I'm just going to admit right up front that today's lesson is probably not going to be entirely cohesive. We are going to look at Genesis 3 in terms of patterns and foreshadowing and to get all the information tucked neatly into 10-15 minutes I'm gonna have to cut out a lot of flourish. I promise taking a second look at this chapter will be well worth a possibly chaotic writing style.
First I'm going to ask you to refresh your memory and take the time to reread all of Genesis Chapter 3.
Adam, unlike Eve, was not lied to by the serpent.
"And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner." 1 Timothy 2:14
Eve handed Adam some fruit and he took it and ate. What I find fascinating (though I may be barking mad) is that Adam was without sin, but when he saw that his bride had sinned, he chose to sin as well in order to be with her. It's the same and yet the opposite of what Jesus does for us. Holy, perfect, wonderful Jesus saw that His beloved bride was filthy with sin, so He became sin to make her holy and perfect.* Adam's sacrifice pushed the weight of sin onto all mankind, while Christ's sacrifice cleansed us of our sins. As I said in The Fall Day 1, Adam is both a pattern of Jesus and yet Jesus is the end to what started with Adam.
The pattern continues in verses 17-19. Because of Adam's sin, providing for his family would become hard work. The ground would produce thorns and thistles and eventually Adam would die a physical death (return to dust). Adam would be the first man to bear these consequences, but Christ would conquer them.
"Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head." Matthew 27:27, 28a
The Roman soldiers in their utter ignorance and cruelty thought it would be funny to make the "King of the Jews" wear a crown. They wound up some thorny branches, the symbol of the fallen world, and put it on Jesus' head. When they were done mocking and beating Jesus they took off the robe but apparently left the crown.** Jesus was then led up a hill to a very real and physical death. The Christ died bearing the curse so that we could be set free.
In God's grace and mercy, He saw fit to set patterns and symbols into His Word so that we would know Salvation when He came.
With Eve, it's less about symbols and more about themes. The Bible is an intricately woven tapestry, everything is connected in some way to everything else. Of course, with Scripture, it all leads to Jesus.
Tucked neatly into God's declaration of war in Genesis 3:15, He says the most peculiar thing.
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers."
The problem is, it's hard to see how strange this statement is unless you either look in the notes at the bottom of your page or read it in the New King James Version. The Hebrew word, Zera, translated in the New International Version as offspring, is better translated seed. Though indeed it is the offspring that would ultimately crush Satan's head, there is an implication that is lost in the translation. Without going into too much detail, seed is never equated with female reproduction. Strictly speaking, seed comes from men. No author, ancient or modern, would call someone the seed of a woman without expecting their audience to read into it. What is even more interesting about this particular Hebrew word is that is is singular. God is speaking of one specific descendant of the woman.***
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14.
When God declared, through His prophet Isaiah, that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, no one should have been surprised. He had hinted at a virgin birth since the beginning.
God promised that the Savior would come from woman, but because of her sin, it would not be the most pleasant experience. Birth would become a bittersweet event, how much more so for a young virgin in Nazareth. Her pregnancy almost cost her her husband, her reputation, possibly even her life, yet she was about to give birth to the Savior of the World.
The last bit of foreshadowing we are going to look at (which is my no means the last bit in chapter 3) is in verse 21.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
It seems like a simple and easily overlooked verse, but again we see a hint at what was to come.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22b
Before removing Adam and Eve from the Garden, God showed them what the cost of their sin was. Sin could never be overlooked by God, it has a price and the price must be paid. But God, in his infinite mercy and grace allowed for a substitution. In place of Adam and Eve's death, God taught them to offer an animal for atonement.
Atonement in the Bible is an interesting word. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for it implies a covering over, or pushing ahead of sin.**** But the Greek word used in the New Testament means the sin-debt has been paid in full and removed.*****
It would be thousands of years before Moses would receive that Law on Mount Sinai with all the regulations for sacrifice to make atonement. It would be thousands more until Christ would take the burden of all sin unto Himself, once and for all. In the Garden at the beginning, God showed Adam and Eve the price of their sin. However, in love and mercy He demonstrated for them His provision for atonement.
From the first pages of Genesis to the last page of Revelation, God's love letter to us is Jesus.
