Transcript RECOGNITION - Qodesh Ministries

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THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT
http://www.messianicbible.com
HEAR O ISRAEL
www.hearoisrael.org
SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER
www.sheepfoldgleanings.com
MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE
http://www.messianicisrael.com
AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM
GREENBAUM
http://www.azamra.org
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TORAH: Genesis 1:1-6:8
HAFTORAH: Isaiah 42:5–43:10
B’RIT CHADASHAH: John 1:1–16; Colossians 1:14–17; Hebrews 1:1–3; 11:1–
6; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 21:1–6, 22:1–5, 14; Revelation 21:23; 22:5;
Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:35–58; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:21–33;
1 Timothy 2:11–15
All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted
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The book of Genesis is a book about origins:
• The origin of the heavens and the earth,
• The origin of mankind,
• The origin of Sabbath, and
• The origins of a special relationship between ‫ יהוה‬and a particular
people called Israel.
The opening chapters of Genesis serve as a backdrop for the rest of the
Bible as we understand that mankind, the pinnacle of Creation who
was created to enjoy a unique relationship with ‫יהוה‬, will soon fall
short of his intended responsibility. Despite the fall of mankind, the
gracious Father gives us the “rest of the story” as we plough through
the entirety of Scripture to understand the restoration process of
which the Almighty is entirely in control of:
...Indeed I have spoken it, I also bring it to pass. I have planned it, I also
do it. (Isaiah 46:11)
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The Torah, which was written by Moses, is also called (1) the
Pentateuch, and (2) the "Law of Moses", or the "Book of Moses", in the
New Testament. It was written around 1440 B.C. and includes the
period of Adam to Joseph, a time span of approximately 2400 years.
The chaos of the world revealed in this Genesis passage is a picture of
the unregenerate spirit and darkened soul of fallen man, who is thus,
apart from ‫'יהוה‬s mercy and salvation, also:
1. Without order, existing in ruin/confusion and needing restoration
and Torah structure/form,
2. Without life, dead in trespasses/sin,
3. Without light, cloaked in darkness, and devoid of His Torah/truth,
and;
4. Without hope, living apart from ‫'יהוה‬s covenant and helplessly
dominated/driven by the power of his fallen, sinful nature.
Ephesians 2:1; 2:12; 4:18.
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The Torah is divided into four levels of teaching.
1. P’shat Level - The P’shat level is the plain sense of the text. What
does it actually say. Every word, phrase, and thought has a
meaning, there is no word that is redundant or idle. Even if it
appears to be, it is not. It is filled with meaning for us to learn.
2. Drash Level - The Drash level is where truth and principle are
presented. Truth can only be truth if it is confirmed. Confirmation
as we know must come in the form of evidence and evidence must
be at least two or three witnesses.
3. Remez Level - The Remez level is the underlying theme or story
that is told while speaking of other things. It is how prophecy is laid
into the story of history. This level shows the plan for ‫’יהושע‬s
redemption and restoration.
4. Sod Level - The Sod level is the mysterious and coded level. This
involves the understanding of numbers along with the meaning
associated with certain numerical values. For example, the number
1 represents "Echad" or Oneness, “2" represents struggle, division
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or witness, etc. This level also involves the meanings of names
Genesis has been called the "seed book" of Scripture because it is the
source of revelation/truth and redemption doctrine that courses and
develops through the entire Bible, finding consummation in
Revelation. Example:
• It establishes the doctrine of salvation and the promise of the
coming Redeemer.
• In the Old Testament that promise and the picture of the Redeemer
is developed in the books of history, Psalms, and the prophets.
• In the Gospels the promised Redeemer is presented to Israel.
• In the Book of Acts the truth of the Redeemer and salvation by faith
is propagated in the power of the Holy Spirit to Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, and the world, as prophesied.
• The Book of Revelation reveals the consummation of redemption,
and the restoration of all things, through Messiah, as promised in
Genesis.
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In Genesis we observe that man will turn to ‫ יהוה‬only after he--by
failure, defeat, feebleness, breakdown, stalemate, rout, destruction,
and/or other typical human afflictions and unfavorable conditions - has
recognized his weakness and insufficiency and need. Correspondingly,
this book also provides great hope for every circumstance, condition of
failure, weakness, and defeat of people/man as it is met with the grace
and salvation of ‫יהוה‬.
Therefore, the opening lines are applicable to the earth, but also apply
to the human condition:
1. The need and nature of the essential, indispensible redemption
economy due to the fall of mankind into sin [Gen.3]
2. The entire corruption of the human race [Gen. 6], as made
apparent through man's expulsion from Eden, sin's expansion into
every family and institution, the judgment of the Flood, and further
evidenced later in the Babel narrative [Gen.11].
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(Genesis 1:1 HOT) ‫בראׁשית ברא אלהים את הׁשמים ואת הארץ׃‬
Bereshith begins with seven Hebrew words that translate – In the
beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. Since Hebrew
reads from right to left, the first word of the Torah is Bereshith. This
word is interpreted as “in the beginning”. Its root has more to do with
the “head” or the “beginning” of something, rather than an
association with “time” as ‫ יהוה‬is completely outside of time.
Therefore the first word of the Torah is an expression of who ‫ יהוה‬is.
(Genesis 1:2 HOT) ‫והארץ היתה תהו ובהו וחׁשך על־פני תהום‬....
After seven perfect words that begin Bereshith, we now follow up with
seven words of disaster The earth was unformed and void, darkness
was on the face of the deep .. Something has happened to the earth
as result of Lucifer being cast down: “You were in Ěḏen, the garden of
Elohim. …“ Your heart was lifted up because of your loveliness, you
corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour. I threw you to
the earth, I laid you before sovereigns, to look at you. (Ezekiel 28:1317)
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In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis
1:1)
It should read:
“In the beginning created Elohim (aleph-tav) the heavens and (alephtav) the earth.” The “aleph and tav” in both cases is not translated. But,
in the very first word, we see a hint of the “Aleph and the Tav” (the
Beginning and the End) spoken of in And He who was sitting on the
throne said, “See, I make all matters new.” And He said to me, “Write,
for these words are true and trustworthy.” And He said to me, “It is
done! I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the Beginning and the End. To the
one who thirsts I shall give of the fountain of the water of life without
payment. “The one who overcomes shall inherit all this, and I shall be
his Elohim and he shall be My son. (Revelation 21:5-7)
This alludes to the fact that the universe was created in complete
perfection, “from aleph to tav.”
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This very first word of Torah, “B’reshith” tells the story.
• The letter “beit” as a prefix here means “in”, “in the” or “in a”. The
literal meaning of , “beit” is “house” or “dwelling”. The very first
letter of Torah, ‫ יהוה‬draws us “in” the “dwelling”, “in” the
“beginning”, “in” the “Word”.
• “Reish = beginning”, “aleph = Master”, “shin = El Shaddai”, “yud =
hand” and “tav = mark or sign”.
So, in this opening word “B’reshith” we read “In the beginning, the
Master El Shaddai‟s Hand is our sign.” ‫’יהוה‬s Hand is in our lives and in
the world He created. Remember too, that we read in Deuteronomy
6:8, 11:18, Exodus 13:9 and 13:16 that the Word of ‫ יהוה‬shall be as a
“sign on our hand” as well as “frontlets between our eyes”.
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Also the numeric value of the letters in “B’reshith” is 913 which equals
“teetza’tav” or “the end” as read in Numbers 34, describing the “end”
of the borders of Yisra’el. So, in the beginning, ‫ יהוה‬set the “end” of the
borders of Yisra’el. For He did indeed declare the end as stated in
Isaiah 46:9-10
“Remember the former events of old, for I am Ěl, and there is no one
else – Elohim, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the
beginning, and from of old that which has not yet been done, saying,
‘My counsel does stand, and all My delight I do,’ and for all that strong
hand and all the great fearsome deeds which Mosheh did before the
eyes of all Yisra’ĕl. (Deuteronomy 34:12)
On the first word “Beit” or house, and the last word of the Torah
“Israel” Rabbi Baal HaTurim, notes in his Torah commentary that the
Hebrew letters of this word can be rearranged to spell the Hebrew
word ba-yeet rosh meaning “first, chief or head of the house,” of Israel.
