Personalities of the Old Testament #6 - Abraham Part 1

 Today, we will be continuing our Bible Study with a look at Abraham’s life.  Before we do that though, I want to review the study of Noah that we’ve been doing.  According to our study, why was Noah considered a righteous man?  Because he had faith.  Why did God want to preserve Noah as a remnant of mankind?  In order to preserve the lineage of Jesus.  What is obedience to God’s calling a sign of?  Humility before God.  What was Noah’s first act when he got off the ark?  To build an altar and honor and thank God for his deliverance.  Last question, what was God’s covenant with Noah?  That He would never destroy all living things off the face of the earth again.

There is so much about Abraham that we will just focus on some key points.  So, let’s start with the verses about Abraham’s mention in the “Timeline of History.”

Genesis 11:27-30 NKJV

This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. Then Abram and Nahor took 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. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Ur of the Chaldeans

Abraham was born in the Ur of the Chaldeans.  This is the place where the ziggurat of Ur is located.  A ziggurat is a “high place” where the worship of pagan gods takes place.  Ur was a major center of worship to the pagan mood god Nanna. 

This is the environment where Abraham (who was known as Abram, at this time) was raised.  In fact, his father Terah was involved in pagan worship.  He didn’t serve the God of the Bible:

Joshua 24:2 NKJV

And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.

The remarkable thing, in my opinion is that when God spoke to Abram that Abram recognized that it was God.  God called him out of that country and out of his father’s house and Abram knew it was God and obeyed.

Genesis 12:1 NKJV

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:4 NKJV

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

So, we determined that Abram lived in a country that was a major place of worship of other gods, and that he lived in a home where those other gods were worshipped.  God called him out of that place and away from his family.  God took him out of that worship of other gods.

God basically does that with all of us.  Prior to salvation many of us were caught up in the traditional Taiwanese religions, or were atheists.  God called us out of that worship (Atheism is a worship of people, it is often called Humanism) and into His will. God has built into us a desire to seek Him.  We are all looking for God, even though we may not realize it. 

Act 17:26-27 NKJV

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

This scripture talks about periods and boundaries in which men and nations flourish, so that they might recognize and respond to God’s call on them, so that we would reach out to find Him, even though He’s not far from us.

This scripture also points to a personal seeking of God, “…though He is not far from each of us…”  Abram was no different from all of us.  He was seeking God and recognized His voice as God called to him.

God’s Calling

This is the calling of God on Abram’s life.  There are three parts to this calling, obedience and faith, blessings, and covenant that we want to look at:

Obedience and Faith

Genesis 12:1 NKJV

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And your father's house, To a land that I will show you.

First, God’s call was a test of Abram’s faith and obedience.  In the last few last week when talking about Noah, we emphasized Noah’s obedience and faith and how God accounted it to him as righteousness.  “Get up out of your nation and from your father’s house.”  This is the first part of the test.  Will Abram be obedient in God’s calling.  How hard is it to leave your family and go to another place knowing that you will never see them again?  It was difficult for me to leave the US and come here, when Emily and her family were remaining in the states.  I can go back and see her whenever I want, and still it was difficult to leave.  It must be more difficult to leave knowing that you’ll never see your family again.  This is what Abram’s calling meant.  This is the obedience that God was looking for from Abram.

What do you think it took for Abram to actually do that?  He had to believe that God was THE God.  He had to have rock solid faith.  God was saying, “follow Me to a place that I will show you.”  Abram had the faith to follow God, even though he had no idea where God was leading him. 

Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Blessings 

Genesis 12:2-3 NKJV

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

The second aspect of God’s calling on Abram is the blessings God gave him.  God promises that He will make Abram (soon to be Abraham) the father of many nations.  There are a few things here that are important.  The first is that when this promise is made Abram is 75 years old:

Genesis 12:4 NKJV

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

It is also important to remember that Sarai, his wife, was barren.  That is, she is unable to give birth.

Genesis 11:29-30 NKJV

Then Abram and Nahor took 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. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

God is promising Abram that he will father a great nation.  God also tells him that his descendants will number as the stars in the sky.  So, here is Abram, 75 years old with a barren wife and God is promising him that he will have many children.

Genesis 13:16 NKJV

And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.

God promised him descendants, and that He would make Abram a great nation.  This took place in about 2000 BC.  About 4,000 years ago and we still know Abraham.  We still study this story.  God did indeed make his name great.

