DIVISION 1
The TORAH
(The 5 Books of Moses)
Genesis 1 or "In the beginning of"1
A general note, before understanding the meaning of Genesis, I recommend that the reader reads the first chapter of the book of John. Do so now, because that chapter actually takes place before Genesis! It explains just who God is, that God (Elohim/Theos) is both the being known as THE FATHER, known as GOD, and of the WORD or LOGOS who became Jesus Christ. The TWO ARE ONE GOD! Please read John chapter one before reading Genesis.
The Hebrew name for the Book of Genesis is Bereishit. It may be translated as the phrase "In the beginning of". Genesis is the GREEK word with the same meaning. Genesis
(Greek Γένεσις, "birth", "origin") or Bereshit (Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית, "in the beginning") is the first book
of the Bible used by Judaism and Christianity, and the first of five books of the Pentateuch or Torah. It contains biblical stories from the creation of the world to the descent of the children of Israel into Egypt, and some of the best-known biblical stories, including Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel, and the biblical Patriarchs.
The Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch is established by theconcurring voices both of Jewish and Christian tradition; and their unanimous testimony issupported by the internal character and statements of the work itself. That Moses did keepa written record of the important transactions relative to the Israelites is attested byhis own express affirmation. For in relating the victory over the Amalekites, which he wascommanded by divine authority to record, the language employed, "write this for amemorial in a book" [Hebrew, the book], ( Exodus 17:14 ), shows that thatnarrative was to form part of a register already in progress, and various circumstancescombine to prove that this register was a continuous history of the special goodness andcare of divine providence in the choice, protection, and guidance of the Hebrew nation.First, there are the repeated assertions of Moses himself that the events which checkeredthe experience of that people were written down as they occurred (see Exodus 24:4-7 ; 34:27 ; Numbers 33:2 ). Secondly, there arethe testimonies borne in various parts of the later historical books to the Pentateuch asa work well known, and familiar to all the people (see Joshua 1:8 ; 23:6 ; 24:26 ; 1 Kings 2:3 , &c.) Thirdly,frequent references are made in the works of the prophets to the facts recorded in thebooks of Moses (compare Isaiah 1:9 with Genesis 19:1 ; Isaiah 12:2 with Exodus 15:2 ; Isaiah 51:2 with Genesis 12:2 ; Isaiah 54:9 with Genesis 8:21 Genesis 8:22 ; compare Hosea 9:10 with Numbers 25:3 ; Hosea 11:8 with Genesis 19:24 ; Hosea 12:4 with Genesis 32:24 Genesis 32:25 ; Hosea 12:12 with Genesis 28:5 ; 29:20 ; compare Joel 1:9 with Numbers 15:4-7 ; 28:7-14 ; Deuteronomy 12:6 Deuteronomy 12:7 ; Deuteronomy 16:10 Deuteronomy 11 ; compare Amos 2:9 with Numbers 21:21 ; Amos 4:4 with Numbers 28:3 ; Amos 4:11 with Genesis 19:24 ; Amos 9:13 with Leviticus 26:5 ; compare Micah 6:5 with Numbers 22:25 ; Micah 6:6 with Leviticus 9:2 ; Micah 6:15 with Leviticus 26:16 , &c.)Fourthly, the testimony of Christ and the Apostles is repeatedly borne to the books ofMoses ( Matthew 19:7 ; Luke 16:29 ; 24:27 ; John 1:17 ; 7:19 ; Acts 3:22 ; 28:23 ; Romans 10:5 ). Indeed the referencesare so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaicbooks throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character,design, and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding therationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments,that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidencein proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classicsbeing the productions of the authors whose names they bear. But admitting that thePentateuch was written by Moses, an important question arises, as to whether the bookswhich compose it have reached us in an authentic form; whether they exist genuine andentire as they came from the hands of their author. In answer to this question, it mightbe sufficient to state that, in the public and periodical rehearsals of the law in thesolemn religious assemblies of the people, implying the existence of numerous copies,provision was made for preserving the integrity of "The Book of the Law." Butbesides this, two remarkable facts, the one of which occurred before and the other afterthe captivity, afford conclusive evidence of the genuineness and authenticity of thePentateuch. The first is the discovery in the reign of Josiah of the autograph copy whichwas deposited by Moses in the ark of the testimony, and the second is the schism of theSamaritans, who erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, and who, appealing to the Mosaic law asthe standard of their faith and worship equally with the Jews, watched with jealous careover every circumstance that could affect the purity of the Mosaic record. There is thestrongest reason, then, for believing that the Pentateuch, as it exists now, issubstantially the same as it came from the hands of Moses. The appearance of a later hand,it is true, is traceable in the narrative of the death of Moses at the close ofDeuteronomy, and some few interpolations, such as inserting the altered names of places,may have been made by Ezra, who revised and corrected the version of the ancientScriptures. But, substantially, the Pentateuch is the genuine work of Moses, and many, whoonce impugned its claims to that character, and looked upon it as the production of alater age, have found themselves compelled, after a full and unprejudiced investigation ofthe subject, to proclaim their conviction that its authenticity is to be fully relied on.
NOTE "GOD" when capitalized in this Bible ALWAYS comes from the Hebrew Elohim, or the Greek Theos. Whenever Elohim is meant for a pagan god, we use the word "god" not capitalized with 'elohim' in () example god (elohim).
LORD capitalized always comes from 'Yahweh' and refers almost always to Jesus alone. In the New Testament, the when LORD is capitalized it comes from the Greek 'kurios' which is not the same as 'Yahweh,' as there is no Greek word for that name.
INTRODUCTION
TO THE PENTATEUCH AND HISTORICAL BOOKS
by ROBERT JAMIESON
The Pentateuch, the name by which the first five books of theBible are designated, is derived from two Greek words, pente, "five," andteuchos, a "volume," thus signifying the fivefold volume. Originallythese books formed one continuous work, as in the Hebrew manuscripts they are stillconnected in one unbroken roll. At what time they were divided into five portions, eachhaving a separatae title, is not known, but it is certain that the distinction dates at orbefore the time of the Septuagint translation. The names they bear in our Englishversion are borrowed from the Septuagint, and they were applied by those Greektranslators as descriptive of the principal subjects--the leading contents of therespective books. In the later Scriptures they are frequently comprehended under thegeneral designation, The Law, The Book of the Law, since, to give a detailedaccount of the preparations for, and the delivery of, the divine code, with all the civiland sacred institutions that were peculiar to the ancient economy, is the object to whichthey are exclusively devoted. They have always been placed at the beginning of the Bible,not only on account of their priority in point of time, but as forming an appropriate andindispensable introduction to the rest of the sacred books. The numerous and oft-recurringreferences made in the later Scriptures to the events, the ritual, and the doctrines ofthe ancient Church would have not only lost much of their point and significance, but havebeen absolutely unintelligible without the information which these five books contain.They constitute the groundwork or basis on which the whole fabric of revelation rests, anda knowledge of the authority and importance that is thus attached to them willsufficiently account for the determined assaults that infidels have made on these books,as well as for the zeal and earnestness which the friends of the truth have displayed intheir defense.TO THE PENTATEUCH AND HISTORICAL BOOKS
by ROBERT JAMIESON
The Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch is established by theconcurring voices both of Jewish and Christian tradition; and their unanimous testimony issupported by the internal character and statements of the work itself. That Moses did keepa written record of the important transactions relative to the Israelites is attested byhis own express affirmation. For in relating the victory over the Amalekites, which he wascommanded by divine authority to record, the language employed, "write this for amemorial in a book" [Hebrew, the book], ( Exodus 17:14 ), shows that thatnarrative was to form part of a register already in progress, and various circumstancescombine to prove that this register was a continuous history of the special goodness andcare of divine providence in the choice, protection, and guidance of the Hebrew nation.First, there are the repeated assertions of Moses himself that the events which checkeredthe experience of that people were written down as they occurred (see Exodus 24:4-7 ; 34:27 ; Numbers 33:2 ). Secondly, there arethe testimonies borne in various parts of the later historical books to the Pentateuch asa work well known, and familiar to all the people (see Joshua 1:8 ; 23:6 ; 24:26 ; 1 Kings 2:3 , &c.) Thirdly,frequent references are made in the works of the prophets to the facts recorded in thebooks of Moses (compare Isaiah 1:9 with Genesis 19:1 ; Isaiah 12:2 with Exodus 15:2 ; Isaiah 51:2 with Genesis 12:2 ; Isaiah 54:9 with Genesis 8:21 Genesis 8:22 ; compare Hosea 9:10 with Numbers 25:3 ; Hosea 11:8 with Genesis 19:24 ; Hosea 12:4 with Genesis 32:24 Genesis 32:25 ; Hosea 12:12 with Genesis 28:5 ; 29:20 ; compare Joel 1:9 with Numbers 15:4-7 ; 28:7-14 ; Deuteronomy 12:6 Deuteronomy 12:7 ; Deuteronomy 16:10 Deuteronomy 11 ; compare Amos 2:9 with Numbers 21:21 ; Amos 4:4 with Numbers 28:3 ; Amos 4:11 with Genesis 19:24 ; Amos 9:13 with Leviticus 26:5 ; compare Micah 6:5 with Numbers 22:25 ; Micah 6:6 with Leviticus 9:2 ; Micah 6:15 with Leviticus 26:16 , &c.)Fourthly, the testimony of Christ and the Apostles is repeatedly borne to the books ofMoses ( Matthew 19:7 ; Luke 16:29 ; 24:27 ; John 1:17 ; 7:19 ; Acts 3:22 ; 28:23 ; Romans 10:5 ). Indeed the referencesare so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaicbooks throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character,design, and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding therationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments,that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidencein proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classicsbeing the productions of the authors whose names they bear. But admitting that thePentateuch was written by Moses, an important question arises, as to whether the bookswhich compose it have reached us in an authentic form; whether they exist genuine andentire as they came from the hands of their author. In answer to this question, it mightbe sufficient to state that, in the public and periodical rehearsals of the law in thesolemn religious assemblies of the people, implying the existence of numerous copies,provision was made for preserving the integrity of "The Book of the Law." Butbesides this, two remarkable facts, the one of which occurred before and the other afterthe captivity, afford conclusive evidence of the genuineness and authenticity of thePentateuch. The first is the discovery in the reign of Josiah of the autograph copy whichwas deposited by Moses in the ark of the testimony, and the second is the schism of theSamaritans, who erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, and who, appealing to the Mosaic law asthe standard of their faith and worship equally with the Jews, watched with jealous careover every circumstance that could affect the purity of the Mosaic record. There is thestrongest reason, then, for believing that the Pentateuch, as it exists now, issubstantially the same as it came from the hands of Moses. The appearance of a later hand,it is true, is traceable in the narrative of the death of Moses at the close ofDeuteronomy, and some few interpolations, such as inserting the altered names of places,may have been made by Ezra, who revised and corrected the version of the ancientScriptures. But, substantially, the Pentateuch is the genuine work of Moses, and many, whoonce impugned its claims to that character, and looked upon it as the production of alater age, have found themselves compelled, after a full and unprejudiced investigation ofthe subject, to proclaim their conviction that its authenticity is to be fully relied on.
*****The Names of God
by Lambert Dolphin
Old Testament (The Hebrew Scriptures, or Tanach):
EL: God ("mighty, strong, prominent") used 250 times in the OT See Gen. 7:1, 28:3, 35:11; Nu. 23:22; Josh. 3:10; 2 Sam. 22:31, 32; Neh. 1:5, 9:32; Isa. 9:6; Ezek. 10:5. El is linguistically equivalent to the Moslem "Allah," but the attributes of Allah in Islam are entirely different from those of the God of the Hebrews. ELAH is Aramaic, "god." Elah appears in the Hebrew Bible in Jer. 10:11 (which is in Aramaic, and is plural, "gods"). In Daniel (the Aramaic sections) Elah is used both of pagan gods, and of the true God, also plural. Elah is equivalent to the Hebrew Eloah which some think is dual; Elohim is three or more. The gods of the nations are called "elohim." The origin of Eloah is obscure. Elohim is the more common plural form of El. Eloah is used 41 times in Job between 3:4 and 40:2, but fewer than 15 times elsewhere in the OT. See the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Elohim.
ELOHIM: God (a plural noun, at least two, used with singular verbs); Elohim occurs 2,570 times in the OT, 32 times in Gen. 1. God as Creator, Preserver, Transcendent, Mighty and Strong. Eccl., Dan. Jonah use Elohim almost exclusively. See Gen. 17:7, 6:18, 9:15, 50:24; I Kings 8:23; Jer. 31:33; Isa. 40:1. IN GREEK TRANSLATED THEOS.
EL SHADDAI: God Almighty or "God All Sufficient." 48 times in the OT, 31 times in Job. First used in Gen. 17:1, 2. (Gen. 31:29, 49:24, 25; Prov. 3:27; Micah 2:1; Isa. 60:15, 16, 66:10-13; Ruth 1:20, 21) In Rev. 16:7, "Lord God the Almighty." The Septuagint uses Greek "ikanos" meaning "all-sufficient" or "self-sufficient." The idols of the heathen are called "sheddim."
ADONAI: Lord in our English Bibles (Capitol letter 'L ', lower case, 'ord') (Adonai is plural, the sing. is "adon"). "Master'' or "Lord" 300 times in the OT always plural when referring to God, when sing. the reference is to a human lord. Used 215 times to refer to men. First use of Adonai, Gen. 15:2. (Ex. 4:10; Judges 6:15; 2 Sam. 7:18-20; Ps. 8, 114:7, 135:5, 141:8, 109:21-28). Heavy use in Isaiah (Adonai Jehovah). 200 times by Ezekiel. Ten times in Dan. 9.
JEHOVAH or YAHWEH: LORD in our English Bibles (all capitals). Yahweh is the covenant name of God. Occurs 6823 times in the OT First use Gen. 2:4 (Jehovah Elohim). From the verb "to be", havah, similar to chavah (to live), "The Self-Existent One," "I AM WHO I AM" or 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE" as revealed to Moses at the burning bush, Ex.3. The name of God, too sacred to be uttered, abbreviated ( . . . . ) or written "YHWH" without vowel points. The tetragrammaton. Josh., Judges, Sam., and Kings use Jehovah almost exclusively. The love of God is conditioned upon His moral and spiritual attributes. (Dan. 9:14; Ps. 11:7; Lev. 19:2; Hab. 1:12). Note Deut. 6:4, 5 known to Jews as the Sh'ma uses both Jehovah and Elohim to indicate one God with a plurality of persons.
JEHOVAH-JIREH: "The Lord will Provide." Gen. 22:14. From "jireh" ("to see" or "to provide," or to "foresee" as a prophet.) God always provides, adequate when the times come.
JEHOVAH-ROPHE: "The Lord Who Heals" Ex. 15:22-26. From "rophe" ("to heal"); implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing. (Jer. 30:17, 3:22; Isa. 61:1) God heals body, soul and spirit; all levels of man's being.
JEHOVAH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner." Ex. 17:15. God on the battlefield, from word which means "to glisten," "to lift up," See Psalm 4:6.
JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies" Lev. 20:8. "To make whole, set apart for holiness."
JEHOVAH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" Judges 6:24. "Shalom" translated "peace" 170 times means "whole," "finished," "fulfilled," "perfected." Related to "well," welfare." Deut. 27:6; Dan. 5:26; I Kings 9:25 8:61; Gen. 15:16; Ex. 21:34, 22:5, 6; Lev. 7:11-21. Shalom means that kind of peace that results from being a whole person in right relationship to God and to one's fellow man.
JEHOVAH ELOHIM: "LORD God" Gen. 2:4; Judges 5:3; Isa. 17:6; Zeph. 2:9; Psa. 59:5, etc.
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU "The Lord Our Righteousness" Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16. From "tsidek" (straight, stiff, balanced - as on scales - full weight, justice, right, righteous, declared innocent.) God our Righteousness.
JEHOVAH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd" Psa. 23, from "ro'eh" (to pasture).
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord is There" (Ezek. 48:35).
JEHOVAH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" The commander of the angelic host and the armies of God. Isa. 1:24; Psa. 46:7, 11; 2 Kings 3:9-12; Jer. 11:20 (NT: Rom. 9:29; James 5:4, Rev. 19: 11-16).
EL ELYON: 'Most High" (from "to go up") Deut. 26:19, 32:8; Psa. 18:13; Gen. 14:18; Nu. 24:16; Psa. 78:35, 7:17, 18:13, 97:9, 56:2, 78:56, 18:13; Dan. 7:25, 27; Isa. 14:14.
ABHIR: 'Mighty One', ("to be strong") Gen. 49:24; Deut. 10:17; Psa. 132:2, 5; Isa. 1:24, 49:26, 60:1.
BRANCH: (tsemach), The Branch: Zech. 3:8, 6:12; Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5, 33:15.
KADOSH: "Holy One" Psa. 71:22; Isa. 40:25, 43:3, 48:17. Isaiah uses the expression "the Holy One of Israel" 29 times.
EL ROI: "God of Seeing" Hagar in Gen. 16:13. The God Who opens our eyes.
YESHUA: (Yeshua) "Savior" ("he will save"). Isa. 43:3. Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Joshua." The latter is a contraction of Je-Hoshua. ("Christ", the anointed one is equivalent to the Hebrew Maschiah, or Messiah). [See Wikipedia article].
GAOL: "Redeemer" (to buy back by paying a price). Job 19:25; For example, the antitype corresponding to Boaz the Kinsman-Redeemer in the Book of Ruth.
EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God" (God of everlasting time) Gen. 21:33; Psa. 90:1-3, 93:2; Isa. 26:4.
EL-BERITH: "God of the Covenant" Used of Baal in Judges 9:46. Probably used originally to refer to the God of israel.
EL-GIBHOR: Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)
ZUR: "God our Rock" Deut. 32:18; Isa. 30:29.
Malachi calls Messiah "The Sun of Righteousness" (Malachi 4:2).
Isaiah calls Messiah "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God (El Gibhor), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6).
'Attiq Yomin (Aramaic): "Ancient of Days," Dan. 7:9, 13, 22.
MELEKH: "King" Psa. 5:2, 29:10, 44:4, 47:6-8, 48:2, 68:24, 74:12, 95:3, 97:1, 99:4, 146:10; Isa. 5:1, 5, 41:21, 43:15, 44:6; 52:7, 52:10.
"The Angel of the Lord: " Gen. 16:7ff, 21:17, 22:11, 15ff, 18:1-19:1, 24:7, 40, 31:11-13, 32:24-30; Ex. 3:6, 13:21, Ezek. 1:10-13. Seen in the theophanies, or pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God in the OT (See I Cor. 10:3 NT).
New Testament Scriptures, (Greek):
KURIOS: (kurios) "Lord" Found some 600 times in the NT.
DESPOTES: (despotes) "Lord" 5 times: Lu. 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4; Rev. 6:10.
THEOS: (yeos) "God" (equivalent to the Hebrew Elohim), 1,000 times in the NT. In the NT all the persons of the trinity are called "God" at one time or another.
I AM: Jesus upset his generation especially when He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," John 8:58. Note also his claim to be Jehovah in such phrases as "I AM the Light of the world," "the bread of life," living water," "the Resurrection and the Life," "the Way, Truth and the Life" in John's Gospel. From the Hebrew OT verb "to be" signifying a Living, Intelligent, Personal Being.