(1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Eph 2:19–21; Rev. 3:12 )
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For thus said ‫יהוה‬, Creator of the heavens, He is Elohim, Former of
earth and its Maker, He established it, He did not create it to be empty,
He formed it to be inhabited: “I am ‫יהוה‬, and there is none else. (Isaiah
45:18)
Isaiah also alludes to Satan as the one who caused the emptiness of
the earth: “For you have said in your heart, ‘Let me go up to the
heavens, let me raise my throne above the stars of Ěl, and let me sit in
the mount of meeting on the sides of the north; let me go up above the
heights of the clouds, let me be like the Most High.’ “But you are
brought down to the grave, to the sides of the Pit. “Those who see you
stare at you, and ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made
the earth tremble, who shook reigns, who made the world as a
wilderness and destroyed its cities, who would not open the house of
his prisoners?’ (Isaiah 14:13-17)
Thus as we continue on in Bereshith, we will begin to read of the
Creator bringing order back into the world. … And the Spirit of Elohim
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was moving on the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
Brad Scott defines the Spirit as the “demonstrative, active presence of
Elohim”. The first thing ‫ יהוה‬does is to cleanse the waters so that they
in turn can cleanse the rest of the creation. From here on after, water
becomes an important element for cleansing in judgment, purification,
and salvation. So what the Torah has given us starting in 1:1 is:
• Seven Hebrew words of perfection
• Seven Hebrew words of chaos
• Five Hebrew words of redemption
....(Genesis 1:2 HOT) ‫ורוח אלהים מרחפת על־פני המים׃‬
We come to the very first words spoken by the Almighty:
And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be.
(Genesis 1:3)
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“‫ יהוה‬possessed me, The beginning of His way, As the first of His works
of old. “I was set up ages ago, at the first, Before the earth ever was.
“When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no
springs heavy with water. (Proverbs 8:22-24)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the
Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim ... and we saw
His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in
favour and truth. (John 1:1-2, 14)
‫ יהושע‬is the Light of the World, before ‫ יהושע‬there was chaos, in the
dark. The Father first revealed the son to the World, then later to us
and now we are to be His Light to the world.
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And Elohim said ... (Gen. 1:3).
This phrase is repeated ten times in the narrative of creation. Every
time His voice spoke and His word was sent forth there was an
instantaneous response, and a new aspect/order of creation came
forth. ‫ יהוה‬is still speaking and sending forth His word today to
mankind, and those who listen, discern, and respond in faith will be
changed from glory to glory.
And we all, as with unveiled face we see as in a mirror the esteem of
‫יהוה‬, are being transformed into the same likeness from esteem to
esteem, as from ‫יהוה‬, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
“See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with
Me. (Revelation 3:20)
Biblical meaning of the number 10 is Testimony; Law and responsibility.
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…“Let light come to be,” and light came to be. (Genesis 1:3)
The Hebrew word for light as used in Genesis 1:3–5 is spelled alephvav-resh. Yet the first time this same Hebrew word is used in verses 14
referring to the physical light of the sun, the word is spelled without
the letter vav (i.e. aleph-resh). What we see here is a case of
the complete or full spelling of a Hebrew word versus the
incomplete or defective spelling. The Hebrew meaning of this is that
the light that shone for the first three days of creation was a perfect
and full light, while that which shone when the sun and moon were
created was a less perfect or defective light.
For Elohim, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who
has shone in our hearts for the enlightening of the knowledge of the
esteem of Elohim in the face of ‫ יהושע‬Messiah. (2 Corinthians 4:6 )
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The idea of light shining independently of the sun, appears to us again
at the end of Revelation. In context, this is after the 1,000 year reign of
Messiah:
And night shall be no more, and they shall have no need of a lamp or
the light of the sun, because ‫ יהוה‬Elohim shall give them light. And they
shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)
This is also prophesied in Isaiah.
“Violence (Hamas) shall no longer be heard in your land, neither
wasting nor ruin within your borders. And you shall call your walls
Deliverance (‫)יהושע‬, and your gates Praise. “No longer is the sun your
light by day, nor does the moon give light to you for brightness, but
‫ יהוה‬shall be to you an everlasting light, and your Elohim your
comeliness. “No longer does your sun go down, nor your moon
withdraw itself, for ‫ יהוה‬shall be your everlasting light, and the days of
your mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60:18-20)
In Hebrew, “the light” is et ha’or. The numerical value is 613, which
equals the number of the commandments in the Torah!
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Why was the original supernal light of Genesis chapter one hidden
away and replaced by the sun, moon and stars? Rashi, the preeminent
Jewish Torah commentator of the last one thousand years states:
• The Holy One, blessed be He, perceived that it was improper for [the
wicked] to make use of the [primeval] light, so He hid it for the
benefit of the righteous in the time to come . The great light of
creation was the light of Torah. At first, the light was available to all,
but God saw that few people are worthy of enjoying it, so He
clothed it in the Torah, and there it remains hidden. (emphasis
added)
• The light is there, it is available. It awaits the diligent, indefatigable
efforts of the righteous to unearth it from between the lines and
letters and wisdom of the Torah. The righteous of the future—all
ages of man—can find the light in Torah, for the Torah is its
embodiment” (ArtScroll Bereishis/Genesis Torah Commentary,pp.
xxxi–xxxii).
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Baal HaTurim states in his Torah commentary regarding Genesis 1:3:
And [Elohim] said, “Let there be light” (1:3), contains the
letter aleph four times, corresponding to four thousand years, (two
thousand years) of Torah and (two thousand) years of [Messiah], for
they are the years of light” (ArtScrollBaal HaTurim Chumash, vol. 1, p.
9).
The Baal HaTurim states in his commentary on Genesis 1:4 that: The
gematria [the numerical values of the Hebrew letters] of this phrase
[the light/ aleph-tav ha-ohr] is equal to that of b’Torah (bet-tav-vavresh-hey, in the Torah), and comes to a total of 613 (the number
of mitzvot [commandments] in the Torah).” [On the phrase,] “That the
light was good”, he writes, “The final letters of these words (bet-yudresh-tav),[can be rearranged to spell] covenant … (p. 11).
Between verses 3 and 5 of Genesis 1 the word light is used 5 times in
its complete spelling. In Hebraic thought, five is the number of the
books of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) or grace.
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Pseudo Jubilee 2:2-3 … For on the first day He created the heavens
which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which
serve before him -the angels of the presence, and the angels of
sanctification, and the angels [of the spirit of fire and the angels] of the
spirit of the winds, and the angels of the spirit of the clouds, and of
darkness, and of snow and of hail and of hoar frost, and the angels of
the voices and of the thunder and of the lightning, and the angels of
the spirits of cold and of heat, and of winter and of spring and of
autumn and of summer and of all the spirits of his creatures which are
in the heavens and on the earth, (He created) the abysses and the
darkness, eventide (and night), and the light, dawn and day, which He
hath prepared in the knowledge of his heart. And thereupon we saw
His works, and praised Him, and lauded before Him on account of all
His works; for seven great works did He create on the first day.
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And Elohim said, “Let an expanse come to be in the midst of the
waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And Elohim
made the expanse, and separated the waters which were under the
expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it came
to be so. And Elohim called the expanse ‘heavens.’ And there came to
be evening and there came to be morning, the second day. (Genesis
1:6-8)
Pseudo Jubilee 2:4 And on the second day He created the firmament in
the midst of the waters, and the waters were divided on that day -half
of them went up above and half of them went down below the
firmament (that was) in the midst over the face of the whole earth.
And this was the only work (God) created
In the account of Creation there was water above heaven and water
below (Genesis 1:1, 6-8). The water above would come down during
the great flood and for the first time there would be rain
approximately 1500 years later.
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Pseudo Jubilee 2:5-8 … And on the third day He commanded the
waters to pass from off the face of the whole earth into one place, and
the dry land to appear. And the waters did so as He commanded them,
and they retired from off the face of the earth into one place outside of
this firmament, and the dry land appeared. And on that day He created
for them all the seas according to their separate gathering-places, and
all the rivers, and the gatherings of the waters in the mountains and on
all the earth, and all the lakes, and all the dew of the earth, and the
seed which is sown, and all sprouting things, and fruit-bearing trees,
and trees of the wood, and the garden of Eden, in Eden and all . These
four great works God created on the third day.
