A First Time Voyage....Genesis: A Day of Rest until the Fall

A First Time Voyage....Through the Old Testament.

People who sin say this, that they had to, to survive. People who sin say this, that it's too late now to stop. The shadow called Sin dogs them steadily from behind, silently, without a word. Remorse and Agony are repeated, only to end up at Despair in the end. But the sinners just don't know, that if they'd only turn around, there is a light there, a light which keeps shining on them ever so warmly. A light that will never fade. Trigun - B.N.D.

A Day of Rest

1. Life for Adam and Eve in God's Garden begins with a day of rest. God ceased the work he was doing and set the seventh day apart from the rest of the days on which He had done His work of creating. What does mean? Why did God set this day apart....? The synoptic gospels record this story.... Matthew's version follows:
   
   At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
   
   He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Matt 12:1-8
   
   Mark's gospel records:
   
   "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!" Mark 2:27,28
   
   There are a few things we can learn about the Sabbath from Genesis and the gospels:
   
   
   
   • The Sabbath is for us. The term sabbath derives from the Hebrew shabbat (שבת), "to cease/rest". God didn't need to rest because He is the everlasting God who never grows faint or weary (Isa 40:28,29) however, He did cease from His work. He set the day apart as a day to cease from working. Exodus (31:12-17) tells us that this was a sign to set His people apart from the surrounding nations.
     
   • The Pharisees narrowly interpreted the law. They had developed these 'extra guidelines' or what they called the tradition of the elders (Matt 15:2) in keeping the law of God.. This was not the law of Moses, but rather an oral tradition based on interpretations of the law. Now at first this could have been an act of true worship...perhaps. What I mean is that that they may have justified having those "extra guidelines" as a way to not even get close to breaking God's law. If this is the case then what happened later is that the future generations lost sight of this intention, herein laying a heavy burden on the shoulders of men. (Matt 23:4)
     
     They missed the law's intention when speaking about the sabbath. Jesus challenged wittingly with, "Have you never read....," grating to the ears of men who were to be experts of the law, giving examples from the law and the prophets to illustrate God's desire for mercy, not sacrifice.
   
   
   • For I desire mercy(devotion), not sacrifice. This seems like a paradox to me. Radical devotion lends itself to radical sacrifice.(Luke 14:25-35) This devotion must be to God, however; not to self. Micah illustrates here:
     With what shall I come before the LORD
     and bow down before the exalted God?
     Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
     with calves a year old?
     
     Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
     with ten thousand rivers of oil?
     Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
     the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
     
     He has showed you, O man, what is good.
     And what does the LORD require of you?
     To act justly and to love mercy
     and to walk humbly with your God.
   
   
   • Jesus pointed out that those who perform temple service on that Sabbath are counted innocent. If the temple service warrants suspension of the sabbath, how much more the presence of one greater than the temple.
   
   
   • The bottom line: Suffice to say that the law's principles take precedence over its rituals. We can do good, save lives, feed the hungry and that sort of stuff and keep the day holy. How does this day of rest look in our busy lives today as Christ followers?
   
   
   
   
   The Fall
   
2. ... and enter in the Adversary, the serpent or nachash meaning "shining one". It is no surprise that this cunning and crafty one is indeed deceitfully shining. For some reason shining things seem to catch our eyes even today....new car, nice house, good wife/husband, family, friends, retirement, amenities..... they are quite alluring.
   
   He, with boldness and deception, tempts Eve, the beautiful crown of God's creation. Satan questions, "Did God really say...." We fall for this one even today:
   
   "I know the Bible says I should.... but.....?"
   "It is not really that bad....is it?"
   "God would not have given you this money if he didn't want you to spend it...(on something that "allures" we don't need)?
   
   

The allure...it's captivating!

A snippet: "Beauty is powerful, beauty speaks. Beauty invites. Beauty nourishes. Beauty comforts. Beauty inspires. Beauty is transcendent." Captivating by Eldredge
The beauty and image of a women points to the beauty and image of her Creator.

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

And then just when you are about to say "No" He comes on a little stronger, confronting even. He challenges Eve's stand on the words of God "You will not surely die..." Today He reassures us with thoughts like....

"It really is okay...."
"This is not the same times as when the Bible was written...."
"Other believers are doing it.... and they don't have a problem....."

At this point we often would continue to rationalize in the "theatre of war" found in battlefield of our human minds. "How can I get around this?" or "What is the loop hole, because I really want (or do not want) to do ___________"

Then we bite because we think we are missing out. The adversary, with seeming authority, says to Eve, "God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil." a.k.a. Our will begins to sway... the battle at this point is intense.... the attraction and allure of sin is seemingly to great.

"Everybody's doing it,"
"If I do it this time then I will not what it is like, then I will not want to do it again"
"I really want ___________"
"I need this money"
"What will people think of me.... I have this image to keep?"

This is an enduring and typical tactic.... seems like after all this time we would have figured it out.....

Eve questioningly considers this quandary: It looks good....and it would be a good experience. Maybe she questions, "Is God holding out on me?" At any rate the bait is on the hook and presented as a deal to good to pass up: she bites... in complete rebellion to God's command. She gives the fruit to Adam, her husband who was with her, who passively follows along and also bites. And we have the fall. Wail aloud, tear your cloths, beat your chest, ask why, hang your head in despair....we now have this problem of sin...and like a fish who has been snagged by bait is still enticed by it:

....each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:14-18

Every good and perfect gift is from above.... consider though that our perspective on good and perfect may not be our Creator's perspective. Let's stop painting pictures of Eqypt yeah? (Num 14:4)

Classic tactic.... like Nintendo, a car, or something from well before I was born; however, not classic for Adam and Eve I suppose.

The Grace of God

Let's not despair as a people without hope. Here we see a glimpse of the grace and mercy of God for all mankind. Without a doubt God could have taken Adam and Eve out because of their sin, but instead He presented a hope of reconciliation between himself and us. The Lord God says to the serpent:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

This is often called the "Protoevangelium" i.e. the first gospel. The idea is that a wound to the heel is not fatal, but in contrast a would to the head would be. Christ has the 'bruised heel' and the nachash will in due time receive the fatal wound. God cursed the man and the women as well. Then God banished them from the Garden of Eden.

The gospel, that is good news, is that hope is given. Herein, the story of our life (Col 3:1-4) lies.