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Псалм 149:1 – 6 Сестри и братя, Представям ви прекрасен урок на Израел, от който ще научите какво е значението на съботата и какво точно показва. И надявам се, ще разберете, че ако искате да достигнете до вечният живот и да служите на Господа, трябва да я пазите. Приятно четене! Винаги е добре да стоя пред вас в Божията събота! Господ е представил целият план. И когато дойдат хора и променят съботата на първият ден от седмицата и го нарекат Християнската събота, те просто променят целият план на Господа. И за това и не знаят, ни какво става, ни какво ще става. Днес християните в голямата си част ви казват, че неделята е християнската събота, защото Исус бил възкръснал в неделя. Но когато ги накарам да ми покажат от Библията ,че е възкръснал в неделя, те не могат. Днес никой не говори за това, какво е съботата. Гледах един месиански Евреин, дето си мисли, че е юдеин. Той не знаеше , нямаше и понятие, защо е дошъл Исус. И всичко, което е разликата между него и християнството е, че не ви води на небето. Но защо е така? Защото те са променили съботата и така целият план. Неделята е първият ден от седмицата а съботата е седмият ден от седмицата и показва нещо много голямо, което ще ви покажа днес. А Господ не прави нищо, освен ако си има своето значение. И така – 7 дена е дал Госпд на човека да е в това тяло от плът и кръв. Ще започнем урока от Битие 1 глава. Господ ни казва всичко, което е направил и ще направи. Хората ритат против Библията, но ето – тя е оцеляла и до днес! Защото Божието Слово не може да изчезне! И ние вярваме, защото можем да докажем това, което вярваме. И Светият Дух не ви говори – освен ако наистина не следвате истината. Вие дории не знаете колко видове духове има 1 В начало Бог създаде небето и земята. Ние не знаем колко време е продължило началото 2 А земята беше пуста и неустроена; и тъмнина покриваше бездната; Дух от Бога се носеше над водата. Вижте – няма определена дата, кога е започнало сътворението. И колко време е било „в началото“. И дух ОТ Бога се е движел над водата – ангели са изработвали всико по заповед на Господа 3 И Бог каза: Да бъде светлина. И стана светлина. Първото нещо – Господ сътвори светлината 4 И Бог видя, че светлината беше добро; и Бог раздели светлината от тъмнината. И Бог нарече светлината ден, а липсата на светлина – нощ. И от тук Господ вече започва да брои дните заради човека 5 И Бог нарече светлината Ден, а тъмнината нарече Нощ. И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден първи. И ето – от тук вече започваме да броим дните. Защото дните се състоят от светлина и тъмнина. Тъмнината е първото! И ето – и до днес е така 6 И Бог каза: Да бъде простор посред водите, който да раздели вода от вода. 7 И Бог направи простора; и раздели водата, която беше под простора, от водата, която беше над простора; и стана така. 8 И Бог нарече простора Небе. И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден втори. Тук четем за второто небе. И отново виждаме как е денонощието 9 И Бог каза: Да се събере на едно място водата, която е под небето, та да се яви сушата; и стана така. И Бог нарече сушата Земя, а събраната вода нарече Морета; и Бог видя, че беше добро. И Бог каза: Да произрасти земята крехка трева, трева семеносна и плодоносно дърво, което да ражда плод, според вида си, чието семе да е в него на земята; и стана така. Земята произрасти крехка трева, трева която да дава семе, според вида си, и дърво, което да ражда плод, според вида си, чието семе е в него; и Бог видя, че беше добро. И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден трети. И ето сега – вече имаме трева и останалата растителност на земята. И това е третият ден И Бог каза: Да има светила на небесния простор, за да разделят деня от нощта; нека служат за знаци и за показване времената, дните и годините; 15 и да бъдат за светила на небесния простор, за да осветляват земята; и стана така. Бог създаде двете големи светила: по – голямото светило, за да владее деня, а по – малкото светило, за да владее нощта; създаде и звездите. И Бог ги постави на небесния простор, за да осветляват земята, 18 да владеят деня и нощта, и да разделят светлината от тъмнината; и Бог видя, че беше добро. 19 И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден четвърти. Слънцето, Луната и звездите са сътворени на четвъртият ден. Но тогава – от къде е била светлината преди? След като Господ раздели простора, то светлината, която беше над простора спря да свети – поради водата, която е над космоса – тази вода спира светлината дето е над нея. И тогава Господ сътвори Слънцето и Луната и звездите за да дават светлина. И до четвъртият ден не е имало луна! И Бог каза: Да произведе водата изобилно множества одушевени влечуги, и птици да хвърчат над земята по небесния простор. И Бог създаде големите морски чудовища и всяко одушевено същество, което се движи, които водата произведе изобилно, според видовете им, и всяка крилата птица според вида й; и Бог видя, че беше добро. И благослови ги Бог, казвайки: Плодете се, размножавайте се и напълнете водите в моретата; нека се размножават и птиците по земята. И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден пети. Това Господ е направил на петият ден но ние ще видим, че тук е описан само плана за цялото И Бог каза: Да произведе земята одушевени животни, според видовете им: добитък, влечуги и земни зверове, според видовете им; и стана така. Бог създаде земните зверове според видовете им, добитъка – според видовете му, и всичко което пълзи по земята, според видовете му; и Бог видя, че беше добро. И Бог сътвори всичко според вида им! И не можете да размесвате видовете. Дори и човека е по вида си! Човекът не е според маймунския вид! Маймуните са според вида си! И дори и до днес никой не е видял маймуна да става човек… И Бог каза: Да създадем човека по Нашия образ, по Наше подобие; и нека владее над морските риби, над небесните птици, над добитъка, над цялата земя и над всяко животно, което пълзи по земята. И Бог създаде човека по Своя образ; по Божия образ го създаде; мъж и жена ги създаде. Господ първо е направил всичко друго. Земята е била напълно потготвена преди да доведе човека в съществуване. Това ми показва, че и динозаврите са били преди човека на земята. Защото ние се нуждаем от горива – нали? И чак тогава Господ е сътворил човека – когато ги е изтребил И Бог ги благослови. И рече им Бог: Плодете се и се размножавайте, напълнете земята и обладайте я, и владейте над морските риби, над въздушните птици и над всяко живо същество, което се движи по земята. Тук думата не е „напълнете“, но в оригинала е „населете отново“! Защото преди човека по земята е имало други същества – динозаврите И Бог рече: Вижте, давам ви всяка семеносна трева, която е по лицето на цялата земя и всяко дърво, което има в себе си плод на семеносно дърво; те ще ви бъдат за храна. В началото всички са яли трева и плодове. Но това е друг урок А на всичките земни зверове, на всичките въздушни птици, и на всичко, което пълзи по земята, в което има живот, давам, всяка зелена трева за храна; и стана така. Смъртта не е била още на тази земя. Затова никой не е умирал и не е нападал никого И Бог видя всичко, което създаде; и, ето, беше твърде добро. И стана вечер, и стана утро, ден шести. И ето кога човекът е дошъл на сцената – на 6 ден. И всичко това е само плана – чертежите. Защото това тук на края – не трябва да е краят на главата. Битие 2 глава 1 Така се свършиха небето и земята и цялото тяхно войнство. 2 И на седмия ден, като свърши Бог делата, които беше създал, на седмия ден си почина от всичките дела, които беше създал. И на седмият ден Господ си почина от това, което беше сътворил. Знаете ли какво означава краят – няма повече нищо, което трябва да се направи, но ще видим, дали седмият ден е дошъл 3 И благослови Бог седмия ден и го освети, защото в него си почина от всичките си дела, от всичко, което Бог беше създал и сътворил. И това трябва да е последният стих от 1 глава на Битие. Хората са поставили глави, стихове и препинателни знаци! Библията не е написана така в оригинала. И вижте – ако Господ е сътворил всичко, не е имало вече какво да се твори 4 Това е произходът на небето и на земята при сътворението им във времето, когато Господ Бог създаде земя и небе. 5 А никакво полско растение още нямаше на земята и никаква полска трева не беше още поникнала; защото Господ Бог не беше дал дъжд на земята и нямаше човек, който да обработва земята; И не е имало още човек по земята! Някои понеже не мислят, казват, че ето – това в 1 и 2 глава са два различни човека сътворени! Но факта е, че 1 глава е представен плана, сега вече се изпълнява. И не е имало още човек – защото Господ в първа глава показва какво ще направи, а тук вече го прави 6 но пара се издигаше от земята та напояваше цялото лице на земята. 7 И Господ Бог създаде човека от пръст из земята, и вдъхна в ноздрите му жизнено дихание; и човекът стана жива душа. Ето тук Бог създаде човека. И го сътвори от пръстта на земята, вдъхна в ноздрите му въздуха и човека стана жива душа! И всичко, което ядем или творим идва от земята! Ние сме продукт на средата ни. И ето, защо това беше просто плана за цялото нещо! И Господ Бог каза: Не е добре за човека да бъде сам; ще му създам подходящ помощник. И какво тогава – човека е бил напълно сам на света ли? И Господ Бог създаде от земята всички полски зверове и всички въздушни птици; и ги приведе при човека, за да види как ще ги наименува; и с каквото име назовеше човекът всяко одушевено същество, това име му остана. Излиза, че Адам е сътворен първо и Господ сътворява после животните от пръстта Така човекът даде имена на всеки вид добитък, на въздушните птици и на всички полски зверове. Но помощник, подходящ за човека, не се намери. И ето – не се е намерил помощник за човека Тогава Господ Бог даде на човека дълбок сън, и той заспа; и взе едно от ребрата му, и изпълни мястото му с плът. 22 И Господ Бог създаде жената от реброто, което взе от човека и я приведе при човека. И точно това ми показва, че Битие 1 глава е точно само плана. При това – цялото нещо още не е завършено, защото плана не е приключил! Защото в 1 глава спомнете си, че Господ сътвори животните на петият ден. Но човека на шестият. Но ето тук – Господ търси помощник на човека и сътворява животните след човека 8 И Господ Бог насади градината на изток, в Едем, и постави там човека, когото беше създал. 9 И Господ Бог направи да произраства от земята всяко дърво, що е красиво на глед и добро за храна, както и дървото на живота всред градината и дървото на познаване доброто и злото. Тук виждаме разлика – Господ посади всички дървета и ПОСТАВИ още две дървета. Едното е Дървото на живота – Исус, другото е дървото на познанието – Сатана. И Господ даде само една заповед на човека – а 10 заповеди са вечни и са били винаги. Защото Сатана наруши една от тях: И Господ Бог заповяда на човека, казвайки: От всяко дърво в градината свободно да ядеш; 17 но от дървото за познаване доброто и злото, да не ядеш от него; защото в деня, когато ядеш от него, непременно ще умреш. От всяко дърво човека можеше да яде – дори и от Дървото на живота! Но човека избра погрешно дърво… Вижте – всички умираме, нали? Значи някой е ял от дървото на познанието. Вижте – никой не иска да постави основата на вярата си! Те говорят глупости, като нямат и понятие какво пише в Библията. Битие 3 глава 4 А змията рече на жената: Никак няма да умрете; Първото нещо, което Сатана каза на Ева беше да я излъже! Ева трябваше веднага да избяга от там. Но тя не избяга. И Господ е сътворил мъжа да се съпротивлява повече на греха, но Адам не се съпротиви. Много сестри са завели мъжете си към огненото езеро. Защото мъжете им не са били достатъчно силни във вярата си 5 но знае Бог, че в деня, когато ядете от него, ще ви се отворят очите и ще бъдете, като Бога, да познавате доброто и злото. Сатана каза истината и подведе Ева, защото знаеше, че не може да излъже Адам. Тя помисли, че няма да е зле да е като Господа 6 И като видя жената, че дървото беше добро за храна, и че беше приятно за очите, дърво желателно, за да дава знание, взе от плода му та яде, даде и на мъжа си да яде с нея, та и той яде. Какво ядоха те? Плодовете на лъжата – духовни плодове. И вижте – Адам не отиде при Сатана – Ева отиде! Ако Адам беше там – Сатана не би дошъл там! И Ева даде на мъжа си и той яде. И какво стана тогава: А на човека рече: Понеже си послушал гласа на жена си… Ева донесе плодовете на лъжата при Адам, а не, че Адам е говорил директно със дявола! …и си ял от дървото, за което ти заповядах, като казах: Да не ядеш от него, то проклета да бъде земята поради тебе; със скръб ще се прехранваш от нея през всичките дни на живота си. Поради това, което Адам допусна – сега вече дойде клетвата. Адам трябваше да накара Ева да млъкне и да не му говори лъжите на Сатана, но той не направи така и поради това, ние умираме и до днес С пот на лицето си ще ядеш хляб, докато се върнеш в земята, защото от нея си взет; понеже си пръст и в пръстта ще се върнеш. И ето – ние трябва да работим цял живот и после умираме. И не отиваме на небето, но се връщъме от където сме взети – от земята! Защо е така трудно да разберете това? Така ясно е! Но вие казвате, че мъртвите са на небето и са си живи. Господ е представил всичко това в Бибилята, за да видим, как е станало. В денят в който Адам яде от плодовете на лъжата – умря и нищо не отиде от него на небето. Но някои казват – той умря духовно. Кога сте убили една мисъл? Хората са напълно невежи и при това не искат и да слушат. И слушат лъжци през целият си живот – и като им кажеш истината, се противят. Битие 5 глава 1 Ето списъкът на Адамовото потомство. В деня когато Бог сътвори човека, Той го направи по Божие подобие; 2 създаде ги мъж и жена, благослови ги, и наименува ги Адам, в деня когато бяха създадени. Ето – това видяхме в 1 глава. И мъжът и жената са човек! И жената е много важна. Без жената никой не би живял, защото тя ражда човеците! И ги наименува Адам! И двамата! 3 Адам живя сто и тридесет години, и роди син по свое подобие по своя образ и наименува го Сит. Хората говорят за Каин и Авел, но никой не внимава, че се роди и Сит! От него дойде дори и Исус! 4 А от как роди Сита, дните на Адама станаха осемстотин години; и той роди синове и дъщери. И дъщери и синове се родиха на Адам. И вижте колко години той е живял 5 И всичките дни на Адама колкото живя станаха деветстотин и тридесет години; и умря. Адам е живял дълго време – нали? Съгрешил е против Бога и е живял 930 години? Но ние трябва да намерим значението на думата „ден“ за Бога. Защото Господ каза на Адам, че в деня в който яде от лъжите на дявола, в този ден ще умре. Ще видим 2 Петрово 3 глава 8 Още и това нещо да не забравяте, възлюбени, че за Господа един ден е като хиляда години, и хиляда години като един ден. Сега знаем, че 1000 години са само един ден за Господа. И така – никой човек не е живял повече от 1000 години! И всички хора умират без да прескочат един ден. Тогава Господ е дал на човека 7 дена – 7000 години да бъде в това тяло. Вижте – когато вие промените нещо – съботата на неделя – вие променяте целият план на Господа. А не е възможно да направите това, но поради това, което сте направили, виждаме къде стоите в истината и къде в разсъжденията си. Левит 23 глава и нека внимаваме какво четем 1 Господ още говори на Моисея, казвайки: Господ каза на Моисей, не Моисей на Господа! 2 Говори на израилтяните, като им кажеш: Господните празници, в които ще свиквате свети събрания, Моите празници, са следните: Говори на Израиляните! Не на Юдеите! Съботата е на Израел, не на едно племе от Израел. Но вие сте игноранти и не обръщате внимание на тези неща 3 Шест дена да се работи; а седмият ден е събота за тържествена почивка, за свето събрание: в нея да не работите никаква работа; във всичките ви жилища е събота Господу. Първото нещо, което Господ каза – представи съботата. И тя е почивка и време за свето събрание. И не трябва да работите в събота. Но понякога трябва да правите каквото трябва да правите. Но ако можете да не работите, а работите – е върху вас! Но ако не искате да работите, а някой ви принуждава – той е отговорен за това. И не трябва да вършите никаква работа – ако е възможно. Но какво правят „християните“ днес? Те мият колите си, после готвят, после отиват на парти и какво ли не. Дори и неделята не пазят както би трябвало. И в погрешното не са точни… Вижте сега, какво става: Господ започна творението 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 – 7 дена. А Господ сътвори човека на 6 ден! 1 – човека е сътворен. 2 3 4 5 6 7 – от първият ден на сътворението до последният, когато човека вече няма да е в плът и кръв са 12 дена или 12000 години. А на човека Господ даде 7000 години и след това вече всеки ще иде където е заслужил: вечният живот или огненото езеро. Съботата е много важна за Господа – така важна е, че я е поставил в Закона – Изход 20 глава. Някои хора пазят другите заповеди, но оставят на страна съботата и имат служба в неделя. Но това не може да бъде така. 1 Тогава Бог изговори всички тия думи, като каза: 2 Аз съм Иеова твоят Бог, Който те изведох из Египетската земя, из дома на робството. 3 Да нямаш други богове освен Мене. Никакви богове освен Господа! Но днес хората имат какви ли не богове, дори и маймуни, змии, крави и какво ли не. И ето сега най – важното за Бога, което следва след първите заповеди! Показва ви как да се отнасяте към Бога 8 Помни съботния ден, за да го освещаваш. 9 Шест дни да работиш и да вършиш всичките си дела; 10 а на седмия ден, който е събота на Господа твоя Бог, да не вършиш никаква работа, ни ти, ни синът ти, ни дъщеря ти, ни слугата ти, ни слугинята ти, нито добитъкът ти, нито чужденецът, който е отвътре вратите ти; Господ ни дава 6 дена и иска в седмият ден да вършим това, което Той иска. И имаме всичко необходимо за да пазим това. Нищо не ни липсва 11 защото в шест дни Господ направи небето и земята, морето и всичко що има в тях, а на седмия ден си почина; затова Господ благослови съботния ден и го освети. И Господ си почина на седмият ден и го благослови, като го отдели! Господ е дал едно само име от всичките дни на седмицата – събота. Първо Господ заповда как да се отнасяме с Него, после второто по важност нещо – да пазим деня, който Той е заповядал. Но Господ не е спрял да работи и до сега – защо? Псалм 95. Никой не обръща внимание на тези неща. Но без тях няма да разберете какво става, защото отново – Битие 1 глава е само плана. 6 Дойдете да се поклоним и да припаднем, Да коленичим пред Господа нашия Създател; 7 Защото Той е наш Бог, И ние сме люде на пасбището Му и овце на ръката Му, Днес, ако искате да слушате гласа Му, 8 Не закоравявайте сърцата си както в Мерива. Както в деня, когато Ме изпитахте в пустинята, В деня когато чуете гласа на Господа – не закоравявайте сърцата си! Ето – днес чувате гласа на Господа. Това е неговото Слово! 9 Когато бащите ви Ме изпитаха, Опитаха Ме и видяха каквото сторих. Четиридесет години негодувах против това поколение, И рекох: Тия люде се заблуждават в сърце, И не са познали Моите пътища; Защото Израел не искаше да послуша това, което Господ им казваше! Затова се заклех в гнева Си, Че няма да влязат в Моята почивка. Но ако Господ говори за почивка в Битие 2 глава – за каква почивка говори сега тук? Хората не обръщат внимание на тези неща. Нали пише в Битие че Господ си е починал от всиките си дела? Евреите 3 глава 1 Затова, свети братя, участници на небесното звание, размислете за апостола и първосвещеника, Когото ние изповядваме, Исуса; 2 Който бе верен на Този, Който Го постави, както беше и Моисей в целия негов дом. 3 Понеже Той се удостои със слава толкоз по – голяма от Моисеевата, колкото е по – голяма почитта що има оня, който е строил къщата, от почитта що има къщата. Исус е този, който е построил къщата 6 а Христос, като Син, беше верен над Неговия дом. Неговият дом сме ние, ако удържим до край дръзновението и похвалата на надеждата си. Обърнете внимание на думата „ако“! Няма никой спасен все още – и ако не пазите това, което Господ изисква – няма да спасите себе си. Само ако устоим до края в истината – до края! 7 Затова, както казва Светият Дух: – „Днес, ако чуете гласа му, 8 Не закоравявайте сърцата си както в преогорчението, Както в деня на изкушението в пустинята, 9 Гдето бащите ви Ме изкусиха, изпитаха Ме. И видяха делата Ми четиридесет години. Затова, възнегодувах против това поколение. И рекох: Всякога се заблуждават със сърцата си, Те не са познали Моите пътища; Защото Израел не иска да слуша Господа! Така се заклех в гнева Си: Те няма да влязат в Моята почивка“. Сега знаем вече, че това е факт. Защото двама свидетели повториха същото – за Божията почивка А против кои негодува четиридесет години? Не против ония ли, които съгрешиха, и чиито трупове паднаха в пустинята? Те съгрешиха и Господ ги уби в пустинята. Защото не искаха да се подчинят. И няма да ги възкреси при първото възкресение! На кои още се закле, че няма да влязат в Неговата почивка? Не на ония ли, които бяха непокорни? 19 И тъй виждаме, че поради неверието си те не можаха да влязат. Винаги и според вярата ви. Ако вярвате – ще се спасите. Ако не вярвате – ще страдате. Винаги е било така. Евреите 4 глава – отнася се и за нашето поколение и за всики поколения 1 И тъй, понеже ни остава обещание да влезем в Неговата почивка, нека се боим да не би да се открие, че някой от вас не е достигнал до нея. В неговата почивка! Но ако Господ си е починал в Битие 2 глава – защо още говори за идваща почивка? Защото още не е дошла 2 Защото на нас се донесе едно благовестие, както и на тях; но словото, което те чуха, не ги ползува, понеже не се съедини чрез вяра в ония, които го чуха. И ето – същото е и за нас. Ако имаме вяра – ще живеем и ще успяваме. Ако нямаме – ще страдаме 3 Затова ние, повярвалите, влизаме в тая почивка; както рече Бог: – „Така се заклех в гнева Си: Те няма да влязат в Моята почивка“; ако и да са били свършени делата Му още при основаването на света. Как знаем това: 4 Защото нейде си е говорил за самия ден така: „И почина си Бог на седмия ден от всичките Си дела“; Работата е завършена от сътворението. Господ е поставил всичко и сега плана се изпълнява. Но как така си е починал преди? Говори за бъдещето и значи този ден още не е дошъл, а говори за него в Битие 2 глава! Исаия 46 глава и как говори за ден, дето не е дошъл, а в Битие 2 глава казва, че не еимало човек, който да обработва земята тогава. Никой не обръща внимание на Божието Слово, но всички знаят… 9 Помнете предишните неща от древността; Защото Аз съм Бог, и няма друг; Аз съм Бог, и няма подобен на Мене, Който от началото изявявам края, И от древните времена нестаналите още неща, И казвам: Намерението Ми ще устои, И ще извърша всичко що Ми е угодно; Господ показва краят от началото. И от древността – неща които още не са направени! Кой ще спре Господа? Никой! И така – когато каза, че си е починал на седмият ден – още не е дошъл този ден! Римляните 4 глава – ще видим още един свидетел по същото нещо. Защото истината се потвърждава от двама или повече свидетели 17 (както е писано: „Направих те отец на много народи“), пред Бога, Когото повярва, Който съживява мъртвите, и повиква в действително съществуване онова, което не съществува. Авраам е имал само един син тогава – Исмаил. Но вижте какво казва Бог. И Авраам е повярвал на това, което Господ му казва – дори и още да не е било станало. Господ ни казва в Псалм 82 глава, че стои и съди сред боговете – показва ми, какво ще станем ние. Господ назовава нещата още преди да са станали – има ли нещо чудно в това? Той е Бог – няма тайни за него. Назовал е съботната почивка още от древността – и става въпрос за Милениума. Йоан 5 глава. Цялото нещо е писано и е около Божията събота. Господ ни е дал 7 дена да оправим нещата си. 7000 години. И ако не оправим нещата си – значи не ставаме за Божието Царство 1 Подир това имаше юдейски празник, и Исус влезе в Ерусалим. 5 И там имаше един човек болен от тридесет и осем години. Този човек е бил болен за дълго време 8 Исус му казва: Стани, дигни постелката си и ходи. 9 И на часа човекът оздравя, дигна постелката си, и започна да ходи. А тоя ден беше събота И ето сега какво са искали да направят фанатичните фарисеи И затова юдеите гонеха Исуса, защото вършеше тия неща в събота. Съботата не се нарушава ако се върши добро! Но тези фарисеи бяха фанатици А Исус им отговори: Отец Ми работи до сега, и Аз работя. Отец работи и до сега – и Исус работи също. Значи този ден на почивка още не е тук. И когато те са променили денят – променили са всичко, което Господ върши. И поради това – тези които са го променили са тръгнали към огненото езеро. А никой не иска да мисли. Хората мислят, че за да си Божий служител, трябва да си глупав. И мнозина от проповедниците са така и стадото е така. Евреите 4 глава 5 а пък на това място: „Няма да влязат в Моята почивка“. 6 И тъй, понеже остава да влязат някои в нея, а ония, на които от по – напред се благовести, не са влезли поради неверието си, 7 затова Той пак определя един ден, „днес“, като казва толкоз време по – после чрез Давида, както вече рекохме: „Днес, ако чуете Неговия глас, Не закоравявайте сърцата си“. Все още ние очакваме този ден! 8 Защото, ако Исус беше им дал почивка, Бог не би говорил след това за друг ден. И тук виждаме – именно за Исус става въпрос. Някои казват, че било Исус Навиев – но той никога не е водил Израел дори и един ден в пустинята! Става въпрос за Исус Христос! 9 Следователно, за Божиите люде остава една съботна почивка. И ако следваме Бога – за нас ще има почивка Защото оня, който е влязъл в Неговата почивка, той си е починал от своите дела, както и Бог от Своите Си. Исус каза, че и Отец и той работят и до сега Затова нека се постараем да влезем в тая почивка, за да не падне някой в това, да дава същия пример на неверие. Нека се трудим за Бога, за да влезем в този ден на почивка. Тези които наричат себе си християни – те не са такива. Защото са променили седмият ден на първият. Те не могат да бъдат християни. Те си нямат и понятие какво правят. Дори и не разбират, че първите християни са били Израиляни. И как така хората от времето на Моисей, на Давид и дори и нашето поколение, ще влезем в тази почивка? Много е просто – тя още не е дошла! Нека видим какво ни обещава Господ ако устоим до края – Откровението 3 глава и да видим тази почивка Ето стоя на вратата и хлопам; ако чуе някой гласа Ми и отвори вратата, ще вляза при него и ще вечерям с него, и той с Мене. Това не е нещо ново! Господ беше за 40 години с Израел в пустинята, но те не пожелаха да отворят съзнанието си. Не бъдете като тях, но отворете съзнанието си за Божието Слово На този, който победи ще дам да седне с Мене на Моя престол, както и Аз победих и седнах с Отца Си на Неговия престол. Това е директно обещание! Исус не ни обещава трона на Отец. И няма значение от кой народ сте или как изглеждате – всеки, който желае – може да получи това обещание – и мъже и жени. И от нас си зависи да победим злото! Нека видим за този трон и къде ще бъде: Лука 1 глава. И колкото повече разбирате какво прави Господ, толкова повече разбирате какво трябва вие да правите А в шестия месец ангел Гавриил бе изпратен от Бога в галилейския град наречен Назарет, 27 при една девица, сгодена за мъж на име Иосиф от Давидовия дом; а името на девицата бе Мария. Господ е изпратил ангел при Мария – защото има съобщение за нея И ангелът й рече: Не бой се, Марио, защото си придобила Божието благоволение. 31 И ето, ще зачнеш в утробата си и ще родиш син, Когото ще наречеш Исус. Всички ритат против това име. Защото не познават Исус Христос Той ще бъде велик, и ще се нарече Син на Всевишния; и Господ Бог ще Му даде престола на баща Му Давида. Ще царува над Якововия дом до века; и царството Му не ще има край. Ако вие влезете в това Царство – значи сте били в първото възкресение. И ще седите на тронове. А трона на Исус е трона на Цар Давид. Нека видим това – Псалм 122 1 Зарадвах се, когато ми рекоха: Да отидем в дома Господен. 2 Ето, нозете ни стоят Отвътре портите ти, Ерусалиме. А – в Ерусалим! Не на небето 3 Ерусалиме, който си съграден Като град сглобен ведно; 4 Гдето възлизат племената, Господните племена. Според надеждите на Израиля, За да славят името Господно. 5 Защото там са поставени престоли – тронове – за съд, Престолите на Давидовия дом. Които ще седят на тези тронове – те ще съдят. И това са троновете на Давид. И ако седите на такъв трон – вие ще сте съдия, не подсъдим! И това няма да стане докато не дойде седмият ден. Откровението 20 глава – всичко е така просто, но човекът го е усложнил до неузнаваемост. Господ е казал и открил всичко на пророците си – но не ги четете. И кое е това, което Светият Дух може да ви открие – което не е в Библията? 1 И видях, че слизаше от небето един ангел, който държеше в ръката си ключа на бездната и една голяма верига. 2 Той улови змея, старовременната змия, която е дявол и сатана, и го върза за хиляда години, Това трябва да е архангел Михаил. Той може да се справи със Сатана 3 и, като го хвърли в бездната, заключи и я запечата над него, за да не мами вече народите, преди да се свършат хилядата години, след което той трябва да бъде пуснат за малко време. Докато Исус управлява света за 1000 години, Сатана няма да има възможнодст да лъже хората. А и Сатана работи за Господа 4 И видях престоли; и на тия, които бяха насядали на тях бе дадено да съдят; видях и душите на ония, които бяха обезглавени поради свидетелствуването си за Исуса, и поради Божието слово, и на ония, които не се поклониха на звяра, нито на образа му, и не приеха белега на челото си и на ръката си; и те оживяха и царуваха с Христа хиляда години. „И видях престоли“! И тези които седят на тях – ще съдят. Това са троновете които Исус ни обеща – ако устоим до края в истината. И ще управляваме с Христос за 1000 години 5 Другите мъртви не оживяха докле не се свършиха хилядата години. Това е първото възкресение. Това е първото възкресие, а никой няма да върви на небето 6 Блажен и свет оня, който участвува в първото възкресение; над такива втората смърт не ще има сила; а те ще бъдат свещеници Богу и на Христа и ще царуват с Него хиляда години. Втората смърт е огненото езеро. Но ако сте богове – след първото възкресение – втората смърт няма власт над вас. И вие ще управлявате с Хпристос за 1000 години. И всяка събота ни посочва именно тези 1000 години – 7ят ден. И тези които са били против Господа – те няма да имат удоволствието да участват в този ден на почивка – Милениума. Нека видим Псалм 132. Трябва да четете Бибилята, трябва да отделите време за да спасите себе си. Всичко е в тази Книга! И ето – тук е мъдростта на Господа. Вижте – когато са сменили съботата на неделята – сега вече човека не знае изобщо какъв е смисъла на съботата 1 Помни, Господи, заради Давида, Всичките му скърби, 2 Как се кле на Господа, И се обрече на Силния Яковов, като каза: 3 Непременно няма да вляза в шатъра на къщата си, Нито ще се кача на постланото си легло, 4 Няма да дам сън на очите си, Или дрямка на клепачите си, 5 Докато не намеря място за Господа, Обиталище за Силния Яковов. Но не е ли мястото на Господа на небето? Тогава защо Давид се е притеснявал за това, да намери място на земята за Господа?! 6 Ето, ние чухме, че той бил в Ефрата; Намерихме го в полетата на Яара. 7 Нека влезем в скиниите Му, Нека се поклоним при подножието Му. 8 Стани, Господи, и влез в покоя Си, Ти и ковчега на Твоята сила; Стани Господи и влез в твоята почивка! Това е, което ще дойде и явно скоро 9 Свещениците Ти да бъдат облечени с правда. И светиите Ти нека викат радостно. И свещениците ще се радват много Господ се кле с вярност на Давида, – И няма да пристъпи думата Си, – Казвайки: От рожбата на тялото ти Ще положа на престола ти. Кой е плода на Давид – Исус е Ако чадата ти опазят Моя завет И Моите свидетелства, на които ще ги науча, То и техните чада ще седят за винаги на престола ти. Не е ли точно това, което ни обеща? Всичко е същото – и в Стария и в Новият Завет. И това ще е по времето на Милениума. Вижте – трона на Давид не е трона на Отец! Него ни е обещал Господ Исус Защото Господ избра Сиона, Благоволи да обитава в него. Това, каза Той, Ми е покой до века: Тук ще обитавам, защото го пожелах. Това е вечният покой на Исус – за който ни казва в Битие 2 глава. И ако вие не искате да бъдете в тази почивка на земята, но искате да вървите на небето – кого следвате? Господ никога не се изменя! Петър обяснява същото нещо – Деянията 2 глава. И как можете да ритате против всичкото това? Четем го от Бибилята! Защо ритате против Господа? Израилтяни, послушайте тия думи: Исуса Назарянина, мъж засвидетелствуван между вас от Бога чрез мощни дела, чудеса и знамения, които Бог извърши чрез Него посред вас, както сами вие знаете, Него, предаден според определената Божия воля и предузнание, вие разпнахте и убихте чрез ръката на беззаконници; Всичките пророци са знаели, че Исус трябваше да умре. Когато Адам послуша жена си – тогава Исус знаеше, че ще умре. Адам уби Исус Когото Бог възкреси, като развърза болките на смъртта, понеже не беше възможно да бъде държан Той от нея. Защото Давид казва за Него: – „Винаги гледах Господа пред себе си; Понеже Той е от дясно ми, за да не се поклатя; Смъртта не можеше да държи Исус Христос. Но за кого говори Давид тук? Братя, мога да ви кажа свободно за патриарха Давида, че и умря и биде погребан, и гробът му е у нас до тоя ден. А – Давид е говорил за Исус Христос И тъй, понеже беше пророк, и знаеше, че Бог с клетва му се обеща, че от плода на неговите чресла [по плът ще въздигне Христа, да Го] постави на престола му, И Господ обеща това на Давид. Когато Давид щеше да построи Храм за Господа – тогава Господ му обеща това. И обеща също, че на трона на Давид ще седне Исус – той е плода на Давид. Защото не говореше за Соломон. Соломон е управлявал само 40 годиин, но Господ обеща на трона на Давид да стои Един за винаги! Исаия 11 глава 1 И ще израсне пръчка из Иесевия пън, И отрасъл из корените му ще носи плод; 2 И духът Господен ще почива на него, Дух на мъдрост и разум, Дух на съвет и на сила, Дух на знание и на страх от Господа; 3 И той ще се наслаждава в страха от Господа; Тъй щото няма да съди според каквото гледа с очите си, Нито ще решава според каквото слуша с ушите си; Господ Исус вижда директно в умовете ни 4 Но с правда ще съди сиромасите, И с правота ще решава за смирените на страната; Ще порази страната с жезъла на устата си, И с дишането на устните си ще умъртви нечестивия. С жезъла на устата си – ще заповяда на ангелите и те ще избият нечестивите 5 Правдата ще бъде пояс на кръста му, И верността пояс на хълбоците му. 6 Вълкът ще живее с агнето, Рисът ще си почива с ярето, Телето, лъвчето и угоените ще бъдат заедно; И малко дете ще ги води. 7 Кравата и мечката ще пасат заедно; Малките им ще си почиват задружно; И лъвът ще яде слама както вола. И ако Израел е вече в земята си – отидете в зоолгическата градина и хвърлете на лъва телешко месо и слама. И ако лъвът отиде да яде сламата – Израел е в земята си. Но ако отиде да яде месото – Израел още не е в земята си. Абсолютно доказателство 8 Сучещо дете ще играе над дупката на аспида; И отбито дете ще туря ръката си в гнездото на ехидна. Днес не можете да видите такова чудо – нали? 9 Те не ще повреждат, нито погубват в цялата Ми света планина; Защото земята ще се изпълни със знание за Господа Както водите покриват дъното на морето. И в оня ден, към Иесевия корен, – Който ще стои като знаме на племената, – Към него ще прибягват племената; И неговото местоуспокоение ще бъде славно. Иесей е бащата на Давид. Исус дойде от Давид, но беше преди Давид. И ето – виждаме денят на почивката тук. Това означава „местоуспокоение“ И в оня ден Господ пак втори път Ще възвърне с ръката Си останалите от людете Си, Които ще останат от Асирия, от Египет, От Патрос, от Етиопия, от Елам, От Сенаар, от Емат и от морските острови. И всички тези изброени държави са чернокожи народи. Ние сме навсякъде. Защото 3 племена са сред езичниците, а 9 са из Африка И ще издигне знаме за народите, И ще събере изгонените на Израиля, И ще събере в едно разпръснатите на Юда, От четирите ъгъла на земята. И чак тогава Господ ще събере народа си. Ще направи това за втори път. Защото първо ги пръсна по света И Господ ще наложи запрещението Си върху залива на Египетското море; И чрез изсушителния Си вятър ще помаха с ръката Си върху Ефрата, И ще го раздели на седем потока, Та ще направи да го минават с обуща. Не знаем коя е тази река, но като го видим – това е времето Асирия е разпръснала 9 племена. А Вавилон и всички след тях – са разпръснали 3 племена. Исаия 14 глава – ще видим какво ще стане когато Израел се върне в земята си 1 Защото Господ ще се смили за Якова, И пак ще избере Израиля. И ще ги настани в земята им; И чужденците ще се присъединят към тях, И ще се прилепят към Якововия дом. Има два вида странници – едните ще се присъединят с Израел, но другите ще се обърнат към Бога 2 Племената ще ги вземат и ще ги заведат на мястото им; И Израилевият дом ще ги наследи в земята Господна За слуги и слугини; Те ще пленят пленителите си, И ще владеят над притеснителите си. 3 И в деня, когато Господ те успокои от скръбта ти, От неволята ти и от жестоката работа, В която ти бе поробен, 4 Ще употребиш това иносказание против вавилонския цар, като речеш: Как престана насилникът! престана скубачът на злато! 5 Господ строши тоягата на нечестивите, Скиптъра на владетелите, Това е Великият Вавилон – Европейският Съюз 6 Който яростно поразяваше племената С непрестанно биене, Който властвуваше с гняв над народите, С преследване, което никой не въздържаше. 7 Цялата земя се успокои и утихна; Възклицават с песни; И ето – цялата земя ще се успокои и ще е в почивка. Никой няма да убива никого. Войни няма да има. Никой в затвори. Никой в неудобна позиция. Няма дори и болни хора. Това е раят, който Исус обеща на разбойника на кръста. Нима това не е рай? Цялата земя ще е в почивка! И всички ще са щастливи и ще имат един Бог! Ако това не е добро – какво е? Това е почивката за която Господ говори. И този ден идва – всеки път когато пазим съботата си напомняме за този ден. Нека видим какво идва след този ден – Откровението 20 глава 7 И когато се свършат хилядата години, сатана ще бъде пуснат от тъмницата си, И след като хората са живяли в утопия, веднага след като Сатана бъде пуснат, той ще отиде да заблуди хората отново и много бързо 8 и ще излезе да мами народите в четирите краища на земята, Гога и Магога, да ги събере за войната, – чието число е като морския пясък. Всички казват, че Русия са атеисти. Но вижте какво става днес – целият запад приема хомосексуализма, но Путин каза – не тук! Кой тогава е атеиста? 9 И те се разпростряха по цялата широчина на земята и обиколиха стана на светиите и обичния град; но огън падна от [Бога из] небето, та ги изпояде. И дяволът, който ги мамеше, биде хвърлен в огненото жупелно езеро, гдето са и звярът и лъжепророкът; и ще бъдат мъчени денем и нощем до вечни векове. И ето – след като Сатана е пуснат – веднага успява да събере така много хора, че са като морският пясък. Но Отец ще ги унищожи След това видях един голям бял престол и Онзи, Който седеше на него, от Чието лице побягнаха земята и небето, че не се намери място за тях. Видях и мъртвите големи и малки, стоящи пред престола; и едни книги се разгънаха; разгъна се и друга книга, която е книгата на живота; и мъртвите бидоха съдени според делата си по написаното в книгите. Сестри и братя – ще бъдете съдени по написаното в Библията – Библос – Книги! И според делата си! И смъртта и адът бидоха хвърлени в огненото езеро. Това – присъдата за в огненото езеро е втората смърт. Няма да има повече смърт – никой няма да умира. Помислете над това! Ако не можете да оцелеете според написаното в Бибилята – започнете да я четете – веднага! За да научите как да спасите себе си Огненото езеро е вечно – не бихте искали да идете там, нали? 1 Коринтяни 15 глава Понеже, както чрез човека дойде смъртта, така чрез човека дойде възкресението на мъртвите. Смъртта дойде чрез Адам Защото, както в Адама всички умират, така и в Христа всички ще оживеят. И всики ще въкръснат Но всеки на своя ред; Христос първият плод, после, при пришествието на Христа, тия, които са Негови. Е как тогава имаме хора на небето – както казвате вие? След като Христос е първият плод, то никой още не е оживял! Тогава ще бъде краят, когато ще предаде царството на Бога и Отца, след като унищожи всяко началство и всяка власт и сила. Защото Той трябва да царува, докато положи всички врагове под нозете Си. И никой няма да върви никъде докато Исус не въведе пълен порядък и тогава и Отец ще дойде на тази земя. И това ще е краят на тази съботна почивка. Сега нека потвърдим нещо тук – Второзаконие 32 глава. Господ не е казал нищо погрешно! 8 Когато Всевишният даваше наследство на народите, Когато разпръсна Адамовите потомци, Постави границите на племената Според числото на израилтяните. И сега ако броим от сътворението – имаме 12 дена! Защото имаме 6 дена от сътворението и още 7 дена за човека за да бъде в това тяло! Общо са 12! И всичко свършва в Божията почивка! След това вече няма да има плът и кръв. Нека видим Изход 31 глава Господ говори още на Моисея, казвайки: Говори тъй също на израилтяните, казвайки: Съботите Ми непременно да пазите; защото това е знак между Мене и вас във всичките поколения, за да знаете, че Аз съм Господ, Който ви освещавам. Господната събота – не съботата на Юдеите! И Господ я освещава Прочее, израилтяните да пазят съботата, като я празнуват във всичките си поколения по вечен завет Вечен завет – където и да сте – трябва да я пазите! То е знак между Мене и израилтяните за винаги; защото в шест дена направи Господ небето и земята, а на седмия ден си почина и се успокои. И това е знака между Господа и Израел – за винаги! И седмият ден още не е дошъл. Но Сатана ви казва да пазите неделята. И от игноранство вие сте променили денят! Но дали съботата е само за Израел – не. Исаия 56 глава. И понеже ние не искаме да пазим нищо, ето защо драмата е дошла върху нас. И Израел не се е променил и до днес. Израел уби пророците и апостолите. Израел викаше и крещеше пред Пилат да убие Исус. Просто сме друго поколение… Но сме си същите. Съботата означава нещо много важно и се отнася за всички хора от всички народи 1 Така казва Господ: Пазете правосъдие и вършете правда, Защото скоро ще дойде спасението от Мене, И правдата Ми скоро ще се открие. 2 Блажен оня човек, който прави това, И оня човешки син, който се държи за него, Който пази съботата да я не оскверни, И въздържа ръката си да не стори никакво зло. Пази съботата и не върши зло 3 А чужденецът, който се е прилепил към Господа да не говори Като каже: Господ съвсем ще ме отдели от людете Си; Нито да каже скопецът: Ето, аз съм сухо дърво. Това е за всички хора – не само за Израел. И вижте сега за чужденците – които не са родени в народа Израел 6 Също и чужденците, които се прилепват към Господа, За да Му служат, да обичат името на Господа, И да бъдат Негови слуги, – Всеки от тях, който пази съботата да я не оскверни, И държи завета Ми, – Които пазят съботата – седмият ден! 7 И тях ще доведа в светия Си хълм, И ще ги зарадвам в Моя молитвен дом; Всеизгарянията им и жертвите им ще Ми бъдат благоугодни на олтара Ми, Защото домът Ми ще се нарече Молитвен дом на всичките племена. За всички хора! 8 Господ Иеова, Който събира изгонените на Израиля ето що казва: Ще му събера още и други Освен своите му, които вече са събрани. Обърнете внимание – Господ ще събере не само Израел, но и другите при кого – при Отец! В Исаия 49 глава Отец каза на Исус, че ще събере всички народи при Отец. И дори и чужденеца, който пази съботата ще влезе в почивката на Господа. Сестри и братя – виждате колко важен е този ден. Благодаря ви за вниманието!