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And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens
to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and
appointed times, and for days and years, and let them be for lights in
the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to
be so. And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. And Elohim set
them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to
rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the
darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:14-18)
The etymology of the word “sign” means “to communicate
something”. The Sabbath is called a “sign”:
“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you
are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you
throughout your generations, to know that I, ‫יהוה‬, am setting you
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apart. (Exodus 31:13)
The Creator has given us a way of marking time HIS way. Man has
come up with other calendars, but with the knowledge that He has
given us in His Word, we can figure out the seasons (moedim). Seasons
are “set feast times” or “appointments” with our Creator:
“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed
times of ‫יהוה‬, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My
appointed times, are these: (Leviticus 23:2)
Therefore, the sun and the moon become reminders and the source of
the signals that will determine the dates that ‫ יהוה‬has chosen to meet
with us. The root of the word for “seasons” associates this time with
betrothal! As the bride of Messiah, important “date” to keep. !!
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Pseudo Jubilee 2:8 -10 ..And on the fourth day He created the sun and
the moon and the stars, and set them in the firmament of the heaven, to
give light upon all the earth, and to rule over the day and the night, and
divide the light from the darkness. And God appointed the sun to be a
great sign on the earth for days and for sabbaths and for months and for
feasts and for years and for sabbaths of years and for jubilees and for all
seasons of the years. And it divideth the light from the darkness [and]
for prosperity, that all things may prosper which shoot and grow on the
earth. These three kinds He made on the fourth day.
These lights in the heavenly realm reflect ‫’יהושע‬s glory for they declare
His purpose from the beginning of time. ‫ יהוה‬gave man a way to read
His calendar. By setting the lights in the sky He marked out His days,
nights, feasts, months and years. Without the physical “lights” in the
sky, understanding and following ‫’יהוה‬s calendar would be impossible.
Without His heavenly calendar we will miss His important moedim /
appointed times (feasts/dates) and the calling upon our lives.
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On the fourth day of creation the sun, moon and the lesser lights were
created. It was also in approximately the year four thousand, after the
creation of the earth, that Messiah ‫יהושע‬, the Sun of Righteousness
(Mal 4:2) left his position of glory and of full and undiminished light
and power in heaven and came to this earth, diminished himself (Phil
2:5–8) to be born into frail human form to become the Torah-Word of
‫ יהוה‬in the flesh after which he would return to his full and
undiminished form to the Father of lights in heaven (Jas 1:17). There
‫ יהושע‬is adorned in garments of pure light (Ps 104:2) where he resides
as an Everlasting Light (Isa 60:19–20), where he dwells in the light and
glory of heaven (1 Tim 6:16), as the pure Light of truth (1 John 1:5),
where his face radiates as the sun in its full strength (Rev 1:16).
The moon generates none of its own light, but as the lesser light simply
reflects the light of the greater light into the darkness of this world.
Just as we called to reflect the light of the torah in times of darkness
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Pseudo Jubilee 2:11-13 And on the fifth day He created great sea
monsters in the depths of the waters, for these were the first things of
flesh that were created by his hands, the fish and everything that
moves in the waters, and everything that flies, the birds and all their
kind. And the sun rose above them to prosper (them), and above
everything that was on the earth, everything that shoots out of the
earth, and all fruit-bearing trees, and all flesh. These three kinds He
created on the fifth day.
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Pseudo Jubilee 2:13-15 And on the sixth day He created all the animals
of the earth, and all cattle, and everything that moves on the earth.
And after all this He created man, a man and a woman created He
them, and gave him dominion over all that is upon the earth, and in the
seas, and over everything that flies, and over beasts and over cattle,
and over everything that moves on the earth, and over the whole
earth, and over all this He gave him dominion. And these four kinds He
created on the sixth day.
‫ יהוה‬made a covenant with mankind in Genesis 1:26-28 and in Genesis
2:15-17. It is called the Covenant of Eden and is universal to all
mankind. In this covenant, man was to multiply and fill the earth with
descendants. He was to have dominion over the animals and manage
the Garden. Man was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil (produces fruit of an earthly/sinful nature) but
from the tree of life (produces fruit of the spirit/heavenly nature). The
penalty of not obeying ‫ יהוה‬and His instructions that would give life
was death (Waking in realm of death verses walking in the realm of
life. Deut 28).
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And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness, ...” (Genesis 1:26)
What image is that? ‫ יהוה‬is the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. He is the
Sacrifice and the Deliverer, the Lord of the Sabbath and the fullness of
the appointed moedim/feast days. He is the author of the
Commandments and guarantor of the Covenant. He is the Manna from
heaven, the anointing oil, the Shofar blast, the Ark of the Covenant, the
Balm of Gilead, the color in the rainbow, the Prince of Peace, the Door,
the Yom Kippur offering, the wine and the bread, the face of ‫יהוה‬, our
sanctification. His is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the King of
Kings. He is compassion, kindness, joy, and so much more… He, (the
Word, Torah, ‫ יהושע‬and the Light) is the author of all Creation.
The names and images of ‫ יהוה‬are His characteristics; they illustrate
what is to be our image. Man is made in these images; ‫’יהוה‬s
characteristics are our characteristics and our image. As we come into
the fullness and learn to walk in His right ways, we transform into His
likeness.
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The words “in our image” portray the plurality of ‫יהוה‬. The "our"
reveals the multifaceted manifestation of the Incarnate, Omnipresent
God. ‫ יהושע‬is the Word made Flesh, the Lamb of God, the Messiah and
the Restorer of our soul who is found in His appointed Feasts. We are
made in His image. These symbols are in us and are part of us if we are
in Him and part of Him. Only human beings bear the image/likeness of
‫יהוה‬. He has gifted us with the same wonderful range of capabilities as
Himself.
And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim formed the man out of dust from the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils breath of life. And the man became a living
being. (Genesis 2:7)
Man did not evolve from a monkey! Man was formed out of the dust
of the earth. The design and pattern is by ‫יהוה‬. ‫ יהוה‬breathed HIS own
breath, THE breath (naphech - Strong’s #5301) of Life (chai) into
Adam’s nostrils and man became a living soul (chai nephesh - Strong’s
#5315).
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‫ יהוה‬made Adam as a hybrid of spirit and flesh. Man possesses two
souls—a “divine” soul and an “animal” soul.
The animal soul is the human life-force which animates the flesh. The
animal soul provides our mortal vitality, our sense of self and
sentience. The common biblical Hebrew word for soul is nefesh, (‫)נפש‬,
but nefesh is seldom used to refer to the immortal, spiritual element
of the divine soul.
Nefesh refers to a person’s psyche, the “self” and the “personality.”
The mystics describe the nefesh as a man’s thought, speech, and
action. Even animals have a nefesh. Its inclination and appetites are
carnal, material, and selfish, therefore, its influence over man leads us
toward selfishness, lust, greed, and sin. Despite this, the animal soul is
not evil, for it also comes from ‫יהוה‬. The animal soul can be harnessed
and brought under the influence of the divine soul and into the service
32
of ‫יהוה‬.
The Hebrew word for “breath” in Genesis 2:7 is neshamah (‫)נשמה‬. The
same word is commonly used in Judaism to refer to the divine soul.
The neshamah entered Adam as the “breath of life” ‫ יהוה‬breathed into
him. The divine soul is the source of our innate thirst for ‫יהוה‬. The
apostles refer to it as the “spirit” (not to be confused with the Spirit of
‫יהוה‬, or the Holy Spirit). According to apostolic theology, this spirit
within man is dead until it is quickened by salvation and brought to life
and communion with the Ruach
To enter a human being, the neshamah must leave its abode in the
heavens and inhabit an earthly body. Then the nefesh (personality) and
neshamah (divine soul) bind together, but remain distinct. At death,
the nefesh perishes with the body, but the neshamah returns to its
source:
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to
33
Elohim who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
The characterization of man being made in the “image of Elohim” gives
him the privilege of being the symbol of Yah’s presence on earth. Man
himself is not divine, but his existence bears witness to the activity of
the Creator in the life of the world. ‫יהושע‬, however, is THE LIGHT of the
world. He is not only the symbol of Yah’s presence, He IS the presence:
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have
seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the Word of life: And the life was manifested, and
we have seen, and bear witness, and announce to you that everlasting
life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.
