Presents the Tell
it like it is! series
of studies:
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
John 15:26
But when the
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,
which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John
16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
This Bible Study was originally written by Roger
Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/
Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.
Now here is our revised study of: Christopherson's Genesis 3.
"What really happened in the Garden of Eden"Just Tell it like it is!
Trees and a serpent are given
in this study to represent men.
God, in fact, calls Himself the Evergreen tree, or Fir tree in
Ezekiel 31:8.
To
understand what, and who this serpent in our study is,
we
turn to Revelation 20:2 to clear up
our understanding.
"And He
laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,"
So we see that it is Satan that
is the serpent.
Satan also has many other names, and in this final generation he will be known as "the Antichrist", and the "son of perdition".
II Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."
We will not see Christ's coming while we are in these flesh bodies.
However, we will see and live through, in the flesh, the one world system when Satan, the man of sin, also called the son of perdition comes to earth in person and is worshiped as God.
Satan comes at the sixth trump, whereas our Lord Jesus Christ returns at the seventh and last trump.
In the role that Satan will play very shortly as "the Antichrist", God will give him the keys or authority to rule the earth for a set period of time.
Jesus talked about this in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
We are also given in Revelation 12:9 the answer that takes all the mystery out of who the serpent of Genesis 3 is; "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
We will see this happen shortly.
Just as the "tree of Life" plays two rolls in the
beginning,
so also will Satan play two rolls.
Satan is present in the Garden of Eden, and he played the role of the "serpent", and the "tree of good and evil".
This word "serpent" in the Hebrew text is "Nachash", and is from the root word, # 5172 in Strong's Hebrew dictionary, "meaning to whisper a magic spell, a divine enchanter."
Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And He said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?"
Satan is "more subtil", and wiser then the ways of the world.
The word "beast" does not refer only to the animal world, but all living beings, including man.
When Satan asked the question to Eve, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" He was not asking the question for the sake of inquiring, but to draw her attention to the matter.
This was much like the method that the slick car salesman, or vacuum cleaner salesman uses in breaking down the resistance of the client. He uses the questions to force the person to agree with him. So, within the questions is the key to overcoming the mental barrier, and allowing half truths to be accepted, and twisted the mind of the person to accept a lie as the truth.
Satan's quotation of God, "Ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden?" is stated in the form of a lie, from what God actually stated in Genesis 2:16 and 17. The exception to "every tree" was, "...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat." That tree [man] is Satan.
This is Satan's first utterance in Scripture, and he knows from the start his opposition to God's word.
For it is God's Word in the first earth age that sentenced Satan to death, and that is where his name "son of perdition" comes from.
Satan is out to foul up the entire plan of God for the ages, which was to make way for the Christ child, whereby all of God's children can be drawn back to Him.
Genesis 3:2 "And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:"
Genesis 3:3 "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die'."
Satan [the serpent] started the misquoting when he changed the words of God from "the tree of good and evil", [which is Satan the only exception], to "fruit of the trees of the garden". Now we see Eve continues the misquoting of Scripture, and twisting God's Word to change the entire meaning. God said, "Thou shalt surely die."; where as in the confusion caused by Satan's twisting, Eve is showing her ignorance in her statement; "lest ye die". It sounds like Eve just bought a car, and a vacuum cleaner, or worse then that, Satan's lie.
Are we talking about eating fruit from trees, or even trees in this chapter?
No, We
are talking about symbols for people,
which
are represented as the trees.
We aren't talking about any literal snakes being present either!
Revelation 20:2 to clear up
our understanding.
"And He
laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,"
So we see that it is Satan that
is the serpent in the drawing above.
So get snakes and apples out of your mind!
Well enough said about snakes and apples!
Just tell your children the truth!
Live Link to- "Two Sowers of seed; both the good and the bad"
Adam's was good,Satan's was bad!
Now, back to the trees: When we look up the common word for "trees" in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary, we find the number # 6086. It reads; "ets, ates; from # 6095, stock tree, timber, wood." It is a common tree.
However the trees in the garden of Eden reads, # 6095. We read in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary; "Atsah, aw-tsaw, prime root, prop. to fasten (or make firm), i.e., to close (the eyes): shut." Under # 6095 Hebrew for trees in the garden) page 90 of Strong's Hebrew dictionary, the other reference to this is # 6096.The # 6096; "Atseh, aw-tseh, from 6095; the spine, (as giving firmness to the body):-backbone." This # 6096 "atseh" is the tree referred to in Genesis 3:3. In referring to the fruit of a tree, then, you are talking about children.All bodies of all mankind are made in the image of God, whether in the soul (celestial) angelic body like we had in the first earth age, or in the flesh and blood, physical (terestrial) body we possess in this earth age.
Though the appearance [image] is the same, the substance of our physical bodies are different from the soul bodies.
So we see that the warning to Adam and Eve specifically, was to stay away from Satan [called both the "serpent", and the "tree of good and evil"]. The fruit of that tree was not to be taken; and we know that the "fruit" as the results of a sexual relationship between any man and woman is a child. God's command was that Eve "not touch [lay with Satan]." So by reviewing the Hebrew text, we see that the order from God is that Eve was not to a have sexual union with Satan."
Genesis 3:4 "And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die:"
Satan, throughout the entire Scripture, has had that way about him. However, before we continue in Genesis, lets see what Paul and Jesus had to say on this matter.
We read in II Corinthians 11:1; "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me." The Apostle Paul is saying, I want to tell you what is really on my heart.
II Corinthians 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
"Espoused" is to cause one to become engaged. What is the subject and the object here?
The subject is "presenting you as a chaste virgin; while the object is loosing ones virginity.
II Corinthians 11:3 "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." In other words, you turn away from the simplicity of reading God's Word.