THEOTES: "Godhead" Col. 2:9; Rom. 1:20.
HUPSISTOS: "Highest" Mt. 21:9.
SOTER: (soter) "Savior" Luke 1:4 7.
WORD: (logos) John 1:1ff
ALMIGHTY: (pantokrator) 2 Cor. 6:18, Revelation, 9t, e.g. 19:6.
LORD capitalized always comes from 'Yahweh' and refers almost always to Jesus alone. In the New Testament, the when LORD is capitalized it comes from the Greek 'kurios' which is not the same as 'Yahweh,' as there is no Greek word for that name.
Genesis 1 "In the beginning of"1
1 In the beginning God (Elohim/Theos- The family of God) who is Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))* created the heavens and the earth.
Elohim: A generic name for God, can be used even for pagan gods. The word is uniplural. This means it is a group word like our word for "America." America is one nation, but name implies more than one individual. The Greek word for the same Hebrew world Elohim is Theos. Theos = Elohim. So the Old Testament in Greek uses the word Theos when speaking of the general word for God or Elohim. Whenever the word "God" is used, we put in ( ) (Elohim/Theos) or often we use (Elohim-The family of God), because that is really the true meaning of the word. There are many names for God in the Old Testament, that in English is rendered God, yet in the original comes from a multitude of other names. LORD comes from the Hebrew Yahweh or Jehovah***See note above. The Bible teaches that God is comprised of the Father and The Son (John 1:1; John 10:30; John 17:11; John 17:22; Rom 1:7; 1Cr 1:3; 1Cr 8:6, 2Cr 1:2; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:2; 1Th 3:11; 2Th 1:1; 2Th 1:2; 1Ti 1:2; 1Pe 1:2-3; 2Jo 1:3; Jud 1:1;). The doctrine of the TRINITY comes from pagan sources and is not taught in scripture.
In the beginning--a period of remote and unknown antiquity, hid in the depths of eternal ages; and so the phrase is used in Proverbs 8:22 Proverbs 8:23 as well as John 1.
* Jesus said that He is the Alpha (Aleph-in Hebrew) and the Omega ( Tav- in Hebrew) the First and the Last, and the Beginning (rosh) and the Ending (sof): 22 (The same number as the Hebrew Alphabet) times the two letters; The Aleph and Tav ARE NOT TRANSLATED! Strong's Number H853 matches the Hebrew אֵת ('eth), which occurs 22 times in 18 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the KJV
* Jesus said that He is the Alpha (Aleph-in Hebrew) and the Omega ( Tav- in Hebrew) the First and the Last, and the Beginning (rosh) and the Ending (sof): 22 (The same number as the Hebrew Alphabet) times the two letters; The Aleph and Tav ARE NOT TRANSLATED! Strong's Number H853 matches the Hebrew אֵת ('eth), which occurs 22 times in 18 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the KJV
2 And the earth became a wasteland and void of life; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God (Elohim/Theos) hovered over the face of the waters.
"was" is translated became as all translations do for the same word in Genesis 19:26. Also, we know from Isa 45:18 that God does not create in vain, or in a formless and void context. God creates everything perfectly, hence we know the correct word is became! It should also be noted that this verse does not imply that the earth and universe were formed 6,000 years ago. It says that the earth was REFORMED recently in time (probably about 6,000 years ago). The earth may be millions if not billions of years old. God is Eternal, so there is no reason to suggest that the universe is new.
3 And God (Elohim/Theos) said, Let there be light: and there was light.
That "light" is not the sun! It is God appearing! God is light, wherever God is, there is light. (Rev 22:5). Also, unlike every other pagan religion, the one true GOD does not have to manually do something to create. He doesn't have to have sex to reproduce or anything physical. God merely speaks and it happens! Hence, God's word is the manifestation of their power! Side note, Jesus is the WORD of GOD....
4 And Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))*who is from God (Elohim-The family of God) saw the light, that it was good: and God (Elohim-The family of God) divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God (Elohim-The family of God) called the light Daytime, and the darkness was called Nighttime. And there was nighttime and then came morning, the end of the first day.
6 And God (Elohim-The family of God) said, Let there a be a sky in the middle of the waters, and let the sky divide the waters above the sky from the waters on earth.
7 And God (Elohim-The family of God) made the sky and the heavens, and divided the waters which were under the sky on earth from the waters which were above the sky: and it was so.
The water that was above the sky would be the same water to rain down on earth during the flood (Gen 7:11)
8 And God (Elohim-The family of God) called the sky Heaven. And there was nighttime and then morning, when the second day ended.
The Bible talks of three heavens: 1) The atmosphere around the earth 2) The universe where the stars are and 3) the place (unseen) where God lives presently.
9 And God (Elohim-The family of God) said, Now, let the waters under the heavens on earth be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God (Elohim/Theos) called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He called 'Seas': and God (Elohim-The family of God) saw that it was good.
11 And God (Elohim-The family of God) said, Let grass grow from the earth, with herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, Every seed will produce seeds after their own kind of plant: and it was so.
"After their kind" kind = species. This is important. This is a scientific fact that also shows the great error of evolution! Each species of living things can only reproduce after their own kind! Also see note for Gen 1:26 concerning man.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, vegetation yielding seeds after their kind, and trees with seeds, each according to its own kind: and God (Elohim/Theos) saw that it was good.
13 And there there was nighttime and then morning, the end of the third day.
14 And God (Elohim-The family of God) said, Let there be lights in space, also called the heavens 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 sky of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God (Elohim-The family of God) made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the daytime (the sun), and the lesser light to rule the night (the moon). He made the stars also.
Although the sun and moon were created on day four, the statement about the stars do not necessarily imply that the stars were made on day four! It would be like us saying that on the 4th of July 1776, Ben Franklin signed the Declaration of Independent and Franklin also invented bifocals. Although the words may infer Franklin invented the glasses on the 4th of July, he didn't. The words are placed there as added information about Ben! The same goes for the stars. God created the sun and moon on the fourth day, and he also created all the stars too. It doesn't say when!
17 And God (Elohim-The family of God) set them in heaven (or the universe) above to give light to the the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was all good.
19 And there there was nighttime and then morning, and day four ended.
20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open space of heaven (the air-sky).
21 And God created the large sea creatures, every type of creature that swims around in the water and every type of flying bird. God saw that they were good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
23 And there there was nighttime and then morning, the end of the fifth day.
24 And God (Elohim-The family of God) said, Let the earth bring forth living animals after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their own kind: and it was so.
"animals" or creatures is the same word that the KJV translates "soul" only when referring to the creation of man. The word should never be translated soul, but creature or animal.
25 And God (Elohim-The family of God) made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground after its kind: and God (Elohim/Theos) saw that it was good.
"After their kind" This is important. This is a scientific fact that also shows the great error of evolution! Each species of living things can only reproduce after their own kind! Also see note for Gen 1:26 concerning man.
26 And God (Elohim-The family of 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 birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on earth.
"In our image!" God is the English translation of Elohim, meaning more than one God! This is why this verse is translated, "Let us" and not "Let me." The "US" refers to Jesus Christ (the WORD of God) and The FATHER. Even Jewish translation of this verse render it "Let us!" They claim the "Us" are other angels, a claim that cannot stand scrutiny. (Psalm 110:1-2)
27 And God (Elohim-The family of God) created man in His own image, in the image of God (Elohim/Theos) He created man; a male and a female.
Unlike the animals who are created in their own image, mankind is created in God's image, after the God-kind. We are made like the animals, composed of the same matter as an animal, but we look and think and reason like God! We are created to become God! (Psa 82:6)
28 And God (Elohim-The family of God) blessed them: and God (Elohim/Theos) 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 birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
The first commandment given to man was to have SEX! Yes, God is the author of SEX and sex is a gift from God. It is when a man and woman come together in sex are they ONE, as Jesus and the Father are one! The sex act is the physical symbol of our oneness with God. This is why God likens worshipping other gods as adultery! When we follow paganism, we are committing adultery against God! Sex is not the original sin, or dirty in any way, when we follow God's command on righteous, moral heavenly sex!
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you plants that have grain for seeds and trees whose fruits have seeds in them. They will be your food.
30 and to every animal on earth, and to every bird in heaven, and to every living thing that creeps on the ground, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so.
31 And God (Elohim/Theos) saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there there was nighttime and then morning, the sixth day.
The sixth day ended at dawn, however like today, the actual work ended at evening time when we go to sleep. This is probably where the idea that the Sabbath began on Friday evening. It does not, even though for most our work ends then.
Genesis 2 "In the Beginning 2"
The Sabbath Day
1 And the heavens and the earth were finished, and everything in them.
2 And on the seventh day God (Elohim/Theos) finished working, God (Elohim) finished the work He had been doing, so He rested from all His work.
3 And God (Elohim-The family of God) blessed the seventh day, and made it Holy; for on this day He rested from all His work.
4 This is the story of the creation of the sky and the earth. When the LORD(Jesus) God(Elohim) first made the earth and the sky;
The first time we are introduced to the proper name of God "Yahweh or Jehovah." Nobody really knows the true pronounciation of the Hebrew letters YHWH as there are no vowels in Hebrew. Yahweh is the personal name for God, both God the Father and Jesus-God. Some have misunderstood this proper name to only apply to Jesus, while others claim it only for the Father, but it is the proper FAMILY name of both! Yahweh means "To Be" or "the existing One" and should not be rendered "I AM" which is really the personal name of Jesus in the Old Testament.
5 There were still no plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the LORD(Jesus) God(Elohim/Theos) had not yet made it rain on the land. And there was no person to care for the ground,
Rain would not fall on earth for the first thousand years until the time of Noah. The first rain mankind ever saw, was the last time they ever saw it, except for Noah and his family.
6 but a mist rose up from the within earth and watered all the ground.
No rain, forced the need to water the plants by irrigation.
7 And the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim-The family of God) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living animal.
"animals" or creatures is the same word that the KJV translates "soul" only when referring to the creation of man. The word should never be translated soul, but creature or animal.
8 And the LORD(Jesus) GOD planted a garden in the east, in a place called Eden, and put the man He had formed into it.
9 And from out of the ground the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim-The family of God) caused every beautiful tree and every tree that was good for food to grow out of the ground. The tree of life was planted in the middle of the garden, and also the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Tree of life a symbol for the Holy Spirit. When man finally is able to eat from the this tree, which God stopped him from doing then in a state of sin, he will be "born again" as an immortal Spirit being in the family of God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, is the mind of God, all of God's understanding that flesh and blood cannot comprehend! That is why forbade man to eat of this tree and the Devil wanted him to, because both knew that carnal man cannot understand the spiritual realm of God's existence and in his fleshly state will fall into sin and death.
10 And a river flowed from Eden to water the garden; and divided and became four rivers.
11 The name of the first is Pishon: that is the land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12 and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
BDELLIUM GUM[Heb., bedho'lach].
A fragrant resinous gum resembling myrrh in appearance and sometimes used to adulterate it.It is obtained from a tree (Commiphora africana) found in NW Africa and
Arabia and also from a related type in NW India.
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that surronds the whole land of Cush.
Moses wrote that the descendants of Cush (one of Ham’s sons) settled in Asia, building the city of Babylon in "the land of Shinar," and Nineveh in "Assyria" (Genesis 10:6-11). However, both the Gihon River and the land of Cush have disappeared from history. That was not always the case. Keil wrote that the original land of Cush in Moses’ day "must be connected with the Asiatic kossaia, which reached to the Caucasus, and to which the Jews (of Shirwan) still give the name." Also, the editor of Gesenius’ lexicon, Samuel Prideaux Tragelles, wrote that "the land of Cush" of Genesis 2:13 referred to "an Asiatic Cush" (p.389), not to an African Ethiopia.
14 The third river, named Tigris, flows out of Assyria toward the east. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 And LORD God (Elohim-The family of God) took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to farm it and to keep it.
16 And LORD(Jesus) GOD commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden you may eat
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you cannot eat: for in the day that you eat it, you will surely die!
"surely die." God made it known right away that we are not immortal. In fact only God is immortal (1Ti 6:16). Most are unaware but the name Adam means RED DIRT. God wanted to make sure the man knew what he was and how puny he was and always called him DIRT! It was the Devil who made the very first lie recorded in the Bible when he said that man could not die. (Gen 3:4). Everyone to this day still largely accepts the very first lie of the "immortal soul" concept that is in reality fiction, inspired by Satan.
18 And LORD(Jesus) GOD(Elohim- The family of God) said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a mate to help him.
God does not want any of us to be alone. God wants each of us to be married and to have sex and a family.
19 And out of the ground the LORD(Jesus) GOD (Elohim-The family of God) formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, it became their name.
This is not a contradiction of the Bible here. Animals were not created after man, but before. Remember an earlier point made in the commentary of Gen 1:16.
20 And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; But the man found no helper who was right for him.
21 And LORD(Jesus) GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and then closed up the man's skin at the place where he took the rib.
The woman is taken from the man's side, originally, before their sin, Eve was equal to Adam as Christ was equal to the Father. Her sin changed this as we will see.
22 and the rib, which the LORD(Jesus) GOD had taken from the man, was made into a woman, and brought her to the man.
23 And the man said, “Now, this is someone whose bones came from my bones,
whose body came from my body. I will call her 'woman,' because she was taken out of man.
24 So a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.
As God is of one spirit. When we are having sex is when we are the most like God, physically united together in one flesh as God is united in one spirit. This is why God likens adultery with paganism. Sex is the physical manifestation of "one in spirit."
25 And they were both naked, but they were not ashamed.
The Serpent of Genesis 3.
This Is Appendix 19 From The Companion Bible. SOURCE is http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app19.html
In Genesis 3 we have neither allegory, myth, legend, nor fable, but literal historical facts set forth, and emphasized by the use of certain Figures of speech (see Appendix 6).
All the confusion of thought and conflicting exegesis have arisen from taking literally what is expressed by Figures, or from taking figuratively what is literal. A Figure of speech is never used except for the purpose of calling attention to, emphasizing, and intensifying, the reality of the literal sense, and truth of the historical facts; so that, while the words employed may not be so strictly true to the letter, they are all the more true to the truth conveyed by them, and to the historical events connected with them.
But for the figurative language of verses 14 and 15 no one would have thought of referring the third chapter of Genesis to a snake; no more than he does when reading the third chapter from the end of Revelation (chapter 20:2). Indeed, the explanation added there, that the "old serpent" is the Devil and Satan, would immediately lead one to connect the word "old" with the earlier and former mention of the serpent in Genesis 3: and the fact that it was Satan himself who tempted "the second man", "the last Adam", would force the conclusion that no other than the personal Satan could have been the tempter of "the first man, Adam".
The Hebrew word rendered "serpent" in Genesis 3:1 is Nachash (from the root Nachash, to shine, and means a shinning one. Hence, in Chaldee it means brass or copper, because of it’s shining. Hence also, the word Nehushtan, a piece of brass, in 2 Kings 18:4.
In the same way Saraph, in Isaiah 6:2,6, means a burning one, and, because the serpents mentioned in Numbers 21 were burning, in the poison of their bite, they were called Saraphim, or Seraphs.
But when the LORD said unto Moses, "Make thee a fiery serpent" (Numbers 21:8), He said, "Make thee a Saraph,” and, in obeying this command, we read in verse 9, "Moses made a Nachash of brass". Nachash is thus used as being interchangeable with Saraph.
Now, if Saraph is used of a serpent because its bite was burning, and is also used of a celestial or spirit-being (a burning one), why should not Nachas be used of a serpent because its appearance was shining, and be also used of a celestial or spirit-being (a shining one)?
Indeed, a reference to the structure of Genesis 3 (on page 7) will show that the Cherubim (which are similar celestial or spirit-beings) of the last verse (Genesis 3:24) require a similar spirit-being to correspond with them in the first verse (for structure of the whole chapter is a great Introversion). The Nachash, or serpent, who beguiled Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3) is spoken of as "an angel of light" in verse 14. Have we not, in this, a clear intimation that it was not a snake, but a glorious shining being, apparently an angel, to whom Eve paid such great deference, acknowledging him as one who seemed to possess superior knowledge, and who was evidently a being of a superiorserperior (not of an inferior) order? Moreover, in the description of Satan as "the king of Tyre" 1 it is distinctly implied that the latter being was of a super-natural order when he is called "a cherub" (Ezekiel 28:14,16, read from verses 11-19). His presence "in Eden, the garden of 'Elohim" (verse 13, is also clearly stated, as well as his being "perfect in beauty" (verse 12) his being "perfect" in his ways from the day he was created till iniquity was found in him" (verse 15), and as being "lifted up because of his beauty" (verse 17).
These all compel the belief that Satan was the shining one (Nachash) in Genesis 3, and especially because the following words could be addressed to him :- "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee" (verse 17).
Even supposing that these things were spoken to, and of, an exalted human being in later days (Ezekiel 28), still "the king of Tyre" is not compared to a being who was non-existent; and facts and circumstances which never happened are not introduced into the comparison.
There is more about "the king of Tyre" in Ezekiel 28:11-19 than was literally true of "the prince of Tyre" (verses 1-10). The words can be understood only of the mightiest and most exalted supernatural being that God ever created; and this for the purpose of showing how great would be his fall. The history must be true to make the prophecy of any weight.
Again, the word rendered "subtle" in Genesis 3:1 (see note) means wise, in a good sense as well as in a bad sense. In Ezekiel 28:12 we have the good sense, "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom"; and the bad sense in verse 17, "thou hast corrupted thy wisdom" (referring of course, to his fall). So the word rendered "subtle" is rendered "prudent" in Proverbs 1:4; 8:12; 12:23; 14:8; and in a bad sense in Job 15:5. 1 Samuel 23:22. Psalm 83:3.
The word "beast" also, in Genesis 3:1, chay, denotes a living being, and it is as wrong to translate zoa "beasts" in Revelation 4, as it is to translate chay "beast" in Genesis 3. Both mean living creature. Satan is thus spoken of as being "more wise than any other living creature which Jehovah Elohim had made". Even if the word "beast be retained, it does not say that either a serpent or Satan was a "beast", but only that he was "more wise" than any other living being.
We cannot conceive Eve as holding converse with a snake, but we can understand her being fascinated 2 by one, apparently "an angel of light" (i.e. a glorious angel), possessing superior and supernatural knowledge.
When Satan is spoken of as a "serpent", it is the figure Hypocatastasis (see Appendix 6) or Implication; it no more means a snake than it does when Dan is so called in Genesis 49:17; or an animal when Nero is called a "lion" (2Timothy 4:17), or when Herod is called a "fox" (Luke 13:32); or when Judah is called "a lion's whelp". It is the same figure when "doctrine" is called "leaven" (Matthew 16:6). It shows that something much more real and truer to truth is intented. If a Figure of speech is thus employed, it is for the purpose of expressing the truth more impressively ; and is intended to be a figure of something much more real than the letter of the word.
Other Figures of speech are used in verses 14,15, but only for the same purpose of emphasising the truth and the reality of what is said.
