A solution for a damaged relationship 1 All vegetation for food except one fruit

When God created everything, all things where like He wanted it and every time when He saw that it was good He continued creating something else. In this way the earth came to put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal but also wild beast of the earth according to its kind.

Genesis 1:24-25 MKJV  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creepers, and its beasts of the earth after its kind; and it was so.  (25)  And God made the beasts of the earth after its kind, and cattle after their kind, and all creepers upon the earth after their kind. And God saw that it was good.

English: Man Made in the Image of God, as in G...
English: Man Made in the Image of God, as in Genesis 1:26 to 2:3, Bible card published 1906 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the same way God decided to make man in His image according to His likeness.  He allowed man to have those other living creatures in subjection. He wanted them to be fruitful and become many, meaning that the earth would be filled with human beings living in unison with each other and with their Divine Creator.

Genesis 1:26-28 MKJV  And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.  (27)  And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.  (28)  And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth.

From the sixth day onward man was part of the universe and could created their earthen vessels, unfolding new life. But like clay pots are characteristically inadequate and vulnerable, man showed also to be so vulnerable, or susceptible, open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc..  His vulnerability making man exposed to everything around him, having a soft spot, his effectiveness depending on his own free choices.

God had placed man in a safe environment, where man did not have to worry. A garden where there was nothing which could endanger man or would bring man open to attack or damage.

God had given all green vegetation for food except the fruit of one tree.

Genesis 1:29-30 MKJV  And God said, Behold! I have given you every herb seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food.  (30)  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a living soul every green plant is for food; and it was so.

The man made out of dust formed from the ground could use everything for him from that ground. After the water came down from heavens, watering the entire surface of the ground, out of it grew every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food. As such there was also the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.

Genesis 2:7-9 MKJV  And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  (8)  And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward in Eden. And there He put the man whom He had formed.  (9)  And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of life also was in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The man was settled in that beautiful Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. This means God trusted him to make something good out of it. Though having him placed there God also laid a command upon the man, him to be allowed to eat from every tree to satisfaction, but as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad he was not allowed to eat from. God also warned him that in the day he would eat from it he was positively to die.

Genesis 2:15-17 MKJV  And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  (16)  And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden,  (17)  but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

God also found it was not good for man to continue to himself and therefore had made him a helper, as a complement of him.

Genesis 2:18-25 MKJV  And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.  (19)  And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every animal of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.  (20)  And Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field. But there was not found a suitable helper for Adam.  (21)  And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh underneath.  (22)  And Jehovah God made the rib (which He had taken from the man) into a woman. And He brought her to the man.  (23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of man.  (24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh.  (25)  And they were both naked, the man and his wife; and they were not ashamed.

The Fall of Man (16th Century painting by Luca...
The Fall of Man (16th Century painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

She noticing that tree of which God had said not to eat, questioned if God had really said it to protect them, avoiding death to death, whatever this could mean (because they had no idea at all of pain or death), or because God did not want them to have the same knowledge He had. She started wondering if she would eat of its fruit she could not receive the same knowledge or understanding and powers as God did have.

So her doubting thoughts about God‘s honesty is presented in the third chapter of Moses book as a creeping hissing in the mind, like a creeping snake or serpent, because that animal proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah God had made.

Genesis 3:1 MKJV  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

She wondered why she was not allowed to eat form its fruit nor to touch it and doubted God’s integrity.

Genesis 3:2-3 MKJV  And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.  (3)  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.

Her thoughts told her it was ridiculous that she would die. On the other hand she became more convinced that on the day she would eat from that tree her eyes would go open further and she would become like God. This attracted her so much see wanted very much to eat from that fruit which would give her the same powers as God.

Genesis 3:4-6 MKJV  And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die,  (5)  for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.  (6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Having pulled her husband too in her adventure of opposing God’s command, she not only became herself an adversary of God but made man an accomplice. As an abettor Adam now had also to bear the consequences of his act. He still had the choice not to eat from that fruit and to keep faithful to God. But he made himself an accessory of Eve doing an act against God’s Wishes.

As accessory the 1st man contributed to or aided an activity or process in a minor way; subsidiary or supplementary to Eve’s adversary against God. In this way his relationship with God also became damaged, because in a certain way he gave higher value to his relationship with Eve than with God.