Covenant

The third part of this is that this is the beginning of the Covenant that God made with him.  God promised that he would have descendants.  God promised that He would be the father of many nations.  God promised that, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This is a foreshadowing of Jesus. Jesus is the blessing, “of all the families of the earth.”  This is another instance when the faith of an Old Testament person extended to Jesus.  He is seeing this promise afar off:

Hebrews 11:13 NKJV

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Finally, the covenant between God and Abram included a land for the people of God, Abraham’s descendants.  Follow me to a land that I will show you.  This is the place that is promised to Israel.

Genesis 12:6-7 NKJV

Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Abram, built an altar again to honor and thank God for this great blessing.  Look at this scripture:

James 2:23 NKJV

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." And he was called the friend of God.

I want to stop here for today but I want to reiterate God’s covenant with Abram.  We’ll go into more detail on some things next week.

Summary of Abraham’s Covenant with God:

God's covenant with Abraham is one of the most significant agreements in the Bible, marking the beginning of God's relationship with the Israelite nation and His promises to humanity. It is outlined in various passages, including Genesis 12, 15, and 17. Here's a summary of its key aspects:

• Promise of Land: God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan as their inheritance. This is referred to as the "Promised Land."
• Promise of Descendants: Despite Abraham and Sarah's initial inability to have children, God promised that Abraham would have numerous descendants who would form a great nation.
• Blessing to All Nations: Through Abraham's offspring, God promised blessings to all the families of the earth, foreshadowing the role of Jesus Christ as part of Abraham's lineage.

The covenant emphasizes faith, obedience, and God's unwavering commitment to fulfill His promises.

 

Personalities of the Old Testament #5 - Noah Part 2

 We want to continue our study on “Old Testament Personalities.”  We’ll be looking at the second part of our study on the personality of Noah.  If you remember las week’s study, we found that Noah found favor with God.  He was the only righteous man, in the world at that time.  We discussed that Noah was accounted as righteous because of his faith.  In the same way that Abel and Enoch were righteous because of their faith. 

We also saw that God preserves the righteous and doesn’t destroy the righteous along with the wicked.  Noah was preserved because of his righteousness.  God destroyed the wicked but did NOT destroy Noah.  He was a preacher of righteousness for one hundred-twenty years.

Today, I want to look at the flood and Noah’s reaction to God’s warnings and his behavior.

Obedience

Genesis 6:13NKJV

And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

God is warning Noah of His intentions.  People have become wicked.  Remember we talked about this when we said that two lineages descended from Adam: Seth, (The Lineage of Jesus), and from Cain (The Lineage of Wickedness).  Noah has descended from Seth and is found to be the only righteous man in the world.  So, God wants to deliver him, and through him, preserve the lineage of Jesus. So, He warns him and gives him these instructions:

Genesis 6:14-16 NKJV

Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.

God also told him to take two of every animal, male and female, and seven of certain types, mostly for sacrifice, as well as:

Genesis 6:21 NKJV

And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them."

Look at Noah’s response to these things:

Genesis 6:22 NKJV

Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Noah was obedient to God’s direction.  God places value on obedience.  Look at this:

1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV

So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

This scripture above takes place in the life of King Saul.  God had commanded him to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all of their livestock.  Saul had his own ideas and kept some livestock back saying that he wanted to sacrifice them, but this was not what God commanded him.  Look at what Samuel says to him about it:

1 Samel 15:17 NKJV

So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?

“When you were little in your own eyes…”  Obedience is a sign of humility toward God.  We talk a lot about doing God’s will rather than our own.  How difficult is that for us?  As we’ve seen with Saul, we can easily call our will God’s will. God calls that rebellion and stubbornness:

1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

Saul didn’t do everything God had commanded, Noah on the other hand, “according to all that God commanded, so he did.”  We need to examine our own behavior, are we acting according to all God has commanded, or according to our own will?  Are we humble enough to put aside our own will for God’s?

We’re Christians, followers of Christ, we should desire to be Christ-like. 

Luke 22:42 NKJV

saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."

This is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, looking ahead to His crucifixion… “Not My will, but Yours be done.”  Is that your prayer?

A Covenant with God

Genesis 8:1 NKJV

Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.

The flood was judgment on the earth.  It was God’s judgment on the wickedness that had sprung up in the world.  As we spoke about last week God doesn’t judge the righteous with the wicked so Noah was preserved to continue humanity.

After the judgment, the death of all living things on the face of the earth except those God had preserved in the ark, God turned his mind back to Noah and his family.

Genesis 8:15-18 NKJV

Then God spoke to Noah, saying, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.

This is about a year after the flood began.  It had rained for forty days, but the ground had to dry sufficiently for them to go out. 