The word "beguiled" in the Strong's Greek dictionary is # 1818; "exapatao, ex-ap-at ah-o, from 1537 and 538, to seduce wholly, to beguile, deceive." In # 1537 we read; "ex, shows point of origin".
This verse has only one meaning, and that is not to be wholly seduced, and lose your virginity as Eve did.
So in the Greek text this verse would read; "I am afraid your going to lose your virginity as Eve did, who was wholly seduced by the serpent [Satan]."
Paul will say later in this chapter [verse 14], "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed [fashioned himself] into an angel of light." Upon Satan's arrival on earth very shortly, he will appear just as Jesus Himself will appear.
The word "transformed" in the Greek manuscripts is, "disguised" as an angel of light.
II Corinthians 11:4 "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
If someone preaches another Jesus; another message; a story of some apple on a tree, or any other Satanic type lie or distortion, then mark him well.
Or if they bring any child's play into God's House, or short cuts to the Gospel of Christ; Paul is saying that it seems to him that you swallow it wholly.
It seems also that the churches of today go hunting for someone to deceive them.
Paul is telling us that when you accept lies for what happened in the Garden of Eden, you are accepting an damnable lie.
We know that by accepting this lie, then you are thrown off the understanding of the true "parable of the sower".
There is no way you can understand any of the other parables in the Bible, if you do not understand what happened in the Garden of Eden.
II Corinthians 11:12 "But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we."
Paul is telling us that he is out to jerk the rug out from under these false teachers, to make them straighten up and teach the true Word of God.
II Corinthians 11:13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ."
They call themselves "apostles of Christ", but they are deceivers, and false apostles.
When ministers and teachers of the gospel preach another message, without letting their flock know exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden, they become liars and deceivers to their flocks.
II Corinthians 11:15 "Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
When Satan comes again, he will come disguised as Jesus Christ.
My fellow Christian, if you
do not know what happened in the Garden of Eden you will be fooled. Make sure you tell your children the Truth!
For Satan's kids, the "Kenites", the offspring through "Cain" of the sexual relations between Eve and Satan, are paving the road for you to accept Satan upon his [Satan's] arrival on earth in person.
Remember,
"touch" means "to lie with a woman".
Tell it like it is.
Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Satan is twisting God's Word and telling Eve, "your not going to die".
However, when she takes Satan to herself, just the opposite will happen.
Her eyes will be closed and her mind shut to the simplicity of God's word. "Knowing" and "evil" are enlightenment in the wrong way.
Genesis 3:6 "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Satan is the most beautiful created being that God ever created. Ezekiel 24 tells us that Satan was the most beautiful tree to be desired. Eve took of that fruit of Satan, which is another way of saying that she lost her virginity through the sex act, and Adam also played the game with Eve and Satan.
Genesis 3:7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."
Once this sin was committed, their eyes were open to wickedness, but closed to truth.
Think on this!
Jesus told us to learn the "parable of the fig tree" in three of the gospels.
This warning is given in Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:28, and Luke 21:29; yet most churches of today are completely ignoring God's warning, and following after fairy tales the Kenites are teaching them.
Adam
and Eve are in a fig orchard, and not an apple orchard.
Do you think that they made
little aprons from the apple tree leaves to cover their mouths because
they ate a bad apple?
How silly can you get!
Yet this is the type of ignorance being preached from most pulpits today.
Adam and Eve made aprons out of fig leaves to cover their private parts, for their sin was the sex act with Satan.
Once this sinks into your mind, then you will start to understand the truth that is winding through the entire scriptures.
You will see why it was important to the Kenites that you believe a lie, for this lie allows them to virtually take over the duties of the scribes [I Chronicles 2:55].
These Kenites, or sons of Satan, took control of the interpretation of the words that God spoke to His children through the prophets coming out of the Babylonian captivity.
Note: We'll take a short side trip to tell you about The work of the Massorites from 410-300 B.C.
This is why Ezra and Nehemiah did what they did to set the Text in order after coming out of Babylon, To build a fence to the Scriptures to safeguard the Sacred Text, by locking all the words and letters in their places so as to prevent future tampering with the Word of God. The final result is the Massorah which was later accumulated and copied from every available MS. in the libraries of many countries by Dr. C. D. Ginsburg and is used in the Companion Bible to point out translation errors that affect serious understanding of the Text.
The Massorah.
This Is Appendix 30 From The Companion Bible.
All the oldest and best manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible contain
on every page, beside the Text (which is arranged in two or more
columns), a varying number of lines of smaller writing, distributed
between the upper and lower margins. This smaller writing is called
the Massorah Magna or Great Massorah, while that in the side
margins and between the columns is called the Massorah Parva or
Small Massorah.
The illustration given below is a reduced facsimile of a Hebrew
Manuscript (16.25 x 12.375), written in a German hand, about the
year A.D. 1120.
The small writing in the margins in this particular Manuscript is
seen to occupy seven lines in the lower margin, and four lines in the
upper; while in the outer margins and between the three columns is
the Massorah Para.
The word Massorah is from the root masar, to devliver something
into the hand of another, so as to commit it to his trust. Hence the
name is given to the small writing referred to, because it contains
information necessary to those into whose trust the Sacred Text was
committed, so that they might transcribe it, and hand it down
correctly.
The Text itself had been fixed before the Massorites were put in
charge of it. This had been the work of the Sopherim (from saphar,
to count, or number). Their work, under Ezra and Nehemiah, was to
set the Text in order after the return from Babylon; and we read of it
in Nehemiah 8:8 1 (compare Ezra 7:6,11). The men of "the Great
Synagogue" completed the work. This work lasted about 110 years,
from Nehemiah to Simon the first, 410-300 B.C.
