BIBLE'S GENESIS STUDY

 GENESIS

The Book of Genesis is designated in Hebrew by the first word in the book — בראשית (bereshit), which means “upon beginning” or “in the beginning”. The book is not just a record of the origin of the universe — the Heaven and the Earth, and all the living things upon the Earth; most importantly it is a record of the origin of Man (mankind), the origin of his Fall and the origin of corruption (pollution) that came to exist in mankind today. How apt then that the word GENESIS is applied to it — ‘genes is’; it certainly is! In all these we see the handiwork of Yahweh setting forth His blueprint of the history of redemption.

[Note: Scripture does not record every detail of creation. It does not even have a detailed record of Jesus’ life and death. They are not included in Scripture because they are not necessary for us to know. The account that is recorded is of great significance; otherwise it would not be recorded. Nothing recorded is ever minor or insignificant. Hence, the things that are included are there because they are necessary. That is the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture. It means that everything necessary for our knowledge and salvation is recorded in Scripture, and by the same token, that which is recorded, is necessary.]

Isaiah 46:9: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

10: Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Isaiah 48:3: I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

 

● Chapter 1 ● Chapter 2 ● Chapter 3 ● Chapter 4 ● Chapter 5 ● Chapter 6

● Chapter 7 ● Chapter 8 ● Chapter 9 ● Chapter 10 ● Chapter 11 ● Chapter 12

This series on the Book of Genesis ends with the Call of Abraham — in whom Yahweh brought about the beginning of a special and peculiar people, in the Covenant He made regarding the Promised Seed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Update: This series now continues, indefinitely; and to end with the death of Abraham.

● Chapter 13 ● Chapter 14 ● Chapter 15 ● Chapter 16 ● Chapter 17

 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 1

“In The Beginning”

Gen 1:1:  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

There are seven words in the Hebrew texts:

בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ׃     

The statement is clear and concise. It states that “in the beginning” (when time began) “God created” (the Eternal Supernatural Being fashioned ex nihilo) “the heaven and the earth” (all things material) into existence. If the Sacred Scripture is inspired of God and absolute in doctrine, then matter is not eternal as evolutionists believe; all matter is created.

The evolutionists and atheists may have their theories and opinions of how the Heaven and the Earth came into existence without a Creator. Common sense dictates the simple logic that creation cannot be without a Creator.

Heb 11:3:  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The Hebrew word for “beginning” also means firstfruits. In the counsel of His own will and for His own good pleasure, the Creator brought forth the Heaven and the Earth as the firstfruits of the creation of life. (Read Ephesians 1.) This life is in His Word.

Joh 1:1:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2:  The same was in the beginning with God.

3:  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4:  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The “in the beginning” of John 1:1 comes before the “in the beginning” of Genesis 1:1. The “Word” (Grk: Logos) is the revelation of the One True Eternal Almighty Being who stepped out of eternity into time. He said: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Rev.1:8; 22:13). He is the Author of time.  But what is time?  Simply, it is a point outside of the circle of eternity. It is a transient stage. And why time?  Time is a tool to serve a purpose in the Author’s own hand to fulfill a plan in His will that He had ordained.  Time, in essence, is simply the Author’s reckoning tool to bring about “the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Eph.1:9-10). In the Creator’s economy, that “which he hath purposed in himself” will be achieved through His administration of time to head up all things in Him, in the Messiah.

So “in the beginning” the WORD of God (which later was manifest in the flesh of the Son of God, Jesus Christ) came forth as was planned and purposed in His own counsel; and creation began. And God created “the heaven and the earth” — the whole Universe.  The term “the heaven and the earth” used here is a Hebrew expression – a synecdoche or merism – denoting the whole Universe.  Used by itself or collectively with other created things, the word “heaven” points to the “firmament, canopy, sky”, and the word “earth” points to the “dirt, land, ground”, that is, the terrestrial of this planet Earth.

Earth’s Age

How old is the Universe? How old is the planet Earth?

Nobody really knows. Scientists can only speculate and guess. The answers vary. But of late, scientists claim that the universe is 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years old, and the Earth is about 4.54 billion years old. However, some Christians would disagree and say that the Earth is some 6000 years old. Their conclusion is based upon the dawn of mankind, that is, from the birth of Adam, as recorded in the Book of Genesis of the Bible. Nonetheless, the second verse of Genesis provides some light of information to the answer.

Gen 1:2:  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

This verse has three parts: i) “and the earth was without form, and void”, ii) “and darkness was upon the face of the deep”, iii) “and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”.

“And the earth was without form, and void.”  Theologians take this statement to be of uncertain etymology, yet interpret it that when God created the Earth, its beginning was a confused mass of matter that had no orderliness of form. The Earth had no form and was void of life. However, in the words of the prophet Isaiah we see it written:

Isa 45:18:  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

It is clear from the words of Isaiah that the Earth was created to be inhabited, and nothing about its beginning being a mass of matter of confusion and disorder.

It is of no great importance to us how long it took the Creator to bring forth the whole universe including our planet Earth with its heaven. What is time to the Eternal Spirit when a thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years to Him (cf. 2Pet.3:8; Psm.90:4)? We know He brought forth all that we see in creation by the Spoken Word. He spoke the words and it was so.

“Without Form, And Void”

Now, the first statement of Genesis, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”, provides a factual complete picture that the creation of “the heaven and the earth” was accomplished, created, and finished in a period called “the beginning”.  The second statement of Genesis stands apart from the first statement.  There is a long period of time between the two statements.

The words “without form, and void” in Hebrew are “tohu va bohu”:

 תּהוּtohu – from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), that is, desert; figuratively a worthless thing; adverbially in vain: - confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness; and,

 בּהוּbohu – from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, that is, (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin: - emptiness, void.

Therefore the statement “the earth was without form, and void” should be translated as: “the earth had become waste and empty”.

But what had caused the Earth to become a waste and a ruin? The answer lies in the Fall of Lucifer, the most powerful and beautiful of all God’s angelic beings. The account of his fall is recorded in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:2-18.

The Fall Of Lucifer

John the beloved apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ tells us, in the Book of Revelation, that Lucifer dragged a third of the angelic beings with him in his rebellion against the Creator (Rev.12:4).  What great defiance!  What self-deception for Lucifer to think that he could lift himself up to sit in the seat of God (Ezek.28:2), and for those angels to choose to leave their “first estate” (of place and rule) to side with Lucifer. For their rebellious act, the Almighty cast them down from their heavenly positions and shackled them into darkness that they could not see the light of truth as they await the day of judgment (2Pet.2:4; Jude 1:6). The fall and judgment of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as an example of God’s wrath against those who break His code of life. The cities were filled with carnal men and women who gave themselves to unnatural sexual desires. These people had left their principles and the natural order that God had set, and God chained them and cast them down in a cloud of gloom till judgment fire was sent down from heaven (Jude 1:7). Today, who knows how many sinners are in chains and living in darkness because of their reprobate evil and wicked mind, choosing to leave their “first estate” and thus, awaiting God’s wrath.

Now, the gap between the first two verses of Genesis spans a great length of time.  We cannot tell how long the Earth had been in existence until it became “wasted and empty”. It was a period that does not concern mankind but Lucifer and all the angelic beings. All of God’s angels were put on this Earth to be tested. God did not create the angels as mechanical beings serving Him. Like mankind, the angels are free agents of choice and were created in God’s own image and likeness.

The Earth in the days of Lucifer was filled with dinosaurs, and man-like creatures which are commonly called prehistorical men. It matters not to us what names paleontologists gave to each of them. It is a theological error to believe that the angels were tested in God’s Heaven (which is “the third heaven” – 2Cor.12:2) and those who fell were then cast down to Earth.  The Heaven of God is God’s throne and abode, and the Earth is his footstool and work place. Hence, sin can never find a beginning in God’s Heaven. For those who think that sin originated in God’s Heaven they need to reexamine the status of the Holy God. Most theologians have taken two verses of Scripture, Job 1:6 and 2:1, and erroneously interpreted them to be events that took place in “the third heaven” with the “sons of God” being the angels, and that Satan came also into the very Presence of God. However, the truth is that the events took place on Earth and that the “sons of God” were not angels (be they holy angels or fallen angels) but the worshippers of God in the days of Job. Moreover, the term “sons of God” speaks of a relationship with a “Father” and the ability to procreate (and be a father). These “sons of God” gathered to worship and it was in such an assembly of worshippers that Satan entered and through one, or more of them, accused Job. God’s angels are His servants, not His sons, and they have no power to procreate (Mat.22:30; Mar.12:25). Some theologians cite Jude 1:6 and Genesis 6:4 in an attempt to forcibly prove that angels can procreate.

Lucifer had his “Garden of Eden”, which is his kingdom on Earth, and it certainly was not the same as the one God gave to Adam, as proven from the words of Ezekiel 28:13-15.  Lucifer fell from his estate, his heavenly position, as a great archangel of God when he sought to ascend into the Heaven of God and to put himself in a position above all the angelic beings, such that he be even as God. He had said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa.14:13-14).  [Note: If Lucifer sought to “ascend into heaven”, which is “above the heights of the clouds”, he could not have been in heaven, and certainly he could not have fallen from the Heaven of God.]  His being cut down to the ground by God caused him to become rebellious. With a raging, murderous attitude he turned against God by worming his way into the spirits of some of the gigantic animals and causing them to kill one another. Hence, he became Satan, the adversary of God.

Lucifer’s Kingdom Judged

Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Joh.8:44) and not just when he had Cain kill Abel in the days after the Fall of Mankind. As Lucifer had defiled his own kingdom, God had to judge his kingdom and bring it to an end. Anyone who defiles what God gives will face His wrath. (Read Lamentations 2:1-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.)

With the destruction of lives and the environment, the air was fouled by the decomposition of animals and plants. God had to call it to a halt by ‘switching off’ the sun, “and darkness was upon the face of the deep”. As light gave way to darkness, waters upon the land, lakes and seas turned into ice. Every droplet of water in the air turned to crystals and piled up on the Earth. Everything was frozen solid. As the planet Earth was left in that chaotic and wasted state for a vastly long period of time, the movement and the pressure of the ice and earth layers caused many trees and plants to become petrified, and many carcasses of the various creatures, of the air, land and sea, big and small, to later become fossilized under layers of rocks.  [Note: According to some scientists, the Earth experienced a cataclysmic change some 65 million years ago. An asteroid or giant meteor hit the Earth with a great force causing clouds of dust to rise and blotted out the sunlight. Thus, life gradually died out.]

The many, who theorize that the planet Earth is a ‘young Earth’ of 6000 years old, believe that fossils were created by the great deluge of water which came upon the Earth about 1656 years later when God destroyed all lives on Earth, saving only Noah, his family and the animals in the ark. Such theorists should consider how the fossils could possibly be the remains of a pre-flood world. Also, if the dinosaurs were created in the days of Adam and they were in the ark of Noah, how is it that the dinosaurs died out after they left the ark onto dry land?  It is assumed that food was scarce for all the animals and hence the dinosaurs were the first to perish due to their large size. Such an assumption is foolish. Not all dinosaurs were big.  Some were small like the turkey and yet the bigger animals such as the elephants, hippopotamuses and the rhinoceros survived.  Indeed it is strange that God would save all kinds of dinosaurs by gathering them into the ark to simply have them die out after they left the ark because He could not provide them with enough greens after the Flood. Furthermore, the Scripture clearly states that all animals “whose nostrils were the breath of life” that were not in the ark perished during the Flood. But how is it that some marine creatures, such as the orthoceras, trilobites and ammonites that had no nostrils did not survive the flood, perished and became fossilized?  Did they really perish during the Flood and become fossilized in a watery Earth?  Or, were they fossilized in the frozen chaotic and wasted state of the Earth eons before the Earth was recreated and Adam walked on it?

By rejecting the time gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, the truth of several mysteries will be missed. Examine carefully the following passages of scriptures written by Apostle Peter and Prophet Jeremiah respectively:

2Pe 3:5 (ASV):  For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;

6:  by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7:  but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Peter tells us that there are people who are ignorant of these facts – that the heavens were created by the Word of God a very long time ago, and that the Earth was compacted out of the water it was in. That same Earth later perished under a deluge (in Noah’s day). By the same Word, the present heaven and Earth have been reserved for fire and are being kept for the day when ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.

Jer 4:23:  I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24:  I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

25:  I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

26:  I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

27:  For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

In describing the condition of the land of Judea, Jeremiah’s prophetic words talked about the beginning when the Creator doomed the Earth into a chaotic and waste state. His prophetic words were similar to his predecessor, Prophet Moses — that the Earth “was without form, and void”, and that the heavens and the Earth had no light (cf. Gen.1:2). Jeremiah then stated what the Lord said, “The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.” As the Spirit of God moved and brought back life to the Earth, so did He to the land of Judea.

Once again, it is clear from the mouth of Isaiah that the LORD, who created the heavens, founded the Earth for habitation (cf. Isa.45:18). God created all things for His own good pleasure. It was eons before Mankind (Adam) appeared, about 6000 years ago. The Earth back then was inhabited by many creatures that no longer exist today. As Lucifer turned against His Creator, he brought chaos upon the Earth by getting the living creatures to ‘war’ amongst themselves. With every battle, vegetation around the raging creatures was destroyed. The decomposition of the dead animals and the destruction of vegetation polluted the Earth. Hence, the Lord God had to bring an end to that epoch by ‘switching off’ the sun, the light of our solar system. As the energy of the sun powered down, the Earth plunged into darkness. Its atmospheric waters froze and all living things perished. The Earth was left alone for an unknown period of time, “without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep”.  The Earth was frozen, dark, wasted and empty of life.

Re-Creation

“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  Now, the Spirit of Life of the LORD moved upon the surface of the great waste of the frozen deep. God moves to bring life back to the Earth.

Before we proceed, we need to understand the usage of the words “let”, “create” and “make” as these words are used in the rest of the chapter and also in chapter 2.

“Let” is a word that declares or announces. When God says “let” it speaks of His intention to do something, or to bring forth something into existence/manifestation —

by way of creating something out of nothing or by making something out of something that already existed.  The words “create”

and “make” in Hebrew are בּרא bara and

עשׂה asah respectively. To “create” is to bring into existence something out of nothing, whereas to “make” is to bring something into existence out of something, or with reference to something already in existence.

First Day: Light

Gen 1:3:  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4:  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5:  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

As the Spirit of Life moved upon the great waste of the deep, He breathed and declared, “Let there be light” and light appeared. God said that the light was good. This light is not the light of the sun. Sunlight was brought back only on the fourth day as God made that great light to shine again. Science cannot isolate the source from which this light comes, nor comprehend it, so it is simply called cosmic light. The source of the light comes from the very WORD of LIFE itself for God is LIGHT. Wherever the Almighty moves to do good, LIGHT would emerge. The declaration of His LIGHT always brings goodness, both physical and spiritual.

Let me interject a thought here. Jesus THE CHRIST said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (Joh.6:63b). THE CHRIST is the anointed Spoken Word of Yahweh, the Creative Word, the Source of life, the Original Seed. He is life. He is also the Light — “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (Joh.1:4). Note that LIGHT came forth from the Spirit of LIFE.  There cannot be life without light, both physical and spiritual. The Almighty Spirit is Light and He dwells in Light (cf. 1Joh.1:5).

The Apostle Paul wrote: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor.4:6). Truly, light must shine out of darkness as light is the foremost essential in bringing life back to the Earth. When Yahweh works He works in the light and never in the dark (cf. Joh.9:4; 1Joh.1:5-7). Light illuminates. It reveals what lies in the dark. As there is an undeniable division between light and darkness, when light comes darkness must flee. Darkness is made to flee and separate itself from light. Light produces warm and brings life. Darkness drags in the cold and brings death. Light and Darkness are oppose one to the other. God made that division.

“And God called the light Day (which is the hot part of the day), and the darkness he called Night (which is the cold – adverse – part of the day). And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

“The Evening And The Morning”

Many Christians have difficulty believing that God took only six literal ‘24-hour’ days to re-create the present “heaven and earth” that we live in.  They have limited the power of God in what He can do and how He wants to do it.

The Jews begin their day with the sun setting, that is, the evening time, after which comes the night. After 12 hours the sun rises to bring light and warmth. The break of day is the morning time and it also lasts for 12 hours. This is Yahweh’s reckoning of night and day – “night day” or “evening morning” – not day and night, as one natural day of 24 hours. Of the two words, “evening” is placed first for the reason that the Earth was in darkness until the light came upon the Earth to give a “morning”. A “night and day” to Prophet Daniel is called an “evening morning” (Dan.8:26) and to Apostle Paul, a “night day” (2Cor.11:25). Notice that Daniel used the same phrasal words in Hebrew that Moses used, and so did Paul who used the Greek equivalent. Ancient nations, including the Romans, were known to follow such reckoning of time. However, in the 16th Century, Pope Gregory XIII changed it to begin at midnight, resulting in a change in the usage of time in all nations up till now. Only followers of certain religious groups, like Judaism, Islamism and Bahaism still follow the old usage of time.

Now, “the evening and the morning” were 12 hours of space each, but today’s evening or morning might be less or more than twelve hours depending on the season of the year. This is because the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees at its axis after the Great Deluge in the days of Noah which caused 71% of the Earth surface to be covered with water, the greater area being in the southern hemisphere. Prior to the deluge the Earth was spinning smoothly on a perpendicular axis to the sun. This is a fact proven by the very words of Scripture – “the evening and the morning” – 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light, both together one natural day, consisting of 24 hours. Also, the Earth was revolving around the sun 360 days a year (a day for a degree in a circle). However, the rotation of the Earth today on its tilted axis causes the Earth to wobble.  The wobbling slows down the Earth on its path around the sun, adding approximately 5.25 days to every revolution.

Back in the era before the Flood a fountain of water clouded the Earth. “Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains” (Psa.104:6). “When I made the cloud the garment thereof…” (Job 38:9a). Earth’s climatic condition was ideal and stable all the year round because the aqueous shell, the garment of water that shrouded it, made the Earth a ‘greenhouse’. There was no extreme hot and cold climate. That was its original state until the days of Noah when “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen.7:11b-12). Consequently, the Earth was completely inundated with water.  It took 1 year and 10 days for the water to subside and partially return to where it came from. The rest of it remained on the Earth till this day. The thick layer of aqueous shell is no more. All that remains of it are the ‘bits and pieces’ of torn garment of clouds floating about in the heaven above us. However, in his prophetic vision on the Isle of Patmos the Apostle John wrote: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Rev.21:1). John saw the dissolution of our present “heaven and earth” by fire (2Pet.3:7) and in its place stood “a new heaven and a new earth”.  When the Almighty dissolves the Earth by fire the heat will ‘sizzle’ the water upwards to where it will stand above all the mountains to form the garment of water that once shrouded the Earth with a heavenly ‘greenhouse’ condition. All the great oceans and seas of water will be gone.  The new Earth will have more land surface than water as it was in the original creation.  The Earth’s rotation will be back on a perpendicular axis to the sun with an annual revolution of 360 days around it.

Second Day: Firmament

Gen 1:6:  And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7:  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8:  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

With the light in place, the Spirit of God then made a firmament for the Earth by dividing the waters of the deep, lifting a portion of the waters above the firmament and leaving the rest under it.  This expanse between waters He called “heaven” — the space from the surface of the Earth to the highest height, where birds could fly and man could still breathe.  The large amount of water above the firmament was as an aqueous shell, which shrouded the Earth as a ‘greenhouse’ that resulted in an even temperature around the Earth. [Note:  This “heaven” is commonly known as the “first heaven”.  The “second” is the starry heaven, the vast expanse above the Earth’s atmosphere.  The “third” is the realm of God’s Divine Majesty which the apostle Paul wrote of in 2Cor.12:1-4.]

As God proclaimed it, so the heaven between the waters was made. “And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

Third Day: Seas, Land, And Vegetation

Gen 1:9:  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10:  And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11:  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12:  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13:  And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Under the heaven (that is, the “first heaven”) that was made laid the matters of the Earth so compressed and mixed with water (which had been left in a chaotic state for eons since the Fall of Lucifer) that God had to gather the waters together into a network (or system) of water source. Large bodies of waters are called Seas and the waters are channeled to one another through the rivers on the surface of the Earth or springs and fountains in the bowels of it.  When the waters are so gathered together, the dry land, called earth, appeared. As God declared, so they were, “and God saw that it was good.”  [Note:  It is not true that the planet Earth was Pangaea, a supercontinent, surrounded by a single ocean. The planet Earth was “Pangaea” in the form of one big mass of earth with its land surface spotted with water pockets (lakes and seas). There were no oceans of waters. The oceans came about after the Great Deluge in Noah's days.]

After that the Lord God spoke for the earth to bring forth vegetation. God made the seeds of all those plants that were buried in the earth for eons to germinate.  So the earth brought forth tender sprouts, herbs bearing seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit, each kind containing its own seed according to God’s spoken words.

“And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.”

Fourth Day: Heavenly Bodies

Gen 1:14:  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15:  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16:  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17:  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18:  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19:  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

The “heaven” mentioned here is not the “first heaven” that was created for the Earth on the second day (vv.6-8, 9).  Notice carefully that this is not the “firmament in the midst of the waters” (that is, it is not the firmament between the waters) that is called the “heaven”, but the “firmament of the heaven” which is the vast expanse above the Earth’s atmosphere. In this heaven (“second heaven”) God made two great lights, the sun and the moon. Remember that the sun was ‘switched off’ in the judgment of Lucifer after he sinned. In doing so, God caused Lucifer’s Edenic kingdom to plunge into darkness. Now, in this fourth day of His creation work, God made the sun to light up again. He flipped on the ‘switch’ of the sun and nuclear fusion begun. The sun released energy of light onto the Earth. The sun is the greater light and it dominates the day. With the sun lit, God made the moon to reflect light onto the Earth. The moonlight is the lesser light and it dominates the night. God also made the stars to light up and set them in their fixed positions in the heaven, and together with the two great lights, shine light upon the Earth day and night, dividing the light from the darkness. “And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

Truly, “the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork”, so sang King David in Psalm 19:1.

Fifth Day: Animal Life Of Sea And Air

Gen 1:20:  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21:  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22:  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23:  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

As the Lord God commanded, “Let the waters bring forth…”, the waters that were gathered into one place through a system of seas, rivers, subterranean springs and fountains brought forth an abundance of creatures — from the tiniest of moving creatures that crawl, and those that swarm in pockets of waters, to fishes in the rivers, to great whales in the seas. There were also an abundance of winged fowls which live on waters, and those that fly in the heaven between the firmaments. All these creatures and winged fowls were linked to the waters and the open firmament in the midst of the waters.  They were commanded to be fruitful and multiply after their kind to fill the waters and the heaven of the Earth respectively.

“And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

Sixth Day: Animal Life of Earth

Gen 1:24:  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25:  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

As the sixth day began, God called the earth to bring forth living creatures each after its own kind — the creepers (or gliders), such as snakes and lizards, and even insects that crawl on lands and trees; the livestock, such as sheep and horses; and the beasts, such as lions and elephants, and the talking serpents. “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field,…” (Gen.2:19).  God made them all from the dust of the ground and He saw that it was good.

Sixth Day: Man

Gen 1:26:  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 air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27:  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

On the sixth day, before God took His Sabbath on the seventh day, He brought forth His final creation — Man.  Man was God’s masterpiece, a creature that was birthed in His own image and likeness.

Notice the differences in the creation of sea, air and land creatures, and man. Observe how the words expressed their creation. For the creatures of the sea and air, the Lord God said, “Let the waters bring forth”, and for those of the land, “Let the earth bring forth”. These peculiar expressions tell us that all the creatures of the sea, air and land were a direct one time creation from the elements of water, air and earth. They were birthed directly from these elements. However, the creation of man was not so for the expression of God to the angelic beings was purely, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. Yet, the verse following that proclamation stated: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  This shows an indisputable fact that God first created man in His own image and some time later made him after His own likeness (see Gen.2:7). But what is the image of God? And, what is His likeness?

“In Our Image, After Our Likeness”

The words “image” and “likeness” in Genesis 1:26 have different meanings. In His economy, God certainly does not use superfluous words or vain repetitions as man does. “Image” in Hebrew is tselem which means: a shadow, representation of substance, shade, resemblance, phantom, illusion. On the other hand, “likeness” in Hebrew is demuth. It means: shape, resemblance, similitude, similarity of features between spiritual and moral, or spiritual and physical.

God created the angels and man distinctively different from the other creatures. Remember that the angels were created way back in eons of time.  They were created in God’s image and likeness (to be His servants), and hence the expression of God’s words, “Let us…” in Genesis 1:26. The “Let us…” also incorporated the Logos, for the Spirit and the Word are One (cf. Prov.3:19; Heb.11:3).

Man was first created a spirit being in the spirit realm.  He was created both male and female in the spirit form.  The image of God is, therefore, that spiritual side of God.  God, being a Spirit, is neuter gender, yet in attributes He is both male and female; so are the angels. However, God and the angels are always portrayed in the masculine gender throughout the whole Bible. Masculinity links to strength and security. On the other hand, femininity is link to nurturance and sweetness.  The feminine nature of God is clearly manifested in those creations which are normally affiliated with femininity, for instance, plants and flowers. In essence, God is the Life-giving source in Whom all forms of life have their origin.  God is “Father” over all creations, especially over man.

Adam was first created a living spirit in the image of God in the spiritual sphere. He was a MAN and a SON OF GOD.  Being a spirit and having no definite physical shape, he was yet to be made in the likeness of God.  When was that likeness manifested?  We will come to that later in Genesis chapter 2.

Gen 1:28:  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Here we see the commandment “be fruitful, and multiply” given to the Man right after he was created just as it was given to all the creatures that came into existence before him. Remember that the Man was created in the image of God, a spirit being.  He was a son of God.  He was male and female, not man and woman.  The physical part of the Man came later when a physical body of dust was made for him, and subsequently, a Woman was formed out of him and for him.  Therefore the commandment was given to the Man while he was in the spirit image of God, to be fruitful in bringing forth spiritual children, and not physical children per se.  God dealt with him primarily in his standing as a spiritual being, a son of God. Man might fill the Earth with children, but children who are not spiritual fruits are worthless to God.  When the man, Adam, sinned, his fruitfulness was tainted, and his fruit became corrupt.

Notice that the commandment also shows that the Man was given power to have dominion over every living creature upon the Earth.  The Man was given the title deed to subdue the Earth.

Food

Gen 1:29:  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30:  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

All creatures were originally herbivores.  The Creator had provided all kinds of vegetables, herbs, plants, roots, and legume for food to the Man and to all living creatures that fly, crawl, glide and move upon the Earth.

Gen 1:31:  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

As the sixth day of creation drew to a close, God saw that all His creation over the past six days were “very good”, that is, He found them “fitting”, “suitable”, or “pleasant”.