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Preceding articles

Coming to the creation of human beings in the image of God

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

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

A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made

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

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

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3

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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Additional reading

  1. An anarchistic reading of the Bible (2)—Creation and what follows
  2. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #1 Creator and His Prophets
  3. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #8 Looking for the 2nd Adam
  4. The Seed Of The Woman Bruised
  5. Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
  6. Sayings of Jesus, what to believe and being or not of the devil
  7. A question to be posed
  8. Has the Bible’s Garden of Eden been found — and restored
  9. A promise given in the Garden of Eden
  10. Around pre-existence of Christ
  11. Because men choose to go their own way
  12. Where does Satan lives?
  13. Relating to God is it possible

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Further reading

  1. ‘In the Beginning God’
  2. Creation: God At Work
  3. Genesis 1-2 The Mystery Myth
  4. Genesis 1-11 Overview
  5. Nehemiah 9:6 …thou hast made heaven…
  6. How Did Humanity Become Like God ‘Knowing Good and Evil’?
  7. Adam & Eve: Legends of The Fall
  8. Snake Dragon
  9. Magnificent, She
  10. The creation of Original Sin
  11. The Faulty Foundations of Faith Alone – Part 2: Original Sin?
  12. Dyana, age 18
  13. Everything is dancing the wonder of god
  14. What We Need
  15. ‘Take And Eat’ Brought Sin, In Christ It Bestows Salvation
  16. Methodius on free will and evil.

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

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.

 

English: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil עב...
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil עברית: חטא עץ הדעת – ד”ר לידיה קוזניצקי (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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.

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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

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3

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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Additional reading

  1. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
  2. Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
  3. Possibility to live
  4. Dying or not
  5. A learning process for each of us
  6. Together tasting a great promise
  7. The Devil Not A Personal Super-Natural Being
  8. Satan the evil within
  9. Satan or the devil
  10. Lucifer
  11. Redemption # 1Biblical doctrine of salvation
  12. The Song of The Lamb #3 Daniel and Revelation
  13. Story of Jesus’ birth begins long before the New Testament
  14. Marriage of Jesus 10 Old and New Covenant
  15. God Our Refuge
  16. On the Edge of Believing
  17. What is life?
  18. Dying or not
  19. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #6 Summary
  20. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
  21. When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation
  22. The redemption of man by Christ Jesus
  23. Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
  24. Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs
  25. 1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action
  26. How we think shows through in how we act
  27. Not staying alone in your search for truth
  28. Doing the works of God
  29. Being fit to take care of a garden
  30. Be holy
  31. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
  32. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
  33. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #10 Prayer #8 Condition
  34. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #2 Psyche, the word
  35. Departed Souls Await Judgment

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Further reading

  1. Daily Reading: 29 March – The Fall – Genesis 3 ~ paradise lost
  2. The Original Sin
  3. Were We Ever Cursed?
  4. The fall of “The Fall” Part 2
  5. Genesis 3 – would you Adam and Eve it?
  6. Why We Sin…and the Truth That Sets Us Free
  7. Death, Life, and Trees
  8. Fear & Loathing In… God?
  9. Significance of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns?
  10. Christ’s Sacrificial Love
  11. Children of the Free
  12. How Great The Fall
  13. Practising Ministry 5: It All Went Wrong
  14. Pastor Wrinkles: Unintended Consequences Pt. 5
  15. Pastor Wrinkles: Unintended Consequences Pt. 6
  16. Tradition or the Bible – your choice.
  17. The Answer for Pain
  18. More Grace Needed Here!
  19. A Tale of Two Skywalkers
  20. Redemption and Restoration
  21. The Poetry of George Herbert: “The Sacrifice” (Pt. 2)
  22. Rejoicing in Christ
  23. In A Perfect World…
  24. Reasons not to compromise with theological compromisers
  25. No Longer Slaves!
  26. +++
  27. Further reading
  28. Is Eve Responsible?
  29. To The Weary…
  30. Ripped from the headlines: Bring on the so-called “Catholic” guilt
  31. Empathy and Guilt
  32. 5 Steps: Overcoming Guilt
  33. Guilt and Regrets
  34. The Voice of Guilt
  35. Guilty of Being Human
  36. Living With Guilt
  37. Guilt, Shame & the Atonement: A Foreword
  38. Daily Obstruction: Religious Obstructions
  39. No More Guilt
  40. Guilt Free
  41. Condemnation Never Comes from God
  42. It’s On You, It Always Has Been
  43. Here’s to You: Your are Right in His Sight
  44. Who is evaluating you?
  45. The Offerings in Leviticus (1 of 2)
  46. The Offerings in Leviticus (2 of 2)
  47. Perfectly Imperfect
  48. The Path to your Potential
  49. No short cuts to heaven..!
  50. The Purpose in it All
  51. Not For The Faint Of Heart
  52. Redemption
  53. Deliverance
  54. What Lie We Often Fall For
  55. Why does God allow deception?
  56. The Father of Tall Tales
  57. The Father of Lies
  58. Satan, Who? Is Satan Real?
  59. Dear Father of Lies
  60. Look at the Lamb (Day 8)
  61. The Importance of Biblical Discernment
  62. God Is and We Aren’t
  63. Jesus Free Man From Sin
  64. Are people willing to die for something they know is a lie?
  65. Liars & Murderers – God Says They Are The Same!

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