The Sopherim were the authorised revisers of the Sacred Text;
and, their work being completed, the Massorites were the authorised
custodians of it. Their work was to preserve it. The Massorah is
called "A Fence to the Scriptures," because it locked all words and
letters in their places. It does not contain notes or comments as such,
but facts and phenomena. It records the number of times the several
letters occur in the various books of the Bible; the number of words,
and the middle word; the number of verses, and the middle verse;
the number of expressions and combinations of words, etc. All this,
not from a perverted ingenuity, but for the set purpose of
safeguarding the Sacred Text, and preventing the loss or
misplacement of a single letter or word.
This Massorah is not contained in the margins of any one
Manuscript. No Manuscript contains the whole, or even the same
part. It is spread over many Manuscripts, and Dr. C.D. Ginsburg has
been the first and only scholar who has set himself to collect and
collate the whole, copying it from every available Manuscript in the
libraries of many countries. He has published it in three large folio
volumes, and only a small number of copies has been printed. These
are obtainable only by the original subscribers
When the Hebrew Text was printed, only the large type in the
columns was regarded, and small type of the Massorah was left,
unheeded, in the Manuscripts from which the Text was taken.
When translators came to the printed Hebrew Text, they were
necessarily destitute of the information contained in the Massorah;
so that the Revisers as well as the Translators of the Authorised
Version carried out their work without any idea of the treasures
contained in the Massorah; and therefore, without giving a hint of it
to their readers
This is the first time an edition of the Authorised Version has been
given containing any of these treasures of the Massorah, that affect
so seriouly the understanding of the Text. A vast number of the
Massoretic notes concern only the orthography, and matters that
pertain to the Concordance. But many of those which affect the
sense, or throw any additional light on the Sacred Text, are noted in
the margin of The Companion Bible.
Some of the important lists of words which are contained in the
Massorah are also given, videlicet, those that have the
"extraordinary points" (Appendix 31); the "eighteen emendations"
of the Sopherim (see Appendix 33); the 134 passages where they
substituted Adonai for Jehovah (see Appendix 32); and the Various
Readings called Severin (see Appendix 34). These are given in
separate Appendixes; but other words of any importance are
preserved in our marginal notes.
Readers of The Companion Bible are put in possession of
information denied to former generations of translators,
commentators, critics, and general Bible students.
For futher information on the Massorah see Dr. Ginsburg's
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, of which only a limited edition
was printed; also a small pamphlet on The Massorah published by
King's Printers.
NOTE
1 The Talmud explains that "the book" meant the original text;
"distinctly" means explaining it by giving the Chaldee paraphrase;
"gave the sense" means the division of words, etc. according to the
sense; and "caused them to understand the reading" means to give
the traditional pronuciation of the words (which were then without
vowel points).
For More Pictures of Hebrew Manuscripts Click Here!
Now, back to our study. Sorry for the long side trip.
I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchatites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."
The sons of Levi were to be the priests and the keepers of God's house. The Levitical priests were to carry out the duties of the sacrifices, as well as the teachers of the Temple, and the recorders and keepers of God's instructions to His people.
These Kenites are not of God, but of that sexual union between Satan and Eve.
They are the offspring of Cain, and the oriental woman [from the land of Nod] that he took to wife.
The Kenites are not of Abraham, nor are they of Judah, but of their father Rechab, of the lineage of Cain, from the land of Hemath.
Strong's Hebrew dictionary classifies these Kenites under # 7014 and 7017. #7014 states: "Qayin, kah'-yin; the same as 7013 (with the play upon the affinity to 7069); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe:-Cain, Kenites."#7017; "Qiyniy (I Chronicles 2:55), kee-nee'; patron. from 7014, a Kenite or member of the tribe of Kajin: Kenite."
The Kenites are not members of the tribe of Judah or any other tribe of Israel, but from the tribe of Kajin.
Are you a Israelite?
Be thoughtful before you answer.
(Maybe you only think you're
a Gentile!)
The Kenite is not of the seed of Abraham, but they have assumed the role of the Levitical priests because the Israelites allowed them to sit in the seat of Moses and teach their traditions instead of God's Word.
When you come to the understanding of what took place in Eden, then you will understand the "parable of the sower and fig tree" which is the key to most of the prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments. To this day, fig leaves symbolize that which is hidden.That thing hidden within Eve's womb was an evil thing.
It turned out to be Cain, who was the first murderer, because his father was a murderer and a liar.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden."
Genesis 3:9 "And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, "Where art thou?"
Genesis 3:10 "And he said, "I heard Thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Genesis 3:11 "And He said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"
God Himself walked and talked with this first man of the Garden of Eden. Adam had the glory, and mercy of contact with almighty God.
God loved Adam so much that He formed this special garden just for him and his wife Eve.
The law that existed at that time consisted of only one thing;
"Don't eat of that one tree".
Don't mess around with Satan.
Satan knew God's plan, that the Christ would come through the womb of Eve, and Satan was out to destroy that plan of God's.Satan wanted to destroy the seed of the woman, meaning "Christ".
Satan tried to see to it that the lineage of Christ would become polluted, and that the promised Messiah would be unable to give Himself for the perfect sacrifice, so that men and women could be brought back to the Father, our God.
We see in the sixth chapter of Genesis that Satan tried again to destroy the plan of God, when he sent his fallen angels to destroy woman again.The results of that try by Satan was the creation of hybrids [the Nephilim, or Giants].
Genesis 3:12 "And the man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."
Adam is trying to put the blame for his actions and sin on his wife.
We see that not much has changed in the past six thousand years. Adam was responsible because it was he that was placed in charge, and given instruction to not mess around with Satan.
Genesis 3:13 "And the Lord God said unto the woman, "What is this that thou hast done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."
This is the same reason that Paul used in his concern about the end generation.
He worried that the Church, or body of Christ would not understand that the false-christ will come disguised as the true Christ.
They would rather hear and believe fairy tales then the truth of God's Word.