When it is said in verse 15, "thou shalt bruise His heel", it cannot mean His literal heel of flesh and blood, but suffering, more temporary in character. When it is said (verse 15), "He shall crush the head", it means something more than a skull of bone, and brain, and hair. It means that all Satan's plans and plots, policy and purposes, will one day be finally crushed and ended, never more to mar or to hinder the purposes of God. This will be effected when Satan shall be bruised under our feet (Romans 16:20). This, again, will not be our literal feet, but something much more real.
The bruising of Christ's heel is the most eloquent and impressive way of foretelling the most solemn events; and to point out that the effort made by Satan to evade his doom, then threatened, would become the very means of insuring its accomplishment; for it was through the death of Christ that he who had the power of death would be destroyed; and all Satan's power and policy brought to an end, and all his works destroyed (Hebrews 2:14. 1John 3:8. Revelation 20:1-3,10). What literal words could portray these literal facts so wonderfully as these expressive Figures of speech ?
It is the same with the other Figures used in verse 14, "On thy belly shalt thou go". This Figure means infinitely more than the literal belly of the flesh and blood; just as the words "heel" and "head" do in verse 15. It paints for the eyes of our mind the picture of Satan's ultimate humiliation; for prostration was ever the most eloquent sign of subjection. When it is said "our belly cleaveth unto the ground" (Psalm 44:25), it denotes such a prolonged prostration and such a depth of submission as could never be conveyed or expressed in literal words.
So with the other prophecy, "Dust shalt thou eat". This is not true to the letter, or to fact, but it is all the more true to truth. It tells of constant continuous dissapointment, failure, and mortification; as when deceitful ways are spoken of as feeding on deceitful food, which is "sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel" (Proverbs 20:17). This does not mean literal "gravel", but something far more disagreeable. It means disappointment so great that it would gladly be exchanged for the literal "gravel". So when Christians are rebuked for "biting and devouring one another" (Galatians 3:14,15), something more heart-breaking is meant than the literal words used in the Figure.
When "His enemies shall lick the dust" (Psalm 72:9) they will not do it on their knees with their literal tongues; but they will be so prostrated and so utterly defeated, that no words could literally depict their overthrow and subjugation.
If a serpent was afterward called a nachash, it was because it was more shining than any other creature; and if it became known as "wise", it was not because of its own innate positive knowlwdge, but of its wisdom in hiding away from all observation; and because of its association with one of the names of Satan (that old serpent) who "beguiled Eve" (2Corinthians 11:3,14).
It is wonderful how a snake could ever be supposed to speak without the organs of speech, or that Satan should be supposed able to accomplish so great a miracle3
It only shows the power of tradition, which has, from the infancy of each one of us, put before our eyes and written on our minds the picture of a "snake" and an "apple" : the former bassed on a wrong interpretation, and the latter being a pure invention, about which there is not one word said in Holy Scripture.
Never was Satan's wisdom so craftily used as when he secured universal acceptance of this traditional belief: for it has succeeded in fixing the attention of mankind on the letter and the means, thus blinding the eyes to the solemn fact that the Fall of man had to do solely with the Word of God, and is centered in the sin believing Satan's lie instead of Jehovah's truth.
The temptation of " the first man Adam" began with the question "Hath God said ?" The temptation of "the second man, the Lord from heaven" began with the similar question "If thou be the Son of God,” when the voice of the Father had scarcely died away, which said "This IS My beloved Son".
All turned on the truth of what Jehovah had said.
The Word of God being questioned, led Eve, in her reply, (1) to omit the word "freely" (3:2, compare 2:16); then (2) to add the words "neither shalt thou touch it" (3:3, compare 2:17); and finally (3) to alter a certainty into a contingency by changing "thou SHALT SURELY die" (2:17) into "LEST ye die" (3:3).
It is not without significance that the first Ministerial words of "the second Man" were "It is written", three times repeated; and that His last Ministerial words contained a similar threefold reference to the written Word of God (John 17:8,14,17).
The former temptation succeeded because the Word of God was three times misrepresented ; the latter temptation was successfully defeated because the same Word was faithfully repeated.
The history of Genesis 3 is intended to teach us the fact that Satan's sphere of activities is in the religious sphere,and not the spheres of crime or immorality; that his battlefield is not the sins arising from human depravity, but the unbelief of the human heart. We are not to look for Satan's activities to-day in the newspaper press, or the police courts ; but in the pulpit, and in professors' chairs. Wherever the Word of God is called in question, there we see the trail of "that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan". This is why anything against the true interests of the Word of God (as being such) finds a ready admission into the news-papers of the world, and is treated as "general literature". This is why anything in favor of its inspiration and Divine origin and its spiritual truth is rigidly excluded as being "controversial".
This why Satan is quite content that the letter of Scripture should be accepted in Genesis 3, as he himself accepted the letter of Psalm 91:11. He himself could say “It is written" (Matthew 4:6) so long as the letter of what is "written" could be put instead of the truth that is conveyed by it; and so long as it is misquoted or misapplied.
This is his object in perpetuating the traditions of the "snake" and the "apple,” because it ministers to the acceptance of his lie, the hiding of God's truth, the support of tradition, the jeers of the infidel, the opposition of the critics, and the stumbling of the weak in faith.
Genesis 3 "In the beginning of" 3
1 Now the Devil was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim-The family of God) made. And he said to the woman, “Has God (Elohim-The family of God) told you not to eat of any tree in the garden?”
See note above about the true meaning of the word serpent.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We can eat any fruit from any tree of the garden,
3 but we cannot eat the fruit of the tree which is in the center of the garden, because God(Elohim-The family of God) has said, You shall not eat of it, nor even touch it, because we will die.”
Just a note here, God never said don't touch it! Eve added that, so when she touched it for the first time, she saw nothing happened and this error led her to the next step, to eat it. This is why it is important to read the word of God and not to add to it! When we add to God's word, we make an error which leads us even farther away from God's truth!
4 And the Devil said to the woman, “You can't die!"
Here is the very first lie recorded in the pages of the Bible. A lie, that modern people still believe and is manifested in the doctrine of the immortal soul. God made it clear that eating of this fruit would cause us to die.
5 for God(Elohim) knows that in the day you eat from it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as a God(Elohim), knowing good and evil.
6 The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.
This is, the first scientific experiment using the laws of science theory. Postulation, experimentation and the results. Eve postulated that the fruit would taste good because it looked good. She then tasted it to see if her theory was true. That was her experiment. Like all scientists, she then saw the results. In this case, as often it is with man's scientific experiments, the result was death!
7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim-The family of God) walking in the garden in the cool part of the day and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim/Theos) among the trees of the garden.
Notice that mankind hid themselves from God, not the other way around. Since this time, God has removed himself from most of man's reign on earth in order to allow us to see fully the results of our disobedience.
9 And the LORD(Jesus) God(Elohim-The family of God) called to Adam (the man), and said to him: Where are you?
10 And Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
11 And God said: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, that I told you not to eat?
12 And the man said, “That woman, the one You gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
Here we see so well what we all do when we are caught doing something wrong... We blame someone else! Eve does the same! The poor Devil knows better not even to try!
13 And the LORD(Jesus) God(Elohim/Theos) said to the woman: What have you done?
And the woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate it.”
14 And the LORD(Jesus) God(Elohim) said to the Devil: Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live.
15 I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel.
The first reference to the coming of Christ, born of a woman, descended from Eve. We learn here that the Devil will bruise (crucify) Christ, but Christ will conquer Satan.
16 To the woman He said: I will greatly multiply your sorrows and pain during pregnancy; in pain you will bring forth children; and you will sexually desire your husband, but now he will rule over you.
As stated earlier, Adam and Eve were created equal to each other until this fall from grace, and because Eve was the source of the fall, she lost her equality to Adam until she will be born again into the kingdom of God. Also, from this time on, she would suffer paint during pregnancy and childbirth. God makes every curse however into some sort of blessing! He, at this time gave Eve a new desire. In nature, the female's desire is only her children (many animals are literally raped by the males) but God would give her great satisfaction in sex to compensate her pain.
17 And to Adam God said, You listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree, although I commanded you, 'You must never eat its fruit.' The ground is cursed because of you. Through hard work you will eat {food that comes} from it every day of your life.
18 thorns also and weeds will be the result of your labor; and you shall struggle to eat the vegetation growing in the fields;
19 You will sweat and work hard for your food, until you die and return to the ground; for out of the ground you were made: for dirt you are, and back again to dirt you shall return.
Thus, here is the truth of God. We are nothing but dirt, and when we die, we become dirt again. No immortal soul going to heaven or hell, nothing! Our hope of a resurrection from the dead is all we have to live for in this life. (1 Cor 15)
20 And the man called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 And the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim/Theos) made for Adam and for his wife coats made of animal skins, and clothed them.
God performed the first animal sacrifice here, not man! The sacrifice of animals does three things. It absolves our sin (blood atonement), it feeds us, and it clothes us.
22 And the LORD(Jesus) God (Elohim-The family of God) said: Behold, the man is become as one of Us, knowing good and evil; We must keep them from eating some of the fruit from the tree of life, or they will live forever.
God was afraid that man, in his fallen state would eat the Holy Spirit fruit from the tree of life and live forever! To keep us mortal, and give us a chance to die and be resurrected back in perfection through the blood of the messiah, he blocked mankind from the tree which is not seen again until the new world created after the reign of Christ on earth in Revelation!(Rev 22:2)
23 therefore the LORD (Jesus) God (Elohim/Theos) drove them from the garden of Eden, to farm the soil, the same soil man was made out of.
24 After God forced man out of the garden, he placed Cherubim with swords of fire that flashed around in every direction on its eastern border. This kept people from getting to the tree of life.
Genesis 4 "in the beginning of" 4
1 And the man (Adam) had sex with Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a man with the LORD Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))*.”
An important note here misunderstood by Bible scholars and students. After Eve sinned, she understood that God was sending a Messiah through her (Gen 3:15) to redeem her and all mankind from sin. This statement from her implies that she was convinced that THE LORD(Jesus) was the father of Cain and not Adam! This makes Cain, not only the first child, but the first Antichrist! Cain grew up thinking he was special and was the savior of the world and this may explain his anger when God accepted Abel's gift over his!
2 And again she had another son, Abel. And Abel was a Shepard, and Cain was a farmer.
3 And after the week, on the Sabbath (mikkets yamim)Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The LORD(Jesus)(Yahweh) approved of Abel and his offering,
The words "in process of time" are translated from the Hebrew mikkets yamim, meaning "at the end of the days." This can only be telling us that on the Sabbath, Cain and Abel, with the rest of Adam's family, gathered to worship God.
4 Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD (Jesus) accepted Abel and his gift,
5 but as for Cain and to his offering, He had no respect for it. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected.
6 The LORD (Jesus) said unto Cain: Why are you so angry? And why are you in despair?
7 If you do well, will you not be happy? and if you do not do well, sin is lying at your door and it wants to destroy you, but you are able to overcome it and win against sin.
This is a controversial interpretation, that is chosen. Most Bibles read that God says to Cain that he must overcome, should overcome it (sin) but an alternative Jewish reading uses the word "mayest" or May. God is saying to Cain, that he has the power inside of him to overcome Satan, but he must choose for himself! He may conquer sin, it is up to Cain! This is HOPE that God is giving Cain and to us all that we may overcome anything.
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out into the field." While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 The LORD (Jesus) said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? And Cain said, I don't know: am I my brother's keeper?
10 And He said: What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground!
11 Now you will be cursed and banished from the land, which has swallowed your brother’s blood.
12 No longer will the earth yield easy crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.
13 And Cain said to the LORD (Jesus) , “My punishment is too much for me to take.
14 Today you have forced me to stop working the ground, and now I must hide from you. I must wander around on the earth, and anyone who meets me can kill me!"
15 And the LORD (Jesus) said to him: Whosoever kills Cain, I will punish that person seven times more. And the LORD (Jesus) gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.
What was this sign? It had to be large enough for those hundreds of feet away would instantly see it and not try to kill Cain. It was therefore not only visible, it had to be visible from a distance. A little mentioned fact is that onboard the Ark of Noah, were the fathers of three races of people. Shem was the father of the white race; Ham, the black and Japeth, the oriental "yellow" race. In chapter four, unnoticed by most, three sons are mentioned by name! Cain, Abel and Seth. Seth we are told is the father of Noah and the white peoples on earth. Then how did the black and yellow races survive? The obvious answer is that descendants of both Abel and Cain made it on the ark! The "mark" of Cain was the LORD(Jesus) turning him black, so everyone could easily see him and not kill him. The black man color is a sign of protection and love from God, a sign that would show God's love for Cain and the fact that God forgave Cain! The penalty for murder is death, yet God did not require Cain's death! The obvious answer is that God loved Cain, understood Cain's flaws and forgave him and set a mark on him as a sign of love and protection. Yes, in the case of God, "black is beautiful."
16 Cain left the presence of the LORD (Jesus), and lived in the land of Nod, on the east side of Eden.
17 Cain had sex with his wife; and she conceived, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city, which he named after his son Enoch.
18 Enoch had a son named Irad, Irad had a son named Mehujael, Mehujael had a son named Methushael, and Methushael had a son named Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, Adah and Zillah.
The first polygamous marriage mentioned in the Bible.
20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the first person to live in tents and raise cattle.
21 Jabal's brother was Jubal, the first person to play the harp and flute.
22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who made tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
Why is Naamah mentioned here? Why is she important? The answer may well be that she was a wife of Noah and the one who became the mother of Noah's son, Ham, the father of the black race, thus continuing the line of Cain becoming the Canaanite's of the Old Testament times as well as the Egyptians...
23 Lamech said to his wives: "Listen to me, my wives. I have killed a youth who attacked and wounded me.
24 If Cain's killer is punished seven times, then Lamech's killer will be punished seventy-seven times."
This is pure human hubris. God had the right to render these words, Lamech did not have any such right!
25 And Adam had sexual relations again with his wife and she had another son, and she called his name Seth. For, she said, God (Elohim/Theos) has granted me another son in place of Abel, the one Cain killed."
26 And to Seth, was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the LORD (Jesus) by name.
1. Genesis 4:1 Cain This name sounds like the Hebrew word for "I have given birth."
2. Genesis 4:16 Nod This name sounds like the Hebrew word for "wander."
- Genesis 4:25 Seth This name sounds like the Hebrew word for "to give."
Genesis 5 "in the beginning of" 5
1 This is the account of the descendants of Adam. In the day that God (Elohim/Theos) created him, in God (Elohim)'s own image and likeness.2 He made them male and female and blessed them, calling their name "Man", on that same day they were made.
"called their name "man". Some versions use Adam in place of man. That is because the Hebrew word for man is Adam. All people are "Adams." Another good translation here would be humankind or mankind.
3 Adam lived 130 years, and became a father of Seth, his own son, made in his own likeness, after his own image.
4 and the days of Adam, after Seth was born, were 800 years: and he had many other sons and daughters.
This one verse answers the age-old question, who was the wife of Cain or the wife of Abel. They married their own sisters, as the law allowed even at the time of Abraham and in the story of David's daughter Tamar, who after being raped by her own brother told him that he had to marry her instead of abandoning her. She was referring to this law that allowed in certain cases brothers to marry sisters.
5 And in all the days of Adam were 930 years, then he died.
6 And Seth lived a 105, and became the father Enosh.
7 Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh. He had other sons and daughters.
8 So Seth lived a total of 912 years and then he died.
9 Enosh lived 90 years and fathered Kenan,
10 and Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 year, and also had other sons and daughters.
11 All the days of Enosh were 905 years and he died.
12 Kenan lived 70 years, and became the father of Mahalalel.
13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years, and had other sons and daughters.
14 All the days of Kenan were 910 years and he also died.
15 Mahalalel lived 65, and begat Jared,
16 And Mahalalel lived 830 more years and had other sons and daughters,
17 and all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.
18 Jared lived a 162 years, and fathered Enoch,
19 And Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years, and fathered sons and daughters.
20 All the days of Jared were 962 years and he died.
21 And Enoch lived 65 years, and fathered Methuselah,
22 and Enoch worshipped the true God(Elohim/Theos) who is Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))* after he fathered Methuselah 300 years, and begat other sons and daughters.
* see Chapter 1 verse 1
23 All the days of Enoch were 365 years.
365 happens to be a true solar year, some make much of this, I don't. A point of interest here is that if you had all these years together and assume that there were no gaps, then 1,656 years elapsed between the creation of man and the start of the flood! This means that about 25% of all human history is summed up in five chapters of Genesis. It is important to realize that the Bible was not made for mankind, rather it is really the story of a family, namely the family of Abraham and specifically the family of Jacob. All other people are not important in this view of the world. This sounds quite harsh, but it is The Plain Truth... The Bible is the story of Abraham, Jacob and Jacob's descendants only! When this is fully understood, the reader can then understand why no other race, other than Jacob's race is important, and why many great nations of the world are simply ignored.
24 and Enoch walked with God (Elohim-The God Family): and then he was gone; for Enoch died.
The Bible clearly does not say that Enoch went to heaven and never experienced death. "God took him" as the KJV uses to describe this event is merely what is meant when we say someone dies, God took him . It simply means that the person was dead. Enoch is not in heaven, or Jesus would be a liar when he said that no man has ever been to heaven, except Him: John 3:13 "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [even] the Son of man which is in heaven."
25 Methuselah lived 187 years, and fathered Lamech,
26 and Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years, and fathered other sons and daughters.
27 All the days of Methuselah were 969 years and he died.
The oldest person to have ever lived, or at least mentioned in the Bible.
28 Lamech lived a 182 years, and fathered a son called Noah,
29 saying, May he bring us rest from our work and hard labor of farming this ground which The LORD (Jesus) has cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 565 years, and fathered sons and daughters.
31 All the days of Lamech were 777 years: and then he died.
32 Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
"Noah was" implies that Noah had his three sons the very same year, during his 500th year of life. This also implies only two possibilities: The sons were triplets, or Noah had more than one wife, all bearing a child the same year. Since the Bible informs us that Noah's flood was a worldwide event and no other human life survived, then we must assume that the three races on earth today (white, black, yellow) were on the ark. If one of Noah's wife's was a daughter of Cain (Naamah?, mother of Ham, and another was a descendant of Abel and the mother of Japheth and another was the mother of Shem, and she was the line of Seth, it would explain the races. Some suggest that the three wives of the sons represent the three races, but this does not seem possible because if the three sons were of only one race, then their children would most likely be predominantly of that one race. If the three wives were black, white, yellow respectively and Noah's children were each a mix of one of the three races, then their offspring would largely take after the wife's race, hence giving us our three races today.
Another point should be noted here. Why doesn't the Bible mention the name of Noah's wife? If she is the mother of all three sons, especially Shem, shouldn't her name be mentioned? It may be speculated that her name is omitted because she is the mother of Ham and not Japheth. Remember, as noted earlier, the Bible only cares about Abraham and especially Jacob's relatives, not any others.
Some may say that God does not condone polygamy or mixed marriages, but the examples of Moses with an Ethiopian (black ) second wife and Abraham's marriage to Hagar, while still married to Sarah suggests that those who hold this position are not in agreement with God.
Genesis 6 "in the beginning of" 6
1 As time passed, when pagan men began to settle everywhere they had beautiful daughters born to them,
2 and the sons of God (Elohim-The family of God) saw the daughters of these men were beautiful, they began to take them as wives. They married anyone that they chose.
