was available. Moses asked them to eat that manna that day for that seventh day is a Sabbath to Jehovah God. Therefore they could not find any manna in the field. Take attention that Moshe or Moses says it was a ‘day of rest for Jehovah’ and not ‘day of rest for man’.
In this way the pattern of work and rest was enforced for the nation of Israel:

Exodus 16:25-26 NHEBJE Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to Jehovah. Today you shall not find it in the field. (26) Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none.”

Six days of gathering and one day of rest: God’s activity in Creation thus became the example for His nation. For the first time in the Bible, the word “Sabbath” is used. It means simply ‘to cease‘ ( to bring or come to an end), and is used to describe the day when the manna discontinued falling down from heaven and the Israelites rested from their labours, as God had from His.

Laws to control the activity of the nation

In those days of Moses and his people shortly after the manna was first provided, it also was the moment in time that God gave through Moses laws to control the activity of the nation. Today those written rules are mostly known as the Ten Commandments by which people where told to have only One True Eternal Spirit God of Whom no graven images where to be made. Of the people was also demanded in the fourth commandment to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy or sanctified, which means to have it been kept apart, not being it the same as other days. Also it was told they could work six days but the seventh day they should take a Sabbath to the Lord their God. In it they had not to do any work .

Exodus 20:8-12 NHEBJE “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (9) You shall labor six days, and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Jehovah your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; (11) for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. (12) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Jehovah your God gives you.

As for the manna, so for all of Israel’s activities the pattern would be six days of labour followed by one day of rest. We may not forget for man to be able to stay alive he had to work hard. Everything had to be done by hand. Labour was at first not a physical toil done for wages, but was a necessary act for providing food. In the early days in the Garden of Eden there did not exist a difficult or arduous work or effort. they had not to strive or work hard for something, but when then opposed God, Adam and Eve had been disobedient to God‘s commandments, Jehovah sentenced them and their descendants to hard toil in order to produce their necessary food.

We also can find the Psalmist referring to such work which was done until the evening (Psalm 104:23). From the fall of man onwards the daily work he had to do became a constant reminder of his mortality; the certainty that he is “dust, and to dust (he) shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Significance of introduction of Sabbath commands

God’s people experienced many wonders by God and by them they could survive. God freely provided their daily food, but they had to work to gather it, except on the seventh day. The difficulty of walking through the dessert and gathering food was to make them conscience of the punishments brought upon the world as a result of Adam‘s disobedience.

The day they had not to gather the food from heaven, they had to remember what they had received the previous days. That day of not to provide for their food they could contemplate and take more time to think about God. That day of rest, on the Sabbath, would give man time to meditate on God’s works and to let him identify himself with God, and with the completion of His creation, when He was able to review

“everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Measures to bring man back to God

Though man could see all the wonders of God and they had received brains to create things themselves as well, they wanted more. God had given their mind to think and to make their own decisions. At one point in time they choose to go their own way, against the Will of God, and throughout history many times they went astray, but God always came back to them to help them out.

It was from that moment when Adam and Eve had revolted against their Maker that God had to take measures to bring them back to their senses and back to Almighty God, the Most High.

When Adam and Eve where expelled from the Garden of Eden and had created a family, their descendants also could not always follow the Way of God, wherefore the Elohim gave them more rules and regulations so that they could keep themselves on the safe path.

Man choose to create their own regulations and wanted to create their own calendars and wanted to say what to do what they ever wanted on whatever day. But for God not all actions of man were acceptable. He clearly told them what would be appropriate for man to do and what would be an abomination in the eyes of God.

Showing willingness to come to God

Throughout the ages lots went wrong and often God came back into the picture to guide His people back onto the right track. Already from the beginning of the fall of man God provided a solution for their sin, but first they also had to show they where willing to come to God again. Every individual has now the own choice to choose either to be for God or against Him, to follow His ordinances or to refuse the right to God to demand certain things from man.

In later writings we shall come to see how the promises of God for the solution against the fall of man became a reality which took away the many chains the people had gotten over them by the years.

In subsequent readings you shall, hopefully, come to see how a Nazarene man, called Jeshua, today better known as Jesus became the man who brought salvation and who is the embodiment of Israel. Those who follow that Nazarene man and call themselves Christian should know who that man is and what his teachings are, but also keep to his teachings, so that they can be part of the Body of Christ and be part of the (new or renewed) true and faithful Israel.

Finding difficulties to keep to God’s Laws

It took many centuries but God’s people Israel bounded to the Mosaic Laws often found it a burden, therefore the loving God foresaw also an abrogation of many laws. Jesus namely was to come to install the New Covenant between God and man, which would do away with, or annul, especially by authority given to Christ Jesus, several Judaic Laws.

Those who would embrace the faith of Abraham could make their choice for God sealed, not by worldly proofs, but by spiritual proofs. They would not have to have a real body circumcision but should be circumcised by putting on Christ in baptism, thus partaking imputatively of the literal circumcision of which Christ was subject under the law, becoming the children of Abraham, and heirs of the promises made to him.