Are you ashamed to talk about what happened in the garden of Eden with a friend or with your own children?
If you are, my fellow Christian, you have serious problems for you are living in a time when all prophecy of this age will come to a conclusion, and you will be deceived as Eve was.
And your own children will never learn the truth until Christ returns, and then it will be too late; Christ will find they will have already worshiped Satan, believing he was Christ!
Eve had intercourse with Satan and lost her virginity.
From that union came Cain, the father of all Kenites.
Learn the truth.
Genesis 3:14 "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, "Because thou hast done this, [Done what! fed Eve a apple!] thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:"
This is God speaking to Satan.
God is cursing Satan above all living creatures.
This is a figure of speech, meaning you are the lowest thing of all creation. Now God continues to speak to the serpent [Satan].
Genesis 3:15 "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman [Eve], and between thy seed [the Kenites] and her Seed [Jesus Christ]; It [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan's] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise His [Christ's] heel."
Eve's seed is our Lord Jesus Christ.
While Satan's seed are the children, to the last generation, called the Kenites.
Those offspring are born from the sexual union between Eve and Satan [the serpent, i.e. the tree of good and evil].
God is telling us that He will put trouble between Eve's children [through Adam and Seth], and Satan's offspring through Cain, called the Kenites.
It is Jesus Christ that shall bruise the head of Satan, at Christ's return at the second advent; while it was Satan's children the Kenites, [not brother Judah] that bruised the heel of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.This was done when the spikes were driven through Christ's heel, as He hung on the cross to pay the full price for our sins, once and for all.
Most "men of God" acknowledge that Genesis 3:15 is talking about the death of Jesus Christ, when He was nailed to the cross for our sins.They recognize that "seed" is referring to the children of the woman "Eve", yet somehow they just want to spiritualize everything else that happened in the Garden of Eden between Eve and the two men [Satan and Adam].
The "seed" in the Hebrew is called "zirmah", and in the Greek it is "sperma". We in the English call it "sperm", and in Strongs Hebrew Dictionary # 2233; "Posterity, carnally, child, fruitful".
It can't be any clearer.
The seed of Satan's "posterity" are the "Kenites", while Adam's posterity is in Christ, and of the pure bloodline through Seth to the virgin Mary the mother of Jesus, .
Until you understand what really took place in the Garden of Eden, and why; it will be difficult for you to grow up and mature in the Word of God, and in true Christianity.
Genesis 3:16 "Unto the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
This is God's instruction to the woman.
Did God say that He would give Eve a tummy ache for eating too many apple seeds?
No; the word in any language that you translate it in, is "conception". To "conceive" is to be impregnated with a child.
This places the woman's position in the home under the man.
You may say, well, did Jesus teach that?
Just the asking of the question alone reflects your understanding of God's Word.
Turn to Matthew 13, and see what Jesus said about what happened in the beginning.
Jesus is answering His disciples, and telling them that if you don't understand this [the parable of the sower] you are not going to understand any of My parables.
Live Link to- The parable of the sower and the parable of the tares
Remember how Jesus told the "Parable of the sower"; how the good man planted the seed, and the enemy came in the night and planted another seed.
That enemy was Satan, and as we are seeing in Genesis 3, he planted the bad seed in Eve.
That is why God put enmity between the "Kenites" [Satan's seed], and Jesus Christ, and caused the Kenites to kill the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
After Jesus told his parable of the sower, His disciples asked Him why He always talked in parables in public.
Then in Matthew 13:11 Jesus answered.
Matthew 13:11 "He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of heaven, but to them it is not given".
God simply does not want these scribes and Kenite Jewish leaders to understand.
They are the negative part of God's plan.
In Matthew 13:37 Jesus is going to explain to the disciples the "parable of the sower" [fig tree]; "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;"
"The Son of man" as it is used here is in reference to Adam, and not Christ [per reference from the Hebrew Massorah text].
Jesus is not speaking in parable here, but explaining one.
Matthew 13:38 "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;"
The "world" is this place we live in and walk on in this earth age, and we see here we are not talking about apple seeds.
The "tares" are the children of the wicked one who is Satan. Those children are called Kenites.
Matthew 13:39 "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."
The "devil" is known by many names,
such as the "tree of good and evil", and the "serpent" here in Genesis 3, but he is Satan.
Though many would like to separate the good and the bad seed now, Jesus is telling us that that is the job of the angels.
Matthew 13:40 "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world."
If you do not understand what happened in this parable, then you will be ignorant of who the Kenites [the tares] really are.
This will leave you open to the deceptions that are covering the earth in these final days,
and you will be taken up by them.
Satan's kids, the
Kenites, infiltrated the religious ranks of the Jewish leaders in
Babylon
[I Chronicles 2:55, and Ezra 2:43-65],
and today they have infiltrated the Christian ranks of the Church
leadership.
Genesis 3:17 "And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat of it:' cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;"
God reminded Adam that he partook of Satan also.
Satan can appear to man in the flesh as he wishes to appear.
God
gave Adam and Eve only one law,
and that was to stay away from Satan.
When the sweat pours on your forehead, while painting, working the garden, or at work, you can thank father Adam.
Genesis 3:18 "Thorns also and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;"
We're to work by the sweat of our brow to feed our family.
Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
This verse paints a bleak picture
for mankind,
and the destination of the body that our soul is housed in,
is the dust of the earth that it is made of.
Genesis 3:20 "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living."
Is this going against the idea of God creating all races on the sixth day of creation?
Not at all.
Satan knew it was through the womb of this woman Eve, and her daughters to come, that the Messiah would drive his [the devil's] head to the pit, and then to ashes; and destroy him.
It was woman that Satan wanted to destroy.
Therefore through Eve and her daughters down to Mary that would come "Christ."
The word "living" here is looking forward
to the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
For if you are not
Christ's, then you are not in the "living",
but in Satan.