Verse 1-2 does not mean as many imply that angels were having sex with human women. Angels are not of the God-kind, or of the human kind and would not be able to reproduce with humans any more than the sperm from a goat could make a human female pregnant! Species can only give rise to the same species. One noted author makes the claim that the giants (or Nephilim of verse 4) were the offspring of such unions. Jesus was a union of The Holy Spirit and mankind and he was only about 5'6". The plain simple fact is that, as I have rendered it, the daughters who were born to pagans began marrying into those families that belonged to the true God. God forbids this (Nehemiah 10:30 and 13:25). God does not forbid people of the right faith marrying among races, He does forbid those of faith marrying pagans! God would rather see you marry a believer from another race, than a pagan from your race! Jesus said that right before his coming, it would be a time like Noah, and that people would be marrying and given in marriage, implying that it would be a time when people all over the earth would marry whomever they chose, and not necessarily who God intended them to marry. The Bible, for the most part, honors arranged marriages and not modern-day marriage based on "love."
3 And the LORD (Jesus) said: My Spirit will tolerate mankind very much longer, for men are only mortal flesh. From now on, their normal life span will be no more than 120 years.
Two important facts are given, and glossed over here by many. One, again God makes sure that we understand that we are mortal, and that we die. We are not an "immortal soul" as taught by churches today. Second, and as important, God after the flood was going to limit our life span to no more than 120 years. With a few exceptions, this has been the norm. There are many theories for this. One is that there once was a canopy of water surrounding the earth above the atmosphere that blocked harmful rays from the sun, that fell to earth during the flood, exposing the blue sky and dangerous UV rays that shorten our life. A second is that sinful living led to diseases that are the real reasons why everyone eventually dies. The Bible doesn't say how God was going to do it, but that He was.
4 Giant men lived on earth, and also after this time, when the sons of God (Elohim/Theos) had sexual relations with the daughters of men. These women gave birth to children, who became famous and were the mighty warriors of long ago.
Giants from the word Nephilim that some render as fallen angels because they misunderstand verse 2 above. These giant men were descendants from Anak (see Numbers 13:33) that were human beings whose height was in excess of 10-13 feet and were of the line of Ham, or black men. Goliath was such a giant. They are as human as Wilt Chamberlain or many of the basketball stars of today. Their pagan children were brutes that where feared and renowned, just as the school bully was at your school. NIMROD of the tower of Babelfame may have been one of these giants.
5 And LORD (Jesus) saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that everything they thought about was evil.
6 The LORD (Jesus) was sorry that he had made man, and it grieved him in his heart.
7 And LORD (Jesus) said, I will destroy man whom I have made from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and all creeping things, and the birds of the skies; for I am sorry that I have ever made them,
8 but Noah found favor in the eyes of LORD (Jesus).
9 These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generation. Noah walked with the true God (Elohim/Theos).
10 Noah fathered three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth was corrupt in the eyes of God (Elohim/Theos), and the earth was filled with violence.
12 God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil
Notice that all flesh had become corrupt, not just humans. A book mentioned in the Bible as a source material but not found in the Bible has this to say: "..and the sons of men in those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other,in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth, all men and all animals..." The Book of Jasher 4:18. The Book of Jasher is one of some fourteen books which are mentioned and referred to in the text of the Bible, but which do not appear in the Bible itself. In the Bible reference is made to The Book of Jasher in two places: Joshua 10:13 and II Samuel 1:18... Although mixing the species was not possible, mixing the genes is possible! What was actually going on, and the reason why God destroyed all corrupted flesh was that man was already advanced beyond even our present age, understanding genetics and other scientific mutations abhorrent to God. It was this same abomination that Satan, as Lucifer was doing in the prior world before our age. The huge dinosaurs and other ancient monsters were the results of Lucifer's meddling with nature, forcing God to destroy that world and create this present one. When man advances to the same degree as he was right before the flood, God will then intervene and return to earth. Science, like the first scientific experiment in the Garden of Eden, almost always produces DEATH. As we are told in Ecclesiastes, there is indeed "...no new thing under the sun..." Sadly this is still true.
13 And God said to Noah: Because people have made the earth full of violence, I will destroy all of them from the earth.
14 Make an ark of gopher wood; Make rooms in it and cover it inside and outside with tar.
The word gopher is unclear, "no Hebrew expert knows for sure what gopher wood is in modern terminology". In fact, gopher is not a Hebrew word at all. David Fasold, an ark expert believed that it was a man-made, cement-type wood, far stronger than steel. Modern man is making fake wood today which is much lighter and stronger than any wood found in nature. Leave it to modern man to assume that Noah was some sort of ignorant cave man, when he may have had a much greater knowledge than anyone has today. After all, he talked with God!
15 And this is how you will make it, 530 feet (300 cubits) long, and 86 feet ( 50 cubits) wide , and 50 feet (30 cubits high) high.
These are the dimensions of the ark, recognized today by Turkey as the actual ark of Noah, investigated by Ron Wyatt and David Fasold: The size of the formation conforms to the Biblical dimensions of 300 cubits by 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. The formation is approximately 530 feet long by 160 wide. Wyatt argues that this is a perfect match since Moses would have used the longer Egyptian cubit of 20.6 inches. Almost all Biblical commentators and reference works state that the cubit used by the Hebrews was approximately 18 inches. Wyatt could be right on this one, since Moses was indeed educated in Egypt. However, it should be pointed out that the Egyptians had two different standards: a royal cubit of 20.6 inches and a shorter common cubit of around 18 inches. Assuming Wyatt is correct that the cubit was 20.6 inches, that would make the width of the ark 86 feet. The formation, however, is close to 160 feet in width! Ron believes this discrepancy is due to a splaying (widening) effect as the ark decayed and slide down the mountain (Ron says the Ark landed about two miles higher than its present location). http://www.noahsarksearch.com/ronwyatt.htm
16 Make an 20.6-inch window below the roof all the way around the ark. Build a door on the side of it, and make three decks inside the ark. A lower, middle, and upper deck and partition many rooms in the decks.
17 Then I will bring the flood upon the earth and destroy all life, that breathes air with lungs, from under heaven; all air breathing life will die.
Obviously, animals that breath underwater will not die.
18 But I will establish my covenant with you; and you will board the ark with your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives.
19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal: a male and a female of each species into the ark with you to care for them during the flood.
20 Bring pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, even the small animals that scurries along the ground. They will be kept alive on the ark.
21 Take with you all the food that is needed to survive, and gather it up and it will be for food for yourselves and the animals with you.
22 Noah did this according to all that God commanded him to do.
Genesis 7 "in the beginning of" 7
NOAH and The Flood
1 The LORD (Yahweh-Jesus) said to Noah: Go with your family into the ark, because I have seen that you are the best person among the people of this age.
Yahweh is LORD and is a name Jesus claims to be Him in John 8:58)
2 Take with you seven pairs of clean [approved for eating] animals on the ark, both male and female. However take only one pair of unclean [not approved for eating] animals, the male and his female of each.
Clean animals are those animals mentioned in Lev 17 which is often taught was Mosaic Law. Hence we see here way back in Noah's day, that they were following the same clean diet of Leviticus. Eating a clean diet is not part of Mosaic Law, and is was not abolished by Christ in the New Testament (see notes on diet in Acts 10)
3 Take also seven pairs of clean birds both the male and the female, so that they too may be kept alive from the flood.
4 In another seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5 Noah did everything the LORD (Jesus) commanded him.
6 and Noah was 600 years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark.
8 Also with them went all Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground.
9 They entered the ark in pairs, both male and female, just as God had commanded Noah to do.
10 It came to pass that after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day all the underground waters erupted from under the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky above.
12 The rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights and
13 That very day entered Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark.
14 They, and every animal after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
15 And they followed Noah into the ark, two and two of all living animals, that breathed the breath of life.
16 And they that went in, as God had commanded him and the LORD (Jesus) himself shut them in.
17 Now the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
18 The waters prevailed, and rose higher and higher above the ground, the ark floated safely on the surface of the deep,
19 And the waters covered even the highest mountains on the earth,
20 Fifteen cubits (25 feet) high did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered,
21 And all flesh died that lived upon the earth, both of bird, and of cattle, and of animal, and of every creeping thing that creeps 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 Every living creature on the face of the earth was wiped out. Humans, clean animals, crawling creatures, and birds were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those with him in the ark were left.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.
Genesis 8 "in the beginning of" 8
1 And God (Elohim) remembered Noah and all the wild and tame animals with him in the boat. He made a wind blow over the earth, and the water went down.
2 The underground springs stopped flowing, and the clouds in the sky stopped pouring down rain.
3 The the floodwaters gradually receded from the earth. After 150 days,
4 the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
The important thing to read here is the term "mountains" and not Mount Ararat. The Bible does not claim that Noah's ark ever landed on the peak known as Mt. Ararat because it never did. The ark rested near these mountains and the remains are visible to this day.
5 Two and a half months later the waters continued to go down and other mountain peaks became visible.
6 Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in the ark, and
7 he sent out a raven. It flew here and there but the water had not dried up from the earth.
8 Also he sent forth a dove, to see if the waters were gone from off the face of the earth,
9 But the dove found no place to sit and rest, and she returned to him on the ark because the waters still covered the earth. Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her back into the ark with him.
10 He waited another Sabbath (seven days); and again he sent the dove out of the ark,
11 and that evening it came back to him with a fresh olive leaf in its mouth. Then Noah knew that the ground was almost dry.
12 The next Sabbath, seven days later he sent the dove out again, but this time it did not come back.
THE SABBATH: Next we come to Noah. We have already seen that he was well aware of the week. This man who walked with God (Genesis 6:9) certainly knew and kept the Sabbath. The reference to Noah building an altar to worship God in Genesis 8:20, follows Sabbath references in verses 10 and 12, which suggests he built an altar and worshipped God immediately upon leaving the ark, very possibly on the following Sabbath. Here is another proof that Noah kept the Sabbath. Peter calls Noah a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). Psalm 119:172 says of God: "All Thy commandments are righteousness." So righteousness amounts to being a commandment keeper. If Noah preached commandment-keeping to those around him, then he kept the commandments himself, and one of the commandments he certainly was keeping was the Sabbath.
13 It came to pass in the 601st year of Noah, 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.
14 And in the second month, on the 27th day of the month, was the earth was dry.
15 And God (Elohim/Theos) spoke to Noah, saying:
16 Go out of the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and their wives with you.
17 Bring every animal out of the ark with you—the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and to be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Be fruitful and multiply. Again God's message to all life was to have sex, make babies and increase upon the earth. This is a constant theme found throughout the Old Testament that having children was a very important command from God to all mankind and animals as well.
18 So Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him.
19 Also, every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and whatsoever creeps upon the earth, after their kinds, went out of the ark,
20 And Noah built an altar to the LORD (Jesus), and took the clean animals, both cattle and birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 The LORD (Jesus-Yahweh) smelled a sweet aroma and the LORD (Jesus) said to Himself: 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 erase every living thing, as I have done.
Sacrifices are already the norm by now and most probably were being performed since Adam and Eve's banishment from paradise, as Gen 3:21 suggests.
22 For as long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.
Genesis 9 "in the beginning of" 9
1 And GOD blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 All the animals and birds, as well as all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish will look on you with fear. I have placed them under your authority.
Notice before the flood, no such fear existed. Some take this as a proof that man did not kill animals and visa versa. The commentary from Moses does not say that however, and the idea of sacrifices and clothes made out of skins (leather) have already been mentioned. This just may be a repeating the a similar statement God made to Adam.
3 Every animal shall be food for you; even as the green vegetable have I given is good for food.
Does this imply now that after the flood, any animal is good for food? What about the clean and unclean animals taken on the ark? The Plain Truth is that God told Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and only only a single pair of unclean animals. Does this imply that God intended those unclean animals to now be eaten? If it did, Noah would have been told to take seven pairs of all animals that he would use as food, would it not? Does this verse allow one to eat human flesh? Is cannibalism allowed here? Of course not. God is restating the laws given to Adam after leaving the garden concerning foods. In the garden, Adam didn't eat meat, after being driven out, and God instituted sacrifices, mankind began to eat meat as he was allowed to eat vegetables. The common sense approach is that every clean animal is OK for food, as even the most avid pork eating Baptist would say that both certain poisonous meats and plants will kill someone if they ate them, thus showing that in God's world, not everything is edible!
4 But never eat any meat that has not been drained of its blood.
5 And I will demand the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If an animal kills a person, it must also die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die.
This is not, like the diet above, the institution of a new law. The Ten Commandments have been in force from the foundation of the world and so murder was already a crime punishable by death. As with the verse above, God id merely restating the Law to Noah's family, as He would later do for Abraham, Jacob and Moses. Moses just happened to get them delivered on stone. Jesus delivered them in spirit.
6 Anyone that sheds a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made us in the image of GOD (Elohim/Theos) himself.
7 Now be fruitful and multiply, and repopulate the earth.
8 GOD (Elohim-The family of God) spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying:
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your children after you;
10 And with every living being that is with you, birds, cattle, and of every sort of animal that came out of the ark with you.
11 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.
12 GOD (Elohim- The family of God) said: I am confirming my covenant with you. I will never again kill all living things and never again will a flood destroy the earth.
13 Now look, I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of My covenant between Me and the planet.
The rainbow is born. This probably was the first rainbow ever if the theory that a water canopy surrounded the earth before the flood, as stated earlier. Several creationists have proposed concepts that make the claim that a "canopy" existed around the earth, which contained a tremendous amounts of water, that precipitated out as rain during the flood. The idea that the canopy consisted of a "thermal vapor blanket" surrounding the pre-flood earth was advanced by John Whitcomb and Henry Morris in their book The Genesis Flood, and their suggestion has received a great deal of attention.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living animal and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all living things.
16 And the rainbow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between GOD (Elohim/Theos) and every living animal that is upon the earth.
17 And GOD (Elohim-The Family of God) said to Noah: This is the sign of this covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.
18 And the sons of Noah, that went out of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
Notice, again, that Canaan is mentioned as the son of Ham. It is important that God makes this point because the Canaanites were to become strong enemies of the Israelites in times to come and were most likely the descendants of Cain. Canaan, which means humiliated in Hebrew may also refer to a state in which Noah found himself below...
19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth was repopulated.
Every single human being on earth today came from one of these three sons. Three sons, three races.
20 And Noah became a farmer, and he planted a vineyard:
21 And he drank of the wine, and got drunk and was uncovered naked in bed.
Some scholars believe that this is the first time anyone was ever drunk, because with the canopy theory, the high atmospheric pressure would have made it almost impossible to get drunk. This may be possible, but there is not a shred of biblical proof that people were not drunk before the flood. It is possible, but just because the Bible mentions something for the first time does not mean that it happened for the first time with Noah.
22 Ham, the father of Canaan, looked at his naked father and told his brothers outside.
There are many theories on this one verse with many good plausible arguments. It also implies that Noah may have had other wives that did not accompany him on the ark (mainly Shem's mother for sure) and that Mrs. Noah was either the black offspring of Cain, or the oriental offspring of Abel. One thing is clear, when the term "his father's nakedness" is exposed, most understand this to mean one of two things, both pertaining to sex. Either Ham had sex with Noah (he was drunk and did not know it) or Noah's wife! Leviticus 18.7-8 sheds light on what this term means: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is the nakedness of your father" (Leviticus 18:7-8). Thus to see the "nakedness of his father" implies he lay with Noah's wife. John Bergsma and Scott Hahn offer a compelling defense of a "maternal incest" view of the story of Noah's nakedness in Genesis 9 (JBL 124:1). They reject a "voyeuristic" interpretation of the story. They find more to recommend a "paternal incest" view of the story, pointing to the parallels between Gen 9 and Gen 19 (incest of Lot and daughters); the sexual connotations of "uncover" and "nakedness" elsewhere in the OT; the sexual associations of wine and vineyard (including in Gen 19).
Ultimately, they reject the paternal incest view (i.e. - that Ham sodomized his father) for a maternal incest view (i.e. - that Ham had sex with his mother). Their reasons are as follows:
1) The language of "uncover nakedness" is not used in Leviticus to describe homosexual incest but heterosexual incest.
2) Specifically, the "nakedness of the father" is identified with the "nakedness of your mother" (Lev 18:7-8).
3) If this is about Ham's incestuous sex with his mother, the emphasis on Canaan comes clear. Canaan is, on this interpretation, the product of the incestuous union, as Moab and Ammon are the product of Lot and his daughters. That is why Canaan is cursed, and why the text consistently identifies Ham as the "father of Canaan." They suggest that the narrative has been compressed, and that the curse was actually pronounced at Canaan's birth rather that immediately after the incest. If the incest was homosexual, it is difficult to explain how the curse would be placed on a son.
4) The maternal incest interpretation better shows the connections of Gen 9 with Gen 6, 19, Lev 18 and 20, Dt 23:1, 27:30, not to mention the maternal incest of Reuben. Genesis shows that the chief enemies of Israel - Canaan, Moab, Ammon - are all of questionable heritage.
5) This interpretation preserves the idea (articulated by Jim Jordan among others) that the story is about an attempted seizure of Noah's authority. Bergsma and Hahn quote a 1971 article from F.W. Basset: "A son who has sexual relations with his mother or stepmother commits a rebellious act against his father, since the possession of a man's wife is seen also as an effort to supplant the man himself." They note the connection with Absalom, Reuben, David's taking Saul's wives, Adonijah's attempt to have Abishag. (Jamieson)
6) They suggest that "the tent" in v 21 "appears to have the feminine possessive suffix," though "the MT (Masoretic Text) points the word according to the qere," i.e. as "his tent." Thus, one might read the text as saying that Noah entered "her tent," the tent of Mrs Noah. (Jamieson)
Their final reconstruction: Noah "becomes drunk"; this is disputed by Jordan, and there's no reason to make this a part of the story. He goes into his wife's tent and removes his robe to have sex with his wife, but "is incapacitated by his drunkenness" - again, not necessary to the story; Noah could well have had a vigorous roll before he fell asleep. The rest of the reconstruction is plausible: "Ham enters and 'sees his father's nakedness,' that is, engages in relations with his father's wife (v. 22a). He exits and informs his brothers of his grasp at familial power (v. 22b), perhaps producing an article of clothing as proof of his claim. The brothers, in turn, act with excessive filial deference and piety in returning 'the garment' . . . to their humiliated father, avoiding not only the figurative 'seeing of his father's nakedness' (i.e., maternal incest) but the literal as well. In the aftermath of the event, Noah curses the product of Ham's illicit union, namely, Canaan, and blesses Shem and Japheth for their piety" (pp. 38-39).