(1 John 1:1-2)
34
Pseudo Jubilee 2:17 -27 …And He gave us a great sign, the Sabbath
day, that we should work six days, but keep Sabbath on the seventh
day from all work. And all the angels of the presence, and all the angels
of sanctification, these two great classes -He hath bidden us to keep
the Sabbath with Him in heaven and on earth. And He said unto us:
'Behold, I will separate unto Myself a people from among all the
peoples, and these shall keep the Sabbath day, and I will sanctify them
unto Myself as My people, and will bless them; as I have sanctified the
Sabbath day and do sanctify (it) unto Myself, even so will I bless them,
and they shall be My people and I will be their God. And I have chosen
the seed of Jacob from amongst all that I have seen, and have written
him down as My first-born son, and have sanctified him unto Myself for
ever and ever; and I will teach them the Sabbath day, that they may
keep Sabbath thereon from all work.‘ ..And He caused His commands to
ascend as a sweet savour acceptable before Him all the days … And
whoever profanes it shall surely die, and whoever does thereon any
35
work shall surely die eternally ..
Therefore ‫ יהושע‬spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the
world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but
possess the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Each day of Creation holds a key to ‫’יהוה‬s purpose and plan for our
lives throughout Scripture. The seven days of Creation relate to a
seven thousand year period of time, as each day is as a thousand years
with ‫( יהוה‬Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8); this is the Seven Thousand Year
Plan for man. Life revolves around the number seven as it relates to
Creation. (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
Seven means: to be full or satisfied, have enough of. Thus ‫ יהוה‬rested
on the seventh day, as what He had created was "perfect, full, and
complete". The seventh day is the Sabbath, a rest for all mankind. It is
universal and ancient beyond memory or record in its observance by
the nations at all times. Those who observe the Sabbath enter into an
eternal Sabbath-rest in the future. So there remains a Sabbath-keeping
for the people of Elohim. (Hebrews 4:9)
36
And on the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had
done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had
made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because
on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.
(Genesis 2:2-3)
This day is unique from the other six days. No creative work occurred
on this day. It is the only day blessed and set apart (made holy). It is
significant that the first use of holiness relates to time. This blessing
belongs to no other day.
The institution of the Shabbat is not specifically found in these verses.
What we find is that the Sabbath will become a distinctively Israelite
ordinance, a sign of the eternal covenant between ‫ יהוה‬and Israel. So it
becomes very important for you to determine “who” Israel is, since the
Sabbath has been given to Israel.
37
“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you
are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you
throughout your generations, to know that I, ‫יהוה‬, am setting you
apart. ‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. ...
‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the
Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.
(Exodus 31:13-16)
The appointed feasts are, dictated by the phases of the moon, when
‫ יהוה‬has chosen to meet with us. Also, the Hebrew days, months, and
years are all determined by the phases of the moon and the
movement of the sun. But the 7th day Sabbath stands alone. It is
entirely independent of the movement of celestial bodies, as we
simply continually count to seven. It is unparalleled, as a day that is a
sign between the Almighty Creator and His chosen. It is the Sabbath
that is credited with being that which preserved the Jews as a people
while in exile, whereas the other tribes all lost their Israelite identity
38
when they assimilated into the nations.
The seven days of creation correspond to the seven thousand years
that man will be upon this earth. They break this seven thousand years
into four subsections, namely:
1. The Age of Desolation (from Adam to before Abraham).
2. The second two-thousand-year period is called The Age of Torah on
account of the fact of Abraham’s calling, the establishment of the
nation of Israel and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
3. The third period is called the Age of Messiah roughly corresponding
to the two thousand years lasting from the birth of ‫ יהושע‬to the
year A.D. 2000.
4. After this comes the last or seventh day, which corresponds to the
Messianic Era/Age (i.e. Millennium) (See ArtSroll Bereishis /
Genesis Torah Commentary, vol. 1a, p. 359 and the above quote
and Soncino Talmud—Avodah Zarah 9aand Sanhedrin 97a,b).
39
Pseudo Jubilee 2:15-24 And there were altogether two and twenty
kinds … There (were) two and twenty heads of mankind from Adam to
Jacob, and two and twenty kinds of work were made until the seventh
day; this is blessed and holy; and the former also is blessed and holy;
and this one serves with that one for sanctification and blessing. And to
this (Jacob and his seed) it was granted that they should always be the
blessed and holy ones of the first testimony; and this one serves with
that one for sanctification and blessing.
The pattern of creation is fulfilled throughout the patriarchs and their
generations. When all is said and done everything will be blessed and
holy.
Biblical meaning of the number 22 is light
40
These are the births of the heavens and the earth when they were
created, in the day that ‫ יהוה‬Elohim made earth and heavens.
(Genesis 2:4)
Although the Almighty has many names and descriptions, two are
primary – Elohim and ‫יהוה‬
Elohim is a noun which refers to the Creator who is also the judge over
His creation. It appears over 2,600 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and
is normally translated as “God”. The sages see “Elohim” as describing
divine justice and “‫ ”יהוה‬as divine compassion. In the 11th century,
Judah Halevi taught that the word “El” was a title generally used by
pagans to signify a god (El is singular), i.e., a force of nature (the sun,
the storm, the earth, the sea, etc).
The “Elohim” (plural) of the Hebrew Scriptures is the totality of all
powers. He is King and Judge over all.
41
“‫”יהוה‬, by contrast, is not just a noun but a name. Where “Elohim”
refers to the Almighty as the totality of all powers, “‫ ”יהוה‬is “the One
who speaks to us” and “the One with whom we have
relationship”. ‫ יהוה‬appears nearly 7,000 times throughout the Bible,
usually translated as “LORD”. Whereas we see “Elohim” in the marvels
of creation, we encounter “‫ ”יהוה‬when we are given insights and
revelations.
Names have other meanings, which are often determined by the
letters which make up the word: ‫יהוה‬
• Yud (‫ – )י‬hand – symbolizes power and strength:
• Hey (‫ –)ה‬to reveal, grace. There are two hey’s in the Almighty’s
Name. Grace is revealed the first time in the form of salvation (e.g.
Noah received grace), and the second time in the form of
restoration. We can also parallel this with the first and second
comings of ‫יהושע‬.
• Vav (‫ –)ו‬nail
42
So how does the name of ‫ יהושע‬fit into all this?
Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name
which is above every name, that at the Name of ‫ יהושע‬every knee
should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those
under the earth, and every tongue should confess that ‫ יהושע‬Messiah is
Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
In these Philippians verses, Paul is quoting from Isaiah. In Isaiah it is
‫ יהוה‬who alone is to be bowed down to in worship and confession.
But Paul applies this statement directly to ‫יהושע‬. Therefore the
implication is clear. ‫ יהושע‬is the Messiah, and He is ‫!יהוה‬
“... Who has announced this from of old? Who has declared it from that
time? Is it not I, ‫ ?יהוה‬And there is no mighty one besides Me, a
righteous Ěl and a Saviour, there is none besides Me. “Turn to Me and
be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am Ěl, and there is none else.
“I have sworn by Myself, a word has gone out of My mouth in
righteousness, and shall not return, so that to Me every knee shall bow,
every tongue swear. (Isaiah 45:21-23)
43
And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim formed the man (ADAM) out of dust (AFAR) from the
ground (ADAMAH) , and breathed (NAPACH) into his nostrils breath of
life (NESHMAT CHAYIN). And the man (ADAM) became a living being
(NEPHESH CHAYAH). (Genesis 2:7)
The Torah is always specific with the information that it provides us
with. Notice that we are given the formula for the making of “man”
(adam). Man was made from “ground” (adamah) and the “breath of
life” (neshmat chayim. Thus man is both physical (ground) and spiritual
(breath of life).
It is interesting that Adam/man is named after his earthly component
(adamah). Although he was created in the image of Elohim, it seems to
imply that his primary ingredient is physical.