Satan is death.
Only in Jesus Christ, and in His name can you or any one of any race have eternal life.
Genesis 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them."
This is the first blood sacrifice,
given to cover them and protect them in the shame of their sin.
Adam and Eve used fig
leaves to hide their shame,
however,
here it is God
that makes the sacrifice to cover the sin.
Our protection for living in this final generation is found in Ephesians 6:10-20.
That protection is the armor of God that we must use to fight the spiritual battle of these end times.
That battle is not of guns and bullets, but it is fought with words and concepts.
It is a spiritual battle with
demons and things not seen with the eye,
for it will be fought with doctrines and ideas on the battlefield of
your mind.
Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God said, "Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:-"
This is the documentation that the "Tree of Life" is Jesus Christ.
The price
that had to be paid first was Jesus Christ's death on the
cross,
then after the shedding of His blood,
all mankind can take freely of Him and have eternal life.
Only by the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was God come to live with us for a short while in a terrestrial body like ours. And through His living as a man, then sacrificing His life on the cross, and rising again from the dead, could eternal life be offered to mankind.
Genesis 3:23 "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken."
God's
purpose for Adam,
from the beginning was for Adam to till the ground [Genesis 2:5].
Because
of Adam's and Eve's sin,
God took them out of the paradise of Eden,
and brought them to a place where he could not till the ground.
Genesis 3:24 "So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
The "way" is the path that the Christ, the "Tree of Life", would come by. That path was through the womb of Eve, and her daughters of pure pedigree down to Mary, but it took a flood, Noah's Flood, to preserve the pure pedigree.
It is the Cherubim's that would ultimately protect that way, with the "flaming sword" which is God's word, from the onslought of fallen angels, who came to earth to breed with woman, and destroy all woman, Eve's seed.
This is what caused the flood of Noah's time, as God said in Genesis 6:7.
Genesis 6:8 we read; "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Why?
Genesis 6:9; "These are the generations of Noah: [This is Noah's family tree, history]. Noah was a just man and perfect in generations,"
Noah's perfections "perfect in generations" in the original Hebrew text is "Tamim", and means "without blemish as to pedigree".
"Tamim" is a technical word for bodily
and physical perfection, and not morality;
Hence
it is used of animals of "sacrificial
purity".
Genesis 6:9 does not
speak of Noah's moral perfection,
but tells us he and his family alone preserved their pedigree to keep
it pure, in spite of the deceptions and pressures by the
fallen angels and their offspring to destroy the "way of the Tree of
Life" [Christ] from coming into the world.
Those people [the Kenites} will rob you even of your living [through usury] if you allow it.
However even more dangerously, they will infiltrate into your denominations and interpret God's Word into their tradition and false doctrines, which in these days will cause you to be deceived.
American Wisdom Series Editor's Note:: We are going to stop here in our "In the Beginning Study" to review some commentary from chapter 3 in an earlier study we published on the the first 11 chapters of Genesis. I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these 2 authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that took place at the start of God's creation of our universe may prove helpful in your understanding of the beginning of both the first and the second earth ages Because if you don't understand what happened in the beginning you will not understand the remainder of Scriptural teaching
OK, it is now time to "grow-up" and mature in the Word of God. Who is this serpent who was more subtle, meaning wise, than any other living, created being, human or otherwise, in the garden? ... a literal "snake" standing upright like we see in the Bible story books? Please!Genesis Genesis 3:1
Chapter 3
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Perhaps when we first begin reading the Bible and have only gotten to chapter 3 of Genesis, we might not be quite sure who this serpent is. But if we read the whole Word of God, there can be no doubt who he is and what he looks like.
That "old serpent" in the garden was Satan himself, not disguised as a snake, but the creep is a "snake", in the figurative sense, of course! I've done business with some snakes before and they really are cunning and conniving.Rev. 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Anyway, this old serpent has perpetuated a lie, a tradition, about the "snake" and the "apple" long enough. It is his plan to deceive a Biblically ignorant people with such trot, "because it ministers to the acceptance of his lie, the hiding of God's truth, the jeers of the infidel, the opposition of the critics, and the stumbling of the weak in faith." (Companion Bible, appendix 19, last paragraph.)
Again in Revelation 20 we see who that serpent was. He is to be bound during the millennium for 1000 years.
The apostle Paul also made it clear who this serpent was in 2 Cor. 11:3:Rev. 20:2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
The Greek word for "serpent" is ophis, which means "an artful, malicious person; (figuratively a snake).2 Cor. 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Satan was beautiful and charismatic and charming, truly a glorious "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).
Let's repeat Gen. 3:1.
Notice that Satan is about to tempt Eve with God's Word. He is quoting God! Remember he tempted Christ in the wilderness with God's Word. It is his MO, his greatest method of deception. By misquoting and twisting the scriptures and causing people to believe the "letter" of what is written, instead of the "truth" of what is written, he is able to perpetuate mass deception on an uninformed populous.Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Eve knew that she and her husband could freely partake of all the trees created for food. She also knew that there was a special set aside "tree", in a specific geographical location (in the midst of the garden), that they had better stay away from.[2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Satan has now brought into question the Word of God. So Eve, in her reply, omits the word "freely" (preceding 'eat thereof'), adds the words "neither shall ye touch it", and alters the certainty "thou shalt surely die" into a contingency "lest ye die".[3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Satan now contradicts the Word of God and tells the first of many, many lies, for he is the father of lies (John 8:44).[4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Next we'll go back and spend some time on verse 3, documenting the true identity of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", who dwelled in the midst of garden. We will also examine the Hebrew origin of the word translated "touch", because there is about to be a seduction in the fig grove. Let's talk about TREES.
Trees are used throughout the Bible to symbolize people, including the children of God, Satan, Jesus Christ and even God the Father, who likens Himself to an "evergreen" fir tree in Hosea 14:8.