The value of this interpretation is several fold: It brings Gen 9 into conformity with other passages that employ the "uncover nakedness" language; it preserves the fact that Ham assaults Noah's authority; it links up with a recurring theme of Gen - the patriarch who escapes a judgment (Noah, Lot, Jacob?) finds himself under assault from his son; it helps to explain the curse on Canaan; it links together Canaanite, Moabite, and Ammonite in their origins, thus explaining the links between these peoples later in biblical history.http://www.leithart.com/archives/001316.php
In a further study we find in Leviticus 20.11 that to "uncover his father's nakedness" is to lay with his father's wife, that is to have intercourse with her. With this in mind, it becomes more clear as to the possibilities for the curse. The scenario thus reads like this; for whatever reason, Ham enters his father's tent. His father is in a drunken stupor; perhaps Noah's wife was as well. In any case, it seems Ham may have indulged in a debaucheries act that resulted in the impregnation of his mother (perhaps this is where Sophocles got his idea for Oedipus Rex). When Noah woke up and discovered what had happened he didn't curse either his wife nor his son, for whatever reasons, but instead cursed the fruit of the union, Canaan, which means humiliated--a state in which Noah found himself. http://www.hcna.us/columns/hams-curse.html
The curse of Ham has really always been the curse of Canaan, for according to the story Ham's other sons all prospered in their respective lands, and Ham lived a prosperous life as well. Only Canaan, the child of a possible illicit affair, received the full weight of Noah's curse.
23 Then Shem and Japheth took the robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover the nakedness. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see this sin.
24 Noah then awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.
25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
Notice it is the son of Ham (a descendant of Cain) that was cursed!
26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD (Jesus) GOD (Elohim-The family of God) of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
27 GOD (Elohim/Theos) shall prosper Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his slave.
28 Noah lived after the flood 350 years.
29 All the days of Noah were 950 years and then he died.
Genesis 10 "in the beginning of" 10
1 Now this is the descendant's of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. They all had sons for themselves after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth are: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras.
3 And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5 Those who lived in the coastal lands are Gentiles that are divided into many nations. Each has their own language.
All Bible commentaries list these sons of Japheth as the peoples of Greece, Rome and the island nations around the Mediterranean Sea. This should be pointed out in fairness, as it is my belief that this is simply not the case and that these people migrated to Russia, China and to the islands of the Pacific, including Japan and Polynesia. Noah's sons must comprise all thee races alive today if we are to believe in a worldwide flood. Those who believe in a localized flood can argue that Noah's three sons were mainly of the same race and that blacks and Orientals are merely humans who lived outside the flood area. My position is that the Bible claims the flood was worldwide and totally destroyed all human life and the three races alive today were all in the ark, hence we have the three sons. Another problem with the table of nations in Genesis is that it list where the sons of Noah were located THEN and not today. Even by the time of Moses, most of the world was not yet populated.
6 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Josephus gives an account of the nation of Cush, son of Ham and grandson of Noah: "For of the four sons of Ham, time has not at all hurt the name of Cush; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even at this day" (Antiquities of the Jews 1.6). Ham is the black race, and his descendants are mixtures of blacks and whites and Orientals.
8 Cush fathered Nimrod: He was the first tyrant on the earth.
9 He was the first tyrant on earth, rebelling against to the LORD (Jesus). Thus it is said, 'Nimrod the tyrannical opponent of Yahweh.'
Nimrod is the first real Antichrist of the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Caesar and the end time kings of the North (Europe) and South (all of Islam) will be in the likeness of Nimrod. All pagan religions today are offshoots of the Babylon "mystery" religion founded by Nimrod. Nimrod's name comes from the Hebrew verb marad, which means "rebel". (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b, also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is "The Rebel."
Christmas, Easter and Sunday worship are all offshoots of Nimrod worship and we read in Revelation that the whole world is mystified and worships the beast of false religion started by Nimrod. In Genesis 10:8-11 Nimrod established his kingdom and modern day scholars may not realize that Nimrod is really the epic hero of a Sumerian flood myth named Gilgamesh. The name "Easter" comes from pagan origins, and scholars agree with this. This name is never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most scholars say that the name "Easter" derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring. Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to the Tower of Babel. The origin begins not long after the biblical Flood. When Nimrod died, the Babylonian "mystery religion" in which he figured prominently would continue on. His wife was Queen Semiramis, and she saw to that, once he was dead, she deified him as the "Sun-god". In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc. All religions today are the offshoots of Nimrod (Revelation 17:5).
The epic when translated is a mix of religion and pornography and the reader learns that Gilgamesh was a vile, filthy, man. The cult of Nimrod believes he was "2/3 god and 1/3 man." The pope in Rome is a symbol of Nimrod, known also as the fish god. The mitre worn by the Pope is the same exact one worn by Nimrod over 4,000 years ago!Ancient historian Josephus says of Nimrod, "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah-a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny-seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power."
He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers! (Ant. I: iv: 2) Gilgamesh set up tyranny, he opposed YaHaWeH (THE LORD or Yahweh) and did his utmost to get people to forsake God and God's religion. This is still being done today with the counterfeit religion billions know as Christianity. Cain, the first Antichrist, the first blackman started a false religion and his views ruled the pre-flood world, his offspring, Nimrod would become the master of this false religion and be the father of all false religions of the world.
Nimrod was mighty in hunting, and that in opposition to YHWH; not ‘before YHWH’ in the sense of according to the will and purpose of YHWH, still less,… in a simply superlative sense… The name itself, ‘Nimrod’ from marad, ‘We will revolt,’ points to some violent resistance to God… Nimrod as a mighty hunter founded a powerful kingdom; and the founding of this kingdom is shown by the verb with consecutive to have been the consequence or result of his strength in hunting, so that hunting was intimately connected with the establishing of the kingdom. Hence, if the expression ‘a mighty hunter’ relates primarily to hunting in the literal sense, we must add to the literal meaning the figurative signification of a ‘hunter of men’ (a trapper of men by stratagem and force); Nimrod the hunter became a tyrant, a powerful hunter of men (Keil and Delitzsch 1975: 165).
“in the face of YHWH” can only mean ‘in defiance of YHWH’ as Josephus and the Targums understand it (op. cit.: 166).
http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/nimrod.html states This: "The Gilgamesh Epic describes the first “God is dead” movement. In the Epic, the hero is a vile, filthy, perverted person, yet he is presented as the greatest, strongest, hero that ever lived (Heidel 1963: 18). So that the one who sent the Flood will not trouble them anymore, Gilgamesh sets out to kill the perpetrator. He takes with him a friend who is a monstrous half-man, half-animal-Enkidu. Together they go on a long journey to the Cedar Mountain to find and destroy the monster who sent the Flood. Gilgamesh finds him and finally succeeds in cutting off the head of this creature whose name is “Huwawa” (“Humbaba” in the Assyrian version; see Heidel 1963: 34ff).
"Is there a connection with the Gilgamesh epic and Genesis 10? Note what Gilgamesh says to Enkidu the half man, half beast, who accompanied him on his journey, found in Tablet III, lines 147-150.
"The missing lines from the Epic are right there in the Bible!
"Because of the parallels between Gilgamesh and Nimrod, many scholars agree that Gilgamesh is Nimrod. Continuing with Gilgamesh's fable, he did win, he did vanquish Huwawa and took his head. Therefore, he could come back to Uruk and other cities and tell the people not to worry about YHWH anymore, he is dead. "I killed him over in the Lebanon mountains. So just live however you like, I will be your king and take care of you."" http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/nimrod.html
The book "The Two Babylons," by Hislop are required readings to understand all of this.
10 At first Nimrod's kingdom covered Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land known as Babylonia.
11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, who built Nineveh, and also the cities of Rehoboth, Calah,
12 He also built Resen, the great city between Nineveh and Calah.
13 Now Mizraim fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14 Pathrusim, Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
We see here that the Philistines (Goliath) were very tall black men.
15 Canaan became the father of Sidon his first born, Heth,
16 the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgasites,
17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,
18 also the Arvadites, Zemarites, Hamathites, and afterward were all the families of the Canaanites.
19 Their land reached from Sidon to Gerar as far as Gaza, and then to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20 These are the sons of Ham, and all these families had their own languages, their own lands, and their own nations.
21 Shem, Japheth's older brother, also had sons. One of his descendants was the father of all the sons of Eber.
Hence proof that the boys were not triplets but born at different times the same year implying Noah had more than the one wife.
22 The children of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
23 The children of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24 Arphaxad fathered Salah, and Salah fathered Eber.
25 And to Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; because the earth became divided during his lifetime; and his brother's name was Joktan.
26 And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
29 Ophir, Havilah, Jobab were all the sons of Joktan.
30 They lived in the area between Mesha and Sephar in the mountains in the East.
31 These are the sons of Shem, arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.
32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, arranged according to their nations. From these families came all the nations who spread across the earth after the flood.
Genesis 11 "in the beginning of" 11
1 At this time the whole world spoke one language, using the same words
2 As people moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there
3 And they said one to another, "Let's make bricks and bake them to make them strong." So they used bricks instead of stones, and tar instead of mortar.
4 They said, "Let's build a city and a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will become famous and we will not be scattered all over the world."
The tower was an attempt by Nimrod to make it taller than the highest levels of the flood waters (see note in previous chapter). He promised to protect the people from God, as he replaced The Lord as the so-called true God. An offshoot of Nimrod worship arose into Mithraism, later to become the Catholic Church.
Mithraism: For over three hundred years the rulers of the Roman Empire worshiped the god Mithras. Known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra, Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher, the veneration of this god began some 4000 years ago in Persia, where it was soon embedded with Babylonian doctrines. The faith spread east through India to China, and reached west throughout the entire length of the Roman frontier; from Scotland to the Sahara Desert, and from Spain to the Black Sea. Sites of Mithraic worship have been found in Britain, Italy, Romania, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Persia, Armenia, Syria, Israel, and North Africa.
In Rome, more than a hundred inscriptions dedicated to Mithras have been found, in addition to 75 sculpture fragments, and a series of Mithraic temples situated in all parts of the city.
One of the largest Mithraic temples built in Italy now lies under the present site of the Church of St. Clemente, near the Colosseum in Rome.
The widespread popularity and appeal of Mithraism as the final and most refined form of pre-Christian paganism was discussed by the Greek historian Herodotus, the Greek biographer Plutarch, the neo platonic philosopher Porphyry, the Gnostic heretic Origen, and St. Jerome, the Church father. Mithraism was quite often noted by many historians for its many astonishing similarities to Christianity. The faithful referred to Mithras (REMEMBER, 4,000 years ago!) as "the Light of the World", symbol of truth, justice, and loyalty. He was mediator between heaven and earth and was a member of a Holy Trinity. According to Persian mythology, Mithras was born of a virgin given the title 'Mother of God'. The god remained celibate throughout his life, and valued self-control, renunciation and resistance to sensuality among his worshippers. Mithras represented a system of ethics in which brotherhood was encouraged in order to unify against the forces of evil. The worshipers of Mithras held strong beliefs in a celestial heaven and an infernal hell.
Purification through a ritualistic baptism was required of the faithful, who also took part in a ceremony in which they drank wine and ate bread to symbolize the body and blood of the god. Sundays were held sacred, and the birth of the god was celebrated annually on December the 25th. After the earthly mission of this god had been accomplished, he took part in a Last Supper with his companions before ascending to heaven, to forever protect the faithful from above. Believers in Mithras were rewarded with eternal life. Part of the Mithraic communion liturgy included the words, "He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made one with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation." The Hebrew Sabbath having been abolished by Christians, the Church made a sacred day of Sunday, because it was the weekly festival of the sun; for it was a definite Christian policy to take over the pagan festivals endeared to the people by tradition, and to give them a Christian significance. But, as a solar festival, Sunday was the sacred day of Mithra; and it is interesting to notice that since Mithra was addressed as /Dominus/, "Lord'', Sunday must have been "the Lord's Day" long before Christian times. December 25th was the birthday of the sun-god, and particularly of Mithra, and was only taken over in the Fourth Century as the date, actually unknown, of the birth of Jesus. SOURCE: http://www.innvista.com/culture/religion/deities/mithra.htm
5 And the LORD (Jesus) came down to see the city and the tower, which the children had built.
6 And the LORD (Jesus) said: Now, these people are united, all speaking one language. This is only the start of what they will do. They will be able to do anything they want.
7 Come, let us go down and confuse the language so they will not be able to understand one another.
8 So the LORD (Jesus) scattered them all over the earth: and they stopped trying to build the city.
At one time, the world was a giant one-world-order government, with one language, one unit of measure, one currency, one religion and one set of laws. The government of Babel was entirely opposed to anything of God's, so Jesus and God the Father came down from heaven to stop man from destroying themselves. God knew that once evil men united, they could do anything they desired, and satanic influence would prompt them to build weapons and social rules that would eventually destroy mankind.
9 Therefore we call it Babel; because the LORD (Jesus) confused the language of the whole world. and the LORD (Jesus) scattered mankind all over the face of all the earth.
10 These are the descendants of Shem: Shem was 100 years old, and fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood;
11 And Shem lived another 500 years after he fathered Arphaxad, and also had other sons and daughters.
12 Arphaxad lived 35 years, and became the father of Salah.
13 Arphaxad lived another 403 years after he fathered Salah, and fathered other sons and daughters.
14 Shelah was 30 years old when he became the father of Eber.15 After he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 Eber lived 430 years, and fathered Peleg,
17 and Eber lived 130 years more after fathering Peleg, and fathered sons and daughters.
18 Peleg lived 30 years, and fathered Reu,
19 and Peleg lived 209 years, and fathered sons and daughters.
20 Reu lived 32, and begat Serug,
21 and Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years more, and fathered sons and daughters.
22 Serug lived 30 years, and fathered Nahor,
23 and Serug lived 200 more years, and fathered sons and daughters.
24 Nahor lived 29 years, and fathered Terah.
25 Nahor lived another 119 years, and fathered sons and daughters.
26 Terah lived 70 years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
We are told very little about Terah except in Joshua where we learn that Terah was a pagan worshiping follower of the Devil. (Josh 24:2)
27 Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.
Abram would be renamed by God later to Abraham.
28 Haran died before his father Terah in his birthplace the land called Ur of the Chaldees.
Ur was located in Iraq very close to modern day Baghdad. It was known as a rich trading city. Abraham (now only called Abram) would have been very familiar to the pagan worship, customs and laws of the people. Next to Jesus, Abram would become the most important person of all history, surpassing even Moses or David in God's heart and became the personal best friend of the LORD (Jesus) walking and talking with him face to face. The Bible is the written word of the living God attesting to this friendship and offering that same friendship to US! Through Christ, we can become "Abraham's seed and heir to all he has" from God. Obviously God saw something more rare than anything else in this man: righteousness in a pagan world!
29 Abram and Nahor took them wives: Sarai married Abram and Milcah married Nahor, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Sarai means mother, but would be changed to Sarah, mother of many or mother of nations...
30 Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Sarah being barren probably meant that she had no children at all, but it may mean that she had no male son. Most probably, she was totally childless.
31 Terah took his son Abram , and his son Haran's son, named Lot, Sarai his daughter-in-law, Abram's wife, and they moved out of Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into the land of Haran, and lived there.
It is not mentioned here why they left Ur, but in Acts 7:2-3, we are told that God first appeared to Abram in Ur before moving to Canaan located in the modern-day Jewish nation called Israel.
32 The days of Terah were 205 years: and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 12 "in the beginning of" 12
1 The LORD(Jesus) said to Abram, "Leave your land, your relatives, and your father's home. Go to the land that I will show you.
To a land = Canaan. Abraham was still in Haran when he got this call, but Acts says it first came in Ur.
2 I will make of you into the greatest nation {that ever existed}, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and through your seed will come the Messiah!
The text says a blessing, but the meaning is truly the blessing of the Messiah. There is no doubt that Abraham saw Jesus day (John 8) and "was happy." Abraham is given the two greatest blessings ever given to any man, the promise that his children would become the richest, happiest and greatest nation ever, and that one of his offspring would be the Messiah, the Savior of the world promised to Adam and Eve, which see mistakenly thought was Cain. We can never trivialize the great love that Jesus (The Lord) had for His friend, Abraham.
3 I will bless those that bless you, and I will curse those that curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.
With God's friendship comes His great power. He has promsied to bless us, like Abraham, but even more importantly, he will bless all of those who are kind to us, and he will become the enemy and go to war with all of those who try to harm us! The most powerful entity in all the universe is our protection. Also, once again, Jesus states to Abraham that He Himself, would be born into the world as a descendant of Abraham. Wow! Now that's a blessing indeed.
4 So Abram left, as the LORD (Jesus) told him to do and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.
5 Abram set out for Canaan. He took along his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the servants they had acquired in Haran.
6 Abram traveled through that land to the oak tree belonging to Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7 and the LORD (Jesus) appeared to Abram, and said: "I'm going to give this land to your descendants. So he built an altar there to the LORD (Jesus), who had appeared to him.
8 Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel and set up his home there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the LORD (Jesus) and worshiped Him there.
9 Abram journeyed on, going toward the south.
10 Now there was a famine in the land and Abram went down to Egypt to stay there because the famine became grievous at home.
11 After awhile, when he entered Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now, I know you are a very beautiful woman to look at.
Although Sarah is about 65 years old, she probably looked like a 25- five year old beauty queen today! The age process has not yet become the norm so soon after the flood and she did not age like we may think today. There is also another attribute that is even understood today about a woman's inner beauty. Sarah was not only physically very beautiful, she had a inner essence of beauty that captivates men like a drug. We see this even today.
12 When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live.
13 Please say that you're my sister. Then everything will be allright for me, and because of you I will live."
This is not a lie. She was his half-sister... (Gen 20:12)
14 And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty.
15 When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they raved about her to Pharaoh, so Sarai was taken to Pharaoh's palace.
16 Pharaoh was kind to Abram because he was told Abram was her brother. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
17 Now the LORD (Jesus) plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
19 "Why did you say, 'She is my sister?' so I might have had sex with her and made her my wife! Now take your wife, and get out of here now.
20 Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything that he had.
Genesis 13 "in the beginning of" 13
1 Abram left Egypt with his wife and everything he had and went to the Negev. Lot was with him.
2 Abram became very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
3 He went on his way from the south to Bethel, where he had first stayed between Bethel and Ai.
4 Back to the place of the altar, which he had first made there and there Abram worshipped the LORD (Jesus).
5 Lot also had his own flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 There wasn't enough pasture land for both of them. They had so many possessions that they were unable to remain together.
7 Quarrels broke out between Abram's herders and Lot's herders. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land then too.
8 Abram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have any more quarrels between us or between our herders. After all, we're relatives.
9 Isn't all this land yours also? Let's separate. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right, and if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10 Then Lot looked in the direction of Zoar as far as he could see. He saw that the whole Jordan plain was well-watered like the LORD's (Jesus') garden or like Egypt. [This was before the LORD (Jesus) destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.]
11 Then Lot chose the plain of Jordan he journeyed east to there. They separated one from the other.
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot livid in the cities of the plain, and made his home in Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were very wicked and great sinners rebelling against the LORD (Jesus).
The same term as we saw with Nimrod earlier.
14 The LORD (Jesus) said to Abram, after that Lot left: Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you now are standing. northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.
15 For all the land which you can see, I have already given it to you, and to your children for ever!
16 And I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants.
God is again promising Abraham with BILLIONS of children in the future. It is so wrong for us to think as only the Arabs and the Jews as his offspring! His children are to be numbered like the dust and the stars. Americans, Canadians, Britons, Australians are all part of Abraham's seed.
17 Take a walk in every direction and explore the new possessions I am giving you.
To this day, this promise has not been fulfilled and it will not be until Christ returns and sets up the Kingdom
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and lived in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD (Jesus).