44
And ‫ יהוה‬saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And ‫ יהוה‬was sorry that He had made man on the earth,
and He was grieved in His heart. And ‫ יהוה‬said, “I am going to wipe off
man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and
beast, creeping creature and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I
have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7)
The connection between “Adam/man” and “adamah/earth” in the
above portion of scripture. The “Adam/adamah” association is a
theme that runs like a thread throughout Torah and acts as a
barometer for sin in the Almighty’s creation. The first barometer we is
the sin of “Adam” which is followed up by a “curse to the ground”:
And to the man He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of
your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
saying, ‘Do not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground because of you, in toil
you are to eat of it all the days of your life, and the ground shall bring
forth thorns and thistles for you, and you shall eat the plants of the 45
field. (Genesis 3:17-18)
Before sin, “Adam” could simply pick fruits from the trees of the
“ground”. After sin, he must labour in a land filled with “thorns and
thistles.” Not only that, but he is exiled from the Garden to till the
“ground from which he was taken.”
Note: Adam was NOT formed from the soil of the Garden of Eden. We
see that “Adam” is in conflict with the very “ground” that he was
formed from.
It is interesting that this conflict between “Adam” and the “adamah”
exists only during Adam’s life. After his death, he returns to dust
illustrating a kind of earthly restoration:
“By the sweat of your face you are to eat bread until you return to the
ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you
return.” (Genesis 3:19)
46
but a mist went up from the earth and watered the entire surface of
the ground. And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim formed the man out of dust from the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath of life. And the man
became a living being. And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim planted a garden in Ěḏen, to
the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
(Genesis 2:6-8)
The garden seems to be a smaller part of a location known as Eden.
Man is formed outside of the garden and placed into it by ‫ יהוה‬Elohim.
The word for “eastward” is miqadem whose root means “ancient”.
“Ancient” can be defined as the “establishment of truths from the very
beginning”. Thus we see that the garden was planted with His truth.
There are a couple of verses where we find this concept of “ancient”
or “east”.
47
declaring the end from the beginning, and from of old that which has
not yet been done, saying, ‘My counsel does stand, and all My delight I
do,’ (Isaiah 46:10)
• From the beginning - compare with first word of the Torah
• From of old (Latter end) - idiom for the end of days, thus we can
learn from the “beginning” what will happen in the end
• Ancient times –
o Etymological root word means “initial source”
o All of Yah’s ways come from the east
o All of man’s ways come from the west
• Counsel o Psalm 33:11 The counsel of ‫ יהוה‬stands forever, the plans of His
heart to all generations.
o The word for “tree” comes from the verbal root for “counsel”. It
literally means “that which supports”. In the garden were two
trees: One with the counsel of life, and one with the counsel of
48
death.
“But you, Bĕyth Leḥem Ephrathah, you who are little among the clans
of Yehuḏah, out of you shall come forth to Me the One to become Ruler
in Yisra’ĕl. And His comings forth are of old, from everlasting.”
(Micah 5:2)
And when Messiah comes, His appearance will be as lightning from the
east to the west:
“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines to the west, so
also shall the coming of the Son of Aḏam be. (Matthew 24:27)
49
And out of the ground ‫ יהוה‬Elohim made every tree grow that is
pleasant to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the
midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ..
And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim took the man and put him in the garden of Ěḏen to
work it and to guard it. And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim commanded the man, saying,
“Eat of every tree of the garden, but do not eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall
certainly die.” (Genesis 2:9-17)
Man is commanded to eat from the Tree of Life. ‫’יהוה‬s life is only given
to mankind through the Tree of Life. His likeness or nature is called the
Fruit of the Spirit. ‫ יהושע‬gave Himself for us. Only life, ‫’ יהוה‬s Life, is in
the Tree of Life.
“I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven. ..“This is
the bread which came down out of the heaven, not as your fathers ate
the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.” (John
6:51-58)
50
And a river went out of Ěḏen to water the garden, and from there it
divided and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon, it
is the one surrounding the entire land of Ḥawilah, where there is gold.
And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium is there, and the shoham
stone. And the name of the second river is Giḥon, it is the one
surrounding the entire land of Kush. And the name of the third river is
Ḥiddeqel, it is the one which goes toward the east of Ashshur. And the
fourth river is the Euphrates. (Genesis 2:10-14)
We also read about a single river that watered the Garden and divided
into four headwaters going to the four corners of the world. “In the
Tanakh it is only used figuratively of the confluence of nations. The
most interesting passages are the duplicates in Isaiah 2:2 and Micah
4:1 when in the last days all nations (from the four corners of the
world) will stream to ‫’יהוה‬s temple in Jerusalem.” (Quote from
TWOT) The Hebrew word for river comes from the word that means
“to shine, beam, light”.
51
Besides the lone biblical reference, Pishon is mentioned in Sirach 24:25
of the Apocrypha. It is probably connected with the Hebrew root
puwsh, which means “scatter, press on, break loose, or spring
forward.” The River Pishon most likely originated from a spring and
formed a delta. Another verb spelled the same is to rest.
The name Pishon probably refers to a river that originates from a
spring and forms into a delta. Thus we note the word “Pison” means
“increase”, “overflowing” or “abundance”.
It surrounded the land of “Hawilah”, which means “land of abundant
blessing and wealth” or “the land of Havilah” meaning “sandy land”.
Torah indicates this is a land of “Gold”, shoham (onyx) and bdellium.
Bdellium has two apparent meanings in Scripture; the first is that it
looks like the manna in Numbers 11:7, and secondly it is used to
represent pearls.
52
Meaning “bursting forth” as with a “fountain”, which indicates
knowledge coming forth, as from the depths, or hidden places. It
surrounded the land of “Kush” or “Africa” which is another land
wealthy in precious minerals such as gold and diamonds.
If there had only been one river coming out of the garden (fullflowing), we might have concluded that all God was concerned about
was us experiencing fullness on a personal level. However, if we move
beyond “fullness” and are “bursting forth” (experiencing an overflow),
then the nature and character of God coming out of us is bound to
influence and impact others also.
John 4:14 in the Message version says, “Anyone who drinks the water I
give will never thirst — not ever. The water I give will be an artesian
spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
It would seem that the message of Gihon (bursting forth or gushing) is
that God doesn’t want us merely living lives of survival or success, but
to move beyond that and truly live lives of significance—not merely
focusing on what we need or want for ourselves, but on what we can
53
contribute to others.
Means “rapid” or “vehemently active” and it went before Ashshur
(Assyria), which is one of two of the wealthiest and powerful kingdoms
mentioned in the TaNaK. Hiddekel is actually a “word picture” of a
swift arrow in flight towards it Goal or target. It is not a picture of an
arrow in a quiver or lying passively on the ground.
The New Testament is clear that we are to be specific when we pray
(Mark 11:24 and James 4:2). A man who was praying very fervently at
a prayer meeting was asked what he was praying about. He looked up,
paused a second, and then said, “Nothing in particular.” If you’re
praying for “nothing in particular,” and God answers your prayer, what
exactly is it that you end up with.
We are not to be aimless and ambiguous in our lives. We are to be like
swift arrows in flight. Paul said that he ran with purpose in every step
(1 Corinthians 9:26). The Holy Spirit wants to help us be people who
are deliberate and intentional in our lives, in our ministries, and in our
praying.
54
“Euphrates”, or “Perath” in the Hebrew, means “sweet water” or
“fruitful” and is a river of Babylon, which is the other or the wealthiest
kingdoms mentioned in the TaNaK.
If we have the first three rivers flowing in our lives (fullness, overflow,
and purpose) that it will result in us experiencing sweetness and
fruitfulness. This sweetness isn’t just for our own enjoyment, either.
Paul said: But thanks be to Elohim who always leads us on, to
overcome in Messiah, and manifests through us the fragrance of His
knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14).
If a believer is full of bitterness, he’ll export that to others. If a believer
is sour in his attitude, he will no doubt pass that on to those around
him. God wants our lives to be fruitful unto Him. He wants other
people to be enriched through their association with us.
God’s original garden (Eden) had rivers flowing out of it. We are God’s
garden today, Theses rivers communicate what God wants operative in
our lives today, both individually and corporately.