"For God so Loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live." John 3:16
* Ephesians 5:25 & 26
** Matthew 27:31
*** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. Chattanoga, TN. AMG Publishers. 1996. pg. 1514
**** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. pg 1524
***** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV pg. 1634
Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Fall Day 2
I really don't like those pictures of Adam and Eve dressed in fig leaf aprons standing next to a fruit laden tree with a snake wrapped around a branch. I think it's the fig leaves more than anything that makes me sad. Ever since that day in the Garden we've been sewing fig leaves together trying to cover our sin. For centuries, people have been striving to fix themselves. If we can just be good enough, if we say the right things, do more right things than wrong things maybe we can earn Eden back. So we help old ladies cross the street, refrain from kicking puppies, turn the lights out when we leave a room, and try really hard to not use certain naughty words. The problem is that everything we try to do to save ourselves is like a fig leaf apron over our naked sin, foolishness.
Please read Genesis 3: 8-19. Really take your time and savor it. Imagine God, not full of wrath and throwing curses (except at the snake) but as a Father who is brokenhearted, but cannot protect His children from all their consequences.
I have no idea how long our all-knowing God let Adam and Eve try to cover themselves with leaves. Somehow in His great mercy I imagine it was only long enough for them to see that they would never be able to cover their sin on their own. However many fig leaves they had sewn together, when they heard the LORD walking in the Garden they knew they were still naked, so they hid, but it is hard to hide from a God who knows everything.
Just because you know something is coming doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't hurt when it arrives. God knew that Adam and Eve were going to sin, He had even planned for it, but it still broke His heart to know that even though He had given them everything, including Himself, they rejected it and chose to be independent. Unfortunately, actions have consequences and choosing independence from God had some big ones, but our gracious and loving Father began with a promise that He would fix what Adam and Eve had messed up.
Talking to the serpent, God said,
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15
Since the second century this verse has been considered (by most scholars) the protevangelium which is just a fancy of way of saying the first glimpse of the gospel.* You might also call it a declaration of war. Either way God proclaimed victory over the serpent who is both literally and figuratively sin and death.
For the sake of time and getting to the good part, I will operate on the assumption that you know that the serpent was really Satan in disguise (if you don't trust me, it's always better to check for yourself, look at Revelation 12:9).
Enmity is exactly as it sounds, an enemy.** God promised Satan he would have an Enemy. Satan would manage to hurt Him (strike His heel) but his Enemy would eventually crush his head. Thousands of years later, our Savior hung on a tree. I have no doubt that as He took His last breath Satan and his minions celebrated what appeared to be their victory. I once heard a preacher speculate that the darkness that came over the Earth in Matthew 27:45, as Christ hung on the Cross was Satan and his angels filling the sky as they rejoiced over His death. It paints a gruesome scene, but what Satan thought was a death blow was merely a bite in the heel. "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day." Luke 24:46.
Three days after Satan's big celebration, Jesus stepped out of the grave. Having conquered sin and death, He dealt the death blow that would crush Satan's head. Though we are still waiting for the sentence to begin, the judgement has already been made. On the Cross, Jesus paid the price for all of our sins and began the restoration of what Adam and Eve lost. Satan's fate is sealed (check out Revelation 20), unfortunately the battle isn't quite over. Thankfully, in Christ we can have victory.
"Finally, be strong in Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56 & 57
We may still live in a post-Fall world, and we may share the same enemy as Adam and Eve did, but in Christ we have the power to no longer be deceived and can reclaim the relationship with the Living God that was lost.
God is so awesome! It never ceases to amaze me that from the moment (and even before) sin entered into this world, He was already laying the foundation for Restoration. God didn't let Adam and Eve suffer unbearably in darkness, but even before explaining to them the consequences of their actions, He told them He would fix it.
" For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him ." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
*Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Books. 1998. pg. 39
** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. Chattanooga, TN. AMG Publishers. 1996. pg. 1503
Please read Genesis 3: 8-19. Really take your time and savor it. Imagine God, not full of wrath and throwing curses (except at the snake) but as a Father who is brokenhearted, but cannot protect His children from all their consequences.
I have no idea how long our all-knowing God let Adam and Eve try to cover themselves with leaves. Somehow in His great mercy I imagine it was only long enough for them to see that they would never be able to cover their sin on their own. However many fig leaves they had sewn together, when they heard the LORD walking in the Garden they knew they were still naked, so they hid, but it is hard to hide from a God who knows everything.
Just because you know something is coming doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't hurt when it arrives. God knew that Adam and Eve were going to sin, He had even planned for it, but it still broke His heart to know that even though He had given them everything, including Himself, they rejected it and chose to be independent. Unfortunately, actions have consequences and choosing independence from God had some big ones, but our gracious and loving Father began with a promise that He would fix what Adam and Eve had messed up.
Talking to the serpent, God said,
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15
Since the second century this verse has been considered (by most scholars) the protevangelium which is just a fancy of way of saying the first glimpse of the gospel.* You might also call it a declaration of war. Either way God proclaimed victory over the serpent who is both literally and figuratively sin and death.