God’s creation is indeed very good as all created things are chained or linked one to another. The Biblical order of creation shows the scala naturae, the chain of being, of our heaven and earth, beginning with the minerals or the earth as the lowest rung of the ladder.  Moving upward with increasing levels of intelligence and with various divisions, God created the microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, birds, reptiles, animals and finally man. Each creation is unique. A creature does not evolve into another kind of creature, such as, a mouse into a squirrel, or a monkey into a man. And, as all living things are of the earth, they are dependent on it for life.

~~~~~~~

● Chapter 2

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 2

Gen 2:1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” by the Word and Work of God in six days. And God took His Sabbath on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2-3 should read thus: “And before (instead of on) the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” [Note: Theologians may take these verses and teach that Yahweh charts time by week of seven days, and that every seventh day of the week is a Sabbath. However, God charts time by the days of the month. Read Exodus 12.] Moreover, Genesis 2:1-3 should have been a continuation of chapter 1 because they concluded the finished work of God.

Since verse 3 concluded with the Creator taking His Sabbath on the Seventh Day and that the previous chapter revealed the ‘family history’ of the heavens and of the Earth, chapter 2 should have therefore begun with verse 4.

A Man To Cultivate The Ground

Gen 2:4: These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

5: And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6: But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

To account for the formation of the physical man Adam, Prophet Moses found it needful to first establish for us the two primary needs required for proper and stable vegetation growth on the earth — rain and man. There was no rain to water the ground. Rain came only after the great deluge in the days of Noah. There was no man to till the ground. How then did all the vegetation of the field grow when God brought them forth on the Third Day? The answer was that God sent up a flow of mist from the fountains in the subterranean hollows of the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. With the ground wet with water, the vegetation was bathed by the primordial light which the Spirit of God brought with Him on the First Day. Subsequently, on the Fourth Day, all vegetation thereon was bathed by the light of the sun. Man was then needed to care for every herb, plant and tree of the field, and to till the ground. Now, man already existed, he was created on the Sixth Day, but he was not a tangible physical being. He was created in the image of God (a spirit being), therefore he could not function in a physical material world without a physical material body. Until he was given a physical earthly body he could not till the ground. [Note: Church tradition teaches that Adam and Eve were both created physically in a material body on the Sixth Day, and that chapter 2 is merely a sum up of their ‘birth’. It is a dogma of Christendom; it is not Bible Truth.] 

Gen 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

It is not known how long after the creation of the heavens and the planet Earth that the Man, who was created in the image of God on the Sixth Day, was formed out of the dust of the ground, in the likeness of God, and put on the Earth. Was it the day after the Lord God took His Sabbath? It is plausible.

God’s Image And Likeness

Let’s look into the Gospel of John to see the CREATIVE SELF-REVELATION of God for a better understanding of His Image and His Likeness.

The LOGOS (mentioned) in John 1:1, which became flesh and dwelt among men, was the very PERSONALITY of God. In the Old Testament era, the Logos appeared unto the patriarchs in the prophets as well as in the form of a Theophany. The Theophany was the visible manifestation of God, at times in human form. Before anything was ever created, the Logos had gone forth from the Great Invisible Fountain of Life as the very Beginning of the Creation of God to reveal Himself. And the visible Theophany in a Body was of the same shape in which man was later made. The Great Eternal Spirit chose to hide Himself, hence “the invisible God” (Col.1:15). Adam, being created in His image, possessed the same nature as his Father (God). In order for God to reveal Himself, God had to become visible. That visible form was known as the Logos, a Word Body.

When Adam was created, he was a ‘shade, representation of the substance’ (“image”; Heb: tselem) of God, which resembled the Spirit of God. After “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”, Adam then became a visible being on the Earth. He was a visible man in the ‘shape’ (“likeness”; Heb: demuth) of God, which resembled God’s visible features. Thus, the creation of man in the image and likeness of God was completed as God had declared unto the angels in Genesis 1:26.

As shown from the account of creation, in Genesis chapter 1, all the living creatures of the sea, the air and the earth were formed out of the elements of the earth itself. There is no record of any creature being created in any other form prior to their existence on the planet Earth except Adam who was first created a spirit, in the image of God, in the spirit realm. That was the marked distinction between the “living soul” of Adam and that of the animals.

Adam was created in the image of God to be a son of God. His “soul”, which had its origin in God, was the ‘gene that came from God’. Adam had to become a “living soul” in order to manifest the nature of the Spirit of his Father. Just as God became visible to reveal His Personality, Adam was made visible, in a vessel of clay provided by ‘mother’ earth, to manifest his nature.

The souls of the animals take to the earth which is their ‘mother’ and their place of origin. As they do not have the spiritual gene of God in them, the animals do not worship God, their creator, as their “Father”. So when they die, they return to the dust from whence they came; they cease to exist. The “breath of life” (Heb: nephesh) which is in their nostrils (Gen.7:22) returns to the Great Fountain of Life.

What about Adam? Did not God say in Genesis 3:19 that he was taken out of the dust of the earth and that he would return to it upon his death? Yes, but that was after the Fall when the death sentence was passed. Adam was supposed to have eternal life, the life of God, which was his nature. He was to reflect God in that visible body of clay.

Spirit, Soul and Body

Adam was made a triune being of spirit, soul and body. His spirit was his origin. His soul was his nature, his real self, which manifested the seed (gene) of his Father (God). His body of dust was merely the tabernacle which housed his spirit-soul. And when sin prevailed, the result was death. Death means separation from God in Whom lies eternal life. It also results in the decay of the body which will return to the dust of the ground as the elements of the earth.

“For dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return.” This statement does not refer to the soul, but to the body. There are people who believe that the man himself is the soul, and that when he ceases to breathe, he ceases to exist. This is the doctrine of soul sleep: when a man dies, his soul is not conscious; he ceases to exist and returns to dust until the Day of Judgment when he shall be raised from his sleep. These people do not distinguish between man (in God’s image) and animal just because both man and animal possess the “breath of life” (Heb: nephesh) in their nostrils. Read Genesis 2:7; 7:22. But the soul of man is not his body (1Thess.5:23). Anyone with spiritual wisdom can understand the distinction between the soul and the body. The soul is the intangible, innate and inherent part of all living creatures. The soul of man is different from that of the animals. Every living thing, by the law of nature, brings forth its own kind. God had given a certain nature to each of the animals: the lion, a lion nature; the horse, a horse nature; and so on. But the Man, Adam, was given the spiritual nature of God before he appeared on the Earth in his house of clay (to manifest that nature). If the souls are merely the bodies, then why do animals die since they had not sinned? According to Ezekiel 18:4, only “the soul that sinneth, it shall die”.

Moreover, where was the spirit-soul of our Lord Jesus Christ when His body was put in the tomb on Passover Day before the Sabbath until the First Day of the Week? The prophetic utterance of King David in Psalm 16:10 provides the answer and shows the difference between soul and body. The first part, “For thou will not leave my soul in hell”, foretold that God would not leave the soul of Jesus Christ in hell (Heb: sheol, the abode of the dead); and the second part, “neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”, foretold that His body would not corrupt while lying in the tomb or grave (which is known by the Hebrew word qibrah). When the body of Jesus Christ was lying in the grave, His spirit went down to sheol and preached unto the spirits (or souls) which were held captives by Satan (1Pet.3:18-19). He loosed the bond of each elected Old Testament saint from the hold of Satan’s power in that wretched domain of the dead, and made them His captives when He ascended to Heaven (Eph.4:8-10 cf. Matt.27:52). They went up to paradise (not the Heaven of God). The unbelievers remained in the lower parts of the Earth, in sheol. When Adam died, his body returned to the dust; his spirit and soul went to another dimension. That was because his real self was of another dimension before he set foot on the Earth. Since the animals came from this earthly sphere they will return unto it.

A close examination of the Word of God reveals that the two words, spirit and soul, are interlocking. One cannot separate the soul of a true child of God from his spirit, because his soul has been quickened by the Spirit of Life Itself. “But there is a spirit in man…” (Job 32:8). “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33:4). Therefore, are you a soul with a purpose in life to fulfill it, or are you just a body with a soul?

Earth, Eden, Garden

Gen 2:8: And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9: And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10: And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11: The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12: And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13: And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14: And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

The whole Earth was not Eden. However, there was a place called Eden which God had formed. Eden was God’s ‘paradise’, God’s ‘delight’ and God’s ‘pleasure’. Eden means just that. And eastward in Eden God planted a Garden which was more beautiful than any other place on the Earth, even Eden itself.

Most Bible scholars believe that the location of the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Middle East. Well, that is true. Some speculate that it was somewhere in present-day Iraq, near the Persian Gulf. Others believe that it was the area near the headwaters of the two rivers, Tigris (Hiddekel) and Euphrates. Because of the order in which the four rivers, Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates are listed in the Scriptures, those Bible scholars, who believe that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in Eastern Turkey, feel that Pison had to be the first and the northern-most river since Euphrates is shown on today’s map as the last of the four rivers in the south of the Mesopotamian Basin. They believe that it flowed through the present-day Armenian S.S.R. and then turned southward through Western Iran and emptied itself into the Persian Gulf.

I beg to differ. Eden and its Garden were not located in either of those two areas. No one could actually know where Eden and its Garden were located unless the Spirit reveals them to him. A common fact often overlooked by most Bible scholars is that the existing surface of the Earth is radically different from that of the period before the Flood. (The continents and the oceans of today did not exist in the era before the Great Deluge.) The maps of today do not show us the original land surface of Eden, but we can pinpoint the original location of the Garden of Eden. The land surface of the whole Earth was transformed in the days of Noah when all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened (Gen.7:11); that is, the aqueous shell covering the Earth was broken. Floods of waters burst forth and poured upon the earth for forty days and nights. Such a great deluge caused all the high mountains to be covered by the waters, transforming the land surface. Due to the constant pounding of the torrential rain upon the mountains, hills, valleys, plains and rivers for forty days and nights, the original formations and settings of all the geographical landscapes would inevitably be altered. [Note: The earth is made up of different types of soil. Therefore, with tons of water on the earth, earthshakes and earth movements were inevitable.] Some mountain ranges had either been reshaped or altered into plateaus or hills; some headwaters would have been shifted causing rivers to flow on new courses; lands and plains would have become valleys or had become ‘bowls’ holding large amount of waters; and mountain tops of hard rocks might have become islands. When large areas were flooded with water, terra firma will be weighed down, pushed or heaved in different directions. Such movements in the earth caused mountains to be brought low and valleys to be raised up (cf. Isa.40:4).

The Great Rift Valley which stretches from Syria to Mozambique is a good example of such land movement. The Red Sea which is a part of this rift is still tearing itself apart inch by inch every year. [Note: One of these days the boiling pot under the San Andreas Fault in California will erupt and cause a great earthquake that a vast proportion of land will slide into the sea. The land behind it will undergo a transformation. There will be great tidal waves and many small islands around the Pacific will be covered with waters for many days. There will be even greater changes at the Second Advent of Christ in the Day of the Lord (Zech.14:4-10; Rev.16:10-21) and when the earth is made new again (Rev.21:1-2).]

Land of Canaan

By the revelation given unto me by the Lord, let me establish the location of Eden and its Garden. Geographically, Eden was a vast location. Remember that the Garden of Eden was planted in the east of Eden. It must be relatively smaller than the area of Eden itself. There was one place befitting the description ‘God’s Garden of Eden’ — ‘paradise’, ‘delight’ and ‘pleasure’. It was the Land of CANAAN. Hence, the area stretching from the north of Canaan to Turkey and westward, and from the south of Canaan to the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and westward, must have been Eden. The large river that flowed eastward out of Eden to water the Garden no longer exists today as most part of Eden had become a sea (the Mediterranean Sea) after the great deluge. The Great (or Mediterranean) Sea was most probably a large area of plains and valleys with many large lakes and rivers flowing into them. Its coastlines were originally ranges of hills and mountains. A large river from Eden flowed eastward through the Garden and split into four “heads” upon leaving the Garden. But only the Hiddekel and Euphrates rivers are identifiable although their “heads” have been displaced in the region of Eastern Turkey.

Where the four rivers originally were are not very important. Just remember that there were four of them. However, let me try and trace where the four rivers were most likely located.

The large river of Eden which flowed eastward through the Garden divided itself into four “heads” when it flowed out of the Garden. The River Pison was the first to break off from its ‘mother’ and flowed southward, most probably, zigzagging downwards along the mountain ranges of the Sinai Peninsula towards the top half of the Red Sea, crossing the Nubian Desert southward. The second “head” thrust southeast along the mountain ranges of the Arabian Peninsula and downward into the land of Ethiopia. The Nile River and the Red Sea are part of the Great Rift Valley. They might have been part of the two rivers, Pison and Gihon. Geographically, River Hiddekel and River Euphrates might have flowed along the mountain ranges of Lebanon and Syria, with River Hiddekel flowing as far north as Eastern Turkey, before meandering southeastward through Mesopotamia and emptied their waters into the Persian Gulf.

In the history of God dealing with His people, the Land of Canaan had always been His focal point. This is well supported by facts found throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures. The “goodly mountain” was Canaan (Exod.3:8; Deut.3:25; 4:22). It was the “pleasant land” of milk and honey, and the “glory of all lands” (Psm.106:24; Ezek.20:6,15; cf. Isa.8:8; 62:4; Hos.9:3; Zech.2:12). The Scripture tells us that God had chosen only one place on this Earth to put His Name, and that was Jerusalem in the Land of Canaan (2Chr.6:6, Neh.1:9). Before Jerusalem was chosen, Israel could worship Yahweh any where they could build an altar for offering sacrifices. However, the day God made it the chosen place of worship, Jerusalem was the only acceptable place of worship for the True Worshippers. Offerings unto the Lord were acceptable only upon the altar in the temple ground of Jerusalem (Deut.16:2-6). THE HOUSE OF THE LORD was in the City of Jerusalem.

When the children of Israel possessed the Land of Canaan, they made certain cities as cities of refuge (Num.35). Ancient cities were usually built with high walls around them to give its inhabitants security and comfort in times of troubles. A high mountain was an ideal place for building a good strong city. Usually the ruler would govern and live in the city which was also the capital of his empire, where all national and religious activities were centered. [Note: With this understanding, we should realize what kind of city Abraham was looking for when God called him out of Ur of Chaldees to the Land of Canaan. Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10). Amen. “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Prov.14:26 cf. Deut.33:27; 2Sam.22:3; Psm.9:9; 46:7; 48:3; 62:7; 91:2,9; 94:22).]

Yes, Jerusalem was the place where God revealed His Presence and made Himself known to Israel, His chosen people, the natural seeds of Abraham. When God wanted to reconfirm His Covenant with Abraham, He commanded Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to “the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen.22:2b). Since 691 A.D. the mountain peak of Moriah has been occupied by the Mosque of Omar, better known as ‘The Dome of the Rock’. This is the place where the Temple of Solomon and the Temple of Zerubbabel once stood. The word “Moriah” means: “high place, awe, light, Lord”. The Jews even believe that this place is located at the center of the Earth and that it was here that light first shone upon mankind. The Psalmists have declared: “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psm.132:13-14). Yes, the city, Jerusalem, on Mount Zion is God’s habitation forever. The Psalmists (in Psalm 48:1-2) describe the holy mountain as “beautiful for situation” (“fair and beautiful for elevation” – Amplified) or beautiful in its loftiness. It was the “perfection of beauty” (Psm.50:2).

The Land of Canaan was the very place where the Garden of Eden was located and where man had his beginning in an environment rich with the beauty of God’s creations. God’s relationship with man began here. It is therefore obvious that God had chosen this place, where He would deal with His chosen people and dwell with them forever.

Satan has caused much trouble in this place since the dawn of man. Today, many religious and political conflicts are still prevalent in the land. It is certainly not what we expect of a land that is “beautiful” and “pleasant” and is supposed to be a delightful paradise. Yet, the Lord God had chosen this place to make His Presence known and to put His Name in the midst of it. God has allowed His adversary to somewhat ‘hinder’ His Divine Plan for a season so that His Gospel, which was given to Israel, might be preached to the Gentiles (Rom.11:24-25). Eventually all things will be fulfilled according to His Eternal Plan. Yes, the Light of the Shekinah Glory will soon shine upon God’s chosen people again, in the midst of Israel – for the last time – to establish Itself there forever.

The Garden and Its Trees

In Genesis 2:15-17, let me include Genesis 2:9 between verse 15 and 16 for a better analysis regarding the garden and its trees.

Gen 2:15: And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

[Gen 2:9: And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is

                  pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of

                  the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.]

16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Well watered by a river which came from Eden, the Garden produced and supported an abundance of life. God planted the beautiful Garden and gave it to Adam to dress it. It was God’s paradise. Different kinds of natural seeds in the earth sprang forth and produced fruit trees after their own kinds. These were foods not only for Adam and his Wife (who was yet to be formed from his side) but also for the many kinds of animals. Of every tree grown in the garden Adam could freely eat. However, between two other trees, “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil”, he was instructed not to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”; to do so would mean his death.

But what are these two trees: “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil”? Are they natural trees? And why are they called by such names, “Tree of Life” and “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”? Or, are these trees symbolic of something?

Symbolically, Absurdity, Literally, Clarity

A pastor (Matthew Waymeyer) made this true observation regarding what is considered symbolic in Scripture: ‘In order to be considered symbolic, the language in question must possess (a) some degree of absurdity when taken literally and (b) some degree of clarity when taken symbolically.’

Obviously, to take the ‘Two Trees’ (of Genesis 2:9) as literal natural trees is just plain nonsense and absurd. A casual reading of Genesis 2:15-17 coupled with Genesis 2:9 does not yield the truth that is hidden beneath the surface of those written words. Firstly, the Scripture is written by the Holy Spirit, penned by holy men of God in a language that is of God, though written in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. The expressions are the language of the Spirit of Yahweh in Hebraic culture. It is not about semantics. It is the language of God, an expression to convey His TRUTH. Many of the nuances, subtleties, and implications of the specific words chosen are lost in the translation. Secondly, the original Sacred Scripture was written in ancient Hebrew. Such writing had no spaces between words. This made it occasionally difficult to tell where a word began or where it ended. There were also no punctuation marks and no spaces between sentences, paragraphs, or even divisions; making it harder to determine the meaning even after the words had been deciphered. The same is true for the Greek New Testament. Nevertheless, we all know that the communication of thoughts is done by a chain of words, not just a mere phrase or clause. The greater the scope of the thought, the longer the chain of words will be. (This is the reason why it is foolish to interpret or exposit Scripture verse by verse.) Being without spiritual revelation of the Word, religious teachers are just regurgitating the traditions of their churches in their seminaries and pulpits.

Understanding Terminologies

Before proceeding further, we need to understand the various terminologies, particular expressions and figures of speech penned by the Holy Spirit. A particular expression or figure of speech is never used except for the purpose of emphasizing and intensifying, and calling attention to, the reality of the literal sense. It is God’s way of hiding Truth while revealing It. Therefore, to understand the doctrine of the Original Sin and the Serpent Seed, we must first analyze the meanings of the following terminologies: “Tree of Life”, “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, “In the midst of the garden”, “Eat” and “Fruit”.

The word “tree” is used in the Bible to symbolize different things. Our Lord Jesus used it for nation (Luk.21:29), whereas the blind man whom He healed in Bethsaida used it for man (Mar.8:24). In the Old Testament the term is used for a king (Dan.4:10), wisdom (Prov.3:18) besides others. Hence, not all the “trees” (in Scriptures) were literal trees neither were they the same type of ‘trees’. In Genesis 2 and 3, the word “tree” has been used for two different things. One points to that which grew “out of the ground” in the Garden of Eden – natural trees; and the other points to that which were “in the midst of the garden” – trees which were not literal.

Likewise the word “garden” does not necessary mean a literal garden. It could symbolize the soul (Jer.31:12), the shrine (Isa.65:3), or the human body (Song.4-8). The basic meaning of ‘garden’ whether literal, symbolic or spiritual, is an enclosure i) where a seed can be planted to reproduce itself; ii) cultivated for public enjoyment. While the Garden of Eden is a literal garden, the “garden” where the “two trees” are situated in its midst is not that Garden of Eden, nor a literal garden.

The word “eat” for many people simply means to consume food with the mouth. ‘To eat’ means ‘to partake’. Proverbs 30:20 gives a good rendition of the word. It tells of an adulterous woman who had partaken adultery (that is, she lay with a man who was not her husband) and then said that she had done no evil. Read also Psalm 127:2; Proverbs 1:31; 13:2; Jeremiah 15:16; Hosea 10:13; John 6:56. [Note: Among other uses of the word “eat” in Hebrew is “lay” (see Strong’s Concordance: 398 akal [lit. or fig.]. See also 5060, naga, translated “touch” in Genesis 3:3, a word added in by Eve to what God had said to Adam in Genesis 2:17. Naga means, in euphemism, to lie with a woman). The original Hebrew word “food” (maakal) comes from the same root meaning as the word “eat”; and in Genesis 3:6 these two words are interwoven together to hide and yet reveal the mystery of the act that brought about the Fall of Mankind or the Original Sin.]

To almost all Bible readers, the word “fruit” is simply a literal fruit such as an apple or a pear. However, according to the Scriptures, the word “fruit” (Heb: periy) may be used literally or figuratively (see Strong’s Concordance: 6529 periy; from 6509 “fruit” [lit. or fig.]). For examples read Deuteronomy 28:4; Psalm 127:3; Proverb 18:20; and Luke 1:42. Therefore, the word “fruit” does not always refer to the literal fruit.

The Two Trees

Now, Genesis 2:9 reads as follows: “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Notice that the verse has two parts, separated by a semi-colon. As mentioned afore, ancient Hebrew has no inherent punctuation and no capital letters; the break in the verse by a punctuation mark (the semi-colon) in the English translation is correct. The first part says that the Lord God caused EVERY edible fruit-bearing tree which is pleasant and desirable to the eyes to grow out from the ground. There is no exception to any one particular edible fruit-bearing tree that GROW “out of the ground” that could not be eaten. This is a fact. Such fruit-bearing trees are not forbidden. They are grown for food.

The second part: “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” is not a part of the expression of the first. It has no connection with the statement. It is an interpolation, similar to the kind of interjection in John 2:19 when Jesus Christ went to cleanse the temple in Jerusalem and had a row with the Jews about the House of God, and He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The temple Christ referred to was a different temple, as we read in the record of John.

With the interpolation of the ‘two trees’ (in that verse of Genesis 2:9), there is actually a play on the word “garden”. A mystery is hidden here. Observe that the ‘two trees’ – the “Tree of Life”, and the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” – are not literal natural trees growing out of the ground in the middle of the Garden of Eden. If they were, then their fruits could be eaten according to the first part of the verse which states that EVERY edible fruit-bearing tree that grows from the GROUND could be eaten.

Notice that the interpolation identifies the ‘two trees’ to be not just anywhere but a specific location in the garden — “in the midst (Heb: tavek, bisection, center, middle) of the garden”, which could not be referring to the literal natural Garden of Eden. The language is absurd when taken literally. However, when taken symbolically the hidden truth is unfolded. The ‘two trees’ are two laws which oppose one another. The “Tree of Life” is the ‘Law of Life’ that brings LIFE and the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” is the ‘Law of Perverted Knowledge’ which brings DEATH (Rom.8:2). Divine Life and Truth come from the Living God and are eternal. Perverted Knowledge and Ways come from the Devil and they lead to Death. In essence, Adam and his Woman were to eat of the “Tree of Life” which is the Word of Life issued forth from God Himself. However, the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” opposes It by bringing forth a perverted version of Truth mixed with lies. Satan is the spirit behind the perversion that brings the fruit of death to those who eat it.

Everything that God has created was created for a purpose of which two diametrically opposing laws operate. Similarly, every member, every organ, of the human body has a purpose. The reproductive organ is situated in the middle (center, bisection) of the human body, which is a “garden” (by analogy, cf. Song.5:1; 6:2). Hence, the doctrine of the Original Sin has nothing to do with the eating (partaking) of the fruit of a natural tree (called the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”) but the partaking of a knowledge in which the truth of God was mixed with falsehood (that is, perverted or corrupted knowledge). The true purpose of the sexual reproductive organ was twisted out of context with God’s divine law which states that in the time and the season of life all living things are to bring forth life, each of its own kind (Eccle.3:1,2; Gen.2:24,25; 1:24). Somehow the Serpent seduced the woman with perverted knowledge that was very enticing to the senses. She was tempted to experience carnal knowledge with the Serpent. She was deceived into eating the tree, and she ate the fruit of it. The “fruit” of Eve’s transgression against the law of God was Cain, the son of the Serpent (Gen.3:15; 1Joh.3:12).

[Note: Interestingly, if you look at the map of the Land of Canaan, you will notice that Jerusalem was right in the midst of the land. Jerusalem is the place where the Lord God has put His Name and where He had planted His TREE OF LIFE – HIS DIVINE WORD – by which His chosen people might have access to the Life of His Shekinah Glory. It was also in this same place (Jerusalem in the “midst” of the Holy Land of Canaan) that the Adversary of God, Satan, had been continually fighting against God and His Truth by getting God’s people to break His Divine Word in the same way he deceived Eve into partaking of that forbidden “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”. Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, also were the children of Israel cast out of the Holy Land of Canaan, being delivered into the hands of their enemies, the Assyrians and the Babylonians.]

Sources of Life

Though Adam and his Wife were natural living beings, created in the image and likeness of God, they were planted by God as ‘spiritual trees’ in the Garden of Eden. Although their lives were without sin, they had to constantly drink of the Spiritual Water of Life and eat of the TREE OF LIFE, the ‘fruit’ of which only the Shekinah Glory of God could supply, just like the natural environment of the Garden needing the life sustaining water and nutrients from the River of Eden for its continual growth. Natural trees need natural water, so ‘spiritual trees’ need ‘spiritual water’. Amen. That is the law of life, natural or spiritual. The two ‘spiritual trees’ were overshadowed by Christ, the Spiritual Rock, the very Fountain of the Water of Life, and the very TREE OF LIFE, which was there in the centre of Eden’s delightful garden. Truly, although they were in the physical Garden, Adam and his Wife were also in that GARDEN OF GOD — the true spiritual ‘Garden of Eden’ with the Eternal Presence of God.

A Help Meet For Adam

Gen 2:18: And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19: And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20: And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

When Adam was created and made to live physically on the Earth, he was the First Man, and he was alone. There was none other like him, but God did not want him to be alone, He wanted him to have a help meet for him. With Adam were all the pairs of different kinds of fowls and animals that God had formed out of the ground before him. (The first part of Genesis 2:19 should read as: “And out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air;…”) They were brought to Adam for him to name them. And so they were named. Of course, none of those living creatures could be a help to meet his needs. God knew that; Adam knew that: a help meet for Adam could only be one like him and of him.

As much as the Lord God did not want Adam to be alone, this utterance of His – “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” – was spoken prophetically of THE MAN, the Last Adam, who was to come. God wanted a family; He did not want to be alone.

The Making of A Woman

Gen 2:21: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto 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.

Traditional churches teach that God literally cut open Adam’s side and took one of Adam’s ribs and then closed up his open side. They believe that God took a literal rib with flesh attached to it, and formed a woman for Adam. The verse used to support it is Genesis 2:23: “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.” They conclude that Eve was formed from a rib of Adam — literally.

Is it really? If it is literal, how is it that men have the same number of ribs as the women? To justify that God actually used a real rib, some Christian would theorize that God had cut open Adam’s side, taken a rib to fashion Eve, and then had made Adam whole without any missing rib; and so, man has no missing rib (yet his wife is said to be ‘his missing rib’). Would not it be better and easier to theorize that perhaps Adam had a spare rib that God used rather than to theorize that God took out a rib and then made Adam whole by replacing the missing rib? Maybe some smart theologians concluded that the four floating ribs of the human skeleton were the ones that God broke off to form Eve. Perhaps in forming the Woman to be of the correct size and height for Adam, God failed to get it right in His first three attempts. The first rib broken off was too long, which would make the Woman much taller than Adam; the second one was broken off too short, which would make her much too short for Adam; and the third was of a length that would make her of equal height with Adam. Perhaps the fourth one was just perfect, making her just a little bit lower than Adam. An incredible interpretation which seems correct. After all, one can interpret the Bible as one likes. Is not that true?

Consider this: to believe that Eve was only made from a real rib of Adam would be to believe that she was not directly made of dust as Adam was. So, what does it mean when a man says to his wife: ‘You are my flesh and bone; you are my other half’ ?

A Deep Sleep

Prophet Moses’ statement: “The LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept” holds a mystery. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam so that a bride (a Woman) could be produced for Adam from Adam’s side — “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh”. What was God portraying in the making of the Woman? The “deep sleep” speaks of ‘death’. Prophetically, and in a mystery, it speaks of the death that Jesus Christ, the last Adam, would go through so that from His side, God would form a Bride (a Church) for Him.

Now, consider carefully the following two verses:

Gen 2:22: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto 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.

What did Adam really mean, when he said, “She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” ? Was he referring to a rib or was he referring to a female being that he called “Woman” — that “was taken out of Man” ? The Woman was that ‘female’ part of the image that was scripted in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” The Woman was a by-product of the Man. She was the only female creature made this way by the Lord God.

The Man, Adam, was created in God’s image; he was both male and female. It was that feminine part of Adam that God took out of Man to form a Woman and then presented her back to him. She was a part of the Man; his bone and flesh. Consider the type and anti-type between the two Adams. Reflect on what God “took” from the side of the last Adam (Jesus Christ) at Mount Calvary after Jesus took His last breath and died (Joh.19:34; 1Jn 5:6,8; Joh.3:5). God “caused a deep sleep to fall upon” His Son, Jesus. Then from Jesus’ side God took ‘bone and flesh’ and fashioned a Bride for Him. Praise the Lord. God sent His Son to die at Calvary and in His “deep sleep” life flowed from His side to bring forth the Church, who is the ‘Wife’ of the Living Christ. Every true born again Christian is a part of Christ.

Gen 2:24: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25: And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

The Woman was taken out of the Man, bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh. For this reason, a man shall leave his parents, and cleave to his wife for they two are indeed one flesh, joined in holy union as one person, one body. Yes, a sacred ordinance of God, a holy wedlock set down against polygamy, unlawful divorces, and all uncleanness, fornication, and adultery. Furthermore, God “closed up (shut up) the flesh instead thereof”; this enlightens us to that fact that there will not be another Woman taken out of Adam for Adam.

Even though the Man and his Wife were naked there was no consciousness, no conception, of shame; just an unconsciousness of the existence of evil.

~~~~~~~

● Chapter 3

 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 3

The Fall of Mankind

This chapter records the Fall of Mankind. It details the creatures that were involved in the Fall. It provides a clear picture of each creature’s persona.

The Serpent

Gen 3:1: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Here we have an introduction to the Serpent. The word “serpent” came from the Hebrew word “nachash” and has the following meanings: “hiss”, that is, “whisper a (magic) spell”; “a divine enchanter”; “use enchantment”; “learn by experience”. Some theologians theorized that the Serpent might have been, if not a snake with limbs crawling on trees, a reptilian creature that had a tail and stood upright on the ground. Not so; the Serpent was not a cold-blooded reptile. Not only was the Serpent “more subtil than any beast of the field”, he was also able to communicate and reason for he was smart and knowledgeable. He was an intelligent creature. He was of the highest order of animals, the primates, which have hands and stand on two feet. And being “more subtil”, he must be above all of them with Adam ruling over him.

“Yea, Hath God Said?”

Now, the record of the Fall of Mankind begins with the part the Serpent played. He approached the Woman and initiated a dialogue over the will of the Creator concerning the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Serpent posted the question to the Woman: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The order issued by the Creator to Adam was craftily reworded into a question. Notice his cunningness, the subtlety of the spirit of Satan. Yes, Satan was behind the Serpent. He had influenced the Serpent and motivated him to be used as an instrument to undermine God’s plan. Satan’s every move against his Creator, since his fall, is to thwart and destroy God’s Plans and Purposes. He has the ability and the dynamic to influence and energize living creatures that would yield to his spirit, whether they be dinosaurs, pigs, serpents or men. With just a word out of its original place the Serpent held the Woman in a dialogue. (And of course, the dialogue could not have been as straightforward and short as recorded in the next three verses of Scripture.)

“God Hath Said.”

Gen 3:2: And the woman said unto 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 midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Yes, “God hath said” to Adam that he could freely eat of every tree that grew from the ground in the Garden of Eden except for that Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was in the midst of the garden.

Now, there are three things one must not do concerning the Word of God: i) dislocate the word; ii) misplace the word; and iii) misinterpret the word. Nevertheless the Serpent did just that in those three words: GOD HATH SAID. He dislocated the center word and misplaced the same word to where God’s directive turned into a statement of uncertainty — HATH GOD SAID? Hence, he misrepresented a truth. With just a simple twist to those three words of God, the fascinating charismatic Serpent cast doubt to the Woman whose response shows her understanding was affected. The Woman was under the Serpent’s enchantment. Her answer contains additional words that were not originally spoken by the Almighty God to Adam — “neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die”. God’s words to Adam was “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”.

What was going on in the mind of the Woman? Concerning the fruit of the forbidden “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”, she knew the command was “not to eat of it”, that is, “not to partake of it”. Then, as an afterthought, it seemed to her that to “touch it” death might not be the consequence, as her words showed. Perhaps, without hesitation, the Serpent jumped straight at the Woman with a suggestion to her to “touch it”, that is, “to lay hold of it”. As some Rabbis hinted, when the Woman did that, the Serpent said, “See, thou hast touched it, and art still alive; thou mayest therefore safely eat of the fruit, for surely thou shalt not die.” It is certainly an interesting reflection.

“The Tree Was Good For Food”

 Gen 3:4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

What winsome words! “Ye shall not surely die:…your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (Heb: elohim), knowing good and evil.” The word of the Serpent, though filled with falsehood – a knowledge that was perverted – was to the Woman, engagingly exciting and tempting. Unlike other trees which please the sight and taste, this one was stirring, rousing, not only her senses of sight and taste, but also an appetite in her to satiate wisdom. And so, desiring to be wise, the Woman succumbed to the temptation and “took of the fruit thereof, and did eat”. Having eaten of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, the Woman went and “gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat”.

[Note: Tradition has it, depicted even by paintings, that Adam was alongside the Woman when the Serpent came to seduce her. And immediately after she had partaken of the forbidden tree she extended her hand to give the fruit to her husband to eat. To many Bible readers, the phrase “her husband with her” indicates just that — Adam was all the time alongside the Woman, standing next to her and watching her being tempted by the Serpent. Foolish theologians seem never to think of asking how the Serpent dared to tempt (seduce) the Woman when her husband was standing beside her; and why Adam simply stood idly by in silence.

The word “with” has varied applications. That the Woman’s husband was “with her” is true; Adam was always there “with her” in the Garden of Eden. They were always together in the vicinity but they were not always alongside each other. Observe what Adam said later (in verse 12): “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me…” Comprehend the statement that the Woman was given to Adam to be “with” him.]

Gen 3:7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Adam and the Woman, whom God gave to be with him, were naked since the day they came into being and they were never ashamed until now. However, what they had partaken opened their eyes, not to their physical naked bodies, but to a nakedness so appalling that they had to cover their naked bodies with fig leaves sown together. Adam and the Woman lost their righteousness and became spiritually naked in the sight of God.

Hiding From God

Gen 3:8: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

That the Lord God had a regular appointed time and place of fellowship with Adam and his Woman is clear. The Presence of Yahweh, the Logos (the visible side of God), would come down and walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of each day to seek fellowship with the couple. On this particular day, the couple was not in their usual place of meeting. They were afraid to meet their God and so they hid themselves among the trees. A sinner Man and a sinner Woman running away from the presence of their God.

Gen 3:9: And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10: And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Notice that the Lord God called out to the Man, Adam. He did not call out to the Woman. It is important to know that the head of the Woman is the Man. The Man was first formed, then the Woman. Hence, a man is responsible for his wife and his family.

Yahweh is not an impersonal Being to Mankind. In calling out for Adam, God was looking for a response from His son; not that He did not know where and why Adam was hiding. Yahweh Elohim was a personal God and Father to Adam, His son. As a son Adam had to respond, and respond he did; sincerely, truthfully, reverently, for as wise Solomon later wrote: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov.9:10 cf. 1:7).

With Adam’s response Yahweh immediately posed two questions to Adam. Look closely at the questions. 

Gen 3:11: And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Notice that the two questions are closely linked together. The first deals with Adam’s awareness that he was naked – “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” The second question followed immediately: “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Therefore eating the forbidden tree was the cause of the awareness of his nakedness. He knew he was naked, not just naked but naked in a dreadful sense — a perversion, a vice, an uncleanness. [Note: The word “naked” used in this text of Genesis 3:7-11 is different from that in Genesis 2:25. It is translated from the Hebrew word “eyrom”, which comes from the root word “aram”, used only in a derogatory sense.] Remember Adam and his Woman had been and always were naked and were never ashamed until now. Why now? Why were their “fearfully and wonderfully made” bodies (as King David described it in Psalm 139:14) needing a covering? What caused such shame to Adam and his Woman, that they not only covered themselves but hid also from God, their Father? Why was there a sense of uncleanness, exposure, and consciousness of evil in them? Unless their sexual organs were involved in the eating of the forbidden tree.

The questions presented to Adam stipulate one important truth about the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”; that it could not be a natural fruit tree, which Adam and his wife partook. What the couple had partaken was a perverted knowledge of good and evil that involved all the senses of the human body; a perversion which opened their eyes “to know” what was truly good and what was truly evil. When they ate the tree, they ate the fruit of it.

Blame Game

Gen 3:12: And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13: And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

A sinner man will always, if not almost always, excuse himself and put the blame of their woe on others or circumstances. When questioned, Adam blamed it on “the woman whom thou gavest to be with me”. In other words Adam was indirectly saying something like this: “If You have not given the Woman to live with me, this might not have happened”. And the Woman, when questioned, blamed it on the Serpent, on his mesmerizing charm that seduced her into eating of the tree. Very true, but it was an excuse that says: “I could not help myself. I was drawn into it”. Oh deceived Woman, the fruit of eating the tree was not beneficial as she was led to anticipate.

Judgment

Gen 3:14: And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Turning to the Serpent, not Satan, Yahweh pronounced immediate judgment upon him. The Serpent was not a son of God but a beast of the field created to be a servant to Adam. As such, God had no need to hear his defense. No explanation, no reason, was required from the Serpent. And because the Serpent had yielded himself to Satan’s influence and evil work, the Lord God cursed him above all animals and beasts of the field. God rid him of his hands and legs; to crawl and glide on his belly. The Serpent became a snake, a cold-blooded reptile. Without limbs, dirt was a part of his diet as he ate off the ground. No doubt, his mate was cursed together with him that they might reproduce their kind in the snake family. [Note: When God destroyed Korah, Dathan and Abiram for rebelling against Moses and his leadership, He also destroyed their wives together with them (Num.16:27,31,32; Dan.6:24).]

Let us not forget that Satan is an inveterate dabbler of God’s creation since the day he lifted himself up to be an equal with his Creator to be worshipped. He will seek out those who will yield themselves to his spirit to put them under subjection. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Rom.6:16).

Enmity

Gen 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Enmity was put between the Serpent and the Woman, and between their seeds. The Serpent was once a charming mesmerizing creature to behold and to bond with, but not quite now. Cursed to become a cold slithering slippery repulsive creature and thrown into the snake family, there was an aversion between it and the Woman, and which has become the norm between the serpent-snake and man. Though there is a fascination with snakes, Man, especially the womenfolk, generally abhors the sight of one, and it the sight of man.

Yahweh’s judgment on the Serpent was compounded — literally and spiritually. Both the Serpent and the Woman had each a seed. The (literal) seed of the Serpent was Cain, a fact which traditional churches simply bypass. On the spiritual side, his seed was one who is fathered by Satan; such a seed would oppose the Word of Yahweh. The (literal) seed of the Woman was Abel, the son of Adam. Her spiritual seed was the Christ, the Son of God, by whom are many more seeds fathered by His Word. Furthermore, the words speak allegorically of the enmity between the Serpent and the Woman. The Serpent is Satan for Satan is its “head”. The Woman is Israel through whom a virgin shall conceive (Jer.3:14; Hos.2:19-20; Isa.4:14; Mat.1:23) whose “seed” would bruise the “head” of the Serpent, who in turn could only bruise His heel. Even after ‘the seed of the Woman’ had bruised the Serpent’s head, the enmity between Satan and the Woman (Israel, including the Church of the Living God, cf. 2Cor.11:2; Rev.19:7-10) continued through the ages, where there is a persistent and contradictory hatred, and a perpetual war.

Sorrow

Gen 3:16: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Yahweh’s judgment upon the Woman provides further details about the eating of the forbidden “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”. Remember, after eating the forbidden tree, the eyes of Adam and His wife were opened to their nakedness, a sin so disgusting that they had to cover their sexual parts. In His judgment, God greatly multiplied her sorrow and conception, that is, her ovulation cycle was greatly multiplied, accompanied by great discomfort. Also, her pain was increased in childbearing. Lastly, the Woman’s longing desire was only to her husband, and she was also to be in submission to him as she was no longer on par with her husband. All these indicate that the Woman had misused her sexual reproductive organ when she fell into the deception of the Serpent. If not, why would God curse that part of her body? [More details under the subtitle: The Original Sin.]

Adam’s punishment was in no way similar to that of his wife. The Apostle Paul wrote that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1Tim.2:14). Nevertheless, Yahweh had also to mete out His punishment upon Adam because of his action.

The Ground Was Cursed

Gen 3:17: And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18: Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19: 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.

On account of what Adam did – hearkening to his wife and partaking of the forbidden tree – God cursed the ground. Thorns and thistles sprang up, and Adam had to toil to eat of the plants that were his food. It was painful having to root up all sorts of noxious plants and troublesome weeds. By the sweat of his face, Adam had to labour for his food until he returned to the dust of the ground, for he, the physical being, was made from the dust of the ground, and to the dust he shall return.

“The Mother of All Living”

Gen 3:20: And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Adam previously called his wife, Woman. He was (the) Man and she was (the) Woman. Now, he called her Eve (Heb: Chavvah), which means “life-giver” for she was “the mother of all living”. By right Adam should be called ‘the father of all living’ since posterity is reckoned to the male. However, Cain was not his son. Cain was the son of the Serpent. Hence, Eve was “the mother of all living” for she gave birth to her fraternal twins, Cain and Abel.

The Covering

Gen 3:21: Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

The coats of fig leaves sewed by Adam and Eve to cover themselves were insufficient and unsatisfactorily to the Lord. What sin they had committed had nothing to do with any natural fruit tree. Had it been so, then a covering of fig leaves would certainly have sufficed. Nevertheless, something had intruded into the body of Man that required Yahweh to shed the blood of innocent animals. With their hides, He made clothes to cover the Man and the Woman. This action of the Lord portrays His plan of salvation, which demands that innocent blood be shed for the propitiation and covering of sins. Since Yahweh shed blood for a covering, blood must be involved in the Fall. Moreover, the animal skin on the Man and the Woman indicates that brute life had touched the life of Mankind (through the Woman). [Note: God had to slay innocent animals to make coats of skin to clothe the Man and his Woman, and in the process blood was shed (Gen.3:21). Read Leviticus 4; Hebrews 9:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21. Notice that it was not the fruit of a literal tree that Adam and Eve had partaken. If they had indeed partaken of a literal fruit tree, then Adam and Eve should have covered their mouths rather than their sexual parts. Even in His covenant with Abraham, God’s requirement was still blood — from the foreskin! He that has a spiritual mind should behold the reason why the shedding of BLOOD is required for redemption.

“Knowing Good And Evil”

Gen 3:22: And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

The Serpent’s words were insinuatingly true in some way when he said to the Woman (not Adam): “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (Heb: elohim), knowing good and evil” (Gen.3:5 cf. Psa.8:5; 97:7; see also Heb.1:6). And in a subtle way Moses expressed God’s words ironically: “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:..” (Gen.3:22). Think on it.

The savoring of something forbidden surely provides certain knowledge about it. Had Adam and Eve not eaten of the forbidden tree, they would not have the knowledge of what it is “to know” what is truly “good” and what is truly “evil”, the way only God could know.