55
Pseudo Jubilee 3:4-8 .. And the Lord said unto us: 'It is not good that
the man should be alone: let us make a helpmeet for him.' And the Lord
our God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, and he slept, and He
took for the woman one rib from amongst his ribs, and this rib was the
origin of the woman from amongst his ribs, and He built up the flesh in
its stead, and built the woman. And He awaked Adam out of his sleep
and on awaking he rose on the sixth day, and He brought her to him,
and he knew her, and said unto her: 'This is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called [my] wife; because she was taken
from her husband.' Therefore shall man and wife be one and therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and cleave unto his wife,
and they shall be one flesh. In the first week was Adam created, and
the rib -his wife: in the second week He showed her unto him: ..
56
Adam is a prophetic picture of ‫יהושע‬. The Bride of ‫ יהושע‬is birthed
from ‫’יהושע‬s pierced side. The Greek word egkentrizo Strong’s #G1461
means graffed: to cut into for the sake of inserting or grafting in a
scion (pronounced similar to the Hebrew word zion). Etymology for
scion is: sprout, shoot.
1. A detached living portion of a plant (as a bud or shoot) joined to a
stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft.
2. A descendant, child especially a descendant of a wealthy,
aristocratic, or influential family;
3. Heir.
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and
were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more
shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own
olive tree? ..And so all Yisra’ĕl shall be saved, ..“The Deliverer shall
come out of Tsiyon, and He shall turn away wickedness from Yaʽaqoḇ,
and this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
(Romans 11:24-27)
57
Pseudo Jubilee 3:8-13 ..reason the commandment was given to keep in
their defilement, for a male seven days, and for a female twice seven
days. And after Adam had completed forty days in the land where he
had been created, we brought him into the garden of Eden to till and
keep it, but his wife they brought in on the eightieth day, and after this
she entered into the garden of Eden. And for this reason the
commandment is written on the heavenly tablets in regard to her that
gives birth: 'if she bears a male, she shall remain in her uncleanness
seven days according to the first week of days, and thirty and three
days shall she remain in the blood of her purifying, and she shall not
touch any hallowed thing, nor enter into the sanctuary, until she
accomplishes these days which (are enjoined) in the case of a male
child. But in the case of a female child she shall remain in her
uncleanness two weeks of days, according to the first two weeks, and
sixty-six days in the blood of her purification, and they will be in all
eighty days.' And when she had completed these eighty days we
brought her into the garden of Eden, for it is holier than all the earth
besides and every tree that is planted in it is holy. (Leviticus 12)
58
And the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which ‫יהוה‬
Elohim had made, and he said to the woman, “Is it true that Elohim has
said, ‘Do not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to
the serpent, “We are to eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but
of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has
said, ‘Do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die.’ ” And the serpent said
to the woman, “You shall certainly not die. “For Elohim knows that in
the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like
Elohim, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)
The lies were based on twisting the word of ‫ יהוה‬to make ‫ יהוה‬say
something He did not say and to come in agreement with it opening
the door for more deception, namely:
1. Satan lied when he said they were not allowed to eat from any
tree.
2. Eve, lied by saying they were not even allowed to touch it
Only if we totally in agreement with ‫’יהוה‬s Word do we have
protection.
59
Man’s fall was initiated by a man named Helel
The original meaning is hêylêl from H1984 (in the sense of
brightness); the morning star: - lucifer. The Torah is light, a lamp to my
feet and only a student of the light can be called light. Helel’s
assignment was to teach others the Torah as this is the blueprint of the
universe.
‫ יהושע‬approval as a Rabbi was done by a man named Hillel
In common use among Bible scholars at the time of ‫( יהושע‬and John)
were the ancient seven rules or principles of interpretation compiled
by Hillel. He lived a generation before ‫ יהושע‬was born and died when
Jesus was a young teenager. Hillel may have been one of the Torah
scholars who questioned ‫ יהושע‬at his bar-mitzvah in Jerusalem when
‫ יהושע‬was twelve years of age. The New Testament has examples of all
seven rules. ‫ יהושע‬employed some of the rules in his teaching.
Pseudo Jubilee 3:15 .. Adam and his wife were in the garden of Eden
for seven years tilling and keeping it..
‫ יהוה‬has already set a prophetic plan in place showing us that the 7
good years in Eden are going to be replaced by 7 bad years.
“The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are
seven years – it is one dream. “And the seven lean and ugly cows which
came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads
scorched by the east wind are seven years of scarcity of food. (Genesis
41:26-27)
“Know, then, and understand: from the going forth of the command to
restore and build Yerushalayim until Messiah the Prince is seven weeks
and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with streets and a trench,
but in times of affliction. (Daniel 9:25)
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Let’s compare with what Elohim actually said:
And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim commanded the man, saying, “Eat of every tree of the
garden, but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die.” (Genesis 2:1617)
In Genesis 2:16 it says that ‫ יהוה‬Elohim actually “commanded” the
man, but in 3:1 the serpent lessens the Creator’s words by asking if
Elohim had “said”?
Not only did he change the verb, but the serpent left out the name
‫יהוה‬, the part of His name which symbolizes relationship. It is also
interesting that the serpent approached the woman since it was Adam
who had received the command from ‫ יהוה‬Elohim.
QUESTION: Do WE ever lessen commandments by saying that they
were only something that ‫“ יהוה‬said”?
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The woman replies to the serpent:
And the woman said to the serpent, “We are to eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of
the garden, Elohim has said, ‘Do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die.’
” (Genesis 3:2-3)
In her correction to the serpent, Eve either exaggerates the divine
commandment by adding to it “nor shall you touch it” or she simply
quotes misinformation as received from her husband. The serpent
replies:
And the serpent said to the woman, “You shall certainly not die. “For
Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened,
and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)
In speaking to the woman, the serpent consistently uses verbs in their
plural forms. This is evidence that Adam was within earshot of the
conversation.
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In fact, this is indicated in the words of the next verse (with her):
And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, and she
took of its fruit and ate. And she also gave to her husband with her,
and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)
It is hard for us to imagine how this could have happened. The couple
was living in an environment of beauty, tranquillity and harmony. They
walked with the Creator. It should have been a fairytale existence. Still,
Adam was not satisfied. He wanted to be in control of his own life. He
did not want to be dependent on someone, even if it was his Creator.
We wonder where this independence in Adam came from. Yet, when
we come to salvation through ‫ יהושע‬do we willingly turn our lives over
to Him and allow Him to be in complete control of our lives? Do we
“add to” or “take away from” the commandments He has given to us?
Do we wholeheartedly embrace Torah?
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Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they
were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made loin
coverings for themselves. (Genesis 3:7)
Adam and Eve were clothed with His righteousness; they walked in a
heavenly, divine, supernatural order/realm and were not naked before
they disobeyed. But, ‫ יהוה‬is Spirit (1 John 1:14), so when Adam and
Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil their status changed
from walking in the “spirit” of the heavenly realm in ‫’יהוה‬s Kingdom, to
allowing the sinful fallen nature of the earthly realm to rule. Adam and
Eve did not lose their salvation, they were in a status change; a state of
uncleanness.
The scriptures refer to those believers who are outside the realm of
life/Torah, ones who have sinned/missed the mark, as being “naked,”
as they are out of His order; they have come out from under the
covering, protection and blessing ‫ יהוה‬spoke of in His Word. ‫ יהושע‬has
sown us garments of righteousness to cover our nakedness but we
believers must choose to be finished with our sinful earthly nature
otherwise we are still seen as naked.
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“And I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
seed and her Seed. He shall crush your head, and you shall crush His
heel.” ..And the man called his wife’s name Ḥawwah, because she
became the mother of all living. (Genesis 3:15-20)
Adam knew the Hebrew letters intimately and selected the letters that
would best describe his wife.
• Chet: A fence or an inner room, symbolizes the acts of separating
and protecting. The letter chet corresponds with the number eight
representing life beyond. Chet is used for the words brother, grace,
favor, refuge, to keep silent and companion. ‫’יהוה‬s favor, grace and
Word are a fence that keeps us safe.
• Vav: represents a nail or a wooden peg, like the hooks that were
used to hold together the curtains of the Tabernacle. Thus joining
together, making secure or becoming bound (nailed to). It is the sixth
letter in the alphabet and denotes physical completion. The letter
means acceptance of Torah and guarantor of Redemption.
Victory was foretold by "the seed of the woman" when He, the
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Messiah, will crush the head of the serpent i.e. the adversary.