Genesis 14 "in the beginning of" 14
1 At the time of the {four kings}--King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim-
For a long time, historians never accepted this chapter as being accurate or historic in any way, until the discovery of the Ebla tablets which proved not only the existence of these named cities, but also of the name of Abram and of Ya (short for Yahweh). Scholars had said for years that the first five books of Moses were not written by one man, but many (The so-called J and P authors.. J meaning those who worshiped Jehovah, and the P being the later Priestly class in Babylon.) This is very important and the reader should investigate further the significance of the Ebla tablets and proving the Bible's accuracy!
2 and went to war against the {five kings} King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is, Zoar.
3 All these were attacked and united their armies in the Valley of Siddim, now the Dead Sea.
4 They served Chedorlaomer for 12 years and in the 13th year they rebelled.
Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))* is in verse 4 but I cannot see why.
5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came and defeated the Rephaim at Easter Karnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim at Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 They also defeated the Horites near mount Seirin and the mountains of Edom to El Paran near the desert
7 and they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and killed everyone in the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazezontamar.
8 Next the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela went out to fight in the Valley of Siddim. Bela is today called Zoar.
9 They fought against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar--four kings against five.
10 The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. As the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell because of the tar pits, but the other kings fled to the hills.
11 The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and began their long journey home, taking all the wealth and food with them.
12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who lived there, along with his goods, and departed.
13 Now one of the men escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he lived in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were allied with Abram.
The first place Abraham is called a Hebrew. This is the name of the ethnic peoples that he came from. The name comes from his ancestor Eber (11:10-14). It later also came to mean any nomadic wandering peoples.
14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he armed his 318 trained men, born in his own household, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan.
Dan did not exist, but was edited in by most likely Ezra (see comment at the end of Deuteronomy)
Abraham was one of, if not the richest man on Earth in his day. To have an army living with him of over 300 men highly trained "rangers" would make him equal to a world power today.
15 He split up his men to attack them at night. He defeated them, pursuing them all the way to Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
16 He brought back all the goods, and also Lot, his nephew, with his goods including the women, and the rest of people.
17 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 now known as the king's valley.
18 Now Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. He was the priest of the most high God.
Melchizedek is twice mentioned in the Old Testament. Melchizedek is called the King of Salem (which is now Jerusalem), and priest of the Most High God during this time. The name Melchizedek has its root in two Hebrew words, "melek" - meaning "King" (Strong's ref:4428) and "tzedek" (see tzadik) - meaning "righteousness)" (Strong's ref:6666). Literally then, "The King of Righteousness" or "The Righteous King." In Genesis, Melchizedek is also referred to as king of Salem, (traditionally identified with Jerusalem), and priest of El Elyon. El-Elyon can be translated as Most High God, understood as a reference to the sole God of the Old Testament. He brought bread and wine, blessed Abram, and received tithes from him (Gen. 14:18-20). Reference is made to him in Psalm 110:4 where the victorious ruler is declared to be "priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." To me, this is clearly an early Passover and unleavened bread feast to the Lord, showing that the Passover did not start with Moses but was already in place. In the New Testament, Melchizedek appears only in the Epistle to the Hebrews and it is made clear that he is none other than Jesus Himself. Abraham would get to know the Lord as a person during this time and they became friends. God, along with His angels can always appear as humans. This happens again very soon with the destruction of Sodom. Following the "bread and wine" incident of Genesis 14:18, Abraham asks for clarification of his status with God, because earlier, in Genesis 12, God had implied that Abraham's family would be great. After Abraham asks for clarification, God give the promise using an illustration involving stars. In order for Abraham to see stars, this event had to take place at night.
19 He blessed Abram, and said, "Blessed is Abram by God (Elohim- the God family) Most High, maker of heaven and earth.
I am making the words here in red as this is truly Jesus
20 Blessed is God (Elohim-The family of God) Most High, who has handed your enemies over to you." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Tenth- a Tithe or 10% in the KJV. This refers to the act of giving 10% of one's wealth to God.
It is my opinion that The God Most High, is a reference to a God higher than Jesus, none other than God the Father. It is the first hint of the Father in the Old Testament. Also, from this here, we first are introduced to the practice of TITHING, giving God a tenth of your profits. Tithing didn't start here, as it is obvious that Abraham already knew of the principle, but it is first mentioned here.
It is my opinion that The God Most High, is a reference to a God higher than Jesus, none other than God the Father. It is the first hint of the Father in the Old Testament. Also, from this here, we first are introduced to the practice of TITHING, giving God a tenth of your profits. Tithing didn't start here, as it is obvious that Abraham already knew of the principle, but it is first mentioned here.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, and keep everything else for yourself."
22 Abram said to the king of Sodom,"I made a promise to the LORD (Jesus), the God (Elohim/Theos) Most High, who made heaven and earth
23 "that I will not take anything that is yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap so you can never say, 'I made Abram rich.'
24 All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre."
Genesis 15 "in the beginning of" 15
THE PROMISE OF A CHILD:
1 After these things the LORD (Jesus) came unto Abram in a vision, saying: Don't be afraid Abram, I will defend and protect you, and I will give you a great reward.
2 Abram said, "LORD (Jesus) God (Elohim/Theos), what can you give me? I have no child, so Eliezer of Damascus, shall inherit everything I own!"
Isn't this amazing, Eliezer is a servant, a slave, yet he is next in line to inherit all of Abram's possessions if he dies without a child. We have misunderstood slavery and servitude in the Bible greatly!
3 Now Abram said, "You have given me no children, so this servant in my household will be my heir."
4 The word of the LORD (Jesus) came again to him, saying: He will not be your heir; but he that shall be from your own sperm, your own child shall be your heir.
5 Then God brought Abram outside and said: Look at the heavens. Look how many stars there are! You cannot even count them. Your descendants will be like these stars, too many to count.
6 And he believed in the LORD (Jesus) Who declared him righteous because of his faith.
7 Then He said to him, I am the LORD (Jesus) that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land so that yours may inherit it.
8 He then said, "LORD (Jesus) God (Elohim or the Family of God), how can I be certain that I will take possession of it?"
9 Then He said: Take for me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old male sheep, a dove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took all these animals, cut them up in halves for sacrifice, laying each half opposite the other half, but he did not cut the birds in half.
11 Then when the vultures came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 Then when the sun went down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and then a horrible darkness came over him
13 and God said unto Abram: You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years.
See note in Exodus 12:40! This promise right here happened on Passover!
14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.
This is a prophecy concerning the nation of Israel living in Egypt for 400 years, and the prediction of Moses, the Exodus and the Passover. A interesting note here is that God's prediction was off by 30 years! The people actually were captives for 430 years! Now, if Moses had not been talking with God, why would he expose himself to such an error? The answer is not given, but again shows us that God makes sure we understand that His word is true, and that He is not afraid of what others may think. I have always considered that the 30 extra years was because Moses at first was too at odds with God, even refusing to circumcise his own children and God was ready to strike him dead! Maybe, like Jacob, the younger Moses fought with God before he "grew up" and became what he was supposed to be. There is yet another message here. God can allow his prophecies to be delayed. This is very important, God does not want us to be fatalistic and say to ourselves, "we can't change God's plans," because we can! This is the beauty of worshiping the true God. God loves us, listens to us and literally can move heaven, Earth and Time for us.
15 Also you shall die in peace and be buried with your family at a ripe old age,
16 but in 400 years they shall come out once more back here, because the sin of the Amorites will not have run its course until then.
17 Then it came to be when the sun went down, and it became dark, suddenly a smoking fireball and a blazing torch passed between the parts of the dead animals
18 That same day the LORD (Jesus) made a covenant or an agreement with Abram, saying, I have given your children this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
That's a bunch of land that will someday be the land of Israel in the Kingdom!
Covenant. Here's an important concept. A covenant needs blood to make it legal!In the Old Testament the word covenant comes from the Hebrew berit. It means "'covenant; league; confederacy.' This word is most probably derived from an Akkadian root meaning 'to fetter'; it has parallels in Hittite, Egyptian, Assyrian, and Aramaic. Berit is used over 280 times and in all parts of the Old Testament" (W.E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, "Covenant"). God's covenants contain two components: terms and duration.The equivalent word in the Septuagint and the New Testament is diatheke, see also Strong's G1242. It is no wonder why a marriage is considered a covenant, because like God's covenants they last until death, and they are sealed with blood (the virginity of the woman is broken). Man should never take covenants with God or man lightly. God's covenant relationship with us as found in the Old Testament ended when God dies for us. Covenants end in death. "Till death do us part," as the wedding vows go. When Christ returns, he symbolically remarries the church and the New Covenant begins. Today we are like Israel wandering in the wilderness, with only a portion of a covenant in place, and that is the New Testament church.
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.
Genesis 16 "in the beginning of" 16
1 Now Sarai Abram's wife was still barren with no children and she had a maid, who was Egyptian. Her name was Hagar.
Hagar (Arabic ?, Hajar; Hebrew ? "Stranger") was an Egyptian-born handmaiden of Abraham's wife Sarah in the Bible. She became Abraham's second wife and the mother of Ishmael. Her history is told in Genesis. Hagar is the first biblical woman after Eve that God spoke directly. It may have happened with other women, but is not mentioned. This gives her some power. Not many women have spoken to God. She is the mother of most of the Arabs today, and her son Ishmael also became the father of 12 tribes. Muslims to this day revere her and claim that the promise of God was through her and not Issac. Jesus doesn't agree. Hagar is quite important in Islam as the mother of Ishmael and all the Arab peoples, from which descended Muhammad. In the Qur'an, part of the story of Hagar and Ishmael takes place in Mecca. The hadith of Abu Huraira follows a similar line to the rabbinical tradition that Hagar (Hajar) became Sarah's slave as a gift from the king with whom Sarah stayed temporarily as Abraham's "sister."
2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Look the LORD (Jesus) has stopped me from having children. Please, go in and have sex with her, so I may get my children through her." Abram obeyed Sarai.
3 Then, Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had lived for ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram to also be his wife.
This is not just a sex for baby thing, as the Bible does allow. A concubines is not legally a wife and has no right to continued sex or other privileges of being a legal spouse. Hagar was a wife and this wording implies continued to sleep with Abraham after having a child and until she was banished from the colony.
4 Then he had sex with Hagar, and she conceived. Now when she saw that she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarai.
It is obvious that she wanted Abraham to leave Sarah for her. Most likely divorce for being barren was probably allowable in her homeland of Egypt. There is plenty of ample evidence that she neither was a true believer, or wanted to be. The fact that she chose an Egyptian woman as her son's wife is seen as evidence that her belief in the true God was not sincere. (Gen 21:21)
5 Now Sarai said to Abram, "This is all your fault. I gave my slave girl to you, and when she became pregnant, she began to treat me like I was the slave. Let the LORD (Jesus) judge between me and you and decide who is right."
I am not sure, but doesn't this imply that Abraham did something that Sarah didn't like, and that led her to blame him for the problem between her and Hagar? After all, she, not he, is the one who came up with the idea and now she is blaming him. It is my opinion, as I discussed above, that Abraham considered Hagar a full wife and kept having sex with her after she was pregnant. He had no bad motive, and was trying to please both, but this may have led Hagar to believe that she could replace Sarah. Sarah is mad at him because she sees through Hagar's plot and is upset that he, a man of God, doesn't see it! The Bible implies that Sarah is right here and God sides with her!
6 Abram answered Sarai, "Here, she's your slave. Do what you like with her." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.
7 Now the angel of the LORD (Jesus) found her by a spring of water in the wilderness near Shur
This is not just an angel of Yahweh, it is Yahweh himself. So I am making the words red. Scholars agree mostly that this is Jesus. See Ryrie Study Bible note for this line of scripture.
8 and He said, Hagar Sarai's maid, where did you come from and where are you going? And she said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."
9 So the angel of the LORD (Jesus) said to her, Return to her and submit yourself to her rules.
10 Next the angel of the LORD (Jesus) said unto her, I will multiply your children greatly, and you will not be able to count your children and grandchildren
11 and the angel of the LORD (Jesus) also said Behold, you are {pregnant} with a child and you shall have a son, and you are to name him Ishmael because the LORD (Jesus) has heard your cries of sorrows.
Ishmael means "God hears."
12 This son of yours will be a wild one – free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers.
A prophecy for our time. The world hates the Arabs because of their control of oil, and what many would see as their uncivilized ways in treating women and all non-Muslims. Also, on top of this, God knew 4,000 years ago that they would be the enemies of Jacob's children, which include much of western Europe, Great Britain, the United States and Canada. See note concerning Israel's tribes in Genesis chapter 48.
13 Then she called the name of the LORD (Jesus) "You are the 'God who sees me,' " because she said to herself, "Have I really seen the God (Elohim) who sees me?"
14 Today the well was called Beerlahairoi; which is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar delivered to him, Ishmael
16 and Abram was 86 years old, when Hagar had Ishmael for Abram.
Genesis 17 "in the beginning" 17 ABRAM BECOMES ABRAHAM:
1 And when Abram was 99 years old, the LORD (Jesus) appeared to him, and said, I am the Almighty God (Elohim-the Family of God) (El Shaddai). Walk with me, obey me, and be perfect in my sight.
Abram , 99-years-old and nine--thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael [ Genesis 16:16 ]. "Walk before me" simply means to live a Godly life everyday. Our faith is a way of life and is to be followed 24-hours a day. I translated "Be perfect." as "obey me and be perfect" or obey the Law of God. God makes us perfect. Abraham sinned, as we all do, but when in a relationship with God, we become perfect striving for perfection is our main goal.
2 and I will make my covenant between us, and will bless you.
3 So Abram bowed face down on the ground and God talked with him, saying,
4 I am making my covenant agreement with you. I will make you the father of many nations.
5 You shall no longer be called Abram, from this day on you will be called Abraham, for I will make you a father of many nations.
Abram means "great father" where Abraham means "father of many nations"
6 I will give you many heirs and new nations will come from you, and kings will come from you, and I will make nations out of your children, and kings shall come from out of your descendants.
7 And I will establish my covenant with you and your heirs after you in their lifetimes as an everlasting covenant, to be your God (Elohim- the family of God), and your children's' God.
8 I will give to you, and to your heirs, the land of Canaan where you are now a stranger, And I will be the God (Elohim/Theos) of your descendants.
9 God said also to Abraham, You shall keep my covenant, you and all your children forever!
forever means just that!
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, and your children after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of the foreskin of your penis; and it shall be a token of the covenant between us.
12 On its eighth day of life, every male child (or boy) that lives among you shall be circumcised.
13 He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with they money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in the flesh of your penis for an everlasting covenant.
14 And any uncircumcised male whose flesh is not circumcised, that person shall be cut off from his people because he has broken My agreement.
15 Then God (Elohim- the family of God) said unto Abraham: As for Sarai, your wife, her new name will be Sarah,
16 and I will bless her, and give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of many nations; many kings shall come from her.
17 Then Abraham bowed down towards the ground and laughed and said to himself, "Can a man have a child when he is a 100 years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is 90?"
18 Then Abraham said to God(Elohim- the Family of God), "Please let Ishmael be the son you promised."
19 Then God (Elohim-the Family of God) said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, and with his children after him.
Isaac mean "laughter"
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I have blessed him also, and will make him fruitful as well, and will multiply his descendants. Twelve princes will come from him, and I will make them a great nation.
21 but I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear you this same time next year.
22 So he stopped talking with him, and God (Elohim) rose up and left Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among them, and circumcised the flesh of the foreskin of their penises the same day, as God (Elohim-the Family of God) had told him to do.
24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.
25 His son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised.
26 The same day, both Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised .
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Circumcision: Circumcision is the removal of some or all of the foreskin (prepuce) from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin circum (meaning "around") and cædere (meaning "to cut"). In Hebrew it is "namal" also meaning to cut off. Today, most Christian denominations are neutral about biblical male circumcision, neither requiring it nor forbidding it. The first Christian Church Council in Jerusalem, held in approximately 50 A.D. decreed that circumcision was not a requirement for Gentile converts.[1] According to the Columbia Encyclopedia:[2]
“ The decision that Christians need not perform circumcision is recorded in Acts 15; However, a prohibition of circumcision, is practiced by Coptic Christians.
Although circumcision is not mandatory today, it should still be done IF you want to observe Passover, as contrary to what many Sabbath keeping churches follow today, the Bible is explicit that NO UNCIRCUMCISED MALE can take part the Passover. When the Israelites were wandering for 40-years, the Bible says that everyone that had left Egypt was not circumcised (Joshua 5). Like the church today, they were between covenants and were freed from some of the Law (except the Ten Commandments) but were not able to eat the Passover until they were circumcised! When Christ returns and takes His church "over the river" to the new Eden, all human males will again be under all the Law and be circumcised.
Studies in recent years have shown that the percentage of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases are lower in circumcised males. This is due to the fact that the foreskin causes an environment conducive to germs if germs are introduced.
A circumcised male is virtually risk-free for penile cancer. However, for the uncircumcised male the chances of coming down with penile cancer are fewer than one in 100,000.
Genesis 18 "in the beginning" 18
SODOM and GOMORRAH
1 Later, the LORD (Jesus) appeared to Abraham again near the trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting near the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day.
2 Then he looked up and saw three men coming near him and when Abraham saw them, he ran from his tent to meet them. He bowed face down on the ground before them,
3 and said, "Sir (adonay), please stay awhile with me if you think rightly of me, your servant.
Adonay is also translated lord (not capitalized)
4 I will bring you water so you can wash your feet, and you may rest under this tree,
5 and I will get some nourishment so you can regain your strength, so that you all may continue your journey." The three said, "OK. Do as you said."
Two of the three are angels, and we also discover one of the three is Jesus Christ (as Yahweh, the LORD). Only His comments will be in red.
6 So Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah, his wife was and said, "Hurry, ready twenty quarts of our best flour, and make it into loaves of bread."
7 Next, Abraham ran to the herd and took one of the best calves he had, without any flaws. He gave it to his servant, who quickly killed it and to prepare it for food.
8 Abraham gave the three the food that had cooked, and also some cottage cheese and milk. While they ate, he stood under the tree near them.
Jews claim that a kosher diet can never mix meat with milk, yet here we have an example of Abraham doing this. Their stipulation has nothing to do with the idea that the kosher laws did not apply yet until Moses, because they readily admit that Noah followed the clean diet. It comes to mind what Jesus said concerning the people negating God's Law for men's traditions.(Matthew 15:3)
9 The men asked Abraham, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" Abraham said,"In the tent, over there."
10 Then the LORD (Jesus) said: I promise I'll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son. Sarah was listening from the entrance of the tent.
11 Abraham and Sarah were very old now, and now that Sarah was past the child-bearing years,
12 she laughed to herself, "My husband, and I are too old to have a baby."
13 Then the LORD (Jesus) said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'I am too old to have a baby?'
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD (Jesus)? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." But the LORD (Jesus) said: No. You did laugh.
16 Then the men got up to leave and started out toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them a short time to send them on their way.
17 The LORD (Jesus) said: Should I tell Abraham, my friend, what I am going to do?
18 For Abraham's children will certainly become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him,
19 and I chose him, so he would direct his sons and their families to live in the way of the LORD (Jesus), and that is to live right and be fair. Then I, the LORD (Jesus), will do for Abraham all that I have promised.