The knowledge of good and evil is not sin. God Himself has such knowledge. Adam too had that knowledge for he was created in the image of God, but to partake of it by an act is. We all know that sexual union between a man and a woman outside of holy wedlock is vile. Such knowledge does not make us guilty but to lock in union with someone who is not one’s spouse does. It opens the eyes of the sinner to the meaning of “to know”. One cannot equate the carnal knowledge of good and evil, sold to the Woman through a perverted act with the Serpent, to that of God’s Omniscient Knowledge of good and evil.

The last part of the Scripture verse – “and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” – is expressed as a figure of speech. The Hebrew expression shows a sudden silence. It expresses the grief of Yahweh towards the Fall of Man and yet a great promise underscores His words. His action in driving Adam eastward sheds light on His words — “and now, lest he…”.

Cherubim and Flaming Sword

Gen 3:23: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24: So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

God drove Adam out of the Garden of Eden; but how far away did God have to drive Adam out before Adam was out of the garden? This passage of Scripture is both literal and figurative. Though the Garden of Eden was a literal place, it had no fence around it and no entrance or exit for it. We know that the “Tree of Life” was not a literal tree but the Law of Life in God’s Word and therefore the last verse could not refer to literal Cherubim and a literal Flaming Sword guarding the way into It on the eastside of the literal garden. If the Cherubim and the Flaming Sword were literal, then they should still be there guarding the eastern side of the Garden of Eden (which is the Land of Israel), even to this day. So would both the “Tree of Life” and the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” be there, if they were literal natural trees.

“So he drove out the man;…” God divorced or detached the man from the place He had put him. God did not have to drive Adam out very far before Adam was separated from the place where God had put him. Adam had broken the law and judgment had to be passed. God had to affect a divorce between light and darkness, truth and error, life and death. Adam was not only separated from the natural garden where he dwelled but also from that spiritual Garden of God where God’s Presence truly dwelled.

The Cherubim and the Flaming Sword are imageries with hidden mysteries. Cherubim are often associated with the Presence of God especially around His Throne (Exo.25:20-22; Eze.10:1-22; Rev.4:5-9). Cherubim are also guarding Angels of Light (2Cor.11:14). The Flaming Sword is a power that separates and destroys. These mysteries are portrayed on the mercy lid (seat) of the Ark of the Covenant found in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses (Exo.25), where only the High Priest could enter in but once a year into Yahweh’s Presence with the blood of a sin-offering.

Both the Cherubim and the Flaming Sword are expressed here as guarding the way to True Life. This expression creates a sense of awe (in the mind of man), giving rise to an imagery of an unapproachable Light (that holds Life). Man is a fallen creature and therefore he can no longer return to God’s Paradise. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). “For the wages of sin is death;…” (Rom.6:23). But man’s fascination with the Flaming Sword till this day has never ceased. He had been, and still is, thinking of ways to get past that Sword and into God’s Paradise. No matter what a man does to try and find his way into God’s Paradise, he will surely come face to face with Death. He can imagine, philosophize and devise ways to get into God’s spiritual Garden of Eden, however he will never get past the Flaming Sword that turns everyway. It is the fiery Law of Death. No matter how venerated a man’s life may be, or how devout and holy his approach, Death will still stand before him and is ever ready to destroy him. God is as much a consuming fire as He is a holy God. Until a way is provided, man’s vain imaginations and religious approaches to get into the spiritual Garden of God remain futile.

O glorious mystery! God guarded the “Tree of Life” and kept It in Himself until He sent It forth in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Yet Christ has the Burning Sword in His hand — “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (Joh.14:6). Jesus Christ is God’s Tree of Life manifested. Yahweh, Who is TRUE LIFE, the Word of LIFE, came to dwell in the flesh of His Own Son, Yahshua. It was this Light that came into the world and lit up a pathway for man to find his way into the Garden of God. Man could now taste and eat of the Tree of Life (Word of Life) in order to have the True and Eternal Fruitful Life that was ordained of God. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom.10:4). He is the consuming fire of God. He must purge sin before anyone is to eat of the Word of LIFE and enter into the spiritual Garden of God. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb.9:14).

Strangely, why were the Cherubim and the Flaming Sword placed only on the eastern side of the garden? What reason was there for such a position?

A mystery lies here, and unless one first sees the truth that the Garden of Eden was Israel (and not Turkey or Armenia or a certain area in the Mesopotamian Basin), one will not be able to see the revelation of it. [For more proof that the Land of Canaan is the locale of the Garden of Eden, read my message: The Holy City, New Jerusalem.]

The driving out of the Man and the placing of the Cherubim and the Flaming Sword are the schema of God that speaks prophetically of a great mystery. The First Man, the First Adam, was cast out eastward in death; a Second Man, the Last Adam, will surely come and bring Life back from the direction that Death went out. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1Cor.15:45). True Life remained hidden as a mystery of God until He revealed It in His Son, Jesus Christ, Who was sent as the Messiah to the children of Israel according to the promise given to them.

Even the image of the rising sun was Yahweh’s modus operandi (Mal.4:2). The simple structure of the Tabernacle of Moses (later replaced in Jerusalem by the temple of Solomon, and of Herod) was constructed with its entrance facing the east (Num.3:38). Also, Ezekiel witnessed in his vision of the future (millennial) temple, “the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east” (Eze.43:4).

Yes, Life did return to the Garden of Eden (which is the land of Israel) when the Christ of Yahweh was born and died for a propitiation for sin, a reconciliation for iniquity. Having ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives (which lies east of the City of Jerusalem and its temple’s eastern gate) He will return once more to the same (Acts 1:10-12a). This return will be in the great Day of the Lord when Jesus Christ will come to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. In great glory, He will descend on to Mount Olivet and enter into the City of Jerusalem and the temple via the eastern gate (which is presently shut and sealed up). Read Ezekiel 44:1-3; Zechariah 14:4. Christ will then sit upon the Throne of David (Isa.9:6-7; Luk.1:31-33) and in His glory He will judge all nations that are gathered before Him (Matt.19:28; 25:31-46) after which He will reign over the Earth for a thousand years.

Indeed the TRUTH shall set us free — truth that is given to us by a revelation of the Spirit of God upon His Own Written Word. That mysterious Flaming Sword still turns every way to face those who dare to misappropriate the Tree of Life. The two saraph Cherubim watch over and shield the Shekinah and only Yahweh Himself will reveal to whom He so chooses (Matt.11:29).

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The Original Sin or The Seed of The Serpent

The teaching concerning the Fall is known traditionally as the doctrine of the Original Sin. Scripturally, it should be called the doctrine of the Seed of the Serpent, for the Fall was caused by the eating of the forbidden tree that resulted in a Seed of the Serpent being born — a seed of discrepancy.

There is great spiritual blindness among modern theologians. Though they declare that the “seed of the woman” (who was the seed of promise) prophetically refers to Jesus Christ, yet they rule out any progeny from the Serpent. (They are consistent in inconsistency!) How could they deny that the Serpent had his seed when the Word of God specifically stated that both – the Woman and the Serpent – have their respective seeds? The subject of the two seeds of Genesis 3 cannot be suppressed nor can Eve’s relation and connection with the Serpent be evaded. For in it we are enlightened on the true doctrine of the Original Sin — that which brought about the Fall of Man. We cannot miss what the Spirit had written concerning the woman’s sorrow in conception and in childbirth; and that her desire would be to her husband who would henceforth rule over her. In His divine judgment, God meted the punishment to fit the crime. Why did God employ the pain of childbirth? What is the purpose of using the word “conception”? How about the word “desire”? Anyone who has the spirit of discernment should be able to see and understand what the whole chapter of Genesis 3 is all about.

The doctrine of the Serpent Seed is not an allegory, a myth, a legend, or a fable. It is based on literal historical facts set forth and emphasized by the use of certain particular (Hebraic) expressions, or figures of speech, in Genesis chapter 2 and 3. So, with all that we have comprehended thus far, let us place the pieces of information together. It would not be difficult to comprehend what Eve ate, and what events followed that brought about the Fall of Mankind.

Life or Perversion

Now, God commanded every species of life, whether plant or animal life, to bring forth seed after its own kind (Gen.1:11-12, 24). Therefore, to hybridize two different species of animals is to go against God’s commandment and law of reproduction. The penalty for tampering with the law of God is Death. Remember this law.

There is a purpose to everything that God had created; and that is to bring glory to Himself (Eph.3:11; Eccle.3:1,17; Isa.14:26-27). Likewise, there is a purpose in each and every member of the human body. The misuse of any member is sin in God’s eye. Read Matthew 18:8-9; James 3:10-12. The commandment is clear: man must obey the Divine Law of Life and Purpose of the Creator. Disobedience is a transgression of the divine commandment, which leads to the perversion of the Divine Truth and Purpose of the Creator.

The purpose of the reproductive organ is to bring forth life. The Woman was given to Adam to reproduce himself. According to the divine plan of God, Adam and his wife were expected to come together at the appointed time and season of life (Eccle.3:1-8) to eat (partake) of the fruit (effect, reward) of the “Tree of Life” in the midst of the garden. The effect of such partaking would bring forth (fruits, rewards of) sons and daughters of God with eternal life. However, the Serpent deceived the Woman into thinking that she could be wiser by partaking of the forbidden tree that was pleasant to the eyes – a delight, gratifying to the physical and sensual desires, lusty – as the tree was good for food to make one wise (discerning). (That tree might have looked good for food but it certainly was not the kind of food for the spiritual soul.)

Genesis 3:6 says that the tree was “pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise...” How could the eating of the forbidden tree make one wise? The word “wise” is defined as having the power of discernment and judgment. The use of this word carries a far reaching implication. Pagan religions, all of which came from Babylon, have the idea permeated among their followers that wisdom could come through the power of sexual involvement outside of the Divine Law of Man-Woman relation. Hence, the worship of sex in pagan religions which embodied prostitution and orgy. Did not the Apostle Paul say in Romans chapter 1 that men took to worshipping the creature rather than the Creator? Up to this day the lie of the Serpent that wisdom could be discovered in sexual experience still holds true for many promiscuous males and females, adults and teenagers alike.

The word “pleasant” (Hebrew: “taavah”) means “a longing”, by implication, “a delight, dainty, desire, greedy, lusting”. This word is tied directly to the word “food”, “desire” and “wise”. When Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,...” it involved the cardinal sins of “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1Jhn.2:16).

The Serpent intruded on Adam’s garden, his Woman (cf. Song 4:12,16; 5:1; 6:2), and sowed his ‘sperma’ in her, which fused with the Woman’s egg resulting in the birth of a hybrid — Cain, a perverted seed! Eve, in eating of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” in the midst of the garden, brought forth the fruit of Death from her womb.

“In the Midst of the Garden”

The judgment of God upon the Woman (Gen.3:16) should cause us to also understand that the sexual organ was the guilty member of the body in the act of sin. It was that part of the Woman, which God had cursed. Yahweh also increased the number of her conceptions. (A study of animals shows that the higher the animal species the lesser is the number of its conceptions. The Woman’s conception and sorrow had been GREATLY MULTIPLIED.) Since then every woman has her conception period at about every 28 days or 13 times a year. And coupled with each period, there is that great sorrow of physical and emotional tension. Truly, “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward” (Heb.2:2b).

All these would have been avoided if Eve had partaken of the Divine “Tree of Life” in the midst of the garden instead of the perverted and pleasurable “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” which was in the midst of the same garden. The women’s sorrow and conception were multiplied as a result of the act of pleasurable sex Eve had with the Serpent. It was contrary to the Divine will and purpose of God.

It is true that “marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefied” (Heb.13:4). God created the man and woman physically different from, but complementary to, each other. They were created sexually different so that they could procreate by physical union. Like all species of plants and animals, where there are male and female, it was the intention of God that they bring forth “seeds after their kind” by physical union. Sexual union was intended that the two shall be one flesh — resulting in the birth of offspring (Gen.2:24). In the beginning when God joined the Woman to the Man in holy matrimony, procreation was His primary objective, not sexual pleasure. Adam and Eve were supposed to come together in sexual union only in the season of life to partake of that “Tree of Life”, which would bring forth sons and daughters of God that God desired. Because Eve hearkened to the whispers of the Serpent and was enchanted by the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”, and “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the tree thereof, and did eat”. She lusted for that knowledge from what she saw (understood) concerning it; not knowing that she was being deceived, she gave her desire to the Serpent and she fornicated with him.

After the Fall, human beings have become what they are today — lovers of pleasure! Have you ever seen animals coming together just for sexual pleasure? They copulate only for the sole purpose of propagating their species. But look at human beings today. It is often said that they behave more like animals. That’s an ugly understatement.

The phrase: “thy desire shall be to thy husband”, certainly alludes to the fact that Eve must have earlier subjected her desire to someone else. It could not be plainer that Eve had first subjected her desire to the Serpent when she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,...” (Gen.3:6).

The apostle Paul, in his teaching concerning the state of virginity of the Church, made mention of the seduction of Eve by the Serpent when he said, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealously: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled (Greek: exapatao not apatao; that is, thoroughly seduced) Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2Cor.11:2-3).

Yes, Adam’s wife was thoroughly deceived and seduced by the Serpent! Even now, those who are born of the Spirit of God, must submit themselves to their husbands, as unto the Lord, for the man is the head of the woman, even as Christ is the Head of His Church (Eph.5:22-24). Those wives who despise and disobey their husbands, and are domineering, are violating a divine law of God.

The Two Seeds

Regarding Genesis 3:15, modern theologians may maintain that the Woman does not have any seed and that it is biologically impossible for the Woman to have any seed. Yes, it is a scientific fact that a woman does not have any seed. However, the “seed” (in Genesis 3:15) refers to that seed which the Woman had been impregnated with by Adam as opposed to the seed implanted in her by the Serpent. Because Eve came forth from Adam’s side, she was thus a part of Adam. Therefore that which was Adam’s seed was rightfully also Eve’s seed, which was Abel. Cain, who was not of Adam, was not her seed in any way. Hence, Eve was only able to say that she had “gotten (not begotten) a man from the Lord” (Gen.4:1). Cain was the seed of the Serpent.

Identification

Eve was a part of Adam because she was taken out of Adam. They were to be “one flesh” as husband and wife. But before Adam could copulate with Eve, the Devil had caused her to fornicate with the Serpent. Eve broke God’s divine commandment when she used her sexual organ for pleasure in her fornication with the Serpent. Being defiled, Eve was no longer suitable to be Adam’s wife for she had joined herself as “one” with the Serpent. She had sinned and committed iniquity. Therefore Adam would be defiled if he was to take her back. Adam knew that, and he also understood that he would lose Eve forever when God pass judgment upon her; meaning, he would lose his mate, who was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. When that happened he would have no mate to spend his life with except the animals, birds, and other creatures for companionship. What then was Adam to do? Simply, he would have to do what His Heavenly Father expected him to do. Like our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Adam had to “redeem” his Wife. In order to “redeem” Eve, Adam had to identify with her fallen state while she was yet in her sin (and “the wages of sin is death” – Rom.6:23). Even though Eve was defiled, Adam had to join himself to her, who was a part of him. By such an act, Adam committed adultery (Lev.20:10; Prov.6:32). And adultery is fornication.

Adam partook of the same forbidden “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” that Eve partook(Gen.3:6). However, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1Tim.2:14). [Note: Some may argue that Eve was actually Adam’s wife. In a way, she was but she was not truly Adam’s wife as she had not joined herself to Adam. Consider Joseph and Mary — why Joseph wanted to put her away privately (Matt.1:18-19). Consider Israel whom God had chosen — she backslid and committed adultery, and God put her away (Eze.16:26; Jer.3:8).]

Let me emphasize again. The Woman was deceived not into fornication per se but the partaking (eating) of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, which she then gave it to the Man. So, what was it that Adam ate? By identifying with her sin, Adam ate of the same that Eve ate — perverted knowledge. But the reality of it was Adam had taken the blame for his Wife. [Note: Jesus Christ, the Second Man, the Last Adam was the antitype of the First Man, First Adam, when He came to identify with us. For “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom.2:3). “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb.4:5 cf. Isa.53:5). Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself.]

When Adam and his wife had partaken of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, sin was imputed upon them and the result was DEATH. Since they chose this forbidden tree of perverted knowledge, they had to reap its result and drink of the bitter cup. Access to the Divine “Tree of Life” (the Perfect Law of God) which governed the perfect purpose of the relation of life in the Divine Plan of God was no longer available to them. God had It kept away (Gen.3:22-24), but brought It forth about 4000 years later in the Person of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus is the very Personification of the Divine Life and Purpose of God — the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the True Wisdom (1Cor.1:24 cf. Prov.3:13,18,19). Whosoever eats (partakes) of Him shall have Eternal Life (Jhn.6:47-58). Without this relationship to Him as the “Tree of Life” and the Word of Life, there is no Eternal Life.

Death

There is a vast difference between animals and man. Man has a ‘spiritual’ soul but animals do not. The animals were created directly from the dust of the earth, whereas Adam was first created a spirit, which was the image of God, before he was put into a body of dust, which was after the likeness of the theophany of God (Gen.1:26, 27; 2:7). In hybrid animals, their “death” is physical (physical sterility — unfruitful, dried up). They cannot reproduce their kinds; their seeds are dead. As for man, God is more concerned with his precious soul than his body of earth. So, when “death” came upon Man, it was a spiritual death (spiritual sterility — unfruitful, dried up). All souls are spiritually dead. It takes the Holy Spirit of God and His Word to make man fruitful by quickening him to “life” that he might bring forth spiritual fruits of the Spirit of Life (Jhn.6:63; 1Pet.3:18). Did not Jesus (in John 3:5-6) say, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”?

Geneticist, Gregor Mendel states that “every individual is the sum total of the characteristics, recessive or dominant, in its two immediate progenitors. There is nothing in any individual that was not in the father or mother of that person, and everything that was in the father and mother is in the offspring.”

Being a hybrid of the Serpent and the Woman, Cain inherited a part of Eve’s nature — the nature of the Spirit of God which was in Adam. Remember that Adam and Eve, who were created in the image and likeness of God, had sin imputed upon them after the Fall. The image and likeness of God in them were thus stained by sin, so to speak. Hence, Seth (who was a substitute for Abel) and all his descendants could only bear the image and likeness of Adam (Gen.5:3). However, Cain, being a hybrid, did not bear the image and likeness of Adam, who was a son of God. He was a mongrel with a marred (or damaged) image and likeness of Mankind. Falling short of that glorious image of God means spiritual death. A few generations later, when Adam’s descendants intermingled with the descendants of Cain, the stained image and likeness of God became badly marred. Thenceforth, Mankind became part and parcel of the animal kingdom.

Hybrid

The fruit of disobedience, the partaking of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, was the conception of Cain. Cain was a hybrid in a world where all living things were pure breeds. He was a discrepancy who disrupted the order of God. He was the seed of the Serpent (Gen.3:15), born out of fornication (Jhn.8:41), and the “son” of the Wicked One — Satan (1Jhn.3:12). He was a part of Satan’s plan to destroy the Plan of God.

That the seed of the Serpent could fuse with the egg of the woman seems very far-fetched to most people. However, just look at what man have done with some of the animals. They have produced a liger, a cross between a lion and a tigress; a zedonk, a hybrid between a zebra and a she-ass. The most common hybrid that we know is the mule, which is a mixture of the donkey and the mare. And all these hybrids are sterile; fruitless. Their seeds are dead.

Scientists have tried to commingle beast and man but without success. Beast and man cannot intermingle and reproduce. Nevertheless, the chemical affinity between them proves their close relationship, and the intermingling between an animal (Serpent) and a woman (Eve) did take place in the Garden of Eden. But God had completely destroyed that pattern of the Serpent, and no other beast can commingle with man again.

The Serpent was the highest of all the animals and was the last to be created before Adam. Of all the animals, it was the only species that could talk! If the Serpent does exist today he certainly would still be able to talk. Some may argue that he was able to talk because he was possessed by Satan just like the demon-possessed man at Gadarenes (Luk.8:26-33), or just like the ass which God used to speak to Balaam (Num.22:28-30). However, note that it was the Serpent who beguiled Eve; it was not Satan. Hence, it was not Satan in the Serpent speaking but the Serpent himself. Moreover, who did God judge — Satan or the Serpent?

Being the last of the animals created before Adam, the Serpent was ranked next to man, and he looked very much like a man. We can actually say that he is the ‘missing link’ between the animals and the human race. The Bible tells us that all things, including the Serpent, that God had created were good, very good indeed. Although he looked like a man and could talk and communicate like one, the Serpent was not created in the image and likeness of God as Adam was. The Serpent did not have a spiritual soul for he was of the animal kingdom. [Note: Adam was created a full grown man with perfect intellect. He must have possessed a certain prophetic revelation to name the Serpent as such, for that name has been associated with the evil one (Satan) throughout the Bible, which was written later after the Fall. The name “Serpent” has become synonymous with the name “Satan”, since Satan had complete control over the Serpent and his reasoning power; that was why he was so persuasive that Eve succumbed to his seduction.]

Willingly, Willfully

It goes without saying that the human race could not come into existence without the Woman, not just any woman, but the one who was taken out of the Man, Adam. The Woman sinned. Since the wages of sin is death, it is obvious that Adam had to do what was right in his capacity to redeem his Wife. Being in the image of God, Adam knew to do right. In him was the attribute of a saviour. He opted to stand in the gap as a mediator between the Creator-Judge and Eve because he loved his Wife. To buy her back, Adam had to identify with her sin and face God’s judgment on her behalf. For that he brought death to Mankind.

The Man, a direct creation of God, could not be deceived. He knew judgment awaited the Woman that God gave him, and death was certain. Not doing anything meant he would be the only man on Earth for all eternity, with the animals on the land, in the air and in the sea for companions. However, Adam knew what he had to do to “save” his Woman from her sin. Being a son of God, created in God’s very image, Adam knew he had to act according to God’s utterance (Gen.2:18) and the prophetic words that he himself had uttered (Gen.2:23-24). And he willingly did so. (Obviously, Adam was not without a revelation that his action would bring a condemnation on the human race.) He identified with the fallen state of the Woman who fell for the deception of the Serpent. Deception, whether by self or by another, is a deadly tool that always leads to transgression against God. Eve had committed iniquity and she was in the transgression. Adam was willing to buy her back by taking her sin upon himself. Adam’s action was not a willful act of disobedience that was rebelling against God. Rather, his action was his willingness (a willing and willful act) to take the sin of his Wife upon himself. Adam had revelation to his purposeful act.

Type – Antitype

Now, Apostle Paul said that Adam was “a type of Him who was to come”. Adam redeemed his Wife back to himself by identifying himself with her transgression. Remember, Adam had no former lust and knew no sin. Similarly, Jesus Christ, the last Adam, identified Himself with His fallen Bride and became sin for her that she might become the righteousness of God in Him. However, in identifying Himself with fallen man, the redemptive act of the last Adam (Jesus Christ) brought LIFE back to man. With the Water and the Blood that flowed from the side of Jesus Christ at Calvary, God made a Bride for Him. Read Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22,45. Amen! (Type and antitype — nothing could be any clearer!) We are reconciled to the Living “Tree of Life”, not a fruit tree but the Living and Wise God!

Jesus Christ was the antitype (in reverse) of Adam. What Adam did willingly for his beloved was destructive; what Jesus did willingly for His Beloved was saving, giving life back to us who believe in Him. Jesus identified with our passion and took our transgressions and iniquities upon Calvary. Exactly right. If Jesus Christ did not willingly come to take our sins and lay down His life for us, we would have no life (Joh.10:14-18). Jesus was willing to be judged just to save us — His Bride, who has gone astray. The Word also says that “He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isa.53:12 cf. Luk.22:37). God would not have Jesus numbered with the transgressors if “transgression” was not involved. Though “numbered with the transgressors”, Christ was not one per se. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Cor.5:21). No wonder it pained the Father to see the vileness that was put on His Son. (Read Isaiah 1:13; Habukkuk 1:13.)

Adam willingly chose to stand in the gap between God and the Woman, his bride, to be a “saviour”. Adam did right, he did good, without iniquity, but transgression was made. Hence, death was imputed upon Adam or else God is not righteous as Judge. And so, “in Adam all die” (1Cor.15:22). Yes, there was no iniquity in his action when compared to that of Abraham (Gen.20:2), Isaac (Gen.26:7), Jacob (Gen.27:32), and those who do not the Will of God (Matt.7:21-23).

Like Adam who chose to save his Woman, he was numbered with Eve. Jesus chose to do the same for His Woman, the chosen ones who would make up His Church, He was numbered with us. Both Adam and Jesus identified with their wife. Both took sin upon themselves. Both “transgressed”. But, the first Adam brought death, and the last Adam brought life by taking death upon Himself.

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● Chapter 4

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 4

The previous chapter records the actions of the creatures that were involved in the Fall of Mankind. This chapter is an account of the products and consequences of those actions.

Cain And Abel

Gen 4:1: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2: And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

The word “knew” is more than an euphemism, or modest expression of the act of coition, it signifies the sense of having a positive knowledge of conception. This whole chapter reveals that Adam “knew” Eve twice only, the second time (verse 25) being some time after the death of Abel when Adam was near 130 years old (Gen.5:3). Truly, it is hard to comprehend the first couple’s lack of sexual activity for those many years in between. Yet, there are theologians who choose to believe otherwise. However, the words are clear: “And Adam knew his wife again…”

Adam “knew” Eve twice but had brought forth three sons; this signifies that one of them could not be his son. A study of the rest of chapter 4 will reveal that Cain was not Adam’s son; he was the son of the Serpent. The very first verse of the chapter tells us so. It states Eve “...bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD”. Observe that it was Eve, and not Adam, who named her firstborn. Cain means acquisition, because he was not Adam’s begotten son; he was merely an acquired son. Hence, Eve could not be more right when she said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord” (for all life, big or small, good or evil, comes from God - Isa.45:7; Acts 17:28). If Cain was Adam’s son, which would also be Eve’s, as she was rightly Adam’s Wife, she would have said, “I have begotten a man from the Lord”. [Note: Jesus Christ was neither of Mary, nor of Joseph. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, not begotten of Mary (Mat.1:16). He was supposedly the son of Joseph (Luk.3:23). Our Lord Jesus was begotten of the Almighty God, our Heavenly Father (Jhn.1:14; Acts 13:33).]

Though Cain and Abel were regarded as fraternal twins, the Sacred Scripture does not record the two as twins. Whenever twins of the same father were born they are specifically stated in the Scriptures. Read Genesis 25:24; 38:27. Eve’s bearing twins came about by superfetation. Eve partook of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”, a perverted knowledge of sex, offered by the Serpent and she conceived Cain. Later, Adam laid with her and she conceived Abel. (Such double pregnancy is known as superfetation.) [Note: The intrusion of Satan, via the Serpent, into the midst of the garden that produced the seed of discrepancy was foreknown of God. There was a purpose for that seed to be. Remember, nothing takes God by surprise.]

The fact that Cain and Abel were two very different persons from two very different fathers is revealed straight away in this chapter — “And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.” This short statement should cause us to pay close attention to their traits. Remember that traits in a seed have their source from the parents. Cain was just like his father, the Serpent, who tilled the ground as a servant to Adam, for he was subjected to Adam. Man was said to “till” the ground (Gen.2:5) only through his servant, the Serpent. Notice that God had commanded the Man to subdue the earth and to have dominion (authority, control) over all creatures of the earth (Gen.1:28). After the Fall, Adam had to till the ground himself (Gen.3:23) having lost his Serpent-servant whom God had cursed to become a snake. So Cain was like his father – the Serpent – a tiller of the ground. On the other hand “Abel was a keeper of sheep” (Gen.4:2) like his father Adam, who kept animals under his hand (that is, under his authority).

[Note: If the Garden of Eden was a paradise why must the ground be tilled? This question seems to be in the mind of some people.

The Bible does not give us a picture of a perfect Earth with a garden of paradise that Adam and his wife would just spend their time roaming leisurely around it, doing nothing but luxuriating for all eternity. Although man was not supposed to toil, he was required to work, even as God worked (and is still working). Adam was commanded to “be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over” all the creatures. To subdue the earth, the earth must be tilled (or cultivated) before it could be subdued. Adam, as a son of God, had the authority over all the creatures of the earth. Adam was not created to be a tiller of the ground. A son of God is not created to toil; he is a child of God. The Serpent-kind was created to be subject to Adam to do the tilling. But when sin was imputed upon Adam, he lost his authority and all his privileges. He also lost his Serpent-servant. To obtain food, Adam not only had to till the ground himself, but also had to toil against the thorns and thistles which the ground brought forth as a result of God’s curse upon it.

We read in the Scriptures that God rested on the seventh day from all His work. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us that there is a time for everything. The heavenly body of light is a regulator of seasons for the Earth. In the coming Millennial Reign of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be work for His Bride(-wife), the Elect. There will also be work for everyone in the New Heaven and New Earth. Work (activity) has always been a part of God's plan of creation.]

The Religions of Cain and Abel

Gen 4:3: And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Abel possessed the revelation (from God) to the events which transpired in the Garden of Eden, that led to the Fall of Mankind. He brought “the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof”, that is, “from the firstlings of his flock, the best of the best”, and offered it to Yahweh. Abel knew that blood was involved and blood must be shed. That prophetic revelation pointed to the SEED of the woman (Gen.3:15) who was to come as the Lamb of God and die a bloody death at Mount Calvary. The Lamb of God was our Lord, Jesus the Christ. He was God’s BEST GIFT to Mankind.

On the other hand, Cain, being the son of the Serpent, did not possess such a revelation. Though he was raised up together with Abel and taught the same Truth and Knowledge of God by Adam and Eve, Cain never really possessed the full revelation of it. (Only sons and daughters of God could receive the revelation of God’s Truth.) Like his father, Cain was a tiller of the ground and he brought unto God an offering of the fruit of the ground. The fruit of the cursed ground was his achievement and pride. In the sweat of his brow and with his own hands he had tilled the ground to obtain what he thought would please God. No doubt, he gave the best of all that his hands had produced out of the ground. The Apostle Paul said that Cain’s sacrifice was excellent, but Abel was more excellent (Heb.11:4). Abel’s offering was righteous and it pleased God. However, Cain’s works were evil in that they were self-righteous (1Jhn.3:12; Isa.64:6). Cain certainly was religious; he was not spiritual. He created his own religion. God not only wanted the best, but the BLOODY BEST, if I may say so, not meaning to be sacrilegious. Cain never understood that because of the make-up of his personality. He was not a son of God like Abel was. He was a bastard. He was a seed that was not planted by the Almighty God but Satan.

Present day pagan religions, or worships, which practice the offering of the fruit of the ground, such as fruits, vegetables or flowers, are traced to Cain, the founder. Abel practised the true religion (from re-ligo – to bind back). He knew by revelation who God was and what God expected of him. True worshippers worship God, by revelation, in spirit and in truth (Jhn.4:22-24).

Gen 4:5: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Upon Cain’s offering, God simply gazed nonplussed. Cain knew what the offering should be. Was shedding blood something he wanted to avoid or was it that he had no revelation of the blood even though he had seen that Adam offered such an offering? No matter how wonderful an offering may be, how could Yahweh accept it if it is not according to His ways? God does not accept it even if the person offers it to Him the best of all that he could give, and with all the sincerity that is in his heart. In reality, it is not about a person’s sincere conviction or belief; it is about God’s Way, God’s Truth and God’s Life. It is either that or nothing. [Note: It is a fact that not long after the death of the First Century Apostles, the revelation of the authority of the Word of God began to lose its hold in the Church as religious clergymen began creating religious organizations. Since then, Biblical Faith has been watered down to just these words “It’s the Grace of God”, and the Word of God to “It does not matter how you approach God, what and how you understand His teachings, what you know about Him, how you are baptized, and et cetera, so long as you are sincere and your heart is right with God”. Faith is now based on human wisdom instead of God’s power (1Cor.2:5).]

With his offering being rejected, Cain was grieved and he hid not his anger.

Gen 4:6: And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

However, God was not without Grace and Mercy when He rejected Cain and his offering. He was, and always is, rich in grace and mercy. He always provides the way for man to return to Him that man’s fellowship with Him may be restored.

Now, there are various interpretations given to Genesis 4:7. One version states that Cain was told to master his sin, which was crouching at the door (of his heart), because of his wrong offering. Another version implies that Cain sinned because he did not do well in his offering, and that he was told to go back to his brother Abel, who would be subjected to him.

On the face of it, all these interpretations seem to be acceptable. However, the Great Merciful and Gracious God did not just stop at showing Cain the acceptable way, but had gone beyond that by providing him an acceptable sin-offering. Let me paraphrase Genesis 4:6-7:

And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why do you look so downcast? If you had done well, would you not be accepted? And if not, there is a sin-offering crouching right before you. He is subjected unto you, and you can do with him as you please.”

There is a somewhat similar situation in Genesis 22. When Isaac asked his father, Abraham, about the lamb for the burnt offering, Abraham replied that God would provide Himself a lamb (vv.7-8). And right at the moment when Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering, God provided him a ram for the purpose. Abraham went and took the ram under subjection and offered him up for a burnt offering unto the Lord (vv.13). See also 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Well, Cain was not like Abraham. He was proud and refused to accept God’s provided way of worship, especially seeing that God had favored his younger brother and his offering. Like many today, he felt that his religion was as good as Abel, and that God should accept it. To Cain, even God’s gift was not good enough, compared to what he had to offer. He spurned the Grace and the gift of God, and walked out on Him, so that he could hold to his religious ideology. Similarly, to all of mankind a sin-offering (cf. 2Cor.5:21) is also presented before them: “What would you do with the Man called Christ?” “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” Thousands and thousands of people just have no desire to accept God’s Gift at Calvary and His provided way of worship in that Blessed Name of Jesus Christ. In addition, this spirit of the Serpent Seed is clearly evident in the life of many Church leaders and worshippers today for they choose to worship God according to their carnal religious ways.

Cain Killed Abel

Gen 4:8: And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Some time later, ‘big brother’ Cain had a talk with his half-brother Abel; a talk that resulted in the death of Abel. It could not be any clearer that the ‘talk’ was centered on their “offerings”. Being religious, Cain was pharisaical, and patronizing. At some point, Cain vehemently disagreed with Abel’s truth. Filled with envy, jealousy, emulation, wrath, and other works of the flesh, Cain rose up and slew Abel in the field. There he buried him good and proper, that Abel might not be found.

The Apostle John said, “Cain was of that wicked one and slew his brother” (1Joh.3:12). Who then was “that wicked one”, the originator of murder? Our Lord Jesus said, “The devil was a murderer from the beginning” (Jhn.8:44). These facts are further proof that Cain was not the seed (son) of Adam, just as the Scripture states that he was the seed of the Serpent (Gen.3:14-15). “The devil was a murderer from the beginning” — “from the beginning” refers to the Prehistoric Era when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The mighty angel, Lucifer, had sought to be as God. After he was cast out of his heavenly position, he rebelled against his Creator by inciting the animals to kill one another. He was the one who injected the murderous spirit and other evil traits into Cain through the Serpent.

‘Religion’ has always been the greatest cause of bloodshed. [Note: Religionists who know not the One True God are generally insecure. In religious blindness, they would fight others, even kill, those who disagree with them just to safeguard their religions. True faith in the One True God does not do harm to unbelievers and those who oppose them. God is Light, Love and Life, not Darkness, Hate and Death.]

The Satanic Traits of Cain

Gen 4:9: And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

When confronted as to the where about of Abel, Cain’s reply was not a soft spoken denial of guilt. Cain was insolently violent. He literally shouted at God and lied, “I know not!” Where did that lying spirit come from? John 8:44 has the answer: the Devil is the father of lies. And where did Cain get his violent temper that he withstood God in scorn — “Am I my brother’s keeper!?”