Noah’s first act after leaving the ark was to build an altar to thank and honor God:

 

Genesis 8:20 NKJV

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

The first thing Noah did was to worship God.  He didn’t build a home for himself.  He built an altar to praise and thank God for his deliverance.  He’s acknowledging God’s sovereignty, protection and mercy.  God could have completely destroyed every single living thing on the planet, but He didn’t.  He wasn’t finished with us. 

We often cry out to God for mercy, for help, and for deliverance.  Usually, though, these are help to deliver us from problems we’ve created for ourselves.  Noah expresses his extreme gratitude for god’s preservation and deliverance from the judgment of the flood.  It is an example for us to remember to express gratitude for what God has delivered us from.  Look now at God’s reaction to this sacrifice:

Genesis 8:21-22 NKJV

And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."

God was soothed by the smell of the offering.  He’s pleased with what Noah has done here and he makes a covenant with Noah.  He says that He will never destroy every living being from the earth again.

Even during the tribulation, not everyone will be killed in the judgments.

It’s interesting that, even though God knows and understands men’s hearts, He makes this pledge.  “Although the imagination (or desire) of man’s heart is evil, from his youth…”  This is the essence of God’s forgiveness and mercy.  He knows who we are.  He knows our hearts and yet He chooses to forgive, anyway, knowing we will sin again.

Genesis 9:9-11 NKJV

"And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."

God told Noah, and his sons to go and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.  We are all descendants of Noah.  Every human being can trace their ancestry back to that family.

Acts 17:26-27 NKJV

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

This covenant that God made with Noah is still in force today.

Summary of Noah

1.       Noah found favor with God – This descendant of mankind from Seth.  He was righteous by his faith.  He was a preacher of righteousness.  We are made righteous by our faith in Jesus.  Salvation comes through faith.

2.      God preserves the righteous - Noah was preserved because God doesn’t judge the righteous with the wicked. 

3.      The Flood – God’s judgment on the earth and the wickedness of mankind.  God called on Noah to prepare for the coming judgment.  We need to prepare for God’s call on our lives.

4.      Obedience – Noah was obedient to God’s commands.  He put God’s will first in all that he did.

5.      A Covenant with God – Noah’s first act out of the ark was to build an altar and thank God for his deliverance.  God made a covenant with him that He will not completely destroy all living things in judgment again. 

Noah is a lesson for us in our thoughts and behavior toward God.

 

 

Personalities of the Old Testament #4 - Noah Part 1

 Today, I want to continue our study on Old Testament Personalities.  We’re going to focus on Noah today.  Before we start, though let’s review last week’s lesson.  I would encourage you to take notes so you can remember what you learned.  You can also go to http://ssbiblestudies.blogspot.com to review them, because they’ll be posted there!

Review of the Last Lesson

Review of Seth:

Adam was created in the image of God, but Seth was begotten by Adam in his own (Adam’s image) image and likeness, what was the difference between God’s image and likeness, and Adam’s? There was the taint of Adam’s sin in the Garden.  He was no longer in the blameless and sinless likeness of God! Sinfulness is passed down through natural generations, (father to son).  Holiness and grace can only come from whom?  God, through Jesus!  What does the name Seth mean?  “Appointed”.  Why was He called that?  Because he was appointed to be the seed of the lineage of Jesus.

Review of Enoch:

The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.”  What is this a picture of for us?  Rapture!  What does it mean to walk with God?  He had a deep relationship with Gofd, much like Adam’s relationship with God in the Garden prior to Adam’s sin!

Noah

Noah Found Favor with God

Noah is a famous character, so famous that even many non-Christians know him and his story.  So, lets start with the “Timeline of History” mention of Moses and build from there.

Genesis 5:28-30 NKJV

Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed." After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters.

If you remember the "Timeline of History" then you know that Noah’s name means rest or peace.  I showed you the prophecy of Jesus that comes from the meaning of the first 10 names in the lineage of Jesus.  “Mankind, appointed mortal sorrow, the blessed God comes down teaching, His death will bring the Despairing REST (peace or comfort).”

In this prophecy built on the first ten names in Genesis, Noah is a picture for us off redemption, but I want to look at Noah in more depth: 

Genesis 6:5 NKJV

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:7-8 NKJV

So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Men had become wicked; we talked about this a bit in last week’s study.  There is a separation that sprung up between the lineage of Seth (which is the lineage of Jesus), and the lineage of Cain.  The wickedness had sprung up through the lineage of Cain, but Noah who was in the lineage of Seth found favor in God’s sight.  This is where that separation is important, God sought to destroy the wickedness of man, but he preserved the lineage of Seth through Noah.

Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

The heir of the righteous which is according to Faith.  It’s the same righteousness that was accounted to Abel:

Hebrews 11:4 NKJV

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

And Enoch:

Hebrews 11:5-6 NKJV

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "AND WAS NOT FOUND, BECAUSE GOD HAD TAKEN HIM"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Righteousness was accounted to them for their faith!  In the Old Testament righteousness came by faith, in the same way it does in the New Testament.  Faith in Jesus.  These men did not see Jesus in the flesh, but saw the promise afar off and believed it.

Hebrews 11:13 NKJV

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

What that verse means is that they saw Jesus as redeemer, savior in the future and even though they didn’t see Him personally walking the earth, they believed. 

Genesis 15:5-6 NKJV

Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

This verse is speaking of Abraham, but this is why I believe that Noah found favor in God’s eyes.  He was a righteous man because of his faith and:

2 Peter 2:5 NKJV

and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

He was a preacher of “righteousness” and from what we have seen righteousness comes from faith.  Not just faith in God, but in faith of the promise of redemption to come.  We might even be able to go so far as to say, “Noah was a preacher of Jesus, in a way.”  We find God’s favor through our faith in Jesus, just as Noah did!

God Preserves the Righteous

Genesis 6:13-14 NKJV

And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

So, God had decided to destroy all living things through a flood.  He warned Noah, that this would happen and gave him instructions on how to build the ark. God wanted to rid the world of the wickedness that existed, but God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.  We can look ahead and see this in God’s judgment of Sodom. 

Genesis 18:22-23 NKJV

Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

God has told Abram (Abraham) that he was going to destroy Sodom and we can see that Abram asks, “What about the righteous?”

He asks God if there are fifty righteous men will you still destroy it?  God vows to preserve it for fifty men.  Abram counts it down, “What about forty?” “What about thirty?” “What about ten?”  Each time God says he will preserve the city if that many righteous can be found. Only one man is found that is righteous.

Only Lot:

2 Peter 2:6-8 NKJV

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—

God preserved Noah, because he will not destroy the righteous with the wicked.  Only Noah was found to be righteous in all the world.

The Flood

God commanded Noah to build an ark.  And the Bible says that Noah did all that was commanded him by God.

Genesis 6:22 NKJV

Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

He prepared for the call of God.  Sometimes, we have a calling on our lives, but we think, “If this is God’s calling, then God will make it happen.”  We think we don’t need to do anything and God will just make sure it comes to pass.  But many times God’s calling requires preparation on our part. We need to be ready to complete the task that God calls on us to perform.  Noah builds the ark following what God told him to do.  God directed his steps, but Noah had to prepare. 

After all that was done, God spoke to Noah again:

Genesis 7:1 NKJV

Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

God calls him into the ark in order to preserve him and his family.  Noah’s sons participated in the construction of the ark, demonstrating their faith as well. Here is something that’s interesting to note: Noah built the ark and prepared for the rain and flood on the earth.  Some commentators (Jamieson Fausset and Brown) believe that the construction of the ark took one hundred-twenty years.  It was completed when Moses was 600 years old.  His son Shem was 98 years old.  If this is the case, although the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us how long it took the God gave mankind 120 years to repent, as Noah preached righteousness to them. God will always give us space to repent:

Revelation 2:20-21 NKJV

Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.

This is a biblical pattern; God gave Jezebel the opportunity to repent as he gave the people of Noah’s time the time to repent. Remember Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He does not change. 

We’ll stop here for today, and we’ll pick up the rest of the story in the next one.

 

 

 

 

Personalities of The Old Testament #3 - Seth and Enoch

 Today, I want to continue our study on Old Testament Personalities, and I want to do something a little different.  Instead of looking at a major character, I want to focus on two men who have a special mention in the Timeline of History, before we move on to Noah. 

Review of the Last Lesson

As we looked at the lives and personalities of Cain and Abel, we focused on the sacrifices that they offered and how that affected their relationship with each other and with God.  Why was Abel’s sacrifice considered by God to be a sacrifice of Faith?  Four reasons, 1) Abel offered the first born of his flocks; 2) The foreshadowing of Jesus; 3) The shedding of blood and 4) The imitation of God’s first sacrifice.  What was the first sacrifice?  God provided coverings from animals.  Blood was shed.  Why was Cain’s sacrifice not accepted?  1)  Not offered in Faith: 2) Offered as an obligation/to be seen as doing the right thing.  The word translated as “lies” in Genesis 4:7, has what meaning?  It means to crouch prior to pouncing. Finally, Cain was offering a sacrifice out of obligation not in submission to God.  What does James 4:7 say in regard to submitting to God?  Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The two men that I want to look at today are Seth and Enoch. We’ll begin with Seth:

Seth

Genesis 5:3-8 NKJV

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

In the Likeness of Adam

In Chapter one of the book of Genesis we see that Adam was created in the image of God:

Genesis 1:26 NKJV

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

 Here in Genesis chapter 5, though, we see that Adam, “begot a son in his own likeness after his image.”  If Adam was created in God’s image why is there the distinction that Seth was in the likeness of Adam?  Wouldn’t he also be in the likeness of God?