20 Then the LORD (Jesus) said: I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah. They are very evil.
21 I will go down and see if they are as bad as I have heard. If not, I will understand.
22 So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but the LORD (Jesus) remained with Abraham.
23 Then Abraham approached him and asked, "Do you plan to destroy the good people along with the bad?
24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you still destroy it in spite of the fifty? Surely, you will save the city for the fifty righteous people living there.
25 Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, to destroy the righteous people along with the evil ones; then they would be treating the good and bad the same. You are the Judge of all the earth. Won't you do what is right?"
26 The LORD (Jesus) said: If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will spare all the city because of them.
27 Then Abraham said, "I am only dust and ashes, but since I have begun to speak to the LORD (Jesus).
28 What if there are only forty-five good people in the city? Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five righteous people?" The LORD (Jesus) said: If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.
29 Again Abraham said to him, "If you find only forty righteous people there, will you destroy the city?" And The LORD (Jesus) said: If I find forty, I will not destroy it.
30 Then Abraham said, "LORD (Jesus), please don't be angry with me, but let me ask you, If you find only thirty righteous people in the city, will you destroy it?" And He said: If I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city.
31 Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the LORD (Jesus) so boldly, let me continue. Suppose only twenty?" Then He answered back" If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city.
32 Then Abraham said, "LORD (Jesus), please don't be angry with me, but let me speak to you this one last time. What if you find ten there?" He answered: If I find ten there, I will not destroy it.
It is not clear, but I have always read this that Abraham could have brought the number down to one, namely Lot whom he was trying to save from this upheveal, but he stopped at ten because he wrongly felt that Lot's entire family (probably more than ten) was certainly all still righteous! We read later that Lot was righteous, and in my opinion, his daughters were not. God's laws have never allowed sexual relations between parents and their children. Even in Adam and Eve's times, the children could have relations among each other, but not with their parents.
33 When the LORD (Jesus) had finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
This is a beautiful view of the friendship that had developed between The LORD and Abraham. Abraham learned that he had the right to question God, just as we have the right today. Jesus said he calls us friends now (John 15:15) and God wants us to question Him, ask Him why He does what He does. God wants us to be close friends and to share happiness and sorrow together. God wants to be YOUR best friend, as He was with Abraham.
Genesis 19 "in the beginning" 19
THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM:
1 The same two angels came to Sodom that night. Lot was sitting near the city gate and when he saw them, he got up and proceeded to them and he bowed face down to the ground.
2 Then Lot said, "My lords (Adonai-not Yahweh), will you come to my house and spend the night. There you can wash your feet, and then tomorrow you may resume your journey." The angels said, "No, we will spend the night in the city square."
"house" Originally Lot lived in a tent outside the gates of Sodom, but by now he had moved into the city and a house. He had become part of city life, which God suggests here as polluted his mind.
3 Lot pleaded for them to come with him, so they agreed and went to his home. Lot then prepared a feast for them. He baked unleavened bread, and they ate it.
This is a Passover meal. Notice the foot washing, the unleavened bread than the term "feast." It is important to see that the feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover happened before Moses. It was already a feast of God that someday would be turned into the stories of the Exodus and ultimately of Jesus himself. The word "feast" here denotes a meal with wine. We have unleavened bread and wine!
4 Before going to bed, all the men both young and old and from every part of Sodom surrounded Lot's house.
5 They called to Lot, "Where are the two men who came home with you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them."
This is clearly homosexual sex with these men, which was an abhorant perversion of the Canaanites that God detested so much. See Lev 18:22-24 and 20:13-23.
6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him.
7 "No, my friends!" He said, "Do not do such an evil thing."
8 "Look! I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. I will deliver them to you, and you may do anything you desire with them. However, please don't do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them."
Here is the proof of Lot's pollution, from living in such a wicked city. His mind has itself become so corrupt that he is willing to allow his daughters to be raped instead of allowing the two men to be harmed. Lot had become corrupted.
9 The men encircling the house answered back, "Get out of our way!" Then they said to each other, "This one has come to our city as a visitor, and now he wants to tell us what to do!" They said to Lot, "We will do worse things to you than to them." They started pushing him back, and they lunged toward Lot to break down his door.
10 Just then the two angels that were staying with Lot opened his door and pulled him back inside the house, and then closed the door.
11 They struck those outside the door with a blinding light, so the men, both young and old, became blind and could not see to find the door.
12 The two angels said to Lot, "Do you have any other family in this city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or any other relatives? If you do, tell them to leave right now,
13 because we are about to destroy this city. The LORD (Hebrew: Yahweh)) who is named Jesus (אֵת -'eth)* has heard the outcry of the evil that is here, and He has sent us to annihilate it."
* Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))* see Gen. 1:1
* Jesus ( אֵת ('eth))* see Gen. 1:1
14 So Lot went out and said to his future sons-in-law who were pledged to marry his daughters, "Hurry and leave this city! The LORD (Jesus) is about to destroy it!" But they thought he was joking.
15 At dawn the next day, the angels begged Lot to hurry along. They said, "Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you so you will not be destroyed when the city is punished."
16 But Lot delayed, so the two angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hands, and led them safely out of the city. Therefore, the LORD (Yahweh) was merciful to Lot and his family.
The act of saving Lot was by divine grace, because of Abraham (see verse 29)
17 After they carried them out of the city, one of the angels said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Run to the mountains, or you will be destroyed."
Ironically Jesus tells us that during the tribulation, Christians are to do the same - Flee to the mountains! Luk 21:21
18 But Lot said to one of them, "My Lord (Adonai), please don't force me to go that far!
19 You have been merciful and kind to me and have saved my life. However, I can't run to the mountains. This disaster will overtake me, and kill me.
20 Look, the little town, over there, it's not too far away. Let us run there. It's really just a little town, and I'll be safe there."
21 The angel said to Lot, "Very well, I will allow you to go there. I will not destroy that town.
22 But run as fast as you can, because I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town." The town is named Zoar because it is little.
23 The sun had already come up when Lot entered Zoar.
24 The LORD (Yahweh) sent a rain of burning sulfur and ash down from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
25 and destroyed the cities. He also destroyed the whole Jordan Valley, everyone living in the cities, even all the plants.
26 At that point Lot's wife looked back. When she did, she became a pillar of salt.
The tradition is also noted in Duet 29:22) and really talks about the entire area being ruined by both salt and sulphur. The area before this destruction was lush and green, but after, like to this day, the land has been ruined by the destructive forces of God. Also the part about Lot's wife is often misunderstood. There are pillars of salt in the region that look like petrified people, but are not really people. Historians try to say that this story was just a fairy-tale attempt to describe how these pillars came to be. It does not! After the A-bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some reports described many people being consumed and turned into a pile (pillar) of dust. This is probably what is being described here.
27 At dawn, the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood before the LORD (Jesus),
28 and He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the Jordan Valley and saw smoke rising from the land, like smoke rising up from a furnace.
29 God (Elohim/Theos) destroyed the cities in the plain, but he remembered what Abraham had asked. Therefore, God saved Lot's life, but he destroyed the city where Lot had lived.
INCEST
30 Lot was afraid to continue living in Zoar, so he and his two daughters went to live in a cave in the mountains.
31 One day the older daughter said to the younger one, "Our father is old. Everywhere on the earth men and women marry, but there are no men around anywhere for us to marry.
32 Let's get our father drunk and sleep with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.
The implication here is that the girls knew their father would never agree to this. They had wrongly assumed that the end of the world just happened and that nobody was alive anywhere on earth. Sodom was the entire world that they knew, and out of ignorance thought that all the world was now destroyed. This could be because already at this time, people knew of the eventual wrath of God and the end of the world destruction that was coming to end all sin. The ancient Book of Enoch mentions this.
33 That night the two girls got their father drunk, and the older daughter went and had sex with him. However, Lot did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night, I had sex with our father. Let's get him drunk again tonight so you can go and have sexual relations with him too. In this way, we can use our father to have children to continue our family line."
35 So that night they got their father drunk once again, and the younger daughter went and had sexual intercourse with him. Again, Lot did not know when she came or went.
36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.
37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the ancestor of all the Moabite people who are still living today.
38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. He is the father of all the Ammonite people who are still living today.
According to the rabbis, Lot had four daughters, two of whom were married, and two betrothed. The two married daughters and their husbands, along with the two future bridegrooms, remained in Sodom and perished, leaving Lot with only two daughters after the destruction of the city (Gen. Rabbah 50:9; Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, ed. Higger chap. 25). In their depiction of the impregnation of Lot’s daughters by their father, the rabbis draw a distinction between the father and his daughters. The biblical story presents the daughters as the initiators and the active perpetrators of this act of incest: they ply their father with wine and lie with him, while their intoxicated father does not know when they lay down with him or when they rose. We would expect the rabbis to condemn the daughters’ actions and defend Lot, but the opposite is the case. The Rabbis portray the daughters in a favorable light, while Lot is indicted.
According to the midrash (Tanhuma, Vayera 12), Lot, from the outset, decided to dwell in Sodom because he wanted to engage in the licentious behavior of its inhabitants. His negative behavior comes to the fore when the townspeople mill about his door, demanding that he hand over the angels, and he instead offers his daughters to the mob. The Rabbis observe that a man usually allows himself to be killed in order to save his wife and children, while Lot was willing to allow the townspeople to abuse his daughters. In response to this, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Lot: By your life, the improper act that you intended to be done to your daughters will indeed be committed, but to you. This midrash sharply focuses the reversal between these two episodes. In the first event, in Sodom, Lot was ready to force his daughters, against their will, to engage in sexual relations with the townspeople. In contrast, in the second episode, which takes place after the upheaval of Sodom, Lot’s daughters engage in relations with their unwitting father. Consequently, these acts of incest are Lot’s punishment for his unseemly behavior. (Tanhuma, Vayera 12)
Genesis 20 "in the beginning" 20
Abraham and Abimelech
1 Abraham left Hebron and journeyed to southern Canaan where he remained for a short time between Kadesh and Shur. Then he moved to Gerar,
2 he told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar sent men to take Sarah.
Sarah is represented as being very beautiful even at 90 years old! Her husband was aware that this circumstance would attract the notice of the Egyptians. Sarah may have been blonde and blue eyed and really would stand out among the dark Egyptians.
3 God (Elohim/Theos) came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You're going to die because of the woman that you've taken is a married woman!"
As you can see, one of the Ten Commandments are in force here before Sinai!
4 But Abimelech had not had sexual relations with Sarah, so he said, "Lord (Adonai), would you annihilate an guiltless nation?
5 Abraham himself told me, 'This woman is my sister,' and she also said, 'He is my brother.' I am blameless. I did not know I was doing anything wrong."
This is extraordinary evidence here about the reality of the Bible. Mosaic Law (and Moses is writing this) forbade half sisters marrying half brothers, and if God was not behind this story telling Moses what to write, He would not want this fact included. The Ten Commandments, as you can see have always been, and will always be in force, but much of Mosaic code has been added after the original law. We see that original law is sometimes carries more weight than Mosaic Law when Jesus being asked about divorce says that it (divorce) was given by Moses and was not from the original earlier law! Jesus is making a legal argument here about precedence in law. The earlier law against divorce had more bearing in the New Covenant than did Mosaic Law.
6 Then LORD (Jesus) said to Abimelech in the dream: All right, I understand you did not understand what you were doing. So, I did not let you sin against me and touch her.
7 Give Abraham his wife back. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will not die. Nevertheless, if you do not give Sarah back, you and all your family will surely perish.
This is the first time the word "prophet" is used, coming from the Hebrew word "navi."
8 So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his officials and told them everything that had taken place in the dream. They were very fearful.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham to him and said, "What have you done to us? What wrong did I do against you? Why did you bring this evil to my kingdom? You should not have done these things to me.
10 What were you thinking that caused you to do this?"
11 Then Abraham answered, "I thought no one here in this place respected LORD (Jesus) and that someone would kill me to get Sarah.
12 And it is true that she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother.
13 When LORD (Jesus) informed to me to leave my father's house and wander in different places, I told Sarah, 'You must do a unusual favor for me. Everywhere we go, tell everyone that I am your brother.' "
14 Then Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. He also gave Sarah, Abraham's wife, back to him
15 and said, "Look around you at my land. You may live wherever you want."
16 Abimelech said to Sarah, "I gave your brother Abraham a thousand pieces of silver {25 pounds} to make up for any wrong that people may think about you. I want everyone to know that you are innocent."
17 Then Abraham prayed to LORD (Jesus), and LORD (Jesus) healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls, so they could have children.
18 The LORD (Jesus) had kept all the women in Abimelech's house from having children as a punishment on Abimelech for taking Abraham's wife Sarah.
Genesis 21
Isaac is born
1 The LORD (Jesus) remembered the promise that He made to Sarah.
The language of the historian seems designedly chosen to magnify the power of God as well as His faithfulness to His promise. It was God's grace that brought about that event, as well as the raising of spiritual children to Abraham, of which the birth of this son was typical [CALVIN].
2 Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This all took place at the time LORD (Jesus) promised it would.
3 Abraham named him Isaac, the boy to whom Sarah gave birth.
4 He then circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as LORD (Jesus) had ordained.
5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah said, "The LORD (Jesus) has made me laugh. Everyone who gets word about this will laugh with me.
Isaac means "He laughs"
7 Everyone thought that I wasn't capable to have a child, but even though Abraham is very old, I have given him a son."
8 Isaac grew, and when he was old enough to be weaned and eat food, Abraham gave a great banquet.
This is about three years of age at this time in history. This banquet could not be when the next thing in verse nine happened because Isaac was not born until Ishmael was about 13 years old. So about 10 years have went by from verse 8 and 9!
9 But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac, the son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave.
10 So Sarah said to Abraham, "Throw out this slave woman and her son. He should not inherit anything! My son Isaac should receive it all."
11 This troubled Abraham greatly because Ishmael was also his son.
12 However, God (Elohim- the Family of God) said to Abraham: Don't be troubled about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you. The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.
13 I will also make the descendants of Ishmael into a great nation too, because he is your son.
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a leather bag full of water. He gave them to Hagar and sent her away. Carrying these things and her son, Hagar went and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.
15 Later, when all the water was gone from the container, Hagar put her son under a shrub.
16 Then she went and sat down by herself a short distance away and thought, "My son is going to die, and I just cannot watch it!" She sat down and began to cry.
17 Then God (Elohim- the Family of God) heard the crying, and God's angel (Elohim- the Family of God) called out to Hagar from heaven and said: What is wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God (Elohim/Theos) has heard the boy crying.
18 Help him up and take him by the hand for I will make him a great nation.
19 Then LORD (Jesus) showed Hagar a well. She went to the well and filled her container with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 God (Elohim- the Family of God) was with the boy and he grew and lived in the desert. He became an archer.
21 He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother found a spouse for him in Egypt.
22 Then Abimelech came with Phicol, the head of his army, and said to Abraham, "God (Elohim) is with you in everything you do.
23 So make a vow with me here before The LORD (Jesus), that you will be fair with me and my children and my descendants. Be kind to me and to this land where you have lived as a stranger for I have been kind to you."
24 And Abraham said, "I swear."
25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about Abimelech's servants violently taken the well away.
26 Abimelech said, "I don't know who did it, you haven't told me about this until today."
27 So Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and cattle, and they made a covenant.
28 Abraham also put seven female lambs in front of Abimelech.
29 Abimelech asked Abraham, "Why did you put these seven female lambs by themselves?"
30 Abraham answered, "Please accept these seven lambs to show that you agree that I dug the well."
31 So that place was called Beersheba because they made a covenant to each other there.
32 After Abraham and Abimelech made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, went back to the land of the Philistines.
The first recorded peace treaty in the Bible! Beersheba means "Well of the oath."
33 He planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called on the LORD (Jesus), the everlasting God (Elohim- the Family of God).
There is no reason given to plant this tree. No fruit comes from it, and I doubt that Abraham was into the pagan ritual of tree-planting, that is still followed today. Perhaps it was for a shady spot.
34 And Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for a very long time.
Genesis 22 "in the beginning" 22
ABRAHAM'S GREAT TEST
One of the most important chapters in all of the Bible. Here the symbolism of all these events can only be understood when we read the New Testament and the death of Jesus for the sins of the world. The place they travel to is Moriah, which is the holiest site on Earth! It is here David saw the avenging angel and Solomon built God's Temple. It is here where the lambs were slain, and some scholars believe very close to the same area Jesus was slain as well. This event also probably took place during the time of Passover (The 14th of the first month).
1 After this God (Elohim- the Family of God) tested Abraham. God (Elohim- the Family of God) said to him: Abraham!
And he answered, "Here I am."
Test is the correct word and not tempt. God does not tempt (James 1:13) but he does test us to see what we are made of and to purify us. He was testing him to see how much faith he had in God. The faith here is that even if he killed Isaac, Abraham had to believe that God had the power to raise him again from the dead, as Jesus would be raised from the dead (Hebrews 11:19)
2 Then God (Elohim- the Family of God) said: Take your son, your only son Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will show you.
"For God gave his only begotten son." Here Isaac is symbolizing Jesus. Some theologians believe that Isaac was about 33 years old at the time and was not a young boy. Non-biblical tradition suggest this was the same year Sarah dies, but this cannot be proven in any way.
3 Abraham awoke early in the morning, bridled his donkey and took Isaac and two servants with him. After cutting wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God (Elohim- the Family of God) had instructed them to go.
The two servants represent the two thieves on the cross next to Jesus. The wood thrust upon Isaac's back symbolizes the wooden stake that Jesus had to carry to His own execution.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
The third day represents that after three days Jesus arose from the dead, and Isaac was also going to be made alive again by not seeing death.
5 He told his servants, "Stay here with the donkey. My son and I are going over there to worship, and afterward we will come back to you."
6 Abraham picked up the wood for the offering and gave it to his son to carry, and he carried the lighter and the knife. The two went on together.
Abraham is God the Father here in the symbolism. This shows us that God the Father was present with Jesus all the way to the place of the cross or stake. Again the reference to carrying the wood on his back. See John 19:17
7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
Can we imagine the words "Father, into thy hands I commit my life." One of the last words of the Savior on the cross.
Abraham answered, "Yes, my son."
Isaac said, "We have the lighter and the wood, but where is the lamb to sacrifice for the burnt offering?"
lighter rather than fire. They would not carry a fire, but some sort of a flint fire starter. The cigarette lighter of the day!
8 Abraham answered, "God (Elohim- the Family of God) Himself will be the lamb for the sacrifice, my son." So Abraham and his son went on together
I have changed the words here to a possible, yet most would say improbable wording that I feel represents the true nature of this scene. Abraham, under the Holy Spirit of God is giving the words to Abraham here in prophecy that YAHWEH was going to be the lamb HIMSELF!
9 and came to the place God had instructed him to go. Abraham built an altar there and he laid the wood on it, then tied up his son Isaac. Then laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham took his knife and was about to kill his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD (Jesus) called to him from heaven and said, Abraham! Abraham!
You will see from the next verse that this angel is really Jesus. Angel means messenger or even the word (logos)
Abraham answered, "Yes."
12 The angel said, Do not lay a hand on the boy or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you revere God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from Me.