So before we go any further in the Word of God we must learn to tell the difference between a "tree" and a "person", between a tree trunk and the trunk of a person's body, between tree limbs and human limbs, between the branches of a vine and the people they represent. It is in fact, with just a little observation, very easy to make these distinctions. (Live Link)to-Let's talk about TREES.
It would serve a person well to do a study of trees in the Bible, for there are many passages where trees are used symbolically to represent people. You could start by reading the account of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter four of Daniel and the interpretation thereof. It is a great example of "tree symbology".
However, we will focus on identifying the "trees" in the garden of Eden. The following passage from the Book of Ezekiel will document without refute, not only that trees are used symbolically in the Bible to represent people including Satan, but specifically those persons present in the garden of Eden!
The Hebrew word for "Assyrian" used here is te'ashshur and it means "a box tree". It represents Satan, a plain old box cedar who wants to become the greatest tree of all, as we will see in a few verses.Ezekiel 31:3-12
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
You should start to get the sense that we are not talking about actual trees. Verse 10 of this same chapter shows that this "tree" exalted himself above all the others. Let's keep reading.[4] The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.[5] Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
Wow! That must be some giant tree, with a shadow big enough for all great nations to dwell under![6] All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
No tree (person) in the garden of God could compare in beauty to this one. Trees = people. Again, this is not difficult at all.[7] Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.[8] The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
Of course trees can't envy other trees, nor do they have the brains to know the difference between good and evil! These are characteristics of people, not trees. The trees are symbolic. Remember, trees = people.[9] I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
Can you now "see" that Satan is referred to as a "tree" in the garden of Eden? Remember, aside from the trees created for food, there are two specific trees mentioned there: 1) the tree of life, and 2) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
It is ironic that no one seems to have a problem with the "tree of life" symbolizing Jesus Christ.
But when we say that the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", i.e. the tree with evil knowledge, is Satan, that old serpent, the devil, they go "bonkers" and say, "No, it's an apple tree!" Be assured! The word "apple" does not appear in the entire Book of Genesis.Rev. 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Let's now examine what Eve told that "glistening one", Satan, in the garden:
Eating physical food, nuts and fruits, is OK. Eating spiritual food (good fruit) fron the "tree of life", is great!Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But it is spiritual food (bad fruit) that can kill your soul. Don't you see that "life" is the subject in verse three? The consequence of eating "bad fruit" from a corrupt tree is "lest you die", i.e. death!
You can eat all the "bread" you want, but you better partake of the "bread of life" if you want to live forever.Christ is that "bread".He is that "tree of life". If you eat of the "leaven" of the scribes and Pharisees, you'll die. It's bad bread! Beware! Here is Christ's own words:
Christ said, "get your mind off of physical bread and elevate your thinking to that which is important, i.e. beware of the poison leaven of the bread of the scribes and Pharisees".Matthew 16:11
How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?Matthew 16:12
Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
The same thought process must apply here to the trees in Genesis or you'll miss the point.
But, you ask, if the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is in the midst of the garden, is Satan, what is the fruit spoken of here?Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
It is real simple. Fruit is that which is "produced" by a tree. Here is what Christ said:
Question! Is Christ talking about trees or people? Good, you've got it!Luke 6:43-44
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [44] For every tree is known by his own fruit...
So the instruction to Adam and Eve is quite simple, "Do not partake of the fruit produced by the evil, corrupt, tree, which is in the midst of the garden!" In fact, don't even "touch" it, lest ye become seduced.
Finally, as background to understand that which is about to happen in the fig grove, look up the Hebrew word that is translated "touch" in verse 3. The word is naga and it means not just to "lay the hand upon" but it is an euphemism for "to lie with a woman". Check it out in a Strong's concordance.
H5060
рвт
na?ga?
naw-gah'
A primitive root; properly to
touch, that is, lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically,
to
lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively
to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):
- beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh),
get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.
Let's continue now in Genesis, repeating verse four, Satan's first lie:
It is their "spiritual eyes" that will be opened! Again, we are not talking about eating apples that wake you up in the morning.Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:[5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
When is the last time you saw a tree and said to yourself, "you know self, if I eat the fruit from this tree it will instantly make me wiser. I'll bet these are some kind of smart apples".[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
No, that which just took place in verse 6 of Genesis 3, is not the chomping of an apple from a fruit tree. There has been a seduction, the truth of which has been hidden for a long time to those who don't know their trees, to those who have allowed the deceptive stories of the traditions of men to blind their eyes, that in seeing they don't see and in hearing they don't hear.
Their spiritual eyes were opened all right! But why in the world do they now "know they're naked"? You will find it is because of the SHAME they have brought upon themselves, for disobeying God, yes, but in a much more perverted way than biting bad apples.[7] And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
"And they sewed aprons together...". Do you suppose these were itty bitty little aprons that they sewed together to cover their mouths because they just ate bad fruit? The stupidity of tradition!
Uh oh! There's big trouble in the garden! Adam and Eve hear their Father coming! And now that they know good and evil, they know what's coming is not going to be good![8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
I'd hide too!
When we last left Adam and Eve they were hiding from the LORD God who was walking in the garden. They had been in the fig grove with the "tree who had evil knowledge". They were naked and unashamed when they went in, but they were naked and ashamed when they came forth. Why?
Satan had beguiled Eve, which is to say, he totally, wholly seduced her. That is why the apostle Paul would say in his second letter to the Corinthians, that he had espoused them (the church) to one husband, and he wanted to present them as chaste virgins to Christ. But he was fearful that they would become "spiritually" seduced, even as Eve was "physically" seduced by the serpent. You see, Eve was a chaste virgin before Satan seduced her.
