Monday, March 4, 2024

March 4th - Ages Two and Three - From Adam to Noah - Genesis 1:2 to 7:24

The creation of Adam and Eve began Age Two. They only had one rule to obey in their garden paradise, they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

"Then Yahweh Elohim took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to serve it and to keep it. And Yahweh Elohim instructed the human, saying:  From every tree of the garden you may eat, yea eat.  But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you must not eat from it; for on the day you eat from it, to die you shall be dying." (Genesis 2:15-16)

The serpent deceived Eve into disobeying that rule. 

"...the serpent said to the women: Not to die shall you be dying; for Elohim knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be unclosed, and you will become like Elohim, knowing good and evil...So she took of its fruit and ate.  She also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate."  (Genesis 3:4)

The judgment for that first sin was severe. It included banishment from the garden paradise, hard work to survive, and a decaying process of their bodies which would end in death. The death process has passed through to all their descendants - we all die. 

"Because you hearkened to your wife's voice and ate from the only tree that I instructed you, saying you must not eat from it, cursed is the ground on your account...By the sweat of your brow shall you eat your bread, until you return to the ground, for from it were you taken.  For soil you are, and to soil you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19)

"Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and thus death passed through into all humanity..."
(Romans 5:12)

Death resulted from being denied access to another tree in that garden called the tree of life.

"Then Yahweh Elohim said:  Behold, human has become like one of Us in knowing good and evil.  Now lest they should stretch out their hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for the eon, Yahweh Elohim set him out of the garden of Eden to serve the ground from where he was taken." (Genesis 3:22-23)

After they were banished they had their first children, twins named Cain and Abel. 

"Now the human knew Eve his wife.  She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, saying: I have acquired a man through Yahweh. Then she proceeded to give birth to his brother Abel." 
(Genesis 4:1-2)

When grown Cain brought an offering of his crops to Yahweh which was rejected. Abel brought an offering of his flock and it was accepted. Cain got mad and murdered Abel. Banishment from the garden paradise and the murder of Abel ended Age Two.  

Eve later gave birth to another son and they named him Seth. He was born 130 years after the creation of Adam. The birth of Seth began Age Three. Over the next 1526 years humanity became a multitude of men and women who populated the earth. As humanity grew in number they became very evil.

"Yahweh saw that the evil of humanity was multiplying on earth, and every form of the devisings of its heart was surely evil all the day...So Yahweh said:  I shall wipe out humanity that I have created off the surface of the ground, from human unto beast, unto the creeper and unto the flyer of the heavens." (Genesis 6:5-7)

God brought a great flood upon the earth and with the exception of Noah and his family, humanity and most other animal life, died in that flood. Yet Noah is said to have found grace in the eyes of God.  The word "grace" means unmerited favor...

"Yet Noah, he found grace in the eyes of Yahweh."  (Genesis 6:8)

God instructed Noah to build a large boat, called the Ark, to save he and his family, and to preserve a male and female of land based animals and birds.

"Now behold, I Myself am about to bring a deluge of water on the earth to wreck all flesh under the heavens which has the spirit of life in it.  All that is in the earth, it shall decease. Yet I will set up My covenant with you..." (Genesis 6:17-18)

The judgment of the flood brought an end to Age Three.  The flood occurred 1656 years after the creation of Adam.

December 23rd - Merry Christmas Israel!

"For a Boy, He is born to us; a Son, He is given to us, and the Chieftainship shall come to be on His shoulder, and one shall call His ...