And to the man He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of
your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
saying, ‘Do not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground because of you, in toil
you are to eat of it all the days of your life, and the ground shall bring
forth thorns and thistles for you, and you shall eat the plants of the
field. “By the sweat of your face you are to eat bread until you return
to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are, and to
dust you return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)
In verse 18, “herb” can also be translated as “grasses”. Now instead of
being able to eat from the Tree of Life, they must eat from these
grasses of the field. The staples of the Israelite diet in the land are
barley and wheat. It is notable that the first two festivals, Pesach
(Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost) focus on these two grasses. On
Pesach, Messiah is associated with the first fruits of the barley harvest;
on Shavuot, believers are associated with the first fruits of the wheat
harvest.
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But on Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), the focus is on fruit! The festival
of Sukkot is just a bit of a reminder and a foretaste of being back in the
garden where the Tree of Life will once again bear fruit:
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree
of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every
month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And no longer shall there be any curse, and the throne of Elohim and
of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
(Revelation 22:2-3)
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Adam and Eve tried to cover their guilt, they knew they needed a
covering, atonement for their sin, and looked for leaves from a tree to
cover themselves. ‫ יהוה‬saw their helplessness, as only the “leaves”
(pages containing His word) from the Tree of Life/Torah/‫ יהושע‬, the
living word, given to us through His shed blood sacrifice was healing
for the “nations” (Revelation 22:2).
In Leviticus 7:7-8, the scripture states the priests were allowed to keep
the skins of the animals that were sacrificed as sin and guilt offerings.
This is a shadow of the fulfillment found in ‫יהושע‬, as He represented
the sin and guilt offering, which both provided garments to cover
Adam and Eve and provided all mankind with the ultimate sacrifice
that covered and atoned all of our past, present and future
innocent and intentional sins.
And ‫ יהוה‬Elohim made coats of skin for the man and his wife and
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dressed them. (Genesis 3:21)
And again, she gave birth to his brother Heḇel. And Heḇel became a
keeper of sheep, but Qayin became a tiller of the ground. (Genesis 4:2)
• A man who is a “tiller of the ground” remains close to the ground.
These farmers generally end up living in permanent dwellings such
as houses. The “keepers of sheep” wander with their flocks and
generally live in tents.
• The “tiller of the ground” is nourished by the produce and fruit of
the ground while the “keeper of sheep” enjoys the meat and wool of
his sheep.
Cain and Abel will set the paradigm for these two lifestyles; one which
keeps his eyes on ‫יהוה‬, and the other which worships the earth and his
own skilfulness in the world. While it is true that Adam and Eve tended
to the garden, Cain was now tilling cursed ground, outside of the
garden.
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“Agriculture demands all a person’s physical strength…he needs to
devote his whole life to his bodily existence. The concept of ‘Kayin,”
(Cain, meaning acquisition) – self-recognition and the pride associated
with acquiring – are most evident in the farmer. By the sweat of his
brow he has made his ground bear fruit, and it becomes something of
ultimate value for him – it becomes part of his personality, he holds
onto it and settles…. The farmer is a slave to his field, and the field
draws him towards it….he will easily be brought to admiration of the
forces of nature, upon whose influences the success of his field
depends. Faith in God and in the superiority of man was first lost
among the agricultural nations. It was there that idol worship first
developed.
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“In contrast, the life of the shepherd is most elevated. He is concerned
principally with living things. His care of them arouses within him
humane feelings and sympathy for suffering. His acquisitions are
portable. The flock needs the shepherd’s care, but their existence is
not in his hands. Thus the shepherd is protected from the danger of
overestimating his own value and that of his property. His profession
does not occupy all his strength and efforts. His spirit is invested in his
labour to a lesser degree, and remains open to Godly and humane
values. For this reason our forefathers were shepherds, and Moshe
and David also shepherded flocks. In contrast we find, ‘For every
shepherd is an abomination to Egypt’ (Genesis 46:34). All the problems
associated with agriculture which we mentioned above existed in
Egypt. Egyptian culture was based on agriculture. This found
expression in paganism on one hand and enslavement of people on
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the other….”
“The Holy Scriptures almost always prefers a shepherd to a tiller of the
soil. Kayin (Cain) was a tiller of soil while Hevel (Abel) was a shepherd;
Hevel’s offering is accepted while Kayin’s is not. We are told that Noah
was a ‘man of the ground,’ obviously not in his favour, since we read
later that ‘He drank from the wine and became inebriated and he was
uncovered inside his tent.’ The forefathers were shepherds; Yaakov
(Jacob) was a ‘dweller in tents’ while Esav (Esau) was a ‘man of the
field.’ Yaakov’s sons were shepherds; ‘Moshe kept the flock…..’ (Shemot
3:1); David tended his father’s flock. Proverbs speaks in favour of
shepherding…(27:23-27); Amos was one of the herdsmen of Tekoa
(Amos 1:1)…
“But why does the Torah prefer shepherds to tillers of the ground? Did
God not place Adam in Gan (Garden) Eden in order ‘to work it and to
guard it?’ …working the land involves the concept of private ownership
– acquisition – by the farmer, and the Holy Scriptures do not recognize
a private individual’s rights over land, except under the known
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conditions and limitations.”
But man needed to work the ground once he entered the Promised
Land. Most of the great patriarchs that we read about were shepherds
in a period preceding Israel’s settlement of the land. Rav Hirsch gives
the remedy for this inherent problem:
“The Torah anticipates the chronic dangers inherent in agriculture and
prescribes the remedy. Shabbat and shemitta (the sabbatical year)
forever testify that the earth belongs to God, and man is His servant.
The agricultural laws, such as the prohibitions of mixing seeds and the
instructions for when to eat of the fruit of young trees on one hand
and the positive injunctions of leftover produce for the poor on the
other remind man of God’s presence, cautioning him to maintain
brotherly and neighbourly love. Thus the Torah solves the moral
problem of agriculture; in this way a society of God-fearing farmers is
created, all sharing brotherly love and equality. But outside of the
Torah framework a danger is presented to faith in God and to the
freedom and equality of all men.”
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And it came to be, in the course of time, that Qayin brought an offering
of the fruit of the ground to ‫יהוה‬. And Heḇel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And ‫ יהוה‬looked to Heḇel and his
offering, but He did not look to Qayin and his offering. And Qayin was
very wroth, and his face fell. (Genesis 4:3-5)
Becoming a farmer had a negative influence on Cain’s character and
this caused Elohim not to accept his offering. Abel appears to have
demonstrated a quality of heart and mind that Cain did not possess. It
is a fundamental principle of Judaism that the act of worship in making
offerings must come from genuine devotion of the heart…a
circumcised heart.
There are two thoughts as to why ‫ יהוה‬did not accept Qayin’s offering,
namely:
1. The produce came from the cursed ground
2. It was not the first fruits of the soil
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By belief, Heḇel offered to Elohim a greater slaughter offering than
Qayin, ..(Hebrews 11:4)
Within the restrictions that ‫ יהוה‬has placed, working the ground does
not have to lead to sin. Although sin may indeed “crouch at the door”,
nevertheless “we can rule over it”:
And ‫ יהוה‬said to Qayin, “Why are you wroth? And why is your face
fallen? “If you do well, is there not acceptance? And if you do not do
well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you
should master it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)
The word interpreted “door” we will see in several significant verses
throughout the Scriptures:
• Door of the ark (Genesis 6:16)
• Door of Abraham’s tent (Genesis 18:1)
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• Door of Lot’s house (Genesis 19:11)
A “door” is an entrance to “something”, thus the question for us is –
sin is lying at the door to what? ‫ יהוה‬admonished and rebuked Cain
and set before him a choice. It appears that Cain had an opportunity to
repent of his error, but he went on to follow temptation and kill his
brother. What would have been his positive choice?
“As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent.
“See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with
Me. “To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:19-21)
‫…יהושע‬He is the same yesterday, today, and forever…rebukes and
chastens us. But His desire is for us to “be zealous and repent”. It is the
“door” of our hearts that He stands and knocks at. If we “open the
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door”, He will come in. This makes us over comers of our sin!