For the sake of time and getting to the good part, I will operate on the assumption that you know that the serpent was really Satan in disguise (if you don't trust me, it's always better to check for yourself, look at Revelation 12:9).
Enmity is exactly as it sounds, an enemy.** God promised Satan he would have an Enemy. Satan would manage to hurt Him (strike His heel) but his Enemy would eventually crush his head. Thousands of years later, our Savior hung on a tree. I have no doubt that as He took His last breath Satan and his minions celebrated what appeared to be their victory. I once heard a preacher speculate that the darkness that came over the Earth in Matthew 27:45, as Christ hung on the Cross was Satan and his angels filling the sky as they rejoiced over His death. It paints a gruesome scene, but what Satan thought was a death blow was merely a bite in the heel. "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day." Luke 24:46.
Three days after Satan's big celebration, Jesus stepped out of the grave. Having conquered sin and death, He dealt the death blow that would crush Satan's head. Though we are still waiting for the sentence to begin, the judgement has already been made. On the Cross, Jesus paid the price for all of our sins and began the restoration of what Adam and Eve lost. Satan's fate is sealed (check out Revelation 20), unfortunately the battle isn't quite over. Thankfully, in Christ we can have victory.
"Finally, be strong in Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56 & 57
We may still live in a post-Fall world, and we may share the same enemy as Adam and Eve did, but in Christ we have the power to no longer be deceived and can reclaim the relationship with the Living God that was lost.
God is so awesome! It never ceases to amaze me that from the moment (and even before) sin entered into this world, He was already laying the foundation for Restoration. God didn't let Adam and Eve suffer unbearably in darkness, but even before explaining to them the consequences of their actions, He told them He would fix it.
" For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him ." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
*Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Books. 1998. pg. 39
** Hebrew- Greek Key Word Study Bible, NIV. Chattanooga, TN. AMG Publishers. 1996. pg. 1503
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Fall Day 1
You will need your Bible today.
I am so excited about this week's lesson. That might sound a little bit morbid considering we are going to be talking about The Fall, which is absolutely tragic and painful, but the fact that 3 chapters into Genesis I get to talk about Salvation makes me giddy! I wasn't there when Adam and Eve first bit into that deadly fruit. Other then what is described in Scripture I don't really know what life was like before The Fall. I know it was wonderful, that Adam and Eve got to walk and talk with God, that He provided for their every need, and to me that sounds amazing, but I have never experienced it, none of us have. We only know the reality of life after sin entered the world. We know pain, frustration, hard work, and hard relationships. We know what it is to desire to know God, to walk with Him and hear His voice, but what we have is separation. Or should I say that's what we have apart from Jesus. In Jesus we have the restoration of the relationship that was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus is the answer, the way. He is life, full and abundant, in Him we get all of what was lost. Maybe not all of Eden today but the most important part, a relationship with God, and the rest is coming! God promised. But before we can get to Jesus we must address the problem, sin.
Genesis chapter 3 is where we see why we need Jesus. From this chapter we learn why the world is the way it is and we are given a glimpse of God's ridiculous love and mercy. His grace is all over this chapter, but before we get to it, we need to back up just a bit. In the midst of God creating Adam in Genesis 2, the Bible tells us that God placed two special trees in the Garden along with all the others. One of the trees provided the basis for the one rule that God gave to Adam.
"And the LORD God had made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" Genesis 2:9, 16 & 17.
Now please read Genesis 3:1-7.
God gave Adam one simple rule, "Don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." God warned him of the consequence, death, and then graciously provided him with all the fruit trees he could ever want to eat from. It was not a trap, it was choice.
Sin is always a choice. It is always an option that we have been warned about, we are aware of the consequences (though we might think they won't apply to us) and God has always provided a better alternative. Most often the temptation starts subtly, a friendly invitation, a glance at something (someone) beautiful, a new opportunity. The serpent simply asked Eve a question, "Did God really say?" Of course his question was a thinly veiled challenge to God's one rule. That's the reality of all temptation though. God gave us one rule, love Him with all our hearts mind, soul and body. He promised us a full and abundant life, a relationship with Him, and best of all eternity in His presence. What more could we ask for? But then we see something that appears to be better. We are invited to try something that seems to feel better, or we are given an opportunity to try to become better. Whatever the temptation, its a challenge to God's best for us by offering us something that seems in the moment, in the flesh, in our human finite minds, better. The serpent accused God of holding out, of keeping something back from Eve that would make her wise, make her special, make her like Him. The snake encouraged her to take a second look at the forbidden fruit, to question God's motivation, to decide for herself what was good to eat.