Seth was in Adam’s likeness, because of the sin in the Garden of Eden.  The reason for that is that the taint of Adam’s sin was on Seth.  No longer was he in the blameless and sinless likeness of God. 

When Adam was created, he was created to be immortal.  Death did not come into the world until after the sin of Adam.  It was through sin that death came into the world. God told Adam that if he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge, he would surely die.  So, mankind passed on that sin from immortal to mortal.

Romans 5:12 NKJV

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Because of Adam’s sin all men were destined to die.  In addition to that, we were all born with the taint of Adam’s sin. 

Job 14:4 NKJV

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!

John 3:6 NKJV

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Sinfulness is conveyed to descending generations.  Passed down from parents to children.  Holiness and grace are not passed down through family heritage.  That can only come from God, it’s not from blood, nor from the will of man, nor of the flesh.  So, we are in the likeness and after the image of Adam, not the likeness of God.  That’s why we need salvation.  That holiness can only come to us through Jesus.

Appointed

The name Seth translates as “Appointed.”

Genesis 4:25 NKJV

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."

This is an interesting use of words here.  God has appointed me another “SEED.”  The use of the word seed implies that it is a beginning.  A plant begins as a seed.  A line of descendants begins with a seed.

What we’re looking at here is the genealogy that led to Jesus.  This is why I began with the “Timeline of History.” The “Timeline of History”[i] traces the lineage of Jesus from Adam, through Seth all the way to Jesus. 

Eve was given two sons in the beginning, Cain and Abel.  We know that Abel was murdered by Cain and that Cain was made a vagabond and wanderer through the curse that God placed on him after the murder.  In that one day the lineage of Adam was destroyed.  God, however appointed a new “seed” in Seth.

The Name of the Lord

Genesis 4:26 NKJV

And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Some commentators have said that a better translation would be “Then men began to be called by the name of the Lord;”[ii] in other words the people of Jehovah (God).  So, then there is a separation that is pointed out in this verse. There are now two lineages that have begun.  There is the lineage of Cain.  This lineage arises from Cain and his wickedness in the murder of Abel.  That lineage speaks of the wickedness that has begun in the world.  It led to this: 

Genesis 6:5 NKJV

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So, the wickedness of man that led to the flood is a result of Cain’s heritage and wickedness. 

In the birth of Enosh, that difference is noted.  Seth’s lineage, which is the lineage that led to Jesus, passing through Noah, who was a direct descendant of Seth.  These are the people of God. 

Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

We’ll talk more about Noah, in the next study, but remember that Noah was a preacher of righteousness.

2 Peter 2:5 NKJV

and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

Summary of Seth

The legacy of Seth is that he was “appointed” to be the seed of the lineage of Jesus.  He separates the people of God and the people of wickedness. It becomes completely apparent in Noah, as God judges the wickedness of man with the flood.

Mankind can be traced back to the very first generation, which is Adam and Eve, but Cain’s wickedness is what began to separate the people of wickedness (Can’s descendants), from the people of God (Seth’s descendants).

While we are all descendants of Adam and in his likeness and nature, decisions must made whom we will follow.

Joshua 24:15 NKJV

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Seth chose to be one of the People of God, but Cain chose wickedness.  What will you choose for yourselves?

Enoch

There isn’t much in the Bible about Enoch, but I want to quickly look at him for a moment.

Genesis 5:18-24 NKJV

Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch. After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So, all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

We see all of these people who lived before the flood having lifetimes that were many years long.  Adam lived 900+ years; Seth lived 900+ years; in fact, all of the people listed lived about 900 years until we get to Enoch.  Enoch lived only 365 years.   

There is an interesting phrase in this scripture: “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”  He just disappeared.

He walked with God…What does that mean.  He had a deep relationship with God.  Very similar to Adam’s relationship with God in the Garden of Eden. 

Genesis 3:8-10 NKJV

And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

This relationship with God was broken when Adam sinned.  Then death came into the world.  Enoch maintained his relationship with God throughout his life.  So, he did not experience death. 

