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Genesis 2
Genesis Chapter 2: Adam gets a roommate
After a busy work of creation, God “rested from all his work,” (Gen. 2:2). What’s going on here? Was God exhausted? Well, not quite. God didn’t even work up a sweat in those six days of creation. In Gen. 2:2 it says, “And rested from all his work.” The Hebrew word used here is “Shabbat”, which means “to complete”, not “to rest”. It is not a proper name for the seventh day; rather it is a verb, meaning “to stop” or “to complete.” In other words, He said, “I’m done.” Only later, in the Book of Exodus, is it used as a noun meaning a day of rest for the Israelites (not everyone else). This disproves the idea that the commandment to rest on the seventh day goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
Gen. 2:15 says that God “took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” “Come here, Adam. I’d like to show you your new home.” Did you notice that it says that he “put him in the Garden?” Does this mean he created him somewhere else? Hmm.
God created the world and said that it was “good” and then he created man and said that it was “very good.” He may have thought to himself, “Hey, I’m pretty good at this.” In Gen. 2:18, He is gazing at all that he has done and finds something that is “not good”. “Oh, oh, there is something missing here. Let’s see. Oh, I’ve got it,” He said, “‘It is not good that man should be alone.’” What did he make for man so that he would not be alone? No, not a motorcycle; nor a new pick-up truck; but a woman. Now some of you guys might be thinking, “I wish he had made a motorcycle,” but we won’t go there. God says in Gen. 2:24 “And it is for this woman that man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.” Have you noticed how in some marriages either the wife or husband remains under the tight control of their parents? Sometimes the husband or wife will keep putting the desires of the parents before their spouse desires and can’t cut the apron strings. And parents sometimes manipulate the young couple with money and jobs to maintain their control. God says that in marriage you leave the control (and dependency upon) of the parents and focus on meeting each other’s needs and desires. My advice for some couples is to get married and then move away, sometimes far away, from both sets of in-laws. Then, when you have kids, move away from them too. Just kidding.
“Oh, by the way,” God tells Adam, “Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, if you eat of it, you will die” (Gen 2:17). “What’s that all about?” Adam may have asked. “Eat it and you die, understand?” Oh, there is another special tree in the Garden; it’s called the Tree of Life. If you eat from the first tree; I will be forced to keep you from eating from the second. “But I don’t understand!” “Just do it! Do I have to explain everything to you?”
After they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree however, God had to prevent them from eating from the tree of Life which would cause man to live in a sinful state forever.
Today we live with the consequences of the choice that Adam and Eve made. Do you think you would have made better choices than Adam?
Adam wanted to decide for himself what was in his best interest, to be like God in one sense. God told him not to eat, but like a rebellious child, he thought he knew better and could decide for himself. Just because man was given dominion over the earth, being a caretaker of it, doesn’t mean that he can make the rules and live independent of God. You know that this is not going to end well for Adam and Eve.
Genesis Chapter 3: The “Plunge” of Man
In Genesis chapter 3 we see what has been called the “fall of man”. I think there is a better word than fall. It wasn't really a fall. A fall is an accident. It was more like a deliberate jump. It was a deliberate act of disobedience. Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Eve by placing doubt in her mind as to what God told Adam and Eve. Satan asked, “Did God really say that you can’t eat of any tree?” Did you notice the lie Satan just told? God didn’t prohibit them from eating from any tree, only one specific tree. Satan also told them that they would be “like God” if they ate of the forbidden fruit. By the way, can you think of another talking animal in the Bible? Do you remember Balaam’s donkey? We’ll meet the talking donkey in Numbers.
When they disobeyed God, they came to know evil experientially. They became “like God” in that they now realized what evil was truly like. Of course, in twisting the truth Satan didn’t tell them all the truth. Satan did not say that by knowing evil it would damage their relationship with God.
Now, Satan tells outright lies and half-truths. This shouldn’t surprise us, since Jesus called Satan the “Father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan placed doubt in Eve’s mind and then twisted what God said. Is Satan the only person to twist what God has said? There are many false teachers and cults that twist the Word of God to make it say something that it doesn’t. If Satan is the “father of lies” then what would we call cults, who also distort and truth of God? Perhaps we can call them the children of lies. Like father like son. And don’t think because you are in a mainstream church that everything that you hear from the pulpit is the truth. As I have said many times, not all the kooks are in the cults. There are some preachers in mainstream, orthodox churches who deny the Word of God and twist the Scriptures. I’ve heard preachers claim that the Bible is not inspired by God; deny the virgin birth and the resurrection of Jesus, among other basic teachings of Christianity. In fact, I read of a pastor in a Church in Europe who declared himself to be an atheist, and yet his denomination allowed him to remain in his position. These false teachers place doubts in our minds as to what the Bible says. Some may say, “Oh yes, I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. But some of it is more inspired than others and some of it is just myth.”