The Jew Saul of Tarsus took some time to come to understand God’s new ordinances but by the new light having come he made a testimony that we can face a world where there is neither Jew (believing descendant from Abraham’s tribe) nor Greek, Roman, or Goyim (gentile; a non-Jewish person or an unbeliever), but that all have the free choice to go their way. There would neither be a servant nor freeman, neither male nor female, or no distinction in the eyes of God, all being made equal and all having to make their own choice. And those baptised into Christ should all be one in Christ Jesus, liberated by him.

Galatians 3:27-29 NHEBJE (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise.

Children of promise made free

United in Christ Christians should not be barren any more having broken forth knowing they are brethren and sisters and as Isaac was, being children of promise. Though still being born according to the flesh the mind we received can be used to come to knowledge and with the right insight making us to make the right choices. Those who choose to follow Christ Jesus are children of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free.

Galatians 4:27-31 NHEBJE (27) For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who do not bear. Break forth and shout, you that do not travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.” (28) Now you, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. (29) But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. (30) However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” (31) So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.

Those liberated by Christ should not take up the old burdens but should face the Saviour Jesus who is the new Genesis (New World), by who’s life we can see the embodiment of the new Exodus.

We should come to see that Jesus is fulfilling Israel’s history and bringing it to a climax.

Preceding articles:

Genesis – Story of creation 6 Genesis 3:13-24 Enmity and curse

Creation of the earth and man #3 Of the Sabbath day #1 the Seventh day

Creation of the earth and man #4 Of the Sabbath day #2 Days 1,7,8 and 50

Creation of the earth and man #5 Of the Sabbath day #3 Ceasing from the works of the flesh

Creation of the earth and man #6 Of the Sabbath day #4 Mosaic codes, Sabbaths and Sunday

Creation of the earth and man #7 Of the Sabbath day #5 Respecting the day on which Christ Jesus rose from the dead

Creation of the earth and man #8 Of the Sabbath day #6 If it be necessary to keep Sunday

Were Gentiles excluded from entering the synagogue?

Additional reading

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Further related reading:

Goy: standard Hebrew biblical term for a “nation“, including that of Israel = Israelites and Gentile or non-Jewish nations
Goy to the World
Magazine article from: Moment …nations shall be of thee.” The Hebrew word God uses for “nations” is goyim. Yes, you ‘”tad right: God refers to the nation of Israel as goyim. The meaning of goyim, like the people it originally described, has come tar since those clays..
Goy/Goi/Goyim/Goyym/Gentile/Gens/Gentilis: nation or people, commonly applied to non-Jews or stranger, whether merely a visitor (“ger”) or a resident (“ger toshab”), or proselyte
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“Gentile” corresponds to the late Hebrew “goi,” a synonym for “nokri,” signifying “stranger,” “non-Jew.” In the Hebrew of the Bible “goi” and its plural “goyyim” originally meant “nation,” and were applied both to Israelites and to non-Israelites (Gen. xii. 2, xvii. 20; Ex. xiii. 3, xxxii. 10; Deut. iv. 7; viii. 9, 14; Num. xiv. 12; Isa. i. 4, lx. 22; Jer. vii. 28). “Goi” and “goyyim,” however, are employed in many passages to designate nations that are politically distinct from Israel (Deut. xv. 6; xxviii. 12, 36; Josh. xxiii. 4). From this use is derived the meaning “stranger” (Deut. xxix. 24; comp. II Chron. vi. 32 =”‘amme ha-‘areẓ”). As the non-Israelite and the nokri were “heathens,” “goi” came to denote a “heathen,” like the later “‘akkum,” which, in strict construction, is not applicable to Christians or Mohammedans (see below). In its most comprehensive sense “goi” corresponds to the other late term, “ummot ha-‘olam” (the peoples of the world). {Jewish encyclopedia article 6841 – goy}
The Hi-Tech Shabbos Goy
Magazine article from: Moment …centuries, the controversy took new form, when Jews hired “Shabbos goys” to perform tasks that were forbidden on Shabbat. While some…their heads in disapproval, others were too busy scouting out goys-for-hire for themselves. They also updated the halakhic..
Non-Jewish Immigrants Forcing Israel to Choose between Being a “Jewish” State…
Magazine article from: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs …tubes, you’re going to have five million goyim sitting in Eretz Yisrael. There’s no…about because these Jews will have a lot of goyim in their families — and boy, are we talking about a lot of goyim — and they’ll all end up in Israel..
Israeli Religious Intolerance and Rejection of the Peace Process Alienating…
Magazine article from: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs …considered Jewish by halakah and cannot be married at all.GOYIM AND SHIKSASZe’ev Chafets, associate editor of The Jerusalem…consider `Kike’ and `Hymie’ fighting words, talk about `goyim’ and `shiksas’ with blithe indifference. They assume that..
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Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.
Did Jesus teach the Law of the Old Testament to the Jews?
A Case For Sabbath Observance
Keeping the Old Testament Law
Spiritual Sunday 1: The Infinite Grandness and Goodness of God
Sabbath Day
Sabbath (Dis)Comforts
Thoughts on Keeping the Sabbath
Is It Wrong To Work On Sabbath Day?
A Date With God
Rosh Hashanah A Day of Rest, Not the New Year
Small Town Boy
Children of the Free

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Creation of the earth and man #1 Planet for living beings in a pre-Adamic world

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015Christadelphians12 Comments

Creation of the earth and man

The earth before the creation of Adam the habitation of the angels who kept not their first estate — A geological error corrected — The Sabbath day and the Lord’s day— The formation of man and woman — The “great mystery” of her formation out of man explained — Eden — The Garden of Eden — The original and future paradises considered — Man’s primitive dominion confined to the inferior creatures and his own immediate family — Of the two trees of the garden — And man in his original estate.