Hebrews 11:5 NKJV

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "AND WAS NOT FOUND, BECAUSE GOD HAD TAKEN HIM"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

For us, this is a picture of the Rapture, when the faithful will be called up to join Jesus in the sky and remain with Him. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The faithful are those who continue to live for Jesus when all of the world begins to oppose Him.  So, the faithful are those who continue to walk with God.

Enoch’s testimony was that he pleased God. 

1 Thessalonians 4:1 NKJV

Finally, then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;

Are you an Enoch?

 

---

[i] The Timeline of History is available at http://ssbiblestudies.blogspot.com/p/timeline-of-history.html

[ii] Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary, note on Genesis 4:26

Personalities of the Old Testament # 2 - Cain and Abel

 Today, we will do the second study in our series, “Personalities of the Old Testament.”  We will take a look at what can be used to instruct us in the story of Cain and Abel.  How many know that the histories found in the Old Testament are there to instruct us by showing us how our behaviors affect our lives and our relationship with God.  There are good behaviors and bad behaviors that can be seen here. 

Review of Last Lesson

As we looked Adam’s life, we saw how sin can affect our relationship with God and the blessings that God intended for us.  What was God’s intention with the Garden of Eden?  To meet every need of man!  What was the sin in the Garden?  Eating the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  What was the outcome of that sin?  How did God react?  He kicked them out of the Garden.  They were separated from God and lost paradise.  What is the Garden of Eden an analogy of?  Heaven.

Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-2 NKJV

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

This took place after Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden.  The name Cain means “Acquired” of the Lord.  The name Abel means “Vanity or Wind”.  The Bible isn’t specific but many of the commentaries believe that they were twins.  Those same commentaries think that Abel was given the name meaning wind because of the shortness of his life. 

Offerings

Genesis 4:3-4 NKJV

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,

Let’s look, first at Abel and his offering. 

The question is what makes Abel’s sacrifice a sacrifice of Faith?  There are a number of things.  The First being that the offering of the firstborn is a foreshadowing (a look at the future) of Jesus:

1st:  Firstborn Sacrifice: Abel offered the firstborn of his flock, which is a picture of Jesus as God's "only begotten Son". Jesus is often referred to as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, fulfilling the imagery of a perfect and unblemished offering to God.

John 3:16 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was always with God, before man was created.  The firstborn.

John 1:1-2 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

2^nd: Faith and Righteousness: Abel's sacrifice was accepted because it was offered in faith. Similarly, Jesus' sacrifice was the ultimate act of obedience and faith, bringing righteousness to all who believe in Him.

Hebrews 11:4 NKJV

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

3^rd:  Innocence and Suffering: Abel was killed by his brother Cain out of jealousy and sin.  In the same way that Jesus was killed despite His innocence, out of the sinful hearts of humanity. This parallel emphasizes the theme of suffering and sacrifice for righteousness.

4^th:  Blood as Atonement: Abel's sacrifice involved the shedding of blood, which is significant in biblical theology as "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" Jesus' sacrifice on the cross fulfills this on a universal and eternal scale.

 Hebrews 9:22 NKJV

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

There’s one last thing that I want to point out about Abel’s sacrifice.  The very first sacrifice that was made was by God.  It involved the shedding of blood, and it was an example of what God would have expected in a sacrifice.  Abel saw that an prepared a sacrifice that was an imitation of God’s first sacrifice.

Genesis 3:21 NKJV

Also, for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

All of these things made Abel’s sacrifice acceptable to God.  1) the First Born; 2) the Foreshadowing of Jesus; 3) the Shedding of Blood and 4) the Imitation of God’s Sacrifice in the Garden.

But what of Cain’s sacrifice, what was it that made it unacceptable? 

Genesis 4:5-7 NKJV

but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Cain’s offering was not accepted because it was not offered in faith.  In fact, let’s look at Luke 11:37–51, and we’re not going to read all of it but I will summarize it for you. 

Jesus has gone to eat with one of the Pharisees.  The Pharisee comments that Jesus didn’t wash up before he ate.  Jesus begins to rebuke the Pharisees for being concerned about appearances but not about their hearts.  In other words, they were concerned about looking good but not living well for God.  This is possibly Cain’s error in his sacrifice because look at the final verse of this passage:

Luke 11:51 NKJV

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

Jesus is comparing the actions of the Pharisees to Cain’s actions.  His sacrifice was more to look righteous, rather than living in righteousness.  So, God didn’t accept Cain’s sacrifice.  Look how God explained the problem to Cain, himself.

Genesis 4:7 NKJV

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

“If you do well, will you not be accepted.”  Doing well could be considered to be doing things with a right heart toward God’s will.

2Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

We may be able to conclude through this that Cain was not a cheerful giver. 

Finally, how did Cain and Abel know if their sacrifices were acceptable?  Some commentators explain it in this way:

Leviticus 9:24 NKJV

and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

When Abel’s sacrifice was consumed by God it was an indication of God’s approval of Abel’s offering.  That Cain’s offering just laid there was an indication of God’s lack of acceptance.  So, Cain became angry and his countenance fell.  He became unhappy.

Sin Lies at the Door

I want to look at one more thing here:  It is in Genesis 4:7:

Genesis 4:7 NKJV

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Sin lies at the door.  That word translated as lies means to crouch.  It’s like a cat crouching and preparing to spring on some unwary prey.

After this incident what happened:

Genesis 4:8 NKJV

Now 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 killed him.

God told Cain that if he didn’t do well that sin was waiting to spring into his life and overtake his actions.  Cain’s next act after giving his unacceptable offering because he did it without genuine submission to the will of God, rose up and killed his brother.

Sin has sprung and it rules over his life.  We can see that in the curse that was placed on him. 

Genesis 4:11-12 NKJV

So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."

His life has been destroyed by sin.  This can happen to us as well if we are not submitted to God’s will. 

James 4:7 NKJV

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

An unsubmitted life will result in a life “ruled over” by sin!

Summary:

1)  Abel gave a sacrifice that was acceptable to God because it was given in submission to God.  It demonstrates his faith and righteousness of heart.  This is how we should approach sacrifice not just in giving but in every sacrifice, we make for others, too.

2)  Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable to God because it was given not in submission but in obligation.  He wanted to look righteous and faithful, but those things were not in his heart.

3) If we live our lives absent of submission to the will of God we are also in danger of being controlled by sin.  Sin destroys lives and relationships.  We need to examine our hearts to be sure that we are living with right motives to God’s will.

4)  We will be accepted by God if we do well.

 

Note:  All posts are property of Taiwan Adventure Publications and may be used for private study or within a church setting but cannot be 1) reprinted and sold as a part of a volume or in any way for profit, and/or 2) used in a for-profit setting. The Word of God is free!

Personalities of the Old Testament #1 - Adam

Overview:

Today we’re going to start our series called, “Personalities of the Old Testament.”  We’re going to look at a number of people in the Old Testament and see what we can learn from them.  We’ll begin with Adam and then move through nine others.  Some we will look at in depth in a later study.  For example, David, Daniel and Jacob may need a more in-depth look.  The purpose of this study is like an introduction.  I would encourage you to look at each of the characters we discuss in more depth on your own.  What I’m trying to do is two things.  First, I want you to see these characters, not only as historical personalities but also as a lesson for us to learn a truth that God is teaching us.  Second, I want to encourage you to read and study your Bible on your own. 

If you are a computer person there is an app called Esword.  You can download the program, a number of Bibles including a Chinese Language Bible. Commentaries and dictionaries for free.  It can be found at Esword.net.  This is the program that I use.  I recommend it. 

So, today we want to start with the beginning – Adam. 

First what can you tell me about Adam?

Let Us Make Man in Our Own Image

Here’s the first mention of Adam in the Bible:

Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

So, Adam was made in the image of God.  No other creation was made in God’s image.  All of the plants, animals, stars and everything else was created by the spoken word.  The Bible says, “Then God said let there be…”

But with Adam He didn't say, “Let there be…” He said, “Let us make man in our own image…” Look at what transpired when Adam was created:

Genesis 2:7 NKJV

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 being.

God formed Adam from the dust of the ground.  He was personally involved in the creation of people.  He was called Adam.  The name Adam means man or mankind, but it speaks of dust.  So, Adam was the first man.  Question, did he have a bellybutton?  No, he was created not born he had no need for an umbilical cord. 

God formed him out of the dirt and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;”.  This is interesting because the Hebrew word for spirit can mean breath and also life (according to the Strong’s Concordance).  So, when God breathed life into Adam, He also breathed His spirit into him.  Mankind is the only creation of God that was made by Him personally and has the Spirit of God breathed into him.  We are different from animals.  We contain a part of us that is a part of God. 

Adam is like God in that there are three parts that make him complete.  1) The Mind.  We have a mind that contains our intellect, will and consciousness.  This relates to God the Father.  2) The Body is our physical manifestation.  This is a picture of Jesus who is the physical manifestation of God on Earth.  Finally, 3) The Spirit represents the core of whom we are.  It influences our behaviors, and how we relate to the world and people.  Our spirit relates to the Holy Spirit who guides us in our relationship with and our connection to His will, direction and commands.