It's amazing to me that this is the exact same temptation that continues to wreak havoc. King David was well aware that adultery was a sin. He knew there were consequences, but when his eyes fell on Bathsheba he questioned God's rule and chose for himself to eat the forbidden fruit. The consequences almost destroyed his family.* Solomon might have learned from his father's mistake, he knew that God forbid the collecting of many wives. God warned him that they would turn his heart away from Him toward their pagan gods, yet he reasoned that God's rule was for the weak. Solomon was, after all, the wisest man that ever lived. He chose the forbidden fruit and eventually began to worship foreign gods exactly as he had been warned. Because of his sin, the nation of Israel was split in two.**
Every time you or I allow a thought, a person, or even an experience to challenge God in our lives we are taking sides with the serpent. We are declaring that we would like to choose for ourselves what is good for us, that God may not be trustworthy. Never mind the fact that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal and loving, that He sought us out. He sent His Son to die so that we could live, and He desires to bless us, to give us more then we can imagine, still we think we know better. We want to decide for ourselves.
Eve took the second. Even though she knew what it was to have a face to face relationship with God, she chose to believe that He was holding out on her. She took the fruit and ate it, then as the serpent slithered off snickering she offered the fruit to Adam.
When I was young I used to get so mad at Adam and Eve. I remember saying that when I got to Heaven I was going to have words with them. When she ate that fruit everything changed. Because of I never got to see the world perfect and pure, never got to walk and talk with God, but with maturity comes perspective. Every time I sin I show my solidarity with Adam and Eve. Had it been me in the Garden I absolutely would have messed it up to, we all would have and God knew it. That's why His love letter is all about Jesus. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Lamb (Jesus) was slain from the creation of the world. Before God spoke into the darkness creating the light, He knew it would cost Him His Son.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
* 2 Samuel 11
** 1 Kings 11 & 12
I am so excited about this week's lesson. That might sound a little bit morbid considering we are going to be talking about The Fall, which is absolutely tragic and painful, but the fact that 3 chapters into Genesis I get to talk about Salvation makes me giddy! I wasn't there when Adam and Eve first bit into that deadly fruit. Other then what is described in Scripture I don't really know what life was like before The Fall. I know it was wonderful, that Adam and Eve got to walk and talk with God, that He provided for their every need, and to me that sounds amazing, but I have never experienced it, none of us have. We only know the reality of life after sin entered the world. We know pain, frustration, hard work, and hard relationships. We know what it is to desire to know God, to walk with Him and hear His voice, but what we have is separation. Or should I say that's what we have apart from Jesus. In Jesus we have the restoration of the relationship that was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus is the answer, the way. He is life, full and abundant, in Him we get all of what was lost. Maybe not all of Eden today but the most important part, a relationship with God, and the rest is coming! God promised. But before we can get to Jesus we must address the problem, sin.
Genesis chapter 3 is where we see why we need Jesus. From this chapter we learn why the world is the way it is and we are given a glimpse of God's ridiculous love and mercy. His grace is all over this chapter, but before we get to it, we need to back up just a bit. In the midst of God creating Adam in Genesis 2, the Bible tells us that God placed two special trees in the Garden along with all the others. One of the trees provided the basis for the one rule that God gave to Adam.
"And the LORD God had made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" Genesis 2:9, 16 & 17.
Now please read Genesis 3:1-7.
God gave Adam one simple rule, "Don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." God warned him of the consequence, death, and then graciously provided him with all the fruit trees he could ever want to eat from. It was not a trap, it was choice.
Sin is always a choice. It is always an option that we have been warned about, we are aware of the consequences (though we might think they won't apply to us) and God has always provided a better alternative. Most often the temptation starts subtly, a friendly invitation, a glance at something (someone) beautiful, a new opportunity. The serpent simply asked Eve a question, "Did God really say?" Of course his question was a thinly veiled challenge to God's one rule. That's the reality of all temptation though. God gave us one rule, love Him with all our hearts mind, soul and body. He promised us a full and abundant life, a relationship with Him, and best of all eternity in His presence. What more could we ask for? But then we see something that appears to be better. We are invited to try something that seems to feel better, or we are given an opportunity to try to become better. Whatever the temptation, its a challenge to God's best for us by offering us something that seems in the moment, in the flesh, in our human finite minds, better. The serpent accused God of holding out, of keeping something back from Eve that would make her wise, make her special, make her like Him. The snake encouraged her to take a second look at the forbidden fruit, to question God's motivation, to decide for herself what was good to eat.