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The general account of the work of the six days is contained in the first chapter of Genesis; while in the second is presented among other things, a more particular narrative of the work of the sixth day in the formation of the first human pair.

Let the reader peruse the history of the creation as a revelation to himself as an inhabitant of the earth. It informs him of the order in which the things narrated would have developed themselves to his view, had he been placed on some projecting rock, the spectator of the events detailed. He must remember this. The Mosaic account is not a revelation to the inhabitants of other orbs remote from the earth of the formation of the boundless universe; but to man, as a constituent of the terrestrial system. This will explain why light is said to have been created four days before the sun, moon, and stars. To an observer on the earth this was the order of their appearance; and in relation to him a primary creation, though absolutely pre-existent for millions of ages before the Adamic era.

The duration of the earth’s revolutions round the sun previous to the work of the first day is not revealed: but the evidences produced by the strata of our globe show that the period was long continued. There are indeed hints, casually dropped in the scriptures, which would seem to indicate that our planet was inhabited by a race of beings anterior to the formation of man.

The apostle Peter, speaking of the “false teachers” that would arise among Christians “by reason of whom the way of truth would be evil spoken of” illustrates the certainty of their “damnation” by citing three cases in point; namely, that of certain angels; that of the antediluvian world; and that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now the earth, we know, was the place of judgment to the contemporaries of Noah and Lot, and seeing that these three are warnings to inhabitants of earth, it is probable that they are all related to things pertaining to our globe in the order of their enumeration — first, judgment upon its pre-Adamic inhabitants; secondly, upon the antediluvian world, which succeeded them; and thirdly, upon Sodom after the flood.

Peter says that “the Angels”, or pre-Adamic inhabitants of the Earth, “sinned”; and Jude, in speaking of the same subject, reveals to us the nature of their transgression. He says, verse 6,

“the angels maintained not their original state, but forsook their own habitation”.

From which it would appear that they had the ability to leave their dwelling if they pleased; secondly, that they were sometimes employed as messengers to other parts of the universe; this their name (ἄγγελος, angelos, one sent) implies; thirdly, that they were forbidden to leave their habitation without special command to do so; and fourthly, that they violated this injunction and left it. Having transgressed the divine law, God would not forgive them; “but casting them down”, or driving them back, “he committed them to everlasting chains of intense darkness to be reserved for judgment”. Hence, it is clear, when they were driven back to their habitation, some further catastrophe befell them by which their committal to darkness was effected. This probably consisted in the total wreck of their abode, and their entire submergence, with all the mammoths of their estate, under the waters of an overwhelming flood. Reduced to this extremity, the earth became “without form and empty; and darkness overspread the deep waters”. Its mountains, hills, valleys, plains, seas, rivers, and fountains of waters, which gave diversity of “form” to the surface of our globe, all disappeared; and it became “void”, or empty, no living creatures, angels, quadrupeds, birds, or fishes, being found any more upon it.
Fragments, however, of the wreck of this pre-Adamic world have been brought to light by geological research, to the records of which we refer the reader, for a detailed account of its discoveries, with this remark, that its organic remains, coal fields, and strata, belong to the ages before the formation of man, rather than to the era of the creation, or the Noachic flood. This view of the matter will remove a host of difficulties, which have hitherto disturbed the harmony between the conclusions of geologists and the Mosaic account of the physical constitution of our globe.

Geologists have endeavoured to extend the six days into six thousand years. But this, with the scriptural data we have adduced, is quite unnecessary. Instead of six thousand, they can avail themselves of sixty thousand; for the scriptures reveal no length of time during which the terrene angels dwelt upon our globe. The six days of Genesis were unquestionably six diurnal revolutions of the earth upon its axis. This is clear from the tenor of the sabbath law.

“Six days shalt thou labour (O Israel) and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Would it be any fit reason that, because the Lord worked six periods of a thousand or more years each, and had ceased about two thousand until the giving of the law, therefore the Israelites were to work six periods of twelve hours, and do no work on a seventh period or day of like duration? Would any Israelite or Gentile, unspoiled by vain philosophy, come to the conclusion of the geologists by reading the sabbath law? We believe not. Six days of ordinary length were ample time for Omnipotence, with all the power of the universe at command, to re-form the earth, and to place the few animals upon it necessary for the beginning of a new order of things upon the globe.

– Thomas, D. J. (1990). Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God (electronic ed., pp. 10–12). Birmingham, UK: The Christadelphian.

Preceding articles:

The very very beginning 2 The Word and words

Genesis 1:26 God said “Let us make”