Not only did Cain show those two traits, but he also manifested a ‘NO REPENTANCE’ nature which suggests that his life, prior to the murderous act, might have been somewhat wayward. Of a truth, Cain manifested his father’s traits, which were derived from Satan — murder, lies, and violent temper.

Gen 4:10: And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Apparently Cain did not realize (or did he?) that the blood could cry out. Life is in the blood, it has a voice. Abel’s life was snuffed out, his blood flowed out, and God heard the cry of his blood — an innocent man and his posterity were crying out; they were gone. Yahweh wanted Cain to be aware of that and be accountable for it.

The Ground Was Cursed Again

Gen 4:11: And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

12: When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

The ground was cursed a second time. Remember that the first curse was the judgment of God on the sin of Adam. Although the ground would bring forth thorns and thistles, its strength to produce abundant crops was not removed (Gen.3:18). For shedding the righteous blood of Abel, Cain was placed under a curse in which the ground was no longer able to yield crops as it should be. The harvests, which were once plentiful, had become barely sufficient. With that curse pronounced, God said to Cain, “A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.”

Observe Cain's shock when he heard the punishment Yahweh had pronounced on him:

Gen 4:13: And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14: Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Cain protested to the Lord that his punishment was too much for him to bear. Yahweh’s curse not only drove him “from the face of the earth”, from a life of peaceful settlement (to be able to stay and live in one place) but also “from thy face shall I be hid”, from God’s presence, from His favour. Lastly, Cain added that he would be a fugitive and a vagabond, and that anyone and everyone, who should meet him, would want to kill him. They would kill him. Why? Simply because he was the man who brought about the second curse of the ground! But who were those who wanted to kill him? Clearly, it was his descendents, those who farmed. It was not the descendents of the godly line of Adam who would seek to kill him, for they were godly and possessed not one evil attribute genetically, and they were not farmers but animal herders.

The truth to Cain’s remark “every one that findeth me shall slay me” lies in the first part of Genesis 4:12. The ground would no longer yield its strength no matter how hard these crop growers work on it. That was the reason for the other ill consequences that would befall Cain. People who would later come into existence in his lifetime would surely rise up against him to kill him. They would not just merely curse and swear at him, they would want to kill him; not because he was a murderer, but because he had caused the ground to be cursed. Vengeance would be the natural reaction of the unregenerate against someone who had caused them all those troubles.

Observe: God did not directly make Cain a fugitive and a vagabond. He knew Cain would be one when He cursed the ground. Indeed the curse on the ground would create, and did create, a fear in Cain. Cain knew the consequence of such a curse, for as population increased, men, like him who farmed, would seek to kill him. Therefore, he would have to run; he would be a fugitive and a vagabond (cf. Gen.4:13-14).

The Mark of Cain

Gen 4:15: And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Once again Yahweh showed him grace and mercy. God promised him that he would not be so easily killed, and He further added that a sevenfold vengeance would be upon anyone who took his life. So the Lord set upon Cain a mark which made it ‘impossible’ for any person who sought to kill Cain, to kill him.

What was the MARK?

Some Christians believe that the mark was either a visible sign, indelibly inscribed upon Cain's forehead, similar to that which is described about the Mark of the Beast as recorded in the Book of Revelation, or that he had black skin. However, the mark set upon Cain had to be something which could protect him from being killed. Surely, an indelible visible sign on his forehead or the black colour of his skin could not give such a protection. The mark was certainly a visible protective sign, which was able to generate fear in his opponents. Any would-be killer would think twice before making any attempt on Cain's life lest he be overpowered by Cain.

Sagacious Giant of A Man

Believe it or not, the MARK set upon Cain was his SIZE. God caused him to grow bigger. He became a giant, perhaps some two feet taller than his descendents. Remember that Adam had dominion over all God’s creatures, and the Serpent was created to be Adam’s servant for manual chores. For that reason, the Serpent would likely to have been bigger, stronger and taller than Adam, perhaps, a foot taller than the 6-foot man, Adam. No doubt, Cain was intellectually as smart and cunning as his father, the Serpent. He had not only inherited the evil traits from the Wicked One, the Devil, but he was also full of worldly wisdom. Moreover, when God increased his BUILD, the SIZE of his BRAIN also increased proportionately and his mental capacity and reasoning power were thus enhanced.

The increase in the physical size of Cain was not just deterrence per se, it was for Cain’s deliverance from those who sought to kill him; a visible protective sign that was able to generate fear in any man who think to slay Cain. However, regardless of Cain’s humongous size, fear would not necessarily deter a man from killing him, if his mind was set on doing so. A man might attempt but deliverance was certain for Cain because of his built and the shrewdness obtained from his father, the Serpent. Cain could easily overpower an attacker or two, or even three. However, when a large number of attackers come against him, his size would have no deterring effect on them. Think! A full grown tusker elephant is not intimidated by one or two lions coming toward him, but when a pride of lions approaches, it is a totally different situation. It is time for him to go somewhere else to graze. Likewise, Cain would not be so stupid to hang around, waiting for the group of men to approach and challenge them to a fight. He was a wise Serpent seed. When he saw them afar he would have quickly packed his belongings and fled with his wife and younger children. Absolutely! “A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth” are words that would then be fulfilled.

“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” This utterance was for Cain to know that it would be difficult for a slayer to kill him because God had given him an assurance that He would not just take a vengeance, but a sevenfold vengeance, on the killer. God is the Avenger and the Judge of the earth (Psa.94:1 cf.1Sam.24:12; Rom.12:19; Gen.18:25). The word “sevenfold” heightens the assurance. (Why is it sevenfold? Why not eightfold or tenfold, or some other numbers? In the Bible, the number “7” is God’s perfect number. You can find plenty of it in the Scripture. It is God’s seal.) Concerning His assurance to Cain, He was telling Cain that there is deliverance. Yes, God is good and full of goodness, even to a Serpent seed. He will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy.

It is important to note that the increase in Cain’s physical size did not happen instantly but gradually over a period of years. It was many years later, after daughters were born to Adam, that Cain took one of them for his wife. Anyone who foolishly says that the increase in the physical size of Cain was instantaneous has a distorted concept. For Cain to take a daughter of Adam to wife when he was a giant (say between 9 and 10 feet) must have caused great pain to his wife (who was a little lower than 6 feet) as he lay with her. As there was yet no civilization of people, there was no need for God to give him an instantaneous growth. He had given Cain a pledge. Cain went off assured that he would receive the mark, the token, for his deliverance. God had to give him time to have a wife, and to allow him time to have children, during which his size might have grown little by little yet not affecting sexual union with his wife. The Bible does not tell us how many children Cain had but he would have them before he reached his humongous size.

Cain and His Descendents

Gen 4:16: And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Cain wandered away from the region of Eden, where Adam and Eve dwelled after they were cast out of the Garden. Cain took off towards the east and dwelled in the land of Nod. Because of his wandering about in the land as a vagrant nomad, the word “Nod” signifies his wandering in that land. Cain never dwelled permanently in a place for long after Earth’s population increased.

Gen 4:17: And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Questions and speculations often arise with this verse as to who was the wife of Cain. Common sense dictates that it had to be a half-sister of Cain, a daughter of Adam and Eve. Some will disagree to say that would be an incestuous union, and speculate that there might have been another race of humankind that God created. If such speculation is correct, then Eve could not have been “the mother of all living”.

Incestuous marriage was forbidden only after God commanded Moses to write down a law against it and not before. (Read that in the Book of Leviticus (18:6-18), which was written about 2500 years after Adam and Eve.) A reason why God forbade such relation from the time of Moses is because the human genetic code had become defective. The defect was a result of the crossbreeding and inbreeding between the two seed-lines of Seth and Cain over a long period of time. Incest today often results in genetic abnormalities or defects from similar genetics (eg. a brother and sister). There is a high risk of their recessive characteristics becoming dominant.

It is a Scriptural fact that Cain married his half-sister. Did Adam and Eve have daughters born to them after they had Cain and Abel? Some believe so, and that even Cain and Abel were family men, having their own farm and livestock respectively. However, such speculations are wrong. Often the first millennium lifestyles are perceived to be somewhat the same as in the present-day. For example, that the people married early and had many children. Surprisingly, this is not what we see in the Scripture. (The Scripture only shows the chronological years, and ages, of the descendents of Adam through Seth. Yahweh was concerned only with the Adamic race.) Concerning Adam, the Scripture shows that after Abel was killed, he had Seth at the age of 130, and after that, he had others sons and daughters (Gen.4:25; 5:3-4). Therefore, Cain could only have married his half-sister, at the earliest, when he was about 150 years old.

Cain’s first son was named Enoch, “and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.” Casual reading would immediately construe that Cain built a city after Enoch was born. However, the truth is that the city could only be built after there was a sizeable population of people in the days of Enoch. Ancient cities always centered round a place of worship. The name Enoch embraces the meanings of “teach, train, initiate, discipline”. Apparently, Enoch was disciplined and trained up in the religion of his father. In those two generations of less than 300 years, the religion of Cain had taken a new twist. Cainic Enoch was the man who initiated idolatry worship. He taught the people to call upon the Name of Yahweh on their idols (Gen.4:26). (Opposite to Cainic Enoch is Sethic Enoch who taught Mankind the fear of Yahweh; that they should flee from the judgment of God to come.)

Cain’s Genealogy

Gen 4:18: And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

Bible record of genealogies specifically listed the firstborn sons only, for the inheritance of the fathers goes to them. This verse shows Cain’s genealogy after his firstborn, Enoch. The name of Cain’s first grandson had the name Irad — a combined and contracted words of “city, return, witness, testimony, fugitive, rebound”. Irad means “Testimony of a City”, “Fugitive on the Rebound”. More cities were built after each subsequent generation. The lifestyle of the Cainic people begun to change. With more people living in the cities, there would be less farmers working the fields. And so, the thought of men killing Cain would have dissipated, and Cain might have found some reprieve and even normalcy for his life. For that reason, Enoch might have had so named his son Irad and even called a city by the same name, Irad, to reflect “a witness, a testimony, of a fugitive on the rebound”.

 

Lamech The First Polygamist and The Last of The Pure Cainic Firstborns

Gen 4:19: And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

20: And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

21: And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

22: And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Cain had his revelation of self-righteous worship, and similarly Lamech had his revelation of polygamous marriage. Cain: he had a half revelation of the sacrificial offering. He knew Yahweh wanted the best but he had no revelation of the blood – “why the blood?” – so he offered God the best of his farm produce. Lamech: no doubt he had the knowledge of the judgment of Yahweh upon Eve, in particular these words, “…and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Gen.3:16b). Lamech took advantage of those words over the prophetic words uttered by Adam, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen.2:23-24). He used those words against his first wife Adah, who could only remain silent, and took to himself a second wife (Zillah). Thus, Lamech, the sixth from Cain, a seed of the Serpent, introduced POLYGAMY into the world, being contrary to God’s prophetic words through Adam.

Why is there a need for the Scripture to make mention of the names of Lamech’s two wives, his three sons and a daughter, and even of the trades of his three sons? Indeed, but first understand that intermarriage between the two races of people had already taken place and was a common thing even before Lamech’s day. The four verses of Scripture not only detail Lamech’s marriage life but also reveal that he was the last of the pure Cainic Firstborns because his firstborn son was a hybrid. Closer observation will unfold this truth.

Study carefully. The names of Lamech’s wives were Adah and Zillah. Adah bore Lamech his first son, Jabal, followed by Jubal. And Zillah bore him a son, Tubalcain and a daughter, Naamah. Jabal, “he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle” and Jubal, “he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ”. This tells us that Adah was a Sethic woman, a descendant from the line of Seth. Jabal was Adah’s firstborn. He was a shepherd which indicates that his dominant Sethic characteristics could only have come from his mother Adah, for the Sethites were mainly herders and dwelled in tents. In contrast, Adah's second son, Jubal, took to his father Lamech's genetic make-up, for the Cainites were mainly inventors and instructors of every artificer, and dwelled in cities. [Note: By the generation of Lamech, the Cainites had become more astute and prudent in their carnal serpentine mind. As a whole, the Cainic society was very advanced, for they descended from the one Serpent Seed (Cain) whom Satan vicariously fathered through the Serpent. They possessed the shrewd and subtle mind of Cain to build and invent things. They forged and crafted metals into not just useful tools and weapons, but also musical instruments. Besides the art of metallurgy, they knew how to utilize the minerals in the plants and in the earth to beautify and sustain their physical bodies. Potions were developed and given to wives to preserve their figures and even to make them sterile. Also, the Cainic farming community had gotten smaller for they dwelled in cities they built.]

Unlike Adah, Lamech’s second wife, Zillah, was undoubtedly a Cainite, whose son, Tubalcain, was “an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron”.

Since Jabal was the firstborn of Lamech, and being a mixed seed, he was not a pure Cainite and not a pure Serpent seed, for his blood was watered down. Hence, Lamech, his father, was the last of the pure Cainic firstborns. The bloodline of the pure Serpent race ended with him. Can you see now why God had Moses detail Lamech’s polygamous marriage and why Cain’s genealogy went no further than him? If Lamech had married two Cainic wives, his first son would be pure Serpent seed. The genealogy would record the name of his first son after his. The genealogy would not mention the names of his two wives and other children. (Remember that God was only concerned in listing the names of the pure firstborn sons.)

Homicide

Gen 4:23: And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

24: If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

The name Lamech connotes “greatness, imposing, captivating, captive, depressing”. Lamech might have been an imposing figure in his days. His lifestyle might have been lavish, captive to his own carnality, even as he took to himself more than one wife.

Lamech came to his wives one day and spoke to them in the form of poetry:

“And Lamech said unto his wives,

Adah and Zillah, hear ye my voice;

Wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech;

For I have slain a man for wounding me,

And a young man for having bruised me.

If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold,

Surely Lamech seventy and seven.”

For centuries, rabbis and theologians had given their views and speculations to this passage of Scripture. Some speculated that Lamech was out hunting and because he was poor sighted, he had his son Tubalcain to guide him. Out in the woods, Tubalcain thought he saw an animal with a horn in a bush a distance away. He told his father where the animal was and directed him. Lamech shot his arrow. Upon checking their hunt, Lamech was shocked to see that it was not an animal but his Third Great Grandfather Cain. Cain was believed to have a horn in his forehead, which God put on him as a mark after he killed Abel. [Note: This is certainly one way to force-fit a teaching, concerning the mark of Cain as well as how he died.] In his hurt, Lamech, with stretched out hands lamented his action, and as he brought his hands together in penitence, Tubalcain got in the way of his hands and was struck down unintentionally. Others believed that Lamech was defending himself from his attackers. There are still others, who surmised that Lamech killed (or was going to kill) Enoch, the son of Jared, because he preached against him for violating the Word of the Lord in taking another wife.

Let us not trouble ourselves with ridiculous fables. All we need to know is that Lamech had killed two men. But we need to know if the killings were deliberate or not. The second verse has the answer: “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold”. This utterance shows the desperation of Lamech. Lamech was bewailing that if Cain, who murdered his brother Abel, was given grace by Yahweh to preserve his life, and had a promise that he would be avenged sevenfold should anyone kill him, then he, Lamech, should be avenged seventy-sevenfold, meaning he was not guilty of murder. Simply, if Cain, was granted grace and protection, then Lamech, must be granted ten times more grace and protection.

Seth – The Appointed Seed

Gen 4:25: And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

This is the second time that Adam had sexual knowledge with his wife, Eve. They had a son and named him Seth. The wordings of the text appear that Eve was the one who named the son. This is not so. It was Adam who gave the name according to the utterance of Eve that God had given her another son in place of Abel. Therefore, Adam named their son, Seth, meaning, “substitute, appointed, set up”. Seth was Adam’s second son, but Eve’s third son.

“Then Began Men To Call Upon The Name of The Lord”

Gen 4:26: And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

This verse has been misinterpreted in two different ways. One view states that the Sethic people began to practice Divine worship of Yahweh only after Enos was born or some time after that. This is false. Before Seth, both Cain and Abel were worshipping God. This is fact for they were brought up in the house of their parents, Adam and Eve. When Seth was born, he too learned to worship Yahweh in the same manner. Seth would in turn teach his children the true form of Divine worship. Seth’s siblings and children would have also learned from their grandparents, Adam and Eve. Therefore, it is indeed absurd to say that the Sethites only began to worship Yahweh after Enos was born. It was only a short span of time between Adam and Enos, how could they have forgotten how to worship God? True worship could not have begun only after Enos was born. It began when Adam was created and has continued ever since.

The other view is that the Serpent’s descendants, the Cainites, had suddenly turned to the Lord God to worship Him in spirit and in truth. This is also false. There are two obvious reasons why it is not true. The first is that Cain, being religious, had a form of worship of his own, and he would have passed it down to his descendants. The second is that the Serpent seeds might claim to worship God in spirit, but certainly never in truth.

Ancient Jewish records state that the “men” refers to the Cainic race who “began profanely to call upon the name of the Lord”. That is right. The statement should read: “at that time men started to profane the name of Yahweh when they invoked it upon their idols”. They blasphemed the Name of Yahweh when they called His Name upon their idols of wood, stones and metal. They had desisted from that little knowledge of the true spirit of worship they might have learned from Cain, though they might not have the truth. Indeed, they were a spiritually sick people for doing what they did. (Like the foolish children of Israel at Mount Sinai who demanded of Aaron: “Make us gods, which shall go before us”, and Aaron made a molten calf, saying, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”) This is the reason Seth called his son Enos, to indicate that the Cainites were a “mortal, incurable, sick, frail and weak” people.

[Note: In the Bible, the word “man” is translated from different Hebrew words. These different words relate the individual or group mentioned, to a certain circumstance in their life. When God created man, the word used is Man (אדם) meaning Mankind, the Hebrew word Adam being his name. But the Hebrew word points him out as being from the dust of the earth; hence Earthling. Eve who was fashioned from the side of Adam is called Woman, she being taken out of Man; and between them, she (woman) is 'ishshâh (באשׁתו) and he (man) is 'îysh (אישׁ). The Serpent vicariously fathered a son through the Woman, who was a part of the Man. Cain and his people were neither aliens nor animal-kind. Though they were not “sons of God”, they were still under the umbrella of Mankind (אדם) but were called by a separate term, “men” (“sons of men”, “daughters of men”, “children of men”) and not “man”. The words “man” and “men” are clearly two different words in Hebrew; one is singular (באדם) and the other is plural (האדם). The singular form is used for either the Man or Mankind. The plural form is used often to single out mortal men who were devoted to sins, ruin and destruction of their own life. Comprehend these two examples:

Gen 11:4: And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

5: And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

Pro 15:10: Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

11: Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

Mortal man is 'enôsh (אנושׁ), translated as “Enos” or “Enosh”, a word that basically means “frail, desperate, sick, woeful”. Seth named his son Enos purely to state the fact that Mankind is woeful, sick, desperate, frail, because of the blasphemous worship committed by the Cainic people. Whether Sethites (“sons of God”) or Cainites (“sons of men”), all were mortals, all were flesh, but not all were carnal — certainly not the Sethites. It did not matter what race a person was, a Sethite, a Cainite, a hybrid; he was flesh, he was mortal, and he was man, a part of Mankind, for he was an Earthling.

God remains consistent in His use of terminology. He called the Sethites, “sons of God” and the Cainites, “sons of men”. He does not refer to the Sethites as “sons of men” nor the Cainites as “sons of God”. “Sons of God” were “man”. “Sons of men” were “man”, too. They were all Mankind. God does not confuse people by changing His words and meanings.]

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● Chapter 5

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 5

This chapter details the genealogical line of Adam, who was a son of God, through Seth, to Noah. The chronology of Mankind is based on this genealogy of faith, hope and holiness of which Adam was the head of the human race. It terminates with the Flood and Noah eventually became the second natural head of it.

The Genealogy of Adam

Gen 5:1: This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

2: Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

These verses recapitulate the creation of Man but with a new composition. The first verse accounts Man as an earthly creature of God from the day of his Fall, revealed by this phrase — “in the likeness of God made he him”. The “image of God” that we read in Genesis 1:26-27: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:… So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” is not repeated here. Recall that the “image” speaks of the spiritual, divine, heavenly being that Adam was, and the “likeness” points to the physical, natural, earthly side of Adam. The second verse echoes that the name Adam (the root word meaning “to show blood in the face”, suggests that Adam had a ruddy (red) complexion, like in the color of the dirt in which he was created from) was a name given to both the male and the female. The female was fashioned from the side of the Man and she was called Woman, and between them, she (woman) is 'ishshâh (באשׁתו) and he (man) is 'îysh (אישׁ). After the Serpent intruded into the Man’s garden, and sowed his seed that brought forth Cain, the Man called the Woman, “Eve”, revealing that she was the mother of all living.

Gen 5:3: And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

The genealogy immediately goes to Adam’s descendent, Seth. There is no mention of Cain or Abel. The birthright belongs to the firstborn alone (Gen.43:33; 48:8-19). Chronologically, Cain was the first man born on the Earth. But Cain was not the son of Adam. If he was, Cain would be the firstborn of Adam and the genealogy would have the record of his name, the names of his son, grandson, great grandson and so on down the line. Being the seed of the Serpent, the Wisdom of God had Moses separate the genealogy of Cain’s pure descendents, ending with Lamech, who was the last of the pure Cainic firstborns (Gen.4:17-22). It was a brief genealogy, with no mention of their lifespan; instead, it revealed their lifestyles and corruption. [Note: Cain’s descendants are called Cainites; they are not Adamites. Adam’s descendants through Seth are called Sethites rather than Adamites. It is to set them apart from the Cainites.]

Abel was killed and so his progeny never did exist, making it unnecessary to list his name in Adam’s genealogy. (The name Abel connotes the followings — BREATH, VAPOUR, FLEETING, VANITY. Sadly, that was the short life of Abel.) God had appointed Seth to take the place of Abel when Adam was 130 years old. If the Sacred Scripture is true, then Adam only knew Eve, his wife, the second time after Abel was killed. Adam and Eve had no other children between the time of Abel’s birth and death.

[Note: There are countless foolish Christians and Bible Believers, who choose to ignore the Truth of Scriptures, mainly because of the dread to face It. It is easy to flow downstream with the mass of religious ‘church people’ in traditional doctrines than to thrust upstream to face the Truth. Without proper study of the Word, many have simply accepted that Cain was Adam’s son who had gone astray and killed his brother Abel, thus he was not counted in the genealogy of Adam. Yet, Scripture proved otherwise that Cain was of the Wicked One, who fathered him through the Serpent. Refusing to see the Truth, many even brushed it away and considered the Truth as non-essential to the Christian Faith. Yet, they are unable to answer the question ‘Why must blood be shed for the remission of sin?’]

Notice the wordings of the Scripture in the verse, “And Adam…begat a son in his own likeness, after his image”. If the Fall of Man had not been, then Adam, a son of God, would bring forth children in God’s image (the invisible spiritual side) and after His likeness (the visible physical side). However, because Adam had sinned, the “image of God” that was in Adam was stained. When sin touched the soul, corruption ate into the physical body. Infirmities, sickness and death set in. Therefore, Seth, and all his siblings, were born bearing the tainted image and likeness of their father Adam. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). Hence, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the perfect Man in the image of God, came to bear not only our sins but also “took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” — both spiritual and physical (Mat.8:17 cf. Isa.53:4). Our Heavenly Father sent Christ to identify with us that we might be reconciled to Him, and be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29-30; 2Co.3:18).

Chronological Age

Gen 5:4: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

5: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

The genealogy of Adam next shows Adam’s length of days upon the Earth. After Adam fathered Seth at 130 years old, he lived for another 800 years before he died. Adam had also other sons and daughters besides Seth. His chronological age at death was 930 years.

Gen 5:6: And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

7: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

8: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

Seth, whose name means APPOINTED, birthed Enos at the age of 105 years. After Enos he had other sons and daughters. He lived for another 807 years before he expired at the age of 912 years. Seth so named his son, Enos (or Enosh), as a sign that he had seen the corruption in the life of Cain’s people. Enos means MORTAL, weak, sick, frail, and incurable.

Cain was at least 129 years older than Seth, and he would have a sizeable population of his people by the time Seth was married and had Enos. Seth would have seen Cain’s firstborn, Enoch, initiating and teaching the Cainic people a new form of religious worship of Yahweh. And Enos grew up witnessing the Cainic people had a form of godliness in their worship for they invoked the name of Yahweh upon their idols. They blatantly profaned the Name of Yahweh.

Gen 5:9: And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

10: And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

11: And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

At 90 years old, Enos had a son and he named him Cainan (or Kenan), which means SORROW because he was grieved to see the Cainites had further deteriorated in their worship. When the Cainic people drifted away from the true form of worship into a form of godliness of their own impression, they created for themselves a state of grief and pain. Their pagan form of worship, led by Cain and his firstborn, might have driven them to find bliss through the sorrow of self-punishment, as is seen in today’s many paganistic and spiritistic practices. The carnal Cainites were smart and astute. As their population grew, they built cities using tools forged out of metals. By and by, the farming community shrank as the people moved to live in cities. The offering of the crops of their fields on the altar (which Cain started) might have given ways to self-atonement and self-punishment in worship; they worshipped in their temples in the cities. Later, when the Sethites and the Cainites began to intermarry, corruption in the genes took place, and the human race became increasingly wicked and evil with each passing generation. Perhaps, self-punishment in worship might have led some to even practice child-immolation and sexual orgy before the Almighty God sent a deluge upon the Earth.

Enos had other sons and daughters after his firstborn Cainan, and lived for another 815 years before he died at the age of 905 years.

Gen 5:12: And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

13: And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

14: And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

Cainan grew up, married and had a son. He PRAISED and BLESSED the Name of his God and called him Mahalaleel, testifying of his faith in THE BLESSED GOD. Truly, no matter how dark the situation around God’s people might get, a believer can always praise and bless the Name of the Lord God and look to His coming to bless His people.

Cainan had more sons and daughters besides Mahalaleel and lived another 840 years. He lived a total of 910 years.

Gen 5:15: And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

16; And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

17: And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

Notice Mahalaleel married at an earlier age than all his predecessors and had his firstborn son at the age 65. He named his son Jared, whose name means A DESCEND. Was Mahalaleel looking forward to his blessed Lord coming down to bless his people, or to intervene in the degradation of the Sethic race for they had turned their eyes toward the fair Cainic women and had taken them for wives? Perhaps Mahalaleel used the name, Jared, to warn the Sethites that intermarriage with the Cainites would water down the Sethic race.

Mahalaleel lived another 830 years, and had other sons and daughters. He died at the age of 895 years.

Gen 5:18: And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

19: And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

20: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

Jared married and had a son when he was 162 years old. By the inspiration of God, he named his son, Enoch, for he had witnessed that there was no stopping the backsliding Sethites from intermarrying with the Cainites. Enoch means to TEACH, TRAIN, INITIATE, DISCIPLINE. Was Enoch born to teach and discipline his people?

Jared lived another 800 years, and had other sons and daughters before he died at 962 years old.

Gen 5:21: And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

22: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

23: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

24: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Like his grandfather, Mahalaleel, Enoch married and had his firstborn son at the age of 65 years. After that he had other sons and daughters, and he lived for another 300 years. Enoch was the only firstborn son among the pre-flood Patriarchs to have the shortest lifespan on the Earth — 365 years. But Enoch did not die for he “walked with God: and he was not; for God took him”. How and why was Enoch’s walk with God so unique? Did not the rest of the pre-flood Patriarchs and his closest of kin walk with God? Certainly many did, but the walk of Enoch with Yahweh was very different. Enoch’s walk must have been very disciplined, very gratifying to his Creator as the apostle Paul wrote: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Heb.11:5).

Enoch was unlike the firstborn son of Cain, who also was called Enoch. Cainic Enoch initiated idolatry worship, teaching the people to invoke the Name of Yahweh upon their idols. He was a false prophet. Sethic Enoch was a great man of God in his days. His father named him Enoch, and so he was, in teaching and disciplining his people with the truth. He taught the whole of Mankind the fear of Yahweh and prophesied that they should flee from the judgment of God to come (Jude 1:14). By faith, he saw the judgment coming and thus named his firstborn son, Methuselah, which means “man of a dart or javelin; when he is dead, it shall be sent”; simply, as commonly translated, “when he is gone, it shall come”. The dart or javelin was that Great Deluge. When the man was gone, the dart was released upon the earth.

In his short epistle, the apostle Jude specifically stated that Enoch was the seventh from Adam (Jude 1:14). Organized churches may ignore this fact just to hold to their traditional teaching that Cain was Adam’s son. If Cain was of Adam, Enoch could not have been the seventh; he should be the eighth counting from Adam. The birthright belongs to the firstborn alone (Gen.43:33; 48:8-19). Why was Cain, who was the first to be born of Eve (Gen.4:1), not mentioned in the book of the generations of Adam (Gen.5) and in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luk.3:23-38)? [Note: Esau, who was the firstborn of Isaac, was not mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ because he sold his birthright to Jacob (Gen.25:29-34). Abel was not listed because he was murdered (that stopped the lineage), and Seth was the substitute to bring about the descendants of the Adamic race.]

Gen 5:25: And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

26: And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

27: And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

Methuselah became a father at the age of 187 years when his wife gave birth to a son whom he named Lamech. Lamech signifies something GREAT or something DESPAIRING. Methuselah lived for another 782 years with other sons and daughters born to him. He died at the age of 969, making him the man with the longest lifespan. Yet, Methuselah fell short of living through the “one day” of God’s time after sin entered the Garden of Eden. Man died the very “day” he partook of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen.2:17). No man ever lived longer than a “1000-year” day — “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2Pe.3:8). So, Methuselah, the oldest man died; HIS DEATH SHALL BRING the dart. Jewish tradition has it that after 7 days of his passing “were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Gen.7:11).

Gen 5:28: And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

29: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

30: And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

31: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

Lamech married and had a son when he was 182 years old. He called his son, Noah, saying, “This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed”. Noah simply means REST or COMFORT. Lamech had other sons and daughters after Noah. He lived for another 595 years before he died at the age of 777 years. Five years later, the Flood came. Except for Noah, all the firstborns of the generations of Adam departed before the Flood. Adam lived to see and fellowship with Methuselah for 243 years and with Lamech for 56 years, but he never saw the birth of Noah. Enoch also never saw the birth of Noah before he was translated.

Gen 5:32: And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Noah married at a very old age. He had his first son when he was 500 years old. All his firstborn forefathers married and had children before the age of 190 years. The genealogy of Adam ended with Noah. He was the last of the pure Sethic firstborn sons. Although Japheth was Noah’s firstborn, his name was not listed directly after Noah. The reason for Noah’s late marriage and Japheth’s name not being in Adam’s genealogy becomes apparent only in the next chapter of Genesis, which detailed the corruption that came upon the Adamic race.

The genealogy of Adam ended with this short statement, “and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth”. This indicates that Noah was the new natural head of the human race that stemmed today’s diverse populace through his three sons. All people today are traced back to the “one blood” of Noah and his wife through his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth — “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,..” (Acts 17:26).

The Hidden Gospel Message

The names of the genealogy of Adam hid a Gospel Message. Yahweh remarkably provided an outline of His plan of redemption through the names of the patriarchs, 4,000 years before the birth of the Messiah.

Adam – Man

Seth – Appointed

Enos – Mortal

Cainan – Sorrow

Mahalaleel – The Glory or Blessed God

Jared – Shall come down

Enoch – Teaching

Methuselah – His death shall bring

Lamech – The Despairing (or The Great)

Noah – Rest (or Comfort)

The wonderful message was spelt out in the names:

Man(-kind) is appointed to sorrow. But the Glory of the Blessed God shall come down from heaven and teach men that by means of His death, He shall bring comfort and rest to those who mourn.

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● Chapter 6

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 6

The Intermingling of The Two Seeds

Gen 6:1: And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2: That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

When the population of the two peoples increased, the “sons of God” (Sethic men) were tempted by the seductive beauty of the “daughters of men” (Cainic women) that they took them as they desired, and cohabited with them (Gen.6:1-2).

Notice the emphasis on the “daughters of men” being born, not that there were no daughters of God born to the Sethic community, but that they were the ‘baits’ that enticed the “sons of God” to cross over from their lineage and marry them. [Note: The word “fair” does not mean “fair skin”; it means “good to look at, attractive”.] Remember that the Serpent was the most subtle of all beasts of the field. He was very knowledgeable, smart and cunning, and so his seeds (Cain’s descendents) were like him. They were able to exploit the minerals of the field for their advancement and purposes. From being tillers of the ground, they became scientists. They were the first in the field of inventions. From the various metals, they forged weapons for hunting, and later, tools for construction of houses, and musical instruments for their pleasure. By and by, they built cities. They had become sophisticated people. Their lifestyles changed, and their spirits took to satisfying their carnal flesh. From the minerals of the ground, they made cosmetics to beautify their women’s faces, and from the herbs of the field, they made potions for their women to consume to maintain the figure of their bodies, even after childbirth. It was this “fairness” of the “daughters of men” that the “sons of God” were attracted to. When each “son of God” was tempted, he was drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then after lust had conceived, it gave way to sin (cf.Jam.1:14-15). These weak “sons of God” went over to those ‘fair ladies’ and took those they fancied for wives.

Gen 6:3: And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Yahweh was grieved to see the Adamic seeds (through Seth) intermarrying with the Serpent seeds. The intermarrying of the two races of people was against His law for He had so commanded in the beginning of His creation that all living things were to bring forth after their own kinds (Gen.1). Hybriding is death. In grief, Yahweh declared that His life-giving Spirit would not continue to contend with Mankind, as they are mortal flesh and would die. Hence, He pronounced that the lifespan of Mankind would be to 120 years. Before the Flood, the lifespan of man was several hundreds of years but after the Flood it decreased greatly until it fell below 200 years. Abraham, the father of the Faith, was 175 years old when he died (Gen.25:7). Moses, the prophet of the Law, was 120 years old when he died (Deu.34:7). Since then, not many have lived to 120 years, with only a handful past that.

[Note: Traditional church preachers have used Genesis 6:3 to force-fit their teaching that God had called Noah, when he was 480 years old, to warn the people about His impending judgment upon the Earth. They taught that it took 120 years for Noah to build the Ark as he preached, and for that 120 years God had shown His great mercy and patience toward Mankind that they might repent. The truth is that it took Noah only a few years to build the Ark. See under the subtitle: God’s Covenant with Noah.]

“In Those Days”

Gen 6:4: There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The phrase “in those days” refers to that period of time before God’s destruction of the Earth (by a deluge) when the following events took place: 1) Giants, some physical giants and some intellectual giants, were born when the two races of people intermarried; and 2) as interbreeding continues from each generation to the next, the children that descended out of such marriages were more wicked and their thoughts were only evil continually.

The phrase “and also after that” refers to the time after God destroyed the Earth with a great flood “in those days”. There were giants “also after that” great flood of destruction.

It is clear from Scripture that the giants were born into the world as a result of the action taken by the “sons of God”: “There were giants in the earth in those days… when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them…”

Because of genetic disturbances resulting from the intermingling between the fallen children of God and the children of men, many giant offspring were born. The word “giants” does not mean that the people were tall and big in size; many were “giants” in thoughts and intellect. Thus were they call “mighty men”, “men of renown”. But the “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen.6:5). They were desperately wicked and corrupted, and “the earth is filled with violence through them” (Gen.6:13). Moreover, the Name of Jehovah must have been much more profaned in their idolatrous worship than it was in Enos’ generation. And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was raised up to prophesy against this ungodliness (Jude 14, 15).