It's amazing to me that this is the exact same temptation that continues to wreak havoc. King David was well aware that adultery was a sin. He knew there were consequences, but when his eyes fell on Bathsheba he questioned God's rule and chose for himself to eat the forbidden fruit. The consequences almost destroyed his family.* Solomon might have learned from his father's mistake, he knew that God forbid the collecting of many wives. God warned him that they would turn his heart away from Him toward their pagan gods, yet he reasoned that God's rule was for the weak. Solomon was, after all, the wisest man that ever lived. He chose the forbidden fruit and eventually began to worship foreign gods exactly as he had been warned. Because of his sin, the nation of Israel was split in two.**
Every time you or I allow a thought, a person, or even an experience to challenge God in our lives we are taking sides with the serpent. We are declaring that we would like to choose for ourselves what is good for us, that God may not be trustworthy. Never mind the fact that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal and loving, that He sought us out. He sent His Son to die so that we could live, and He desires to bless us, to give us more then we can imagine, still we think we know better. We want to decide for ourselves.
Eve took the second. Even though she knew what it was to have a face to face relationship with God, she chose to believe that He was holding out on her. She took the fruit and ate it, then as the serpent slithered off snickering she offered the fruit to Adam.
When I was young I used to get so mad at Adam and Eve. I remember saying that when I got to Heaven I was going to have words with them. When she ate that fruit everything changed. Because of I never got to see the world perfect and pure, never got to walk and talk with God, but with maturity comes perspective. Every time I sin I show my solidarity with Adam and Eve. Had it been me in the Garden I absolutely would have messed it up to, we all would have and God knew it. That's why His love letter is all about Jesus. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Lamb (Jesus) was slain from the creation of the world. Before God spoke into the darkness creating the light, He knew it would cost Him His Son.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
* 2 Samuel 11
** 1 Kings 11 & 12
Friday, April 16, 2010
Adam and Eve Day 3
To be completely honest I have really been struggling with writing this lesson. There are so many things we could address in Genesis 2, but in light of our theme (God, us and our relationship) the most obvious would be marriage. The problem is I don't want to talk about marriage today. Don't get me wrong, I've been married for 14 years and God has overwhelmingly blessed me in my husband. I am a big fan of marriage, but have you ever read through a passage and just felt that there was something else there, something you were missing, something that was just a little bit bigger then what you could see?
Today we are going to talk about marriage but not about a man and a woman, we're going to talk about Christ and the Church.
If we believe that God is all knowing, which Scripture proves to be true, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that even before He created Adam and Eve He knew what was going to happen. Perhaps if He knew what was coming, He actually planned for it, and placed tiny hints of His great Redemption in place even before there was the need.
Paul tells us in Romans 5:14 that Adam "was a pattern of the One to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Paul refers to Adam as the "first Adam" and Jesus as the "last Adam." He's not saying they are the same, but that Adam was a pattern, a type of Christ. Adam's story gives us hints and insight into Jesus' story. Paul is also saying that what began with Adam was finished with Christ. (I don't want to give too much away, but the pattern becomes more clear in light of the Fall, which we'll be looking at next week.)
Luke 3:23-38 is one of two genealogies of Christ. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage only as far as Abraham*; Luke, however goes all the way back to Adam and then one step further.
"the son of Adam, the son of God." Luke 3:38b
Who did Luke say was Adam's father? God! Just as Pinocchio was the son of Geppetto, so Adam was the son of God. It wasn't about biology, Luke is not implying that Adam was divine, it was about relationship, God created and cared for Adam, he was His son (This is really the equivalent to the New Testament idea of being adopted into God's family**). Jesus is the true Son of God (to say biological doesn't quite fit).
"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1
"And the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
While Adam was created as a pattern for Jesus, Eve may be a pattern for the Church.
We will not be making any doctrine out of what we are going to look at but I believe that the Holy Spirit never misses a detail in Scripture. When specific details are given (or left out) I think the Holy Spirit planned it that way and when patterns seem to appear, I believe it's on purpose.
"So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping , he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:21 & 22
When God created all the plants, fish, birds and animals He made them each according to their own kind. God then tells the creatures to be fruitful and multiply, clearly He had made boys and girls of every kind right away. Yet when it came to Adam, He did not make Eve immediately. He instead showed Adam that there was no one suitable for him and then in a separate act God created Eve and presented her to Adam, as his bride. In the first wedding God presented his son with a bride, in the last wedding once again God will prepare a bride for His Son.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)" Revelation 19:7 & 8
Paul's model for a strong and healthy marriage in Ephesians 5 is actually Christ and the Church.
"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:24-32
When God presented Adam with his bride, He was hinting that marriage was a symbol of what was yet to come. Christ would leave His Father to claim His bride. He would sacrifice His very life so that she could be His perfect wife, and He has loved and cared for her throughout the ages (Again next week when we talk about the Fall this will become even more evident).