The subject is virginity.2 Cor. 11:2-3
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Has your mind been corrupted with fairy tale stories about "apples" and "snakes standing upright"? Or do you have the eyes to see and ears to hear the simplicity that is in Christ and His Word?[3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
You must look up the word "beguiled" for yourself in Strong's concordance or a Greek dictionary. The word is exapatao and it means "to seduce wholly". Check it out.
G1818
??????????
exapatao?
ex-ap-at-ah'-o
From G1537 and G538; to
seduce wholly: - beguile, deceive.
You will also find later on, in verse 15, that God will put enmity between Satan's seed and Eve's seed, meaning their offspring, i.e. Satan's children and Eve's children. That which has transpired here is explained, in "simplicity", by the greatest teacher of all time, the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you believe Him or hang on to the apple tree?
In Matthew 13, Christ spoke several parables. Do you know why He spoke in parables? Do you think it was to make things obvious to the crowd He was addressing?
Hey, what do you know, here are the disciples asking Jesus the exact question we were thinking of!Matthew 13:10-13
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Did we read that correctly? It was not meant that everyone should understand Him?[11] He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Yep, we read it correctly. Unless you have eyes to see, and ears to hear, you will not understand the parables of Jesus. Let's test your spiritual senses. Christ gave this parable in Matthew 13. It is the Parable of the Tares. Read it carefully and then Christ Himself will explain it in detail.[12] For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.[13] Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
After Christ speaks another parable, we learn that He is actually uttering things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Do you want to learn a secret?Matthew 13:24-30
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Now look what happens!Matthew 13:35-36
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
The crowd is gone! The disciples come to Jesus, in private, and ask Him to explain the Parable of the Tares, the one we just read. Would you also like to ask Him to explain it to you? Then go for it![36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
Here is the simple explanation, from the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Parable of the Tares, to those who have been granted or have asked Him for eyes to see and ears to hear. Remember, this information, hidden from the foundation of the world, is not available to all. Blessed indeed is he or she that understands.
Christ's simple explanation:
The field is the world? Wow! This really is simple.Matthew 13:37
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; (Jesus)[38]The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Satan)
The tares are children of Satan? He has children? He has children!
Don't you dare try to spiritualize this away! This is not a parable! These children (seed) are those same seed (children) in Gen 3:15. God puts enmity between his (Satans's) children and her (Eve's) children. We will be meeting the first child of Satan when we get to chapter 4 of Genesis. His name is Cain. He is not listed in Adam's genealogy in chapter five of Genesis. I wonder why not?
The wicked seed was sowed in the fig grove, in the garden of Eden, at the seduction of mother Eve. (Hopefully the words of Christ are not too much for you. Remember, you can always believe that snakes stand up and talk.)[39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Who has ears to hear, let him hear. Who has not ears to hear, let him slumber.[40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.[41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
[42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
[43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Now back to the Book of Beginnings.
Don't think for one minute that God didn't know where Adam was. You'll find He never asks a question that He doesn't already know the answer to.Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Adam isn't facing reality very well at all, a problem common to many. We must all learn that we can't hide from our problems and our sins. Our Father knows![10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
The defendant is being questioned by the Judge.[11] And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Here we see one of the basic principles of "liberalism", which is simply "never, never, take responsibility for your own actions. Always blame someone else". In this case Adam points out that the "Manufacturer" of the woman is really to blame, i.e. the woman WHOM THOU GAVEST to be with me.[12] And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
This was not a good answer! You can't con our Father, who probably shook His head in sorrow and disappointment as He turned to the woman.
Hey, it's not my fault! I have an excuse. The serpent seduced me.[13] And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Another really bad answer! God now turns to Satan.
"Because thou hast done this..". Done what? I think we covered that. He seduced Eve.[14] And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Notice that no question was asked to this "scum of the earth". Why give him the opportunity to reply with a smart aleck answer? God moves directly to the sentencing.
You should be able to document by now that the "serpent" God is speaking to is Satan, the Devil himself (Rev. 12:19). He was beautiful, charming, witty and very, very likable (Ezek. 28). He was a "tree to be desired". He was also a pervert. It is he whom our Father curses above all other living beings. He did not curse little old snakes.
The statement "upon thy belly shalt thou go" is an Hebrew figure of speech. It is a statement of degradation that implies the utmost humiliation, for prostration was ever the most eloquent sign of subjection. (If you are fortunate to have a Companion Bible, it will document this for you). We have a somewhat similar saying in English, "he's lower than a snake's belly".
The same statement of degradation applies to "and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life". This figure of speech is much like Psalms 72:9 which says "his enemies shall lick the dust". They will not literally get on their hands and knees and lick the ground with their tongues, but they will be so utterly defeated that no words could literally depict their overthrow and subjugation. But a picture, portrayed by a figure of speech, is worth a thousand words.
If the teachers and preachers of God's Word would pay attention to the figures of speech, which are easily identified in the "fixed" languages of Hebrew and Greek, much misunderstanding and confusion could be eliminated.
Here's How Traditions are Made:
If there was a verse in the New Testament that read "The Apostle Paul got in hot water", there would now be churches that would require their parishioners to do as Paul and follow his example, i.e. get into a pool or tub of water that is hot.For those who have an interest, the great scholar E.W. Bullinger, has a work in which he classifies the 217 figures of speech and has given some 8,000 passages of Scripture to illustrate them. Without paying close attention to "Figures of Speech", no study of the Bible can be complete. Of course if you have a Companion Bible it notes the figures of speech for each passage in the parallel columns.If you looked up "water" in Strong's concordance it would say "H2O, that substance which forms lakes and rivers and seas, rain, etc.". The would-be scholars would then debate how much water you should get into, how far you should be immersed, and exactly what degree of temperature constitutes hot as opposed to warm.
Thus "getting into hot water" would become a tradition of the church, despite the fact that the phrase is a figure of speech which means "The Apostle Paul got into trouble", and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with water!