Giants - Nephilim

Giants did not exist until intermarriages took place between the Sethites and the Cainites. Though Cain was a giant, and the father of the Cainites, he did not father any giant. The Cainites were not giants. The increase of Cain’s size did not mean that he had the giantism (gigantism) blood gene in him. God did not alter his genes. Cain’s gene contained only the mix of the Serpent and Eve. So how could he bring forth giants? As long as his seed bred amongst themselves, they remained a normal Serpent seed race of people for generations, with little or no variation in their genetic make-up except that they were carnal, astute minded and possessed great intelligence. But when the Sethic seeds mixed with the Serpent seeds, the mixed genes in the seeds became agitated. Though the affinity was there, protein-wise they were not compatible; hence dynamic mutation occurred. Over a few generations of continual mixing, the mutated genes passed down would result in the birth of different human defects, such as giants, with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, or dwarfs. Such mutated flaws embedded themselves in the genes of the seed. When Mankind multiplied, they also migrated. Where a people lived over a long period of time, the chemical composition in the food of the land and the ultraviolet radiation of the sun on the skin, contributed to changes, not only in the physical features and melanin of their skin but also in portions of their DNA. Whatever changes there were was the handiwork of God designed for Mankind to adapt to their environment. On the other hand, Mankind is dying, both spiritually and physically, from crossbreeding, from chemicals and harmful rays to the body over generations of time. It took more than 2000 years for man to finally reach his God-given lifespan of around 120 years. Yet, we see few people ever reaching that age. After many hundreds of generations, every human body contains mutated cells (cancerous cells) but most of them do not amass significantly enough to post a danger to the body.

So, just because Cain was made a giant does not mean he had giantism blood in him. He was not born a giant; he had no such gene in him. God did not mutate his genes; He just gave Cain an increase in somatic mass.

Let me illustrate. A normal teenager, born of average parents (father weighing 70 kg and mother weighing 55kg) desires the profession of a sumo-wrestler. He weighs in at 60kg (132lbs) but through a course of training that stresses on exercising and eating, he soon puts on weight. After a few years of stretching his muscle and fat cells, through eating and exercising, his weight balloons to more than 200kg (440lbs) and continues to climb as he eats as much as 8-10 bowls of stew (meat of all sorts), 6-8 bowls of rice, 100-130 pieces of sushi and 20-25 portions of barbecued beef at one sitting; on average, 10,000 calories a day. Soon he weighs 250kg (550lbs) and reaches the status of a sumo-wrestler. Sometime later, he marries a woman of less than 55kg in weight and has several children, would any of the children automatically grow up to be as big as him, without going through the same regime like he did? Obviously not, even though they are his ‘flesh and blood’. Why? Because the increase of his size is stimulated and built up; it is not a part of the DNA in his sperm cell. See? Just because your Daddy pumped iron to be like ‘Mister Universe’ does not mean you will also be like ‘Mister Universe’ when you grow up. When a man makes himself to be bigger or smaller, it does not alter his gene in such a way that his seeds will be born like so, unless his wife possesses such a gene and passes it to his children. Therefore, when God increased Cain’s physical size, he did not alter his genes. He just made his size bigger, that’s all.

Church tradition has the majority of theologians propagating that the giants (Heb: nephilim) were the offspring (of the union) of the fallen angels and the women of the earth. It is taught that the fallen angels had either pressed themselves into some men or somehow transformed themselves into human beings in order to cohabit with the women. But none of the Scriptures quoted to support this theory is conclusive enough to prove its validity. (In fact, the theories came from some ancient writings which are not inspired Scriptures. They certainly do make for some good science fiction stories.) As exposited in chapter 4, the term “sons of God” in the Scripture does not, in any way, refer to the angelic beings. The Trinitarians use the one and only verse of Matthew 28:19 to support their teaching and formula in baptizing a convert in the triune title of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; like wise, these theologians use the one and only verse of Job 1:6 (Job 2:1 is identical) to support the theory that the term “sons of God” refers to angelic beings. Many people have misinterpreted that verse and concluded that the angelic beings one day (suddenly) came and stood before the Throne of God in Heaven. It takes more than a casual reading to really understand Job 1:6 (also Job 2:1). Confer Job 38:7. The event that Job 1:6 (and Job 2:1) actually speaks of is the saints of God coming together to offer themselves before the Lord in worship.

Most theologians teach that the Flood was meant to destroy all the giants who, in their theory, were progenies of the fallen angelic beings by the natural women of the Earth. And because of their sin, bringing forth giants into the world, those ‘sexually perverted’ fallen angels were imprisoned by God and reserved unto judgement (Jude 6; 2Pet.2:4). Now, if this theory is true, why were there giants after the Flood?

One Flesh – Two People

The crossing of the two lineages of people, generation after generation, from Enoch to Noah, caused the bloodstream of the sons of God to become perverted with the evil nature of the Serpent seed. The spiritual quality of divine revelation within them was gradually watered down. Evil attributes were bred (increased) while the righteous traits diminished (decreased) during those generations until the two peoples became one flesh. The intermingling of the seeds was so complete in the generation prior to the Flood that all the people of the earth were involved. Noah, who was the last of the pure righteous firstborn of the Sethic line (Gen.5:28-29), also took to wife a Cainite.

Since all the Adamic firstborns were mentioned up to Noah (Gen.5), we can be very sure that, except for Noah, their wives were of their own bloodline (Seth’s). However, many of the other sons and daughters of each firstborn had become fallen sons and daughters of God. Perhaps, the Sethic women married the Cainic men because they were tall and brawny. Not only were they unequally yoked with Cain’s people in cohabitation, or marriage, they also took to the Cainite’s evil ways of living, and thus corrupted themselves.

Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7: And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God is not a man that He should repent (Num.23:19). Not that the great I AM did not know before hand the path that Man would take and what would be the outcome of the intermingling of the two seeds. Nevertheless it certainly grieved Him greatly at His heart to see the great wickedness and the corruption in the hearts and minds of the people. It was a continuous evil. Since His Spirit would not always strive with Mankind, God sought to destroy them from the face of the Earth, and with them all the living creatures together.

Noah

Gen 6:8: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

9: These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10: And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12: And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Of all the sons of God (children of Seth), only Noah was just and perfect, who walked with God in a world that was filled with corruption and violence. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (The word “grace” in Hebrew is “chen”, meaning graciousness, kindness, favor, pleasant, precious, well-favoured, from “chanan”, to stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; to implore.) Not only was Noah a just (righteous) man, he was also perfect, and He walked with God. The word “perfect” used in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word “tamim” which means “without blemish” in terms of breed or pedigree. The Scriptures clearly show us that Noah was a “pure breed” Sethite, not a hybrid.

Due to his marriage to a Cainite, Noah could only have three sons. All Sethic firstborn before him had sons and daughters because all of them married Sethic women. This is due to two reasons: i) intermarriage always results in genetic disturbances, and ii) it was a plan of God to bring about a new order through the judgment by the Flood, that the three sons of Noah would be the progenitors of the human race (Gen.9:19).

[Note: All the genealogical records in the Holy Scriptures are arranged in an orderly manner. God did not write His Book indiscriminately. Notice Genesis 5. It is called “the book of the generations of Adam”. In verse 3, it states that Adam “begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth”. Therefore, for a firstborn to be put on that record, he must be a direct descendant of Seth who bore the image and likeness of Adam. (Only the first born son was recorded.) Since the record ends with Noah’s name, he must be the last of the pure Sethic firstborn; his firstborn son and his other two sons were hybrids by his mixed marriage. Although Japheth was Noah’s firstborn, he did not bear the likeness and image of Adam, therefore his name was not listed after Noah in the genealogy of Adam. Notice that his name is even placed after his two younger brothers, Shem and Ham (Gen.5:32). Thus, a separate genealogy of each of the three sons of Noah was made. Observe how the Holy Scriptures recorded it in later chapters: “These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread” (Gen.9:19); “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood” (Gen.10:1).

Noah’s first son was born when he was 500 years old (Gen.5:32). The other firstborn (of the Adamic race) before him had theirs before they were 190 years old. Why was there this big gap in age? The reason is that by the time Noah was born, the Cainites’ influence on the Sethites was so strong that all except Noah were drawn into the net of the Cainic lifestyle. But Noah grew up to be a righteous man and he walked with God and was the only Sethite, among his people, who found grace in the eyes of God.

By the time Noah was old enough to get a wife, he could not find a single Sethic woman, among the dwindling number, who was willing to live righteously and walk the way of Seth with him. The Cainic way was more attractive to them like the light of a candle is to moths, or the glamour of Hollywood is to some Christians today. The people of his generation were very violent, corrupted and wicked. This era of great corruption and wickedness had begun from the generation of Enos, which saw the Cainic race first profaning the Name of Jehovah in their worship (Gen.4:26). Then the Sethites and the Cainites slowly began to mix and intermarry, hybrids were born. Offspring of mixed marriages were generally more wicked and evil. This was one of Satan’s many cunning schemes to destroy Adam’s race. God raised Enoch to prophesy to his generation about the impending judgement of God upon their corruption and wickedness (Jude 14-16). Gradually, the evil of men became so great, God had to call it to a halt in the generation of Noah (Gen.6:5,11).

Noah’s own brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, cousins, and other relatives, succumbed to the evil and wicked influence of Cain’s people and indulged themselves in idolatry, debauchery and other evil deeds. Although genetically they were pure Sethites, they were no longer righteous in the sight of God. They were fallen sons and daughters of God, for they had gone the way of the Serpent kind, the way of Cain. They had left the faith of their forefather Adam. For this reason, God was not obliged to take them into the Ark.

On the other hand, Noah continued to live and walk with God. When he was almost 500 years old, he finally settled down and started a family in order to carry on his family name, so to speak. In any race, there must be some God-fearing people. Without exception, there must be some among the Cainites and some in the mixed seeds. If there was no Sethic woman who was willing to walk the way of Seth with Noah, Noah had to pick one from the other race who was willing to worship his God and follow the way of Truth like his forefathers before him. Somehow that was the permissive will of God.

Although Noah married a non-Sethic wife, he did not corrupt his life. He walked with God just as Enoch did. He kept himself away from all wickedness and evil which were so rampant. In the midst of moral darkness, Noah's life was radiant with righteousness (Gen.6:9; 7:1). [Note: Although it is not expressly stated in the Bible, Noah must have married Naamah, a daughter of Cainic Lamech (Gen.4:22). A woman’s name is mentioned in a genealogy if she had a significant role in the history of mankind (cf. Matt.1:5,16).]

The Ark

Gen 6:13: And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14: Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15: And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16: A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The Lord Almighty called Noah and revealed to him His plan to destroy the Earth. Then He gave him instruction for the building of an Ark.

Concerning the Ark, no one knows how it really looked like. The Scripture does not elaborate about the shape of Noah’s Ark beyond the overall proportions – length, breadth, and depth – “three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits” or approximately 450 feet (137.16 meters) long, 75 feet (22.86 meters) wide and 45 feet (13.72 meters). [A Hebrew cubit is the length of a man’s arm from fingertips to elbow, about 18 inches (0.46 meters).] The word “ark” means a “box” or a “chest” like the Ark of the Covenant and the "ark of bulrushes" (an Egyptian basket-like shape) which carried baby Moses (Exo.2:3). The Ark had a window (an opening to let light in) on the roof. It had three decks (three stories), divided into rooms, and a door in the side. The overall dimensions are consistent with those of a true cargo ship, amazingly stable in turbulent waves. Facts support the view that Noah’s ark was large enough to carry the number of animals required to repopulate the Earth after the flood and that Noah and his family were capable of caring for the animals during their time on the Ark.

What “gopher wood” is, no one really knows. It is assumed to be acacia, cedar, cypress or pine. Whatever the wood, the Ark was waterproofed by pitching (covering) the inside and the outside with bitumen; the wooden Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold. Noah’s Ark reflected the Ark of the Covenant. There is a play on the Hebrew word “pitch” which points to “atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation)”. Interestingly, Noah’s Ark was constructed for saving of the eight souls of his whole household and pairs of all the animals from God’s wrath by destruction.

God’s Covenant with Noah

Gen 6:17: And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18: But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

19: And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20: Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21: And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

Notice what God said to Noah (vv.18), following His instruction for the construction of the Ark, and of His desire to bring a flood that will destroy all flesh on the Earth: “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.”

It is clear from this statement that all the three sons of Noah were already married when God revealed to Noah His plan and purpose for a new beginning. The Flood came in the 600th year of Noah's life. We read that Noah had his first son at 500 years old (Gen.5:32). Assuming that Noah had his sons, each a year apart, and that each son married at the age of 20 years (which was very unlikely), then the construction of the Ark would take less than 80 years. If the sons were to have married at a much later age of 40, then the construction of the Ark would be less than 60 years.

To show that it did not take Noah 120 years to build the Ark, but that the Ark could be built quickly within a few years, consider Dutch creationist Johan Huibers who built a half-size replica of Noah’s Ark in the town of Schagen, Netherland, using cedar and pine. Huibers built most of it himself, and it took him less than 2 years to build the 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide ark. Thus, Noah, with all members of his family assisting him, would not take more than 10 years to build the Ark with all necessities (fowls, animals and food) on board for the ‘voyage’ — “every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort…male and female; …of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind; …of all food…for thee, and for them.”

Gen 6:22: Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

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● Chapter 7

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 7

The Final Days

All things were ready. The Ark was completed. Food for the family and for all the living creatures had been gathered and stored in the Ark. The final days had arrived.

Gen 7:1: And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2: Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

3: Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

4: For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Yahweh had found Noah righteous before Him in his generation. Noah was favored and he was given the privilege to enter into the Ark with his whole household, his wife and his three sons and their wives. The Lord also reminded Noah to take seven pairs of every clean beast (such as sheep and cattle) and fowl (such as pigeons and chicken), and one pair of every unclean beast (such as lions, and lizards; unclean fowls such as eagles and vultures must be included here), so as to keep their kinds alive upon the Earth after the deluge. God promised Noah that after he had done all that, the rain would not come for yet another seven days.

[Note: To some Bible students, verses 2 and 3 seem to imply that Noah was told to take only seven of each kind of clean animals and fowls, that is, 3 males and 3 females, plus a 7th which was most likely a male to be used as sacrifice. However, the phrase “the male and his female” clearly points to the number of each kind of animal and fowl being paired.]

Gen 7:5: And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

The Open Door

Gen 7:6: And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

7: And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

8: Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

9: There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

10: And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

11: In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

12: And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14: They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15: And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

16: And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

After all the required numbers of pairs of animals and fowls of every kinds went to Noah two by two into the Ark, the huge door of the Ark stayed open. It stayed open for seven days. In that generation of Noah, though the people were wicked, evil and corrupt, yet God was full of grace and mercy to keep the door open for whosoever would come into the Ark.

The people most certainly laughed at and made fun of Noah during the years when Noah was building the Ark and warning the populace of impending judgment. Without doubt, they called him a fool for building a boat on dry ground. They mocked him for believing that water would fall from the heavens as droplets and flood the Earth. In those days there was no such thing as rain, so why should they believe Noah’s repeated warnings. However, Noah continued in his construction of the Ark until it was finished, and the beasts and creeping things and fowls were gathered in.

“And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.” That day, the huge door of the Ark was shut. Once God shut the door, no man could open it (cf. Rev.3:7). Grace and mercy were over for the people outside of the Ark. No one inside the Ark had control of the door to open and shut it.

Every Sethite, except for all the firstborns of Adam through Seth, had gone the ways of the Cainites. All the firstborns of Adam, through Seth, died before the Flood was sent. Yet when the door of the Ark remained open for 7 days, after Noah and his family, and animals and fowls had entered in, not even one backsliding “son of God” (Sethite) walked through the door ramp into the Ark.

Noah was 600 years old when the Flood came upon the Earth. It came on the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 600th year of life. That day were “all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” All the water sources of the great deep, that is, the aqueous shell that shrouded the Earth for a greenhouse effect, broke up, and the floodgates of the heaven were opened. The water fell to Earth as rain. [Note: In those days, the sky was always clear. There was never dark skies, dark ‘thunderous’ clouds that hold rain. The Earth was shrouded with a mass of water (great depth of water) like a garment that is spread over and above the mountains (Psm.104:5-6 cf. Job 38:8). Theologians have mistakenly taught that “all the fountains of the great deep broken up” referred to the vast quantities of subterraneous waters of the Earth which God caused to blow skyward to fall as rain.]

Safe inside the Ark were pairs of male and female air-breathing living creatures — Noah and his wife; Japheth and his wife; Ham and his wife; Shem and his wife; the clean male beasts and their mates; the clean male fowls and their mates; the unclean beasts and their mates; and the unclean fowls and their mates. God had shut them all in to safeguard them from a watery death.

The Flood

Gen 7:17: And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

18: And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

19: And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20: Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

The rain fell. It was torrential. It fell day after day without ceasing. The waters soon lifted the Ark up above the ground, and the Ark floated above the waters. The rainfall lasted for 40 days and 40 nights. So great was the outpouring of waters from the heaven that it covered all the mountains of the Earth well above their tops for 15 cubits (22.5 feet or 6.86 meters). [Note: The Flood being universal is indisputable. The Hebrew word used for “flood” is “mabbool”, the Greek word is “kataklusmos”. Both words emphasize the flood as being a cataclysm, a great deluge. In his epistle (2Pet.3:5-7), the Apostle Peter delivered a clear global warning confirming that God Who created the Earth, had devastated it by a great flood, and will one day destroy it again by fire. Those who believe that the Flood was localized have mistakenly believed that the Earth’s land and water arrangement, prior to the Flood, is the same as the present day Earth. They believe that Europe, Asia, the continents of Africa, America, and Australia already existed in Noah’s days, and that the Flood was localized in the region of the Middle East. In truth, the present day Earth is actually the result of the Great Deluge.]

Gen 7:21: And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23: And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

All air-breathing land creatures – birds, livestock, beasts, creepers and men – of the Earth died. God destroyed them all. Only Noah and his family and all the living creatures that were with him in the Ark remained alive. Recall that the Serpent race, Cain and his descendants, built a great empire in those days before the Flood. They were great people who were very imaginative and inventive (Gen.4:16-24). Their intermarriage with the Sethites produced ever greater, but more wicked people, whose entire imagination, desires and purposes of their hearts being evil continually (Gen.6:1-5). For this reason the Flood was sent — to destroy them all. The backsliding Sethites, who had left the true path of Life and gave themselves over to the corruption of the Serpent race, were also destroyed. There remained not one Serpent seed alive on this Earth. No literal physical Serpent seed exists today. [Note: There are two groups of Christians who maintain that physical Serpent people do exist after the Flood, and are on the Earth today. They base their teachings on this phrase of Genesis 6:4 — “and also after that”. One group interprets the phrase to mean that some Serpent people (and even giants) had survived the judgment of God because they had built their own boat, or boats, to carry them over the Flood. The second group claims that the Serpent seed got over the Flood through the women. They believe that any number of those four wives (of Noah and his three sons) must have been unfaithful and had fornicated with the Cainic men prior to entering the Ark, explaining the existence of giants existed after the Flood.]

Gen 7:24: And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

After 40 days and nights, the rain stopped, but the floodwater still covered the Earth. It covered the Earth for another 110 days. The water subsided slowly until the 150th day.

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● Chapter 8

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 8

The Water Receded

Gen 8:1: And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

2: The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

3: And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

4: And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

5: And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

Noah and every air-breathing living thing that were with him in the Ark floated about on the high waters that flooded the Earth. They were the only survivors. The waters had covered the whole Earth for as high as 15 cubits (22.5 feet or 6.86 meters) above the mountain tops. It is estimated that about 800 million people died in the Flood.

After 40 days, the water sources of the great deep and the floodgates of the heaven shut up, and the rain stopped. God remembered His covenant with Noah and began to take steps to see his deliverance from the water. He made a wind to move over the Earth to evaporate the water. Day by day, the water gradually receded from upon the land. By the end of the 150th day, from whence “the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” to flood the Earth, the water had decreased. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.”

[Note: It had been debated that Noah’s Ark did not rest on the mountains of Ararat but on some other mountains. Some theorized that it rested on Mount Everest because it is the highest mountain. No one knows how high the mountains were in Noah’s day. They were not as tall as the tall mountains on the Earth today. It is for certain, the Ark rested on one of the peak of the mountain range of Ararat. The Ark being rested on some other mountains is just presumption. Today’s topography of the Earth and its continents were carved out after the Flood. The Earth was divided (split) only in the days of Peleg (Gen.10:25). More illumination in verse 22.]

A total of 150 days (5 months) passed since the day the rain fell. The Ark came to rest on Ararat. It no longer floated on the water of the Flood. No land was visible but the water continued to subside considerably for another 74 days, until the 1st day of the 10th month of the 600th hundred year of Noah’s life, and the tops of the mountains were seen. Noah could only see the mountain tops from the window of the Ark. He could not see the condition of the surface of the Earth. The edge of the bulwark of the Ark obstructed his view.

Raven

Gen 8:6: And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

7: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

The water decreased very slowly, little by little. The amount of water was so great that it took time to evaporate to the heaven above, and to seep through the different soil layers of the Earth to find its place to settle. Such great pressure would move and shift the soil layers about until the water was collected in large basins of seas and lakes, and in the deep ocean trenches about the continents of the Earth. “The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth” (Psa.104:8-9 ESV).

Noah allowed 40 days to lapse. At the end of the 40 days, or 264th day since the rain fell, Noah opened the window of the Ark and sent forth a raven to scout out the land. However, the raven simply flew back and forth. It never came back into the Ark. Noah could not tell if the raven had landed on the Ark, and then took off again. Given that the raven, an unclean bird, did not return to Noah into the Ark, it could be assumed that the raven might have landed on the abundance of rotting carcasses floating on the water, and pecked on them for food. It did that until the water was dried up from off the Earth.

Dove

Gen 8:8: Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

9: But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

10: And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

11: And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

12: And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

Since the raven did not return unto Noah into the Ark, Noah decided to send forth a clean bird, a dove — 7 days later. The dove flew off to scout. Finding no place that was clean and proper for her feet, with the water still covered the surface of the Earth, the dove returned to Noah into the Ark. Noah then waited yet another 7 days before he sent out the dove again. This time the dove returned in the evening with tidings of good news. In her mouth was an olive leaf which she plucked off from a hardy olive tree that had sprouted new leaves while the water was subsiding. The young olive leaf was a sign to Noah that the water was abating, and life would soon return to the surface of the Earth.

Patiently, Noah waited for yet another 7 days before he again sent out the dove for further tidings concerning the condition of the Earth. The dove never returned to Noah for she had found trees to perch, and to rest her feet; 21 days after she was first sent out. Everywhere the ground was drying up. Vegetation was sprouting, and trees were budding.

[Note: There are two significant numbers mentioned in the record of the Flood events — 40 and 7. “40” is the number of probation and trial. God’s testing brings about temperance, patience and godliness. “7” is the number of spiritual perfection in the Agape of Yahweh which encompass peace, comfort, and rest.]

Covering

Gen 8:13: And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

The 1st day of the 1st month of Noah’s 601st year of life was the 314th day since the door of the Ark was shut and the rain fell. It was 29 days since the dove left the Ark, and did not return; Noah removed the covering of the Ark to see for himself the condition of the environment around him. Noah looked and he saw that the water was mostly dried up from off the Earth but the ground was still soggy. Therefore Noah and his family and all the animals could not leave the Ark just yet. Also, God had not commanded him to do so.

There are hidden mysteries in the form of types and shadows surrounding the events of Noah’s Ark and the Great Deluge. The covering of the Ark of Noah is just one. It is a type of the covering of the Ark of the Covenant, and also the covering of the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness. It speaks of God’s covering to protect and preserve life. Under the covering of Noah’s Ark were the family of Noah and all the air-breathing animals and fowls safely kept alive from the destruction of the Earth by the Deluge. About 900 years later, after the enslaved children of Israel left Egypt and were made to wander in the wilderness, God commissioned Moses to build Him a tabernacle (tent). With it were several furniture constructed out of wood and gold; to show Yahweh’s Presence among the people. One of the furniture was the Ark of the Covenant which was placed in the Most Holy Place (or the Holy of Holiest) in the tabernacle. Under the covering (the mercy lid of the Ark of the Covenant), where the cherubim of glory overshadowed, were “the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant” (Heb.9:4). These all speak of the life that came from the WORD of God to the children of Israel “for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1Cor.10:4) which was later manifested in the flesh of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the “Ark of the Covenant”, and whosoever will enter into Him is passed from death into life eternal, being under the covering of His wings. Lastly, under the covering of the Tabernacle of Moses were the Holy of Holiest (where the Ark of the Covenant was placed) and the Holy Place (which had the Seven Golden Lampstand, the Table of Shewbread, and the Golden Altar of Incense). These two areas speak of the Presence of Yahweh and His ministration of the Word of Life in Christ Jesus to a people who are made “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1Pet.2:9), who should show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. These people are the household of God, sanctified by the Blood of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. They are under the shelter of His everlasting arms, protected and preserved till the day of His Coming.

The Water Dried Up

Gen 8:14: And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

15: And God spake unto Noah, saying,

16: Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

17: Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

18: And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

19: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

The 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 601st year of life was also the 371st day since the rain fell to flood the Earth. On this day was the Earth dried, the ground was no longer soggy. And Yahweh then commanded Noah to leave the Ark with his family, and to also take with him all the fowls, animals and creeping creatures. So, Noah and all his “crew” left the Ark, everyone after their kinds, that they may be fruitful, to reproduce abundantly their kinds on the Earth.

The Scripture (verse 18, cf. vv.16) states that “Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him”. Genesis 7:7 (cf. vv.13) states: “And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood”. It is clear that 8 souls went into the Ark and the same 8 souls came out of the Ark. The total number of days when the rain fell to the day that Noah left the Ark was 370 days, which is a year (360 days) and 10 days. During those days, there was not one soul (be it a Serpent seed or a Sethic seed) born in the Ark. Yahweh had preserved 8 souls for a new beginning in His destruction of the Earth. The number 8 speaks of new life, new beginning.

Gen 8:20: And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21: And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Noah did not hesitate to build an altar and offer burnt offerings of one of each kind of clean animals and clean fowls. He did that on his own volition in thanksgiving and faith to El Shaddai who had shone His face upon him and his family. Noah was acknowledging that he was a sinner and his life was forfeited to Yahweh, the Almighty.

The fire consumed Noah’s freewill offerings of joy and gladness; the soothing sweet fragrance ascended unto Yahweh. Yahweh was much pleased and He promised within Himself that He would not again bring such a destruction on all living things upon the Earth just as He had done, even though the heart of Mankind is set on evil from his childhood.

The Earth Altered

Gen 8:22: While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Even though the planet Earth will remain forever (Ecc.1:4), the condition of its form and feature had changed after the Great Deluge. Recall that in the era before the Flood a fountain of water clouded the Earth: “Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains” (Psa.104:6). “When I made the cloud the garment thereof…” (Job 38:9a). Earth’s climatic condition was ideal and stable all year round because of the greenhouse condition caused by the garment of water that shrouded it. There were no extreme climates. That was its original state until “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen.7:11b-12). This great inundation of waters had completely altered the surface of the whole Earth. It took 370 days for the waters to subside and partially return to the heaven where it came from. The rest of it remained on the Earth till this day. God had adjusted the Earth’s topography. The thick aqueous layer of water that swaddled the Earth is no more. All that remains of it are the ‘bits and pieces’ of torn garments of clouds floating about in the heaven above us. From that time, after the Flood, as long as the Earth exists, there will be regulation for “seedtime” (time for planting, sowing) and “harvest” (time to reap what was sown) because the state of the atmosphere had changed which brought rainy seasons (the implementation of the cycle of rainwater). Due to the uneven placement of land and water, the Earth had become tilted, causing the Earth to wobble as it rotates on its axis, slowing down its revolution around the sun to 365¼ days. Together with the loss of the greenhouse condition, there came upon the Earth, “summer” and “winter” seasons, “cold” and “hot” temperatures, and the uneven period of “day” and “night” (that is, light and darkness). All these shall not cease until there comes another change to the Earth. It will, in the future, when God sets fire to it to bring in the New Heaven and New Earth (2Pet.3:7) and that the garment of water that once shrouded the Earth as a heavenly greenhouse will be restored. The new Earth will have more land surface than water as it was in the original creation. The Earth’s rotation will be back on an axis perpendicular to the sun with an annual revolution of 360 days.

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● Chapter 9

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 9

In this chapter is the beginning of a new Earth. The old Earth closed and the new began on new principles set down by Yahweh himself. The race of Man was to begin anew.

 

The Blessing of Noah

Gen 9:1: And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

The Earth, now emptied of all Serpent seed, was to be repopulated. God blessed Noah and his sons, and commanded them to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth”. The Earth is the only planet God has given to Mankind to inhabit and to build families (cf. Psa.115:16).

Gen 9:2: And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

In the beginning, God gave the Man, Adam, power to rule the Earth, to have dominion over all living creatures. The Man lived in harmony with the animals, and ruled over them with love and kindness for gentleness and docility were their principal characteristics. The lion dwelled with the lamb, the cobra with the mouse. Not one strong animal harmed a weak animal. The Man was their protection and comfort. Vegetation was the only source of food for all creatures as it was to the Man.

However, the Fall brought a discrepancy which affected all creation. God had taken the lives of a few animals and made coats out of their skins to clothe the Man and his Wife (Gen.3:21). Innocent animals died for the atonement of Man. The enmity put between the Woman and the Serpent (and between her seed and the Serpent’s seed) had surely caused a rift between the animals and Man. Cast out of the Garden of Eden, from the Presence of the Lord, Man lived in a totally different environment; no longer were the animals living close to Man or warming up to him, for now, there were dread and fear of him.

After the Flood, the dominion of Man over the animals changed completely. The bond between them was gone. Mankind had lost that power. The living creatures of land, air and sea were no longer subjected to Mankind. Even so, God made sure a part of the charter He gave to Adam remained in place — “the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.” The living creatures were delivered into Man's hand, and so Man could be master over them. For this reason, some creatures scatter when they see a man while others react with savage ferocity. Yet, there are still animals that would submit to Man's will to be employed in his service. All living creatures are placed entirely at the disposal of Man.

Food

Gen 9:3: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Noah and all his family members were told they could now eat of “every moving thing that liveth”, that is, “every creeping thing that liveth” – living (not dead) creeping creatures. (The Hebrew word for “creeping thing” is “remes”; the same word used in Gen.1:24-26.)

The KJV and some other versions, in translating “remes” as “moving creatures”, give the impression that every living and moving creature was then given to Mankind for food. However, prior to the Flood, Mankind did eat flesh (meat). What the words spoken to Noah and his family show is that Yahweh had now authorized that Man may eat meat. The use of the word “remes” (“creeping things”) shows that reptiles, the lowest in the animal kingdom, could now be eaten along with the other animals. The regulation of clean and unclean animals, as recorded in the Scripture – Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 – did not exist as yet, but the knowledge of what constitutes clean animals from unclean animals must have been revealed to Adam and passed on to Abel, Cain, and Seth, and down to their descendants.

As the words of God indicate: God had given Man all the herbs of the field for food, and then He gave him all animals, from the reptiles to the birds and the beasts of the fields, for food. Prior to God’s authorization, Man had been eating meat, but certainly not “creeping things” which are unclean. With careful study, the Scripture will attest to the fact:

1) Abel grew up to be a herder of flocks – such as sheep, goats and cattle, which are clean animals. Such animals are placid and gentle, easily domesticated. They were not kept and raised just for their wool or fur, and milk, as many so believe, but also for sacrifices. Sacrifices in worship were a part of the life of Mankind. Sacrifices were offered to Yahweh before there was a nation called Israel, a “covenant” nation under Yahweh. It was through Moses that Yahweh strictly instituted the different sacrifices into the worship of the children of Israel, under a priesthood ministry.

It is common sense to believe that Adam did offer sacrifices (of only clean animals) to Yahweh, and had taught Abel and Cain about it. True worship and sacrifices continued from one generation to the next. Noah offered burnt offerings to the Lord right after he left the Ark and touched dry land. True worship was never lost. Without doubt, there were different types of sacrifices offered by the pre-Flood Patriarchs and their descendants to Yahweh before the time of Moses. The three frequent offerings made to the Lord were: sin offering, peace offering and burnt offering. Burnt offering indicates that the sacrificial animal be burnt; no flesh is eaten (Gen.22:2; Exo.29:18). Sin offering is an offering whereby the priest who offers it will eat of the flesh of the offering (Lev.6:26; Eze.44:29). Before a form of priesthood was set up, the offerer himself was the priest, just as the born again saints of God today are priests unto God offering up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (1Pe.2:9; Rev.1:6). Peace offering is a freewill offering to Yahweh for a blessing, a deliverance or a fulfilled vow. The flesh of the sacrifice is to be consumed by the offerer (Lev.7:15-17).

While the descendants of Adam through Seth worshipped and offered sacrifices to Yahweh in spirit and in Truth, the descendants of Cain mixed theirs with idolatry and falsehood. Cainic burnt offerings might have included child sacrifices; child sacrifices were carried out by their religious descendants over this side of the Flood.

2) In Matthew 24:37-39 (cf. Luk.17:26-28), Jesus told His disciples the conditions that would exist on the Earth before His return. He said: “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

There is nothing wrong with “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”. What is wrong is that the people were taken up with the affairs of satisfying their sensual lives that they heeded not the signs of impending judgment. The foolish fallen “sons of God” (the Sethites) had given themselves over to corruption by inter-marrying with the “daughters of men” (the Cainites) resulting in giants being born (Gen.6:2,4). With such marriages the wickedness and evil thoughts of Mankind increased. The “eating and drinking” is, without doubt, not about the eating of the herbs of the field, fruits of the trees, and the drinking of the milk of cows, sheep and goats. Mankind’s sensual taste for meat had taken them to a new level of consuming every part of animal flesh, even the eating of its fat and blood (cf. Lev.3:17). Gluttony was the norm.

Interestingly, every creature of God was good for food then, as it is now (1Tim.4:4). It is left to Man’s rationale to partake only that which is beneficial to his well-being. It was only under Moses’ leadership that the Jews, under the Levitical Law, were forbidden to consume certain creatures.

With the authorization given for the eating of all animal flesh, warm and cold-blooded, the prohibition against the eating of blood was instituted.

Flesh and Blood

Gen 9:4: But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Noah and his family were warned not to eat flesh with blood still in it, that is, the blood not being properly drained after it was slaughtered. Before the Flood, it must have been common to see the slaughtering of animals being violently handled by the “children of men”. The animals might have been roughed up, and strangled before being cooked, or, worst, being cooked alive so that the blood stayed in their flesh. Such savageries are not uncommon even today. Yahweh set down this prohibition to prevent cruelty to animals. He wanted Man to have proper respect for animal life. To slaughter an animal and see its blood drain from its body is to behold death, for the (breath of) life is in the blood. The shedding of blood is the shedding (slaughtering) of life. Yet, the death of the animal provides life to the person who eats it.

This prohibition of eating “flesh with the life” (which is the blood) was later modified for the children of Israel that they “eat the blood of no manner of flesh” (Lev.17:14) for Yahweh had given it to them “upon the altar to make an atonement” for their souls, “for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev.17:11). The sacrificing of innocent animals was performed by the hand of the Lord to cover Adam and his wife. An animal was sacrificed, blood was shed and a life was taken just so that its skin could clothe the Man; another animal also, to clothe the Woman. And so, God made the blood “an atonement for the soul” to take away sins. Bear in mind that it was not the skin covering that was an atonement for sin, but the shedding of blood (Heb.9:22). The skin was only a covering for the nakedness which Man became aware of when he fell short of the glory of God. Thus the skin speaks of the life an innocent animal gave so that Man might “live” in the eyes of God. Animals were not only sacrificed to appease the wrath of God, but were also eaten. This establishes the truth, that through an animal (the Serpent), death had struck the body of Man by the intermingling of blood (in fornication). The body of Man began to die (Gen.2:17; 3:4). Therefore, animals have to die to “compensate” the dying body of Man so he might “live” — literally as food for his body. It was in both these lines of thoughts – the blood and the life – that God forbade the eating of blood under the Law which He gave to Israel, His covenant people. By the Law, Israel was constantly reminded of the blood issue in the Fall of Mankind, and the requirement of the shedding of blood of an innocent life for the propitiation of sin (Lev.17:14; Deu.12:23; 1 Jhn.2:2; 4:10). Life is in the blood — our soul hangs upon the Life of God which was in the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Great and True Sacrifice had been offered, the obligation of the Law ceases to the reason of it.