The last hint we have that Eve may be a symbol of the Church is where she came from.
If you have a Bible that adds notes you might find a little mark next to the word rib in Genesis 21 &22. The note at the bottom of the page might read "part of the man's side"*** The Hebrew word does not explicitly mean rib, it simply means side. Eve was taken from Adam's side. God put Adam into a deep supernatural sleep, and took from his side to create his bride.
Thousands of years later, our Savior would hang, lifeless on a cross, and a wound in His side would give birth to His bride.
"But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." John 20: 33 &34
With the out pouring of blood and water (Christian sacraments) salvation was made available for all people. Within a very short period of time, a ragtag group of believers would grow to become a changing force in the world, the Church.
In God's infinite power and knowledge, is it so far fetched that He planned it all from the beginning? Is it crazy that He may have not only prepared a pattern for the Redeemer before one was needed, but that He might also hint at a bride long before there was a Bridegroom? I don't know for sure, but what I do know is that believing that nothing in all of Creation has ever been outside of His hands gives me peace, and reminds me how AWESOME my God is. Sometimes the Bible isn't about doctrine, or do's and don'ts, sometimes it about showing God for who He is. Showing us His glory and reminding us that He alone knows the end from the beginning.
"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:9 & 10
* Matthew 1:1-17
** Romans 8:23, 9:4, Ephesians 1:5
*** Life Application Study Bible NIV. Wheaton, Il. Tyndale House Publishers. (Note j at the bottom of pg. 9)
Today we are going to talk about marriage but not about a man and a woman, we're going to talk about Christ and the Church.
If we believe that God is all knowing, which Scripture proves to be true, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that even before He created Adam and Eve He knew what was going to happen. Perhaps if He knew what was coming, He actually planned for it, and placed tiny hints of His great Redemption in place even before there was the need.
Paul tells us in Romans 5:14 that Adam "was a pattern of the One to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Paul refers to Adam as the "first Adam" and Jesus as the "last Adam." He's not saying they are the same, but that Adam was a pattern, a type of Christ. Adam's story gives us hints and insight into Jesus' story. Paul is also saying that what began with Adam was finished with Christ. (I don't want to give too much away, but the pattern becomes more clear in light of the Fall, which we'll be looking at next week.)
Luke 3:23-38 is one of two genealogies of Christ. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage only as far as Abraham*; Luke, however goes all the way back to Adam and then one step further.
"the son of Adam, the son of God." Luke 3:38b
Who did Luke say was Adam's father? God! Just as Pinocchio was the son of Geppetto, so Adam was the son of God. It wasn't about biology, Luke is not implying that Adam was divine, it was about relationship, God created and cared for Adam, he was His son (This is really the equivalent to the New Testament idea of being adopted into God's family**). Jesus is the true Son of God (to say biological doesn't quite fit).
"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1
"And the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
While Adam was created as a pattern for Jesus, Eve may be a pattern for the Church.
We will not be making any doctrine out of what we are going to look at but I believe that the Holy Spirit never misses a detail in Scripture. When specific details are given (or left out) I think the Holy Spirit planned it that way and when patterns seem to appear, I believe it's on purpose.
"So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping , he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:21 & 22
When God created all the plants, fish, birds and animals He made them each according to their own kind. God then tells the creatures to be fruitful and multiply, clearly He had made boys and girls of every kind right away. Yet when it came to Adam, He did not make Eve immediately. He instead showed Adam that there was no one suitable for him and then in a separate act God created Eve and presented her to Adam, as his bride. In the first wedding God presented his son with a bride, in the last wedding once again God will prepare a bride for His Son.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)" Revelation 19:7 & 8
Paul's model for a strong and healthy marriage in Ephesians 5 is actually Christ and the Church.
"Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:24-32
When God presented Adam with his bride, He was hinting that marriage was a symbol of what was yet to come. Christ would leave His Father to claim His bride. He would sacrifice His very life so that she could be His perfect wife, and He has loved and cared for her throughout the ages (Again next week when we talk about the Fall this will become even more evident).
The last hint we have that Eve may be a symbol of the Church is where she came from.
If you have a Bible that adds notes you might find a little mark next to the word rib in Genesis 21 &22. The note at the bottom of the page might read "part of the man's side"*** The Hebrew word does not explicitly mean rib, it simply means side. Eve was taken from Adam's side. God put Adam into a deep supernatural sleep, and took from his side to create his bride.
Thousands of years later, our Savior would hang, lifeless on a cross, and a wound in His side would give birth to His bride.