The LORD God now continues with the sentencing of the guilty ones. He is still addressing Satan:
And so it would come to pass that Christ's heel was bruised when His feet were nailed to the cross at Calvary, but as it is recorded in Hebrew 2:14 He shall destroy Satan, whose name is "death".[15] And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
God has also said that He would put enmity (Webster: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will) between Satan and Eve and between HIS SEED and HER SEED.
Did you notice that there is no mention of apple seeds.
Conception? God is talking about conception and bringing forth children? What brought up that subject? What does conception have to do with apples anyway? Why didn't He say, "I will make your teeth hurt every time you bite fruit"? Hello![16] Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
While we're on the subject of conception, did you know that Eve had twins?
We'll find out in the next chapter.
I often say to friends and acquaintances when the opportunity presents itself, when perhaps the subject of church or the Bible comes up, "Remind me sometime and I'll tell you what really happened in the garden". It always provokes curiosity, and it seems that the interest in that type of scandal is ageless, if you know what I mean. In any event, many have been driven into studying the Word of God when the traditions of men have been exposed.
The truth of the seduction in the garden, has been covered up, hidden by the cloak of the "fig" apron, and has been replaced with fairy tales about "apples" and "upright snakes". Satan has succeeded in deceiving those who read into taking the words which are written as literal "to the letter" instead of seeing the "truth" contained in that which is figurative and symbolic. He tried that "trick" on Jesus Christ Himself, when he tempted Him in the wilderness by quoting (misquoting) the Word of God, implying the literal letter (read Mat. 4:1-11). Christ didn't "buy it" and neither should you.
In as much as the flower of the fig is hidden within its casing, it is the very reason that the word "fig" is still used to symbolize something that is "hidden" from view. I hesitate in saying this, but if you would like a real education about the word "fig", then go to the library or obtain an unabridged Webster's Dictionary, look up the word "fig", and read all of the various definitions. I'll quote just two of the many definitions of this "f" word from that source:
Webster's New Twentieth Century Unabridged Dictionary:
A fig for; a phrase shortened from "I don't care a fig for," expressing the speakers contempt for the object or person mentioned.Whether you check it out or not, know this: The traditions of men qualify as "something useless" in one's head. Enough said.fig, v.t. 1. To insult with ficos or contemptuous motions of the fingers. 2. To put, as something useless, into one's head.
We now return to the garden of Eden. Our Father has been "spelling out" the consequences earned from man's first sin. Adam has fallen from grace. Here's what he's got coming:
I know this is the 21st century. But like it or not, Adam was placed in authority and God held him responsible for allowing this carnal event to transpire. Worse yet, he not only permitted it to happen, he participated as well, the exact circumstances of which I will leave to your own speculation and imagination, trusting that you will use good common sense and wisdom. Sometimes those who are "street wise" have an advantage in understanding the realities of the flesh man.Genesis 3:17
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Hey, it's time to plant wheat and corn for food, pal, and don't forget to pull the weeds or they will choke out the crop.[18] Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Do you remember the spiritual body God gave to Adam back in Genesis 2:7? It's gone now![19] In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
You had it made right there in the garden of Eden, Adam. Perfect utopia. But you blew it! Dad's no longer going to provide everything for you "on a silver platter". Go find out what it is like to have to work for a living. Then of course, you're going to die, son!
Obviously, Eve is no more the mother of all the different races than she is of Adam. Remember, our Father created the races on the sixth day and Eve was not formed until the eighth day (if you've just joined us please refer to the previous chapters for a more detailed explanation).[20] And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
The name "Eve" means life-giving in the Hebrew tongue. Now, it has just been pronounced in the previous verse that man shall die. But our Father, in His infinite love for His children, had already prepared a way in which we could "live". It is called the plan of salvation.
That plan provided that it would be through this woman, EVE (and her offspring), that the only Way to life, the Messiah and Savior, Jesus Christ, should be born. This is the primary reason that Satan wanted to destroy the woman, to destroy the plan of God, to prevent the Messiah from being born, and instead, have his own born. That's why he was there, in the garden.
Plain and simply then, all people, all races, will either eventually accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, or they will no longer have life. They'll be gone! Therefore Eve IS the mother of all living in that she IS the mother (grand) of Him.
Adam and Eve now needed a covering, because of sin. We all need a covering, because of sin![21] Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Here we see animals being used (sacrificed) to provide that covering. This beginning of "blood sacrifice" would continue down through the ages until the supreme sacrifice, of that unblemished Lamb of God, paid the price on the cross, to provide our covering once and for all.
And guess what? Because He did pay the price, we now get to wear the gospel armour (Eph. 6) as full protection from that fiery dart-throwing serpent. I don't know about you, but I really likes the way mine fits.
Man had become as one of whom? As one of the Elohim, God and the host, i.e. God and His sons, the angels. They certainly knew the difference between good and evil from the "world that then was" which God destroyed at judgment. That's why we have the plan of salvation, of restoration.[22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Start plowing, Adam! It is for that purpose you were created, i.e. to "till the ground". God will eventually use this man's descendents to cultivate civilization, the real purpose for which he was created, using His "sword", as both the plow and the seed. It was to be the destiny of the race of eth' ha Adam. History documents it thoroughly. God's Word is true![23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
That Way, the path to eternal life through that "tree of life", would now be withheld until Jesus Christ, the Messiah walked the earth. And in due time, right on time, as was first prophesied in Gen. 3:15, He did come and walk among men! It was God's most precious gift to His children. How can we not pour out our hearts in love to Him when we see how much He loves us? Do you see?[24] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Well, we didn't quite make it far enough in to meet Eve's twins, the two seed lines. But they are "next up" in chapter four of this incredibly fascinating Book of Genesis. What a thriller it is!
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