For centuries, this matter of the blood (coupled with food offered to idols - Acts 15:29; 21:25) has been misunderstood amongst many churches, and preachers have subjected their congregations to an unnecessary law. It is clear from the message of Paul’s epistles that he had a clear revelation that it was contrary to Grace to subject a Bible believer to the Law. He also knew that there were those who were either confused or had extreme opinion concerning the keeping of the Law. So he approached it with grace and understanding against those without the knowledge of the truth as he had.

Now, Paul gave the very best advice possible concerning food: “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake. For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” (1Cor.10:25-26).

Eat whatever food you want that is sold in the market without asking any question for conscience’ sake. If this is the true advice of an Apostle of the Lord, then the eating of anything — any food which the dietary law of Moses forbids in Leviticus 11, including blood, is not contrary to the Christian faith. If conscience troubles you about eating certain foods, then avoid eating them. Otherwise, as Paul said: “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom.14:22b-23).

Some Christians may yet argue and exclaim, “But the blood is life! Life is in the blood!”

True, but what has that to do with the faith and the walk of a Christian?

“Oh, because Jesus shed His blood for our sins!”

True, but what has that to do with the eating of animal blood?

“Because if we eat the blood of animal, we are not respecting the Blood of Christ.”

Untrue. It is a presumptuous teaching. There is no such teaching in the Scripture. The single “law” first suggested by Apostle Peter and put forth to the Gentile believers by the Jerusalem council (Act.15:29) was the argument against the eating of blood among Christians.

Blood For Blood

Gen 9:5: And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

6: Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

God requires an account of one’s lifeblood because Man was made in God’s image. Though the Man had sinned, God’s image is still on fallen Man, except that the image is now tainted. Human life is sacred and one should not frivolously consider the taking of life, whether it be another person’s or one’s own. God detests killing. (God strongly ingrained this law into His chosen nation, Israel - Exo.20:13; 21:12-23.) He even demands a beast that kills a man be put to death (Exo.21:28-32), which law is still observed in many nations. (Animal owners are responsible for their animals.) “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” Hence, the terror of punishment against any man who shed the blood of another man.

[Note: It is sad that many Christians have opinions that do not line up with God’s demands. Some disagree with, or do not believe in, capital punishment. Others go far in justifying their religious conscience with an argument to say, “Who are we human to judge and to put a man (a murderer) to death? Only God could do that.” It is one thing to have an opinion but it is another to excuse a death penalty when God had specifically commanded that “whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”.]

In the beginning, Yahweh directly dealt with a murderer. He could have put Cain to death, but as there was no law yet implemented, God spared him (cf. Rom.2:12). Nevertheless, God judged Cain in a way befitting for shedding the blood of his brother, Abel, by a curse on the ground. Cain knew that he was in danger of death at the hands of certain men who would seek him out for the cursed ground. (See exposition in chapter 4.)

It was after the Deluge that God, the sole legislator-administrator of law, explicitly passed the judgment of a murderer into the hand of Man: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” It belonged to those who were divinely appointed to represent the authority and majesty of the Almighty (Rom.13:1). As Mankind increased and spread through the Earth, this law was observed in every established community of people, by the heads of tribes, villages, states, and countries, laying the foundation for civil government.

Having blessed Noah and his family, God once again reminded them:

Gen 9:7: And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Yahweh’s main concern was for the whole Earth to be populated with people. For the Earth to have a successful continuance of the human race, the Almighty condescended to establish a covenant with Noah and his sons and their descendants.

Noahic Covenant

Gen 9:8: And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9: And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10: And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11: And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

Notice how God initiated the covenant: “I, behold, I” — words of the Almighty spoken with assurance and awe. When God makes a covenant, it cannot be annulled for He is faithful and will make good of it (cf. Gal.3:15-17; Num.23:19). This covenant was not only made with Mankind but extended also to every living creature of the Earth; God will never again destroy living creatures by the waters of the flood, and will never again ruin the land with a flood.

The Bow

Gen 9:12: And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14: And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16: And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

17: And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

To strengthen His covenant, Yahweh gave Mankind a token, a sign. When He brings the clouds over the Earth, especially thick wet clouds, which Man have reason to fear the rain prevailing, He would mark His covenant by placing a colorful bow in the clouds. The bow would be a reminder to Yahweh Himself of His covenant. Never was there a bow in the sky before the Flood; those were days of cloudless skies. Neither did it rain for there were no rain clouds; only an aqueous layer of water clouded (covered) the Earth like a swaddling garment (Psa.104:6; Job 38:9a). However, after “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen.7:11b-12), the Earth’s atmosphere was changed; “the fountains of the great deep”, the layer of water that swaddled the Earth like a garment, was no more. Only a portion of that water was lifted up to form rain clouds, and the rest was left on the Earth as water in the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, subterranean caverns, snow and ice.

The Hebrew word for “bow” is qesheth. It means bending, arching, signifying toughness and strength as in a bow that is bent and ready to shoot an arrow. The bow is a weapon of terror as well as security. The bow in the cloud, however, has neither string nor arrow, and it is directed upwards, not towards the Earth. It is a natural bow created by the “Sun of Righteousness” whose Light strikes raindrops of blessing, not wrath, displaying a spectrum of seven beautiful colours of His majesty — Love, Truth, Holiness, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Mercy and Justice as He sits upon His Throne (Rev.4:3). The bow points also to the mediatorship of His only begotten Son who bowed Himself to Earth to redeem Mankind (Rev.10:1 cf. Mal.4:2). Each time God paints it in the cloud, He gives us comfort and assurance of His faithfulness in His covenant, established with His creatures on the Earth.

We should be thankful and mindful that Yahweh remembers His covenant with Noah and his descendants, whenever He places a rainbow in the cloud.

The Sons of Noah

Gen 9:18: And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

19: These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

Here we have the facts that Noah had only three sons — Shem, Ham and Japheth, and that from them the whole Earth was populated. Everyone born after the Flood came from them. We are all of the same blood, the “one blood” of Noah and his wife, Naamah (Act.17:26). It is not the “one blood” of Adam and Eve, for Cain, who was the seed of the Serpent through Eve, has his blood in Naamah. Therefore, the three sons of Noah possessed that one mixture of blood of Noah and his wife. The evil and beastly serpentine nature is present in the whole human race. (Recall the exposition in Genesis chapter 6.) These two verses essentially introduce a revelation to the mysteries concerning the sin of Ham, and why Noah cursed Canaan, in the rest of the chapter.

The Sin of Ham

Gen 9:20: And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22: And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23: And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24: And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25: And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26: And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27: God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

A casual reading and study of this passage of Scripture would have the reader believe that the sin Ham committed against his father was one of the following: i) he ogled at his father’s naked body; ii) he made light of his father’s nakedness; iii) he forced himself upon his father. For the rest of the passage, the casual reader would conclude that Shem and Japheth immediately entered the tent, took a garment and with a very awkward manoeuvre, covered their father’s naked body; and, when Noah later awoke from his hangover, straight away he realized what Ham had done to him.

So what really happened? In order to understand, we must bear in mind that certain portions of the Holy Scripture were penned by the Spirit of God mysteriously to both hide and reveal the Truth. The truth may be carried in the form of a dual statement or a compounded statement, or even in the form of a parable. Such is the account of the sin of Ham in this passage of Scripture.

Notice that the passage emphatically begins with Noah becoming a husbandman (apparently he was no longer a herder of animals). He planted a vineyard and made wine. The statement calls our attention to the blight of Noah, for his heavy indulgence in wine making and wine drinking, to the state where he became drunk. (Noah’s interest in wine could have only come by what he had observed and tasted during the mixed community of people before the Flood, in which the Cainic lifestyle dominated the whole populace.) On one fateful day, Noah was very drunk, and his nakedness was uncovered within his own tent by his son, Ham. Ham saw the nakedness of his father. What really was the evil that Ham committed that got Noah to curse his son Canaan? And why Canaan? Why not Ham’s other sons? As a matter of fact, should not Ham be the one cursed instead? For a curse to be justifiable, Noah should either have cursed Ham’s eyes because he ogled at his nakedness, or cursed his brain (mental faculty) for he made light of his nakedness (as some believe). And, if Ham had forced himself upon Noah when Noah was drunk, then a curse upon Ham’s reproductive organ would be justified. Remember the Word says: “And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exo.21:23-25).

Next, the passage emphasizes Ham being “the father of Canaan”, not only in verse 22 but also in verse 18. Why such emphasis? Obviously to call for our attention (for “2” is the number of “witness”). Moses wanted us to be aware that Canaan was born of Ham as a result of the events that took place in these verses of Scripture he recorded. Ham did something evil that brought forth Canaan. What was it? And who was Canaan?

Canaan was a really bad seed produced out of Ham’s shameful act of sin (“uncovering...saw the nakedness of his father”) — sin of an unholy union. Canaan was a seed not of Ham and his wife (Mrs. Ham) but of Ham and his mother (Mrs. Noah, Naamah). This incestuous act brought forth the seed — Canaan, and Canaan brought forth GIANTS, this side of the Flood (Gen.10:15-19 cf. Gen.6:4). He was an accursed seed, just as Cain was a bad seed. Hence, Noah was justified in cursing Canaan. It could not be any plainer. This shows that Ham’s sin was not something else, like ogling at Noah’s naked body or/and making light of it, or that he had performed a homosexual act on Noah, which would mean Ham raped his father; these interpretations are commonly held by organized traditional churches.

Circumstances

Here is a plausible account of what happened on that fateful day. Noah had one drink too many of the wine he made and became totally intoxicated, stripping himself naked – that is, he uncovered himself – in his own tent. [Note: The nomadic tent is not like a Red Indian teepee or a camping tent.] Noah’s wife was in the tent. Perhaps, she was waiting for her husband and longing to have some time together with him. Along came Ham into the tent. He saw his father dead drunk and lying naked. Ham saw his mother there. What transpired at that moment of time was an opportunity for Satan to stir up the passion of both mother and son. Remember that Mrs. Noah was Naamah, a descendent of the Serpent race, a Cainite. Had Noah been too busy with the cares of his vineyard and the wine making that he had no time for his wife since the day they left the ark? Truly, in no less than four years (to grow wine grapes and produce wine) his indulgence of alcohol had numbed his senses, even the sense of passion for sexual love with his wife.

Now, observe how Moses worded the words in verse 21. Concerning the situation of Noah, the words written did not state that “he uncovered himself”. Rather, the words stated that “he was uncovered”. Notice the play of words? That’s right, “he was uncovered” in his tent — by someone. Who was it? “Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father.” That is, Ham uncovered his father’s nakedness. “None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD… The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness” (Lev.18:6-8). Ham committed incest with his mother within the tent of Noah — Ham uncovered the nakedness of his father within the tent of Noah. He uncovered what belonged to his father. He had uncovered and saw what was — his father’s nakedness. Verses 21-22 should be clear enough to have us understand that Noah’s nakedness was uncovered by Ham. Ham had uncovered the nakedness of his father’s wife and saw the nakedness of his father.

The laws of immoral relations were given to Israel in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 18). There are two keywords used to express illicit relations. They are “uncover” and “nakedness”. Together the two words conjugate to describe immoral relations. There is one other verse in Scripture that carries the same meaning (as detailed in the laws on immoral relations in Leviticus 18) but used figuratively. It is in Isaiah chapter 47. Read the whole chapter and see how Isaiah lamented for Babylon. He prophesied that Babylon was to be ravaged, brought down to a disgrace. Notice verses 2 and 3, especially the semantics of the two words “uncover” and “nakedness”, coupled with the phrase “thy shame shall be seen”.

Isa 47:2: Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

3: Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

[Note: The expressions used in Habakkuk 2:15-16: “look on their nakedness” and “let thy foreskin be uncovered” have no similarity to the expressions used by Moses in his account of the sin of Ham in Genesis 9. Habakkuk was speaking of the shame of causing one’s neighbour to be drunk so that one may see their nakedness, that is, their pudenda. The Hebrew word used here for “nakedness” is maw-ore', used strictly for the exposure of one’s pudenda. But the word “nakedness” in Genesis 9 is er-vaw', is more than just the naked body and the pudenda. It conveys something literally, or figuratively, unclean: a disgrace or a blemish. Its root word is `arah, to demolish. When someone’s er-vaw' (nakedness) has been uncovered, he or she has been demolished, damaged, blemished, ravaged, disgraced. And Noah’s wife was blemished, and he was a destroyed man.]

Covering Up

After his incestuous affair with his mother, Ham must have felt remorseful enough to tell what he had committed to his two brothers. He did not laugh; he did not ridicule his father. Imagine the shock of his brothers when Ham told them plainly what he had done. The illicit affair between mother and son was a poignant one that affected not just Shem and Japheth. It must have affected Ham and his mother too. Ham was held responsible over his mother for his lack of self-control. He had shamelessly taken advantage of that moment when his father was in a despicable drunken state. Yes, Noah shamed himself for lost of self-control over his wine drinking. Ham shamed himself for shaming his father’s shame. Shame, O shame!

What did Shem and Japheth do when they heard what was told to them? They went to their father’s tent. Entering in, they saw their father still lying in a sorrowful spectacle on the floor, and their mother sitting in one area of the tent, undaunted and unconcerned. What a distressing sight. “And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.” So they took a garment, put it upon both their shoulders, walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father — is this what comes to mind just reading that verse of Scripture?

Notice the absurdity in the statement, when taken literally, the way the two brothers went about a simple task of covering their father with a garment. Firstly, note that it was not just any piece of cloth that was used to cover Noah. It was a garment, a mantle, an outer covering worn by a man. Yes, a mantle is tailored to cover (up) one’s body. A cloth (be it a table cloth, a bed sheet) is not. Secondly, note how the mantle was held by Shem and Japheth — they “laid it upon both their shoulders”. They did not each hold one end of it. They laid the garment upon both their shoulders; that is, they had to stand shoulder to shoulder, almost touching each other, with a part of the garment over each of their shoulders. Why did they do that, if that was what they did? And notice that they “went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward”. Why? Did they literally walk backward with a garment between them on their shoulders? Is not such an approach awkward and impractical to a simple task of covering a naked man? Would not a single person have easily performed such a simple task? Is seeing one’s father’s naked body a sin? If so, that would mean that no children could ever personally care for their own terminally ill parents.

The absurdity of the language should cause us to realize that Moses intended his readers to look beyond the mere act of covering the naked body of Noah. If you can understand the following two verses of Scripture you will be able to understand the usage of the expression, “laid it upon both their shoulders”.

Isa 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 22:22: And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Clearly, the use of the expression, “took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders”, speaks of “taking the responsibility (duty, burden) upon themselves to cover up a secret”. In this case, both Shem and Japheth bore the responsibility of hiding (covering up) the sin of Ham’s act from their father. And the words “and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness” emphasizes that both Shem and Japheth were unlike their hot-headed brother, Ham (whose name means "hot, burning"), who went forward in sinning against their father while he was drunk.

[Note: A curse is put on the man and the woman who commits iniquity of an incestuous kind. They shall be barren, destitute of children, after committing such a sin. Moses wrote specifically:

Lev. 20:19: And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

20: And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless [Heb: ‘ariyriy – bare, destitute (of children)].

21: And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless [Heb: ‘ariyriy – bare, destitute (of children)].

Notice that Ham had no other children with his own wife after Canaan was born, the fruit of his incestuous act with his mother, Mrs. Noah. He became sterile.

Mrs. Noah had no other children by Noah other than Japheth, Ham and Shem. In truth , whether or not Noah had intimacy with her, she had become barren.]

Awaken to Reality

However, it was not long before Noah came to realize what Ham had done to him. “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.” This did not mean that upon waking up from his intoxication, Noah somehow had an understanding of what had taken place when he was out cold. We need to ask ourselves the question: How did Noah know what Ham did to him? It is easy to say that he knew it by divine inspiration. But is it really so; is that really true?

The word “knew” is a word that means “ascertained by seeing”. When Noah was clear-headed from his intoxication, he would just go about his chores. like other times before. Nothing was unusual and nothing called to his attention that day, that a shame had befallen him while he was drunk. But as the days passed, he noticed his wife was getting heavy in the “tummy”, and perhaps, his inquiries to “how, where and when” were haunting him. However, Shem and Japheth kept a tight-lip. Over time, things and events became clearer and Noah knew that the child within his wife was not his. Noah’s observation soon gave him a “wake-up” call; he finally awoke from his wine — a call to keep off wine. The lust of the flesh for wine was the cause of his humiliation.

Of the three sons, there was only one whom Noah knew, who could have humiliated him, to have seen his nakedness, and that was Ham. Ham must have been a “hot” child at a young age, and while growing up, exhibited some wayward behaviour. The Cainic genes were more dominant in him. So, when the time approached for the birth of the child, the members of Noah’s family were perhaps edgy. Finally the child was born, with one look at the child Noah knew that Ham was obviously the father. Calling his family together, he forced the truth out of them. Ham admitted to his guilt. Because of the variance, it gave Noah the right to name the son. Noah called him “a lowly person”, that is, “Canaan”, and he then pronounced a curse upon Canaan. [Note: Ham could have named his own son, but to name him thus is quite unlikely.]

Noah’s Pronouncement

Gen 9:25: And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26: And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27: God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Noah was justified in cursing Canaan for Canaan was an accursed seed. If Canaan was not an accursed seed, the curse would have no effect (cf. Pro.26:2). Cursing Canaan affected Ham. It declared that Ham himself was a rogue, and that in him, in his descendents, there were to be troubles and sorrows.

The curse on Canaan was one of servitude, “a servant of servants” — slave of the most wretched kind, despicable, as his name Canaan so meant. Canaan was even servant to his own brethren, Cush, Mizraim, and Phut. History shows that Hamites, especially the Canaanites, were very self-willed. Though they were a formidable people with dominion and power, the Canaanites were an accursed people. The curse slowly but surely came upon them; and when the iniquity of Ham reached its zenith, about 900 years later, the Israelites put the Canaanites to the sword or under tribute (cf. Jos.9:23; Jdg.1:28-35). So fulfilled the words of Noah — “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”

Notice that Noah blessed the LORD (Yahweh) and called Him the God of Shem. From this blessing we see that Shem was chosen, whose lineage would come the Saviour of the world. Noah had declared that Shem and his descendants would be such as would evidence to all the world that Yahweh, the One True God, was the God of Shem. It was in the posterity of Shem that the Jews came, and the Jews were the only professing people that Yahweh had until Yahshua came. When speaking about the God of Shem, many pious Jews use the Hebrew word HaShem (meaning “The Name”) instead of יהוה – YHVH (Yahweh). How fitting, for Shem means Name, implying honor, authority, character, lofty — the Majestic Glory of Yahweh is in the tents of Shem (cf. Heb.12:22; Psa.110:3; Isa.60:1-3).

In the spirit of prophecy, Noah continued and upon Japheth, he said that God should broaden him. Japheth’s posterity was scattered far away from the localities of Shem and Ham — northward, northwestward and northeastward, and even to the isles (cf. Gen.10:5; Jer.25:22). The statement: “and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem” was uttered figuratively rather than literally. As the people of the three sons of Noah expanded, they warred against each other; and the conquerors would, no doubt, dwell in the lands of the conquered. Some of Japheth’s seeds, like the Grecians and the Romans, invaded Israel and dwelled in the territory of Shem. But the term “and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem” means that “he shall permanently stay, or reside, in the home of Shem”, speaking of Japheth (his people) coming to fellowship with Shem in the Glorious Gospel Light that belongs to Shem (cf. Rom.1:16; Eph.2:11-22; Gen.10:5; Isa.42:4. Note the expression in Psalm 84:10: “to dwell in the tents of wickedness” — “to fellowship with (and live in) wickedness”). Yahweh, the God of Shem, was in the tents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is in these tents, by the Gospel of Christ, that the Holy City, New Jerusalem is realized (Heb.11:9-10; Rev.21). Japheth’s posterity was blessed to see the Light early, and be a part of the blessed people of Shem. Ham’s posterity came very much later.

The blessing on Japheth ended, as was on Shem, that “Canaan shall be his servant”. Ham and all his sons grew up together being affected by the curse on Canaan. Troubles and sorrows followed them. They were as carnal as their father, Ham, and as defiant as Cain, and soon turned away from Yahweh to serve gods born out of their vain imaginations and deep superstitions. So backward were they, that they were easily made slaves by the might of Japheth for many generations, until the Gospel reached out to them wherever they were scattered.

Age of Noah

Gen 9:28: And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29: And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Noah lived for an additional 350 years after the Flood, even though Yahweh declared that He would bring down the age of Man to 120 years. Shem, who was born before the Flood, died at the age of 600 years (Gen.11:10-11). His first three generations of children, Arphaxad, Shelah and Eber, would lived near to 500 years old (Gen.11:12-17). It was about 900 years later, at the time when the Law was given, that the age of Man was brought down to 120 years.

Noah died at the age of 950 years.

 

~~~~~~~

● Chapter 10

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 10

The Table of Nations

This chapter contains the history of the migration of the human race — the three sons of Noah, and their branching out into families, households, and tribes throughout the whole earth. This took place, for the most part, after Yahweh confounded the tongue of the people in Shinar. The prophet Moses gave a short account of the posterity of Japheth, of Ham and of Shem, but upon that of Shem, he enlarged the account chiefly because from Shem’s blood line, the Messiah was to arise.

Though the names of the descendants of Noah’s three sons were given, it is really difficult to say what particular people and nations sprang from these three great divisions for their original names might have changed in the history of time. Some people and nations might have been assimilated or completely wiped out by others. Only a very few could be ascertained concerning their identities, for few retained their original names. Historians can only give some probabilities to their identities and migration routes. For these reasons, I will not detail them. Details are not necessary as we are not into the study of the physical, social, and cultural anthropology of the human race. Of all the descendants, only one nation stands out very noticeably, and that is, God’s ancient chosen people, the Jews. They can tell us where they sprung from.

Gen 10:1: Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

The genealogy of Adam, through Seth, ended with Noah as the last of the pure firstborn Adamic (or Sethic) race. Noah’s three sons were born out of his wedlock with his Cainic wife, Naamah, and their names were placed, always, in the order of Shem, Ham and Japheth (cf. Gen.5:32; 6:10; 7:13; 9:18; 1Chr.1:4 ). The three sons were neither Sethites nor Cainites; they were all mixed seeds. All Sethites, except Noah, and all Cainites, except Naamah, died in the Flood. Mankind today came from the three sons of Noah and Naamah; each had their own respective and separate genealogies. In relation to Noah, Shem was placed first, not because he was the first born, but because he was chosen to bear the Messianic line. Japheth was the firstborn, which is clear from this verse: “Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder (Heb: gadol, greater), even to him were children born” (Gen.10:21). [Note: Many Bible translators and scholars have foolishly chosen to interpret, that of the two brothers, Shem was the elder and Japheth the younger.]

Ham was the younger of the three sons of Noah. The Hebrew word for “younger” in this verse: “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him” (Gen.9:24) is “qatan”. “Qatan” simply means “diminutive, little”, an idiom for “younger” as in young – younger or youngest; least – less or lesser; small – smaller or smallest. The verse does not indicate that Ham is the youngest son; it is simply Noah’s “diminutive son”. (See Gen.1:16 – “lesser light”; 2Kg.5:2 – “little maid”.)

Surely the sequence of the order of the three names after Noah proves the point about “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matt.20:16). The reverse order of placing the last first and the first last is seen also in the three sons of Terah, father of Abram, Nahor and Haran, and of whom Abram was the youngest and chosen of God for the Messianic line (cf. Gen.11:26). (For your own elucidation, cross check Gen.11:26-32; 12:4 with Acts 7:2-4.) That Japheth, Ham and Shem were born in that order is shown even in the order of their respective genealogies placed in Scripture, as in this chapter and in 1 Chronicles chapter 1. (Keep in mind that God is a God of order.)

The Genealogy of Japheth

Gen 10:2: The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

3: And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

4: And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5: By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

Most of the sons of Japheth and their children migrated northward, out of the Mesopotamian Basin. The last three, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras, settled in the region commonly known as Asia Minor, which is Turkey today. Gomer’s sons, Riphath and Togarmah, mingled with them and settled around the area between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. As the populace expanded, they spread northward and northeastward with Magog’s descendants, and settled in the area which is Russia today. It is believed that Gomer and the descendants of his first son, Ashkenaz, continued northwestward to settle in East Europe. From there they spread westward and northward throughout the European continent. Madai settled in the region south of the Caspian Sea. Lastly, Javan and his sons, Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim set sail westward to colonize the coastlands, such as Greece and Italy, and the islands of the Great Sea – Sicily, Spain, Cyprus and Crete.

The Genealogy of Ham

Gen 10:6: And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

7: And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

8: And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

9: He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

10: And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11: Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

12: And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

13: And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

14: And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

15: And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

16: And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

17: And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

18: And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

19: And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

Unlike the records of the genealogy of Japheth and of Shem, which are straightforward, the genealogy of Ham has an interpolation, interrupting the listing and flow of names. The interpolating passage is from verses 8-12. Moses recorded this to highlight two important historical events. The first tells us the kind of man Nimrod was, the last of the sons of Cush (who is not mentioned in verse 6), and what he did. The second tells us what Asshur, the second son of Shem, did in response to the work of Nimrod.

We will look first at the migration of the Hamitic people.

From out of the plain of Shinar, Cush, Mizraim and Phut journeyed southwestward into the African continent. With Cush were his sons, Seba and Sabtecha; this group formed the Cushite populace which inhabited the northeastern part of the continent, stretching from Sudan, over the Ethiopian highlands, to Somalia. Cush’s other sons, Havilah, Sabtah and Raamah, and Raamah’s sons, Sheba and Dedan went southward. They spread out over the Arabian Peninsula.

Phut with Mizraim and his people, the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, settled along the northern coastline of Africa, and also in the regions of the Cushite people. Mizraim was the founder of Egypt. From his descendants, the Casluhim, came forth the Philistim (or Philistines), who made their way back into the land of Canaan.

The youngest son of Ham was Canaan. He was bastard born by an incestuous act between his father and his grandmother. He had eleven sons. Sidon was his firstborn, whose descendants were the Sidonians. Heth was his second son, the father of the Hittites. Canaan’s other sons brought forth their own tribes and nations of people: the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgasites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. All these families of Canaanites were spread out over the land, which bear the name Canaan, that stretched from Lebanon down to Gaza and the Red Sea, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. The Sinites moved out of the Fertile Crescent eastward.

Now we look at the interpolation passage, verses 8-10. Cush begat Nimrod. Notice that Nimrod was not listed in verse 7. One reason could be that Nimrod was born of Cush’s second wife. If not, then Nimrod being Cush’s youngest son, no doubt, was born late in Cush’s life, whereas his five older brothers were born in the early few years after the Flood. Nimrod grew up to become a great man, “a mighty one in the earth”. He was Cush’s favourite son. Nimrod first founded his kingdom by building the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. The land of Shinar is a vast plain in the lower half of the Mesopotamian Basin; flanked by the great rivers, Euphrates and Tigris. Here is where Mankind would have settled, after coming down from the mountains of Ararat after the Flood, but not before the eight souls of Noah’s family had first settled in the valleys of Ararat.

Nimrod was not only a mighty hunter; he was also “a mighty one in the earth” before the Lord — in the face of God he was an insolent mighty hunter of the souls of Man; one who dared to defy God. In this passage of Scripture, and together with verses 1-9 of chapter 11, Moses sketched his prowess in holding the populace of his days from scattering out of Shinar to replenish the Earth. Nimrod did that by creating his own religion, which mesmerized the people into subjection; thus, restraining them. And because of his aggressive evil work, Shem’s second son, Asshur (v.22; whose name signifies straightness, forwardness, honest, upright, guide, lead), boldly went out of Shinar (v.11) to a region that later bore his name, and built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen. [Note: Historians and church traditions viewed Nimrod as the one who left Shinar for Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen.] The wicked and evil Nimrod and his descendants, later marauded into the land of Asshur, also known as Assyria, conquering cities and people; thus, extended his kingdom. His kingdom covered the whole of the ancient Mesopotamian Basin, from the land of Shinar (or the land of Nimrod) to the land of Assyria (or the land of Asshur) (cf. Mic.5:6).

Gen 10:20: These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

The Genealogy of Shem

Gen 10:21: Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

The genealogy of Shem begins with the particular mention of Shem being “the father of all the children of Eber”, the great grandson of Shem. Shem’s blessed posterity was founded in Eber (or Heber), who fathered the Hebrews. This entitled Shem to be blessed as “the father of the Hebrews”, just as Ham was cursed with being the “father of the Canaanites” (who were fathered by Canaan). The name Heber has its roots in the meaning “across, cross over, opposite side, transit, beyond”, with reference to the River Tigris or/and River Euphrates. From the Hebrews a man was chosen, to whom the One True God revealed Himself. That man was Abram whose name was later changed to Abraham, for he was ordained to be the “father of many nations”. It was from his lineage that the Messiah was to come. This is the significant importance of Eber’s children.

Gen 10:22: The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

23: And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

24: And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

25: And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

26: And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

27: And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

28: And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

29: And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

30: And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

Shem’s family dwelled mainly in the region of the Mesopotamian Basin. As his sons’ families enlarged, some of his descendants migrated to the regions of Armenia and Turkey. However, Shem’s great great grandson, Joktan with his many children, moved south into Arabia, where many of Ham’s people were.

Gen 10:31: These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

The sons of Shem also had various families. It was after the confusion at Babel that different languages were spoken. Certainly, each and everyone of all the families kept to their own tongues as they migrated to their lands, forming tribes and nations.

The Earth Divided

An important piece of information was provided to us in verse 25 (cf. 1Chr.1:19). Moses wrote that Eber’s firstborn was named Peleg; “for in his days was the earth divided”. The name Peleg was derived from the primitive root word, “split - divide, crack, quake, rill”. Many interpreters have taken the phrase to mean that Peleg was so named at birth by his father because the Earth was carved up for the posterities of his three sons, each to their own languages. However, the phrase points rather to Peleg’s lifetime, the period (of 239 years) when the Earth underwent quaking, splitting and dividing of the one big mass of earth, into continents and islands, giving us the topographical features that we have today.

Recall that it took more than a year after the 40-day Flood for the water to dry up on the mountains of Ararat so that Noah and his family could disembark onto dry ground (Gen.8:13-14). Elsewhere on the Earth, tons of Flood waters were still receding. Where large areas were flooded with water, terra firma, of different types of earth soil layers, were weighed down, pushed or heaved in different directions. Cracks and earth movements were inevitable. Some mountain ranges were reshaped or altered into plateaus or hills; lands and plains became valleys or became ‘bowls’ holding large amount of waters; and mountain tops of hard rocks became islands. And so, over a period of many years, the Earth was divided into continents, islands, ice shelves and seas. Moreover, because of the uneven distribution of the large amount of water that remained upon the Earth after the Flood, the Earth became tilted (see note in Gen.8:22).

Of interest to many is the migration of the animals. For those who do not believe that the Biblical Flood was universal, this question is often posted: How did the kangaroos get over to Australia from the region of Ararat? Bear in mind that our planet Earth was originally one big mass of earth with pockets of water. (It was unlike the Pangaea theory proposed by the scientist Alfred Wegener.) Each family of animals could migrate to where the environment would be suitable to them before the earth was divided. Coming down from the mountains, the animals (eg. kangaroos) moved to find dry land with suitable pastures. As the Flood waters continued to recede and the dry land sprang forth greens, the animals continued their movement in that direction. When an earth crack occurred, and separated the land behind the animals, the animals could only journey forward, since the land bridge behind them was lost. Over a period of years, the earth divided and some land bridges were lost; the animals ended up on islands. [Note: As the Earth divided throughout that period of about two centuries, it is very unlikely to find fossils, or remains of animals along their migration routes because the environment for fossilization was non-existent. The animals that died during the migration were simply consumed by other animals, rotted away, or washed away by the waters.]

The Nations Divided

Gen 10:32: These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

So ends the record of the sons of Noah, his descendants. By these were the nations divided in the Earth after the Flood; not immediately, not until the building of the city and tower of Babel, when Yahweh confounded the populace with a confusion of tongues in the days of Peleg. Until that time these families were of one language and one speech.

Races

An important note to remember: the literal physical Serpent seed no longer exists this side of the Flood, though many Christians believe they do. The Scripture does not lie; the Word tells us that after the Flood the whole world was populated by the three sons of Noah (cf. Gen.9:19). And since the three sons possessed the blood of Noah and his wife, Naamah, where is the remote possibility of even one single literal physical Serpent seed on earth? The answer is NO, not one. All of Mankind are hybrids, possessing part of the Adamic nature (through Noah’s blood) which is godly and part of the serpentine nature (through Naamah’s blood) which is beastly and evil. Because of this evil nature in Mankind, Satan is able to continue his evil work, influencing carnal men against the Creator and His Word, over this side of the Flood. He created more religions that oppose God and His Word, just as he did with the religion of Cain. In John 8:37-47, in His conversation with the religious Jews who claimed that Abraham was their father, Jesus disagreed with them and told them that they were born of the devil because they were doing what the devil desired. The devil was a murderer from the beginning, seeking to destroy God’s Word and those who are righteous (cf. Joh.8:37-47). Those who say they believe Yahweh and His Word but have their own religions that oppose Him and His Word are therefore religious Serpent seeds. Indeed, they are!

It has been taught by many that Ham was born black. That’s an assumption. Simply the name “Ham” means “hot, burning”. Why, then, are there different coloured skins, and even different body builds? Simply, the variation of features and colours lies in our DNA. Different chemicals in the minerals of the soil and radiation from the sun affect certain genes. Overtime those genes will be activated. Each group of the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth who migrated to different parts of the earth would eat of the produce of their respective lands. The environment which they lived in and the things that they ate, caused their bodies to gradually adapt and adjust genetically, generation to generation, until they became harmonized with their environments. This might have taken several generations or centuries. We are what we eat and where we live. A Chinese who lived in China, is yellow-skinned because his/her forefathers, ate of the land there. The land there is largely yellow due to the yellow silt of a river called the Hwang-Ho River (Yellow River). The continents of Africa and India generally have black volcanic soil, the black colour of the people. The early Red Indians of America were dark red, obviously because they ate from the vast region of the Colorado (Coloured Red) River and Mountains. Their ancestors were the Eskimos who came across the Bering Straits from Mongolia through Siberia.

The accumulation of many changes, such as intermarriages between the three descendants of Japheth, Ham and Shem, and their sub-tribes, over generations leads to striking modifications of the characteristics in every race. Although all races are different, all descended from ONE KIND — MANKIND! Truly, our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made 

(Psalm 139:14). Amen.

 

~~~~~~~

● Chapter 11

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 11

One Language, One Tongue

Gen 11:1: And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

The Prophet Moses details, in this chapter, an event of great significance for the explanation of the table of nations in the previous chapter. All the posterities of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, used the same language — one mutually intelligible speech. They spoke in the same manner because of the same vocabulary. There was no two tongues about it.