"But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." John 20: 33 &34
With the out pouring of blood and water (Christian sacraments) salvation was made available for all people. Within a very short period of time, a ragtag group of believers would grow to become a changing force in the world, the Church.
In God's infinite power and knowledge, is it so far fetched that He planned it all from the beginning? Is it crazy that He may have not only prepared a pattern for the Redeemer before one was needed, but that He might also hint at a bride long before there was a Bridegroom? I don't know for sure, but what I do know is that believing that nothing in all of Creation has ever been outside of His hands gives me peace, and reminds me how AWESOME my God is. Sometimes the Bible isn't about doctrine, or do's and don'ts, sometimes it about showing God for who He is. Showing us His glory and reminding us that He alone knows the end from the beginning.
"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:9 & 10
* Matthew 1:1-17
** Romans 8:23, 9:4, Ephesians 1:5
*** Life Application Study Bible NIV. Wheaton, Il. Tyndale House Publishers. (Note j at the bottom of pg. 9)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Adam and Eve Day 2
Mankind is God's crowning jewel over all of His creation. We are the goal. God desires a more intimate relationship with us than He does with the plants or the animals. Not that God doesn't care for all of Creation, He simply cares most for us. Every detail of Genesis chapter 2 points to the unique relationship God desires to have with men and women.
"This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and not plant of the the field and yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being." Genesis 2:4-7
You may have noticed that beginning in verse 4 through the rest of the the chapter God bears a new name, LORD God (depending on what translation you are using it might read Lord God instead of LORD God). I'm afraid I must (again) complain that most English translations do an injustice to the text by using the generic words God, Lord and LORD in place of the Hebrew name, so much can be gleaned from knowing God's many names. In the Creation Day 2 lesson we discussed Elohim, which is most often translated God in the Old Testament, and it's implications of power and creativity, as well as its peculiar plural tense, now we are introduced to the LORD God, Yahweh Elohim.
Yahweh (or Jehovah) is the personal name of God and is considered the most sacred. It is the name God declares to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 3:14, it represented His special relationship with Israel. Jewish tradition holds the name is such high regard that it is never pronounced in fear of blaspheming. Yahweh means: Self existent, the One who will always be, I AM THAT I AM. It comes from the root word Hayah which means: to be, to exist, having being, to breathe. It is used exclusively for the God of the Bible, and refers to His covenant relationship with Israel. All of the other names for God in Scripture describe Him in terms of His works, only Yahweh describes who He is, the Self-existent One.
There is a bit of discussion among scholars about whether Adam and Eve knew God as Yahweh or if Moses referenced the sacred name here to emphasize the intimate nature of God's relationship with Adam and Eve. Personally I find the debate to miss the point, clearly the Holy Spirit inspired the use of Yahweh in the text demonstrating that God's covenant with humanity began with Adam and Eve.
What is even more revealing than the use of Yahweh in Genesis 2, is that it is combined with Elohim. Though both names are by far the most commonly used for God in the Old Testament, this compound name appears only in Genesis chapters 2 & 3 and once more in Exodus 9:30. The clear implication is that Elohim, the Creator God, is one and the same as Yahweh the Self-existent One, who enters into Covenant with His people. By using Yahweh Elohim, the Creator God is revealing a unique, personal relationship with Adam and Eve, as well as making a clear connection between them and His covenant. When Adam shows up in Luke's genealogy of Christ (Luke 3:38), God confirms that His covenant actually began with Adam and Eve. In Romans 5, Paul connects Adam and Jesus through the Covenant, Adam (essentially) created the sin problem, Jesus was God's promised solution. (We will talk a bit more about the covenant ties between Adam and Christ in future lessons.)
Our uniqueness, however is not limited to how God reveals Himself to us, but also in how He created us. He made us to be different from the animals, He made us to have a relationship with Him.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26 & 27
God created us to be like Him. The Hebrew word for image, is tzelem, it implies the nature or essence of something. This is different from the Hebrew word for body, to'ar, which is the physical form. The word for likeness is damut, and it implies similar to, but not identical in shape or pattern.**
Scholars have spent eons seeking out the specifics of what about us is patterned after God. Is it our intellect, our creativity, our emotions, our spirit, our triune nature (body, mind and spirit)? What I would like to focus on is that His image sets us apart from the rest of Creation. He did not mark the plants or the fish with His likeness, even the awesome lion or the majestic eagle. They bear their own image, we alone bear God's, and we alone were given His breath.
"The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7
When I read this verse I immediately picture a sculptor. After carving out the shape of the man with His bare hands, God bends low (I picture the sculpture laying down), takes a deep cleansing breath and exhales into the face of His creation. It feels so personal, so intimate. Can you imagine waking up to the face of God? Still feeling the warmth of His sweet breath on your skin? Maybe, like a good father, God reached out and helped Adam to his feet and held him as he took his first steps.