A moving scene, but the reader must remember this solemn thought. God, both Jesus and the Father, did not have the heart to allow Abraham to kill his only begotten son, as the FATHER would later do himself concerning Christ! God did to themselves what they would not require Abraham to do. The true nature of the love of God to us all shines through so well in these few words.
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep and killed it. He offered it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was spared.
14 So Abraham named that place The LORD (Jesus) Provides. Even today people say, "On the mountain of the LORD (Jesus) it will be provided."
15 The angel of the LORD (Jesus) called out to Abraham from heaven a second time
16 and said, "The LORD (Jesus) says, 'Because you did not keep back your son, your only son, from Me, I make you this promise by My own name:
17 I will surely bless you and give you many descendants. They will be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, and they will capture the cities of their enemies.
18 Through your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.
Again the same two blessings are given again to Abraham, the TWO blessings are: One of Race, the other of Grace. Race = The promised land for the sons of Israel, Grace = The promise of the Messiah coming from the loins of Abraham.
From HWA: Notice now again how God first called Abram, and the twofold nature of His promises: "Now the Eternal 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: And I will make of thee A GREAT NATION. . . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3). Notice the twofold promise: 1) "I will make of thee A GREAT NATION" - the national, material promise that his flesh-born children should become a great nation - a promise of RACE; 2) ". . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" - the spiritual promise of GRACE. This same promise is repeated in Genesis 22:18: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." This particular "one seed" refers to Christ, as plainly affirmed in Galatians 3:8, 16.Right here is where those who profess to be "Christians" - and their teachers - have fallen into error and scriptural blindness. They have failed to notice the two-fold promise God made to Abraham. They recognize the messianic promise of spiritual salvation through the "one seed" - Christ. They sing the hymn Standing on the Promises - falsely supposing the promises to be going to heaven at death. This is a pivotal point. This is the point where professing "Christians" and their teachers jump the track of truth. This is the point where they switch off the track that would head them to the missing master key to the prophecies. They miss the fact that God gave Abraham promises of physical RACE as well as spiritual GRACE. But the plain fact that the "great nation" promise refers alone to race - not the "one seed" of Galatians 3:16, who was Jesus Christ the Son of Abraham and the Son of God, but to the plural, multiple seed of natural fleshly birth - is made certain by God's repetition of His promise in greater detail later.
Notice carefully! Understand these promises! "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Eternal appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly . . . . thou shalt be a father of MANY NATIONS. 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" (Gen. 17:1-5).
Notice, the promise is now conditional upon Abraham's obedience and perfect living. Notice, the "great nation" now becomes many nations - more than one nation. This cannot refer to the "one seed," Christ. The following verses prove that. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings [more than one] shall come out of thee" (verse 6). Notice, these nations and kings shall come out of Abraham - physical generation - multiple seed, not just one descendant through whom scattered individuals may become Abraham's children by spiritual begettal through Christ (Gal. 3:29). The scattered, individual Christians do not form NATIONS. The Church, it is true, is spoken of as "a royal priesthood, an holy nation" (I Peter 2:9), but Christ's Church is not divided into "many nations." This is speaking of race, not grace. "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations . . ." (Gen. 17:7). The "seed" is plural - "in their generations." "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan [Palestine], for an everlasting possession; and I will be THEIR God" (verse 8).
Notice, the land - material possession - is promised to the plural seed, of whom He is "their," not "his," God. The plural pronoun "their" is used again in verse 9: "and thy seed after thee in their generations."
But now examine this PROMISE carefully!
The future of great nations rests on the promises the eternal Creator made to Abraham. The only hope of life after death for anyone - regardless of race, color or creed - is dependent on the spiritual phase of these promises to Abraham - the promise of grace through the "one seed" - Christ the Messiah! SEE: Herbert W Armstrong: "The United States and Britain in Prophecy"
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.
20 After these things happened, someone told Abraham: "Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now.
21 The first son is Uz, and the second is Buz. The third son is Kemuel, the father of Aram.
22 Then there are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah was the mother of these eight sons, and Nahor, Abraham's brother, was the father.
24 Also Nahor had four other sons by his slave Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Genesis 23 "in the beginning" 23
Sarah Dies
It was briefly noted last chapter that there is a Jewish tradition taken from other books known to exist back in ancient times that Sarah died directly after the incident concerning Isaac in the last chapter. This is possible, but the Bible itself does not state so.
1 Sarah lived 127 years.
2 and she died in Kiriath Arba in Hebron, in Canaan. Abraham was devastated and cried because of her.
3 After a time of mourning, he got up from the side of his wife's body and went to talk to the Hittites. He said,
4 "I am an resident-alien and a foreigner here. Sell me some of your land that I can bury my wife."
"resident-alien" Is the actual Hebrew wording. It implies he is an alien in the land, but he is living there legally.
5 The Hittites answered back to Abraham,
6 "My lord (adonay), you are a mighty leader elected by God (Elohim- The God family) living among us. You may pick anyplace to bury your dead from our land. Take any of our cemeteries that you want, and none of us will stop you from burying your dead wife."
The Hittites understood that Abraham was very important to God and they weren't about to mistreat him or upset both him and God in any way. The Hittites call him Lord (or Sir) but notice Abraham does not address them that way! Abraham knows that he is the stronger and greater.
7 Abraham got up and bowed to the people, the Hittites
8 and he said to them, "If you really want to help me bury my wife here, please speak to Ephron, the son of Zohar for me.
9 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah near his field. I will pay him the full price. You can be the witnesses that I am buying it as a cemetery."
Tradition holds that Abraham, Issac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are buried there too! This became a national shrine to the ancient Israelites. The cave's location is known and under Jewish control today. The name means : "Cave of the Double tombs" implying both Abraham and Sarah are there.Nothing is known of the configuration of the burial cave, as entrance to it is forbidden. It has been suggested that it may originally have been a rock-cut shaft tomb, of the type common around 2000 B.C. Likewise, there is no knowledge of the mode of burial practiced by the patriarchs, except for the obvious fact that the cave was reused over several generations for successive burials. The massive Herodian walls that enclosed a large, rectangular open air temenos have remained intact. (Jamieson)
10 Ephron was sitting among the Hittites at the city gate. He answered Abraham,
11 "No, sir! I will give you the land and the cave. All of these people will be witnesses. Bury your wife."
12 Then Abraham bowed before the Hittites
13 and said to Ephron in front of all the people, "Please let me pay you the full price for the land. Take my money, and I will bury my dead there."
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
15 "Lord (or Sir), the land is worth ten pounds of silver, but I won't argue with you over the price. Take the land, and bury your dead wife."
16 Abraham agreed and paid Ephron in front of the Hittite witnesses. He measured out the full price, ten pounds of silver, and they counted the weight as the traders normally did.
17 So Ephron's field in Machpelah, east of Mamre, was sold.
18 Abraham became the owner of it, including the cave, and all the trees that were in the field. The sale was made at the city gate, with the Hittites as witnesses.
19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. Mamre was later called Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 So Abraham bought the field and the cave from the Hittites to use as a cemetery.
Genesis 24 "in the beginning" 24
Isaac and Rebekah
1 Abraham grew old, and the LORD (Jesus) had blessed him in everything.
2 Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was answerable for everything had, "Take a solemn oath and
Most likely Eliezer. "Put your hand under my thigh" has been translated take a solemn oath or vow, for that is the true meaning. Figuratively, it means, put your hand under my genitals, but if that is what they did literally or not, no one truly knows. Some say that it meant to put one's hand on the belt of the other.
3 make a promise to me in front of the LORD (Jesus), the God (Elohim-the God family) of heaven and earth. Don't take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites who live around here.
4 Instead, go back to my homeland, to the country of my relatives, and get there a wife for my son Isaac."
5 The servant replied, "What if the girl does not want to come back here with me? Should I take your son back to your homeland with me instead?"
6 Abraham replied, "No! Don't take my son back there!
7 The LORD (Jesus), the God (Elohim) of heaven, brought me from my father's home, the land of my relatives, and he promised me, 'I will give this land to your descendants.' The LORD (Jesus) will send his angel before you to help you get my son a wife there.
8 If the girl won't come back with you, you will be free from this oath. However, you must never take my son back there!"
9 So the servant took the solemn oath and made a promise to Abraham about this.
10 The servant took ten of Abraham's camels and left, carrying with him many kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to Mesopotamia, Nahor's city.
11 In the evening, he made the camels kneel down at the well, when the women come out to get water, outside the city.
12 The servant said, "LORD (Jesus), God (Elohim) of my master Abraham, help me this day. Show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the girls from the city are coming out to get water.
14 I will ask one of them, 'Please put your pitcher down so I can drink.' Then let her say, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels.' If this happens, I will know she is the right one you will choose for Isaac, and that you have shown kindness to my master."
See James 4:2
15 Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother. Rebekah was carrying her pitcher on her shoulder.
16 She was beautiful, and a virgin; she had never had sex with a man. She went down to the spring and filled her pitcher, then returned.
17 The servant ran to her and said, "Would you give me some water from your pitcher."
18 Rebekah said, "Drink, mister." She then hastily lowered the pitcher from her shoulder and gave him a drink.
19 After he finished drinking, Rebekah said, "I will also pour some water for your camels."
20 So she quickly poured all the water from her pitcher into the drinking trough for the camels. She returned repeatedly from the well until all the camels had enough to drink.
21 The servant watched her. He wanted to be sure the LORD (Jesus) had made his trip successful.
22 After the camels had finished drinking, he gave Rebekah a gold ring weighing one-fifth of an ounce and two gold arm bracelets weighing about four ounces each.
23 He asked, "Who is your father? Is there a place in his house for me and my men to spend the night?"
24 Rebekah replied, "My father is Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor."
25 Then she added, "And, yes, we have straw for your camels and a place for you to spend the night."
26 The servant bowed and worshiped the LORD (Jesus-Yahweh)
27 and said, "Blessed be the LORD (Jesus), the God (Elohim-the God family) of my master Abraham. The LORD (Jesus) has been gracious and honest to him and has led me to my master's relatives."
28 Then Rebekah ran and told her mother's family about what happened.
29 She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to Abraham's servant, who was still at the spring.
30 Laban had heard what she had said and noticed the ring and the bracelets on her arms. Therefore, he ran out to the well, and there was the man standing by the camels at the spring.
Laban noticed her gifts that most likely were very expensive and later on we learn that Laban is all about money!
31 Laban said, "Mister, don't stand outside, you are welcome to come in. I have prepared the house for you and also a place to bed your camels."
32 So Abraham's servant entered the house, unloaded the camels and gave them straw and food. He gave water to Abraham's servant, so he and the men with him could wash their feet.
33 Then Laban gave the servant food, but the servant said, "I will not eat until I have told you why I came." So Laban said, "Then tell us."
34 He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 The LORD (Jesus) has greatly blessed my master in everything, and he has become wealthy. The LORD (Jesus) has given him many flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels, and horses.
36 Sarah, my master's wife, gave birth to a son when she was old, and my master has given everything he owns to that son.
37 My master had me make a promise to him and said, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here.
38 Instead, you must go to my father's people and to my family. There you must get a wife for my son.'
39 I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?'
40 But he said, 'I serve the LORD (Jesus), who will send his angel with you and will help you. You will get a wife for my son from my family and my father's people.
41 Then you will be free from the oath. But if they will not give you a wife for my son, you will also be free from the oath.'
42 "Today I came to this spring. I said, 'LORD (Jesus), God (Elohim/Theos) of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful.
43 I am standing by this spring. I will wait for a young woman to come out to get water, and I will say, "Please give me water from your pitcher to drink."
44 Then let her say, "Drink this water, and I will also get water for your camels." By this I will know the LORD (Jesus) has chosen her for my master's son.'
45 "Before I concluded my prayer, Rebekah came out of the city with her water pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and got water. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'
46 She quickly lowered the pitcher from her shoulder and said, 'Drink this. I will also get water for your camels.' So I drank, and she gave water to my camels too.
47 When I asked her, 'Who is your father?' she answered, 'My father is Bethuel son of Milcah and Nahor.' I then put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms,
48 and I bowed my head and thanked the LORD (Jesus). I praised the LORD (Jesus), the God (Elohim- The God family) of my master Abraham, because he led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.
49 Now, tell me, will you be kind and truthful to my master? And if not, tell me so. Then I will know what I should do."
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is positively from the LORD (Jesus), and we better not hinder what must happen.
51 Rebekah is yours. Take her and go. Let her marry your master's son as the LORD (Jesus) has ordered."
52 When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed face down on the ground before the LORD (Jesus).
53 Then he gave Rebekah gold and silver jewelry and clothes. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.
54 The servant and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, the servant said, "Let me go, and return back to my master."
55 Rebekah's mother and her brother said, "Let Rebekah remain with us for at least ten days. Then she may follow you.”
56 But the servant replied back, "I can't wait, the LORD (Jesus) has made my trip successful. Now I must return to my master."
57 Rebekah's brother and mother said, "We will ask Rebekah and see what she wants to do."
58 They called her and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man now?" She said, "Yes, I do."
59 So they allowed Rebekah and her nurse to go with Abraham's servant and his men.
60 They blessed Rebekah and said:
"Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of people, and may your children capture the cities of their enemies."
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels and followed the servant and his men. Therefore, the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 At this time Isaac had left Beer Lahai Roi and was living in southern Canaan.
63 One evening when he went out to the field to ponder, he looked up and saw camels coming.
64 Rebekah saw Isaac as well. She dismounted from the camel
65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" The servant answered, "That is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.
66 The servant told Isaac everything that transpired.
67 Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, his mother, and she became his wife. Isaac loved her very much, he was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 25
ABRAHAM DIES. ESAU AND JACOB BORN
1 Abraham married again, and his wife's name was Keturah.
Here Keturah is named as a wife, but 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls her a concubine, which really implies that she was a second wife like Hagar. The implication is that she was married while Sarah was still alive. Some Jewish rabbis hold that Keturah was really Hagar with another name that returned to Abraham after Sarah died, but this view has no validity. The woman is "Arabic" of some sort, and along with Hagar, her children make up most of the other Arabic nations of the world today. It should be also noted again that in Biblical accounts, timelines are often somewhat jumbled. The verse does not say when Abraham married her, but we note that forty years prior to this time, he said he was too old to have children, leading some to conclude that he married her about the same time Hagar left the camp or soon after.
2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
I do not know of any definitive links to these names and particular tribes or nations today.
3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants are the people of Assyria, Letush, and Leum.
4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these are descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left all his possessions to Isaac.
6 But before Abraham died, he did give gifts to the sons of his other concubines, then sent them to the East to be away from Isaac.
concubines namely Keturah and Hagar.
7 Abraham lived to be 175 years old.
8 He died at an old age, after a long and wonderful life.
9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. Ephron was the son of Zohar the Hittite.
This shows that the two sons were in communication. Abraham is buried in the same cave that Sarah rested.
10 So Abraham was buried next to his wife Sarah in the field that he had purchased from the Hittites.
11 After Abraham died, God (Elohim-the God family) blessed his son Isaac. Isaac was living at Beer Lahai Roi.
12 This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham's son whose mother was Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.
13 These are the names of Ishmael's sons in the order they were born: Nebaioth, the first, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These were Ishmael's sons, and these are the names of the tribal leaders listed according to their nations.
17 Ishmael lived one 137 years and then died.
18 His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. They often made war with the children of his brothers.
19 This is the family history of Isaac, Abraham's son, for Abraham was Issac's father.
20 When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah, from Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel's daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac's wife was barren, so Isaac prayed to the LORD (Jesus) for her. The LORD (Jesus) heard Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.
22 While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside her. She asked, "Why is this happening to me?" Then she went to inquire from the LORD (Jesus).
23 The LORD (Jesus) said to her: Two nations are in your body, and two groups of people will be taken from you. One group will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.
24 When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins.
25 The first baby was born red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau.
Esau aka Edom. Esau may mean "hairy." He was red or red-haired and is the father of the Edomites. Edom is the Hebrew word for "red." The nation of Turkey is the modern day Edom.
26 When the second baby was born, he was grasping on to Esau's heel, so that baby was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
Jacob: This name sounds like the Hebrew word for "heel." "Grabbing someone's heel" is a Hebrew saying for tricking someone. Hence Jacob means deceiver.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became an accomplished hunter. He loved the outdoors, but Jacob was a quiet man and stayed at home.
28 Isaac loved Esau because he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating. Rebekah loved Jacob.
There is not a hint in the verses concerning Isaac that he was truly a godly man, or that he had any sense of what God was looking for in His leader to follow Him. Rebekah, on the other hand, saw the goodness of Jacob and understood that he was the one that God would want to lead the family. Also note that of the patriarchs, Isaac only has one wife and two children. Rebekah had these two sons as an answer to a prayer, but obviously remained barren for her lifetime. Isaac saw no need to have any other children as Abraham and Jacob did. This may mean something that is hidden from the reader, in which we must ponder about the meaning of the first command God gave to mankind, which was to be fruitful and have children.
29 One day Jacob was stewing a crock of lentil soup. Esau came in from hunting in the woods, famished with hunger.
30 So Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red lentil soup, because I am famished with hunger." This is why he is also called Edom.
31 Jacob replied, "Sell me your firstborn rights."
Usually the firstborn son had a high rank in the family. The firstborn son usually became the new head of the family and inherited everything.
32 "I am almost dead from hunger," Esau said, "If I die, all of my father's money won't help me anyway."
33 Jacob answered back, "First, promise me that you will give it to me." So Esau made a promise to Jacob and sold his part of their father's wealth to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetable soup, and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son.
The Armstrong view, which I held for many years made the claim that this was the blessing of Race not grace. Let's review the two blessings that were given to Abraham in chapter 12.
God promised two distinct blessings The first 1) RACE: That a descendant would become the greatest, wealthiest nation of all times. 2) GRACE: That one of his descendants would be the Messiah to take away the sins of the world. For years, I assumed that what Esau sold was his birthright (Race) and what Jacob stole was his blessing (Grace). It is the opposite!
What exactly is the birthright and blessing? The BIRTHRIGHT here is something different than it sounds. It was the right to inherit the place of spiritual head of the family. The one who received the birthright became the high priest of the family, leading them in the way of righteousness and love. So the birthright that Esau sold for a bowl of soup was the promise that one of his kids would be the Messiah. It meant nothing to him because there was no money in it. There was nothing in this blessing that Esau would ever realize, other than being the one who lead the “church.” That was not very pleasing to one who loved to hunt and roam free without any cares or responsibility. It also shows why God was so angry with what Esau did. God was going to make sure that he would never get the promise that he was really looking for, the promise of wealth and prosperity. This was the promise which included GRACE
The BLESSING in chapter 27 is the right to inherit physical wealth and power. It is not the blessing describing the promise of the messiah that Jacob bought for a bowl of soup. The promise in this case of becoming the richest greatest people that would ever live. Traditionally the BLESSING was given to the eldest son as a token of his significant position within the family. He was to become the leader of the family, especially the spiritual leader or patriarch of the family. It is in this blessing that the Messiah-ship is promised. Notice in chapter 27 verse 29 what this blessing was.”May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed." what blessing is taken away from him: “ May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed."
This isn't about the Messiah at all, it is about the promise we call RACE.