Of interest to many is the original language that was used by the Creator in His communication with Mankind, and among Mankind themselves. Could the language used be the Hebrew language? There are strong evidences for it. Of all the languages which came after the confusion of tongues in Babel, the Hebrew language was used of God in communication. This language had remained in the family of Eber (Heber), out of whom God called a man through whom He would establish a nation, a unique nation that bears His Name. Out of this unique nation, God called certain men, and ordained them to be His messengers (prophets and seers). To them, God spoke in the language they would later use to record for the nation’s posterity. The proper names of persons, places and things in the language had great significance. To those prophets and seers, God spoke to them in Hebrew and gave the revelation of His will to His nation, Israel.

The Land of Shinar

Gen 11:2: And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

The early years after the Flood, Noah and his family lived in the land of Ararat. They descended from the mountain where the Ark had rested to settle down where there were lush grounds for planting of crops and grazing of animals. The family dwelled together as a unit. Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, begat sons and daughters. No doubt, some of the children of the three sons of Noah would have knotted themselves in intermarriage. In the last chapter, Moses recorded that the Earth was divided in the days (lifetime) of Peleg (Gen.10:25). Peleg was born in 1757 AM (Anno Mundi, Year of the World) or 2246 BC, a hundred years after the Flood ceased (vv.10-16). The Flood year was 1656 AM or 2347 BC. The population in that first 100 years could be estimated to be at about 5,000 people. Possibly, several years before Peleg was born, the whole family of Mankind journeyed eastward to find larger lands of greenery, “that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there”.

Shinar was beautiful and it had a big lush plain. Life in that area was wonderful. The descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth were one family of people of the blood of Noah and his wife (Acts 17:26). Even though the serpentine nature lived in all, it was somewhat stronger in the descendants of Ham, revealed in his iniquitous deed he committed against his father. Ham’s grandson, Nimrod, was greatly loved by his father, Cush, and his own Hamitic people. It was, perhaps, not long after Peleg was born and the population increased that he began to push an idea.

Babel - City and Tower

Gen 11:3: And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

4: And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

It will be foolish to take the statements and believe that every family member of Shem, Ham and Japheth spoke unanimously in total agreement to build themselves a city and a tower. It could not have been so. From the account of the genealogy of Ham given by Moses in the previous chapter (Gen.10:6-19), it discloses Nimrod, who was a mighty man and a tyrant in the sight of the Lord God, as the one person who had propagated the idea, an idea trusted upon him by his father, Cush, Ham’s firstborn. Cush was the ringleader in the building of the City and the Tower of Babel. In Pagan Antiquity he was known by several names, two of which were Bel – ‘The Confounder’, and Chaos – ‘God of Confusion’. Nimrod took over his father’s unfinished work. He was one of the most controversial politico-religious figures in history. He came to be known as the founder and builder of the great city of Babel and its tower. Babel was his first city as Nimrod began his kingdom building.

Nimrod created his own religion just like Cain did his. His politico-religious power put a great part of the populace under his spell. He wanted to build a name, an immortal honour, for himself. But there were certain men who opposed him. One such men was Asshur, a son of Shem, who went forth out of Shinar, with his people, to a land far away. In that land they built their own cities, which land later bear his name, Asshur (Assyria).

Justly, Nimrod was a great hunter of the souls of men, a tyrant and a rebel before Yahweh. The tower was built to be as high as it could go; it was a symbol of his greatness and power that would gel the populace together. Because of its height, those who had journeyed far out across the vast plain of Shinar could see the tower, and perhaps be drawn back to Babel, thus, keeping the populace from scattering.

Upon the death of his father, Nimrod married his own mother, Semiramis. Nimrod was literally the founder of the religion of Papal worship. According to historian Alexander Hislop, author of ‘The Two Babylons’, Nimrod was killed by his great uncle, Shem, who could not tolerate his evil practices of the occult and baby sacrifice. Then his evil mother-wife deified him. In fact, he was the first human to be deified. Hislop stated “that Nimrod was the actual Father of the gods, as being the first of deified mortals”. His mother was later deified based on the argument that if Nimrod was a god, then his mother-wife must also be a goddess.

Gen 11:5: And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6: And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

As the children of men built the city and the tower, Yahweh had been watching. Speaking out loud, Yahweh expressed Himself, even to the angels around, in a serious yet ironical manner: “Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language”. Surely, the people being one and having only one language, must be good. To the contrary, the tower they were building had turned their hearts from Yahweh. Nothing could stop them from the purpose of what they had set out to accomplish, and more. As it was in the days before the Flood “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen.6:5), so it was in the days after the Flood when men began to multiply again.

Language - Tongues - Confusion

The children of men are but worms of the earth (Mic.7:17; Job 7:5); how very foolish for them to defy Heaven, and to provoke the Lord God to jealousy. It was not very long into the construction of the city and the tower that Yahweh said:

Gen 11:7: Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

8: So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

So, the Lord came down to remove the unity of the people’s sentiment and purpose by confounding their one language into several tongues – articulating the same word differently – so that the hearer could not comprehend the mind of the speaker. [Note: To understand this confusion of tongues, consider the vast differences of articulation of the Chinese language throughout China.] Everyone knew they spoke the one language, but only to themselves; to the others, it was gibberish, mere babbling of unintelligible words. This was expressed by a 16th Century French poet, Du Bartas (translated by Josvah Sylvester):

Some speak between the teeth, some in the nose,

Some in the throat their words do ill dispose.

“Bring me,” quoth one, “a trowel, quickly, quick!”

One brings him up a hammer. “Hew this brick,”

Another bids; and then they cleave a tree;

“Make fast this rope,” and then they let it flee.

One calls for planks, another mortar lacks;

They bear the first a stone, the last an axe.

One would have spikes, and him a spade they give;

Another asks a saw, and gets a sieve.

Thus crossly crost, they prate and point in vain:

What one hath made another mars again

These masons then, seeing the storm arrived

Of God’s just wrath, all weak and heart-deprived,

Forsake their purpose, and, like frantic fools,

Scatter their stuff and tumble down their tools.

Not able to comprehend one another, the people stopped building the city, and abandoned it to the immediate party of Nimrod. No doubt, each sought out those who spoke the same tongue, articulated in the same manner, and sequestered themselves to form a community; and they scattered abroad. Thus, the divine purpose of God to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen.9:1) was fulfilled.

Gen 11:9: Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

If Hebrew be the one original language from which several tongues sprang forth in Babel, then the languages around those regions (to where the people first migrated and settled down in the first few hundred years) which are spoken today would have resemblance to their parent language. Some of the most striking resemblance to their parent language, Hebrew, are Arabic, Aramaic, Chaldee, Syriac, Phoenician and Ethiopic. However, as different factions of people spread out abroad upon the face of the Earth, the different climatic conditions and diets demanded different lifestyles, and thus, new things birthed new terms and expressions. New languages were then formed, incorporating old or borrowed words, within each and every particular nation of people.

The event called “Babel” could have taken place some 20 or 30 years after Peleg was born. A group of people could have moved eastward to China and established a dynasty. China’s history dated back to 2100 BC (or 1903 AM). Its first dynasty was Xia Dynasty, established around 2070 BC (or 1933 AM). Interestingly, ancient civilizations, such as China, Babylonia, India, Russia and Polynesia, have, in their cultural and traditional records, traces of the Creation, the Fall and the Deluge.

With the scattering of Mankind, this chapter ends the explanation of the table of nations, which was laid out in chapter 10. From this juncture, it leaves the general, and narrows itself into a specific, significant individual — Abram, tracing his descend from Shem. In Abram was to come a Redeemer who would restore Mankind to his Creator and to purge the world of sins.

The Chosen Lineage

Gen 11:10: These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:

11: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

Shem, the youngest of the three sons of Noah, fathered Arphaxad two years after the Flood when he was 100 years old. He lived another 500 years and had more sons and daughters before he died at the age of 600 years. 

Gen 11:12: And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:

13: And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

Arphaxad was 35 years old when he birthed Salah. He lived another 403 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 438 years.

Gen 11:14: And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:

15: And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

Salah was the father of Eber at the age of 30 years. Like his father, he lived another 403 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 433 years.

Gen 11:16: And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:

17: And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.

Eber married and fathered Peleg at the age of 34 years. He lived another 430 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 464 years.

Gen 11:18: And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:

19: And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

Peleg birthed Reu at the age of 30. He lived another 209 years, and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 239 years. As was disclosed in Genesis 10:25, it was in his lifetime, that the Earth split and divided, and shaped into the topography we have today, even as Mankind was confounded by Yahweh and scattered to become different nations of people. Ten years after the death of Peleg, Noah, the only pure Sethite, this side of the Flood, died at the age of 950 years. More importantly, he got to see the realization of the scattering of his children to replenish the Earth as God intended in the commandment He gave (Gen.9:1).

Gen 11:20: And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:

21: And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.

Reu married and father Serug at the age of 32 years. He lived another 207 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 239 years.

Gen 11:22: And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:

23: And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

Serug birthed Nahor when he was 30 years old. He lived another 200 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 230 years.

Gen 11:24: And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

25: And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.

Nahor was 29 years old when he birthed Terah. He lived another 119 years and had more sons and daughters. He died at the age of 148 years.

The Generations of Terah

Gen 11:26: And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27: Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.

Though the Scripture describes the generations of Terah, the story is of Abram, whose name is famous, henceforward. Terah married late in his life and had his firstborn at the age of 70 years. As in the genealogy of Seth, the Adamic line, which ends with Noah and his three sons; the genealogy of Shem, the Chosen Messianic line, ends with Terah and his three sons. Notice that the holy writer of Genesis scripted the names of the three sons of Noah after his name in reverse order — “Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Gen.5:32; 6:10). Likewise, he scripted in the same manner the names of Terah’s three sons — “Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran”. There is a reason behind such a grouping. In the former, it shows that all of Mankind descended from the three sons of Noah; all have the same blood of Noah and his wife. But of the three sons, Yahweh chose to bless the youngest, Shem, whose family tree would bring forth the promised ‘Seed of the Woman’ that would bruise the head of the Serpent (Gen.3:15), destroying its work. In the latter, it shows God’s Sovereignty in choosing the youngest son of Terah, Abram, to fulfill what He had foreordained before the world begun. [Note: It can be proven that Abram was the youngest of the three sons of Terah: Terah died at the age of 205 years in the city of Haran (Gen.11:21-32). In Acts 7:2-4, we are told that Abram left Haran (or Charran) after his father died. Abram was then 75 years old (Gen.12:4). Subtracting 75 years from 205 years, we have 130 years. Therefore Abram was born, not when his father Terah was 70 years old, but when he was 130 years old.]

Gen 11:28: And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

29: And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

30: But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31: And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

32: And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

The family of Terah were all native-born and lived in the city of Ur of the Chaldeans. It was an idolatrous country, where even the children of Eber themselves had degenerated over the last 200 or more years. Haran, the eldest son, died in the presence of his father in the family’s native land. The Scripture does not tell us how Haran died, and why Terah moved to dwell in Haran. However, this verse of Joshua gives us some insight:

Jos 24:2: And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Chaldea - An Idolatrous Country

The people of ancient Mesopotamia were people who worshipped many gods. No doubt those gods were spinoffs from Nimrod’s idolatrous religious worship when he started his kingdom in Shinar. The city of Ur was in that region, and the inhabitants fell into polytheism, or, allotheism — the worship of other gods.

Did Terah and his family serve other gods? Many have taken the word “they” in the last part of the verse of Joshua 24:2 – “and they served other gods” – to refer to Terah’s family instead of the people living on the other side of the River Euphrates. Remember that Nimrod was a tyrant and a religious bigot who inflicted his will upon others. So, one way or another, the whole populace of Chaldea were influenced by idolatrous worship. Terah might have been betrayed into compliance with this form of impiety. With such religious bigotry from a tyrant, Haran’s death could not have been natural. Moses wrote that “Haran died before his father Terah”. The word “before” is from the Hebrew “paniym”, “the face (as the part that turns)”. The sentence could be translated as “Haran died in the presence of his father Terah”; that is, Terah saw Haran died before his eyes. The Jews, the Arabs, and the Babylonians have traditional stories of their own concerning the family of Terah, and how Haran died. One tradition has it that Nimrod killed Haran on account that Terah had undermined Nimrod’s plan to kill the child Abram, whom he saw as a threat to his kingdom. Nimrod only discovered the truth after many years that Terah had deceived him into killing the wrong child (a servant’s child). Notwithstanding, the Scripture indicated that, it was after the death of Haran that “Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there”.

That Terah, the aged patriarch, decided to go to Canaan, reveals a fact that Abram, his son, who had heard the call of Yahweh, when he was 70 years old, had told it to him — a revelation that removed the dark cloud of allotheism from his mind, and restoring in him the knowledge and worship of the one True God. [Note: God called Abram when he was 70 years old. This is attested by the followings: God’s promise to Abram was 430 years before the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt (Exo.12:40). Of this long span of time, Abram’s seed sojourned 400 years in a foreign land (Gen.15:13). That means Isaac, Abram’s seed, was born 30 years after God called Abram, then at age 70 years, in Ur of Chaldea (Acts 7:2-4).] Since the idolatrous country had nothing but darkness, evil, corruption and death all around, it would be better for Terah to take his family with him to Canaan. However, his family did not make it to Canaan. After a grueling journeying of more than 600 miles (or nearly 1000 kilometres), over a period of about 8-10 weeks, an exhausted Terah decided to temporarily dwell in the city of Haran. But the aged, and perhaps frail, patriarch dwelled in Haran, for less than 5 years, until he died at the age of 205 years. That same year, Abram, being 75 years old, left Haran for Canaan. [Note: Nahor and his family were not part of the assemblage. They had either earlier migrated out of Ur to Haran, or later after Terah had arrived there. Gen.24:10,15.]

Family Gene Pool

Before the happy family moved out of that idolatrous country of Chaldea, three grandchildren were born to Terah — Milcah, Iscah and Lot, who were the children of Haran. Abram married Sarai, and she was barren. Nahor married his niece Milcah, a daughter of his brother Haran. Haran had a younger daughter named Iscah, and a son named Lot. But who was Iscah? Like Naamah, whose name was mentioned once, so was Iscah. Speculation has it that Iscah was married to her own brother Lot. Such marriage was not as yet forbidden. But others believed that, like Naamah, Iscah was mentioned without any significance.

To understand the mystery, let the Spirit read out the Scripture to our wisdom and understanding in Christ. All the genealogical records in the Holy Scripture are arranged in an orderly manner, as exposited in chapter 6. Observe carefully the arrangement and grouping of all the genealogies mentioned thus far in our study. There was the pure bloodline, Adam’s, before the Flood — ten generations till Noah. Then there was the one mixed bloodline, the three sons of Noah, after the Flood. Each son had their share in the population of the Earth. Out of the loin of Noah, there was the chosen Messianic line, Shem’s — ten generations till Abram. Then there was the family line, the three sons of Terah. Each son had their share in the chosen nation of Israel. Terah’s family were blessed by the God of Shem. They were chosen and weaved together to bring forth the promised Seed of the Woman. Understanding the arrangement and grouping will show that Iscah was Sarai. Haran, the father called her Iscah (Jiskah - Yiskaw), a Hebrew word meaning Vigilant, Observant, Sharp-Eyed. In English, her name would be ‘Vigilant’ or ‘Observant’ or ‘Sharp-Eyed’, using the words as names (as in ‘Smith’, a worker of metal, or, as in ‘Fisher’, a fisherman). However, Abram, the husband, called her Sarai, a Hebrew word meaning Princess, Argumentative, Contrary. No doubt, Sarai was argumentative, but Abram loved her dearly, calling her, ‘My Princess’. To the Lord, Who chose Abram, He preferred to changed her name to Sarah – Noblewoman, Princess of Multitude, Mother of Nations – for in her breasts flowed the milk that nursed the multitude of thirsty souls (Gen.17:15-16). And to Abram – High Father – the same Lord changed his name to Abraham – Father of Multitude/Nations – for he was the father of all them who believe (Gen.17:4-6).

In the genealogy of Terah, Terah was the patriarch of his family, his children, and his children’s children. But Abram was the subject and principal person of the family in Yahweh’s plan and purpose for the redemption of Adam’s race. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah (and Lot). Nahor married Milcah; they had a son, Bethuel, and by him they became grandparents of Rebekah. Abram married Iscah (Sarai), sister of Milcah; and they had a son, Isaac, who married Rebekah. Isaac and Rebekah birthed Jacob who married Bethuel’s son’s (Laban’s) daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob and his wives (including two concubines) birthed 12 sons; and from the Tribe of Judah (son of Leah) came forth the Messiah. In His plan, the Lord God was keeping the gene pool in the family.

Hebrew Kinship Terminology

The Scripture recorded that Abram deceived two rulers, on two separate occasions, regarding his relationship with Sarai so as to protect himself. The first ruler was Pharaoh (Gen.12:10-20). The second ruler was Abimelech (Gen.20). Abram got Sarai to say that she was his sister instead of his wife. Such half truth was a lie, an act which his own son, Isaac, also committed (Gen.26:6-11). It was a sin of iniquity. Had God not intervened each time, Sarai would have been the wife of two men — Abram and Pharaoh, or Abimelech. Whatsoever was the relationship of Sarai to Abram before they married, Sarai was WIFE to Abram after they married; that’s the status quo. Sarai was no longer a sister or a cousin, per se.

The words of Abram’s response, “…indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother;…” (Gen.20:12), have thrown many Bible lovers into believing that his father, Terah, had a second wife, to whom Sarai was born. In Hebrew kinship terminology, there are many possible references to a term. In fact, the Bible uses the Greek and Hebrew social familial terms, not the biological ones. The word ‘father’ can also refer to a grandfather or great grandfather; and ‘mother’ can also refer to a grandmother or great grandmother; and ‘brother’ can also refer to a nephew, and ‘sister’ to a niece. So, Sarai is termed a ‘daughter’ of Terah as much as she was his granddaughter. Rebekah is ‘sister’ to Isaac though she was second cousin to him. Lot is termed Abram’s ‘brother’ even though he was his nephew (Genesis 14:12,16).

 

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● Chapter 12 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 12

The Call of Abram

Gen 12:1: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Yahweh called Abram when he was 70 years old in Ur of Chaldea. Some time after that his father, Terah, moved his family out of Ur, with the intention of going to Canaan, but found themselves dwelling in Haran (Acts 7:2-4). After his father’s death, the Lord called Abram again, not just to leave his country and kindred, but also his father’s house, to a land that He would show him.

Gen 12:2: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

In obedience to the Lord’s command, Abram was then promised a blessing. Yahweh promised to bless him and magnify his name, for he was to be a patriarch of a new family of people. Out of him was to come forth a great nation of people, both Jews and Gentiles – believers in the covenant Yahweh made with him. Indeed, he became a blessing to many for in him the Seed, promised for salvation, came (Gen.3:15; 22:18; Acts 3:25; Eph.1:3). With such great blessing bestowed upon Abram, God would bless all who bless him, and would curse those who curse him.

Gen 12:4: So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Abram departed out of Haran at the age of 75 years. With him were his wife Sarai and all his household of servants, and all the possessions, that they had acquired in Haran; “…and Lot went with him”, somehow. There’s no denying that Abram had deep respect for Lot who was about his age, more or less. Lot was not only his nephew but also his wife’s brother. So, together with Lot and his family, and his household of servants and possessions, Abram set off for Canaan.

Gen 12:6: And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7: And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

As Abram entered Canaan, he continued his journey until he came to a place in the plain of Moreh, know as Shechem. “And the Canaanite was then in the land”, they had controlled of the land. Surely, it was not comforting for Abram to see a land that God had promised his seed – “Unto thy seed will I give this land” – inhabited by a people of great stature. As fate would have it, Abram’s ‘port’ of entry was named Shechem where a great oak tree of Moreh stood. The word “Shechem” means “between the shoulders”; it speaks of burden. The word “Moreh” means “early, teaching”. So, right from the beginning of his entering the Promised Land, Abram found that his journey in Yahweh’s calling was not an easy road to travel. But he was taught early to trust God’s Word no matter how daunting the journey and the task ahead of him might be; whatever and however great the burden was upon him, God would sustain him. Abram had to learn. God’s promise is never given with just a bed of fragrant rose flowers; he always gives it stalks and all. For true faith and godly character, a saint has to deal with the many thorny issues of life. Nevertheless, Abram believed God that the land was his, and that he would have it. So, he built an altar and worshipped his God. Shechem would later become a hallowed place for his descendants.

Gen 12:8: And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

From Shechem Abram continued on a southward journey to a mountainous area between Bethel and Ai. Here he built another altar and worshipped the Lord God who called him. Like Shechem, Bethel would also later be a hallowed place for Abram’s people.

Gen 12:9: And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

10: And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

Still on a southward course Abram journeyed. But a great famine came upon that land which forced him to go southwestward into Egypt. This part of his journey was the beginning of his faith.

Deception and Iniquity

Gen 12:11: And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

13: Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

14: And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

15: The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

16: And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

17: And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.

18: And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

19: Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

 20: And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Now, the life of Abram and the lives of all whom God had written in the Scripture, concerning their walk before Him, “they are written for our admonition” (1Cor.10:11). God showed us that, like those saints of old, we are all of “like passions”, being born in sin (Jas.5:17; Acts 14:15). We are all similarly affected when it comes to trials. Trials vex our emotion, and emotion can lead to frustration, anxiety and fear. But our Lord wanted us to know that He cares for us even as He cared for Abram when he entered Egypt.

The passage of Scripture revealed that Abram was faced with anxiety as he and his people approached Egypt. He was apprehensive of what the Egyptians would do to him over his wife because Sarai was a beautiful woman to look upon. Abram feared that the Egyptians would kill him. He entreated Sarai to say that she was his sister so that the Egyptians would treat him well by for her sake, and his life would be spared because of her. As they entered Egypt, Sarai caught the attention of the high ranking officers, and they commended her to Pharaoh. Sarai was taken into the king’s palace but before Pharaoh could take her in wedlock, God plagued him and his household with some great diseases. The hand of God touched Pharaoh. It was God’s grace and mercy to both him and Abram. God, later, also touched Abimelech, who was caught in similar way by Abram’s dangerous deception (Gen.20).

Many Christians considered the words and deed of Abram not wrong because he told a truth, which was but a half-truth. They believed he was justified in his words and deed. As pointed out in previous chapter, such half truth was not just a lie but a dangerous lie. Observe carefully Pharaoh’s chastisement of Abram: “What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.” Surely Abram had done a great wrong to Pharaoh by not telling the simple truth that Sarai was his wife. By telling Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister, Abram had caused Pharaoh to unwittingly take Sarai to be his wife. All that time, Abram was well treated by Pharaoh, but he uttered not a word even as Pharaoh prepared for the marriage ceremony. Pharaoh and his household suffered God’s displeasure because of Abram’s deception. Had not the Lord God intervened, Sarai would have been the wife of two men — Abram and Pharaoh. That, then, would be a tragedy.

Had not God promised Abram that he would have a seed and that he would be a great nation? The instability of Abram made him to commit an act of iniquity, and that spirit of instability and iniquity was passed to Isaac and later exploded in Jacob, even to several of his 12 sons in the fourth generation. They all suffered (Exo.34:7). Though our God is merciful, He hates the sin of iniquity above all sins. We should understand that God’s way is always best but often unknown, no doubt. Abram’s failure was our admonition to call upon the Lord for His help whenever need arises.

Nevertheless, as it went, ‘all’s well that ends well’, by God’s grace and mercy. After Pharaoh had upbraided Abram for his deception, he enlightened Abram concerning Sarai, “Behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way”, that is, “Take her and go. She is your wife”. In no uncertain term was Pharaoh impressing upon Abram that Sarai was his wife, not a sister. Then Pharaoh, without any ill-feeling, sent him and his wife and his household on their way out of Egypt to Canaan.

Thus ends the beginning of Abram's journey of faith.

 

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GENESIS

 

● Chapter 13

 

Gen 13:1:  And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

2:  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

3:  And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

4:  Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

5:  And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

So, Abram and his wife, and their household of servants left Egypt. Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his family and household of servants, who had all the time been with Abram, joined themselves to Abram. Abram was a very rich man. He had material possessions and great livestock. Lot was also a rich man; he had much possessions too. From the low-valley land of Egypt they journeyed northeastward, to enter the southern hilly region of the land of Canaan. There they moved about from place to place until their journey took them northward to Bethel, the place where Abram had first pitched his tent. And somewhere in that mountainous place between Bethel and Hai was where Abram had set up his first altar when he arrived from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan (Gen.12:6-8).

In the land of Canaan dwelled the Canaanites, the descendants of Canaan, the bastard son of Ham, from Ham’s incestuous act with his own mother. The Canaanites were, by and large, evil and wicked people. Through their vain imagination, they created their own religions; they worshipped the created things of the Almighty, and offered their sacrifices on altars scattered throughout the land. And in their land Abram’s altar was the very first altar set up to worship the One True God, Yahweh. There Abram worshipped the Lord. [Note: It was a testimony of Yahweh in Abram (and throughout the rest of his (Abraham’s) life) to reveal Himself to the evil populace of the land before judgment was meted out to them. God’s grace and mercy always precedes judgment.]

Abram’s return to his very first place of worship was also to renew his faith in the promise of the Lord God concerning his inheritance of the land of Canaan, and of His grace and mercy upon his life; how the Lord had even kept him in the land of Egypt. Abram’s faith was clearly fixed on the promise of his God Who called him out of Chaldea. A pilgrim and a stranger in a strange country, wealthy Abram was seeking for a country, but certainly not an earthly one that he could call home. He was not thinking of comfort and ease; for with his wealth he would have lived in a big city, or built a beautiful big house in a country, but rather, he pitched his tent from place to place as “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10; cf. vv.8-9).  The Apostle Paul saw this very same city and knew that Abram (Abraham) had seen it in his pilgrim journey; thus was he able to speak of the faith of Abraham. Later, on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John described the city fully as God showed it to him in a vision; it is called the Holy City, New Jerusalem. Truly, Abraham was the "father" of our faith. He is an example for us pilgrims. He had roughed it out in a world that was not his home because he had seen the heavenly city. The trial of his faith was much more precious than fine gold; so are ours.

 

Contention

Gen 13:6:  And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

7:  And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

It was not long after they had settled down that contention for land came between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. The two groups of people had not only increased in family members but also possessions and livestock. However, Abram and Lot, and all their people, were mere strangers in a land where the Canaanites and the Perizzites were settled occupants. Hence, there was not enough pastureland for Abram’s and Lot’s large livestock to graze.

 

Separation

Gen 13:8:  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

9:  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Strife is very often caused by simple misunderstanding, and a lack of grace. When grace does not take over, it can lead to frustration which leads to greater conflict, that might become hatred.

Here we see the love of God in Abram. The love and respect Abram had for his nephew was clearly displayed in his unselfishness towards him. To prevent further conflict of interest between their herdsmen, and because they were kinfolks, Abram proposed to Lot that they each go their separate ways. Furthermore, even though it was Abram whom God called, Abram condescended to Lot and offered him the first choice of the vast land all around them. Whichever direction Lot would choose, Abram promised that he would go the opposite direction, figuratively speaking, keeping distance away from him, letting him have his space.

Gen 13:10:  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

11:  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12:  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

13:  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Now, this happened before Yahweh destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot looked around, he eyed the plain of Jordan. It was lush and verdant like the garden of the Lord where Adam and Eve dwelled, and like the land of Egypt which he came out from. The valley was well watered by the River Jordan and there was plenty of pasture. The lush greenery stretched all the way southward to the Dead Sea, to Zoar. In that region, with Zoar, were four other great cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim (Gen.10:19;14:2;14:8; Deut.29:23). So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself. As he started toward the east, he and Abram separated. Abram remained where he was, in that part of the land of Canaan. But Lot moved his tents from place to place in the valley till he was in the vicinity of those cities. Soon he camped near Sodom, where the inhabitants were evil and sinned awfully against the Lord.

Poor righteous Lot, his mind was set on the things his eyes were drawn to. Yes, the land was well watered everywhere in the plain of Jordan, but in the direction of the east were the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whose ’glittering light’ were obvious attraction beyond the greenery of the plain. Instead of keeping his distance, “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1Th.5:22), he moved closer to it.

Saints, let us take heed in the knowledge that in this world nothing is certain; something will always be, for its system is ever evolving and the flesh is constantly lusting. The world is caught up in a loop, over and over again, ever expanding into greater expectation, that ends only in the heaping up of sins.

 

Land Promised To Abram

Gen 13:14:  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15:  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

16:  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

After Lot and his household had separated from Abram, Yahweh called Abram to look all around him from where he stood, on a mountain between Bethel and Ai. Yahweh said He would give to him and his seed for ever all the land northward (towards Babylon), southward (towards Egypt), eastward (towards the Jordan Plain), and westward (towards the Great Sea). Yahweh also promised that his seed would be as the dust of the earth, that is, innumerable. Abram’s chosen seed was Isaac, in whom was Jacob (Israel) and from whom was the Jewish people.

Yes, Lot had the choice land, but Abram had the blessing. However, Abram’s blessing came only because he believed and was obedient to the One who called him. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt.6:33).

 

Walking The Land

Gen 13:17:  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

18:  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

The Lord rouse Abram to walk throughout the length and breadth of the land that He would give to him. How important then, if the faith of Abram be true, the “walk” must follow the faith. Faith is a fact if faith is of the Word. It pleases God. With faith comes the act – take steps – walk the faith. Without the actions (works) faith is dead. Read James 2:14-26. So Abram rose up and walked the land that would be his and his descendants, moving his tent from place to place, he came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which were in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord. And he settled there.

How precious then are the Truth and promises of the Lord throughout the Bible for us saints. Abram walked throughout the entire land of Canaan in faith, and claimed every step of the land he trod; likewise should we walk throughout the whole Holy Scripture in faith, and claim every written word of Truth and promises revealed to us.

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● Chapter 14 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 14

Four Kings Against Five

Gen 14:1: And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

2: That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

3: All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

4: Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Time passed, and one day, four allied kings in the vast region of Mesopotamia – King Amraphel, King Arioch, King Chedorlaomer, and King Tidal – decided to war against these five kings in the region south of the Dead Sea – King Bera, King Birsha, King Shinab, King Shemeber, and the king of Bela. This world-confederacy resulted from the first world power that was established by Nimrod whose kingdom stretched over four cities – Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

For twelve years, these five kings (in the south of the Dead Sea) served Chedorlaomer, paying tribute with the wealth that was in their lands. In the thirteenth year, being weary of their subjection, the five kings chose to rebel. They planned to meet and join forces together to shake off the yoke of Chedorlaomer in the Valley of Siddim, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea. [Note: The four Mesopotamian kings had terrorized many nations far and wide which were outside the Mesopotamian Basin. They forced those they conquered to pay yearly tribute.]

Gen 14:5: And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6: And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

7: And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

A year passed, and not receiving the expected tribute from the five kings, the proud and covetous Chedorlaomer and his allies decided to extract it from them with the tip of their swords. The large armed forces of the four Mesopotamian kings marched toward the land of Canaan. As they pushed their way south along the east side of the River Jordan, they made war against various nations in their path. They attacked and defeated these nations who were people of great stature — the Rephaim at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, and the Emim at Shaveh Kiriathaim. They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Seir (or Edom), going as far as El Paran which bordered the wilderness (desert). From El Paran, they turned back, circling northwestward, towards En Mishpat (Kadesh), and conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites. As they continued towards the Dead Sea, they defeated the Amorites who were living at Hazazon Tamar.

Gen 14:8: And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;

9: With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.

10: And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11: And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

12: And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

As the four Mesopotamian armies progressed south, marauding the neighbouring nations, the news reached the king of Sodom and his four allies. Despite their enemy’s victory over the many nations, Bera of Sodom and his allies thought not to submit nor desire peace. So, they gathered together to face the advancing Chedorlaomer and his Mesopotamian allies in the Valley of Siddim.

From Tamar, the four Mesopotamian kings marched against the five rebelling kings. The battle was fierce and casualties heavy. The Mesopotamian armies were winning the battle. The five kings and their soldiers began to scatter and flee. There were many slime pits of bitumen (asphalt) spread throughout the Valley of Siddim. Many soldiers, including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, fell into them. Many died, or were killed by their enemies while they struggled to get out. The rest of the soldiers fled to the mountain nearby.

The conquering Mesopotamian kings then plundered the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They not only took the citizens captive, they took all things of value, even foodstuff. Lot and all his possessions were also part of their loot; as he and his household had long left the Jordan Valley to live in Sodom. Then the victorious invading armies departed. [Note: Believers should take heed to the admonition of Paul to “be not conformed to this world” (Rom.12:2), less they be like Lot, who conformed to the world and suffered with it.]

Saving Lot

Gen 14:13: And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

Someone, who knew Abram and Lot, had escaped, and he went all the way to the plain of Mamre, in Hebron, and report it to Abram the Hebrew. The word “Hebrew” (Ibree, signifying one from beyond the River Euphrates, or one who passed over from Chaldee to Canaan; a “passer over”) appears first in this verse. No doubt, there were others who had crossed the River Euphrates to Canaan. However, Moses used this word as a patronymic name (from Eber or Heber, cf. Gen.10:21) was certainly God’s way of showing us that the Hebrew people – in Abram – were His very chosen people.

Now, Mamre was an Amorite. Although the Amorites were descendants of Canaan, and very sinful, it appears that Mamre was a good man. Abram lived in his plain, and somehow Abram could form an alliance with Mamre and his two brothers, Eshcol and Aner. [Note: The Amorites were the descendants of Canaan. They lived alongside other descendants of Canaan in the land of Canaan. Like all Canaanites, they were despicably sinful, wicked and evil. They had a long list of abominations before Yahweh. In the days of Abram, the detestable sins of the Amorites had not yet reach a point where it warranted Yahweh’s judgment (cf. Gen.15:16). The presence of righteous Abram and his descendants was the Lord’s grace and mercy, shown as a testimony to all Canaanites in the land, to have them turn from their iniquitous ways, and from their pornographic, idolatrous worships of false gods in which children were sacrificed. After Abram’s descendants had lived, and even slaved, in Egypt for four generations, they then returned to Canaan. Then the iniquity of the Amorites became full. That was when the Lord took judgment upon them.]

Gen 14:14: And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15: And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16: And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Upon receiving the bad news, Abram armed his 318 trained servants who were disciplined in the art of war. Abram was a prudent man. He was highly respected, loved and honoured by all in his household, for he was a noble man who loved his people. He not only believed and served Yahweh, but instructed all his household in the service of the same God. Abram must have had more than a thousand man servants. Of those born in his household, there were 318 who were trained to protect and preserve the whole household should the need arise.

What could one group of shepherds and farmers do against the victorious armies of four kings that they were to pursue? Even with the allied group of Amorite warriors of Mamre, Eshcol and Aner, the odds were still stacked against Abram. But Abram had seen Yahweh (cf. Gen.12:7); he believed Him, and trusted in all that Yahweh had spoken concerning his inheritance. With faith in the Lord God, Abram valiantly moved to pursue the large Mesopotamian army which was heading home via Dan and Damascus, to rescue Lot and his household.

Abram was no stranger to the stratagems of war. Together with the fighters of his three Amorite allies, a little army was formed and put under his leadership. They pursued the enemies to Dan. In the night, Abram divided his men into small groups to flank the enemies. As the enemies celebrated their victory, many, no doubt, were intoxicated, and with their guard down, Abram and his groups sprang into action. They attacked and chased the enemies all the way pass Damascus on the left, and up north to Hobah. Abram defeated the enemies, and seized all their spoils of war. He rescued his nephew Lot and all his possessions; and also all the people and properties of those five cities in the south of the Dead Sea.