The letter dalet (‫ )ר‬is a picture of a door. We are familiar with the
name, ‫יהוה‬. Let’s add the door (‫ )ר‬to the name…. ‫יהו ר ה‬. Now we
have the name Yehuda (Judah, from which we get Jews), the tribe from
which ‫ יהושע‬came. ‫יהושע‬, in all His Jewishness, is the door (‫ )ר‬to the
heart of ‫ יהוה‬as represented by the tribe from which He came.
After the loss of Abel, the son that was born was named Seth. He in
turn named his son Enosh. Enosh means “man” in the same way that
Adam means “man”, but Enosh puts emphasis on the mortality and
frailty of man. It comes from a root which means “to be sick”. Man was
learning, and this is reflected in the name Enosh. He saw his sin
sickness and would later come to realize that only by opening the door
to the Messiah would he find restoration and wholeness.
It’s still our choice. Open the door.
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And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood
cries out to Me from the ground. “And now you are cursed from the
earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from
your hand. “If you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to
you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” (Genesis
4:10-12)
Again, we find a “man” (adam) sinning, followed by a curse affecting
the “adamah.” When Elohim confronts Cain, He indicates that he not
only sinned, but he defiled the “adamah.” Now, when Cain will till the
“adamah,” it will not be fruitful for him. It will resist cultivation,
despite his efforts. Whereas Adam was exiled from the Garden of
Eden, Cain will become a “fugitive” upon the whole earth:
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There are ten generations from Adam to Noah and they remembered
‫’יהוה‬s promise to Chavah/Eve of a Redeemer, as is evident in the
names and respective meanings:
Adam
man
Seth
appointed
Enosh
mortal
Kenan
sorrow
Mahalalel
blessed one
Jared
will come down
Enoch
teaching
Methuselah
(that) his death will send
Lamech
the hidden King (despairing)
Noah
Rest (comfort)
Putting all the names together it says, "Man is appointed mortal in
sorrow, but our blessed One will come down teaching that His death
will send the hidden King rest (or despairing comfort)."
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and called his name Noaḥ, saying, “This one does comfort us
concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground
which ‫ יהוה‬has cursed.” (Genesis 5:29)
“Noah” (meaning comfort or rest) is born whose name projects
optimism between “mankind” and the “adamah” because man was
deteriorating even further
And ‫ יהוה‬said, “I am going to wipe off man whom I have created from
the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping creature and birds
of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7)
In only four chapters, “man” (adam ) has sinned so grievously that His
Creator is ready to wipe him out. Man is now completely corrupted.
The “thoughts of his heart” are on “evil continually.” Because of the
failures of “mankind” (adam), the “earth” (adamah) is no longer able
to sustain him. The Creator makes a decision to destroy both man and
the earth:
and Elohim said to Noaḥ, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for
the earth is filled with violence through them. And see, I am going to
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destroy them from the earth. (Genesis 6:13)
After the flood ‫ יהוה‬makes a promise that the “adamah” will never
again be totally “cursed” as a result of the sins of man:
And ‫ יהוה‬smelled a soothing fragrance, and ‫ יהוה‬said in His heart,
“Never again shall I curse the ground because of man, although the
inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, and never again smite
all living creatures, as I have done, (Genesis 8:21)
Now, after the flood, there is a change in how the sins of “man”
(adam) affect the “ground” (adamah). Previously, with the progression
of “man” sinning, the “adamah” experienced an ongoing downward
spiral. In Genesis 8:21, ‫ יהוה‬promises grace for mankind, despite his
propensity towards evil. ‫ יהוה‬will find other ways to correct man’s
actions, since man has already distanced himself so far from the
Garden that he can no longer understand the lessons of his origins.
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There is one location, however, where the “adam/adamah”
relationship will continue to exist, even after the flood. That place is
the Promised Land of Israel. The second paragraph of the Shema,
recited twice a day (morning and evening) addresses Israel as a nation
whose fate concerning the Land depends on whether or not they are
faithful:
‘And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commands which I
command you today, to love ‫ יהוה‬your Elohim and to serve Him with all
your heart and with all your being, then I shall give you the rain for
your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, and you shall
gather in your grain, and your new wine, and your oil. ‘And I shall give
grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be satisfied.
‘Guard yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and
serve other mighty ones and bow down to them. ‘Then the displeasure
of ‫ יהוה‬shall burn against you, and He shall shut up the heavens, and
there be no rain, and the land not give its increase. And you shall perish
quickly from the good land which ‫ יהוה‬is giving you. (Deuteronomy
11:13-17)
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In Israel, ‫’יהוה‬s people are threatened with agriculture hardships for
disobedience. Those familiar with the agricultural history of Israel will
be encouraged by what can only be seen as the beginnings of
restoration, with the Land of Israel showing visible signs of budding
and flourishing. It is still far, however, from complete restoration:
Negev
Desert
“And
they
shall say, ‘This land that was laid waste has become like the
garden of Ěḏen. And the wasted, the deserted, and the destroyed cities
are now walled and inhabited.’ (Ezekiel 36:35)
The “physical” Land of Israel is “spiritually” sensitive, it has the
potential of enormous blessings for obedience; however it’s reaped
devastation through the millenniums due to continuous sin. As “in the
beginning” (Genesis), the Father’s plan is to “breathe life” into
“mankind” (adam). There is a born-again experience of the individual,
but do we not also see the born-again experience of “mankind?” As
the Creator “breathed life” into “Adam,” so now He causes “breath”
(ruach) to enter into the “whole House of Israel!”
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‘Thus said the Master ‫יהוה‬, “Once again I shall let the house of Yisra’ĕl
inquire of Me to do for them: I shall increase their men like a flock. “As
a set-apart flock, as the flock at Yerushalayim at her appointed times,
so shall the wasted cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall
know that I am ‫יהוה‬.” ’ ..‘Thus said the Master ‫יהוה‬, “See, O My people,
I am opening your graves, and shall bring you up from your graves, and
shall bring you into the land of Yisra’ĕl. “And you shall know that I am
‫יהוה‬, when I open your graves, O My people, and bring you up from
your graves. “And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I
shall settle you in your own land. And you shall know that I ‫ יהוה‬have
spoken, and I have done it,” declares ‫יהוה‬.’ ”
(Ezekiel 36:37-37:14)
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All of us have inherited sin since all of mankind was in the loins of
Adam from the beginning. “Physically” speaking, we are without hope.
“Spiritually” speaking, it is our Messiah who has breathed “life” into
us:
‫ יהושע‬said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
Adam sinned and from then on man was forced to deal with “thorns
and thistles.” We know what “thorns and thistles” are of the earth, but
‫ יהושע‬gives us a spiritual understanding:
“But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. “By their fruits you shall
know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from
thistles? “So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields
wicked fruit. “A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten
tree to yield good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire. “So then, by their fruits you shall know
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them – (Matthew 7:15-20)
The “good tree” containing the “good fruit” contains the seed of
Messiah. “Grapes” and “figs” are sweet and nutritious for the body.
The words of a true prophet are like “fruit” which is nourishing to the
spirit. On the other hand, the “fruit/words” of “false prophets” are like
“thorns” and “thistles” to the spirit. These weeds have the potential of
“choking out the Word” of Elohim:
“And that sown among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the
worry of this age and the deceit of riches choke the word, and it
becomes fruitless. (Matthew 13:22)
The writer of Hebrews also refers to “thorns and thistles” which lead to
“cursing”:
For ground that is drinking the rain often falling on it, and is bearing
plants fit for those by whom it is tilled, receives blessing from Elohim,
but if it brings forth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near to being
cursed, and ends up by being burned. (Hebrews 6:7-8)
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.. there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it has
been written, “The first man Aḏam became a living being,” the last
Aḏam a life-giving Spirit. The spiritual, however, was not first, but the
natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth,
earthy; the second Man is the Master from heaven. As is the earthy, so
also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those
who are heavenly. And as we have borne the likeness of the earthy, we
shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:44-49)
Paul makes reference to the “first Adam” (physical) and the “last
Adam” (spiritual) and our identification with them. When we identify
with our Messiah (spiritual Man), the sin that destroys the earthly man
(adam) is powerless against the risen Saviour and those who become
part of His body. Along with the “last Adam,” comes the “final
dwelling.” This time the Garden will not contain the infamous Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but only the “Tree of Life.” The “last
Adam,” complete with His body (bride) will return to the Garden
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where he will “reign forever and ever!”