I know we've talked a lot today about the meaning of words and how the Holy Spirit's word choices have impact on the text, but just for a moment let's step out of academia and imagine Adam's first moments alive, with lungs filled with God's breath. It's only one verse but the imagery is beautiful and intimate, God took special care to create Adam and would soon take great joy is bringing to him his suitable helper, Eve.
God's breath brought life into Adam. Jesus came to restore life, to offer once again the full and abundant life God had breathed into Adam in the beginning.
I'd like to close with one last thought: our uniqueness comes from God. Genesis 2: 7 & 19 make it clear that both mankind and the animals were made from the dust of the earth. There is nothing special about our chemical make up, it is our identity in Christ, image bearers of the LORD, His breath in our lives that sets us apart.
"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said , 'We are his offspring.'" Acts 17:26-28* Smith, Stelman ; Cornwall, Judson: The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos, 1998. pg. 84
**Rich, Tracey. Human Nature. 1996-2001. http://www.jewfaq.org/human.htm (accessed April 13, 2010)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Adam & Eve Day 1
You will need your Bible today
This week we are going to talk about Adam and Eve. Chances are you have at least heard their story once or twice, but my prayer this week is that we might see something new and fresh in the familiar.
Please read Genesis 2:4-25; bear in mind that we are looking for what God reveals about Himself, about us and about our relationship with Him.
Genesis chapter 2 has often been referred to as the second creation account. For some, the differences between the Genesis 1 and 2 accounts, have become a major stumbling block, yet when we look at God's purpose in the two separate narratives the differences seem to melt away. (I will reiterate here that Genesis is not meant to be a how-to handbook for creation.)
Genesis chapter 1 is the opening of this Love Letter. It introduces the Author (Elohim) and sets the stage (the World). The Creator God is the God of the whole world, everything that exists belongs to, and has it's meaning in Him. In chapter 2 God narrows His focus to mankind, who are His purpose for creating all things.
"For this is what the LORD says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18
Man and woman were to be the crowning jewel, the pinnacle of God's creation. Therefore the focus of chapter 2 is God's creation culminating in Adam and Eve. Every day of creation God looked over what He had made and declared it good, but it wasn't until God created man and woman that God declared His creation complete and "very good".
God wasted no time on the specifics of creation, until it came to man. He spoke and there was light, He spoke again and separated water. For 5 days creation was spoken into being without detail or further description. On the sixth day all the animals are merely spoken into being as well, but then God makes man and the formula changes.
God set man apart from Creation. His Love Letter is to mankind, not the trees or the flowers, the birds, fish or animals. His Word is for us, the crowning jewel, the reason for His creation. Genesis chapter 2 is God's introduction to His beloved. This week we will bask in the joy of being God's beloved, before there was any thing that separated us from His precious Love.
This week we are going to talk about Adam and Eve. Chances are you have at least heard their story once or twice, but my prayer this week is that we might see something new and fresh in the familiar.
Please read Genesis 2:4-25; bear in mind that we are looking for what God reveals about Himself, about us and about our relationship with Him.
Genesis chapter 2 has often been referred to as the second creation account. For some, the differences between the Genesis 1 and 2 accounts, have become a major stumbling block, yet when we look at God's purpose in the two separate narratives the differences seem to melt away. (I will reiterate here that Genesis is not meant to be a how-to handbook for creation.)
Genesis chapter 1 is the opening of this Love Letter. It introduces the Author (Elohim) and sets the stage (the World). The Creator God is the God of the whole world, everything that exists belongs to, and has it's meaning in Him. In chapter 2 God narrows His focus to mankind, who are His purpose for creating all things.
"For this is what the LORD says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18
Man and woman were to be the crowning jewel, the pinnacle of God's creation. Therefore the focus of chapter 2 is God's creation culminating in Adam and Eve. Every day of creation God looked over what He had made and declared it good, but it wasn't until God created man and woman that God declared His creation complete and "very good".
God wasted no time on the specifics of creation, until it came to man. He spoke and there was light, He spoke again and separated water. For 5 days creation was spoken into being without detail or further description. On the sixth day all the animals are merely spoken into being as well, but then God makes man and the formula changes.
God set man apart from Creation. His Love Letter is to mankind, not the trees or the flowers, the birds, fish or animals. His Word is for us, the crowning jewel, the reason for His creation. Genesis chapter 2 is God's introduction to His beloved. This week we will bask in the joy of being God's beloved, before there was any thing that separated us from His precious Love.
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