Abram marched home a victor.

Two Kings

Gen 14:17: And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

Gen 14:18: And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19: And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Gen 14:21: And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22: And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23: That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

This passage of eight verses detailed an important historical event in the life of Abram. What transpired energized Abram’s life and his walk with Yahweh. Two kings – the king of Salem and the king of Sodom – met Abram when he returned after his victory over Chedorlaomer and his allied Mesopotamian kings. They did not meet Abram together in the same place at the same time; each king met Abram separately in different places at different times. Of the two kings, the first to meet Abram was Melchizedek.

Notice carefully that verses 18-20 is actually an interjection. Verses 21-24 actually follows after verse 17. What mystery is there here, for the interjection? And who is Melchizedek, King of Salem?

Melchizedek: The King of Salem

As the great procession of Abram marched southward home to Mamre, in Hebron, news reached the king of Sodom, who then, in a matter of respect, prepared himself to meet and congratulate Abram in the Valley of Shaveh, known as the “king’s dale” which was in the region of Hebron. The long journey had tired the convoy of people, and they stopped at a place to rest and to refresh themselves. It was then that Melchizedek appeared to Abram with bread and wine. This was an unexpected meeting for Abram. The place of this unusual meeting was somewhere in the hilly area of what later was to become the great city ‒ Jerusalem. At the time of Abram, the Jebusites, who were the descendants of Canaan (cf. Gen.10:15-16) were the main settlers in that region of the Land of Canaan; and in that area they had their city called Jebus (Jdg.19:10; 1Ch.114). The city was only named Jerusalem, the City of Peace, by the Israelites after they took possession of it. Read Deuteronomy 7:1-2; Judges 1:8,21; Joshua 15:63; 2 Samuel 5:6-10.

This person, Melchizedek was not only a king; he was also the priest of the Most High God. How could a king be a priest at the same time?

Yahweh forbade the kings of Israel to be priests and the priests to be kings. Israel’s Old Testament history shows the danger when religious authority is combined with civic authority. King Uzziah tried to do the work of a priest, and God smote him with leprosy (cf. 2Chr.26:16-23). There was King Saul; in his impatience, he intruded into a priest’s office; for that his rule was not allowed to continue (1Sam.13:8-14). But Melchizedek was an exception because he was not an Earthly being, he was a Heavenly being; and there was no literal city in Canaan called Salem; though traditionists believe that Shem (the son of Noah), or a Jebusite, was king and priest of such a city.

Who Is Melchizedek?

The name Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness”, or “Righteous King”; and being a Just and Righteous King, he is also the “King of Peace” (“King of Salem”), not that he was a king of a city called Peace (Salem). The words “King of Salem” is a title, a reference to Melchizedek’s pleasant disposition of a king who brings about peace to his people, who are his household, a commonwealth of saints (Eph.2:11-22) , and an abode (city) of God (Psa.46:1-11) called the Holy City New Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-3). This is the City of Peace that the Apostle Paul, by revelation, wrote concerning the vision of Abraham who “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10). Salem (Peace) is found in that Holy City, the Tabernacle of God, His dwelling place (cf. Psa.76:2).

[Note: Many Biblical saints have names that allude to a position with something unique. Take the name “Abraham”, which means “Father of many nations” (cf. Gen.17:5). Yahweh gave Abram that new name. However, Abraham fathered only the Jewish people; he did not father the “many nations” of people in the world. Abraham was just a man, and “Abraham” was his name, but the name is a reference to Abraham being the spiritual father of the multitude of people whose faith was in Christ Jesus, Who was the Spiritual Seed promised to him in the covenant Yahweh made with him.]

The Apostle Paul gave his revelation of this mysterious person with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Hebrew, chapters 5, 6 and 7. He mentioned repeatedly that Jesus Christ was “an high priest after the order of Melchizedek”; and not after that of Aaron (which is the Levitical Priesthood instituted by Yahweh for the people of Israel). Melchizedek was a prefiguration of Jesus Christ, and whose name was also called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa.9:6b). Jesus Christ is also called the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev.19:16; 1Tim.6:15-16).

Melchizedek was not Jesus Christ. Paul showed the resemblance of the two, to prove that Melchizedek was none other than the Theophany of the Word of Yahweh, for He was “according to the power of an endless life” (Heb.7:16, MKJV); and that He was “without father, without mother, without descent [that is, without genealogy], having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God [that is, Jesus Christ]; abideth a priest continually” (Heb.7:3). But Jesus has a genealogy; He came from His Father in Heaven and was born of a virgin and He died, and was resurrected. Jesus Christ is both King and High Priest to those who are born again of His Spirit and Word (cf. Rev.19:16; Heb.8:1).

The Meeting

What a blessing it must have been for Abram when Melchizedek appeared to him. It was a personal meeting between the two men — Abram and Melchizedek. Melchizedek, being the priest of the Most High God brought forth bread and wine. He came down to have “communion” with Abram. What a fellowship! For a pilgrim to journey in a strange land that was filled with trials and tribulations, the simple elements of bread and wine were enough to sustain and strengthen, along with the joy of the revelation of Yahweh’s Presence. Melchizedek showed Himself to be a Mediator between God and Abram whom God chose; in that He prefigured Christ Jesus as the Mediator between God and man, of those who was individually chosen.

Notice. Melchizedek blessed Abram, “and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth”. The blessing upon Abram could only come from the Most High God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth; Yahweh possesses everything; He is the Owner of everything in Heaven and on Earth . This blessing instilled a consciousness about Yahweh in Abram. Melchizedek was the channel that blessings flowed. The Apostle Paul revealed that Jesus Christ is God’s channel, “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself...” (2Cor.5:19); and that God “hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world...” (Eph.1:4). Then Melchizedek said, “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand”. Melchizedek blessed Yahweh for Abram’s deliverance. Truly, Yahweh will deliver all whom He has chosen, and live in His righteousness (cf. Gal.1:4; 2Pet.2:9).

“And he gave him tithes of all.” Abram gave unto the LORD, the Most High God, through Melchizedek, a tithe of everything that he had gotten in the victory against his enemies, and all which he possessed. Abram knew that everything that came into his hands were given to him of the Lord Who called him. Though giving was a part and parcel in ancient worship, Abram set the trend for the true worshippers of Yahweh by giving back a tithe (a tenth part) of everything that Yahweh gave into his hands. As King, Melchizedek received it for His Priestly ministration (cf. 1Sam.8:15,17; Gen.28:22).

King of Sodom

His meeting with Melchizedek being over, and having been refreshed, Abram continued toward the “king’s dale” in the Valley of Shaveh; there the king of Sodom met him. The wicked king of Sodom made a seemingly modest suggestion to Abram to reward him for all he did in recovering what was taken by the confederation of the four Mesopotamian kings, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself” (verse 21). In other words: “Return me the captured citizens of Sodom, but keep for yourself the recovered material goods that were looted from Sodom”. But Abram, because he knew Yahweh owned everything in Heaven and Earth, said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor (Creator, Owner) of Heaven and Earth, and have taken an oath toward the fact, and therefore I will accept nothing that is yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap, in case you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have already eaten, and the share that were taken by the men who went with me — Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share” (verses 22-24).

~~~~~~~

● Chapter 15 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 15

A Shield and An Exceeding Great Reward

Gen 15:1: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Some time after these events (recorded in the previous chapter) Yahweh appeared to Abram in a vision. Abram had been thinking of the things that happened to him since leaving his homeland; circumstances and anxiety about the future naturally arose in his mind. He might have feared a possible retaliation from the four eastern wicked Mesopotamian kings whom he was victorious; of what might become of him among wicked nations of Canaan’s descendants whose land he now dwelled; and most of all, the prospect of the promise of Yahweh being realized, that he should be a great nation in a promised land, possessing an innumerable posterity. Knowing Abram’s anxiety, the Lord called out to him, and addressed him by name to quell his fear. Yahweh assured Abram that He was his “shield”, that is, Yahweh was his Defender and Protector; and that He was also his “exceeding great reward”, that is, Yahweh Himself was wholly his ever increasing reward, not of things bestowed upon him, but of Himself, His Eternal Presence. What a great comforting assurance!

Gen 15:2: And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

3: And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

With assurance from Yahweh, Abram then opened his heart to the Lord. Without hesitation, Abram showed his feelings to the Lord, about his one deep desire. He spoke frankly, as if to say, “What good are all the blessings of possession, wealth and power, if I have not a son? You have given me no seed; and all that which I will receive from You, I can only give them to one of the members of my household, Eliezer, a faithful Damascene steward.”

Gen 15:4: And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

5: And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Since the Lord called and chose Abram, He had been very personal with him, revealing His will and purpose to him (Gen.12:1-3; 13:14-16). Between them there was a special and profound relationship (cf. 2Chr.20:7). The forthrightness of Abram was not taken lightly. Yahweh heard his case. And, lo, in the evening, the Word of the Lord came again to reveal Himself to Abram. Yahweh told him that the man, Eliezer, would not be his heir, but one who would come forth from his own bowel, through the womb of his wife. Then, to authenticate what He had promised to Abram, the Word of the Lord brought him into the open night sky and requested him to look toward the heaven, illustrating how vast the number of Abram’s descendants would be. However, notice here that the Word of the Lord does not speak of natural Earthly seeds, but of spiritual Heavenly seeds; and there is even one up in the heaven that is called the Bright and Morning Star (Rev.22:16).

Yahweh was still shaping Abram’s life. He was preparing Abram for what was to come; that he should hold firmly to His promise, chiefly of things spiritual, and not of things natural (cf. Gen:22:17; Heb.11:12).

Gen 15:6: And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Abram did not just believed in Yahweh, he believed Yahweh (cf. Jam.2:23; Rom.4:3); he did not just have faith in God, he had the faith of God. Abram had the revelation of the Living God. Yahweh regarded his faith, and imputed on him righteousness. The Lord accepted him and Abram became a friend of God. [Note: It is one thing to believe in God and in His Words; it is another thing to believe God, for only God Himself can provide that faith, for not all could and would believe the Word (cf. Rom.10:16; Joh.5:47; 6:36,64; 10:38; 12:47). How true, therefore, are these words of the Lord when He said: “I...will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Exo.33:19). To whom God will, He reveals Himself. The faithfulness of God is a reality (cf. Rom.3:3; Tit.1:1).]

Gen 15:7: And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

Time passed. Yahweh continued His dialogue with Abram. He had called Abram to be a father of multitudes of people; Yahweh reiterated to Abram that He brought him out of his homeland to give him the land, where he now dwelled, for an inheritance. It was to be his and his descendants’.

Gen 15:8: And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

“Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” These words do not prove that Abram was in doubt of inheriting the land; rather he wanted to know the “how and when” he would come to inherit it; the “which and whatever” things towards the reality of it; and the “why” of the whole thing.

 

God’s Covenant with Abram

Gen 15:9: And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10: And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

Yahweh drew up a covenant with Abram. He had already given him His Words; but now He was to seal it with a blood covenant, a solemn act to fulfill the promises already made. Yahweh was entering into a far sweeter and closer union with Abram than He had before.

To “make a covenant” is beyond “establish a covenant” with a token (cf. Gen.6:18; 9:9,11-13). The phrase “made a covenant” (cf. verse 18) specifically expresses a cutting off of the flesh; it speaks of destruction, consummation; blood is involved. To seal His covenant with Abram, Yahweh condescended to the use of the Chaldean custom, which is believed to be one of the first and oldest traditions practiced among man, and of which Abram was well acquainted with since he was from that region. On God’s term, Abram was to bring a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon. Literally, the Lord God cut a covenant – a Blood Covenant – with Abram.

[Note: Blood Covenant, when established, binds two friends (and even their clans) together for life. Each friend was responsible to the other in time of crisis when a life could be saved. It was a contract that cannot be broken without dire consequences for blessings and curses were included in it. As the covenant was so named, blood from the forearm, or palm, of the two parties were drawn for the signing with the wounds joined together as blood flowed making the blood one. After this, the two friends exchanged certain portions of their belongings, even their names. (It was much later, when Abram was ninety-nine years old, that Yahweh reaffirmed and established his covenant, that He gave a portion of His Name to Abram, changing it to Abraham. Yahweh יהוה gave Abram אברם His HEI ה and changed his name to Abraham אברהם.) The ceremony then concluded with an animal killed and split entirely into two halves. The two halves were laid side by side and the two friends walked between them as a sign that they walked in one blood. See Jer.34:18-20.]

Notice that God chose to use in His blood covenant, a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat and a three-year-old ram; and the two birds were a turtledove and a young pigeon. These animals and birds were later instituted into the worship and atoning sacrifices of the children of Israel, both rich and poor (Lev.5:7-10).

The blood covenant of the Lord with Abram consisted of three three-year-old animals, well aged in years, fully matured, very strong and very fruitful. Surely, the Lord’s covenant is steadfast, strong and rewarding. The significance of the number 3 in the Sacred Scripture is that of divine completeness. The three three-year-old animals testifies of a complete perfect work that God would do for Abram and all his seed after him. It is Yahweh’s divine seal; and together with the two birds (which the number 2 signifies a witness; and the birds, tenderness, love and peace), numbering 5 in all (which the number 5 speaks of grace); the blood covenant was in all a perfect act of free grace on the part of a sovereign God.

With only the animals divided into two halves, Abram laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground in two rows, with a walking space between them. In the two rows, Abram laid the uncut dove and pigeon, one opposite the other.

Then Abram waited for the Lord to come and sign the contract. Yahweh will do so, delightfully and appropriately, in His Own time (Ecc.3:9-15).

Gen 15:11: And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

While Abram patiently waited, birds of prey started gathering and circling in the sky above. The ravenous birds of prey started swooping down upon the carcasses; Abram began chasing them away. This battle of keeping the unclean birds from pecking at the carcasses and devouring them lasted till the sun set. What we see here is the enemies coming to frustrate the very elect of Yahweh. Abram was contending for the Faith that was given to him – fighting a good fight to have his posterity protected and delivered out of the hands of the enemies. Abram believed God, and he showed his Faith by his works, no matter what annoyance may come to beset him. Truly Faith without works is dead (cf. Jam.2:14-26). He had to keep the Faith till the Lord came to sign the covenant.

Gen 15:12: And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13: And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14: And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15: And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16: But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

As the sun began to set, Abram, being tired, fell into a trance. He was weighed down by a great dreadful darkness. And in the darkness of misery, a horrible and terrible prophetic revelation was revealed to him concerning his seed. His descendants would be strangers in a foreign land and they would be oppressed for 400 years. Abram’s seed, Isaac, brought forth Jacob, and Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel) brought forth twelve sons that formed the twelve tribes of the nation, Israel. All these dwelled in the land of Canaan; land long settled by the descendants of Canaan, the bastard son of Ham’s incestuous act with his mother. Due to the hostilities of such wicked and idolatrous people, Abram’s seed lived in tents, moving from place to place, until a famine drove them into another foreign land – Egypt, whose people also descended from one of Ham’s sons, Mizraim (Gen.10:6). This is “that nation” that God would judge, and afterward bring them out with great riches, for Egypt did put the children of Israel in great servitude. [Note: The promise to Abram was 430 years before the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt (cf. Exo.12:40-42; Gal.3:17). Abram’s seed, Isaac, therefore, was born 30 years after Yahweh first called Abram when he was in Ur of Chaldea (cf. Acts 7:2-4). Abram was then 70 years old. Abram must have related his spiritual experience to his father, Terah, who then moved his family out of Ur with the intention of going to Canaan, but found themselves dwelling in Haran. Perhaps because the aging Terah was exhausted by the length and difficulty of the journey. Five years later, after his father’s death, Abram was again called by the Lord, not just to leave his country and kindred, but also his father’s house, to a land that He would show him (cf. Gen.12:1-5).]

Abram’s descendants could not inherit the land of Canaan because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full”. The name Amorites is used here as the common name of all the inhabitants of Canaan, being that they were the most powerful tribe of the Canaanites; and Abram was living amongst them, some of whom were decent (cf. Gen.14:13; 15:21; Exo.23:23; 34:11; Deu.1:20; Jos.5:1). Yahweh knows the spirit of all mankind and their principle of living, He will extirpate the wicked according to His time. In Abram’s day, the detestable sins of the Amorites and all the other Canaanites had not yet filled their cups to a point where they warranted Yahweh’s judgment. It was 400 years after Isaac, when his descendants left Egypt, that “the iniquity of the Amorites” was full. [Note: There were “seventy souls” of Israel who went down into Egypt (Gen.46:27; Exo.1:5). There they lived peacefully and prosperously. As their number increased over the years, a fearful pharaoh, who never knew Joseph and the works he had done for Egypt, put them to servitude. In the “fourth generation” in Egypt, Moses and Aaron were born (of Amram, a son of Kohath, a son of Levi). The mighty hand of God anointed Moses to lead Abram’s descendants out of Egypt to (where Abram was dwelling) the land of Canaan. However, it was with Joshua and Caleb, that the descendants of Abram conquered the land. Yahweh later warned Israel not to think that it was because of their righteousness that He brought them to the land of Canaan, He promised to Abraham, but His divine judgment that needed be poured out upon the wicked and idolatrous nations of Canaanites in the land (cf. Deu.9:4-8; Jos.24:8).]

The Lord also enlightened Abram that he would live to a good old age, and that he would pass over peacefully to be with his fore fathers before him.

Gen 15:17: And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

When the sun went down below the horizon, and twilight was gone, the day became dark. In the threatening darkness, “a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp” suddenly appeared and passed between the pieces of the animals. The “smoking furnace” (smoking fire pot) symbolizes the smoke of wrath and destruction. When an object is burnt, smoke builds up. The “burning lamp” (flaming torch) signifies the light of salvation and life. Both these objects show the divine presence of a Holy God; a God of Life and Death, the characteristic of Yahweh’s self-revelation of His divine nature. These two elements of “fire” and “smoke” would later manifest among Abram’s descendants as the Pillar of Fire and Cloud (Exo.20:21; Deu.5:22-23). Yes, the same Yahweh is dread to some, and joy to others; darkness and hell to some, and light and heaven to others.

The sealing of a covenant required both parties to pass between the animal pieces. However, only Yahweh passed through them. The covenant is His covenant, an unconditional covenant. Yahweh made sure that Abram stayed in his “deep sleep” only to witness it – “a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”. With Yahweh, His gracious dealings with men are always one-sided; He does not ask for any oath or gift from us. He gives what He will and requires nothing from us except to embrace His promises. That is His grace, even to the extent that He condescended to manifest in human form for the salvation of mankind. His covenant was thus, fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb Who endured the dreadful outpouring of Divine wrath against sin on Calvary, 2000 years later. The Lord God cannot lie for He is faithful; His promises and vows are unchangeable (Heb.6:18; 10:23). He binds Himself to His Own Word; He binds Himself to His Own Covenant.

Gen 15:18: In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

So, Yahweh sealed His promise to Abram with a covenant.

The Abrahamic covenant, as is commonly known, began with the Lord’s promise to Abram; that he was to leave the land of his nativity, Ur of the Chaldees, to go down to the land of Canaan; a land that he could not call his own. Abram had no children, but the Lord God promised him a seed, and the land would be his and his seed, and his descendants after him (Acts 7; Gen.12). It was many years later (as recorded in this chapter), that Yahweh sealed His promise with a covenant, giving Abram a prophetic vision of the dark time his descendants would face, before they would possess the land. He then revealed to Abram the dimensions of the land. “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” the land of —

Gen 15:19: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

20: And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21: And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

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● Chapter 16 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 16

Sarai and Hagar

Gen 16:1: Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2: And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 

3: And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

It had been ten years since Abram and his household left their native country to dwell in the land of Canaan. Abram and his wife were advance in years; Abram being 85 years old, and Sarai, his wife, 75 years old. Human lifespan in Abram’s days was around 180 years. Sarai, at 75 years old was approaching menopause. They had been childless since their marriage, and the promise of God to Abram that he will have a seed had yet to be realized. Surely Abram and Sarai were looking forward to have children, for children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord (cf. Psa.127:3).

The longing to be a mother, to nestle and nurse a child in her arms, must have flamed Sarai’s bosom for years. The promise of Yahweh to her husband was not a thing Sarai really comprehended, much less the full significance of it. Ten years was a long time waiting for the promised seed, and the seed had not come. And now that she had a handmaid of her own, she could give her to her husband to sire her that child. [Note: Sarai’s handmaid, Hagar, was an Egyptian. Hagar was most likely a part of the many gifts given to Abram and Sarai by the pharaoh who took a liking to her, when Abram and his household entered Egypt (cf. Gen.12:16).] The Lord was dealing with the man, Abram, whom He called. Abram had the revelation of the Lord, and thus, he waited for the fruit of his patience. But the constant aggravation of Sarai for a child took the better of him and he hearkened to his wife. Sarai might have reasoned with Abram that, since she was approaching menopause, the promised seed might come through Hagar.

Gen.16:4: And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 

Blinded by his affection for his wife, wisdom was lost to Abram. Without consulting the Lord, Abram yielded to Sarai and accepted the proposal; being agreeable to the flesh. Hagar conceived and immediately her behaviour towards Sarai, her owner, changed; she despised her. Her sudden elevation from a handmaid to a wife changed her status in Abram’s household. She became proud and insolent. Hagar had crossed the line. [Note: The morals of carnal human beings are easily changed by their sudden exaltation (including self-adoration) to high places. They become full of self-importance, and are mocking and accusing towards others. Such is a manifestation of the serpentine nature that is inherent in mankind.]

Gen 16:5: And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

Sarai had plunged herself into unforeseen complications and troubles. In her disappointment, Sarai became unreasonable. She complained to Abram, made excuses, and threw the blames on him – “My wrong be upon thee”. Sarai did not acknowledge her hasty character that brought her the evils, in her “let’s help God out” mentality. Instead she charged them to her husband, and foolishly faulted Heaven – “the LORD judge between me and thee”. How unbecoming an appeal for a vindication in her weak cause in anticipating God’s time.

6: But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. 

Abram did not dispute the matter with his wife, who was filled with jealousy and displeasure. Though Hagar was given to him as wife, and should accord his protection, Abram merely considered her as still Sarai’s handmaid. So, to that deliberation and to not further quarrel, where harsher words from his bitter wife might be uttered, Abram discharged his responsibilities and meekly said, “Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee”. Abram’s action was lawful; definitely not favorable.

Forced back into the hands of her former owner, Hagar was mistreated harshly by Sarai, to such an extent that Hagar became rebellious and “fled from her face”. Sarai’s impatience had caused her to act vainly and wickedly towards Hagar. She showed no consideration to her handmaid.

What Sarai sought to achieve, how Hagar behaved, and why Abram responded the way he did, made each one of them victim to their own deeds, and slaves of circumstances.

Gen 16:7: And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8: And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Fleeing from Sarai, Hagar found herself in the desert on the way to Shur. Was she trying to find her solace in Egypt; to go back to the place where she came out of; and who was there to help her? Exhausted and thirsty, she sat by a well of water and bewailed her situation. In Yahweh’s providence of grace and mercy, the Messenger of the LORD reached out to Hagar and attained to her distress. He addressed Hagar by name, just as He did Adam. Notice, Hagar was not addressed as Abram’s wife but Sarai’s maid, for that was her original position. Being omnipotent and omniscient, the Messenger could just have said to her, “Hagar, go back to your mistress Sarai.” However, the Lord inquired Hagar for a response and to hear her cause; and that she might see also her own careless and thoughtless decision. “Whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?” To the first question, Hagar responded accordingly and truthfully, “I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai”; she showed her oppression. To the second, Hagar was silent, she had no words; she knew that there was no place she really could go and call it home. And the Lord advised her concerning her duty; to return to Sarai and to fully submit to her, even if Sarai’s conduct to her be ungracious and oppressive. The choice for Hagar to return to her mistress was not a course easy to adopt, but the authoritative voice of the Lord quiet her agitating heart and strengthening her spirit. [Note: The chiding of the Lord are right and just that His creatures might be kept in their courses of living and duty. Read 1 Pet.2:13; Heb.13:17. Every true seed of God has a place in His purpose to what He appoints; and that place we shall find not by running away from what is upsetting and offensive. Though we are not lost from His eye, we are lost to our own foolish wandering mind. Trust in Him, obey Him, and our life will yet be useful and happy. Here is a quote from D. G. Barnhouse: “If we seek to change our circumstances, we will jump from the frying pan into the fire. We must be triumphant exactly where we are. It is not a change of climate we need, but a change of heart. The flesh wants to run away, but God wants to demonstrate His power exactly where we have known our greatest chagrin.”]

Gen 16:10: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

12: And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Then the Lord promised Hagar that she would have an innumerable multiplication of her descendants. He reminded her that she was with child, and that child was a son; and she was to named him Ishmael, signifying to her that “the LORD hath heard thy affliction”. The Lord revealed to Hagar that Ishmael will be “a wild ass among men”, fierce, untractable, and untameable (cf. Job 39:5-8) and that his hand is against every man; there will be an incessant state of bad blood, in which the Ishmaelites live one tribe with another; and with people of different blood and different customs, especially the Jews and the Christians. It is not just the physical Ishmaelites but also those who embraced the spirit of Ishmael down through the ages, even to this day. History has the facts.

Sadly, the carnal plan of Abram and Sarai has caused much pain in human history.

Gen 16:13: And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14: Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Then Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are the God Who Sees”; for she said, “Have I here seen after the vision (or, the back parts of my Seer) of Him who saw me?” (Hebrew rendition). For her to see God and live to see the sun was an issue contrary to expectation (cf. Ex.33:20). Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.

 

Ishmael

Gen 16:15: And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16: And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. 

So Hagar returned with a submitted heart; and she bore Abram a son: “and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael”, according to the instruction of the Angel of the Lord to Hagar. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

 

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● Chapter 17 

GENESIS

 

● Chapter 17

Yahweh Reaffirmed His Covenant

Gen 17:1: And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

The Word of Yahweh last came to Abram in a vision about 14 years ago. Abram was then 99 years old, and Yahweh appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God”, that is, “I am El Shaddai”. Yahweh identified and declared Himself as being the One True God — “I am God All-sufficient, All-powerful (to make and to destroy); the Breasted One, the Irresistible One. I am that God who pours out blessings, who gives richly, abundantly, continually”.

Abram knew the many different gods that were worshipped among the people in Mesopotamia. Some gods which were made of wood, stone, and metal, had the Name of Yahweh invoked upon them by the worshippers; adulterated worship, nothing short of idolatry. In His appearance to Abram, the Almighty Creator, the Logos, made known to Abram that He was, not just Yahweh, but the El Shaddai, Yahweh Elohim, the LORD of Lords, the One and Only Elohim, the Only High and Mighty One, the Almighty Creator of the heaven and the Earth. This was a direct declaration, a clear revelation given to Abram.

After Yahweh had made Himself known to Abram that He was El Shaddai, He demanded of Abram: “Walk before me, and be thou perfect”. In Genesis 5:22, Moses wrote that Enoch “walked with God”. Enoch’s faith and daily living was hand in hand with the revelation of Yahweh, for how “can two walk together, except they be agreed” (Amos 3:3). Sin did not steal its way in between Enoch and His God; and Enoch was not found for God took him.

Abram was told to walk before the Face of the Lord God, and be perfect; that is, Abram was to walk habitually in His Presence, and be wholly blameless, upright, undefiled. There was the assurance that he was under Yahweh’s constant watch, under His perfect judgment, and thereby be assisted in his walk before Yahweh, to be perfect like Him. In the Lord’s call to get out of Ur of the Chaldee, Abram must have walked with God in the revelation he received, but he certainly did not walk before God as he should have for the next 29 years, especially the first 5 unfruitful years he had spent in Haran. Abram had weaknesses together with his strengths. He was chosen not because he was a good man, but because God was gracious to him (cf. Exo.33:19). God’s grace had been sufficient to see him through the years; His “right hand upholdeth” Abram in his walk with Him (by faith, in which he was imputed righteousness - Jam.2:23).

 

Old Name, New Name

Gen 17:2: And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3: And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4: As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5: Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6: And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

When Yahweh reaffirmed His covenant with Abram (cf. Gen.12:2-3; Acts 7:2-4), Yahweh stressed that to his seed He “will multiply...exceedingly”, that is, will enlarge — very greatly. With that, Abram fell upon his face to appropriate God’s covenant. It was not that God “will make” (Heb: nawthan) but rather that God “will give; will bring to realization” the things promised in the covenant. Yahweh accentuated that He would make Abram “a father of many nations”, and not just the father of “a great nation”. And with that, Yahweh made known the new name for Abram. Abram אַבְרָם was no longer his name, but Abraham אַבְרָהָם, for “a father of many nations have I made thee”. Truly, God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom.4:17). And surely, Abraham’s “soul followeth hard after” Him (Psa.63:8), for a new and deeper revelation of Yahweh – “I am El Shaddai” – dictates a deeper and blameless walk with Him. Yahweh had added to his name the breath of His Living Word — hei ה. To be called the “Father of multitudes”, when he was near a hundred years old, with a son who was known not to be the heir, must have been to his household and the nations around him a piece of senile presumption. It was certainly a trial of faith for Abraham to rest on God’s Word, His Promise; that LIFE would come.

“Father of many nations” (or “Father of a multitude of nations”) is fulfilled in a literal sense, for Abraham’s numerous offsprings would later spring forth from the twelve princes of Ishmael (by Hagar); the twelve tribes of Israel (by Sarah); and the descendants of the six sons of Keturah; royalty is found in many nations of these descendants. The Royalty of royalties is the King Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not just the King promised to the Nation of Israel, He is also the King of all nations; He is the King of kings. Though nations of people rejected Him, He is King to all who believe Him; all who are spiritually born, even they are kings and priests unto God (Rom.4:16-17; Rev.1:6; 5:10).

Gen 17:7: And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8: And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

The everlasting covenant was between Yahweh and Abraham, and Abraham’s descendants throughout their generations. This covenant is two-fold; it will not fail, since Yahweh originated it. Yahweh would be, firstly, a God to Abraham as well as to his descendants as long as they continue in true worship. For He was the “God who pours out blessings, who gives richly, abundantly, continually”. Secondly, to all his spiritual seed (in Christ Jesus); with respect to the spiritual blessings of it, as the God of all grace, supplying and bestowing upon them grace and glory, which never becomes void. The covenant embraced all the land of Abraham’s sojourning; given to him and his descendants for an everlasting inheritance; and which was a figure of the heavenly inheritance, one which will be enjoyed by all his spiritual seed to all eternity.

 

Old Life, New Life

Gen 17:9: And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10: This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11: And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12: And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13: He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14: And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Yahweh is “I AM THAT I AM” — I AM LIFE; I AM SELF-EXISTING. The letter hei ה in Yahweh יהוה is the sound when one breathes out. Hei ה is LIFE, the breath of LIFE (cf. John 20:22). Having received a portion of Yahweh — His Name and His Life, Abraham אַבְרָהָם was then commanded to shed his blood through the act of circumcision. The change of name was God’s token to His part of the covenant; circumcision was the token of the other party. This was the obligation to be taken by Abraham and his household, and afterwards the nation – his descendants through Isaac and Jacob – “Every man child among you shall be circumcised...And he that is eight days old”.

Circumcision deals with the organ of procreation, and by cutting away of the flesh of the foreskin, God made it a token in the covenant; an obvious reminder of the Fall. Sin came into the world by an act that corrupted the life of Mankind, and the life is in the blood (cf. Lev.17:11,14). The woman that God gave to Adam was beguiled by the Serpent; seduced into fornicating with him (cf. 2 Cor.11:3). And being deceived, the woman was in the transgression (1 Tim.2:14). Her transgression had corrupted the blood of Mankind. She brought forth Cain; and Cain was the seed of the Serpent, he was a discrepancy. The unholy union of the two bloods – Adamic and Serpentic – resulted in death. Thus, there is nothing good in the flesh: the blood had been corrupted, and so “in Adam all die” (1 Cor.15:22a).

“And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised.” In God’s creation plan, the “seventh day” is the Sabbath, a period of repose — desist, put away (down), cease from exertion. Sabbath is the “sleep” before the dawning of a new day of life. The new cycle of life begins on the “eighth day”, a new beginning. Circumcision cuts off the old, bringing in the new. Blood must be shed for the remission of sin (cf. Heb.9:22). In this way, circumcision in the flesh became an emblem of spiritual circumcision (i.e., the purification, sanctification) of the heart, in the putting away the body of sin (cf. Deu.10:16; 30:6; Lev.26:41; Jer.4:4; Eze.44:7). Typologically, on Mount Calvary, our Lord Jesus Himself was “cut off” (by the shedding of His Blood – cf. Dan.9:26a), for the sake of His elect, to “passover” the “sabbath” and resurrect on the first day of the week. And fifty days later, on the Day of Pentecost, the day after the Sabbath, the Spirit of the Life of Christ came upon the true faithful believers; the old life of the saints was cut off and a new life began. Truly, “...in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor.15:22b). The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ was born. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor.5:17). “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:” (Col.2:11). 

“...and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” The physical sign of circumcision was the possession of all the land of their sojourning for an everlasting inheritance. Any descendant of Abraham who was not circumcised was outside of God’s covenant — “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant”. [Note: This is the reason why the Lord sought to take Moses’ son. Zipporah, Moses’ wife, was angry with Moses, for he had not circumcised their son. Moses, for some reason, had failed in this duty (cf. Exo.4:24-26).] In the spiritual, the circumcision of the heart to all his spiritual seed, being Holy Spirit baptized, is an eternal promise of a heavenly inheritance. Since the uncircumcised male child of Abraham’s descendants was cut off from being a part of the chosen people of God, correspondingly the uncircumcised heart be cut off from being a part of the Heavenly Family of God.

Sadly, through the centuries, the eyes of the Jews are focused more upon the sign of the covenant (circumcision) than on the God of the covenant, thus losing sight of the spiritual circumcision through the righteousness of faith in the finished work of the Messiah. The Apostle Paul said: “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Rom.2:29). Read Romans 4:8-14 and Galatians 5:1-15.

 

Isaac’s Birth Promised

Gen 17:15: And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16: And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17: Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18: And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

The covenantal sign was followed by a further revelation of the promised seed, that Abram would receive it through his wife Sarai. Sarai שָׂרַי, the dominative woman – princess, was no longer to be her name, but Sarah שָׂרָה, the noble woman – queen, for she was to become the mother of kings of nations. The promise was so immeasurably great that Abraham fell upon his face in worship. Apparently, Abraham must have received the revelation when God breathed also His hei ה into Sarah שָׂרָה, his wife. He laughed within himself and rejoiced in awe and happiness, in the absurdity and the expectation of him being a father at such an old age. Then he thought apprehensively of Ishmael; he said to the Lord, “O that Ishmael might live before thee!”

Gen 17:19: And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20: And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21: But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22: And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. 

Yahweh emphasized that Sarah, his wife, would bear him a son and he would call him Isaac יִצְחָק (meaning laughter, for Abraham laughed); and that Isaac and his seed would be the recipient of the covenant grace. As for Ishmael God would make him very fruitful; he would have twelve princes and become a great nation of people. And just before the Lord departed from Abraham, He again stressed to Abraham that His covenant should be established with Isaac, whom Sarah was to bear to him about that very time in the following year.

Gen 17:23: And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

24: And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25: And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26: In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27: And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 

So, on that very same day, Abraham took Ishmael his son, who was thirteen years old, and every male in Abraham’s household, those born in his house and those who were purchased with his money, and circumcised them, according to the words of the Lord. Abraham was also circumcised; he was ninety-nine years old. Yahweh’s covenant would be established, for the Lord God said it; Abraham believed it; he acted upon it; and that settled it.

 

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● Chapter 18 -