This is what we mean by being created in the image of God.  “Let us make man in our own image.”

Placing Adam in the Garden

Genesis 2:8 NKJV

The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

I want to look at the Garden of Eden for a moment.  God planted a garden:

When God created the Garden, He carefully met every need of mankind.  As human beings there are basic needs that we all have. Food, shelter, purpose, companionship, and a spiritual need (We are looking for a spiritual relationship).  God met all of those needs in the Garden:

Genesis 2:9

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

The trees provided food and shelter. 

Genesis 2:15

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 2:19 NKJV

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

Adam had a job.  These things gave him purpose and meaning in his life.  He was serving God with these tasks.  It is interesting how men will often identify by their work.  How many times have you heard one man say to another, “What do you do for a living?”  Often our purpose in life is defined by our job.

Genesis 2:18 NKJV

And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

God realized our need for companionship.  People are social animals, we need each other.  Eve was created for Adam as a helper. 

Genesis 2:21-22 NKJV

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

But what does that mean helper?  Why did Adam need Eve’s help?  Look at Genesis 1:28:

Genesis 1:28 NKJV

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

God told them to go forth multiply and subdue the earth.  He created us male and female.  Adam could not multiply without Eve’s help.  So, she was created for him. 

Genesis 2:23-24 NKJV

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." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This is the first marriage.  Adam and Eve joined together by God, and become one person.  We are a part of each other.  We complete each other.  Men have a tendency to be logical and woman are more emotional and nurturing.  A partnership for raising children. 

Finally, let's look at the spiritual aspect of the Garden:

Genesis 3:8-10 NKJV

And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

I will go into this in more detail in the next section, but I wanted to show that Adam and God had a relationship.  God walked with them in the garden and Adam recognized the voice of God as God called him. 

So, we can see that all of Adam’s needs were met there in the garden.

The Sin of Adam

In order to see this we have to go back a few chapters to God’s one command in the garden:

Genesis 2:9 NKJV

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

Genesis 2:16-17

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

God put two trees in the midst of the Garden.  1) The Tree of Life – A symbol of eternal life.  It’s position in the garden made it a daily reminder of God's intended future for mankind.  Adam was able to regularly eat the fruit of that tree if he desired.  2) The Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil – A call to a choice.  To know good – is to be obedient to God’s commands.  To know evil is to choose not to obey God.  It isn’t that suddenly you will gain some useful information.  It is that you will understand that to obey God is good, but to disobey God is evil.

Genesis 3:1-6 NKJV

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

The serpent came and spoke to Eve and in that conversation caused her to begin to doubt God.  And it led her to disobey God and eat of the fruit.  Look at this:

This is the description of sin in 1 John 2:15-16:

1 John 2:15-16 NKJV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

The Bible describes Eve’s thought process:

1)      the woman saw that the tree was good for food – Lust of the flesh

2)      that it was pleasant to the eyes – Lust of the eyes

3)      desirable to make one wise – Pride of life

She gave it to Adam to eat.  Look at what happened when he ate:

Genesis 3:7 NKJV

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

After Adam sinned innocence was lost.  They knew that they had done wrong   They “knew” evil and they were ashamed.

Genesis 3:9-10 NKJV

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

As a result, Adam and Eve were driven from the garden.  They lost all of the blessing of the God’s graciousness in the garden.  Those things that God had given them as blessings of meaning and purpose were turned to curses, and they were kept from the tree of Life:

Genesis 3:24

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

One last comment, God held Adam accountable for the violation.

Genesis 3:11-12 NKJV

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Isn’t it human and interesting that Adam immediately tried to justify his sin by blaming Eve.  Isn’t that just like people today?  The bottom line is Eve was deceived, but Adam made a choice that was where the sin was found.  Their eyes weren’t opened until Adam ate the fruit.

A Lesson for Christians

As Christians we are given our own “Tree of Life” in the way of eternal life in salvation of Jesus Christ.  Adam was given the Tree of life as well in a beautiful paradise.  The Garden of Eden is a picture of Eternal Life in Heaven in the presence of God, a personal relationship with Christ in just the way Adam had.  You can see though, that we make choices and decisions, and those decisions affect our relationship with God and the blessings of Eternal Life.  The Tree of Life was given as a reminder of God’s promise of Eternal Life, it was placed in a place where it would always be accessible to them.  That is the Tree we should concentrate on and eat from.

Esword Bible Software Link

Note:  All posts are property of Taiwan Adventure Publications and may be used for private study or within a church setting but cannot be 1) reprinted and sold as a part of a volume or in any way for profit, and/or 2) used in a for-profit setting. The Word of God is free!