The church has had to deal with false teachers from the very beginning of its existence. We were warned in Acts 20:28. The Apostle Paul had to contend with them. The church was told to teach sound doctrine and to refute false doctrines (Titus 1:9). Paul even named the names of some of these false teachers (II Tim 4:14). Ah, but I digress. If you are interested in studying cults a classic book on the subject is by Walter Martin entitled, Kingdom of the Cults.
What were the results of this act of deliberate disobedience? Just watch the world news and you can see evidence of the so-called "fall". Why are there diseases, death, and horrible weather? Is this the way God created everything? Is this the best that He could do? Adam and Eve didn’t have to deal with harsh weather and disease. Did God create the evil in this world? God did not create evil. He made evil possible by giving man free will, but man made evil actual. Now the Apostle Paul tells us in Rom. 5 that by one man sin came into the world and through another man, Jesus’ grace came. So why does God blame Adam for the fall then in Gen. 3:6 it was Eve who first ate of the forbidden fruit? Perhaps it was because Eve was deceived, while Adam was not. Adam’s act was one of rebellion, not ignorance.
Well, when God shows up, just like guilty children when the parents come home, the finger pointing begins. God asks, “Have you guys eaten from the tree I commanded you not to eat from (Gen. 3:11)?” And just like kids, they came up with excuses and started to blame each other, and even God.
Here come the excuses. I’ll paraphrase what Adam says, in Gen. 3:12, “Well, it is your fault, God. This woman that you gave me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. It’s not my fault, I am a victim.”
Then, to paraphrase what Eve said, “That rascal serpent deceived me. Yeah, and who created that serpent, you did.”
The "fall" of man results in several consequences. In Gen. 3:15 God says to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between her offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." In other words, Satan will hurt a descendent of Eve, but he, this descendent of Eve, will in turn destroy Satan. This of course refers to the coming of a Messiah. When Cain is born, they may have thought that he was the person who would crush the head of the serpent. In other words, he might be the Messiah. But that wasn’t to be.
Another consequence of the “fall” is found in Gen. 3:16. It says, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing." I have read several explanations of this difficult passage. One scholar suggests that it refers to the emotional pain that will result when her first son, Cain, murders her second son, Abel. Another explanation teaches that since death has entered the world because of sin, Eve is going to have to have more children, more frequently than before so now she will have monthly periods rather than less frequent cycles. Both are interesting ideas.
Their sin didn’t just mess their life plans, it impacted the whole planet. Gen. 3:17, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you . . .” Yes, that means when you are pulling weeds from your flower beds and trying to kill the weeds in your lawn, you can blame Adam. The whole world needs to be fixed. The Apostle Paul wrote in Rom. 8:19-21, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” This explains why we have terrible weather, diseases, and death in the world. The world as we know it is not the way God originally created it. He really did a terrific job of planning and executing the creation of the world.
Take heart, in time, that curse that came upon the world will be lifted. Rev. 22:3, “No longer will there be any curse.” God is in the process of repairing the world that mans’ sin broke.
You might find my comments on why bad things happen to us in the question-and-answer section of this website of interest.
As the story continues in the Garden of Eden, God changed the dress code and from then on Adam and Eve had to wear clothes. In Gen 3:21, God made them garments of animal skins to replace the fig leaves they made for themselves in verse 7. Why animal skins instead of vegetation? Was it because animal skins would wear longer versus “disposable” plant matter? Was it because the cursed land would require more intense physical labor? Were these leather garments their work clothes? Perhaps but some scholars think that the animal skins were the results of the first blood sacrifices for sin in the Bible.
And that’s not all that changed. Adam and Eve had to relocate, not to another part of the Garden of Eden, but out of it altogether. To be sure that they stayed out, God placed security guards (angels) to keep them out (Gen 3:24). Why the tight security? What would be the harm if Adam climbed over the wall of this gated community? God wanted to keep them from the second special tree in the Garden, the one called the Tree of Life. It they had gotten ahold of this tree, they would have gained eternal life in a sinful state, and that wouldn’t be a good thing.
This first sin of Adam is what is referred to as the original sin and it is what taints all mankind. The Jews don’t believe in the idea that Adam’s sin taints the rest of us. They lean towards the idea that we might be more inclined to sin, but we are stained by our own sins, not the sin of Adam.
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Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.