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In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Every word of Scripture is God. .breathed. Scripture is not just the breath of God as if His breath is apart from His person, but it is Him, His person, breathed out in written words. When we take the Scripture into our spirit, our deepest, most inner part, then we take in the Author. “My words are spirit and they are life,” Jesus said. So when we open God’s infallible word that He wrote through the agency of men, we should do so prayerfully and spiritually. It is not a book of history, though it explains history impeccably. It is not a book of literature, though it contains the best literature ever written. It is not a book of natural science, though it allows a wide-ranging exploration of God’s creation without a hint of conflict. It is not a book of law, of rules and regulations, though it is replete with inviolable principles without which we are lost and undone. What is it then? It is a book depicting a divine romance wherein the Creator woos and wins His creature and makes her an integral, organic part of Himself. In whatever age we find ourselves, we are part of this universal drama ever proceeding toward the ultimate consummation of God and humanity. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Here is the beginning of time and space when the Creator spoke material into being. He is the Word and this Word brought all things into being, probably all at once and probably explosively. Though there is much haggling over the so-called “Big Bang,” it seems that science is proving through space exploration and computation that indeed the universe came into being suddenly and explosively and a long time ago. We Christians should not fear these discoveries, but embrace them since scientists are studying what God has created. Some, of course, and to no one’s surprise, draw errant conclusions to their findings, but we can take the discoveries and turn them into praise for our awesome Creator. They can spin creation any way they like, but we know that He spoke and it was so. He established the natural laws to govern His creation and from these laws we can extrapolate conclusions that in no way violate verse one. We should never fear secular science, but rather utilize their discoveries to extol our Creator. From supernovas to quarks, we can gain deep appreciation of our God and His design. If science calculates the beginning of time at 4.5 billion years, so what? Why should that bother us? Science does not drive our agenda. We are not on the defensive. Our Creator spoke—when we do not know for sure and how we cannot fully ascertain—but He did! Let others discover freely. Let us praise and worship Him for doing so! In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Time and space are objects of God’s creation, and being the Creator, He is bound by neither. Both have a beginning and both have an end. They were created so that God could have a medium in which to accomplish His eternal purpose of securing a bride for His only Son. To produce a match, a counterpart, a complement for Him, God had to provide a place and a time for it to happen, so He created the universe with an allotted amount of time to get it done. Once the Son is married to His corporate bride, the old universe will pass away in favor of a new creation and time will cease to exist. Who is this Creator? He has breathed Himself into the written words of Scripture so it is there we can discover the answer. We know from our reading, from our experience and from the experience of His people throughout the ages, that He is full of positive attributes. He is love, light, righteousness, hope, peace, joy, strength, courage, stability, holiness, endurance, vigilance, resolve, humility, compassion, etc. All of these and others too numerous to mention find their origin in the most important and all-inclusive aspect of all – God is life. Not only does He give life to all things, He is life. He gives life to His creation on many levels – plant, animal, human – but, more importantly, He is life. He is the eternal, irrepressible, triumphant life designed to enter into the spirit of His human creatures to make them one with Him. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. God the Creator is perfect in all His ways and His attributes are entirely positive; therefore everything He does matches what He is. His original creation expressed His perfect being. It was flawless, full of light, full of life, full of design intricacies that exposed the complexities of the Creator, full of minute particles in atoms, full of far-flung galaxies in the deep reaches of the universe, full of color of every shade and hue, full of tiny microorganisms and gigantic creatures along with those of every shape and size in between. So awesome and brilliant and expressive was this creation that the angels sang together and shouted for joy. (Job 38: 7) It was in every detail a perfect representation of the One who conceived it and executed its implementation. It was altogether positive, complete, and suitable for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose. The two spheres of creation were the heaven and the earth. God inhabits the heaven and in that ancient creation there was one heaven and one earth with nothing between. There was a clear sky between earth and heaven. There was the free, unrestricted flow and interchange between God and the earth. There were no barriers to the sweet fellowship between the Creator and His creature. This can be our experience today because of the great work of our dear Savior who has cut the path for us into the presence of our holy God. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Why the earth? Why of all the trillions of stars, planets, and moons in the billions of galaxies in our universe did the Lord chose this inconsequential speck of dust on which to carry out His eternal plan? Who can know? Perhaps it is for our humility that it is so. We humans get so ensnared with our own small lives thinking that the universe revolves around us and seldom consider that we are on a tiny planet spinning through space and that our lives are but a breath, a wisp of steam vanishing into time to be no more. Perhaps it is to display the smallness of our Creator who is capable of taking something of such apparent insignificance and transforming it into His eternal habitation. When we compare the earth to the vastness of creation, we can only wonder at the magnitude and minuteness of Him who made it all. If He can care for the earth, then we can be certain He can care for us, even for every detail of our pitiful existence. Sure He stretched out the heaven and made stars thousands of times greater than our sun and innumerable galaxies to contain them, but His desire and concern lies with the earth—small, apparently unimportant. This is our God who cares for us, who watches over us, who knows the number of our hairs, who wants to be everything to us. The awesome Creator wants to be our life! Who can explain this incredible condescension?! In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The Lord loves the earth because it is upon its surface that He would draw the ingredients to make man in His own image. He created it to be the perfect environment for humankind to thrive. He called plants and animals into existence for the pleasure and utility of His highest creation, man. It was the crowning jewel of the universe, itself replete with far more spectacular spheres than our little planet tucked away in a nondescript galaxy called the Milky Way. The Lord God created perfection by speaking it into being. Before this speaking of material and time into existence, He created the angels as His ministering spirits. The highest angel of all was Lucifer, the light bearer, who led the angels in a resounding chorus of praise when they observed the creation of the universe. Not only so, this Lucifer, son of the morning, enjoyed an exalted position in the heavenly Eden, the garden of God where God dwelt upon His holy mountain. He was clothed with precious stones, enjoyed uninterrupted fellowship with his Creator, and administered the new creation. Such was the Lord God’s trust in His anointed cherub, Lucifer. All things were ready for the object of it all – man. The heaven was clear and unobstructed from earth to the throne of God. The earth was teeming with plants and animals of every size and shape from enormous to microbial, all for the benefit of the previous race that populated the earth in a murky past ever reluctant to relinquish it secrets. The Scripture offers hints, nothing more, but we know that for a time, how long is indeterminate and irrelevant, the creation was perfect and pristine. This is the opening statement of the divine revelation. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. We have to ask the great philosophical question: Why did the Lord God create? What was it that caused Him to suddenly speak forth the universe in a dazzling display of unprecedented power, magnitude and detail? He was surrounded by His angels, accompanied by His Son, and completely satisfied by His own internal richness and virtue. He was not lonely. He needed nothing, so why would He venture out on such an experiment that could explode in His face, that was filled with uncertainty, and that had the potential of causing Him profound trouble and heartache? Why didn’t He play it safe and enjoy eternity as He always had? What passion drove Him to create? I think the Lord God answered these questions after He created Adam and said “it is not good for the man to be alone.” In eternity past the Father looked at His Son with the same concern. Though surrounded by attending angels, they were not like the Son. They were ministering spirits able to materialize, but they were not compatible with Him. The Son was a being of three parts—body, soul, and spirit. The angels were of soul and spirit lacking the third part. The Father’s deep desire for His Son was that He would have one who would be His counterpart, His match, His fulfillment; one who would be like Him in every way to make Him “complete.” The Father wanted a bride for His Son, and like every father who wants the best for his son, He set out to make it happen. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. How beautiful and glorious was the ancient heaven and earth, the splendid stage upon which God could fulfill His eternal purpose in creation—the production of a corporate bride for His only Son. The awestruck angels shouted for joy as the universe unfolded before their eyes in all its sweeping and magnificent perfection, having as its focus the tiny, pale blue planet, distinguished from all other spheres by its abundance of plant, animal, and human life. It was indeed a happy time in the antediluvian world. There was no barrier between earth and heaven where God’s habitation and throne is. Lucifer and his viceroys administered creation with honor and with an attitude of worshipful humility. The Son eagerly anticipated the preparation and fulfillment of His corporate bride inhabiting the friendly confines of primeval earth. The great family of the Almighty Creator heaped praise and worship upon Him for His brilliant plan, its execution and its coming fulfillment. All was well for the Lord God had spoken it into existence and all that comes from Him is pure and holy and perfect. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The reason for God’s creation is singular: to acquire for His Son a collective bride comprised of His creatures. Some say that God was lonely and needed fellowship. Nonsense. That implies a lack in His character, in His trinity and that is false. Some say creation was to glorify God as if God was so egocentric as to require what He created to glorify Him. Surely it does but that is not the reason He created. Others say that creation was to praise Him. Of course it does but God is not so petty and insecure as to need praise. He knows who He is and needs no propping up. That is not to say we shouldn’t praise Him and that He does not appreciate it, but He didn’t create us to be a praising choir. His creation was for His Son. “It is not good for a man to be alone.” Glory, praise and fellowship are ancillary to this one unique purpose. Verse one clearly shows the Father actively and aggressively setting about to accomplish the plan conceived in His mind in eternity past. I can imagine His explosive and thunderous voice calling into being the far reaches of the universe with galaxy upon galaxy weaving together in an intricate pattern of beauty and brilliance. I can also imagine that when all other spheres were created, He took a deep breath and contemplated the focus of it all—the earth—and, with a mere and loving whisper, called it into existence. It was here on this tiny planet that the universal drama and divine purpose would play out. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. What explains the glaring contrast between verse one and verse two? Verse one tells us of the glorious creation of the heaven and the earth and verse two speaks of darkness, death, desolation, emptiness and chaos. How can the perfection of verse one be swallowed up in the catastrophe that is verse two? How can the dark and violent situation in verse two come from our perfect and utterly positive Creator? It can’t. He did not create earth a waste place (Isa. 45: 18) overtaken by water. In fact, according to verse ten, earth is defined as dry land, the very opposite of what we find in verse two. Originally, it had no seas upon it, but verse two reveals an earth flooded with death water. Peter explains this when warning about skeptics. “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” 3: 5-6) The picture is indeed bleak, for the original creation became dark, dead, and under water. The formerly pristine earth is floating in a raging sea of death that not only has submerged it, but the entire universe as well, extinguishing all light and life. What caused such a drastic change? From fullness to emptiness; from a clear, open, and brilliant sky reaching unimpeded to the throne of God to darkness upon the face of the deep; from abundant life to profound abjection; from peace to chaos. What happened? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. What happened to cause this obvious contrast between verse one and two? Some say nothing happened; that verse two is a continuation of verse one; that God created the earth as an empty, dead, chaotic mud ball and then started working on it to perfect it. I say balderdash to this spin and twist of God’s word. What God creates is complete and perfect. To allow that the earth was in a ruined and desolate condition as part of the creative process is to denigrate the Creator’s character. What happened is a sad story of jealousy, corruption, intrigue, and rebellion. God’s archangel, Lucifer, the son of the morning, the light bearer, witnessed the creation with awe and led the angels in songs and shouts of joy. They saw the thought and plan of God to secure a corporate bride for His Son becoming a reality. But deep in Lucifer’s heart there may have been a germ of jealousy that God had chosen an inferior creature to fulfill His plan. Were not the angels suitable for such a sublime calling? Was he not the most beautiful and powerful of all God’s creatures? Had he not been faithful in every detail of his work, of overseeing the creation, especially the earth and all the life upon it? Surely he had, but God had chosen lowly mankind for the fulfillment of His purpose, not the angels. Could this have been the source of Lucifer’s undoing? We can’t be certain, but something turned his heart against the very One who had given him life, position, and trust. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. To our peril we underestimate the power and tenacity of our archenemy. Isaiah and Ezekiel, in ostensibly describing the kings of Babylon and Tyre, give us a vivid picture of Lucifer and of the details of his rebellion. Many times in Scripture, we have such dual meanings. Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 are like this, pronouncing judgment on earthly kings while at the same time describes the enemy in the heavens who seeks the destruction of our race and our planet. Those who “rightly divide the word of truth” can penetrate these mysteries and find the deeper meaning in the text. We must be diligent to unearth all truth in the written Word, realizing that the Author is truth, that there is no limit to Him and that no one man, however venerated past or present, has an exclusive charter to the divine revelation He has graciously passed down to us. We must emulate the Bereans of Acts. Ezekiel’s picture of Lucifer reveals a magnificent creature residing in Eden, the heavenly garden of God, who was sealed in perfection, full of wisdom and perfect beauty, covered with every precious stone from the day of his creation, and anointed as the covering cherub in the holy mountain of God. He walked in the midst of the stones of fire and was blameless in behavior until unrighteousness in him corrupted him and filled him with internal violence. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty and splendor. Isaiah explores the heart of the archangel by attributing to him this astounding monologue: “But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most high.” (14: 13, 14) These two passages give us a small but clear window into the outward condition and internal machinations of the primal rebel. Whether by jealousy or dissatisfaction or lust for power or a miasmic brew of them all, Lucifer made his move and introduced evil into God’s creation. The archangel of God, the ruler of creation, leader of angels, overseer of earth and humanity, took a mighty gamble to wrest control from God, to subject his own Creator to his vile purpose. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. No one knows the depths of Lucifer’s rebellion or the damage it caused to the ancient cosmos or the hellacious rage and vitriol it unleashed against the Creator and His creatures. Through Lucifer’s persuasive arrogance and subtle manipulations, he was able to convince, cajole, and coerce a third of the angels to follow him in his bold attempt to usurp the throne of God. We do not know how long this war in heaven lasted, but knowing from the Scripture and from our own experiences the tactics of this lethal adversary, we can be certain his onslaught was no ill-planned frontal attack easily repulsed, but rather a carefully constructed series of forays designed to inflict the greatest amount of harm. God did not grant Lucifer his status because of the luck of the draw. Far from it. He was the archangel because of his superior mind, his passion for his Creator, and his peerless determination to see God’s universe function smoothly. He was in every way transcendent to all the angels he commanded. Apart from the Triune God, none was a match to this “son of the morning.” Powerful, authoritative, beautiful, brilliant in appearance, in thought, and in wisdom, this supreme angel would never have attempted such a daring stroke without the possibility of victory. This is the formidable enemy of all good, of every soul, of creation itself. This is the audacious one who dared to defy God and who made war against Him. We do well to never underestimate him. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Lucifer wore a covering of precious stones in his priestly duties as did the priests of Israel who wore the breastplate covered in precious stones before the Lord in the holy of holies. This supreme and sublime archangel enjoyed the highest position as high priest to bring the angels into worship to God and brought God’s rule and authority into the physical creation. This is the function of the proper priest—to bring God to the people and the people to God. Lucifer performed this role precisely and perfectly. In the oversight of the universe, with legions upon legions of subordinates at his disposal, he brought God to creation, especially to those upon the earth who lived under his benevolent rule. He also led creation, and, more particularly, the angels and the inhabitants of earth, in worship of their Creator. All was well for eons, perhaps, as life, at least on earth, flourished in overwhelming abundance. But as Lucifer explored the intricacies of God’s creation, nature, and purpose, and his place in it, He devised his strategy to overthrow the King of the kingdom. He gathered his minions carefully, stealthily, and cunningly through the deception that they could be free of the shackles of responsibility and have their own piece of the universe. With the Creator under their control, they could have anything they could imagine. With these devious promises, he was able to win a third of the angels—not an insignificant number. He struck, and the war was on. And the earth was without form and void, and the darkness was over the surface of the deep. We don’t know how long Satan needed to gather his legions before striking out against God. Angels are not mindless spirits devoid of rational thought. They are of immense intelligence and passion and they are created to make decisions of their own; so for them to follow Lucifer in his daring plot to overthrow the King, they had to have had the assurance that the scheme was viable. We shouldn’t think that this was a rebellion based on emotion, on an impulsive decision hatched from a few minutes of thought. This was a carefully conceived and executed plan that the rebels felt would succeed. Otherwise, these brilliant creatures, equipped with unshackled intelligence, would never have agreed to participate in the insurrection against their holy and righteous Creator. The fact that a third of them turned against Him testifies to the plausibility of Lucifer’ strategy. Why did God allow this corrosive element to gain momentum? Why did He not quash it in its infancy? Why did He not take out His adversary early on before he could cause so much damage? Because God created freedom of the will. He is not interested in automatons. He wants creatures to choose Him willingly, not because they can do nothing else. When the lines were drawn, Lucifer had gained one third of the angels—a formidable force, especially considering that it is far easier for evil to wreak havoc and destruction than it is for good to maintain life, righteousness, and peace. Chaos is easy; order is difficult. In that sense, Lucifer had the advantage. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The Scriptures don’t tell us what actually transpired during the war of Lucifer and his legions against God and His faithful angels; but they and natural science tell us much about the result. God created Lucifer as the anointed cherub, the steward of His creation, the worship leader of all creatures. There was no barrier between the surface of the earth and the throne of God, so Lucifer came and went without hindrance. But his insurrection changed everything. Nothing grieves God more nor invites harsher judgment than does rebellion, the first and foundational sin of Lucifer, who cast off his intimacy with God, his standing before God, and his leadership of all the angels in order to usurp the throne of God and to corrupt His creation. God’s judgment was cataclysmic. Jesus said, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” (Luke 10: 18) Satan’s fall was accompanied by a universal flood, by darkness, emptiness, and chaos. This cold, dark, dead, and ruined universe is what we face in verse two. From the perfection, light, and glory of verse one to the cold and lifeless earth bobbing in the death waters of verse two—all show the thorough extent of God’s judgment upon sin. This should instill in us a healthy fear of our Lord. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. For thus says Jehovah, Who created the heaven—He is the God who formed the earth and made it; He established it; He did not create it waste, but He formed it to be inhabited. Paul wrote to the Romans that the wages of sin is death, and nothing better illustrates this truth than the ruination of the old universe that we find described in verse two. Lucifer, the mighty archangel, rebelled and brought in death to God’s creation and became God’s adversary, Satan. God, in His righteousness, judged the corrupted creation; cast Satan from His presence; flooded the universe with judgment water killing every plant, animal, and the physical life of humans on the earth. This violent separation of human body from its soul and spirit is the origin of the third leg of the evil triad—the demons—who seek constantly and restlessly to escape their watery prison and possess a living body. So looking out on the desolation of judgment in verse two, we see death and darkness embodied in Satan, in the dark and fallen lords of rebellion, and in the demons—all vile occupants of ancient time and space. These corrupted beings had cast off all restraint and responsibility before God, resulting in the utter emptiness and chaos and death and darkness of God’s judgment upon the “son of the morning.” Now this once-proud prince of light and worship and faithfulness is fallen to the depths of depravity and death and darkness. He knew God’s purpose rested with the earth and with its inhabitants. Surely he must have had smug pleasure in seeing its demise and destruction. Though he had lost everything himself, he had frustrated God’s plan and that was satisfaction enough for him. He had defeated God. .or had he? The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. What was the pre-Adamite world like? Jeremiah describes it in 4:23-26. “I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains and behold, they were quaking. I looked and . .there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked and . .the fruitful land was a wilderness and all its cities were pulled down before the Lord, before His fierce anger.” This is the universal flood that judged the corrupted earth due to Lucifer’s rebellion. There was no other time when these events could have occurred. Only then was the universe without light and in total darkness. The restoration of light occurred during the restoration in the six days of Genesis. There has been no time other than the interval between the beginning and the restoration that there has been no man. Man has existed since the sixth day of restoration and will exist through eternity, so Jeremiah had to be describing the pre-Adamite world. It makes sense to associate this passage in Jeremiah with Genesis 1: 1-2 and 2 Pet. 3:5-6 – “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” – and conclude that in the previous world there were men, mountains, cities, birds, and fruitful places. Once all this was destroyed, the stage was set for the restoration of the earth as seen in the following six days of Genesis. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young. The profound abjection and bleakness resulting from God’s watery judgment upon His corrupted universe leaves a thinker with a sense of hopelessness. Surveying the miasma that was once so full of the light and glory of God’s creative genius, that thinker cannot but acknowledge that the ancient rebel, though unsuccessful in wresting the crown from the Almighty’s head, had, it seemed, triumphed over his Creator by bringing about the destruction of the universe, the earth, and mankind. Death reigned over all that was once teeming with life and light. But God is not deterred and He is the God of life. Death cannot hold life any more than darkness can contain light. In the midst of this grim and lifeless chaos, God came down as the brooding Spirit, like a hen or an eagle that broods over her nest, incubating her eggs until life springs forth. Over His decimated earth our Creator came to hover, to brood, to coax, to watch, to love, to care. This is the profound meaning of the Hebrew verb. Did He not do the same with us? We sinners, so full of death and darkness, without hope, without purpose, came under His brooding warmth. He came to us to turn our hearts toward Him. His fluttering wings protected us from harm and His warm love broke our hard shell until we responded to Him. How gracious He is to come to us in our dismal condition and to brood over us with His passionate, tender love! How much He loves us! How much He cares! And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. A person without Christ is no different than the dreadful scene of the earth in verse two. Apart from Him we are under God’s judgment and are in a state of chaos, darkness, death, and hopelessness. No matter what we do to improve ourselves and our lives, minus the Savior we will ultimately fail. Jehovah created the earth to be inhabited. He created us to inhabit as well. If we fail to present ourselves as His dwelling place and reject Him, we continue in our empty, desolate, aimless condition until our brief sojourn through time and space comes to an end. But if we respond to His brooding over us and open ourselves to His warm, tender, and gentle love, then we escape our dire and chaotic condition and enter into the purpose for which we were created—to be inhabited by Him. Earth in verse one was created in a perfect condition and was replete with every form of flourishing life, but through the degradation brought in by the rebellious angel, it fell under judgment. But Jehovah did not give up on it, nor does He give up on us! He came to brood over the earth and He comes to brood over us. Where would we be had He not come to hover over our lives like a mother hen and to draw our hearts to Him? How kind and gracious He is to us reprobate sinners! He cares about us—every one of us. That is a staggering thought! Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The first thing a dead and dark situation needs is light, for without light there is no life and life was God’s ultimate goal after His terrible judgment upon the ancient universe. His speaking brought in the light and since He is light itself and since we know this light was not the sun or stars which He created later, then the light of verse three may have been His incursion into the bleak fortress of His ruined creation. It was like His first peek through the curtains of darkness that veiled His holy face from the profound devastation. The glow of His glory could have been the light of verse three. In our dark and condemned condition before Christ, God broods over us to warm and soften our hearts. Then He speaks to us through the Scriptures, through our circumstances, and through others. This speaking opens our eyes to our need for eternal life to save us from the abjection of our existence. This is our way to Christ–from condemnation to God’s brooding over us to His speaking to us and to His shining light within us. By understanding how He dealt with His damaged creation, we can appreciate His way in dealing with us. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. For God to restore the earth to its second habitable state, He had to call forth light. Light is primary because it exposes every negative thing, drives away darkness, and provides the atmosphere in which life can thrive. God is the source of light and light is Himself emanating from Himself. Whether in speaking, shining, or in generating life, God puts forth Himself, not just something from Himself. He is the Word; He is the light; He is the life. Without Him there is no physical light and without light there is no physical life. We may clinically dissect light into its components of waves and particles; but ultimately light is the shining forth of God Himself. Since He cannot co-exist with evil, neither can light and darkness share the same space. It is important to note that everything in the physical realm mirrors its creator and light is no exception. Where light is, darkness is not. No amount of darkness can swallow up light, but even the tiniest amount of light chases aw ay darkness. So in us. When the Lord comes to us in our ruined condition as real, spiritual light, He exposes the spiritual darkness in us and divides it. He separates the darkness so that we can experience day. Then we must live and work and rest in Christ, the Light, who divides darkness from us. Only when we fail to abide in Him does night come. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And evening and morning were the first day. Everything in life and in creation is about restriction and parameters. In the restoration of the first day, darkness is restricted by the presence of light. A day cycle is restricted by one revolution of the earth. Daylight is segmented into morning, afternoon, and evening. God’s restoration took six days and the seventh He rested, so even He subjected Himself to His own creation. Restraint is designed by God to accomplish His plan. When we wake up in the morning, we usually face a ton of responsibilities that should constrain us to devote the first part of our day to prayer and scripture meditation. This constraint will yield much fruit, because it causes us to relinquish our natural strength and ability to Him so that He can live His life through us and get things accomplished according to His purpose. The Lord calls us to come to Him and find rest, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This is the God of restraint. He calls us to rest under His yoke. The One who restricted day to a certain duration and consigned darkness to night, knows that we function best when limited. He designed creation to limit us, to neutralize our natural strength and abilities so that we would lay hold of Him. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. Our God is a limiting God and in day two He continues to construct parameters to confine our universe. When God originally created heaven and earth, there was nothing between earth and heaven to restrict the fellowship of the Creator with His creatures. But after the ruination of judgment when God flooded the universe with death water, the earth, according to Peter, was standing out of water and in water. By making a firmament, God divided the waters. It was a structure, a barrier surrounding the universe that held back the water above it from the water below it. It is as if our universe is inside a colossal sphere protected from the water surrounding it. It is an impassable barrier put there because of Lucifer’s sin. No longer do we have an open heaven between God and earth. A confining barrier, the firmament, separates earth from God. The water above the firmament is under and before the throne of God, and is kept in place by the protective barrier that confines our universe. Without the firmament, the universe would drown again. Though we are protected by it, it also limits our access to our God. God calls the firmament Heaven, so we now live in a three-heaven arrangement—the atmosphere surrounding earth, outer space, and the dwelling place of God. Earth is far removed from Him in time and distance, but the record shows that He did not abandon earth, nor had His original purpose in creation suffered a fatal blow. In these verses, He is at work to make the earth habitable again so that upon it He could gain a people for Himself. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. When God set about to make the earth habitable for mankind after the cataclysmic judgment by water, He set a barrier between the universe and His throne called the firmament. Above this barrier was a sea and beyond this sea was His throne. Interestingly, this is the only day of the six that He did not call “good;” perhaps because His work in dividing the waters was galling to Him. In restoring the atmosphere around earth by establishing a barrier around the universe, He knew that there would not be the clear sky between His throne and His beloved earth. The barrier was necessary to restore the universe, but it meant separation between Him and His creation. He could not proclaim it good. Necessary, but regretful. The firmament established three heavens—the earth’s atmosphere, outer space, and the Lord’s dwelling place above the firmament. Remarkably, this three-tiered structure becomes a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures and nature. For example, our God is triune. Man is made in three parts—body, soul, and spirit. Noah’s ark had three stories. The Israelites went from Egypt through the wilderness and to the good land. Moses tabernacle and Solomon’s temple had three sections—the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The earth has a core, a mantle, and a crust. Water has three atoms. Plants have roots, stems, and foliage. There are three kinds of created life—plant, animal, and human. Of conscious life there are three—animal, human, and divine. These are just some of the many examples of the basic structure of three first seen on the second day of the restoration. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas; and God saw that it was good. The third day must have been a joy to our working, restoring God, for out of the death water He brought forth the dry land. The inference is obvious. Surrounded by death for three days and nights and having passed through the realm of death to release its captives (us), Jesus broke its bonds and came forth on the third day in resurrection. He put death in its place even as God put the death water on ancient earth in its place. This resurrected Christ came forth as life, abundant life, to fill us. The earth emerged from death to provide the soil upon which God could bring forth created life. In the Scriptures there are many metaphors to describe our wonderful Lord, but none as complete and detailed as that of the good land into which God brought the Israelites. “For Jehovah your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks, of springs and of fountains, flowing forth in valleys and in mountains; a land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees with oil and of honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity; you will not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you can mine copper. And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless Jehovah your God for the good land which He has given you.” (Deut. 8: 7-10) We have some exploring to do! And God called the dry land forth. .and God said, Let the earth bring forth. .and the evening and the morning were the third day. The Scriptures, both old and new, are a biography of a divine couple—Christ, the Son of God, and His bride, the nation of Israel. In all God’s dealings with the ancient Israelites, we have a clear picture of how He deals with His bride. We, the Christian community, come out of Israel’s disobedience to become Christ’s body as the one new, mature man. Israel’s slavery under Pharaoh reveals the world system under Satan. When the Israelites escaped via the slain lambs and applied blood, we see Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for us and delivering us from the cruel grip of the world. The crossing of the Red Sea was our baptism. The wandering in the wilderness pictures our failed attempt to live the Christian life according to our own strength. Then, when we come to the end of ourselves, we see stretching before us the good land, the resurrected land that rises above the death of the wilderness. This land is the vast resource of everything the people of God could possibly need. This land is the clearest picture, the brightest and most inclusive metaphor of Christ Himself. Deuteronomy 8 reveals a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs flowing forth in valleys and in hills—Christ our living water for every high and low circumstance; of wheat—Christ incarnated and crucified to produce many grains; of barley—Christ resurrected as the first fruit; of vines—Christ the flowing and cheering life; of fig trees—Christ our sweet satisfaction; of pomegranates—Christ, the purgative yet beautiful life; of olive oil—Christ the Spirit; of honey—Christ the sweetness and healthfulness of God; of bread—Christ our nourishing staple crushed, kneaded, and baked for our sustenance; of iron stones—Christ our cornerstone for God’s building, the assembly, and our King to exercise authority; and of copper—Christ our sword and shield to defeat the enemy. This is Christ our good land, the land or resurrection seen in the dry land emerging from death on the third day. This is the physical land that Israel enjoyed after Egypt. Then God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seeds, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth. .and God saw that it was good. Though it is true that Genesis 1 is an account of God’s physical restoration of a ruined and judged universe and earth, it is also a representation of a deeper reality. The dry land came out of the waters of death on the third day, a picture or type of Christ emerging from death on the third day. Our all-sufficient Christ is our good land, our dry land, our fertile earth upon which life grows and multiplies. Paul prodded us in Col. 2: 6-7 with these words: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted. .in Him. For us to walk in Him and to be rooted in Him requires that He be our good land, our resurrected dry land. As we walk in Him, we explore and discover His riches, His inexhaustible virtues. He is vast, expansive, full of everything we need, and reproductive. In Him, our promised land, we live and move and have our being. When we first come to Christ and enter into Him, the divine life in us is small even as grass, but we must not disparage the lowly grass-life. It grows from Christ, our land, and it is necessary for food. As His life in us increases, we begin to experience the herb-life, good for food and flavor—small, but nevertheless the increase of Christ. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. God’s restoration is all about providing an environment in which life can flourish. Superficially, the Genesis account is about the physical restoration of earth so that He can reintroduce physical life; but, as is the case with so much of the Scriptures, there is a deeper reality beneath the apparent. Christ is our dry land resurrected from the death water on the third day upon and in whom divine life grows and multiplies. First the lowly grass-life precedes the more advanced herb-life. Then the fruit-producing trees appear as the culmination of the plant life. Jesus spoke a parable about the sower who went forth to sow seed. Some seed fell upon the rocky soil, some on the hardened wayside, some among thorns and thistles, and some upon good ground. He has sown Himself in our hearts as the divinely human life. He is the seed of life in us but His intention is to grow up in us. His first growth is as the soft, fragile, green grass. Then He matures into the herbs that are good for food, for flavor and spice, and are capable of reproducing. But the ultimate plant life is the fruit tree that provides food for the hungry and shade for the weary. As we allow the Lord to grow in us, we become more and more useful to Him and to others as we see in this progression. Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Some Christians who refuse to believe in the restoration of the earth and believe instead in the young earth theory, take these verses as original creation, dismissing the physical law of the speed of light, arguing that time was compressed or that light speed somehow changed. This makes our Creator a God full of tricks, but to what purpose? Young earthers are scared to death of time because Darwinists need billions of years in order to explain and promote their fallacious theory. To believe in a young earth is to allow the fear of Darwinists to set the agenda. Why should any discredited theory drive our understanding of the Scriptures? Evolution is crushed under the weight of its own foolish assumptions, not because Christians mangle the Genesis account in order to strip the universe of time, and force the Scriptures to fit their preconceived template. Our righteous God is not duplicitous, nor is He afraid of ridiculous theories hatched in the degenerate mind of man to avoid accountability to their Creator. Neither should we be. Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. When God judged the earth before the seven days of Genesis, He did it with water and probably with lots of water. When the billions, if not trillions, of stars went dark at that time, their hydrogen may have contributed to vast amounts of water, thereby swamping the universe. Who knows what kind of reaction the extinguishing stars demonstrated? Probably spectacular and something we have not seen because of the time necessary for the light to reach us. It may be that what John described in Revelation concerning the signs in the heavens during the great tribulation will be the light of this event finally reaching earth. This is certainly a more plausible explanation than the theory that God created everything with the appearance of age. He would have had to trick us if His creation is only 6,000 – 10, 000 years old, because some of the stars are millions of light years away from us. We need billions of years of past history in order to see a star in the sky. Our God is the God of order and He doesn’t manipulate nature in order to fool scientists, no matter how arrogant they are in their explanations. That’s not His character. He is the God of nature, of course, and as such He can do what He wants; so is it far-fetched to believe that the once burning stars that went cold and dark at the judgment, could have been re-ignited on the fourth day? Now it behooves us to find Christ in all of this, for He after all, is the reality of every natural phenomenon. Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. The light from the first day was the Lord’s presence as He went about straightening out the big mess resulting from Satan’s rebellion. He is light and when He embarked on the restoration, light was there. Out of this light came the lesser forms of life—grass, herb, tree. Now on the fourth day, after the dry land came out of the waters of death and the plant life was established, there was a need for further, more defined light to bring in the higher forms of life. As we grow in the divine life and it grows in us, the Lord’s light becomes more focused and more intense. Rather than the warm and comfortable hazy light of the first day when we first come to the Lord and are regenerated, when the first signs of His life in us are the unconscious plant life; now we have the sun, the moon, and stars to divide darkness and light, to demarcate days, years, and seasons. This definite, dividing, demarcating light represents the Lord as light in us exposing the darkness and corruption of our self-life so that we can progress to the higher, more advanced forms of life, so that we can know more fully and deeply the experience of His life in us. We must undergo His dividing in order to experience His life’s multiplication. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light form the darkness. The account of God’s physical restoration of the earth and the heaven above it is far more significant than just a dull recitation of cold historical facts. The concepts laid out before us here in chapter one carry on and develop throughout the Scriptures, and this constitutes a foundational principle of the Lord’s revelation in His Word. Most, if not all, of God’s truth begins in seed form in Genesis. For example, here He makes the sun, the moon, and stars; objects that bear light and cause life to grow. But they also represent a principle and that is, God is light and by His light we have life. The sun represents Christ, the light of the world. Malachi says of Him, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” Luke calls Him “the dayspring from on high to give light to them that sit in darkness.” Matthew calls Him “the great light.” The moon represents the body of the Lord’s people which has no light of its own but simply reflects Christ and shines in this dark age while He is away. When the people of the Lord (moon) wanes, when the cares and trappings of the evil world intervene, its light diminishes. Then the stars, those devoted wholly to Christ and far removed from the world and its allurements, shine in the darkness. In this age of decadence, the Lord’s people must devote themselves to gazing upon the Sun. If it does not, and many times it does not, then the stronger saints must step up, fill the gap, and shine as stars upon the benighted earth. God made the two great lights. God placed them in the firmament of the heaven to give light and to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. No doubt the sun, being the great source of light, is an apt representation of Him who is the True Light of the world. So, too, is the moon, the reflector of the sun, an appropriate symbol of His people. We have no source of light in ourselves but merely reflect who Christ is as we gaze upon His face. In this dark age of His absence we are the only light that this dark world has to make its way. But, alas, how often does the world come between the Lord and His people? How incumbent upon us to eschew the enticements of this age and to devote ourselves to beholding the face of our dearly beloved Lord. Where is Jesus to the sin-stricken and darkened world? Only in what it can see in us as we reflect Him. The world is indeed a dark, dangerous place and were it not for the His people being the repository of His life, light, and grace, it would be hopeless, aimless, and chaotic. What responsibility is ours! We are the only Christ the unbeliever can see while He is absent. May this spur us on to higher and deeper devotion to our great source of light. How this world needs a full moon! God made the two great lights. God placed them in the firmament of the heaven to give light and to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. For us to progress from the lower from the lower forms of life—grass, herb, tree—to the higher conscious life, we need more intense light because life requires light. In God’s restoration, He made the sun and the moon between the plant life and the animal and human life. This is so applicable to us because the Lord can only grow in us to the extent that we allow Him to do so. We may think that we are allowing Him total access to us, that we have given up everything to Him, and that we are doing just fine. Then He creates the sun and moon; that is, He shines into our hearts with the “two great lights” and we see ourselves for what we are—corrupt, selfish, reserving most of our heart for our own desires and aspirations. Then we have to make hard choices—will we repent and surrender to His exposure or harden ourselves and continue to hold dear our own fallen nature? If we allow the light to rule over our night, our darkness, and to divide our day and night, we will go forward in a deeper and more fulfilling experience of His life represented by the animal life. Then God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature. .which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind. What a shame if we miss the underlying analogy of God’s physical restoration of earth and the universe. The steps He took to arrive at His ultimate goal in this re-creation, reveal our own progress in our Christian lives. We advance from the death and chaos of our unregenerated condition to our new birth—the first stages of His divine life in us represented by the grass, herbs, and trees. Now we go further on this fifth day as the life within us grows. We have seen how the Lord judged the satanic rebellion with water, but those same salty waters are now the home of the great and small creatures that, though swimming in the death waters, do not become salty nor are overcome by their environment. We move about in this world of death every day of our lives where everything is salty and dead. Only the Lord’s life in us is able to negotiate this world’s environment without becoming tainted by its death. We have the “fish” life in us that overcomes the encompassing sin, sickness, and death. Regardless of our situation, no matter its stifling saltiness, we have the life from Him that swims through without affect. Nothing of this earth can overcome His eternal life in us. And God created. .every winged fowl after his kind, and god saw that it was good. You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. When we first come to the Lord, His life in us is in seed form eager to sprout and grow. This is why the Scriptures are full of exhortations to grow, to stretch forth, to progress, to run the race, to press on. That life within us must expand and push out our old fallen nature until we move from the frail grass to the seed-bearing herbs to the fruit-producing trees to the fish able to overcome the dead, salty environment. Now in the process of that wonderful life within us, we advance from the fish life to the bird life. Birds are untouched by earthly constraints. When David was beset on every side by the wicked, he cried out, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest.” The life in us is a soaring life that transcends earthly cares and rests upon the lofty currents of God’s presence. When we have troubles crowding in around us trying to smother us with the cares of human existence, we can retreat to that place within us—our spirit—where we can enjoy the divinely human life of Jesus, the soaring life that transports us far above everything into His presence where we find rest for our beleaguered souls. This is the bird life, the life of the mighty eagle that soars in the heavens to look down on problems, to gain the heavenly perspective, to see things as God sees them. What a transcendent life we possess! May we have innumerable experiences of it. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. The life of God that entered into us at our new birth is a growing, expanding life that intends to saturate us by replacing our old fallen life inherited from our original parents. As we allow this eternal life to grow, we can see changes in our life and those changes are represented by the living organisms that come out of the earth, itself a symbol of our promised land—Christ—that emerged from the death water on the third day of restoration. The grass, herbs, trees, fish, birds and now the cattle and beasts of the earth show the progression of that divinely human life resident in us as believers. The cattle and beast life is a higher, more useful life than is the plant, fish, and bird life. These animals are able to do things on the earth to accomplish goals. They bear the burden of the yoke to cultivate the ground to produce food. In reality, this higher conscious life in us can bear the burdens and the responsibilities for the saints. This life is the hidden, silent engine of production, of faithfulness, of accomplishment. Martha of Bethany was of this burden-bearing life. It is not the highest expression of the divine life in us, but it is so useful and necessary to the building up of the Christians as His Body and Israel as His Bride for the establishment of His Kingdom. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. When we read Scriptures carefully, we can rightfully come to the conclusion that God created for one reason—that His only begotten Son could have a transcendent and eternal wife comprised of willing creatures. This is His one, unique, overarching will and everything He does is for the accomplishment of this one thing. For Him to reach this goal, He must infuse people with His life because only eternal life can secure an eternal goal. This life is God Himself and He is expansive and reproductive. His life is incapable of being static. It is always growing. This is why upon the earth He caused life to grow—first the grass, the herb, the tree; then the fish, the birds, the cattle, the beasts, and, finally, man. This progression from the lowest, unconscious plant life upward to the animal life and ultimately to the human life shows how the Lord’s life in us progresses from our new birth (regeneration) to our metamorphosis (transformation) into His very image. This life is for one thing—the fulfillment of His one will. Our destiny is to be a complement to Christ so we must be after His image and likeness. This can only happen when we are filled and saturated with His eternal life, when His life grows from the lowest stage (grass) to the highest stage (human). The higher the life the more capacity to fulfill the one will, the one goal of God. And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness. The human life is the highest created life and is created solely for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. So important was this creation that the Triune God held a conference with Himself concerning it. Like so many things in Genesis, this is the first mention of the triunity of God, and like other “seeds” in this book, it will develop throughout the Scriptures. This triune God made man in His image, that is, made man as an expression of Himself. Man in his created, sinless condition possessed attributes of His Creator. He has love and holiness and peace and light and righteousness within him that matches those same attributes found in his Creator. God wants to activate these qualities, or virtues, in the man by filling the man with His energizing, eternal life. Being in God’s image means possessing God’s inward qualities. It means being like Him, having the same virtues, the same characteristics. And shouldn’t it be so? God cannot create something that doesn’t come from Him. He is what He is and if He creates, then the creature will be an extension of the Creator. If the Creator is righteous and holy, then so the man He creates. These qualities in the man are like vessels to be filled with life so that they can become alive, productive and expressive. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion. We are like God both inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly, in our spirit and soul, we are created in His image. Outwardly, in our body, we are in His likeness. How can that be when the Scriptures declare plainly that God is spirit and that no one has seen God at any time? God is Spirit but He is also the Son and the Son has a form, a physical form, and we are made in His likeness. When Abraham met the King of Salem, Melchizedek, he met a real man, Christ. When He hosted the three men one afternoon, two were angels and one was a real man, Christ. More importantly, our inward parts are a perfect match to the inward parts of the Triune God. We are a mirror image of Him. Not that we are Christ, but, like a mirror, we are a perfect image, or reflection, of Him. He possesses the life to activate and energize the reflection and to make it real. It is our responsibility to behold Him and to allow Him to fill us with His life so that we can be a true expression of His reality. “But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Spirit of the Lord.” 3:18) We are in the daily process of becoming the reality of what we are beholding. Grasp this! And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion. Our inward parts—soul and spirit—correspond directly to the soul and spirit of their Creator. Jehovah possesses intellect, emotions, and volition and so did Adam and his descendants. His intention for Adam and for us is to be like Him in every aspect. For Adam to be made love and righteousness and peace and holiness, he had to be filled with the one thing he lacked and that was the life of God. God’s life would have activated and energized those attributes in Adam, like a hand in glove, and would have made him the embodiment of those qualities. This is what it means to be in the image of God. We become what He is by the impartation of His divine life into our inward parts. Notice that God said, Let us make man. .and let them . Man is corporate, not individual. When God saw Adam, He saw Eve in him. This is a profound and sublime principle, and it is the beginning of the explanation of Christ and His people unveiled throughout Scripture. From the distant eternal past, God saw the fullness of His Son in the nation of Israel as the bride and the Christians as His body. God determined long before creation that these two entities were vital to the completion of the Son. They are the fullness of Him that fills all in all. This is what makes them important in the eyes of God and what gives them dignity and depth and glory. An old saint wrote in the 19th century: “If I am entitled, on the authority of Holy Scriptures, to regard myself as a constituent part of that which is actually needful to Christ, I can no longer entertain a doubt as to whether there is the fullest provision for all my personal necessities.”-MacIntosh God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. We are created in the image of God. In other words, we are like Him inwardly by possessing a spirit with which to connect directly to Him; and a soul comprised of our mind, emotion, and will. God is Spirit, we have a spirit; God thinks, we think; God feels, we feel; God decides, we decide. We are a perfect match, a mirror image of our Creator. We are an earthen vessel (2 Cor. At the time of his creation, Adam was a perfect, clean, but empty vessel prepared to contain the activating life of his Creator. Every part of us is designed to contain God. He wants to fill us with His life so that our thoughts, our feelings, our decisions, and, subsequently, our behavior, will be a perfect expression of Himself. We are made in His image, not to be our own person with our selfish thoughts and feelings, making our own decisions that benefit only ourselves, and acting in a way that exalts us. No, we are made in His image to be filled with Him so that we can exhibit to the world a people who are fulfilling the purpose for which they were created—to contain, reveal, and express their multifaceted Creator. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion. God always sees the finished product of His work. He sees Israel as prepared as His Son’s bride and we Gentiles transformed as His body. In this verse, before His creation of Adam, the Father already sees Eve. “Let us make man (singular) and let them (plural).” Furthermore, not only does He see a plural man—Adam and Eve—He also sees the archetype—Christ and His people. In His mysterious counsel, God deemed that one is not complete without the other. Both Adam and Christ needed a partner, a complement, a fulfillment. The nation of Israel fulfilled this need, but sadly, it rejected Him. Out of Israel came the Christians, His body – the one mature man – as His enlargement. Understanding this sublime truth exposes a sad lack among Christians. They suppose that their individual salvation and blessedness is the extent of God’s eternal plan, but this is a low view. Individual salvation, as wonderful as it is, is the least part of redemption. It is God’s purpose that Christ should have His bride and body. How sad that so many Christians concern themselves exclusively with their own walk with Christ and give scant thought to the corporate Christ. Without His people—as with Adam—He is incomplete and unfulfilled. “It is not good for the man to be alone.” So says the Father of the first man and by extension of the Second. May we never denigrate our importance to the eternal plan of God In His eyes, man is plural, including His Son. Adam must have Eve; Christ must have His people. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion. God created Adam as a plural being. In God’s eyes Adam and Eve were one person, one complete entity, possessing God’s image inwardly and His form, or likeness, outwardly. On the positive side the reason for this peculiar design was for this complete man to exhibit to the universe the multifaceted wisdom and virtue of the Creator. On the negative side, this complete man was to exercise dominion over God’s creation. Implicit in this purpose is a big problem, the problem of rebellion. Satan, as we have seen, rebelled against God and usurped and corrupted the earth along with the universe some time in the distant past. God’s recreation, or restoration, described in the two opening chapters of Genesis, addresses this problem. He created man to express and exhibit His life by allowing that life to fill him and to activate his created virtues. By this inward filling of God’s life, the man would have the strength to exercise authority, or dominion, over creation, including the enemy of God. It is rather strange that God would create man to exercise authority if this were His original creation. If creation were perfectly sin free, then there would have been no problem and, therefore, no need for the exercise of dominion. But because of Satan’s prior rebellion, there was an enormous problem present even as God worked through the six days of restoration. To meet and resolve this problem, God made the plural man with the purpose and capacity to exercise His authority. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion. Satan the rebel tried to overthrow God from His throne in heaven and, thereafter, he embodied the root of all sin—rebellion. Nothing in Satan’s arsenal rivals rebellion against authority, for it is rebellion that opens the way for all other sins. The Lord’s word—let them have dominion—informs our understanding of the gravity of the situation at the time of Genesis one and two. Had Satan brought in hatred, then the Lord would have said, Let them have love. Or if confusion, then peace. But Satan brought in every negative thing when he rebelled, for rebellion is the ship carrying the evil cargo. Only dominion destroys rebellion. Many Christians fantasize that they can deal with God’s enemy as if he were a mere shadow, or a frightened adversary. Satan was Lucifer, the Daystar, the highest created being with extraordinary power and with thousands of years of experience dealing with human beings. He indwells the flesh of every person and has implanted His evil nature in their souls as a responder to the enticements of the flesh. Nothing but God’s authority can counter this overt and covert rebellion; therefore, Satan watched carefully as God went about restoring His earth, creating the plural man, and charging him with the exercise of dominion. He was plotting the man’s demise even as the Triune God took counsel, for he knew that only the collective man, filled with God’s indomitable life could exercise authority over him. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion. It is no mistake that image precedes dominion. God created man in His image; that is, the Creator and the man had matching attributes—love, righteousness, empathy, purpose, passion, thoughtfulness, etc. The one thing the man lacked was the life of God that would have energized and activated all the virtues resident in his soul. The man’s spirit needed the life of God in order for that spirit to rule over the soul and to infuse the soul with the energizing life. This proper soul in turn would have ruled over the body and the man would have been in perfect alignment with his Creator, living a life of peace, joy, and contentment; and possessing the means to exercise dominion over creation, particularly over the evil one. This purpose has never changed. For us to exercise authority, we must be filled in all our inward parts with the life of God. Only that eternal life can conquer death and the personification of death, Satan. If we dare confront him with our own meager strength and resolve, we risk serious damage to ourselves and to others. Dominion issues spontaneously from a life given over unconditionally to the Source of Life. We must concentrate on Him and on being filled with Him. Then He will use us as instruments of authority to rule over creation and over the inveterate adversary. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish. .over the fowl. .over all the earth. .and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. On the positive side, man was created to provide for Christ a partner, a body, a complement, and a fulfillment. On the negative side, he was made to rule over creation. The means to accomplish both these purposes is the same: we must be filled with the life of God in our spirit and soul so that we can match our Creator attribute for attribute. As a perfect match, as a mirror image of Him, we have the same passion and power as He and we are equipped to fulfill His two-fold purpose for us. Dominion implies rebellion, for without rebellion there is no need for authority. The enemy of God had in the distant past rebelled against God and this rebellion brought in catastrophic judgment that ruined the original creation. The record in Genesis is of God’s restoration and recreation of His creation. This is why the man/woman unit, the plural man, is commissioned to exercise authority over creation. Creation had been ruined once and God knew the enemy was capable of ruining it again, so He designed the man in His image so that with the infilling of His life, this man could exercise God’s authority over creation, especially over every creeping thing, a telling description of Satan himself. Satan always creeps about looking for openings into which he can inject himself, and for weaknesses he can exploit. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over. .all the earth and over every creeping thing. The great Scriptural themes are in seed form in Genesis, and the matter of dominion over the earth is no exception. Whenever we see the exercise of God’s authority we find the experience and infilling of His life. Enoch received notice from God that when his son died, judgment would come. From that time forth he walked with God (image) and 969 years later, judgment came (dominion). Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (image) and through his obedience judgment came (dominion). Abraham opened his heart and home to the three heavenly guests (image) and the twin evil cities suffered judgment (dominion). Joseph had a tender heart and received from the Lord visions of things to come (image). Through extraordinary circumstances, he became ruler of Egypt (dominion). Moses was infused by God at the burning bush (image), and conquered Pharaoh (dominion). Joshua was faithful to the Lord (image) and conquered the promised land (dominion) David nurtured his relationship with God (image) and became king over Israel (dominion). Daniel and his friends had an intimate relationship with their God (image) and conquered the lions, the furnace, and the Babylonian king (dominion). Jesus lived according to the life of His Father (image) and conquered human existence, disease, demons, sin and death (dominion). The overcoming Christian remnant reserves nothing for themselves, hates the world, loves their Lord (image), and returns to earth with their King to dispatch every enemy (dominion). The constituents of the New Jerusalem enjoy the water of life and the tree of life (image), and live for eternity under the throne of God and exercise His authority (dominion). From Genesis to Revelation, the purpose never varies. When we are filled with God’s life, we exercise His authority. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion. Again we see the man comprised of male and female, for it takes a plural man to fulfill God purpose. The Lord’s command to be fruitful and multiply can only be carried out by a complete man—male and female. The fruitfulness and multiplication has everything to do with life. Man was created with the matching attributes of his Creator; that is, created in His image. This mirror image vessel needed the divine life of his Creator to fill him in order to produce fruit. God’s life is inherently reproductive, expansive, fruitful. Every plant and animal life strives to reproduce itself because the Creator is like that. He wants to be expressed, to be exhibited, to grow, to increase, to reproduce. The man was in the increase of God because he contained all of God’s characteristics and virtues, and when filled with God’s life would have become fruitful as was his Creator. When we received this life at our new birth, the maturation process began. This life progresses from the lowly grass to the herb to the trees to the fish to the birds to the beasts and to the highest life—man. This is the nature of God’s life. He wants to grow, to mature, to reproduce, to fill up everything. Everyday we can enjoy this wonderful, expansive life in us and watch it take over our lives and touch other lives as well. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion. Being in God’s image means we are like Him in His virtues and characteristics. It also means that this image must be filled with His life in order to be energized and to become useful. The filling of this image in us with His life is God’s way of reproducing Himself, of expressing Himself, of expanding Himself, of filling up His universe with Himself. So when He tells the male and female that they are to be fruitful and to multiply and to replenish the earth, He is commissioning them to be filled with His eternal, ever-expansive life. This is the way God restores the earth to its original condition and it is why the translators used the word “replenish.” Replenish means to fill again. The original earth was inhabited and thriving before Satan fell and corrupted it, so man’s commission was to replenish it, to fill it up with life, to multiply, to be fruitful. Had this record in Genesis been God’s original creation, there would have been no sense in using the word replenish, for there would have been no prior filling that would have required refilling. God’s way of restoration is by life, not by knowledge, nor by behavior, nor by dry, cold instructions. Whatever He does on earth with human beings He does it according to His life. Be fruitful, multiply, replenish all have to do with life—the eternal, uncreated, indestructible, overcoming life of the Creator Himself. Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish. .over the fowl. .over every living thing. .upon the earth. Here is the great commission for the male and female, the highest created life. Created in God’s image and possessing all the divine attributes, they, as one complete person, hear the mighty command of God to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish the earth and to subdue and to have dominion over it. How will they accomplish such a lofty charge? Only by being filled with the only thing they lacked—the divine life of their Creator. Only this filling up with His life would enable them to fulfill His command to be fruitful and to have dominion. The order of His command is telling. First life then ruling. Our ruling over the earth can only issue from our being filled with the eternal life. There is no question that Satan was moving and creeping about on the earth at that time, seeking ways to foil God’s plan and restoration, trying to keep the earth and creation under the ruination of judgment. God’s way is to dispatch the evil one vicariously through the male/female person, but not through the force of human strength, but by the force of an indestructible life. Only life conquers death, that powerful weapon of God’s enemy. Without death, Satan and his evil are powerless. The enemy of life is death and only eternal life can conquer it. For this warfare, the created man had to be filled with the Creator’s life. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested. Like so many truths in the Scriptures that have their beginning in Genesis, God’s seventh day rest is a seed that grows and matures throughout the written record. This seventh day eventually became the Sabbath upon which the Israelites were to rest. The promised land was also their place of rest. Jesus invited us to come unto Him and rest. He is our true Sabbath. The millennial kingdom is a rest to the faithful believers who have endured to the end. And of course the New Jerusalem is the final resting place of God and man for eternity. Rest, true rest, implies satisfaction. God rested because He was satisfied with His undefiled creation, more particularly with the man (male and female) who bore His image and was about to exercise His authority. The restoration had no flaw, no sin, no rebellion, so God was satisfied and He rested. When we are fully aligned with our Creator’s purpose, when our inward parts are filled with His life, when we are useful vessels in His hand, when we exercise dominion over God’s earth and over His enemy, then we are satisfied, at peace, and can enjoy rest. When we rebel against His design for us and walk according to our own strength and ambitions, we have no rest, no peace, no joy. God rested because what He had done was very good. Out of satisfaction comes sweet rest. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested. For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God gives you. (Deut. On the first and second days of the restoration, God spent His time undoing the mess of judgment and He made no comment. On the third day when that great type of resurrection, the dry land, appeared, He saw that it was good. Each subsequent day He saw that it was good; but on the sixth day, after He created man in His image to exercise dominion, He saw that it was very good. Only the corporate man (male and female) bearing God’s image and exercising God’s authority makes all of creation very good. God was satisfied and so He rested. God’s seventh day rest began a theme repeated throughout the record. Whenever and wherever the enemy of God is subdued, there is rest for the combatants. The Israelites had no rest in Egypt or in the wilderness. The land of Canaan, the promised land, the land of inheritance, was their promised rest but only after they subdued every enemy and built the house of God in Jerusalem for His place of rest on the earth. When God is at rest, we are at rest. Rest is not inactivity. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan into Canaan, they were busy all the time. They had to drive out the occupants, plant vineyards, raise livestock, cultivate the ground, build the wall around Jerusalem, and, finally, God’s temple. But it was God’s rest and their rest. When we are actively and practically involved in God’s purpose, and though we are working feverishly in Him and for Him, we are at rest. A divine paradox but very real. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work. .and He rested. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. .with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Herein lays the seed of a critical truth around which the entire Scripture is built. For every serious student of the Bible, seeing this revelation is vital. Without it, very little makes sense. It is like twelve blind men feeling an elephant and proclaiming him to be everything from a snake to a tree. The Lord must open our eyes to these few verses for in them is the Sabbath rest of God. He restored the earth in six twenty-four hour days and rested on the seventh. Because of what Peter wrote, we can extrapolate each day into a period of one thousand years. Adam to Moses = 2000 years. Moses to Christ = 2000. Christ to present = 2000. Only one day remains to complete the 7000-year week and that is the Sabbath rest, the thousand-year reign of Christ in His kingdom when the earth is at peace and God is at rest. If we understand this truth, we can apprehend the Bible and can see how it all fits together; otherwise, we have what appears to be disjointed segments of discordant themes. Armed with this truth, we can see how the Bible and all of human history flow inexorably toward this final goal where God and His people are at rest. Everything in Scripture and in history point toward this. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. .and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt. When we think of rest, we think of inactivity. This is not God’s concept. God did not rest on the seventh day because He was tired. He rested because He was satisfied with what He had done. Jesus bids us to come to Him to find rest for our souls. The soul is so busy with thoughts and feelings and decisions as we live and move in this world that it becomes weary and heavy-laden. Whether it be the world of work or of entertainment or of religion, the enemy has designed the world system to make us weary, to weigh us down until we have no heart left for the things of God. That is why we need to come to Him, to cast our cares at His feet, learn of the gentle and humble heart of Jesus, and to find rest for our souls. When we come to Him we are satisfied inwardly and can rest from all our labor just as our satisfied Creator rested from His. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest. God resting on the seventh day has many ramifications throughout Scripture. His archenemy caused the destruction of the earth though his rebellion. So long as rebellion finds a place on earth, God has no rest. After the six days of restoration, there was pristine earth and perfect man created in His image, so everything was very good and God rested. After David’s military campaigns to rid the promised land of rebellion, Solomon built the Lord His house at Jerusalem and He rested. When Jesus came, God tabernacled within Him and there He found rest. When Christians are built up in oneness as His spiritual house, God the Father has a place to rest. When His kingdom comes, the mighty rebel is consigned to the abyss for one thousand years. Christ and His co-kings – Israel – rule over the nations and there is peace and rest. The full development of the kingdom is the New Jerusalem where Satan and his own are banished forever to the lake of fire, and where God and His own are eternally at peace and rest. What began in Genesis as God’s seventh day rest, ends in the New Jerusalem as His eternal rest with His chosen people. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest. After God finished His restoration work and rested on the seventh day, He set a precedent that carries through the rest of Scripture and develops as it goes. The theme is that whenever God can dwell in and among His people, He finds rest. In the journey through the wilderness with the Israelites, He had a tent with an inner chamber where He was at rest. In the promised land, He found rest in His temple at Jerusalem. Jesus became His tabernacle and He rested in Him. The nation of Israel is His house and when it is built up in a proper way in life and oneness, He finds rest. During the kingdom age, where Satan is put away and where Christ rules with His co-kings, there is God’s rest. The kingdom ushers in the final resting place of God with His nation—the New Jerusalem. So from Genesis 2 to Revelation 22, God is seeking a people in whom and among whom He can find rest. It is not a rest from fatigue or weariness, but a result of satisfaction. When God dwells in us and our hearts are His home, we are satisfied and at rest as He is. He is our refuge and strength; we are His habitation and rest. How wonderful to be involved in this! These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. This section begins a further description of what God has already done. The Word of God is precise in its use of words and there are no mistakes. In this verse we read of generations of heaven and of earth. Generate means to begin, to originate. If the record in Genesis 1 and 2 is of God’s original and only creation, then why are there generations, plural? Is there more than one generation? Apparently. In the first part of the verse, heavens precede the earth in direct correspondence with 1:1 at the beginning of creation. But we know that after the original creation, Lucifer rebelled, corrupted the creation, and brought upon it the judgment of God. Then God began His restoration beginning with the earth and as His agent, man, is filled in his image (spirit and soul) with the life of God, he will exercise God’s authority over the earth and he will drive Satan from his domain in the air above the earth until the heaven is cleansed of all evil. So in the original creation, heaven preceded earth, but in the restoration, earth is first. Through God’s man, earth is filled with God’s image and God’s dominion until His authority fills all in all. The Lord’s work of restoration is from earth to heaven even as His work in us is from our spirit through our soul and into our body. (Note the order in 1 Thess. He works on and in us so that we will have dominion over the earth. Then from the earth, we will drive out the evil one from the heavens. These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Now no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. This the first mention of Jehovah as a name of God. Before this, He was known as Elohim, the plural, triune Creator. Here He is the I AM THAT I AM, the eternal, ever-existing God seeking a relationship with man. He is the One who IS, who WAS, and who IS TO COME. The name Jehovah is coupled with other descriptive titles to add subtle meaning to His relationship to man. For example, since He is the creating One in Genesis 1 & 2 and also the One pursuing a relationship with man, He is Jehovah Elohim. The distant God going about His creating/restoration work is Elohim, but when He concerns Himself with man, His agent, His image and likeness, then He is Jehovah Elohim, the Creator drawing near to man. There are sixteen different titles added to Jehovah in the Old Testament, each shedding new light upon the God who not only creates, but who desires a relationship with man in order to fill him with His life and essence. He desires a man to cooperate with Him in His great work of restoration and dominion. Jehovah seeks to fill us with Himself so that He in conjunction with us could rule over His creation by the exercise of His authority. This great enterprise requires the cooperating creature—man—to see, understand, and dedicate himself to it. .for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. Here again is the beginning, the seed, of a powerful theme developed throughout Scripture, and that is, God needs a cooperating man to accomplish His purpose. There was no rain and, consequently, no growth of life because there was no man to cultivate the soil. God needs man and man needs God. For whatever reason, Jehovah has chosen to handicap Himself in the working out of His eternal purpose. He has chosen to use man, an inferior creature compared to angels. Without man, Christ has no bride, the primary reason for creation. In dealing with His enemy, Satan, God will only use man so that Satan’s defeat will be total and his mouth forever shut. On both the positive and negative sides, man is critical and essential to God’s purpose. There must be a man to work the ground in order for the Lord to send the rain and bring forth life. The whole record of Scripture reveals a God seeking men who will till the ground, who will give themselves without reservation to Him and to His purpose, who will join with Him in His great enterprise of securing a bride for His Son and of cleansing creation of evil. This is the will of God, the ONLY will of God. His will for our lives is that our lives be for His will. He wants to rain upon the earth. We as the earthen creatures must till our soil (our hearts), must open ourselves to Him, must remove impediments, so that He can pour Himself upon us and into us as the life-giving rain (the Spirit). Only by this divine and human cooperation, will the Lord realize His goal. .for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. The cooperation of the divine and the human accomplishes God’s eternal purpose. Some Christians believe that God does it all and that man is not, nor should be, involved. Some think that it is all up to man to do the work. Neither extreme is correct. The creature must open himself to the Creator to be filled with Him in order for anything valuable and permanent to transpire. There must be a man to cultivate the ground in order for the Lord to rain down and produce new life. Though the Lord could cause it to rain without the human coordination, He will not. He requires a cooperating man to join in His work. When the blind man came to Jesus, Jesus spit on the ground to make mud to apply to the man’s eyes. The picture is clear. We, made of dirt, must receive the life-giving spit from the Lord’s mouth for there to be sight. The dirt and spit (the cultivated ground and rain) must combine for life to spring up and for blindness to vanish. What does this mean to us? We are nothing but dirt and in ourselves are but a few assorted minerals. In combination with the life of our Creator, we are useful to Him in working out His eternal plan. We need to be that willing ground cultivated and softened and receptive so that He can rain Himself into us. It is our willingness that hampers or liberates Jehovah to carry out His glorious purpose. This is an enormous responsibility. Will we accept it? And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul. The Hebrew word for “formed” is “yatsar” which means to mold and shape like a potter would form a vessel. We are vessels of earth, of dirt, formed by our Creator to contain Him. We have no other purpose. In order for us to interact with the physical realm we have a physical body, the outer shell of the vessel. Into this outer shell, Jehovah breathed the breath of life and the breath of the Almighty became the human spirit— the faculty in the human vessel whereby we may contact and contain God Himself. Jesus said “that which is born of Spirit is spirit.” Paul said the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” It is by our spirit that the Lord touches us, that we receive Him, that we know Him. It is in our deepest part that the Lord resides. It is there we bear His image and receive His life. So important is the human spirit in God’s creation and for God’s purpose, that Zechariah made it the center of all of God’s creative work. The combination of the body and spirit produced the soul—the personality of the man found in his mind, his emotion, and his will. A truly fulfilled person is one who brings his capacity to think, to emote, and to decide under the direct influence and control of his Creator-filled spirit. A soul thus regulated in turn regulates the behavior of the body and the three-part being becomes an extension, an exhibition, a display of the divine life residing deep within the human vessel. We are wonderfully made! And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul. Man is a three-part being composed of a body, a soul and a spirit. This account begins the Scriptural development of this fact. Our soul contains our capacity to think (mind), to feel (emotions), and to decide (will). Our spirit has within it the ability to contact and worship and fellowship with God; to know right from wrong as God does (conscience); and to have a deep sense of God and knowledge of Him, of situations, and of other people that supersedes our mind (intuition). Why did God make us this way? Because this is the way He is and we are images of Him. His intention is that, like Him, we could be filled with His divine life containing His characteristics, His attributes, His essence, and His nature. It is fully possible for us to be the same as He is if we are faithful to turn away from the corruption of our human being and allow Him to have access to our thinking, our emotions, and our decisions; to actually reside within us to guide us, to energize us, to use us for His singular purpose. This, of course, takes constant and persistent practice and happens, not overnight, but gradually during a lifetime of daily surrender to Him. As He expands Himself within us, He will eventually conquer the fortress that is our soul and we will become more and more like Him in our thoughts, our feelings, our decisions, and, ultimately, our behavior. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul. And the God of peace sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess. Sanctify means to be separated or set apart and that is God’s purpose for us. He wants us to be entirely His, undivided in our love and devotion to Him. When He created Adam, He intended that Adam, who had all the matching characteristics of his Creator, be filled with the divine life. This life would have filled the human vessel and given him meaning, would have set the man apart unto God. Of course we know what happened, but the fall never altered God’s intention. He had to send His sacrifice to redeem us from the usurping enemy, to forgive us, to cleanse us and make us fit to receive the life that Adam refused. It remains His purpose to fill us so that we are set apart from the world for His use. This filling sanctifies us from our deepest part, our spirit, all the way to our behavior. The more we experience the One who is life in us, the more our thinking, our feelings, and our choices are different from the common person who lives exclusively according to the fallen human nature. Our soul becomes sanctified, set apart for God. Our thinking becomes saturated with thoughts of Him and His interests. Our emotions begin to reflect His love and passion for others and His hatred for evil. Our choices align themselves with His will. Eventually our behavior follows the changes in our soul and becomes a sanctified display of a higher life. As His life in us grows, our whole being is transformed and separated unto God. Then we realize the purpose for which we were created. And the Lord God. .breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. .the Lord, which stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. (Zech. The spirit of man in the lamp of the Lord. (Prov. Nothing of the human being is more shrouded in mystery than the spirit. People are so involved in the physical and psychological realms that they pay scant attention to their deepest and most important part. It makes sense that the Lord would make us this way because He is the God who hides Himself and rewards only those who diligently seek Him. When we come to Him for the forgiveness of our sins and ask Him to come into us as eternal life, He enters as the Spirit into our human spirit. From that point on, He expects us to learn how to contact Him in our spirit, to hear His speaking in our spirit, to discern spiritual things in our spirit, to live our daily lives according to our spirit, to judge evil in our spirit, to sense the moving of God in our spirit. So important is our spirit that Zechariah said that it is the center of the universe, because, without it, God cannot fulfill His purpose of filling man with His life. Our spirit must be the regulating factor of our lives, and must control our mind, our emotions, and our will for us to be proper human beings. This takes much practice, but we must aspire to it and diligently pursue it. This is why the Lord gave us one another, the Scriptures, and prayer. By these we can learn to abide in our deepest part where He is. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eden means “delight,” and that is rather instructive, for it is God’s intention that His creature, man, be happy, contented, and satisfied with his Creator and with creation. The Lord wants us to enjoy Him more than fear Him. He is so wonderful in all His aspects and He desires that we explore, discover, and delight ourselves in every one of them. He is love, mercy, joy, peace, comfort, righteousness, holiness, patience, courage, strength, hope—innumerable characteristics that He is to us if we would devote ourselves to the apprehension of each one. The outstanding feature of this place of delight is a garden and a garden is for growing plants. The Lord wants our appropriation of Him and all that He contains in His essence to grow and grow until we enter into a sublime appreciation and enjoyment of all that He is to us. He is not spartan, but lush with eternal life, the inexhaustible life that conveys all the profound riches of our precious Lord into us so that we can daily delight in Him. He wants us happy and satisfied and has done everything for us so that we can be so. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. .and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Here begins the Lord’s provision for man to live, not to live physically for that was already in place, but to live spiritually. The tree of life represented the divine life of the Creator and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented the life of the Creator’s enemy, Satan. Man, being a creature of free will, had to choose which life he would take into him. Man was a perfect but empty vessel containing all the characteristics of his Creator. For those attributes to be activated and useful for the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose, the man had to ingest the energizing eternal life of the Lord God. This required the exercise of man’s free will. The man had to obey, not by coercion but by the desire to please his Creator. Had man no choice in the matter, he would have been a mere automaton incapable of a full appreciation of and a deep love for his Maker. So in the garden stood two trees – one symbolizing the uncreated, interminable life of God; the other the rebellious and lethal life of the archfiend and implacable enemy of God. Whichever choice the man would make would determine the course of history. .the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God formed, or fashioned, man as does a potter into a three-part vessel comprised of a body, a soul, and a spirit. His intention is that His perfect, innocent man would live by his innermost part—his spirit—and that this deepest part be the leading part of the man. Therefore He placed the perfect but empty man in the garden before two trees—the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Which tree the man would choose would determine the course and character of humanity throughout history. The tree of life represents the eternal life of Jehovah and it corresponds to the spirit of man, that part which is compatible with God and is capable of containing His actual life. The tree of knowledge appeals to the intellect of man for it is in the mind that man accumulates knowledge. The knowledge of good and evil is secondary to the fact that knowledge is mental and the mind is not the leading part of man and must be brought under the ruling of the spirit. But even as the archfiend, the rebel, Satan, refuses the rule of God and devotes himself to the frustration of God’s purpose, so the independent mind lusts to control the human being. Were the man to choose the tree of life, the life of Jehovah would fill him, and his spirit would be the throne of his being; but if he were to choose the tree of knowledge, then his mind would dominate his spirit and God’s intention for the innocent man to live by His life would be thwarted. .the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It doesn’t seem to the casual observer that there is a great contrast between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In fact, it seems quite noble to know the distinction between good and evil because that allows the partaker of the tree of knowledge to live a life of good and not of evil. By having the knowledge of good and evil, one could seemingly choose good and avoid evil. But there is a glaring difference between the two trees. The tree of life represents the life of God. The tree of knowledge, though it appears commendable, represents the rebellious life of God’s enemy. Whether one can know good from evil by eating of that tree is not the point. Mere knowledge in and of itself is against God. The deceitful enemy would have us believe that knowing good is knowing God, but, though God is always good, good is not necessarily God. Knowledge is of the mind and if man eats of the tree of knowledge, he allows his mind to become the dominant part of his being and to usurp the spirit, that deepest part designed to be filled with God’s life and to rule the human being. The man stands before two trees and must decide between life and knowledge, between the mind and the spirit, between obedience and disobedience, between dependence and independence, and, ultimately, between God and Satan. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. And he showed me a pure river of water of life. Genesis, the book of beginnings, contains the germ of every truth developed throughout the Scriptures. The river flowing from Eden is no exception. This river represents the living water that is the flowing out of the Triune God to quench man’s thirst and to fill him with eternal life. Moses struck the rock in the wilderness to save the people from thirst and that rock was Christ. The promised land of Canaan contained brooks of water. Ezekiel’s vision of the temple included the river that flowed out from it to water and heal the land. Jesus was the Word of God become flesh; that is, He was the flowing out of God to meet the need of thirsty men. The final scene of all Scripture is of the New Jerusalem, the final resting place of God with His people. Here the river of living water flows from the throne of God and of the redeeming Lamb. So throughout the record, this river represents the flowing out of God into us to fill us with His life, to deliver us from the aridity of human existence, to meet every need we have. How can we ever fully know Him without drinking of Him, without opening our being to Him and receiving Him into us? Even as water is mandatory for our physical existence, more so is the living water necessary for our spiritual health. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. .the first is Pishon. .where there is gold. .the bdellium and the onyx stone are there (Gen. 2:10-12) You shall make a breastplate. .of gold. You shall mount on it four rows of stones according to the names of the sons. .you also as living stones. .(I Pet. Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. The material of the wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold. Then he showed me a river of the water of life. The Scriptures are amazing in that they describe physical objects that represent eternal truth. We can be shallow readers and learn that a river flowed in Eden that separated into four other rivers, the first which coursed through a land of gold, bdellium, and precious stone. So what? Why would the writer include such details if they had no significance, especially in the spiritual realm? He would not have. What spiritual truth does this convey then? Wherever the river of life flows there is the reproduction of that life. It flowed first into Eden to water the garden—the place where life grows and reproduces. Jesus as the living water has flowed into us to regenerate us with His divine life. He continues to flow so that new life will grow and mature. The flow of that river brings with it gold, pearl (bdellium), and precious stone (onyx). Gold throughout the record represents God’s divine nature, certainly a leading element in the river of water of life. The tabernacle was God’s house and it was constructed of wood overlaid with gold. All the utensils were of gold. The ark of the covenant was wood overlaid with gold. The city of God, the New Jerusalem, was of pure gold. This gold, the divine nature of God, comes in His flowing out as the living water, water of which we can freely drink. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. .and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matt. The Bible is God’s word to mankind and it is many-faceted with multiple layers of meaning for the serious student. If the record in Genesis were a mere geographical account, then there would have been no need to describe the land of Havilah where the first of the four rivers flowed from the river in Eden. But since the river mentioned in Genesis represents the flowing out of God as the living water, then the items—gold, bdellium, and onyx stone—are profoundly meaningful. Bdellium is a type of pearl formed by the resin of a wounded tree. Wood is a picture of humanity because it grows from the earth taking its sustenance from the same elements that comprise man. The tabernacle is a picture of the nation of Israel and the Christian community, which is an amalgamation of God and man, and is constructed of wood overlaid with gold. God, of course, is the gold and wood is humanity and together they form the house of God. Jesus was the incarnation of the Triune God. He was gold mingled with wood, the God-man. As such, He was wounded for our transgressions. On the cross as our sacrificial lamb, He suffered five wounds and out of His wounded side, His life flowed. What came of that flow? The pearl of great value, the Body and Bride of Christ. He was the real tree, the real man, out of whose side His life secretion produced the great pearl, His church. This is the true significance of Moses’ description. In the flowing out of God as the living water, He became a man to be our sacrifice and suffered so that out of His wounds we as the pearl of great value could emerge. And the gold of that land is good; there is the bdellium and the onyx stone. Now if any mans builds on the foundation. .precious stones. You also as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house. The material of the wall was jasper. .the city was pure gold. .the foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The river flowing out of Eden contains the onyx stone which in Hebrew is “shoham,” a pale-green gemstone. Green is the color of life, so the river represents the river of the water of life, the flowing out of the living God. The gem in the living water represents the material with which the house of God is constructed. God’s purpose with us is to redeem us by His Son’s wounds (bdellium), to fill us with His life (water), to impart into us His divine nature (gold), and to transform us from raw ore into precious material through heat and pressure (onyx stone). But it is not enough that we be transformed. He builds us together as the stones into His spiritual house, the church, wherein He can dwell. This building work is finalized in the eternal city of God, the New Jerusalem, made of pure gold, where flows the living water; where the gates are made of redeeming pearl, the consummation of the bdellium in Genesis; where the foundation stones are adorned with twelve kinds of precious stones, the full expansion of the onyx stone in the original river. It is our responsibility to abide in the river of life, to be filled with His divine life and nature, to submit to the transforming work in us until we are suitable material for His house, His church, His city. Progressing from Genesis to Revelation, God’s purpose remains the same. Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Behold, the sower went out to sow. .and others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop. God’s revelation in His written word is like an onion with many layers of meaning. Of course Eden was an actual garden on the earth at one time, but it also typifies the human heart that God expects us to cultivate and guard. Our heart, by nature, is full of so many things that impede the growth of the seed of life. Working with the Lord, it is our job to dig out all the rocks, to break up the hardness of our heart’s soil so that His life in us can grow and produce fruit. Jehovah placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden. Adam’s cultivation of the garden was necessary for the growth of the tree of life. By keeping, or guarding, the garden, he was excluding the enemy of God with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Cultivating for the growth of the tree of life; guarding for the exclusion of the tree of knowledge. What Adam did in the garden, we must do everyday of our lives. At our new birth, the Lord as the tree of life planted Himself in our heart. By our faithful cultivation, our careful removal of all foreign objects, and by our guarding our hearts above all that we guard, we can allow full growth of the tree of life in our hearts, and we can keep the enemy of life with his lethal tree from entering our hearts and corrupting us. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” We can never accuse God of being coercive because, though He prohibited Adam from eating the tree of knowledge, He allowed for Adam’s will to choose his destiny. He preferred that Adam eat of the tree of life so that his spirit would be filled with the eternal life of his Creator. By this infilling, Adam’s entire being—spirit, soul, and body—would be occupied by the eternal life and thus fulfill God’s purpose for mankind. But though Jehovah knew His purpose for Adam and how to achieve it, He did not force. He knew that only a willing creature could accomplish His purpose because the creature must love his Creator in order to willingly choose His way. In the Lord’s prohibition, death would follow the eating of the knowledge tree; death, not of the body, but of the spirit of the man. The Lord did not mean that He would kill the man if he ate wrongly, but that the nature of His enemy would enter and corrupt and deaden. The fact that Adam had the free will to choose reveals Jehovah’s deep love for him, for what kind of love could the Creator have for a creature without the choice to love Him in return? Jehovah knew going in that He faced an implacable enemy, the personification of death, and that only His life in His man was the antidote. His deep desire was that His willing creature would choose the way of life and not the way of knowledge and death. He warned but did not coerce. He wanted willingness and love from Adam, not cold, lifeless submission. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. There is nothing inherently wrong with the knowledge of good and evil. The evil is in disobeying God’s command not to eat of that tree. Man, being physical, psychological, and spiritual, must be ruled by Jehovah in order to accomplish the purpose for which he was created. For that Jehovah created Adam with a spirit to rule over the soul and body, and only that spirit is the repository of Jehovah’s eternal life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil appeals to the desires of the body with its fruit, and it appeals to the mind with its knowledge. If the mind and the body are allowed to take the lead in a human being, then the result is spiritual dormancy, or death. Jehovah’s intention is that the life-filled spirit rule over the body and the soul. Only then can the man properly acquire and process the universe of knowledge surrounding good and evil. For man to know of the spiritual warfare between God and Satan, between good and evil, without the spiritual filling of God’s life, leaves man weakened and susceptible to the lure of evil. A soul, particularly the will, left unrestrained by the higher life of the spirit, has no power to choose the good and, by default, will fall into the clutches of the evil one, and that, of course, leads to the dormancy of the spirit which is death. We have Jehovah’s command to eat of the tree of life and be filled with His life. How will we choose today? The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” The knowledge of good and evil opens to the man a dark world of warfare between the rebellious angel with his sycophantic hordes and God with His faithful creatures. In that realm resides duplicity and malice and the unthinkable aspiration of supplanting God from His throne. Every kind of wickedness unfolds to the one who possesses this knowledge and only the one armed with the life of God can handle it. Without being filled with God’s life, empty Adam would be overwhelmed and would fall into it. When Lucifer presented his egregious plan to his subordinate angels, he opened their eyes to evil and rebellion and to the terrible possibility of defeating their Creator and overtaking His throne and becoming like Him. One third of them responded to Lucifer because they could not resist the lure of power. If the mighty angels could not resist Lucifer’s overtures, how much less the inferior man. Such knowledge of the universal warfare between God and Satan, necessary knowledge to be sure, must succeed the filling of God’s eternal life, the sure antidote to the death spawned by rebellion and disobedience. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him. In this verse lies the bedrock of God’s working, the reason for our existence, for the universe, for all things. When God the Father looked upon His Son in eternity past, He desired for Him a counterpart, a complement, a completer. So He set in motion the process whereby He would see the accomplishment of this sublime purpose. He created the universe, our solar system, the earth, the plants, the animals and man. A single man could not be the counterpart to Christ, but a collective man could be; therefore God said of the single man what He said of His own Son—“It is not good for the man to be alone.” The man needed one to balance him, to complete him, to be his partner. What does this tell us about man? Man was in the perfect state. He was innocent and he had no need, apparently, for He was living in the newly created world in daily fellowship with his Creator. But without a companion even the pristine creation would become a desert, and, as one said, solitude would turn “a palace into a dungeon.” Man is a social creature because his Creator is as well. He is the “Triune” God. He is three. He has inherent society in His being. He is one in essence, yet three in fellowship. So what He is comes forth in what He creates. His man is social. He needs companionship for his fulfillment, for his full development. Having made man in such a way, Jehovah reveals Himself as One in search of fellowship, of companionship, of completion, of fulfillment. This may sound heretical to suggest that our God needs anything, but His creation of man reveals who He is and of that man He said solitude was not good. God wants to bring us into an organic union with Himself. Is that solely for our benefit? I think not. He desires a wife for His Son and whether that desire is a need is debatable. We do know now that since we are joined to Him and to one another, we are no longer alone. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him. Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast. .and every bird. .and brought them to the man. The man gave names to all. .but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. What does the man’s solitude tell us about his human nature? Here he was in the paradise of the garden of Eden with food enough and more to meet his physical needs, and with fellowship with his Maker to answer his spiritual hunger. What was lacking? Animals surrounded him, so in that sense he was not alone; but animals don’t talk. They don’t communicate on the same level with man and without communication there is solitude. There was no one and nothing to satisfy his soul, to meet his psychological needs. He needed someone like himself, not a clone but a counterpart; not an exact replica but a suitable match; not reinforcement but a balance; not a sycophant but a complement. Man desperately needed a fairer equivalent who would communicate another perspective, who would ease his decisiveness, temper his passions, moderate his resolve, soften his hardness, support his responsibilities, gird up his walk with his God, and join with him to be one complete person. Jehovah knew the solitary man could never accomplish His purpose no matter how devoted he was. He needed one like himself; that is, one like himself in body, soul, and spirit. Not that the other would think and feel and decide exactly as he would, but that the other would have the capability to think, to feel, to decide, and to communicate. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable to him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. Adam found no match among the animals though he studied them thoroughly, even to the extent that he named them. Could it not have been that before time, the Father brought the angels before His Son to see if there were a counterpart among them, and having studied them, the Son deemed them lacking but, nevertheless, named them? The only suitable match to the first and last Adam must come from their very substance and from nothing else. The deep sleep of Adam pictures the deep sleep of Christ upon the cross, where, like the first man whose side Jehovah opened to extract a rib for the fabrication of his mate, Jesus’ side was punctured by the Roman spear to release blood to cleanse and water to quicken the one who would become His intimate counterpart. Here is yet another profound universal truth. Whatever is of value in this universe can only be realized through suffering. Though the man was innocent, he had to suffer to have that which would provide him pleasure, comfort, challenge, assurance, confidence, and enjoyment. Life itself is a suffering. May we be careful that our suffering is for that which holds eternal value and not for mere temporal pleasure. So the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God built into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. As we have seen, Genesis lays the groundwork for all the major truths of the Scriptures. It holds all the keys for us to open the divine Word. It is the book of beginnings, of seeds that grow and mature in the following books. In this touching scene before us, Jehovah puts the man into a deep sleep, a type of death. From the man, He extracts a rib and fashions a counterpart for him. On the cross, Jesus fell into a deep sleep (death), and the Roman spear opened His side to release His life (blood and water). Jesus, who put an end to Adam by taking our sin and sinful nature to death, poured out His cleansing blood to cleanse us and His living water to give us life. From these two elements, His beloved Israel, the reality of the original woman, came forth to be His match, His counterpart, His wife. Why did Jehovah use a rib and not a foot bone or a piece of Adam’s skull? Why did He not scoop up another handful of dirt and create her as He did Adam? Matthew Henry said it best: “The man was dust refined, but the woman was dust double-refined, one remove further from the earth. .the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near to his heart to be beloved.” We are the Eve of the last Adam, Christ, and we came from that place nearest His heart, that cleft in the Rock where we find love and protection. May we never leave that place! The Lord God. .brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” True to its meaning as the book of beginnings, Genesis reveals the first marriage, a harbinger of the marriage between Christ and His Bride, Israel. It is obvious to the most casual observer how involved was Jehovah in this first marriage. He took the rib from the man, built it into a woman, and brought her to the man. How successful every marriage would be if the man would realize and accept the painful loss of something close and precious to himself, something near to his heart. A solitary man is a half-person. Unless called by God to remain single, a man is irrevocably unbalanced, unpolished, undisciplined, unrefined; in love with themselves, with the entertainments of the world, with lust, with excitement, with pleasure, with the lack of responsibilities, and with independence. Marriage should cost the man his selfish lifestyle; that is, his “rib.” A proper marriage, one in which he joins with his equal, he will have to be reduced. His independence will have to be cut out of him. He will no longer be free to do as he pleases. He will be shackled with the obligation of caring for his wife, of providing for her, of taking her advice, of relinquishing his opinion and his desires and his ambitions. A proper marriage must cost the man dearly so that he will appreciate the one brought to him to make up the loss. Marriage cost Adam his rib. It cost the Lord Jesus His life. The Lord God. .brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Adam had studied and named all the animals in a vain attempt to find a suitable match to himself; but when he awoke and peered into the beautiful eyes of the woman, he knew immediately that she was his counterpart. He probably could only lay there because of the pain of his surgery and it was likely that the first thing the woman did was to care for her convalescing husband. She was designed to be a helper, a support, a complement, and a completer of the man; and her very first task was to assist in his rehabilitation. It was the Lord’s wisdom that their first meeting should be when the man was in a weakened condition. He could do nothing but focus upon his bride, to study her features, to revel in her creation, to submit to her tender touch as she cleaned and dressed his wound. For her, it set the tone for her character. She was then and would be forever a caregiver. It is inherent in her soul to care for others. First her husband, then her children, then those beyond her family. This care emanated from her deep love for the one who had suffered the loss of his rib so that she could have life. Everyday that she facilitated his recovery, she realized he had done it all for her and none other. She owed her life to him. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (I Cor. It’s safe to assume that when Adam awoke from his deep sleep, he was in great pain from his surgery. We can certainly speculate that his pain was largely mitigated when he looked upon the woman who was taking care of him, the one the Lord created from his rib. Since Genesis is the beginning of God’s revelation to us, what is the development of this touching scene of the first meeting between the man and woman? Jesus was the last Adam, the incarnate God who came to end the fallen race and to begin a new creation. Out of His side wound on the cross, His life flowed to produce His enlargement, His helper, His woman. As the woman must have realized and appreciated where she came from and at what cost, how does the body of Christ have the same appreciation? Is it not when we come together to partake of His table, to eat the broken bread and to drink the wine? Our Christ is the bread of life who was broken for us on the cross. He poured out His lifeblood to cleanse us from sin and to meet God’s righteous requirement for sin. Taking the bread and wine should cause us to remember and to contemplate His death, His “deep sleep” where His side was opened to allow His life to flow out into the members of His body that He loved and died for. Every time we take these symbols together at His table, we should be as Eve was and meditate upon what it cost the Lord to produce us. This is all He ever asked us to celebrate for it is there that He paid the ultimate price and where we had our beginning. This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. .and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Why did Jehovah use a rib and not a piece of skin or a part of a muscle to build the woman? The writer to the Hebrews talked about the word of God being sharper than a two-edged sword able to divide the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. In the immaterial part of man, nothing is deeper than the spirit and in order for it to function as it was designed, it must be divided from subjugation to the soul. In the physical realm, nothing is deeper than the marrow of the bone, that place where the lifeblood of a human being originates. Jehovah went to the depth of the man’s being, to the seat of his physical life, to extract the elements for man’s counterpart. Nothing is deeper in the physical life of man than the marrow of his bones, and this constituted the life of the woman. As Christians, we are Christ’s chosen ones bearing His name. Where did we come from? As the woman came from the life of the man, so we came from the life of our Lord. Out of His side came blood and water, His very life, the elements that gave life to us. There is no life without blood, the conveyer of every ingredient necessary to sustain life, and it is this that He poured out for us, not just to cleanse us but to regenerate us. The ancient partner was called woman because she came out of man. We are called Christians because we came out of Christ. This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother; and be joined to his wife. Herein is the eternal purpose of God, not that the marriage between a man and woman is God’s ultimate aim, but that the first marriage was the shadow of the coming marriage between Jesus and His bride, the called out ones, the redeemed of Israel. Adam went into a deep sleep as did Jesus. Jehovah pierced Adam’s side to extract the building material for the woman, the completion of the man. He also pierced His Son’s side to release the building material for His Son’s completion. Adam awoke to find a counterpart. Jesus resurrected to breathe His life into His people – His Bride and His body. The woman was taken out of man. The body of Christ taken out of Christ. Jehovah built the woman from the man’s rib, the rich source of his life. The Christian saints as His body is cleansed and enlivened and produced by the cleansing and life-imparting blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ wound. Jehovah brought the woman to the man and they became one flesh. At the time of the kingdom, the bride of Christ in the nation of Israel and the Christ, head and body, come together as the fulfillment of God’s plan. This is why Christ left His Father – to have His bride and His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. The first marriage is not only a shadow of Christ with His people, but is a prototype of all to follow, and it contains numerous principles that apply to every successful union. (1) Every good marriage costs the man his independence, something very dear to him. Adam was free of obligation before he was married, but that freedom was not good for him. (2) A man must leave the protective custody of his mother and father. This is his comfort zone and it will soften and damage him if he remains there. (3) A man and a woman must be joined completely, not just in body, but in sprit and soul. The spirit must take the lead in a proper marriage; and the mind, emotion, and volition must follow in order to secure God’s blessing in the physical intimacy. This joining of all the parts of two human beings results in one complete godly person. This is key to realizing an upright and sublime relationship. (4) There is only one man and one wife in a God-ordained and blessed marriage. Monogamy is the ideal in the eyes of God. (5) Finally, nothing should be hidden from each other. All things of the spirit and the soul must be shared. If a marriage is to succeed, transparency must rule. If sin enters, then there is shame, but confession and repentance restores and strengthens the relationship. Now the serpent. Adam had everything he needed to fulfill the purpose for which he was created. For his body he had the garden to cultivate and manage. For his intellect he had the rule over the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and the responsibility of studying and naming the animals. For his emotions he had a pleasant environment in which to live and pleasing fruit and vegetables to eat. For his will he had the choice to submit himself to the will of God in all that he did. For his spirit he had fellowship with His creator. To make his life complete, he had a partner, a counterpart, with whom he could share the bounty of his circumstances. Surely he passed all of his experiences on to his wife and educated her in all his ways and responsibilities, further enhancing the development of his faculties. But into this pristine and serene environment came the evil one to frustrate and corrupt, using a member of the animal kingdom to carry out his subtle and deceitful plan. As with everything in Genesis, this is the beginning of Satan’s plan to destroy God’s intention in creation. This evil serpent grows into a roaring lion in Peter’s letter and into a dragon in the final book of Revelation, having gorged himself on human beings throughout history. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” How appropriate that the malignant spirit used the most subtle of all God’s creatures, for by any definition Satan is legendary for his craftiness and cunning, coming to us disguised as an angel of light to catch us off guard and to bring us into sin and ruin. God made the serpent good, but good is no defense against the wily evil one. Only the life of God neutralizes and destroys the enemy of our souls. This subtle enemy entered the serpent and spoke to the woman who must have been some distance from her husband and near the forbidden tree. Rather than flee to the protection of her husband once she heard the animal speak (for animals do not speak), she entertained the question. Herein rests an important principle. The woman was the younger of the two and less experienced in the knowledge of and fellowship with Jehovah. She knew little of His ways and less of His prohibition. Being the younger, she was least wise and should have deferred to her husband’s protective covering from whence she came. She originated from under his strong arm and to that refuge she should have quickly retreated, for the man who had a history of studying and naming the animals, would have detected the aberration of a talking creature and likely would have dealt with it with dispatch. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” How utterly conniving is the enemy of God! He knew his attack upon the man had to first pass through the one closest to his heart. To approach the man who had a history with Jehovah, of daily fellowship with Him, of hearing and heeding His word, of inviting that word to dwell richly in his heart, would have been futile and counterproductive. But the man, inexcusably, had not led his spouse to the tree of life nor did he go himself. The man had not passed on to his spouse the importance and gravity of Jehovah’s word, and for that he was culpable. He had failed to watch for her soul and to pour into it the word of Jehovah until it could take root in her heart and become a sword in her hand to slay any overture of the detestable spirit. He had allowed her to stray from his protection and to gaze with curiosity upon the fruit of the forbidden tree. Not to lay all blame for her waywardness at his feet, for she as well as he had freedom of will to choose her own course. Though each was to blame, it was the abhorrent angel using the willing serpent that saw the advantage and took it. He saw the woman alone near the tree, the one least familiar with the animals and most likely to be attracted to the beautiful winged creature perched in the branches of the prohibited tree. She, of the two, would consider it curious and amusing that an animal would speak to her, laying thus the groundwork for the serpentine question. And he said to the woman, “Indeed has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” The deceptive spirit attacks the solitary woman near the beautiful but forbidden tree. His thrust is well conceived and directed. It penetrates her weakness and lays siege to her entire being. The tree is of the knowledge of good and evil, knowledge being mental, of the mind. So the serpent asks a question and questions appeal to the mind for an answer. The woman, rather than flee to her mate for an explanation of the aberrant behavior a talking animal, engages in a deadly discourse with one possessing incalculable mental acuity and experience. It is no mistake that his first blow is to denigrate Jehovah by referring to their common Creator as Elohim, the general, distant, if not impersonal God. Satan hates Jehovah—the personal, loving, concerned, and present Spirit who wants to impart His life and nature into the empty couple. Because of his hatred, he approaches the woman with the notion that the prohibiting Elohim is far away and unconcerned with her conduct. This evil, subtle thought penetrates her mind and perhaps arouses the suspicion in her that God, being Elohim, is indeed far away and would never know of her disobedience. Such is the wicked lie of the enemy of our souls. And he said to the woman, “Indeed has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. To witness a talking serpent perched in the forbidden tree should have been warning enough to send the woman fleeing to the refuge of her husband, but not even the disrespectful use of Elohim—the distant, impersonal Creator—could elicit in her the needed response to save her from the crafty clutches of the malignant spirit. The very fact that she responded to his overture exposes her infidelity and reveals a heart void of the protective word of Jehovah. What appeared to her to be an innocuous discourse with a clever animal was in reality an open door to her heart whereby the subtle adversary would lay her in ruins. She knew what Jehovah had said, if not directly, then indirectly through the teaching of her husband, but did that word take root in her heart? She knew her Creator to be Jehovah—present, near, loving, and caring. Was she not at least suspicious that her loving Jehovah was referenced as the high, the Almighty, yet distant Elohim? Did she never question why a creature would challenge the word of the Creator? No, because she was independently indulging herself in idle curiosity. She knew that she and her husband were one flesh never to be detached, but she breached that relationship and became easy prey to the fallen spirit. The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Tim. In God’s order He is the head over man and man is head over the woman. In this exchange, the woman abandoned her covering and, acting independently and, unbeknownst to her, conversed with a talking creature that embodied the ruthless adversary of God. Why would she leave the protection of Adam? And why would she stray so near the prohibited tree? Was she attracted to its beautiful fruit with a yearning to partake? Being a three-part creature with her spirit as the deepest and most important component designed to contact and fellowship with God, she failed to live according to her spirit that would have kept her close to and satisfied with her head, the man, and in communion with her caring Jehovah. She chose, rather, to be independent and to explore her own world, making conversation with an animal, apparently not at all suspicious of the strange aberration. Jehovah designed her (and us) to be dependent upon Him and upon each other. Lucifer had exercised independence and became the personification of evil. Here she strayed from her protection into deception because of her desire to be unique and to be her own master. What hard lessons we can learn here. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “. .from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ The crafty serpent was the perfect stooge for the reprehensible manipulator. His size and beauty and ability to speak caught the woman’s misplaced attention and drew her into a treacherous conversation. Three words out of his mouth and he was relegating the present and personal Jehovah to the distant and aloof Creator, Elohim. That alone should have been warning enough to the woman, but she remained and he persisted to expose by his words what he was in reality—a liar. Jehovah never prohibited the pair from eating from every tree in the garden, only from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In correcting the serpent’s lie, the woman revealed her weak grasp of Jehovah’s word and her disdain for his prohibition. As a result of the vile words worming into her mind, the descending darkness veiled her eyes to the truth and she failed even to name the tree for what it was and gave it the place of prominence in the garden, carelessly adding to Jehovah’s word, “or touch it,” something He never said. She swallowed the serpent’s poison and ascribed the prohibition to Elohim, not to Jehovah who was near and personal and caring. Words are important for they convey the speaker’s heart. Jehovah spoke and conveyed Himself, and to treat His words glibly will hasten our undoing. The serpent twisted Jehovah’s words and the helpless victim added her own words to them, either ignorantly, deliberately, or indifferently. It didn’t matter. The result was the same. And he said to the woman, Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree. The woman said, . God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die. Jehovah had spoken a clear word about freely eating from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It should give us pause that the serpent had heard this word. The enemy of God and of our souls lurks about in the shadows of our lives and is aware of our vulnerabilities, which he will use at every turn to bring ruin down upon our heads. We do well to never underestimate this one who will take the word of Jehovah and twist it and couple it with our natural tendencies to fabricate a snare. The woman was a curious creature with a proclivity toward independence and was easily manipulated by the rebel spirit. So quickly did she follow the serpent in mishandling Jehovah’s clear word. He said Elohim’s prohibition extended to every tree in the garden—a clear lie intended to make the prohibition unbearable, sinister, and tyrannical. The woman claimed that Elohim warned against even “touching” the fruit, an unwarranted addition to Jehovah’s word. The serpent and the woman were both guilty of a cavalier misuse of the precisely spoken word. Nothing has changed. Christians twist, stretch, and abuse God’s written word to justify their traditions and practices. Even as the serpent and the woman misused Jehovah’s word in the beginning, so continues the practice today. The woman said to the serpent “. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” Not only did the woman fall into the serpent’s snare by referring to her God as Elohim—distant, aloof Creator—instead of the personal, present Jehovah; but she also exaggerated His prohibition by including “touching” to eating. By acting independently of her husband in conversing with the serpent, by gazing upon the tree that in her mind was prominent in the garden, and by failing to let the precise word of Jehovah dwell richly in her heart, she fell prey to the ancient predator. By adding “or touch it” to Jehovah’s warning to not eat of the tree, she began to waver in her love for and assurance and security in Him. “Or touch it” was too stringent a caution for her and at that moment, her doubt rose up and her fall began. With what attitude did she mutter the phrase, “or you will die?” Surely she thought Jehovah (and now Elohim to her) too harsh in disallowing the tree. Why could something so beautiful and desirable right in the middle of my dwelling place be off-limits? How cruel of Elohim! What is He keeping from me? And why? What does it mean to die, anyway? Is this a secret between Adam and Elohim? Why should he know something that I don’t? It isn’t fair! And so in the troubled mind of the solitary woman grew the children of the serpent’s original question. The Lord God commanded the man, “. .for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” The woman said to the serpent, “. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” What did the man and woman know about death? Was this not a foreign concept to them? How could they relate to such a warning in their state of innocence? Wasn’t the earth perfect in every way? Wasn’t the universe problem-free during this time when the Lord brought forth the dry land, the vegetation, the animals, and the first couple? Far from it. The earth, though restored, was rebel territory teeming with evidence of the past cataclysm of judgment. Signs of death abounded, which the man, via Jehovah’s tutelage, surely recognized and understood. The earth held in its bosom the remains of great civilizations usurped by God’s enemy and destroyed by God’s watery judgment. Jehovah in His infinite mercy upon His newly created man must have enlightened him to the history and danger of his environment. He must have shared with the man the reason for his creation—to rule over the animals, the earth, and over every creeping thing. Had there been no problem in creation, there would have been no need to rule. The man knew all this and he knew what death was. The problem was he hadn’t conveyed adequately to the woman the formidable strength and ubiquity of the death surrounding them, or she willfully disobeyed. Rather than rule over the serpent, which was the divine mandate, the woman conversed with the strange aberration without fear, with disrespect for Jehovah’s prohibition and provision, and with disdain for her husband’s teaching. The serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die!” The tempter comes forth in boldness, exposing who he really is—a liar and the father of lies. This was his fatal salient into the woman’s weakened defenses. Luring her into a conversation was his first attack upon the naïve human who should have been repelled at the bizarre mix of human speech and animal tongue. Once he heard her misquote Jehovah’s warning by adding her own words, “neither shall you touch it”—evidence of her rancor toward her benevolent Creator—the serpent knew she was prepared to rebel. Her use of the cold, distant “Elohim” rather than the tender, present “Jehovah,” emboldened him to strike hard and drive a wedge between Jehovah’s love and her emotion, and between Jehovah’s truth and her mind. Before the lie, she was already doubting and wavering. Why would Jehovah keep the tree from her? Had she fled to her husband in the first place, she would have been spared. Had she answered the serpent that the prohibition was for her own good and that Jehovah had only her best interest at heart, she would have escaped the snare. But she doubted, then hated. When the evil spirit sprang upon her with an outright lie, she was ready to believe it. Satan first deceives, then lies. How critical it is for us to have God’s word richly dwelling in our hearts so we can answer the slanderous one accurately. In addition, we need others to whom we can flee for refuge from the repugnant liar. The woman said to the serpent, “. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said “. You surely shall not die!” How little did the woman know Jehovah! Her wonderful, caring Creator, who had tediously formed her from the rib of her husband, had instilled in her the feminine instincts and characteristics that would make her the perfect complement to the man and the incomparable caregiver of her children, and had endowed her with a unique soul capable of the deepest sacrificial love for Jehovah and for her family, was so ready to pour Himself upon her given the least opening. What pain did He feel when He heard her call Him by His formal, impersonal name, Elohim? Does she not know who I am? Is she so unaware of my love for her? Does she follow the serpent in his disrespect for me? What have I done to her to cause her to distance herself from me? Know you not that I am here for you, my child? Alas, the pitiful creature did not know Jehovah or His ways! Rather than partake of the tree of life to know Jehovah intimately, she gravitated toward the forbidden tree to acquire knowledge of good and evil. What great chasm between the two! To know Jehovah is to have eternal life. Had she known Him, she would have known His words, for He only speaks what He is. She treated His word carelessly by adding her own words of disdain to them—“or touch it”—and she fell into the serpent’s lie and into death, for whatever Satan speaks is death. Thus knowing Jehovah is crucial and is everything! “It quickens the soul, purifies the heart, tranquilizes the conscience, elevates the affections, sanctifies the entire character and conduct.” (Macintosh) The serpent robbed the woman of the true knowledge of Jehovah and hastened her demise. The serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. It is impossible to plumb the depths of this evil. How lightly, and to our peril, do we regard this enemy of all good. The damage he wrought upon the poor creature is incalculable. Like an ensnared fly caught in the sticky entanglement of the widow’s web, so the woman in the rapidly descending discourse with the serpent. Apart from the blatant lie that she will not die, the serpent insinuates that Elohim was hiding something from her that would make her like Himself—omnipotent, independent, omniscient. He brooks no rivals, thus forbids her the very thing that would produce equality. How arrogant! As if Jehovah, the Creator, would or could fear His creature. What an insult to His power and affront to His benevolence! Would He create to withhold any good thing from those He loved? How it must have tortured Him to hear these lies fall into the fertile ground of the woman’s soul, there nurtured by doubt and disaffection. Had she partaken of the tree of life, then her eyes would have been opened to eternal life and her heart would have been abundantly filled with her gracious God and she would have known that He was not holding back, not ever would have, any good thing from her. Then she would have indeed become like Him for she would have been filled with His essence. But she was caught in the web of deceit and could not extract herself. The serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. The serpent deftly mixed truth and lie in his deception of the woman. The lie was that she would not die if she ate the fruit; the truth was that she would indeed know good and evil even as God does. So what was so bad about that? Isn’t it good to know the difference so as to avoid the one and cling to the other? Ostensibly it would seem so, but God knew it was a matter of timing. It was not time yet for that knowledge. Much had to precede it. To partake of the fruit of the knowledge tree prematurely would open up the distinct possibility that evil would win out, being more attractive to an empty and disobedient human vessel than the good. At some point in time after the inward filling of the divine, eternal life represented by the tree of life, after the growth and maturation of that irrepressible life in the man and woman, Jehovah could have directed them to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they would have been fully equipped to handle what the fruit would have revealed to them—that God has an enemy who is seeking the destruction of His eternal purpose of securing a complement for His Son. This is the universal battle of good versus evil. For the couple to fulfill their destiny, they had to be filled with God’s life, for only that life is the antidote to evil and death. Without it, regardless their strong determination to follow the good, high, and holy, they would lack the strength and fall into evil and death. First must come God’s life, then the knowledge of the battle before them. A baby must first grow and mature before it can handle warfare. A weapon in the hands of a child is a dangerous thing. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Thus does the woman the dreadful deed. Here enters evil into the flesh of man, not because the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was inherently evil, but because of the act of disobedience and overt rebellion against Jehovah. The ill-advised discourse aside, the woman viewed the tree with an inordinate desire, imagining that its fruit was superior to all other fruit in the garden. What is it of sin that makes it more than it really is? Does the prohibition add luster that it does not deserve? Why does human nature yearn for what is forbidden? One calls it the “strange spirit of contradiction.” “It was a delight to the eyes.” At that point, she still could have turned her eyes toward her Maker and found her delight in Him, but she was inexorably drawn to the forbidden. She vainly imagined that the fruit would give her wisdom, when, in fact, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” She was the fool to think that disobedience to the benevolent Jehovah would make her wise. And what did she think wisdom was after all? Independence from Jehovah’s cruel command? Did she think wisdom was discovering what the tyrant Creator was hiding from her? The tempter’s poison had seized her soul and her body responded. The fruit was a delight to the eyes and desirable. Here the emotions controlled the eyes. “To make one wise” reveals the mind bending to the rampaging feelings of desire. How complicit was the woman’s emotive faculty with the tempter’s evil scheme. The eyes would not turn away and the mind craved wisdom. Only the will remained to save or condemn the beleaguered woman. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate. God created man with three parts—body, soul, and spirit. The tempter’s attack on the woman established a strategy that has become his pattern ever since. He first asks a question to engage the mind. The woman, had she been proper before Jehovah, would have been living according to her spirit in blessed communion with her God, and would have been repelled by his advances. But she received the satanic salient and fell under his influence, speaking freely with a creature that shouldn’t have been talking in the first place. After his blatant lie and her misquote of Jehovah’s command, the woman’s emotion—the feeling faculty of her soul—leads the way by looking with desire upon the fruit, and the mind—the thinking part of the soul—contemplates the wisdom hidden in the fruit. Even at this point, the woman could have retreated, but, alas, she took. Her will—the volition faculty of the soul—followed the emotion and the mind and made the dreadful decision. Thus the entire soul of the woman circumvents the innermost part—the spirit—designed by its Creator to receive His life and to rule over the soul directly and the body indirectly. Her soul’s refusal to accept the spirit’s limitation, to subject itself to the rule of Jehovah through the spirit, followed the tempter’s own rebellious history. His strategy was established for his future attacks upon mankind—avoid the spirit by appealing to the soul. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. So soon the tempted became the tempter, for the sinner is assuaged of her guilt if another shares the weight. She took and ate and gave to her husband. Where was the man when his wife fell into the snare of evil? And what was he thinking when she offered the fruit to him? It is easy to lay the entire responsibility of sin’s entrance into the world at the feet of the weaker vessel; but it does not easily rest there. Was the man not given charge over his own wife to watch over her, to protect her; to care for her; to lead her into all the truths with which he was acquainted; to foster in her, as in him, a deep love and trust for her Creator; to lead her to and to partake with her the tree of life that would have filled them with Jehovah’s own life, a sure repellent to the speaking serpent; to stand between her and enemy of her soul? Why did he not defend her? Why wasn’t he aware of her absence from his strong arms? Was he more concerned with his own interests? Or did he not want to be bothered? Was he unaware of the danger lurking about seeking their ruin? The woman failed, to be sure, but the man failed by allowing her to wander from his protective side. What hard lesson here for those entrusted with the care of others. .she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. It is quite likely that Jehovah shared with the man where he was in creation and why he was there. The man, in order to understand the concept of dying and death associated with Jehovah’s prohibition, had to know that the mighty archangel had rebelled and had been cast out of heaven and that he was on the prowl to destroy the new creation. This begs the question as to why the man and his partner had not partaken of the tree of life that represented Jehovah’s divine, eternal life. What were they waiting for? In this the man fell short of his obligation to himself, to his wife, and to their progeny. For her sake alone he should have been filled with God’s life, for such filling would have sensitized him to her condition and attitude and, quite probably, would have saved her from the enemy onslaught. Had the man eaten of the tree of life, he would have taken into himself a life that would have pried his eyes off of himself and his interests, and would have directed him to the care and nurturing of his beloved spouse. Taking in Jehovah’s life would have placed the man under his proper head and would have made him the benevolent and protective head for his partner. By failing this basic responsibility, the man, in essence, sanctioned the independence of the woman, leaving her with no direction, protection, or strength. The woman was deceived, surely, but why she was points directly to the man’s failure to provide for her well being. .she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her; and he ate. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners. The man miserably failed his spouse by not taking her with him to the tree of life to partake of the life of Jehovah. He should not have been shocked at her independence and her attraction to the forbidden tree, but what was transpiring in his mind when she offered him the fruit? Did he realize too late his shortcoming? Did Jehovah’s threat of punishment not enter into his consideration when contemplating her offer. That’s hard to believe. What were his alternatives? Eat with her and die with her? Flee her overture and live a solitary life again? Appeal to Jehovah to extract another rib? Perhaps, and most likely, he could not bear the thought of living without her whom he loved deeply and for whom he had suffered. She, after all, was the first face he saw after undergoing the surgery. She was the one who cared for him day after day until he returned to normal. Surely this made an indelible impression upon his soul and he could not bear to be without her even if it meant immediate death. What was his life without her? Without the indwelling life of his Creator, he acted as if Jehovah were no more than Elohim, the distant, impersonal Sovereign. To his mind he had no choice but to disobey. It was to his empty and lifeless spirit and soul better than being alone. Thus is the irrational thinking of man bereft of God. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. The serpent did not lie to the woman when he said that her eyes would be opened if she ate the fruit. But opened to what? To the inability to do good and to resist evil. To their nakedness and shame and loss of innocence. Suddenly they realized what Jehovah had told the man—that lurking about in his pristine environment was the archfiend who sought his demise and that only the divine life of the tree of life was the suitable and necessary antidote. Now the enemy of their souls had attacked them body, soul, and spirit. By their disobedience to Jehovah, they ingested the thoughts, feelings, and volition of the fallen angel into their very souls; they offered, by their intransigence and deliberate rebellion, their bodies as residences for the foul rebel; and they turned aside from their spirit, that deepest organ of communion with the Holy One, and felt the deadening influence of the satanic nature wrap and seal it and render it dormant. Through this whole experience, only the conscience became activated. Only when their eyes were opened as per the serpent’s promise did they become conscious of their shame and nakedness. They did see as God sees, but they were helpless and hopeless to react to it. They knew good. They knew Jehovah was good and that all He had done for them in creation was good, but it was all slipping away from them. They knew evil. They saw their degradation and shame and nakedness and they could not escape it. Their eyes were indeed opened and they found themselves altogether undone Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. There is no evidence that the man resisted the woman’s offer or even hesitated. He took and he ate, knowing Jehovah’s explicit decree that to do so would result in his death. Had he resisted the fruit, he could have appealed to Jehovah’s mercy on behalf of his wife, but he did no such thing nor is there any hint that he even considered it. We get the impression of a passive man who allows his wife to take the lead. He doesn’t pay attention to her flirtation with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and this after his failure to lead her to the tree of life. Then he accepts the fruit willfully as if Jehovah’s prohibition means nothing, and eats it. Certainly we can blame the woman for her independence and weakness and for engaging a talking animal, but we should never excuse the man for his complicity. He knew the tree of life was there brimming with the life of Jehovah. He, and no other, failed to take the woman’s hand in his and lead her to the desired tree, eat its fruit together. So involved was he, apparently, in his own life that he became cavalier about his obligation to her and to Jehovah’s word. Maybe the speaking serpent did not repel the woman because she had, at least, someone to talk to. The man wasn’t there at the time of her need so the enemy rushed in to fill the void, leading us to the conclusion that the fall could not have occurred without the duplicity of the woman and the carelessness of the man. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Here is the origin of human religion—the construction of a covering for a corrupt condition. All human religion is the same. It tries, through self-effort apart from God, to wrap the corrupt and evil nature in manmade works that will appease the conscience and the angry God. All religions know that God is holy and cannot tolerate sin and evil. Therefore it is the goal of the religious practitioners and adherents to fabricate clothing—to do good deeds—to hide the shame of their sinfulness from the eyes of an angry God. This godless covering could be a system of penances or sacrifices or social activism or liturgy or self-flagellation. Anything to ease the troubled conscience and appease the holy God. The fallen pair is no exception. They constructed aprons of fig leaves to cover their shame rather than humble themselves before Jehovah and cast themselves upon His mercy. They took human action to cover human corruption. This is religion: doing something—anything—to mollify the holy and righteous God and to relieve the tension on a troubled and condemning conscience. The man and woman should have confessed their disobedience and cast themselves before Jehovah. Instead they took the religious way and moved further away from the only One who could have helped them. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. When the serpent said that eating the fruit would open their eyes, he was telling the truth. Their eyes were opened. to shame and guilt resulting from disobedience. The problem was they had no remedy. They saw their need, their nakedness, their shame, but they had no solution. They knew that they would face Jehovah sooner or later so they needed to be covered. Their sin had stripped away their original clothing—their innocence—and left them exposed. This is what the conscience does. It exposes sin, guilt, and shame in every person. The natural reaction is to seek some kind of covering so that the conscience is pacified. The man and the woman made aprons of fig leaves in preparation for their inevitable meeting with Jehovah. They became the first to practice human religion. They tried to do something to cover their filth of sin and satisfy their offended God. Throughout history, religion has sought to satisfy the demands of the conscience and the righteousness of God by penance, liturgy, social activism, asceticism, celibacy, service, edifices, programs, outreach, etc.—any assortment of activities to clothe itself just as the man and woman with sewn fig leaves. But the intense light of God will expose our human nature and leave us naked before Him. Until we throw off everything of own wrappings, we can never have His provision. He doesn’t want us to do anything to cover ourselves. He only wants us prostrate before Him so He can meet our need with His provision. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Having lost their cloak of innocence, the guilty couple realized they were shamefully naked. The bond of perfection that linked their spirit, soul, and body was abruptly breached and the body became a living corpse infested with the life of the foul rebel. The immediate and natural inclination was to cover the same of nakedness, especially in the presence of Jehovah, the Holy God. This was the result of the activated conscience that became the guardian of good and the exposer of evil. The conscience, a component of the God-given spirit, knows good from evil and when it is filled with the life of Jehovah will always embrace the good and eschew the evil. In an unregenerate man, the conscience will function but will have no strength to do anything but reveal the sin, condemn the sinner, and heap guilt upon him. This was what happened in the garden, and the pair responded by trying to do something in their human strength and cunning to mitigate their guilt and shame, rather than cast themselves before Jehovah in repentance and humility. This is the difference between religion and reality. Religion wraps itself in manmade garments—traditions, liturgies, formalities, agendas, crusades—to ease the pain of guilt and shame, hoping to satisfy the requirements of the righteous and holy God. Reality exposes the abjection of the sinner and leads him to humble himself before Jehovah and to rest on His provision alone and on nothing he can do for himself. If we think we can do anything to mollify and satisfy God, we delude ourselves, become proud and blind to our condition. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Without remediation, the conscience is a relentless and ruthless tyrant demanding from the sinner what he can never deliver. When the couple took of the forbidden fruit without having first taken of the tree of life, they unleashed a monster of guilt, shame, and condemnation. In their state of innocence, they did not know they were naked. Only when they awakened their conscience did they have such a realization. They immediately knew evil. They knew they had sinned, had violated Jehovah’s prohibition, and had offended their benevolent Creator. But the conscience did not stop there. It demanded them to be good, to do the right thing and to do it fast, to remedy their offense, to make things right. But they had no strength. They had not taken in the tree of life, had not partaken of Jehovah’s divine life and nature, and therefore they were shamed, guilt-ridden, and condemned. They had two options. Either repent and cry out to Jehovah for mercy and salvation; or do something on their own to cover their shame and nakedness, to appease the conscience—that incorrigible despot—and to satisfy the requirements of the holy Jehovah. But the conscience is never pacified with human constructs that merely masks the problem and never remedies it. It demands a divine solution. It demands goodness, true goodness, and that only rests in Jehovah Himself. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Not only did their conscience condemn the sinful pair and cause them extreme shame and anxiety and drive them to hastily cover themselves with fabricated coverings of fig leaves, but they heard the sound of Jehovah walking in the garden and they feared Him as the angry judge. The conscience was the inward judge, Jehovah the outward. Both had to be appeased, but when they heard Jehovah, their immediate impulse was to cover themselves among the trees even though they had their fig leaf aprons. Their vain attempt to cover their sins with human effort, cunning and devices failed miserably in the presence of holiness. Thus is every human machination in the face of reality. Men always tend to do things that they think will please God, or at least placate Him; but when He comes to call, every human covering, practice, religion, or service provides no relief and drives the sinner to fear, forcing him either to persist in his ways, to hide, or to cast himself naked at the feet of the Judge. Because the man failed to eat the tree of life, he did not know Jehovah’s perfect love so he became afraid. But “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” (1John 4:17) How apparent it is to us in hindsight that the guilty couple should have confessed their sin and humbled themselves at the feet of Jehovah. He didn’t come to them in the heat of His anger or in the terrorizing darkness of night. He came in the soothing coolness of His love and concern for them. They responded in fear, shamefully hiding themselves, compounding their sin. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Jehovah had never been anything but the loving Creator to the man and the woman. His deep love drove His relationship with them, yet the sin of disobedience brought in fear and fear demanded distance. Their conscience did its job by revealing the unapproachable goodness and holiness of Jehovah on the one hand, and their abjection on the other. Good and evil. Just as the serpent had promised. Their eyes were opened all right, and they saw good and they saw evil, but they weren’t like God and that was the big lie. The man failed himself, his spouse, and His God by not partaking of the tree of life. This enabled the enemy to come in and tempt and ruin. And the man’s failure compounded itself when he tried to rectify the situation with religious activity. Rather than come clean with Jehovah, he tried to do something to cover himself. This pathetic display of human manipulation was a fallen man’s attempt to do something to please God. Already he had screwed up in every way and now, deeply deluded, he tried to hide from Jehovah. Why was he afraid if what he had sewn together was good enough? This shows how sin wreaks destruction upon the spirit, soul, and body of the sinner. The man had no recourse but to fall on his face before Jehovah. That is what he should have done and did not, and herein is the powerful lesson to us. Every day we have to fall on our face before our God, thank Him for His mercy, repent of our sins, forsake our vain attempts to please Him, seize His provision, and walk with Him openly. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Rather than bring in the wrath of the Righteous Judge, the sin of disobedience brought out the infinitude of Jehovah. So much more than being the omnipotent, omniscient Creator, the first sin opened up a window to Jehovah— the merciful, loving, tender, patient and good God deeply concerned for His errant creatures. “Where are you?” Jehovah had every right to carry out His sentence of death on the sinful pair and to do it immediately; but He loved them and sought them out. They were lost and deserved His wrath, but instead they got His love. Jehovah’s question came not from His ignorance as to their whereabouts, but from His desire to hear them confess their sin. This is the first step in coming to God. We have to recognize our unworthiness and our total depravity or we won’t respond to His loving overture to us. “Where are you?” The Lord has asked this question of every person who has ever come to Him for salvation. He didn’t need to ask it. He had every right to judge and condemn us. He could have passed us by and never have looked back. But He didn’t. He sought us when we were His enemies. He sought us when we were occupied with ourselves, our world, our ambitions, our religion—all things that we clothe ourselves in to avoid confronting Him face-to-face. What mercy is this that He comes looking for us when we had no heart for Him! This world gives us so many places to hide, but still He comes asking, “Where are you?” Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” “Where are you? This question inquires not for location, for Jehovah knew where the guilty pair was hiding, but for condition. He could just as easily have said, “How are you?”, and once a sinner hears these words, he is at the point of rejection, or repentance and salvation. When the man and the woman disobeyed Jehovah’s prohibition, sin entered into the world, but rather than closing off the world to the holy Jehovah, it unleashed a torrent of virtues that creation never could. Creation revealed His wisdom, majesty, and power, but the disobedient pair unlocked the love, concern, patience, mercy, holiness, righteousness, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and tenderness hidden in the heart of Jehovah, the personal God of relationships. As the almighty King of His creation, He had every right to condemn and destroy the man and the woman for what they had done. Instead, He sought them with an eternal love. He didn’t come crashing through the garden with a voice of thunder demanding them to come forward to their deserved and promised death. He didn’t rain down on them fire and brimstone to consume them. He came in the cool of the evening softly calling “Where are you?” He was gentle, loving, tender, and seeking to remedy what had gone awry. Jehovah loved them and His great love drove Him to seek them, to draw them out, to tenderly solicit their repentance. He was the awesome, powerful Creator, but He laid all that aside to enter into a desperate situation and become the sinners’ Savior. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” The first step in salvation is the Lord’s decision to call out to us. If He doesn’t call, we can’t respond. Why should He call to sinners? His righteousness does not require it. His holiness recoils at sin. His majesty and power are devoted to the administration of creation. What draws Him to the lowly and pathetic sinner and causes Him to call out to them? Only His limitless and eternal love for His creature. Only His boundless mercy and tenderness and patience and kindness and goodness. The serpent thought he had ruined God’s creature by his deception, but what he did, in fact, was open up the reservoir of every positive virtue found in the infinite Almighty. What the serpent meant for evil, Jehovah countered with good. What the serpent meant to alienate, Jehovah’s tender arms embraced. What the serpent detested, Jehovah loved with all His heart. What the serpent sought to destroy, Jehovah came to save. This is why He called out. Not to judge and condemn, for their consciences had already done that. Not to expose their sin, for their eyes saw the evil in and around them. He called them to save them from the consequences of their disobedience. They were full of death; He came to them as eternal life. They were ravaged by guilt; He came as forgiveness. They were distraught and fearful; He came as their assurance. Everything they could possibly have needed in their desperation, Jehovah was and more. This is why He called out to them. His unconditional love drove Him. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Salvation begins with our hearing the voice of the Lord calling out to us to reveal our desperate condition. It is not a voice of thunder but of gentle love and tenderness. It is like the story of the traveler who walked along the road wrapped in his cloak. The wind, the rain, and the sun looked down upon the man and debated among themselves who could separate the man from his cloak. “I shall try first,” said the rain, and he hammered the man mercilessly only to watch the man retreat under the protection of his cloak until the storm passed. “I shall surely tear it from his grip,” said the determined wind, and he sent a series of devastating gusts against which the man wrapped himself in his cloak even more tightly than before. “Force cannot make a man bend,” the sun lectured the wind and the rain. “But you are weak and distant,” they replied. “You have no strength to move the man.” “Watch and learn,” responded the sun, and shone down on the walking man. The soft rays seeped through the cloak and bathed the man in warmth and comfort whereupon he removed his cloak. Jehovah came to the guilty pair, not as the crushing rain of judgment, or as the ripping wind of condemnation, but as the kind, tender, gentle rays of love. His mighty love for us shining into our hearts will release our tightest grip on all that we wrap ourselves in and hold so dear to ourselves. Then we are ready for His provision. .and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Why did Jehovah seek the man and the woman? What did He see in them that caused Him to lay aside His power and majesty to pursue them? Had they not violated His prohibition that promised them death? Why would He exercise His gracious tenderness to seek them out? It all goes back to His original thought in eternity past before creation regarding a bride for His Son. He had taken such care to create them and they had exhibited great promise as vessels bearing His image. Surely He couldn’t just abandon them in their hour of need. Nor would He. Out of them would come the bride of Christ, the jewel of all creation, the reason for everything, the joy of Jehovah’s heart, the apple of His eye, the eternal companion of His beloved Son. He could not leave them ruined and cowering among the trees of the garden. He was their Creator and He had to become their Savior. He was the all-powerful Elohim, but His deep love drove Him to be their kind and gentle Jehovah, the shepherd to seek out His lost sheep and to save them from their utter despair and helplessness. In this human couple resided His eternal purpose and He could not leave them to their own destruction. His boundless and eternal love would not allow it. For that we cannot but praise Him with the deepest gratitude! Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” .magi from the eat arrived in Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King. (Matt. These verses contain the first questions of the two testaments. The one describes Jehovah seeking man; the other shows man seeking the God who became a man called Jesus. Our lives should revolve around these two questions. The Lord sought us and found us. He called us and chose us from among the world by His great mercy and love. He was obligated to us in no way whatsoever; but He came looking for us in demonstration of His eternal love. What will our response be? Will we be like those wise Babylonian astronomers who saw His star beckoning to them and followed it to Bethlehem, asking along the way, “Where is He?” In all of our daily activities, in our thinking, our feelings, our decisions, our speech, our attitudes, we must constantly be asking, “Where is He?” The Lord sought us, now we must seek Him. He called us, found us, and chose us because of His love and mercy; now we must reciprocate by admitting Him into every facet and detail of our lives until we can proclaim with assurance, “I have found Him!” “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” How undone we would be had God not sought us! Left to our own devices we would be consumed by our self-vindication and we would never admit to our own degradation and hopelessness. Adam did admit to his nakedness even while he was covered in his fabricated clothing drawn from the bloodless kingdom of lesser life—the plant. He knew his paltry attempt at dealing with his loss of innocence, dignity, and purity was foolish in the light of Jehovah’s presence, but he persisted in his sin and failed miserably to cast himself at the Creator/Savior’s feet in humiliation and to beg for mercy. He did the very human thing—blame something or someone else. Rather than confess his sin and take responsibility for it, something he should have done after the first swallow of forbidden fruit, he directly blamed the woman and indirectly blamed Jehovah for placing him in such circumstances. The depravity of fallen human beings is hard to grasp. From the violation of Jehovah’s prohibition to the vile attempt to cover sin with human ingenuity to the accusation of Jehovah for his trouble, the rapid decline of the corrupted man is astonishing, and had not Jehovah come to his rescue, he would have descended into an irredeemable pit. We must never think ourselves better than the father of our race. Even on this side of the cross of Jesus Christ, to our shame, we do the same. I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? What the man and the woman did in taking the prohibited fruit was not just an oversight, or an error in judgment, or a mistake, as some would euphemistically argue; rather it was a blatant, deliberate rebellion against Jehovah that allowed the vile enemy of God to take up residence in the sinful pair. Rightfully did Jehovah ask who it was who informed them of their nakedness, for it was indeed not a thing, a thought, or an idea, but an actual living being. The evil spirit had entered them and was residing in their flesh, stripping away their cloak of innocence and accusing their activated conscience in order to condemn them inwardly and destroy them outwardly. Had Jehovah not come seeking them, they would have gone the way of their predecessors—into deserved judgment and destruction. We would do well to understand how degraded we are without Christ. There is not one acceptable thing in us that could exonerate us before God. Our righteousness, if we can call it that, is as menstrual rags in His sight (Isa. Our flesh craves pleasure because it is the home of that “no good thing.” 7:18) Our soul is now the self that cannot but assume the throne of our lives. The fall of the man and the woman was thorough, precisely as the wicked angel had planned it. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” The sinful couple cowered among the trees thinking they could hide from their omniscient and omnipresent Creator. That alone exposed their depravity, but when Adam answered Jehovah’s question with self-vindicating finger pointing, he sunk even deeper into wicked delusion. In every step in his decline, Adam proved a miserable, empty failure and a vile recipient of Jehovah’s largesse. He had lost track of his wife and had given opportunity for the temptation. Rather than bring his disobedient wife directly to Jehovah and plead her case before Him, he accepted her overture and took the fruit. Then, instead of prostrating himself at Jehovah’s feet and pleading for mercy and forgiveness, he and she constructed coverings from the bloodless plant kingdom to try to mask their nakedness and shame. Now, in the inevitable face-to-face encounter with Jehovah, Adam seals his unworthiness by blaming the woman directly for his disobedience and Jehovah indirectly for giving him the source of his temptation. What lessons here for us! As the proper head of his wife, Adam should have blamed himself for enabling the woman’s independence, but because he did not, he degraded precipitously, and had not Jehovah graciously sought him, he would have descended into hopelessness. How much better to simply and thoroughly confess and repent! Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Jehovah did not ask Adam and his wife the penetrating questions to be informed, but that they would be brought into humility, into light, into confession. He wanted to hear from them directly the source, the method, and the commission of their crime, and, most pertinently, their confession and repentance. But, alas, He gets nothing but excuses, and, in Adam’s case, an accusation that He was the source. “The woman that You gave me. The woman is doubly guilty. Not only did she violate the command, but also enticed her husband to do the same. Her response? “The serpent deceived me. Any one who would argue that Eve is not the mother of the human race, knows nothing of human nature. In all our selfishness and duplicity, we ape our ancient mother. We always protect ourselves and blame others for our problems. “The serpent deceived me. Indeed! But who wandered away from her husband? Who placed herself near the tree? Who was attracted to the aberrant creature? Who conversed with the animal? Who plucked the fruit? Who seduced the man? It wasn’t the serpent! This original “the-devil-made-me-do-it” argument must walk, and with it the blame for our upbringing, or our circumstances, or our relationships. We need to bear the responsibility for our sins, our selfishness, our corruption, and fall upon His mercy and provision. Anything less is an abjection, a travesty, an unforgivable sin. The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me. .the woman said, “The serpent deceived me. We will face the Lord God as either Savior or Judge, and if we have not seen ourselves in all of our depravity, worthlessness, and hopelessness, we will not come to Him for salvation. When the guilty pair should have sought coverings from Jehovah, they tried to cover their own sin, guilt, and shame with fig leaves made by the same hands that had taken the forbidden fruit. When they should have sought a hiding place in Jehovah, they sought it among their own works, among the trees they had planted and grown. Without arriving at a true knowledge of themselves, they could never arrive at a true knowledge of their God. There was not one thing they could have done to save themselves. They had forfeited their innocence; could they possibly now retrieve it? Could they put away the sin they had unleashed into the new world? Could they crush the serpent’s head who was now their ruler? Could they abolish the death they had introduced into God’s creation? They could do none of it. Their only recourse was to smite themselves in grief, repentance, and confession, to cast themselves naked before Jehovah, and to hide in Him, their Savior. What did they do instead? Foolishly blamed others. The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. The blame for the sin rightfully fell upon the serpent, for by allowing himself to become the tool of the devil, he shares his curse. It is no mistake that humans have an innate repugnance of snakes, which can only creep, and slither and prey unawares upon its victims. No creature on the earth is more detested, feared, and avoided than is the snake. However, regardless how repellent is a serpent to a human, an ungodly human can become intimately attached to it. We must never forget where we came from. “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground.” The Lord did not reach up into the sky and pull down a puffy white to make Adam. He scooped up a handful of dirt from a previously judged, now-restored planet to construct His agent for His purpose. The Lord designed us to be filled with His life represented by the tree of life. Adam’s failure and fall brought him down, so far down that he became the serpent’s food. We humans have a choice—in fact, many choices, many daily choices. Either we can elevate ourselves by eating of the transcendent tree of life, or we can reject His life and passively, spontaneously, and effortlessly lower ourselves to the serpent’s dark and deathly domain and become his food. Surely we must choose life! The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. Like so many scriptural truths that find their origin in Genesis, the reality of God’s enemy is no different. God’s curse on the serpent consigned him to slink about on his belly eating the very substance from which man was made. Fallen man pursuing anything but his redeeming God becomes the serpent’s food. Four thousand years after Jehovah pronounced this sentence upon the serpent, Peter warned believers to “be sober, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Four thousand years of consuming human beings morphed the serpent into a devouring lion. Then John, at the end of time, saw the war in heaven between Michael and Satan. His description reveals another metamorphosis. “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Such is the growth of our archenemy, for such is the condition of humankind, which, upon rejecting their redeeming God, becomes the ample feast for the serpent/lion/dragon, Satan. How vigilant we must be to abide in Christ and to deny food to Satan. We either eat the Bread of Life, or become the enemy’s feast. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. How fitting it is that the demise of the serpent’s seed and the power behind it would come through and by the seed of the woman, for it was by her weakness and rebellion that the serpent affected the fall of humankind. As Genesis is the repository of the seeds of scriptural truth, here we find the promise of the incarnation. From the woman will come One who will crush the head of the great antagonist at the expense of His bruised heel. This is Christ, the subject of the first positive promise in the scriptures. What Satan meant for ill and for the destruction of humankind, Jehovah turns for good in the single greatest prophecy ever uttered. “He shall bruise your head.” How like God this is, to take the most egregious act of rebellion and turn it to the condemnation and destruction of the father of rebellion. And for eternal emphasis, God’s judgment on the ancient foe comes not in a direct blow from on high, but from the lowly seed of a weak and fearful and guilty woman, from an inferior creature designed to carry out the sentence of God on the vile and malignant spirit. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. There is yet more truth in seed form hidden in this momentous prophecy. When Jehovah speaks of “her seed,” He does not limit the promise to His own Son but to all who would live godly on the earth. The seed of the woman is the complete Christ, the Christ with His body, His heavenly people. History tells us that the irreconcilable difference between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent began then, persists now, and will continue unabated until the end of time. In the fullness of time two thousand years ago, the Head of that suffering body came and bruised the head of the serpent with a fatal wound, enduring the bruising of His heel on the cross whereupon the vicarious impetus of the serpent—Satan himself—nailed His hands and feet to the cross in a futile attempt to terminate His life. But in resurrection this mighty “Seed” conquered death, the final, most powerful weapon in the evil arsenal, and crushed the head of the adversary, inflicting upon him a wound that would never heal. Now as this ascended Head is safe in the heavens upon the throne of God, His body on earth continues to suffer the bruising of His heel until which time it will finally and forever overthrow the kingdom of Satan and his seed. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. When the Lord died on the cross, every negative thing in the universe died with Him. The bruised heel of the Son of man crushed Satan’s head. The victory over the wicked adversary was final and complete and irrevocable. Then what explains the rampant evil in the earth throughout history and presently? Though the Lord’s victory over Satan was final 2000 years ago, the Lord’s way is to work out that reality in time and space. It is an eternal fact that we died with Him on that cross. All negative things – Satan, the world, sin, fallen human nature – that oppose Him died when He died, and now that victorious fact in the unseen realm has to be worked out in the tangible realm of our everyday lives. If we choose to live in the spirit abiding in the victorious one, all He has done is ours. Satan has no influence over us. The world’s temptations are mute. Sin is erased. Our fallen nature is subdued by His divinely human life in us. The converse is also true. If we reject what He has done in us and with us and for us, if we choose to live our lives without Him, we will realize in short order how powerful Satan is, how tempting is the world, how full of pleasure is sin, and how entangling is our nature. May we vow to live in the reality of His death. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. In the spiritual realm. Christ is not complete without His Christian saints as His body. He and His body are one person, so when Jehovah tells the serpent that “he shall bruise you on the heel,” He has in mind the corporate Christ, the Christ together with His body. In Romans 16:20, Paul predicts of the congregation in Rome that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Though the singular Christ crushed Satan at the cross, the corporate Christ exercises the accomplished fact at the assembly in Rome. We who belong to Him are included in the seed of the woman. In Rev. 12: 5-6, the woman gives birth to the male child and as soon as she does, Satan is cast out of heaven. The woman is a metaphor for all God’s people and out of her comes the overcoming part, the male child, who affects another step in the bruising of the serpent’s head. Even as our salvation is progressive, so is Satan’s demise, until finally at the end of time, after this male child rules in the kingdom, he (the corporate Christ) casts Satan into the lake of fire forever, the final crushing of his head. .they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. .and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” The garden was familiar to them. It was their dwelling place, their livelihood, their place of entertainment, their sanctuary, and, now because of sin, their hiding place. Many people who are hiding from their seeking God escape to the cavernous world of work and careers. Some retreat into their homes where the accumulation of material things occupies them day and night and displaces the voice of the One calling out to them. Others hide in the pleasures of their “garden” where they pursue entertainment with its panoply of choices until they have no ear to hear the Lord’s call. Still others with a spiritual proclivity hide in their past experiences with Jehovah but refuse to come forward, repent and go on with Him. Sin forces the issue. Either a sinner repents and accepts Jehovah’s provision or he hides in his “garden” of innumerable activities in order to dismiss or diminish the nagging call, “Where are you?” Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you. The sentence here pronounced upon the woman is not for her crushing but for her salvation. It was Jehovah’s intention that the woman bear children to multiply and replenish the earth; but now this process would include pain and sorrow in order to humble her and give her a repentant heart for what she had done. The pain of delivery would be compounded by her sorrow if the children she bore were to go astray from the Lord. No grief could be greater to a mother’s heart. Her desire would be for her husband whom she had abandoned in favor of the forbidden fruit of which she enticed him to partake. Her punishment for her illegal emancipation would be her desire—some say an intense craving—for her husband who was to rule over her. This speaks of subjection to the one whom she had forsaken for sin. For her licentiousness she would have a ruler, would have no right to complain, and would desire him. Thanks to the coming of the Savior, the relationship between man and woman was restored. She, as per her purpose, is to be in subjection and he is to rule, but with this restraining caveat—they do both with mutual love and respect, as partners in the common cause of replenishing the earth and subduing it. To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. It is in the heart of a woman to have a good husband with whom she can produce children no matter the pain involved. Jesus said “whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” The sentence upon the sinful woman involving painful childbirth is rather straightforward. What is mysterious is the second half of the punishment—“yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” It seems that no matter how much women fight to rid themselves of the shackle of desiring men, they eventually gravitate to them. The original woman drifted into independence from her man and engaged the serpent and fell miserably into abjection. Jehovah’s sentence was less a punishment than it was a preservation. An independent woman is a disobedient, domineering aberration in God’s order. She not only violates His law but also frustrates His sentence upon her guilt. A humble, godly, and dependent woman desires her husband and subjects herself to him because she knows her proclivities, her weakness, her incompleteness, her vulnerability without him. She welcomes his rule over her for it keeps her wandering heart in abeyance so that she can undergird her head as he encounters his God, confronts the vagaries of human existence, and engages the enemy of his soul. Nothing is more beautiful and necessary than a woman in subjection, not slavery, to the man she desires and loves. .yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman. .(I Cor. Husbands, love your wives. Sin entered into the world through the independence of the woman who desired to be free from the benevolent and protective headship of her husband. Sin propagates through the despotic rule of men over their wives. What Jehovah originally meant as a complementary partnership of different functions, degenerated into a rivalry in which the woman tries to usurp and dominate the man, and the man tries to rule the woman with an unrelenting and inflexible rod of iron. How much damage throughout history can be traced to unwilling, intransigent women facing off against frustrated, aggressive, and belligerent men? Could we be seeing here another Genesis “seed,” this time the seed of war? What goes through the heart of a man whose wife refuses his rule, and how does that frustration vent itself? Does this account for the aggression and bellicosity in men? To affirm this may be an overstatement, but war, if nothing else is a conflict, an enlargement of this ancient original. Enter Jesus. He alone is the solution, and by His submission to His Father, not by force of will, but by the power of the indwelling divine life, reveals the way of godly subjection. He is also the benevolent Head of His body, the Christian saints, and rules it with love and grace—the perfect model for every husband. Then to Adam He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. The ramifications of sin are enormous, spreading from the three parts of man’s being to the animal and vegetable kingdoms. All nature would hereafter rise up in opposition to man’s struggle to survive, but man himself would not be cursed as was the serpent. Man had exercised his free will and had usurped Jehovah’s sovereignty through disobedience and deliberate rebellion against the prohibition. By assuming the headship over his circumstances, he abrogated his authority as steward of the earth and all upon it. The curse upon earth ran deep and affected everything that Adam would thereafter touch. This was the Lord’s salvation to Adam because it restricted and restrained him. Why was this salvation? Because it forced Adam to consider what he had done to bring this situation upon himself and his family, and to flee and hide in Jehovah as the only remedy. His life was full of trouble, as is ours, designed by his merciful God to drive him into the shelter of the divine refuge. Jehovah was Adam’s only escape from the ravages of sin and from the curse upon the earth. Small wonder then the many calls to us to hide in Him, to seek shelter in His strong fortress, to come unto Him and find rest. Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread. Adam forfeited the opportunity to live a transcendent life upon a pristine planet by allowing sin to wreak havoc in his flesh and soul and to insulate him from direct contact with Jehovah. Taking sovereignty over his life through disobedience, Adam had to be restrained lest he self-destruct and render himself useless to Jehovah. This restraint came at the bitter expense of those innocent kingdoms—plant and animal—placed under his benevolent stewardship. Jehovah cursed the ground from which Adam had to coax his survival. Only thorns and thistles would proliferate and, as a result, would frustrate and obstruct Adam’s efforts to eat. How fitting that our Lord Jesus wore a crown of thorns. He took the curse upon Himself and this curse drew His precious blood, ironically the only substance in creation able to absolve our sin, our guilt, and our shame. Adam was created to rule over earth as King. His failure allowed the latent evil of the judged earth to emerge in order to frustrate and restrain the fallen king. Our righteous King Jesus took upon Himself a crown of wretched fruit of the cursed earth, the symbol of the Pyrrhic victory of the rebel vicegerent over the Son of Man. In death and resurrection the last Adam—Christ—destroyed forever the curse and became the transcendent life in the Spirit to release fallen humanity from the bonds of earth. Cursed is the ground because of you. Adam learned quickly the ripple effect of disobedience and sin. In a matter of hours he had gone from the pleasant experience of enjoying the fruits of his labor in the garden of Eden to the uncharted waters of disobedience, sin, nakedness, and judgment. His failure to lead his wife to the tree of life and to partake of Jehovah’s life, opened the door for her independence wherein sin entered into the new world. With the sin came Jehovah’s curse upon the serpent, His promise of childbirth pain, His curse upon the ground, and His relegation of Adam to toil. All this because of one sin. We really don’t know how pervasive sin is. Our lives are inextricably bound up with many lives, and everything we do has an affect upon those within our circle of influence. Adam’s sin went to the core of his being, even into his genes, rewriting the DNA code that he passed on to his progeny ad infinitum. Our sins ripple out from us in ways we are not aware of. We cannot say that what we do or what we say is strictly a private matter. Consider how David’s private lust progressed to adultery, murder, and the death of an innocent child. Consider how Paul’s private retreat to Judaism produced a dull ear to the Spirit and the saints, confusion, rioting, incarceration, cessation of his traveling ministry, an appeal to the state for protection instead of to God, and his eventual martyrdom. Sin reverberates, and its vibrations reach deep into everything we touch. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Were man not forced to eat in order to live, there would be no bounds for his wickedness. If Adam disobeyed God amidst a perfect environment where he had regular fellowship with his Creator, what would he do now without the restraint of toil and sweat and eventual death? We know there is no limit to human depravity and it must be checked at every turn. What Adam raised in the garden for food, he did in full enjoyment of life and fellowship with Jehovah; but Jehovah replaced it all with toil and sweat. Though Adam thereafter struggled to grow his sustenance, working long days and expending the bulk of his daily energy, the ground nevertheless produced thorns and thistles to frustrate the growth of edible plants. This restricted the guilty man to a life of contemplation for his sin and of looking to the remediation through Jehovah. The tedium and routine of our lives act as restraints upon us to drive us to Him for rest and freedom. What Jehovah had originally intended for Adam and mankind, we can only find now in Christ. Jehovah had created Adam to eat the tree of life, to ingest into his spirit the eternal life of his Creator. His failure would bring him full circle back to dust, the great equalizer of all men. Regardless his accomplishments, his legacy, his successes; pitiful, frail man, dressed in the pomp of his self-absorbed greatness, returns to dust and is carried away on the wind of time and insignificance. Only Christ wrought in us will survive the passage of time in this life and the inevitable scrutiny of our omniscient and righteous God at the day of judgment. How we need eyes to see our fragility and His inestimable worth. I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. .cursed is the ground because of you. .by the sweat of you face you shall eat bread. The germ of death that entered the new world through sin spread like a cancer to every facet of life. From pain in childbirth to sweat and toil, sin produced one reminder after another of what the enemy of God had produced in the souls and bodies of the guilty pair. From that day to this, human existence is a series of problems that ends in the return to dust for every person. To the cynic human life is a bizarre exercise in futility. To the carnal it is the brazen attempt to throw off all limitations for the pursuit of temporary pleasure. To the cerebral it is an endless effort to make sense of confusion and chaos. To the religious it is a test of endurance for the next dimension. To the average Christian it is a hiatus before the rapture to heaven. To the serious follower of Christ it is our gift from God to make for and with His son one body, a mature man. Though human life is full of hardships, it is what we make of it. We can allow it to become choked with thorns and thistles or we can seize the day and pull up the noxious weeds and briars of life and cultivate our garden and produce food for ourselves and for others. It takes work and lots of it, not just to exist but to make of it all that God intended it to be. A life fully devoted to Him is no easier than any other, and perhaps more difficult, but the result is a cache of precious material (Christ wrought in us) and not just a pile of useless dust. .for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. We have seen that God judged the pre-Adamite world because of its corruption. Nothing survived that devastating cataclysm and once the flood subsided, earth was littered with the remains of judgment. From this judged sphere, God scooped up dust and made a man. The very substance of man is dust and that pulled from the dirt of judgment. Man is in body and soul quintessentially inferior to the angels, and this is exactly why God created man like He did. To shut the mouth of the archenemy, the rebel angel, God took the lowest material and made man and breathed into him the breath of life. If this inferior creature is able to defeat the defiant spirit, then Satan can never accuse God of heavy-handedness or direct intervention in his demise. All this begs the question as to why man considers himself to be anything on this earth? Every person ultimately shares the same end—dust. Regardless what accomplishments, legacy, success, every one ends up as nothing but a pile of dust, the excrement of postmortem bacteria. But, frail though we are, we do have the opportunity to produce in our lifetimes something of eternal value. The Lord gives us each new day as a clean slate so that He might engrave on our hearts His life, His essence, His nature. This and this alone is permanent and how much we allow Him to do this work in us will be the object of His judgment on that day. What of value in our lives will remain and what will be blown away by the wind of judgment? The Lord God said to the serpent. To the woman He said. Then to Adam He said. Though the punishment on the guilty pair matched the severity of the original sin, Adam realized it was not an immediate end to his life. He would die eventually, that much he knew, but His merciful God had spared him a quick and devastating demise. Surely Adam had by faith and gratitude grasped the curse upon the serpent and the promise that from his wife a promised seed would emerge to bruise the serpent’s head. Hearing these great truths before he heard the sentence upon himself saved him from complete demoralization and despair. This is how our Lord deals with us. He does not shine His exposing and righteous light upon us unfiltered without first revealing Himself as the one who is the solution to our condition. Adam faced a lifetime of trouble via the cursed ground, thorns and thistles, sweat and toil, and a return to dust; but before his sentence he had first heard of Jehovah’s promise of a seed that would crush the tempter’s head and that became his joy. Jehovah had spared Adam dejection and had given him hope, and hope was everything to the man who had just squandered all the benefits of a perfect environment and of intimate fellowship with his God. Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. When Jehovah promised Eve that a seed would come from her that would break the head of the tempter, Adam was listening and believing. This profound prophecy was the good news, the gospel, the message of One who was to come who would deal with the serpent conclusively. Adam realized as well that Jehovah’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” was still valid. Surely Adam was ecstatic, his punishment notwithstanding; so ecstatic in fact that He named his wife— ”life!” Eve means life, or living one, or life-spring. Finally Adam looked beyond himself to another as he should have been doing all along. His name means “red earth”—his origin and his destiny through death. He didn’t care. His wife would produce the promised seed, perhaps with the first child for all he knew. Whatever the case, Jehovah had postponed judgment through death on the guilty pair, and His purpose of replenishing the earth and subduing it was in play. Adam could not have been happier at that moment. There was trouble ahead and lots of it, but that was for another day. Right then there was nothing but hope and the woman’s name proved it. Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Once Adam heard that the woman would have a seed, he realized it was not the end of the road for either of them. Though his punishment involved toil and trouble and sweat and, ultimately, death; that pronouncement came after he had heard and seized upon the hope of the promised seed. Though they had committed an egregious sin that warranted the severest of penalties, Jehovah first promised them a seed that would break the head of the tempter, and that promise constituted their great hope. Without that hope, Adam was doomed to despair and nothing is worse than despair because with it comes lethargy, the death knell of the human will. Had Jehovah sentenced the man and the woman before He had promised the seed, their focus would have been upon their frightful and hopeless condition and destiny. But the wise Jehovah first gave them hope—hope in the coming seed, perhaps their firstborn for all they knew—and that provided them the endurance to continue on in the divine mandate to replenish the earth and subdue it. Is it any wonder, then, that the hopeful and ecstatic Adam, though smarting from the prospect of future punishment, named his wife Eve—the life-spring—for he first heard the promise, believed it with all his heart, and acted accordingly by pronouncing his partner the mother of all living? The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. This is the beginning of salvation for the guilty pair. Having been flushed out of hiding and standing naked before God, they needed a covering. Before the sin, they were clothed in innocence and they functioned normally without fear or guilt in the presence of Jehovah. Sin had stripped away their innocence leaving them exposed to the condemnation of God and to the accusations and attacks of the enemy. According to my speculation, Jehovah led them to the field and had them select two lambs and lift them into their arms. Then one at a time, Jehovah took a knife and slit the throats of each until the blood drained out upon the ground before Adam and Eve. He would not allow either to divert their eyes from the lifeless eyes of the innocent animals as they lay limp in their arms. Then Jehovah skinned the animals and fabricated coats from the skins to cover the devastated couple who couldn’t absorb what had just taken place. The emotion of the moment must have overwhelmed them. The guiltless lambs, so recently grazing serenely in the lush grass and cuddling in the arms of the man and woman suspecting nothing and peering up into their eyes with trust and curiosity and feeling the unfamiliar sting of the blade and drifting into unconsciousness as their blood soaked into the ground—these lambs gave their lives that the two sinners might live. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Genesis is the book of beginnings and so here begins the truths about sacrifice and clothing developed throughout the Scriptures. Jehovah created Adam and Eve as perfect vessels to contain His life. They were clothed in an aura of innocence because they had done nothing sinful. This “clothing” protected them from the assaults of the enemy of their souls. After the fall they were laid bare before their sworn enemy and before their righteous God who demanded innocence from them in order to save them from His judgment and to restore fellowship with Him. But they were hopelessly naked and helpless to do anything to improve their situation, and, save for the mercy and grace of Jehovah, they would have died quickly and pathetically. So Jehovah came in to save them by slaughtering innocent animals and by clothing them with the animal hides. Guiltless life saved the guilty pair because sin had ruined and consigned them to death. For them to live on required the shedding of blameless blood from a substitute life. To restore Adam and Eve’s standing before Him, Jehovah required a covering that He, in His holiness, could look upon. The innocent life of the animals, prefiguring the spotless Lamb to come, bore the punishment for their sin and restored their righteous standing before God. When Jehovah looked at the pair, He saw not their sin and shame, but the innocent life expended on their behalf. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. I will rejoice greatly in the Lord; my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation; He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness. Righteousness is the antonym of rebellion, the source of all sin. Lucifer threw off the restraints of his creation and rebelled against his Creator, and he enticed the woman to do the same thing. God’s righteous nature required that Adam and Eve be clothed in righteousness in order to be in His presence. Since they had sinned, nothing they could do or bring to God would satisfy Him. Their fig leaf aprons were a joke because they came from the filthy hands that had plucked the forbidden fruit. Only a righteous substitute could satisfy God, so He slaughtered animals that had done nothing wrong and made from them coverings for the offending and offensive flesh of the guilty pair. These animals prefigured the Lamb who was coming who would take away the sin of the world. This Christ is the righteous One, the One in whom we must wrap ourselves as our robe of righteousness. He is the antithesis of rebellion and the paragon of righteousness, and only He satisfies the Father’s requirement, for His blood shed for us is the only pure substance that can cleanse sin, and His perfectly righteous life is the only suitable clothing we can wear in the Father’s presence. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Put on the armor of light. .put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jehovah slaughtered the lambs in front of Adam and Eve, He didn’t do it for the shock value; rather He did it to provide them with sin-cleansing blood and with garments of skins. They had sinned and had lost their innocence that had clothed them. This covering had been their protection against the attacks of the enemy lurking about them, as well as their means to enter and enjoy fellowship with their holy and righteous God. With that covering removed by sin, they desperately needed armor to blunt the enemy’s advances and a shelter to shield them from their righteous Judge. Only another life would qualify on both counts and that life is found only in Jesus Christ then and now. He is the true Lamb slain in time and space for our sins. When we receive His provision, we are cleansed by His shed blood and forgiven, and we are wrapped in His righteousness against the onslaught of the rebel spirit and against the righteous demands of our holy God. When God looks upon us, He sees only His Son. It is now our obligation to remain wrapped in Him, to put Him on, to wear Him as our clothing. We have to keep short accounts with our Father by confessing our sins and by returning again and again to His presence until we learn to abide there. As we practice this, He increasingly becomes our robe of righteousness and garment of salvation. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Once Adam and Eve fell into sin, they lost their innocence, which had covered them as clothing, would have. When the realization hit them that they had lost their covering, shame and vulnerability set in and motivated them to hastily cover themselves with fig leaves. Apparently they weren’t too confident in their efforts because when they heard Jehovah walking in the garden, they hid themselves in the trees and later admitted they were naked. Ever since that original sin, the physical body has become shameful flesh in need of covering. Clothing serves important purposes before God and before man. It is the outward expression of a person’s character. That is why the Levitical priests had to follow God’s instructions precisely about their clothing before they entered the Holy of Holies where God resided. Had they been careless, God would have struck them down. Jesus told the story about a wedding feast guest who was dressed improperly and was cast out and punished. Jesus, in order to bear our shame, was stripped naked on the cross and left to die. Naked flesh is shameful because the enemy has corrupted it and destroyed its covering of innocence. For this reason it is important that we cover it and cover it modestly. People judge us by what we wear because they can’t look upon the heart. Does our clothing reveal the Christ in us or does it shout out our degradation? Are we wearing garments of skin or aprons of fig leaves? God knows and it’s important to Him. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” The serpent predicted that if Eve were to take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she would become like God insomuch as she would possess the same knowledge of God concerning good and evil. In that regard, he spoke the truth. According to God’s design Adam and Eve should have eaten of the tree of life and been filled with the life of Jehovah. By sharing in His life they would have been like Him in the proper way and would have been able to process the knowledge of good and evil—the situation in the universe brought on by the rebellion of Satan. As it was, through their disobedience, they were in danger of taking of the eternal life represented by the tree of life and of living eternally in a fallen condition—an unmitigated damage and misery to them that Jehovah would not allow. His heart was to save them and that is why He promised them the seed. Their salvation had to come from the seed of promise, because only this seed could open to them again the way to the tree of life and it was only through Him that they would be saved from their wickedness. It was Jehovah’s mercy and grace that prevented them from taking of the tree of life in their corrupted and sinful condition. They first had to be cleansed and only the coming seed could affect that work in them. .therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out. Many times we don’t know why the Lord does what He does. From our perspective He seems unusually and unnecessarily harsh in His dealings with us. To an objective onlooker it might appear that Jehovah came down way too hard on the errant couple what with childbirth pain, a cursed ground, a promise of sweat and toil and eventual death. Added to that, Jehovah banished them from the garden into a cruel world of thorns, thistles, pain, disappointment, discouragement, and loneliness. Strangely cruel? Not when you consider the alternative. Had they remained in the garden and partaken of the tree of life, what then? Since the tree of life represented the eternal life of Jehovah, had they eaten of it in their fallen condition, they would have lived eternally in corruption and sin without remediation. That was unconscionable to Jehovah, the God of love and salvation. Their banishment was their salvation because they had none to rely upon but the One who drove them out. It was for their own good, and we know that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. Whom the Lord loves He chastens. He loved Adam and Eve and He wasn’t about to see them damage themselves even more than they had. May we never question how the Lord deals with us. He knows what we need and arranges our circumstances accordingly. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. That Jehovah had to drive out Adam and Eve implies that they didn’t want to leave, and why would they? They had been clothed with innocence and had been dwelling in Jehovah’s abode surrounded by His presence. Why they didn’t partake of the tree of life in such a favorable environment remains a profound mystery. But for their punishment and protection, Jehovah had to drive them out of His dwelling place. At the entrance to His Edenic tabernacle, according to the meaning of the Hebrew verb, He built another tabernacle wherein He placed cherubim—winged, living creatures to guard the way to the tree of life with a flaming sword. Again, as with so many truths of the Scriptures, Genesis marks the beginning. Here we have the clear indications of God’s desire to dwell on the earth with His human creatures. He has always desired to be our God and for us to be His people, and such would have been the case had the couple taken of His life and been filled with Him. As it was, sin ruined the situation and the holy and righteous God had no choice but to drive them out of His abode. For them to return to His presence and to eat of His life, they had to meet the requirements of His holiness and righteousness. They could not and were cast out. Matthew Henry speaks of their banishment. “He was sent to a place of toil, not to a place of torment. He was sent to the ground, not to the grave—to the workhouse, not to the dungeon, not to the prison house—to hold the plough, not to drag the chain.” So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark. The garden of Eden was God’s habitation on the earth before sin entered the world and corrupted it. This didn’t alter the Lord’s intention or desire to dwell on the earth, but it did alter His accessibility. Man’s sin forced Jehovah’s hand and He drove the man out from His presence and from His open air “tabernacle,” the garden of Eden. Then He stationed cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life. The Hebrew verb translated “stationed” connotes tabernacle. We see this motif developed in the innermost chamber of the desert tabernacle of the Israelites and in the Jerusalem temple. There in that place where God actually dwelt, there was the ark of the covenant containing explanations of Christ—the ten commandments, the manna, and Aaron’s budding rod. The lid to this box was the mercy seat and stationed at both ends of this lid were golden cherubim. What does all this mean? In Eden there was the tree of life representing the life of Jehovah. It is His design that we eat of that tree to be filled with His life. Our sin made Jehovah inaccessible because of the demands of His righteousness and holiness. In order to enter His presence and partake of His life, we have to satisfy His righteousness and until we do, the cherubs are there to prevent unlawful entry. Is there any hope for us? So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. Imagine what Adam and Eve saw when they looked back after their banishment. At the entrance to their former home was a tabernacle built at the entrance guarded by cherubim wielding flashing and flaming swords. These creatures stood in defense of God’s righteousness and holiness and nothing contaminated by sin could enter in. What hope was there for sinful man to ever pass through that entrance into Jehovah’s presence again? When Jehovah’s dwelling place passed from Eden to the tabernacle and to the temple, the priest could only enter once a year after much preparation into the inner chamber to commune with Jehovah. Hardly the accessible God. But when the Word became flesh, when the Son of God came to earth and became a man, then the tabernacle shifted to the man, Jesus. He was God’s mobile abode, housing His Father within Him. Still, what is that to us with sword-wielding cherubim standing in our way? This perfect Man offered Himself upon God’s altar to pay for all the sin committed in the world. This Man cooled the flaming swords because He satisfied all of God’s righteous and holy demands. He led us back to the tree of life and now we are being filled with His life to be built together into His spiritual house, the further development of His tabernacle, His nation and His assembly. From being denied entrance into His tabernacle to becoming His present day tabernacle, we are the most privileged people. All credit for this marvelous turnaround goes to the one perfect Man, the ultimate and final sacrifice, the pioneer who cut the way for us back to God Himself. Now the man had relations with his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain and she said, I have gotten a man child with the help of Jehovah. One wonders if the couple engaged in sexual relations on the very day of their expulsion from the garden. It seems plausible since their banishment stripped them of all the pleasure they had known up to that time. True pleasure is only found in the confines of Jehovah’s presence, so once this pleasure vanished, mankind throughout history has been driven by the pursuit of human pleasure, and pleasure is an irrepressible motivator. For the non-believers, the pursuit of pleasure permeates everything they do, from making a living to recreating. A job, though a drudgery, furnishes the means to live a comfortable life in a nice house surrounded by amenities. In that house there is a suitable entertainment system to soothe away the reality of the daily grind in a hard world. They raise a family that hopefully will give them vicarious pleasure through their accomplishments, and eventually will take care of them in a retirement full of the final pursuits of pleasure. Then comes the end. For a believer, there remains the pursuit of pleasure, but this pleasure comes with the satisfaction of knowing and loving their Lord and of seeing those around them doing the same. This is the true pleasure of the human life and all other ancillary pleasures are appreciated but not craved, for in the Lord, the believer finds the pleasure of being fully satisfied and contented inwardly. Now the man had relations with his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain and she said, I have gotten a man child with the help of Jehovah. How excited Adam and Eve must have been when they felt the first kick inside her expanding womb. This had to be the “seed of the woman” promised by Jehovah that would crush the head of the serpent. Even though the promised pain in childbirth wracked her body, the joy that a baby had entered the new world to set things right overwhelmed it. Is any joy in the human realm more joyful than bringing forth a child into the world? The miracle of birth wipes away all agony and encloses the parents in an intense, though short-lived ecstasy. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve enjoyed the sweetness and novelty of this first birth, or how long it was before they realized that Cain was not the promised seed; but we do know that this birth was the Lord’s mercy on the guilty pair to punish them according to His word of righteousness, to give them joy in the birth of Cain, and to provide them with hope to face the new, fallen world. We know by the response of the mother—“I have gotten a man child with Jehovah – that she considered this child as from Jehovah. She was convinced that Cain was the promised seed. So let us leave her and her husband alone with their newborn and let them rest in the joy of bringing life into the world. It will be soon enough that reality will set in and dash their hopes and bring them unfathomable anguish. That can wait for another day. Now the man had relations with his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain and she said, I have gotten a man child with the help of Jehovah. Again she gave birth to his brother Abel. Names are vital to understanding the scriptures. We’ve seen the difference between Elohim and Jehovah in describing God and His activities. Elohim is the Creator-God—Almighty, distant, unapproachable. Jehovah is the God of concern, of fellowship, of intimacy, of love and compassion and tenderness, and, ultimately, of salvation. Adam is of the earth and is so named. Eve is the mother of all living, as her name reflects. Here Cain means acquired—“I have gotten a man child with Jehovah.” So convinced was she that she had acquired the promised seed that would crush the serpent’s head that she credited Jehovah, not Elohim. During the deception, she had taken the serpent’s bait and turned away from Jehovah and accused Elohim of tyranny. But here she is so ecstatic with Cain that she credits Jehovah, her merciful and compassionate God. But when Abel arrives, she is, perhaps, put upon by the care of another son who, in her mind, couldn’t possibly be the son of promise, that she names him Abel—vanity. Or Cain may have been so obviously natural and evil as a child that she knew he was not the promise, to which she reacted with discouragement and disappointment in the naming of her second boy. Now the man had relations with his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain and she said, I have gotten a man child with the help of Jehovah. Again she gave birth to his brother Abel. The Lord’s ways are far higher than our thoughts and what we think is of Him may turn out to be a disaster, and to what we give little thought—or even despise—may be the Lord’s will all along. It takes a lot of experience, a lot of trial and error, before we can definitively say what is of Christ and what is not, and even then, we can’t be over-confident that we know for sure. Eve was altogether convinced that Cain was the promised seed that would bruise the serpent’s head, so she credited Jehovah, not Elohim, for the child. What transpired between Cain’s and Abel’s births we don’t know, but we know that Abel means “vanity.” She may have seen the inherent evil, the intransigence, the rebellion, in her firstborn that caused her deep disappointment and despair; so much so that when Abel came into the world through the excruciating pain of childbirth, she was too discouraged to accept that this child could be a lover of Jehovah according to His purpose. So she named him “vanity.” In other words, “what’s the use? What good is another child? Life is too hard. Jehovah is hard. There is no hope. All is vain.” But Jehovah sees everything and knows what is best for us. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. The first mention of these two brothers gives us no hint that they are different in nature. Both are sons of Adam and Adam is a fallen man. They received from Adam his fallen nature and there was not one thing they could do about it. They did not ask to be born, they just were. They didn’t have the opportunity that their father did of being in the paradise of Eden where grew the tree of life. It wasn’t them who rejected perfection in favor of rebellion and disobedience. When they came out of Eve’s womb, they were already, by nature, fallen and corrupted. This is the condition of every human being ever born after Adam. Regardless how a person wants to spin the truth, there is no question that the human condition throughout history proves the inescapable and irrefutable fact that we are born sinners, and the only way we will ever remedy our pernicious nature is by another birth. We need the nature of Christ if we ever hope to subdue the galling wickedness of the sin nature we inherited from our first parents. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. In so many ways these two brothers were the same—same father, same mother, same nature, same gender, same circumstances, same environment. But there was one glaring difference—their occupations. Cain labored in bringing forth food from the cursed ground that kept his family alive. It couldn’t have been easy with the promised proliferation of inedible and noxious thorns and thistles. It is one thing to putter around in a garden with a supermarket down the street; it is quite another to have yourself and three others dependent on your efforts for survival. Cain had to have been under tremendous pressure. Abel, on the other hand, tended flocks that were only for sacrificing and clothing. Because of their sins, blood had to flow, either from the sinner or from the sinner’s sacrifice; and this is why Abel raised lambs. For men to have life and any blessing from Jehovah, they had to offer a substitute sacrifice to cover their sins. Lambs were vital, not for food, but for clothing nakedness and for satisfying Jehovah, and Abel met that need. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. There is no indication that Jehovah was either pleased or displeased with the brothers’ occupations. Both were vital—one for the satisfaction and pleasure of Jehovah; one for the satisfaction and sustenance of man. As is the case with all our relationships divine and human, it is altogether a matter of the heart. Did Abel regard Cain’s work as demeaning and menial and beneath that of a devotee of Jehovah? Abel had no such heart of pride that would denigrate his brother for raising the food that kept him alive. Did Cain view with disdain his contemplative brother who, ostensibly, did nothing truly substantial for the survival of the family in the harsh environment of a fallen world, since sheep were strictly raised for sacrifice and clothing? Did he hate him when he saw his younger brother moving the sheep to pasture, where, upon waiting for their feeding, used his time to meditate upon Jehovah and the works of His hands? Yes. As the salty sweat assaulted his eyes, he felt confined to the dusty fields by the demand of survival. He saw his brother move about freely from one meadow and watering hole to the next, apparently without concern or care, only to return at evening to a meal of vegetables and fruit and grains coaxed from the stubborn earth by real men doing real work. How little did Cain ponder the primacy of Abel’s work of “seeking first the kingdom and His righteousness,” in order that all things necessary for physical life could be added to the first family. He was blinded by what he saw as gross inequity, when, in fact, it was Abel’s efforts that opened Jehovah’s hand of help and blessing to all of them. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. In the book of beginnings, we have another truth seed that will develop as the Scriptures unfold. This truth shows that we are inextricably linked to what we do. What we do and what we are cannot be separated. It follows that Jehovah requires us to offer ourselves and our work to Him in order for us to live a satisfying and peaceful life on this fallen planet. Every human being will pass through this offering at some time. Either daily, or monthly, or yearly (his choice), or at the end of life. The Judge will look at our offering and determine its worth. The outcome depends on our heart. Abel’s heart was righteous before His God and God accepted his offering. Cain’s heart was not, and the Lord looks upon the heart. Abel shepherded his sheep in the presence of Jehovah. Cain could have farmed in the Lord’s presence, but did not, and was rejected. What will it be for us? Will we come before Jehovah frequently and regularly, offering ourselves and our produce, or will we have no heart and find ourselves at the judgment seat one dreadful day watching our works burn to ash? 3) Best we guard our hearts and offer ourselves each morning to our Judge for daily purification so that what we are and do will stand the final test. Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel. .brought of the firstlings of his flock. .the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. Sin did untold damage to the original parents and that damage did not end with them but extended to their children. Cain was their first child and they had no experience raising children and it showed. Surely they were excited that Cain was the promised seed from Jehovah and maybe this excitement and expectation derailed their diligence to teach the child the ways of Jehovah. They were obviously deflated when Abel was born because they named him “vanity.” However their training of Abel benefited from their experience with Cain, because Abel learned well the necessity of the blood sacrifice in order to approach the righteous Jehovah and to rest under His blessing. Adam surely taught his sons of the first sacrifice that saved them from certain death and furnished them with clothing. So powerful was this impression upon Abel, he became the keeper of sheep to supply the sacrifices for the family. His heart was fully given over to Jehovah and to His ways. He knew he was a sinner in need of salvation and of Jehovah’s presence. Cain had no such heart and probably thought it foolish to waste so much time with animals that provided no food, and, except for their skins, were worthless. Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel. .brought of the firstlings of his flock. .the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. It’s hard to understand what Cain was thinking when he came to Jehovah with a vegetable offering. What did he think his brother was doing by raising and tending a flock of lambs? The animals were not for food and were only good for clothing after they were sacrificed to Jehovah. With just a tiny opening in his heart, Cain could have seen that his farming efforts were keeping his brother alive so that his brother’s work could keep him in a proper relationship to Jehovah and under His blessing. Did Cain really think that what he could bring through his own efforts would satisfy Jehovah’s righteous requirement of perfect holiness? Apparently, or even more troubling and more likely, was the possibility that Cain presumptuously and arrogantly and defiantly thrust his armload of vegetables and fruit onto the altar knowing full well there wasn’t a drop of blood in any of it. No wonder he was rejected. What he should have done, and probably knew it, was to humble himself as the pitiful and hopeless sinner he was, and offer one of Abel’s lambs to Jehovah. But the rebel Cain forced the issue and his unfounded pride and Jehovah’s subsequent rejection burned a bitter hole in his soul. Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel. .also brought of the firstlings and of their fat portions. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts. Abel came to Jehovah knowing he was a pathetic, undone and hopeless sinner and that only the sacrifice of another life could save him from his wretchedness. He learned the lesson from his parents’ experience—the only hope for the sinner was in the substitutionary death of an innocent animal, the harbinger of One whose death would free the world from the clutch of sin and death. He knew that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” And without the remission of sin there is no peace of heart or easing of the conscience. But knowing all this was not enough for Abel. His tender heart received the faith from Jehovah that indeed the sacrificial lamb would satisfy His requirement and would set his stricken conscience free of condemnation. The faith was not a thing that Jehovah gave him, but was Himself. One described it as “an imperishable principle, emanating from an eternal source, even God Himself.” Abel knew the import of his offering and knew the squalor resident in his fallen soul. To him, the offering of the innocent lamb was everything and he was nothing. This ability to see these truths is faith and Abel had faith, so much so that Jehovah regarded him as righteous. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Cain’s reaction is predictable. The record mentions his offering first, indicating that he was the more overt, more forceful, more proud than Abel, more self-confident, almost daring Jehovah not to accept his bloodless offering. Cain also demonstrates that a person does what he is. We may turn certain behavior off and on, but in time we will be found out. What we are will come out in what we do. Cain was a wicked, arrogant, hateful, self-assured man who thrust his offering upon the altar in defiance of Jehovah’s requirement that only innocent blood can cover sin. He felt that the work of his own hands was enough to satisfy Jehovah, for after all, it was his work that was keeping his family alive in the fallen world. It was not in him to humble himself and admit that he needed anything from his younger brother with the soft hands, but that is exactly what he needed to do, because Abel was in charge of the sacrificial lambs needed to maintain the family’s relationship with Jehovah. Cain hated it all. The cursed earth, the slaughtering of animals, the difficulty of life brought on by the screw-ups of others. This hatred came out in his attitude and in his extreme anger. But for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Cain is the first false religionist out of whom all false religion springs. Religion teaches that sinful man can do something to make himself acceptable to God, when in fact only a blood sacrifice of an acceptable substitute can satisfy Jehovah and open the way into His presence. Cain offered to Jehovah what he produced with his sinful hands from the cursed earth. From that point on, sinful men contrive all sorts of machinations that they think will appease an angry God. Anything from offering beating hearts torn from the chests of human victims to climbing long stairs over broken glass as a way of doing penance for sin to the ripping the flesh in self-flagellation to hanging upon a cross with hands and feet anchored by nails. The offerings of Cain are legion and none are acceptable to God. They are insulting to Him because nothing satisfies Him but His own sacrifice—Christ. Abel knew this and when he slaughtered the innocent lamb, he hid himself behind this type of Christ, the Lamb of God. God accepted Abel’s gift and this incensed the religious Cain. Nothing draws the ire of human religion more than the inflexibility of the truth. The truth was that Jehovah demanded a blood substitute, thereby making sinful man nothing in His sight and the sacrifice everything. Human religion will never accept this and will persecute those who hold Christ as everything to God and to man. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not well, sin is crouching at the door; and it desire is for you, but you must master it.” The Lord never lets go of us easily, not even one so evil as Cain. Had He predestinated Cain to this fate, He would not have wasted His time in trying to convince him to master his anger and to do well. He was encouraging Cain to seek out his brother and to obtain a proper sacrifice from him; that is, to do well, to offer well. This is the second time in the record that Jehovah seeks out His errant children. He asked Adam, “Where are you? He asks Cain, “Why are you angry?” In both instances His goal is to save, to reveal Himself as the One who can meet all their needs. Both Adam and Cain needed a blood sacrifice to cover their sins and Jehovah came to them to urge them “to do well.” We are fools if we cast aspersions on these two men because we are no different and have no less need for a sacrifice than they did. And as Jehovah approached them, so He approaches us and all sinners. If He does not come to us and point out our glaring sins and our desperate need, we may have an excuse for our behavior; but if He confronted Cain, then we can be assured He will confront every sinner and us in particular. What a terrible shame if we refuse His overtures toward us and reject Him. We have no assurance that He will ever return and we could be left to ourselves until the day we die. That’s a terrible prospect! And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. .in my flesh dwells no good thing. .the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We make a mistake if we think sin is just an error in judgment or a slip-up or a faux pas. Sin is far more than that. Here Jehovah warned Cain that if he did not go to his brother to obtain a proper offering and do well, sin was crouching at the door desiring to devour him. Sin was not just a thing, but an entity with a life of its own, able to stalk, attack, and devour its victim. Jehovah exhorted Cain that he must master it or it would consume him, because he wasn’t dealing with an innocuous principle but a venomous and treacherous being; that is, Satan himself. Paul explained that in his flesh no good thing was dwelling. Principles and theories don’t “dwell,” only beings dwell. Satan is that “no good thing” dwelling in our flesh. Not only does he crouch at the door of our heart waiting for an opportunity to pounce, Peter describes him as a roaring lion on the prowl for a human meal. He doesn’t play footsie. He’s in it to rip and devour human beings. Jehovah warned Cain of this and urged him to do well by humbling himself and by offering the suitable sacrifice. And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. Cain could not have misunderstood this vivid warning from Jehovah. He gives sin beastly features that should have sent shivers up Cain’s spine. Surely he had seen the affects of the fall upon creation and particularly upon the animal kingdom. Formerly compatible existence had degenerated into a predator/prey relationship. Because of his work in the fields, Cain had witnessed the crouching predator seize its prey and tear it to pieces and devour it. This metaphor for sin should have put Cain into a state of shock and should have humbled him and should have sent him seeking out an offering from his brother. That was the only way for him to master the stalking beast at the door of his heart. The fact that Jehovah had accepted Abel’s gift was all Cain needed to know about how to maintain a relationship with his God, and it shouldn’t have taken such a dire warning from Jehovah to get his attention; but sin is a cruel tyrant not easily mastered. We need to pray everyday that our heart does not become so hard and calloused that it cannot hear the Lord’s word to us; or, if it does, refuses to obey it. There is too much Cain in our fallen nature. .even as Christians. And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. Make no mistake about it, sin can destroy a human being. Because we can’t see into the invisible realm, perhaps Jehovah was using a metaphor to describe sin as crouching at the door; but when He said, “and its desire is for you,” the metaphor suddenly takes on animal and even human qualities. Desire shows soul and only a being has a soul. We need to dash the idea that sin is solely a trespass or violation of God’s prohibitions. It is far more. It is the expression of an evil being that seeks to damage and destroy us as useful vessels in the hands of our God. He entered into our flesh when our first parents disobeyed God and ingested the forbidden fruit. Their rebellion against God allowed the wicked spirit to lodge himself in their flesh where he could lie in wait for an opportunity to pounce and tear and devour. Our sins are the activation of Satan in our flesh. They are his expression. When we sin, we release Satan into our lives and into the world. Jesus, like us in every way, carried about in His flesh this avowed archenemy, but because He never sinned, Satan remained dormant and powerless, even as Jesus moved inexorably toward the cross and the crushing of His enemy’s head. Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Life of any kind reproduces. When Jehovah described sin as crouching at the door of Cain’s heart, He implied that it was like a wild beast hungry for its prey. Sin, if activated by Cain’s willfulness, would come alive and desire Cain’s wanton heart. So what began in Adam as the small sin of disobedience had grown in Cain into a wild predator, further proof that sin is far more than a trespass or a mistake. It is alive and crouching and desirous to devour us. The condemned serpent was consigned to eat dust all his days and here we see him ready to consume Cain, a man of mere dust. After millennia of devouring human dust, the crouching sin at Cain’s door grows into a great dragon attempting to devour the man child in Revelation 12. Life grows and life reproduces. Satan’s life, given to him by the reproductive Creator, grows and reproduces. Again we have to consider Jesus, who, though confined to the prison of human flesh occupied by His burgeoning mortal enemy, never once allowed Satan to raise up his terrible head. This is so extraordinary! How incredibly ironic that a mere man carried the enemy in His flesh to the cross and slew him there and crushed his head, even as this enemy’s own cohorts—the Jewish/Roman cabal—pronounced the sentence and drove the nails through his hands and feet and slashed His side! And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. .in my flesh dwells no good thing. .the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We make a mistake if we think sin is just an error in judgment or a slip-up or a faux pas or any other inane euphemism. Sin is far more than that. Here Jehovah warned Cain that if he did not go to his brother to obtain a proper offering and do well, sin was crouching at the door desiring to devour him. Sin was not just a thing, but an entity with a life of its own, able to stalk, attack, and devour its victim. Jehovah exhorted Cain that he must master it or it would consume him, because he wasn’t dealing with an innocuous principle but a venomous and treacherous being; that is, Satan himself. Paul explained that in his flesh no good thing was dwelling. Principles and theories don’t “dwell,” only beings dwell. Satan is that “no good thing” dwelling in our flesh. Not only does he crouch at the door of our heart waiting for an opportunity to pounce, Peter describes him as a roaring lion on the prowl for a human meal. He doesn’t play footsie. He’s in it to rip and devour human beings. Jehovah warned Cain of this and urged him to do well by humbling himself and by offering the suitable sacrifice. Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. What did Cain tell his younger brother? Surely not his conversation with Jehovah, for that would have aroused suspicion in Abel who would have taken steps to protect himself. Maybe he told Abel to come and see a new crop he was raising. Something. .anything to lure him into the field away from his dreaded sheep. Abel trusted his older brother and would have done anything for him. How did he feel when he saw the Lord’s rejection of Cain’s offering? Not surprised, but probably deeply saddened that his sibling with whom he had grown up and respected and loved was discarding the Lord’s way of blood sacrifice in favor of the works of his own hands. As they walked together in the field, innocent Abel may have tried his best to convince Cain to offer a lamb to Jehovah; but Cain had made up his mind. He would not serve a God of blood; a God who required of him something that he had nothing to do with, like a perfectly good lamb; an inflexible God of rules and regulations. He hated Jehovah and everything and every one associated with Him, even his own little brother who had never done him wrong. He would serve himself and have his own self-centered life and religion and the rest of the world be damned. This was the arrogant soul of Cain. He was religiously evil, a precursor to the pompous Pharisees, and his brother was righteous; and, as Jehovah predicted, sin rose from his crouch and devoured Cain. How small a step from religious intolerance and hatred to the murder of God’s righteous. Cain rose up against his brother and killed him. Thus we have the contrast between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, and the harbinger of human history. Both were religious men—one of Jehovah’s righteous and one of human device; one of profound love, one of visceral hatred; one of care and concern, one of bitter envy and jealously; one a seeker after God, one at variance with God; one humble, one arrogant; one pure, one corrupted. The distinction between the two could not be more glaring and so it has been since the beginning. Jesus said that the world would hate us because its works are evil, as evil as were their father Cain’s; and our works in Christ are righteous and there is no toleration for it. Lest we think that this conflict is outside of us exclusively as in us against the world, think again. Cain and his ways war against our souls because we are every bit as fallen as he was, but we have Christ now as our offering and His sacrifice is our hiding place, our fortress when we abide in His presence and live according to His life and person within us. When we fall into sin, we take on the characteristics of Cain and hate that our conscience bothers us just as Abel’s righteousness gnawed at his brother. The battle is in our soul as well as in the world. Cain told Abel his brother. Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” In these two verses Abel’s name is thrice mentioned and each time is attached with “brother” as if to emphasize how egregious is the crime of fratricide. Cain, who should have been Abel’s protector, became his murderer; and not only so, became the first liar as well when Jehovah arraigned him. How significant are Jehovah’s questions. When Adam and Eve hid themselves with fig leaves among the trees, he asked “Where are you?” Jehovah first comes to us inquiring of our individual condition and seeking its remediation. If we are not set aright in our own selves we can never hear the second question, “Where is your brother?” Even though our own inward condition is proper before the Lord, we must hear the second question regarding our brother, for we are responsible for him, for his well-being. So many Christians have scant regard for the brethren because misleaders have taught them for years that Jesus is their own “personal” Savior, when in fact He died for us all. He is the Savior of the Body and when we receive Him, we are born again into His family. We must hear our Father’s voice when he asks of us, “Where is your brother?” We must break out of our own little world with our “personal” Savior. We are members one of another, integral parts of His family. The record three times says “brother” because the Lord cares deeply for the family He has fathered. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The proper response would have been to say nothing at all because Cain, as the older brother, was indeed entrusted with the care and keeping of his younger brother. This kind of arrogant dismissal for one’s responsibility to others finds a far too welcome reception in the Christian community. We divide up into our convenient comfort zones in total disobedience to the Lord’s desire that we be one. We avoid becoming involved in the messy details of others’ lives by staying away from them. This is the way of Cain. Cain hated restraint—from God, from the cursed earth, and from his family—so he lashed out in defiance with an illegal offering and in murdering his brother. This reprehensible independence from those things in his life that God put there for his own benefit constituted the way of Cain. How shameful if we have the same attitude and practice, if we chafe under His yoke, if we point the finger at the Lord and tell Him, in effect, “If you are concerned about my brother, then you take care of him. I’m not his keeper. You are.” But we are each other’s keeper. In Matthew 24 the Lord put His wise slave in charge of His household to give them food in a timely manner. If we fashion ourselves as the Lord’s slaves, then we have such a charge. We have to take care of our Lord’s household and feed them the bread of life. When the Lord comes to us to ask us concerning His people, He does so because we are our brothers’ keeper. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain’s arrogance is stunning. He offers to Jehovah a bloodless offering of his own making, he allows his anger to build until he lashes out at his younger brother and murders him, he lies to Jehovah, and he indirectly and insolently accuses Jehovah of not watching out for Abel. This is a troubled man wrong in every way. He wants nothing to do with Jehovah or his family. He is truly the seed of the serpent, and he is the genesis of another way upon the earth, a way of independence from all restraint. Cain’s way is to improve his situation, to make the world a better place to live without the oppressive presence of God, failing to realize that the earth is cursed and always will be until a new earth takes its place. To Cain, this earth was all he had and he knew he had to make the best of it because he had cut all ties to the Lord and to the heavenly realm. His heart, his focus, his aspirations were all earthbound and earth was cursed. This is the way of Cain. The Lord’s way is to use this earth for the accomplishment of His purpose and then destroy it. He does not regard the earth as permanent and neither should we. We are here for His interest and we should never be distracted by what this earth has to offer. We belong to a higher realm and a better way. He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground (Gen. 4:10) Here is another pertinent and penetrating question by Jehovah, the continuation of probing inquiries designed to bring men to Himself. To Adam: “Where are you?” To Cain: “Why are you angry?” “Where is Abel your brother?” “What have you done?” Adam responded after one question. Cain turned his back after three. This speaks well of the free will of man and the patience of God. God knew in the beginning of time what Cain’s reaction would be, but this did not deter him from approaching His errant creature in love and in hope of turning his heart away from the impending disaster. Was it a vain waste of Jehovah’s time to try to persuade Cain? Hardly. He gave Cain every opportunity to repent and to come back to Him before it was too late and before the damage was irreparable. Jehovah would have been the first to rejoice at the reversal of His foreknowledge. So patiently, persistently, He goads Cain into reconsidering his ways lest he end up forever alienated from his Creator. He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.” We should pay close attention to the animation of inanimate (so-called) items of which Jehovah speaks. Before Cain killed Abel, Jehovah warned him that sin was crouching at his door as if sin were a predatory animal. Here Abel’s blood assumes life and cries aloud unto God from the ground. It is not as if some red liquid flowed from the veins of the victim and was no more. That life stream released violently and prematurely demanded of its righteous Creator swift and sure vengeance—the reason for Jehovah’s visit with Cain. What then of the blood of the innocent Son of Man some four thousand years later? We, as Christians, have come “to Jesus. .and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” Abel’s blood demanded revenge upon his lying and murdering brother, and surely the demand was justified; but are we not all complicit in the death of the innocent Jesus who, in order to satisfy His Father’s righteousness, had to suffer for us and for what we had done? Yes, a thousand times yes! We are no less guilty than Cain. He murdered his righteous brother; we, by our sins and our sinfulness, are the reason for the shameful death of the spotless Lamb of God. The blood of this One, unlike that of Abel, cries out, not for vengeance at the hand of a righteous God, but for forgiveness from the heart of His loving Father. For this we can and will be eternally grateful. He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.” Little do we realize the trouble this poor planet has seen in its long history. It suffered under the judgment of Satan’s rebellion and corruption until the death waters receded. Then it reluctantly soaked up the blood of innocent lambs for Adam and Eve’s clothing, the blood of righteous Abel, and the blood of God’s own Son. Small wonder that John saw in his final visions the passing away of the old earth. Yet what does unregenerate man do? Upon this blood-soaked ground he builds monuments to his genius and energy in a desperate attempt to push back the curse and terminality of this irredeemable clod spinning through the condemned universe. It should give us pause that so much of our time and resources are expended upon something consigned to judgment and doom. This is not to say that we should live like careless pigs with the attitude that nothing matters since all will burn in fire anyway. That’s the surest way for us to end up there as well. We should do everything in the physical realm unto the Lord and not unto men. We are a people of a higher realm and do things for a higher purpose. Our lives are a demonstration of the highest life, the only “Jesus” most people will ever see, and whether we are planting a tree or raising a child, we do it, not to put our roots deeper into the cursed earth, but to offer up our lives and labors in gratitude to our redeeming God just as Abel did. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. So the murderer is cursed. Adam’s punishment was a cursed earth; Cain’s is a cursed person. Adam felt his punishment indirectly; Cain directly. Having rejected the provision of Jehovah, he had nothing but a condemned earth from which to derive his sustenance and upon which to find his dwelling. What a dreadful beginning to the human experience and what dogged tenacity lost humanity exercises to make a way in this world without its Creator. You would think that Cain would have broken under the pressure of his wickedness. He knew well what sin had done to his own parents. He saw the misery and hardship their sin had brought upon them. He knew the purpose of Abel’s flock. He heard firsthand the beseeching and warning voice of Jehovah before he committed the vicious act. He heard Jehovah’s arraignment, conviction, and sentence directly afterward and yet he stood adamant, unmoved, hardened. Herein lies yet another seed in the book of beginnings that will find its growth and expression throughout the Scriptures—the abject rejection of anything having to do with Jehovah. Cain set forth on a path away from Jehovah that grew into what Jesus described as the “broadway that leads to destruction and many there be that find it.” How sad, but how true. The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed. .when you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth. Blood is very precious to the Lord. It constitutes life and life can only come from Him. The blood coursing through our bodies brings with it all the elements necessary for our physical life to exist. The enemy of God knows this and he knows that human beings are vital to God’s eternal purpose of removing the scepter from his control and of becoming his Son’s vicegerents for eternity. Satan will do all within his power to stop the flow of blood in human bodies, because death insures his continued existence. He is death and death is the antithesis of life, and so goes the battle for the universe. Cain, as an instrument of Satan, spilled his brother’s life on the ground and introduced death into the human realm. Ever since, men have murdered one another and death has reigned over the affairs of men; but one Man entered history and voluntarily allowed His blood to flow and rose from the dead. This act eviscerated death and forever ended its tyrannical control over mankind and over creation in general. Abel’s blood cried for revenge from the ground; Jesus blood cries forgiveness from the heavens. God the Father has eternal regard for His Son’s blood because it justifies His creation and condemns His enemy and all his works. Cain and his way came to an end at the cross, the very place our liberation began. .you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain’s obduracy consigned him to a living hell on the cursed earth. Jehovah gave him every opportunity to renounce his hateful attitude and to repent of his rebellion, but Cain would have none of it. Therefore, Jehovah sentenced Cain to a nomadic and wasted existence on an unfriendly earth. The application to us today is glaringly obvious. Those in today’s world who willfully reject God’s salvation in favor of hedonism, independence, ambition, or indolence, choose the destructive way of Cain. Their existence is void of stability, of contentment, of joy, of assurance. They are left to wander, as Cain did, from one thing to another to another until their human vessel is sated with all things natural and worldly, so much so that there is no room and no desire for the Lord and His provision. We should fear, dreadfully fear, that we exhibit any tendency toward Cain and his way. Jesus spoke of only two ways—the broadway that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life. Everyday the choice lies before us. Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear. Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I shall be hidden. Suddenly Cain takes interest, not because of the gravity of his offense but by its imminent punishment. He had no care for his faulty sacrifice or for his younger brother’s innocent life, but now that he is about to pay for his attitude and actions, he reacts in despair, faulting Jehovah for his harsh sentence. Such is the illogic of a vassal of Satan, which is what every unregenerate sinner and unfaithful Christian is. There is in the heart of every fallen person a tendency to shirk individual responsibility and to lay the blame at the feet of another. Cain is only concerned for himself and how his sentence might affect his future. He has no mind to repent or to ask forgiveness of the gracious and forgiving Jehovah. Instead he, the errant and pathetic and guilty creature that he is, proclaims his well-deserved punishment too great, as if he has any right to even open his mouth. He should have wondered rather why he wasn’t cast into judgment fire, and that straightaway. Sin blinds the soul and ruins cohesive thought and contorts emotions. Cain is a clear example of Satan’s intention for us all and we do well to guard our hearts. Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great . .from your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me.” How strange indeed that the murderer turns complainer. Cain represents all who are blinded and hardened by sin; who, when confronted by Jehovah Himself, will tend toward self-preservation rather than fall before God in remorse and repentance. Never concerned about the proper offering to Jehovah, nor of his younger brother’s innocent life, Cain reacts despairingly to the punishment he more than deserved. Because he has the mind of a murderer, he fears being murdered himself by those of his own family. If we practice sin, we can expect logic to escape us because sin veils us from reality. The logical course Cain should have taken was one of deep repentance and of casting himself on the mercy of Jehovah. Instead he dares to complain to the Judge. So we who choose sin. We lose our bearings and drift into utter nonsense, trying desperately to justify, to protect and to preserve ourselves when we should prostrate ourselves before Him. Everything about Cain is ugly and satanic, but he is merely the prototype of every one born into this world who fails to embrace the Savior—the only solution to Cain and his way. So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. The Lord’s sentence upon Cain was that he would be a fugitive and a wanderer. Cain complained that his life would be in danger from avengers from his own family. He was thinking as a murderer would think; nevertheless, Jehovah assured him of his safety so that his sentence of constant unrest and instability could be carried out . Why did Jehovah punish Cain in this particular way? Throughout the old testament, Jehovah is depicted as a refuge, a shelter, a hiding place, a solid fortress in whom we can hide. John described Jesus as the Word who became flesh and tabernacled among us—the tabernacle of God and our refuge and haven. He told us to come unto Him and rest. Cain’s sentence precluded all of this. He had no resting place, no safe haven, no fortress in which to hide when under duress, no tabernacle in which to commune with his Creator, no shelter against the storms of his life. He was consigned to a life of destitution, of constant searching for relief, bearing a mark of some kind that designated him the world’s first murderer, even the murderer of his own brother; that distinguished him as a pariah under the judgment of God. His punishment was worse than death because death is quick. This slow, agonizing, daily abjection could only be abated by a deep and thorough repentance, but Cain would have none of it. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. This is Cain’s legacy that he leaves in the annals of human history. Whatever he does after this point is immaterial because he does it all outside the presence of the Lord. He left Jehovah and that’s all we need to know about him, but with this caveat. It’s easy to disparage Cain and question every one of his motives and actions and to view with blatant condescension the noxious fruit of his life, but what if we were brought before the judgment and a random hour of this day or a random day of the previous month were analyzed by the Judge? Would the fruit be any different than Cain’s? Would the Judge find that we also left His presence for those periods of time? True, Cain left Jehovah’s presence for a lifetime, but shall we exonerate ourselves for leaving His presence for a mere hour or a day? The principle of Cain remains the same whenever we depart His presence and live our lives unto ourselves and for our interests. Before we castigate Cain and consign him to an eternity of fire and brimstone, we should first examine ourselves and see if there are periods of time in our lives where we depart from our Lord. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain deliberately left Jehovah’s presence and, in so doing, began his sentence as vagabond for the murder of his brother. The word, Nod, means “wandering, exile, restlessness” and that is where Cain spent his life trying to mitigate Jehovah’s punishment upon him. He “settled” in the land of “restlessness.” When we leave the Lord’s presence, we are restless and there’s nothing we can do to change that fact. Jesus told us who labor and are burdened to come unto Him to find rest. He is rest itself. He calms the troubled soul because we are designed by our Creator to contain Him. If we don’t, we are in a constant state of chaos and turmoil, and no matter what we do to calm ourselves, we will fail. Cain “settled” in his restlessness because he could do nothing else. He had no where to turn for tranquility because he had departed from the presence of the Lord. We who know the Lord can return time and time again to His presence until we remain there abiding in Him. This is the goal of our lives with Him. He wants us to “settle” in Eden, the place of His presence. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. Those who advocate capital punishment according to Moses’ law need first to explain why Jehovah failed to snuff out the life of this first murderer and even vowed sevenfold vengeance upon any one who would kill Cain. Now we find the brother-slayer leaving the presence of Jehovah where he begins his family. It’s not hard to ascertain what kind of godless family that would be. Why did the Lord allow it? Why would He run the risk of contaminating the human race with the seed of a worthless vagabond? Perhaps a better question would be why does the Lord allow free will in the first place? When Lucifer decided to rebel against the Creator, why didn’t God put an end to him right then and there? Who can know? What we do know is that God desires those who desire Him. Who can say that there was not one among Cain’s family who would have turned to the way of Jehovah? Our birth and our family do not determine our will. It’s a matter of our choice and with that God will never interfere lest He violate the principle of FREE will that He created. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. .and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. What does man do when he leaves the presence of God? He forsakes the realm of cultivating and planting and trusting in the heaven-sent rain, and replaces all that with a city, the substitute for Jehovah’s protection and provision. Here is another seed in the book of beginnings—the seed of human culture outside the presence of Jehovah. This seed has been growing and developing since Cain and will culminate in the last days of the kingdom age when Satan leads the final rebellion of man against God. Cities are vital to the development of human culture where human beings are no longer agrarians working with their hands under the open sky, but rather crammed together in godless and unhealthy proximity, relying on others to produce food for them. It lucidly informs our perception of Cain, the murderer, the forsaker of his Creator, who built the first city. Since that time, cities developed into centers of human culture and subsequent crime, and in the modern era have devolved into miasmas of human decadence. The more people congregate in cities and leave the rural settings, the more we will see the continuation of Cain’s lost way in the land of restlessness and wandering, a way in constant antipathy toward Eden, the place of Jehovah’s presence. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. .and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. What does man do when he leaves the presence of God? He forsakes the realm of cultivating and planting and trusting in the heaven-sent rain, and replaces all that with a city, the substitute for Jehovah’s protection and provision. Here is another seed in the book of beginnings—the seed of human culture outside the presence of Jehovah. This seed has been growing and developing since Cain and will culminate in the last days of the kingdom age when Satan leads the final rebellion of man against God. Cities are vital to the development of human culture where human beings are no longer agrarians working with their hands under the open sky, but rather crammed together in godless and unhealthy proximity, relying on others to produce food for them. It lucidly informs our perception of Cain, the murderer, the forsaker of his Creator, who built the first city. Since that time, cities developed into centers of human culture and subsequent crime, and in the modern era have devolved into miasmas of human decadence. The more people congregate in cities and leave the rural settings, the more we will see the continuation of Cain’s lost way in the land of restlessness and wandering, a way in constant antipathy toward Eden, the place of Jehovah’s presence. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. .and he built a city. Lamech took to himself two wives. So we begin to see the downward spiral of one who rejects the Lord. By leaving the presence of Jehovah, Cain consigned himself to a lifetime of wandering in a land of restlessness and banishment. To abate the consequences of his choice, he strives for permanence on a cursed earth and engages in the rearing of a family and in the building of a city—the primitive origin of human culture, the antipathy of walking with God. Cain’s progeny ignores the principles of healthy and moral living in favor of the momentary gratification of sin. Lamech, the product of Cain’s’ abjection and a self-indulgent pleasure monger, spearheads the decline into the miasma of godlessness by taking two wives unto himself in direct defiance of the original pattern of one man and one wife. Who can argue for polygamy when it plainly began with the family of Cain? And who is surprised that Cain, the ancient author of murder, should produce world-loving violators of all things good and moral? Fruit can be nothing more or less than its seed and surely Cain is the serpent’s seed. Lamech took to himself two wives. Adah. .and Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal. .the father of those who. .have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. .the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. As for Zillah, she. .gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron. In seven generations from Cain, godless human culture made great strides in securing itself on this troubled planet. Humans have basic needs such as sustenance, protection, and recreation. By leaving the presence of the living God, Cain forfeited these provisions from His hand. He is our real food and drink and our Provider; He is our Protector; and He is our true enjoyment and satisfaction. Cain rejected it all to live independently, but that did not altar those intrinsic cravings in his progeny. Therefore, gifted men arose even through polygamy to meet the needs of godless people. Jabal produced livestock, certainly not for sacrificing but for eating, contrary to Jehovah’s mandate in 1:29. Jubal furnished entertainment through music. Tubal-cain became the protector through the manufacture of tools and weapons. Thus all basic human needs found their solution outside of God—food and clothing from Jabal; entertainment and recreation from Jubal; and invention and protection from Tubal-cain. And so it is to this day. Men can live comfortably outside the presence of God. But never can they find peace and rest and reality—the true cravings of the human spirit. Lamech took to himself two wives. Adah gave birth to Jabal. .his brother’s name was Jubal. Zillah. .gave birth to Tubal-cain. .and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. Jabal gave the primitive, godless culture its sustenance; Jubal its entertainment; and Tubal-cain its innovations and protection. It seems that the mention of Naamah is superfluous until we realize that her name means “beautiful” and “agreeable.” Coupled with Adah—adorable—and Zillah—adornment—we find these three ancient women representing the final pillar upon which the independent, godless culture rests; that is, the pillar of propagation. Sustenance, entertainment, protection, propagation. Thus is the ancient society capable of existing apart from the presence of Jehovah. It is no mistake that the women of this Cainite culture were beautiful, for feminine beauty is a powerful attractant to men, especially men who are not governed by a relationship with Jehovah but by their own abhorrently evil lusts. Under Jehovah, propagation comes through incomparably exquisite and profoundly serene pleasure, but apart from Him it is reduced to repugnant and insatiable lust. Cain and all who follow in his way, who depart from the deeply satisfying presence of Jehovah, crave pleasure, the raw, fleeting pleasure residing in the flesh of fallen mankind. Sustenance and protection become mere means to pleasure. Cainite society and the historical replications are driven by the thirst for temporary and transient pleasure. Naamah was beautiful and, to the earthbound and fleshy, so is the world system today. Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking me; if Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” In seven generations from Cain human society degenerated into an abyss of wickedness. Lamech is the fruit of Cain’s decision to leave the presence of Jehovah and as such he is a window into the degradation of ancient society and a harbinger of human history. The characteristics are easy to trace. Having two wives satisfied Lamech’s sexual lust, a driving force in any decadent culture. His double insistence that his wives listen to what he had to say exposes his macho demand for attention. His arrogant boasting about murdering a man and a boy portends the sad history of the human race. His unbridled pride and mean-spiritedness signal what was to become the modus operandi of human beings void of the moderating influence of Jehovah’s presence. So we have the dark side of sin and rebellion in its fledgling origin as it relates to Cain’s family and primitive human society. Lust, egocentrism, violence, arrogance, defiance—all is here in seed form primed to rush headlong toward destruction. This is the sad record of human life and interaction outside the restraint of the Creator. This is the enemy of all good and of what is godly. Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” At last some relief for the beleaguered couple who had watched with dismay the apostasy of their firstborn and the demise of their second—all the bitter fruit of their own disobedience. But Seth was born whose name means “appointed” and “settled.” He was appointed to replace Abel in the line of the promised seed and that settled the souls of his parents who had sought and now found hope for their lives. Seth, as well, “settled” upon Jehovah and His purpose, putting himself in that precious line of the coming Redeemer. Eve’s plaintive proclamation at Seth’s birth reveals a mother’s profound grief—“for Cain killed him”–but also a confidence that the mighty Elohim, the omnipotent God, had overcome the human cruelty of Cain’s senseless slaughter of her cherished Abel, and had provided his replacement. Of course, at the time, she didn’t know Seth’s outcome, but her words speak of a determination that she would do all in her power to raise Seth as a vessel of honor for the Lord’s use. In her naming Seth Eve was putting feet to her hopes and resolve. “Seth will be my second Abel and will follow his God all the days of his life.” Words mean things and Eve’s words of resolution were fulfilled. May this be a lesson to us to speak reality, to speak what is not and make it become, to speak to the impossible and make it possible. .in other words, let us speak Christ to each other and to our circumstances. To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. Words, especially those in the scriptures, mean what they say. By the time Seth was old enough to begin his family, he no doubt was cognizant of his place in God’s plan and of the antagonism from his brother Cain. He surely knew by experience the frailty and mortality of human beings, so he named his son Enosh—frailty—which reflected his view of the world. Enosh in turn acquired his father’s realization and he began a practice that could and did save him from an empty and useless existence; that is, he began to call upon the name of Jehovah. Enosh knew he was a frail man having no strength of his own and would eventually die. Coming to grips with this sobering reality would make any reasonable man humble himself before his Creator and cry out for help and strength and purpose. Enosh did this very thing and called out to Jehovah who, of course, answered, not by giving Enosh separate virtues for which he had need, but by imparting Himself to him. Since words have meaning, Jehovah’s name contained all that He is. Jehovah is love, strength, joy, comfort, patience, humility, resolve, etc. Everything Enosh needed in his life to counter his frailty and mortality, he found in Jehovah when he called His name. To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. While the family of Cain was busy establishing the worldly infrastructure outside the presence of Jehovah, Seth and his family were colluding with Jehovah in the erection of His kingdom. One kingdom was exclusively of the earth and the other was exclusively of the heavens. Satan, of course, wants the earth for himself and will do all in his power to secure it. He knows well that God’s intention is to wrest control of earth through the agency of faithful followers who will avert their eyes and hearts from the enticements of Cain’s system and look unto Jehovah for their salvation and sustenance. Not only do these faithful adherents call literally upon His name, they are also called by His name. They are known as Jehovah’s people because they choose to bear His name in enemy territory. This rankles the rebel archangel and worries him. Jehovah’s devotees walk and live on this cursed planet engaged in the construction of the heavenly kingdom destined to take the scepter from Satan’s control. Let us be those who advance the heavenly kingdom by breathing in our King’s precious name. Such a practice will designate us as those who are known and called by His name. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female. .and named them Man. When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image and named him Seth. What is the point of a genealogy of living and dying men? This is not just a common list of meaningless men, but also a record of God’s faithfulness and patience with his creature, and a memorial to the faithfulness and patience of those men who lived their lives in and with their Creator and propagated children who did the same thing. These were men with a future. Unlike Cain who left the presence of God and produced evil in the world, Seth, the compensation for murdered Abel, immersed himself in the Lord’s presence and followed Him all the days of his life, and this life was memorialized by the Holy Spirit in the genealogy of chapter five. From Seth came Enoch and eventually Jesus, the incarnated Christ. Even as God created Adam after His likeness and in His image, so also did Adam implant in his son Seth the knowledge and hunger for Jehovah. This was more than simple genetics. This involved the shaping and training of a vessel to contain what it was designed to contain – the image of the Creator. Adam poured into Seth the very purpose of his existence, and Seth continued the same. This faithfulness resulted in the incarnation of the Son of God for which these men are immortalized in the record. When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. God made Adam in His image and after His likeness, but Adam sinned and corrupted what God had created. This is the basic foundation human nature. It is corrupted and it needs to be replaced. It is ludicrous to think that humans are intrinsically good and that it is their environment that ruins them. Adam passed on to Seth his Satan-infested genes and nothing can change that except the Lord’s thorough work in a person’s soul and body, the completion of which will occur at the transfiguration of the body at the last day. In the meantime, it does no good to modify and improve the fallen nature we inherited from our parents and forefathers. Ultimately, we are of our father, Adam, and only the Lord’s transforming work in our inward parts will really change us. Then the days of Adam after he became father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. God’s record spares no words nor does it add superfluity. Though Adam had other sons and daughters, none are mentioned but the first two and Seth. When Jehovah promised Eve a seed that would bruise the serpent’s head, He wasn’t promising a miracle falling down from the sky to make everything all right. He would fulfill His promise through the human race and only with that tiny fraction that would call on His name and be called by His name. In a sense, the Lord was not that interested in Cain and his family except for their impact on His faithful. Moses recorded Seth and his progeny because they constituted the line of the faithful, and in God’s eyes little else mattered. They were the ones through whom the promised seed would come. Where will our names appear in the Lord’s record? Will it appear at all? It depends on what line we follow—Cain or Seth. May the outcome never be in doubt. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. When Adam had lived. .he died. Seth lived. .and he died. Then Enosh lived. .and he died. Kenan lived. .and he died. Jehovah created Adam and Eve in a perfect condition. Body, soul, and spirit were all flawless, but sin came in and corrupted the human vessel in every aspect—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically—even into the genome of every living thing. This corruption passed then and passes now from one generation to another, and there is not one thing we can do about it because we were born with it. But there is one, and only one, solution to this universal problem. Paul writes this to the Romans: “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Only the eternal/human life of the Lord can halt and reverse the ravages of sin in our lives. He is doing a restoration work in us, not by rehabilitating our fallen nature, but by replacing it with His perfect life. It is entirely up to us to receive it continually. When Adam had lived. .he died. Seth lived. .and he died. Then Enosh lived. .and he died. Kenan lived. .and he died. Mahalelel lived. .and he died. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned. ., much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of sin being a reigning monarch and so the record verifies. Why would Moses feel it necessary to add the apparently superfluous phrase—“and he died”—to the end of each man’s legacy? Because through Adam’s sin, death entered the new world and generation after generation received a sinful nature riddled with the satanic element. It was a tyranny under which the human race suffered then and suffers now. But Jesus came and put an end to Satan’s control over us. Though the process is typically slow, we have received His life, which overcame death. Even as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, so death cannot exist in the presence of life. The deposing of our death happened at the cross conclusively, but in our practice and experience it happens gradually as we continue daily to “receive the abundance of grace.” In time, according to our diligence, the wicked monarch will lose his power over us and the life of Christ with all His virtues will assume the throne of our lives. We can hasten that day. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God. Lamech was the seventh generation of Cain with seven being a number of completion, of culmination, like the record of the restoration culminating in the seventh day of Sabbath rest. Cain’s decision to leave the presence of Jehovah resulted in arrogance, polygamy, and murder. Enoch, conversely, was the seventh in the line of Seth and he walked with God. He did not merely dwell in the presence of Jehovah, nor did he just call upon the name of the Lord as his predecessor Enosh did; rather Enoch walked with God—not “after God,” nor “before God:” but with God. His communion with God was personal, profound, real, and permanent. Enoch was the culmination of Seth who was Abel’s replacement in the line of Christ. It was out of Seth that the promised seed would come, but that promise is not accomplished by magic, but by lives captured by the vision and experience of Jehovah. Men with soft hearts toward God will see Him, will follow Him, will call upon His name, and will walk with Him in their daily existence upon this cursed earth. Seth’s generations consisted of such men and women and the Lord used them to change the course of history. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God. Enoch was one of those rare souls who called upon the name of Jehovah and who was called by His name, but when his son was born he took his relationship with Jehovah to the next level. He began to walk with God. Why this sudden change? By studying the direction of Cain’s line, we can see that its distinguishing characteristics were violence and sexual immorality. Having no restraint in these areas invited the ruination of the human race and systematically constricted the godly and God-fearing line of Seth. God knew at some point He would have to judge the world and that point was at the death of Methusaleh whose name meant “when he dies, it shall come.” Imagine Enoch’s shock when Jehovah informed him of this. He didn’t know when Methusaleh would die. Would it be in a year? Two? Twenty? Whatever the case, he knew he had to be ready so he began walking with God at that point in time. We all need an incentive. .even Enoch. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God. Somehow we consider the characters in the Scriptures as larger than life, when in reality they are frail and needy as we are. Enoch, though he is only one of two men who never tasted death, is no exception. The record says he walked with God after the birth of Methusaleh. God no doubt stipulated the name of the child because his name means “when he dies it shall come.” Enoch realized right then that judgment of the world would follow the death of his son, but he didn’t know when that would be. This surely became his incentive to step it up to another level. What had he been doing for the first sixty-five years of his life? Like his ancestor Enosh and those following, Enoch called on the name of the Lord. That was fine, but the impending judgment drove him deeper in his relationship with Jehovah. In that respect, he is no different than we are. The optimum attitude is that we should love the Lord with all our heart regardless, but the sorry fact is we need external motivation. Methusaleh was just such motivation to his father. Enoch needed that incentive even as we do because we become so readily distracted and detached. The Lord must keep our feet in the fire until He and He alone becomes everything to us. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God. It appears that Enoch changed rather abruptly upon the birth of his son. For the record to say that Enoch then walked with God shows that he encountered an external incentive that changed him. If we can agree that Enoch was not a supernatural being capable of gargantuan feats of spirituality, then we can appreciate that he was a man who called upon the name of Jehovah and who followed his God just as we can and should do. He was every bit like us until something came into his life to change him. Something outside himself motivated him to suddenly begin walking with God. A certain realization captured his being and governed his thoughts and feelings and decisions. He knew the judgment flood was coming and he didn’t want to be caught unprepared. Similarly, we know that judgment is coming and not just judgment upon the wicked but the judgment seat of Christ for His people. Does this register in our spirit, or do we blithely live as if we have an eternity to waste? Are we enthralled with the prospect of a general rapture before the tribulation? Maybe we should reconsider. After this life on the earth, we will stand before the righteous Judge to give account of our lives and that account will determine our place or our absence in future events. So long as we are duped by the ridiculous notion of being taken regardless of our condition before Christ, failing to consider the exceptional condition of the first man ever taken, Enoch; then we effectively strip away our motivation. .and that is dangerous. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methusaleh. Our human nature is such that if we have no trouble we will live unto ourselves interminably. This is why the Lord sends turmoil and hardship into our lives. If our life were a series of tranquil events uninterrupted by problems and storms, we would never look outside ourselves for strength and purpose. But, to His eternal credit, the Lord sends circumstances our way that drive us to Himself and away from the hollowness of self-absorption. Enoch is a perfect example of this. We can speculate that in the first sixty-five years of his life, Enoch was a good man and one who followed his predecessor, Enosh, in calling upon the Lord’s name. His course was set and he moved through life with some degree of assurance that Jehovah was there for him in his times of need and trouble. Pretty much like most Christians in peaceful and free countries today. But then the Lord sent Enoch a son whose death would close out the age. This was a huge problem to him because of the uncertainty of the time and the finality of the event. The record makes double note of Enoch’s response to this harrowing prospect. It says “then” Enoch walked with God “after” the birth of his son. Suddenly, Enoch changed because he reacted to the external stimulus that the Lord brought to bear upon him. Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methusaleh. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methusaleh . I think it’s safe to say that Methusaleh was an external stimulus to his father that motivated him to begin walking with God. Knowing that the judgment flood would immediately follow his son’s death surely frightened Enoch into making some drastic changes in his life. This is not a bad thing. The Lord uses many things to break our inertia, because He knows that left alone we would remain disinterested in anything outside ourselves. He may use our circumstances or a realization from His word or His inward speaking to shake us up. He may cajole or threaten or love—it doesn’t matter so long as we respond and walk with Him. So what if we have an ulterior motive to save our behinds from the coming Judge or to secure our place at His wedding table in the kingdom? That is the very human thing to do and the Lord knows it. But don’t you think that Enoch, though motivated at first by fear for his own interests, after a few years turned his affections toward his Lord and his Lord’s interests away from his own? From a concern for self to a deep, abiding love for his God? From an external incentive to an internal relationship with the Lover of his soul? I believe it and I believe the Lord wants to bring us to this point. Jehovah wants us to enjoy a communion that is based upon Him, upon His virtues, and upon His desire; not upon what we think benefits us. This is why Enoch could walk with God for three hundred years. He found Jehovah to be an exhaustless spring of cold, fresh living water every day. Enoch walked with God. A simple phrase indeed, but how pregnant with meaning! To walk with God is to conduct one’s life apart from the fallen self, denying its desires and egocentrism; to put to death the lusts of the flesh; and to separate from the gaudy enticements of the world system. This is, of course, the negative side of walking with God. It is a turning away from everything contrary to Him inwardly and outwardly. But this is merely the gateway to a vast reserve of divine virtues that await the traveler who walks with God. Therein the faithful pilgrim finds unfathomable grace and holiness and purity and kindness and joy and humility and patience and gentleness that the cherishing God lavishes upon those who walk with Him, who find in Him and in Him alone all the meaning and purpose of human existence. Therein lies the most profound and permanent relationship that human beings can experience in this life and in the one that will extend throughout eternity. This is not law or regulations or duty to perform. This is a binding connection to the Lover of our souls, to the Captain of our salvation, to our wonderful Savior. Surely the psalmist says it best when he sings “no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Enoch was the first one ever taken off the earth by God; therefore he is the prototype of those whom the Lord will take in the last days. He escaped and they will escape death, the payment for sins. Enoch is the forerunner, so what is it that makes him so? Why did the Lord take him and not others? Why will some in the future escape the curse for sin and be taken before death? In Heb. 11:5, the writer explains that Enoch had “obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.” How did Enoch and how do we please God? “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (v.6) Enoch sought God and received the faith to seek Him even more, and the Lord honored that seeking by granting Enoch more and more of Himself. The reward was not in being taken up, but in obtaining more of Jehovah and more of His presence. Enoch was diligent to seek and Jehovah was eager to grant. This is what pleases Jehovah—to fill His seeker with Himself. A seeker thus filled and thus pleasing to Jehovah will qualify either to be taken up prior to death or to participate in the first and best resurrection. (Phil. 3:11) No amount of fantasy hocus-pocus about a wholesale “rapture” of every believer, carnal and self-absorbed included, will change the fact that only those who, like Enoch the prototype, walk with God and are pleasing to Him will find their just reward. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. In this book of beginnings, we have seen the rudiments of the cross of Jesus in Jehovah’s sacrifice of the animals to cover the nakedness of the guilty pair, and in the life of the faithful shepherd, Abel, who raised sheep for sacrifice and who presented the well-pleasing offering. The congregation begins with the sin-expunging blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and obtains the forgiveness of sin in preparation for its journey into Christ—the good land full of eternal and abundant life. The Christian community, represented by Enoch, the diligent devotee, ends in its translation from the surly bonds of the cursed earth during the last days when Christ comes again. Enoch did not see the wrath of God poured out to overtake the wicked because his daily walk with Jehovah preserved him from certain death. His life before Jehovah was of such quality that the Lord took him. We can assume Methusaleh was a godly man and his progeny, including Noah, were God-fearing and well-informed as to the meaning of his name. But they were not saved from God’s wrath, and, except for Noah and his family, all died before or perished in the flood along with the wicked. What does this tell us? Not all Christians will escape the coming tribulation, but only those, like their prototype Enoch, who have walked a well-pleasing life with their Lord, will escape. Enoch walked with God. By faith Enoch was taken up. .for he obtained the witness that. .he was pleasing to God. What do people see when they look at us? When the ancients looked at Enoch, they saw one who was obviously pleasing to God. What a testimony that was! And what a tribute to his diligence to and love for Jehovah. This testimony was not something that fell out of the sky, but something Enoch had to obtain. It cost him dearly; in fact, it cost him his whole life. His aspirations, his preferences, his self-love, self-interest, self-preservation—he relinquished it all to walk with God. In return, Jehovah filled him with Himself because Enoch had actively evacuated his heart of the loathsome baggage of his fallen nature. Having done so, he obtained the testimony that he was a man of God. He wasn’t just given the testimony, rather he obtained it through vigilance and vision. When men beheld him, they saw Jehovah in a man standing on the earth. What do people see when they see us? A fallen human being indulging in the world? A religious person concerned with what people think of them? Or a person walking with God as Enoch did? We all exude something. May it be Christ. Lamech . .became the father of a son. Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one shall give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands. Then Lamech. .had other sons and daughters. Though Lamech received from the Lord the meaning of his son’s name, he didn’t know when the Lord would give rest through him. His grandfather Enoch had been gone for centuries and his father, whose death was the signal for judgment, was old when Noah was born. When Methusaleh died, Noah was only five and Lamech had to wonder how a five year-old could bring rest to the world. It had to be a time of anxiety for Lamech, but when day followed day, and year followed year, he proceeded to enlarge his family and died five years before the flood having enjoyed his grandchildren—Ham, Shem, and Jepheth—for ninety-five years. All this should make us wonder at the dullness of our spiritual sensibilities. Though Enoch walked with God and everyone knew it and was translated, the Scriptures record the deaths of those closest to him—his son and grandson. Methusaleh was there when his father disappeared and he knew the meaning of his own name, but, apparently, that was not enough to raise him to the level of devotion of his father. He died. So did his son, Lamech. And we can only assume that Noah’s siblings died as well in the deluge. All this is to say that there are no coattails in our spiritual life. No one else bears our punishment or shares our reward. Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. No sooner had Jehovah promised Eve that her seed would crush the serpent’s head, than Satan feverishly embarked on a scheme to destroy the human race as Jehovah’s chosen conduit for that seed. He knew that only the complete contamination of the race would negate that promise and his subsequent demise. So he sent his select angelic lackeys to the earth where they illegally took on human bodies and seduced or raped (implied in “whomever they chose”) the daughters of men. From this forbidden union, a union that violated God’s reproductive paradigm of “after their kind,” unnaturally large and strong offspring came forth, proliferated and dominated the human race with the intention, we can surmise, of eliminating the pure Adamic stock from the earth. Satan designed this contamination and violent destruction of humanity to eradicate any possibility that the dreaded seed of the woman would ever see the light of day; for if it did, Satan’s plan to eventually rule the universe by removing humanity as God’s chosen vehicle to crush conclusively His loathsome head, would fail miserably and would issue in his eternal torment. .the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Too often Christians display an alarming ignorance or forgetfulness of the implacability of the foe we face everyday. So rabid was his hatred of the promised seed that he compelled his rebel minions to take on human bodies to seduce and rape earth’s women for the sole purpose of producing an irredeemable offspring that would contaminate God’s chosen vehicle— the human race— through which He would bring forth the promised seed. This aberrant and abhorrent mix of the fallen angelic seed with the human seed of the women produced offspring of great stature and strength and ability. These Nephilim violently filled the earth with murder and illicit sex as they marauded through the true Adamic stock taking whatever women they desired and wantonly killing any who resisted them. We can only imagine how quickly this malignant propagation spread over the inhabited earth, until the pure human stock either died off through attrition or was destroyed by the Nephilim. How ugly a scene this must have been as Satan confronted the threat from godly human beings whom God set on the cursed planet to overthrow the rebel and to retrieve his scepter. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. Human beings are of three parts—body, soul, and spirit. Jehovah’s intention was that this human vessel be filled with His divine life beginning at the center of man in his spirit. This enlivened spirit would control the soul with its thoughts, feelings, and volition; which in turn would control the behavior of the body. The human spirit was and is critical to Jehovah’s purpose for man because it is there that He and his creature connect and bond and commune. It is there that man is made alive by the higher life of his Creator and it is there that he must learn to abide in order to live his daily life. When man fell into sin and disobedience, his spirit—the hub around which his whole being was to revolve—became dormant. The soul, designed to be the Spirit’s servant, turned to itself for purpose and became the self. The body, the vehicle to carry out the dictates of the soul, became flesh, the repository of Satan himself with all the lusts and sensuality of the rebel angel himself. Rather than Jehovah in the spirit of man living through the man, the fall opened the way for Satan in the flesh of man to work his way into man’s soul and totally corrupt him. At that point there is no limit to the wickedness into which man may fall. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” This is one of the most sobering verses in scripture because it reveals the departure of the Spirit of God from the affairs of men, and not just men in general, but from men who had at one time named Jehovah as their own. The word “strive” means to rule or to judge. We can be fairly certain that Cain’s line had nothing to do with the Lord’s Spirit, but surely Seth’s line did. The Spirit had the latitude in Seth and in some of his progeny, most notably in Enosh and Enoch, to rule over them and to judge their hearts. But, sadly, the ruling Spirit had been pushed away and forsaken. Seth’s line, in general, had forfeited the Spirit’s rule over them and had become no different than the decadent family of Cain. If men reject the Spirit, He has no choice but to depart and to leave them to judgment. If we think we can treat the Lord with a cavalier attitude, we need to think again. There is no end to the Lord’s love for us, but there is a limit to His patience and longsuffering; and if we disregard His inward and outward overtures, He will withdraw from our lives and leave us to our independence and to the coming judgment. Jehovah gave men an additional one hundred twenty years to repent—a fair warning indeed. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved. The Lord is. .patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Methusaleh’s name meant that when he died the judgment would come. Is it any wonder then that he lived longer than any other man? He was a living demonstration of Jehovah’s longsuffering. Added to that, the flood did not come for another five and a half centuries. No one can accuse the Lord of being hasty about rendering judgment, but even His longsuffering has a limit. In this case it was 120 years. Seeing that Cain and his progeny were the originators of independence from God, of the world system to replace God, and of the contamination of the human race through angel/human copulation, and having no desire to repent, the Lord had to be reaching out to Adam (the same word as “man” in the verse) and to those of his family who named the name of Jehovah. They were all that remained of pure human stock and they included Noah and his family along with his uncles, aunts, cousins and siblings and nieces and nephews. Noah, undoubtedly, being a preacher of righteousness, preached to his extended family, begging them to repent, to help him build the ark, to save themselves before the end of God’s mercy. But, alas, the Lord declares them no different that Cain—all flesh. It must have been a sad time indeed for Noah to close the door on his own loved ones, but when judgment comes, and it will, there is no mitigating its crushing effect. This is a word to us all. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. What a sad commentary on the aftermath of Adam’s disobedience. The serpent had managed to open a crack and in less than two millennia, the breach of sin had given way to a deluge of evil. Satan doesn’t need much to worm his way in to the affairs of men and to wreak indescribable havoc. The satanic legacy is a breathtaking study of degeneration. Disobedience—casting blame—arrogance—defiance—murder—rejection of Jehovah—independence from Jehovah—establishment of the world system—violence—copulation with fallen angels—contamination of the human race—continual evil in thought and intent and behavior. Satan was on a rampage from the beginning and in these verses had nearly accomplished his goal of the complete ruination of the human vessel designed by God to recapture the earth from the rebel archangel. What he had done in the former world he was on the verge of repeating in the restored world. His thought had to have been that if this second version had to be destroyed, and was, then there would probably not be a third. This would leave the earth under Satan’s control and would become his base of operation to frustrate God’s plan wherever in the universe He would attempt it. So unspeakably evil is this miscreant, our adversary. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth. Surely the adversary of God was enthused by his success in corrupting the human race through illegal contamination, through the system of worldly pleasure, and through abjection wrought by independence from Jehovah. There was no positive spin that Jehovah or Moses the writer could put on the utter failure of human beings to remain pure and to choose the way of Jehovah. Not only did Jehovah see the loathsome behavior of His creatures, but He also viewed the source—the insidious and vile destitution of man’s soul. “Every intent of the thoughts of his heart.” Satan had penetrated and saturated the human soul, turning it into an abhorrent miasma of foul intentions (the will) and godless thoughts (the mind). When men disconnect from Jehovah, they forfeit His speaking and His conveyance into their inward parts. The word of Jehovah is able and willing to separate our soul from our spirit in order that our spirit becomes and remains our dominant part reigning over our emotions, our thoughts, and our intentions—the three parts of our soul. But Satan’s way is to always entice us to be independent of the Lord and of His speaking, leaving us adrift with no anchor. If we give him the time, Satan will marginalize and even negate our relationship to the Lord. Then, as in the ancient world, we can only await judgment. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Our God is not impetuous or capricious; rather He does what He does through much deliberation and, in this case, through anguish of heart. Here is a window into the soul of the Almighty as He looked at the creature into whom He had vested so much of His time and energy. He felt sorry that He had made Him! What must Moses have thought when he recorded Jehovah’s words, “sorry” and “grieved in His heart?” We have the concept that Jehovah is this righteous and holy and somber being demanding this and that of His creation; but He is far more the God of emotion. Here His sadness emerges because of the declination of His errant creatures. I don’t think we grasp how personally Jehovah takes our sins. Every sin is a slap in His face, is an arrow piercing His heart, is a declaration that we would rather go our own way and do our own thing. If only we could apprehend just a little the consequence of our sins and how they affect our Lord, we would repent with tears and pour ourselves out at His feet. “Lord, give us eyes to see.” The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them. This is the heart wrenching decision by the loving, but righteous, Jehovah to destroy His creatures from off the face of the earth; and we find no earthly description that does justice to the agony of His heart. After a beginning of so much promise when the perfect man and woman were place in the garden under ideal conditions with access to everything they would ever need, and were encouraged to partake of the eternal, triumphant, and transcendent life of their Creator represented by the tree of life; Jehovah could only grieve at what disobedience had wrought in humanity in bringing it to the brink of destruction. Not only so, but all creatures given to man and placed under his sovereignty had to die as well. Here before our eyes are the dreadful consequences of our sin, so dreadful that even innocent creatures had to die! Such was the abysmal scene as evening settled on the descendents of Adam. If we understand that Adam and this world were a restoration of a previously ruined world, then Jehovah’s heart had to be grieved with uncharted anguish as He contemplated the demise of this second race. With it would go the promise to Eve that from her would come one who would crush the enemy’s head. This indeed was a dismal moment in the history of man. The Lord was sorry that He had made man. The Lord said, “I will blot out man. .from the face of the land. But Noah . How thin a thread held the human race from extinction! Jehovah had suffered the anguish over His corrupted creation and had made the decision to eliminate it. Everything was set and judgment was in motion, when, in the midst of the overwhelming and oppressive darkness and gloom of impending doom, a faint flicker of hope and light cast its rays toward the eyes of Jehovah. There in the distance beat a heart that had not gone the way of Cain, had not succumbed to the numbing effects of sin, had not declared its independence from its Creator, had not devised ways and means to live on the earth apart from its true Source. There glimmering amidst the putrid miasma of decadent humanity and its violent and irredeemable hybrid, the Nephilim, was a tiny hope that just maybe the promised seed would yet have a way to enter the human race and put an end to the relentless satanic power that lived only to frustrate the purpose of God. “But Noah!” What profound two words! Words of life and joy and hope and redemption. Words of victory, of resurrection, of defiance, of motivation. All was not lost! There was a man! —Jehovah’s faithful remnant that would change the course of history. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This one verse explains why we are living on this earth today. Jehovah was ready to call down judgment upon the utterly corrupted and contaminated human race, when in the bleakness there appeared a glimmer of light from one righteous man. Did Jehovah discover him and, as a result, extend His favor to him; or did this righteous man search out the face of Jehovah and find grace in His eyes? I’d rather think that Noah was a seeking man in the midst of his perverse generation and in his seeking out the face of his God by walking uprightly and by not partaking of the sins all around him, he found Jehovah’s eyes and in them the grace that would save him and his family. Of course, Jehovah granted grace to His remnant, but not as one condescending to favor a fortunate subject, but as one who acknowledges and rewards another’s unrelenting pursuit. Noah pursued Jehovah and in so doing found in His face, in His eyes, an aspect of His person and that was grace. Jehovah is the embodiment and the fountain of grace. He is grace itself and that is what Noah found. He walked everyday with the gracious One and that gracious One granted favor to Noah and saved him. “For by grace are you saved.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. .grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. One mistake Christians make in their understanding and apprehension of God is to conceive of Him as a cosmic Santa Claus who dispenses gifts to His people. With that fallacious idea, Christians pray for strength, or grace, or courage, or joy, or love, or patience, or any number of virtues to help them get through their day or through a difficult situation. It should not be so. When Noah found grace in Jehovah’s eyes, does that mean that Jehovah extended grace to Noah; or does it mean that the seeking man found something? And if he did find something, what was it? My opinion is that Noah was a seeking man and he found more than just a single virtue, grace, in the eyes of Jehovah; he found a Person who was not only gracious, but was also grace itself. Our Lord is not a conglomeration of bits and pieces who spins off gifts in answer to prayer. He is a living Person who is every good and positive virtue. If we need grace, we get Him. If we need love, we get Him. If we need patience, we get Him. He is absolutely everything we need for every relationship and every situation. Not only is He gracious, but He is also the Person of grace. Noah found this Person in the eyes of Jehovah. The Lord was sorry that He had made man. The Lord said, “I will blot out man. .from the face of the land. But Noah . How thin a thread held the human race from extinction! Jehovah had suffered the anguish over His corrupted creation and had made the decision to eliminate it. Everything was set and judgment was in motion, when, in the midst of the overwhelming and oppressive darkness and gloom of impending doom, a faint flicker of hope and light cast its rays toward the eyes of Jehovah. There in the distance beat a heart that had not gone the way of Cain, had not succumbed to the numbing effects of sin, had not declared its independence from its Creator, had not devised ways and means to live on the earth apart from its true Source. There glimmering amidst the putrid miasma of decadent humanity and its violent and irredeemable hybrid, the Nephilim, was a tiny hope that just maybe the promised seed would yet have a way to enter the human race and put an end to the relentless satanic power that lived only to frustrate the purpose of God. “But Noah!” What profound two words! Words of life and joy and hope and redemption. Words of victory, of resurrection, of defiance, of motivation. All was not lost! There was a man!—Jehovah’s faithful remnant who would change the course of history. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. The standard definition of grace is undeserved favor, and who can argue against the truth of that? But it is much more. If our premise is correct in that Noah sought and found the Person of grace in the eyes of Jehovah, then could we not define grace as the Almighty Creator (Elohim) becoming the relational God (Jehovah)? He did not remain in the distant heavens far away from man and earth; rather, He sought a relationship with His creature and came into man’s time and space. This coming to us had nothing to do with us. He didn’t have to come and we did nothing to deserve it. This is grace. His mere coming to us is His graciousness poured out upon us. Without Jehovah coming to His creature, there would have been no way for Noah to seek Him and to find grace in His eyes. Jehovah had to be near or Noah could never have found His eyes, and in them, to find grace. Jehovah’s nearness saved Noah. Grace saved Noah. Jehovah’s nearness and Noah’s diligence in finding Him is what saved him. Grace, then, is Jehovah, out of the sheer love in His heart for His creature, drawing near and entering into man’s time and space so that we could find Him. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. We have established that Noah was a seeking man and his seeking His Creator led him to find His face and His eyes. In those eyes he found the Person of grace—Jesus Christ. Is this far-fetched? I don’t think so. Our Lord is not confined to time and space, so He can come to anyone at anytime in history and He chose to come to Noah as the embodiment of grace. His coming near was grace poured out on His seeking one. In finding this wonderful Person, Noah was filled inwardly with Him and this infilling made Noah a righteous man and a blameless man. Noah was nothing apart from this wonderful Person of grace, but with His infilling, Noah exuded attributes of this Person; i.e., righteousness and perfection. Surely Noah was not righteous and perfect on his own, but with the indwelling One, he became one with the righteous and perfect One and exhibited His virtues. By such a daily practice as this, Noah did what his great grandfather had done—he walked with God. Though the whole earth was corrupted and contaminated, Noah set his focus with legendary resolution, found grace (Christ) by finding Jehovah’s eyes, and walked with Him. May the Lord give us such a heart to seek Him so that we can become His display to the world. Noah walked with God. This simple statement is eminently profound. Walking involves our every waking moment. We walk from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. Walking is our daily life. For Enoch and Noah to walk with God meant that they spent their days in the presence of Jehovah, involving Him in all their decisions, dwelling upon Him, calling upon Him, praying to Him, resting in Him, working for Him. He was everything to them. He was not distant because they were aggressively seeking Him and compelling Him to draw near to them. Whatever they had to do, wherever they had to go, they did nothing independent of their Lord. Their thoughts centered on Him. Their feelings narrowed from many things into a singular love for Him. Their decisions were according to His best interests. Their behavior reflected the One whom they served with all of their heart. Their words, their attitudes, their ways of dealing with others, all exhibited a higher life and nature that indwelt them. This is the meaning of “walking with God.” Everything about them had to do with God and that is why He was able to use them as He did. Noah walked with God. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God. Thus we have the players on the world stage—God, Noah, and his three sons vs. Satan, his angels, and the entire human population—as the drama begins to unfold. God, through His infinite wisdom, has chosen to limit Himself in the affairs of men and will proceed only as those faithful to Him will cooperate. Satan is always trying to goad the Lord into acting directly so that he can accuse God of resorting to supreme power to get what He wants. God’s preference is to work through his faithful followers to secure His eternal purpose. As far as we know, Satan succeeded in frustrating God’s purpose with the original creation that He had to destroy with a universal flood. This is how the book of Genesis opens. Here in Noah’s time we see Satan nearly succeeding again in forcing the Lord’s hand of judgment, but this time there is a man and his family to span the gap between the old and the new, to give passage to the coming seed of promise that would crush the head of the adversary. The tiny thread was thin and taut between hopelessness and hope, between extermination and salvation, between death and life, but it held. Noah walked with God and produced sons, one of them faithful. That was all the Lord needed to keep alive the promise of the Coming One. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. In describing the corrupt earth, why didn’t Moses say that it was filled with lust? Or theft? Or extortion? Or deception? Because the end of all flesh is violence. Violence is the hallmark of corruption. In a corrupt world, when humans cannot work out their differences through communication, they resort to violence. In a corrupt world, the victim of adultery will kill. A victim of theft will kill. Corruption is the removal of restraint, and men left to themselves and guided by their fallen nature will plunge into violence. Imagine the earth before the flood. Dominated by the angel/human hybrid, the Nephilim, who were prodded by their leader to exterminate the human race, society was a dreadful scene of mounting carnage. Violence, the apex of corruption, filled the earth. It didn’t just appear here and there, but it filled the earth. It should be no surprise to us that the end times will mimic the days of the flood. There will be wars (violence) and rumors of wars. The earth then was and will be at the end of time filled with violence. This is the leading characteristic, the end result, the satanic goal, of corruption, because violence destroys people, the only agency through which the Lord accomplishes His eternal purpose. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah. Every word in Scriptures is meaningful and here is no exception. Moses says “God” looked upon the earth. Why not “Jehovah?” Jehovah is the Lord of relationships with men, but here, in dealing with His corrupted earth, He comes as Elohim, as the Creator who finds His creation in turmoil and rocked with violence. There was only one family with whom He, as Jehovah, had a relationship, but now that judgment was come, He could only come as Creator and Judge. His effort to establish connections with the human race had been repulsed by the extreme wickedness of the day. Only Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah. Now the rest of humanity would find destruction at the hand of Elohim. Noah walked with God and he heard the voice of God. This is what we can expect when we lay aside our own interests for His. He will speak to us—in the Scriptures, in our circumstances, and in the body of Christ. He is the speaking God and we should seek that inner, gentle speaking in and with our spirit, not some word we imagine with our mind or feel with our emotions. Then God said to Noah. From the beginning of Scripture to the end, we cannot but notice that the Lord is always seeking fellowship with His creature. In the Old Testament the Lord used many methods to open communication with people. He spoke directly, through thunder and lightning, through a still small voice, through the priests, through prophets, through circumstances, and even through an animal. He utilized many means until in the New Testament age. He actually became a man in order to speak face-to-face in a gentle, unassuming way to reach those who had spiritual ears to hear. “The Word became flesh.” This is the extent of His passion to reach out and convey Himself to us. His speaking was Himself with all His attributes. When He spoke to Noah, it wasn’t merely the vibration of sound waves into his inner ear; it was also the vehicle whereby He conveyed Himself into Noah that enabled him to carry out God’s purpose. It is no different today. We need His speaking in our spirit, in the written Scriptures, in His people so that we have the vigor to accomplish His purpose of building the heavenly and earthly people – the Christian community and the nation of Israel (the ark). Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark. God’s speaking is never superficial banter about the weather. It is always with an intention and His intention is one thing—to provide a way in humanity to bring forth the promised seed that will produce the bride and destroy His enemy. I contend that all the Lord’s speaking in the Scriptures, in the body of Christ, in our spirit, and in our circumstances is for the accomplishment of His one eternal purpose, and that is to prepare the nation of Israel as the Bride of Christ and to build the Christian saints as the body of Christ. Noah walked with God, God spoke to him, and he built an ark to carry him from one age to another. He was in proximity of the Speaking One and heard Him and obeyed. This is our lesson as Christians for today: be in His presence walking with Him, hear His speaking, obey what He says, and build the congregation of believers. The closer we walk with Him, the more He speaks, and the more we become involved in His great building work. Noah represents the remnant on today’s earth that walks with God and hears His inward speaking. He also represents the obedient remnant that is actively building that vehicle which will carry them into the next age—the kingdom age—and that living, organic vehicle is the reality of the wooden ark—the nation of Israel and the Christian congregation. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence. I am about to destroy. Make for yourself an ark. When the soul fell into sin, it became the self. When the body fell into sin, it became the flesh. The spirit of man became dormant and inactive. Everything in the universe, by design, is in a state of flux, and always will be; so when sin entered, it didn’t simply remain alone as a sin of disobedience. It metastasized into the sin of defiance and murder. That sin devolved into the sin of idolatry that brought upon the earth an atmosphere of violence. Nothing is static. The flesh, when unrestrained, will have an end as the Lord said. “The end of all flesh has come before Me.” The end of human beings who live according to the flesh is violence. This is Satan’s purpose in lodging himself in the flesh of human beings. He wants to push them into higher degrees of sin until they destroy themselves with violence. The end of flesh is violence and it appears that today’s world is on the inexorable path of increasing violence. As it was here with Noah, so it shall be at the Lord’s return. “Wars and rumors of wars.” Then God said to Noah. Make for yourself an ark. Decadent humanity moves with plodding certainty toward violence that will ultimately destroy the race. The Lord intervened to prevent the death of His faithful remnant, Noah’s family. Whereas the Lord’s adversary pushes the human race toward extinction, the Lord aims to preserve a remnant through which He can bring forth the promised seed that will crush His enemy’s head and will bring complete salvation to His people. The ark is the vehicle that conveys the faithful remnant from an evil, corrupt irredeemable age to a new one. In that regard, the ark represents the Body and Bride of Christ that will preserve His people from the onslaught and judgment of this evil age and convey them into the coming age of the kingdom. And as with the ark, the two groups need material and labor. No longer need we wonder what God’s will is or what work we should do. It is up to us, called to build upon our most holy faith, to pick up the tools and work with Him who promised that He would build His congregation, both heavenly and earthly. Judgment is coming so we, as Noah, must be about building that which will save us and deliver us to the next age. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms. In My Father’s house are many abiding places. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? That the ark of Noah is a type of the nation and the assembly is adequately revealed in the phrase “make the ark with rooms.” Both consist of its members called out from the world and coming together in an assembly. In building the ark, Noah, as a type of Christ, gathered together gopher wood needed to construct the saving ark. In the first Psalm, we are depicted as planted trees by the streams of water. This is a wonderful place to be—rooted in the earth and drawing our life from the nearly stream and providing shelter and shade to God’s creatures. But we have a higher calling. The Lord comes and removes us from our place of comfort, cuts and fashions us into useable boards, and builds us together with others. Paul describes this as being “fitly framed together.” Our ultimate goal as individual Christians is for the Lord, the builder of the gathering, to cut us, strip us, mill us, and assemble us with others until we become His building, His house of many rooms, of many dwelling places. “The ark with rooms.” This is the Christian congregation. Not a forest of individual trees, beautiful and tall and strong and independent; not separate stacks of finely milled boards; but an ark of many rooms, the assembly of many dwelling places. This is how you shall make it’s the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. The Old Testament is full of pictures that prefigure a reality revealed later in the New Testament. One of the greatest of all types is Noah’s ark. Though having multiple meanings, one of the best representations is that of the man Jesus. If we take the dimensions—300 x 50 x 30—we can see the proportional size of a man. Thickness-30. A six-foot man would be 12’’ across at the waist and 7” thick from back to front. Because this ark saved Noah and his family from certain death by judgment, it is easily deduced that the ark was Jesus who saved us from eternal judgment. How was it that Noah and his family were saved? They entered the ark through the side door, a door that had to be cut into the ark. Jesus’ side was pierced for us and out of it flowed blood for cleansing and water for regeneration. We can only be saved if we enter into Christ via these two items. We must have our sins forgiven by His efficacious blood; and we must be born again by the river of water of life—His regenerating, divine life. All of this points to the wonderful fact that He is our true ark. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you. My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him. The ark as a type of the nation and congregation had many rooms, many dwelling places. We, as individual Christians, are the many “rooms” in which the Spirit dwells. When we come together, we are the assembly, the reality of Noah’s ark. This ark was sealed inside and out with waterproofing, probably some form of tar or resin, in order to save it from the death waters outside. The congregation comprised of all believers (the many rooms or dwelling places), finds itself in a world full of death and awaiting judgment. It is the spiritual building that is covered by the Holy Spirit as the Protector from the world and its impending doom. It is this outward covering that causes it to transcend and repel death. We are “in” Christ (including His body, the “ark”) and He, as the Spirit, is “upon” us (His body, the “ark”). He is our protective resin to separate us from the effects of death. When we are built into the proper assembly we ride unaffected upon the death that is prevalent in the world. This is because we have the Holy Spirit as our death-proof “resin” covering us and it is that which makes the true congregation as different in the world’s eyes now as the ark was in Noah’s day. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you. My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him. The ark as a picture of the nation of Israel and the Christian assembly is pregnant with meaning. We’ve seen how the ark with many rooms is the shadow of Jesus’ word concerning the two groups: “In My Father’s house are many abiding places.” These rooms mirror the many abiding places and they are sealed inside and out with the same substance—resin—just as we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Christian saints, of course, are the body of Christ, He being the head, we the members. When the Father said He would put His Spirit upon Christ, we were included. 133:2) The ark as a whole was covered with resin. The nation and assembly (in its true nature and practice) are covered with the Spirit. It is “in” Christ with the Spirit clothing it that differentiates them and protects them from death. But there is more to this picture. The rooms were sealed inside with the same substance. We as His people not only have the outward sealing for protection and distinction from death, the Spirit is anointing us inwardly. He is applying Himself to our mind, our emotion, and our will over and over again as we turn and open ourselves to Him. He adds Himself to us as we allow ourselves to be built with others into the building of God, the ark. So by this inward application, this inward filling by the Spirit, and by the outward covering of the Spirit, we become that vessel which will end this evil age and usher in the age of His kingdom. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. God’s Word is profound. In the ark with its many rooms we see the heavenly assembly of Christians and the earthly nation of Israel with their many dwelling places sealed inside and out with the Holy Spirit. We also see a picture of Christ who bore the judgment of God in all its fury while protecting His people from even one stormy blast. In the resin sealant we see His blood as that covering which protects us from the forces of evil and of death. The ark was made of gopher wood, probably a Syrian cypress able to withstand stress, rot, and worms. Wood in the Scriptures many times represents humanity. Psalm 1 likens the righteous man to a tree. Jesus called Himself the True Vine whose stock is wood. He is the “tree” of life. The structure and strength of Noah’s ark was the wood. Jesus’ perfect human life is the structure and strength of our salvation. Because of His human life in all its refinement and perfection, we are saved from God’s judgment and are separated from the influence and pervasiveness of death. Because of His human perfection, His blood sacrifice is efficacious, able to save us from sin, from death, from Satan, and from the world. The ark is covered with His blood as was the desert tabernacle (Heb. 9:21); and not only so, the blood is for the inward purification of our conscience (Heb. Inside and out the blood covers us because we, as Noah was, are in Him who is the true ark. Make for yourself an ark. .this is how you shall make. .work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil. Genesis, the book of beginnings, brings us to another great principle of our walk with God. The ark was to be Noah’s salvation and at first glance we would think that salvation would be altogether in God’s hands. But not so. There would be no salvation without Noah’s obedience to bring together the material, cut and mill it, and assemble it. Noah had to “work out” his salvation. This is an important aspect of the Lord’s dealings with His people. We have seen that the ark, in one aspect, is a picture of the complete Christ—the Head over His body—covered outwardly and filled inwardly with the Spirit. Our salvation from the rampant death surrounding us in this world is the proper and true congregation built up with and by the individual members. This living organism, this building of God in Spirit, this organic structure consisting of those who are willing and eager to work in God’s purpose, will carry the devoted remnant from this evil age and its impending judgment, into the next age of kingdom rest and peace. But it will not happen with divine intervention alone. It will and does require our cooperation with Him to build the assembly of believers, to see to it that none fall short of His grace. He and we are together working out this marvelous and awesome project, even as Noah worked out his salvation in constructing the wooden ark. Make for yourself an ark. .with rooms and. .cover it inside and out with pitch. .like a wise master builder I laid a foundation. .you are fellow citizens. .having been built on the foundation. The more we explore the various facets of Noah’s ark, the more we see the reality of our New Testament experience. The ark typifies Christ in His completeness who saves us from God’s outward judgment and our inward condemnation by the application of His blood on us and in us. It represents the nation of Israel and the community of Christians with its many rooms (believers) sealed inside and out with the Spirit. The Spirit is not only a sealant to protect us from the ravages of death, it is also an adhesive to hold the believers together . “Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 4:3) As a shadow of the nation and assembly, the ark was assembled by the cooperation of God and man working together. The reality of the ark today is no different in principle. We, with God must build it. Jesus said He would build His congregation and yet He will do nothing without our cooperation. Paul was wise master builder who declared that he laid the foundation, and then said that no man can lay a foundation other than Christ. So who laid the foundation? Paul or Christ? They together did. Without the cooperation of Noah, there would have been no ark. Without our cooperation and time and energy, Jesus cannot build His congregation. He depends on us as Jehovah depended on Noah. I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark. .work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you. (Phil. Being the book of beginnings, Genesis early on gives us the principle of divine and human cooperation. God had no choice but to destroy the earth but in order to save His faithful remnant, he depended on them to work out their own salvation. Some would have us believe that God alone is responsible for salvation and that we have nothing whatsoever to do with it; whereas others say that all the work is in our hands and if we fail to perform, we are doomed. Both extremes are bereft of the truth. As always, the truth is in the middle between the extremes. The Lord will do nothing on this earth without the cooperation of His willing, praying, and working remnant. Conversely, the remnant cannot do anything without the dynamism of God’s eternal life. We are commanded to work out our salvation, but without His working within us, our labor is worthless and futile. Noah would not even have conceived of the ark without Jehovah’s speaking, nor would he have had the stamina to carry it through without the Lord’s strength and encouragement. On the other hand Noah held the future of the human race and his own salvation in his hand. Jehovah gave the command and Noah brought the obedience. Had Noah disobeyed, Jehovah would have been left with nothing because He will never violate free will and force compliance. Our Lord needs our willingness to carry out His purpose. We have a great responsibility. This how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits; its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. .you are . God’s building. .having been built on the foundation. Christ Jesus. .being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together. The Old Testament is full of pictures of Christ and His Bride and Body, and none is more vivid than the ark of the covenant sitting in the holiest place in the tabernacle. It is a wooden box overlaid with gold, a sure representation of Jesus in His humanity (wood) and Christ in His divinity (gold). Inside the ark are the law (tablets), the bread of life (manna) and the resurrection life (Aaron’s rod)—all aspects of our marvelous Christ Jesus. The standing boards that comprise the tabernacle walls signify the human material comprising the Father’s dwelling place. The Christian saints house Christ in its many rooms, or dwelling places (John 14: 2). In type have seen how Noah’s ark is a shadow of Christ and His Bride and Body with its many rooms and with its Holy Spirit sealant inside and out. Even as Noah’s ark, once built, carried the Lord’s people into the next age, so will Christ’s nation and congregation, His masterpiece, end this age and usher in the next. This is the building of God on the earth. In Noah’s ark and in the ark of the covenant, the Author has revealed exactly what His purpose is if we can read, interpret, and understand the pictures He gives us. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. How like the assembly is this ark. Christ is everything to the Christian saints, including, as this verse tells us, our protection from judgment, our light of life, and our door. In order for us to be what He intends, we need an atmosphere of peace and safety. The ark was designed and built to absorb the raging billows of judgment while offering security to those inside. Our Savior suffered the direct judgment from God for the sins of the world. He was the “ark” in direct contact with death. We are in this One, this “ark” of God. In Him we are safe and at peace. This is the true and proper assembly, and this building of Christ with His people is a growing building. It is an organic entity that is growing into a holy temple. Paul said, “In whom (Christ) the whole building (the congregation), being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” 2:21) Since this building is alive and growing, it needs light and Christ is our light, our window to the heavens whence comes the life-giving rays. Praise Him He doesn’t leave us in the dark wondering what to do. He is the light for our daily lives, for our path, for our journey; and He is our light that warms us and causes us to grow up together into Him. .and set the door of the ark in the side of it. I am the door of the sheep. .if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. Christ is the door of the assembly represented by the door of the ark. Without Christ there is no entrance into the congregation. When we receive this wonderful One into us, we are saved from our sins and the accompanying penalty, and we are enclosed in His person; that is, we enter into salvation and into His Body where He is our protection from danger and death, and is our peace and calm and rest. He not only provides our entrance, He is our entrance. He brings us into Himself and makes us a part of Him. He is the door for us to enter. He is also the door that allows us to go out and to find pasture and to know Him as the Shepherd. We may think that our involvement in the world is altogether negative, but He is there to lead us to pasture and to quiet waters; and when the time comes, He leads us back to fellowship with His people through the door. The pasture and quiet waters are not found in the ark but in our daily routine in the world under His tender care. Our nourishment and the experience of His care we carry with us when we return through the door and into fellowship with His own. .and set the door of the ark in the side of it. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in. Imagine the Lord’s consternation when He was outside the door of the meeting at Ephesus knocking to get in. This shows the Lord’s grace because He is the door of the congregation and yet will not force Himself onto His people. If they choose to exclude Him and close the door, He will acquiesce and do what He must to get back in and win them through boundless love and mercy. This is His primary way in dealing with His chosen ones, even from the very beginning. He created to secure for His Son a willing bride comprised of human beings. What joy would He realize if He forced His creatures to obey and to follow Him? None. He could have predestinated us or programmed us to relinquish ourselves to Him and to His purpose and to His dictates. He could have pushed His way through the door, demanded repentance and obedience, but could He have coerced us to love Him? Love does not come from coercion and the Lord knows that. He desires those who are willing, who love Him more for who He is than for what He does. He has given us many reasons to love Him for what He has done—primarily the death of His Son—but the deepest, truest love comes from seeing, realizing, and seizing who He is. A bride is not in love with the acts of the bridegroom. More than anything else she wants to gaze into his eyes and to love him for who he is, for his person, and for his virtues. Make for yourself an ark. .you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. The ark of gopher wood represents many real aspects of the spiritual realm as we have discovered, most recently that Christ is the door to the nation of Israel and to the Christian congregation. What then could the three decks signify? The number three in Scripture is extremely meaningful, and, I suppose, the three decks of the ark could point to them all. Of course our God is three and yet one—Father, Son, and Spirit. As human beings we are comprised of body, soul, and spirit. In our progress in salvation we are first regenerated in our spirit, transformed in our soul, and transfigured, or glorified, in our body. The material with which we build up the saints is gold (the Father’s essence), silver (the Son’s redemption), and precious stones (the Spirit’s transformation). Our experience of the Triune God individually is what builds the congregation. But since the ark can typify the Body of Christ, maybe the three levels could point to Jesus’ discourse with Peter who first saw the revelation from the Father that Jesus was the Son of God. Then, secondly, Jesus said that upon that revelation, He would build His assembly; and, thirdly, the Christian community would thrust itself into the world and into Satan’s stronghold and would prevail. Revelation, building, and triumph. Noah heard the instructions from Jehovah, built the ark, and prevailed over death. Behold, I. . .am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh. .everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you. This the first mention of “covenant” in the record. It derives from the word “bar,” which in Hebrew means to cleanse or purify. Because of the fall of Adam, God could not enter into any agreement with man unless that man is purified. Moses said of Noah that he was righteous, blameless, and that he walked with God. Who can doubt that sacrifices had to be an integral and vital part of his daily walk? He was blameless, so many sacrifices had to die in his place to cover his sins. Such a man as this qualified to enter into a contract with God, so God contracted with Noah. On His side God promised grace, mercy and salvation to this blameless and righteous man; on Noah’s side, he offered obedience and by it literally built his salvation, entered into it and committed himself to God’s faithfulness to carry out His half of the contract. This was a crucial juncture in the history of the race, for God had promised a delivering Seed to Eve and, save for the obedience of Noah, it would have been cancelled by the death of all mankind. This contract, this arrangement with Noah, insured that the Seed would indeed come through him and his posterity. Here is a profound and wonderful example of the cooperation between God and man to push forward the fulfillment of His eternal purpose on the earth. A covenant is based upon cooperation by both parties. God is ever faithful. Are we? But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Jehovah made a contract with Noah that assured his salvation on the condition of his obedience. If he would build the ark, then he would be saved; and not only him but his whole household as well. Our obedience has far-reaching ramifications. In Noah’s case it encompassed seven others of his family. In our case we have no idea how far it will reach, nor need we concern ourselves lest we become distracted from obedience of the moment. The ark, being a type of the nation of Israel and the Christian gathering of saints, had to be built before the judgment came because Jehovah had contracted with Noah to save him. The Lord has promised to save us into His new world, the world of His millennial kingdom, if we are obedient to build the vehicle that will carry us across the fiery judgment, and that entity is the corporate Body of Christ. Noah had to first build the ark before he could be saved from the flood. We have to first build up the saints around us in this age in order to be saved for the coming age. This is our mission and our contract with God sealed by the blood of His sacrifice and should be our daily passion. We are not awaiting judgment; judgment awaits our obedience in the building of our salvation. Make for yourself an ark. This is how you shall make it. But I will establish my covenant with you. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. .and upon this rock I will build My congregation. We have seen that the ark with all its rooms is a picture, or type, of nation of Israel and the New Testament congregation comprised of every believer as the Spirit’s dwelling places. That would make Noah, who built the ark according to Jehovah’s instructions, a type of Christ who builds the congregation into the Father’s spiritual house, the sure termination this evil age through fiery judgment, and the entrance to the kingdom age. Noah and Christ contracted with the Father to do as He specified and both obeyed and succeeded. The eternal purpose of God hinged on the response of these two men among others. Had Noah decided to turn away from the covenant offered to him, or, having signed on, failed to perform his obligation, Jehovah would have had to destroy him along with the rest of humankind, and thereby, would have lost the conduit through which the promised seed, Christ, had to pass. Had Jesus failed even once during His earthly life, He would have negated the required perfection of the sacrifice and there would have been no nation or congregation produced by the flowing of the water from His wounded side. Obedience to Jehovah’s command and to His revelation concerning Himself was critical to the fulfillment of His purpose for creation, and it remains so with us. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive. .take for yourself. .food. .for you and for them. He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? (Matt. These verses show the tender side of our God, even in the midst of impending judgment. He commissions Noah, a prefigure of Christ and of all those who would take the lead among God’s people, to spiritually and practically care for the lesser ones, to find them suitable places to lodge, to feed them, and to keep them alive. The young, the poor, the weak are precious to the Lord because it is with them that He puts to shame the pomposity, the selfishness, and the arrogance of the strong, even the strong in the assembly; and with them He confounds the wise and builds His Body. It is too easy to simply care for ourselves and our relationship with the Lord to the exclusion of the weak and problematic; but the Lord tests our love and devotion by commanding us to shepherd His sheep. That is more than just praying for them or standing with them, whatever that means. The Lord calls us to sacrifice our convenience, our time, our money, and our energy, and to “waste” it upon the needy, the hurting, the struggling, and even the ungrateful. Our obedience to this hard command will determine our general usefulness to Him. These thankless, even anonymous tasks in the body of Christ exist for our testing and for our benefit. Jesus, remember, washed the feet of the one who would use those same feet to betray Him. “Keep them alive” was Jehovah’s word to Noah and is no less to us. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. .according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. There are two ways to read of Noah finding grace in the eyes of the Lord. For one, he was studying the Lord’s eyes and found grace therein. For another, the Lord looked down on Noah and found a man upon whom He could bestow grace. So was it the Lord’s doing alone, or was it Noah’s passion that brought him grace? There are extremes on both ends of the question, but I feel the truth is in the middle. The Lord needs those who will cooperate with Him to get things accomplished on this earth for His interests. The Lord graciously bestowed Himself on Noah, but He also expected Noah to work and work hard to prepare the ark. Grace-work. Divine-human. These couplings always go together. We work out our salvation, but it is God who works in us. The Lord never expects us to be passive in our relationship with Him or with each other. Passivity in spiritual things is anathema to the Lord. Noah found grace in the Lord’s eyes by walking with Him day after day. The Lord in turn looked upon Noah with great favor, then told him what work he had to do. And Noah obeyed. The Lord has bestowed grace upon us and now expects us to get off the couch and to build up His saints, our ark of salvation. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and your household, for you alone I have seen righteous before Me in this time.” What makes a person righteous in the eyes of God? If we define the term as not only being morally upright, but also as doing the right thing according to God’s instructions, then perhaps we can get a grasp on why Noah acquired this virtue. For one thing Noah walked with God. In an age of unparalleled decadence and violence, that was the right thing to do. When Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he aggressively sought it, that was the right thing to do. When all around him had forsaken their true humanity and interacted with the Nephilim, Noah and his family refused the irredeemable contamination and stood alone for the pure Adamic stock and for the interests of their God on the earth. That was the right thing to do. When Jehovah instructed Noah to build an ark because a judgment flood was about to descend on the earth, Noah obeyed and followed every instruction. That was the right thing to do. Noah practiced doing the right thing by walking with God and by doing so, he was constituted with righteousness. Obedience to God makes us righteous before Him, and only the righteous will be saved. And the Lord said unto Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark. .you shall take with you every clean animal by sevens. Christ is our well-prepared ark of safety, and into Him the Father graciously extends His invitation to us. He does not demand that Noah go into the ark, nor does He demand that we sinners go into Christ and be saved. Never! Our gracious Father tenderly invites us into our wonderful refuge, into our only means of salvation, into His only Son whom He sent into the world. Only He can save us from the darkness of the hour and from the judgment to follow. And lest we think that our lives are insignificant and nondescript and that we are only responsible for number one, Noah had to bring many others with him, proving that what we are has a far-reaching affect on others. “Take with you every clean animal. We must spend our lives trying to bring others, though they are weak and lowly, into Christ, not just once at regeneration, but day by day, seeing to it that none are lost and come short of His grace. Jesus told the people, “Come unto Me.” He is the true ark, the haven, the peaceful harbor and He beckons us to come and to bring with us our family and all the needy and destitute as well. For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights. Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him. “Seven more days.” This phrase extols the Lord’s grace to his creatures. Remember that Methusaleh’s name means when he dies, it shall come, meaning the flood of judgment. It is no mistake that because of the Lord’s grace and longsuffering, He extended Methusaleh’s life to 969 years, the longest life of any man in human history. So even here at the very end of the time before judgment, the Lord grants a seven-day hiatus of grace allowing for any besides Noah’s family to repent and to enter the ark. They were surely waiting anxiously for any of their relatives to answer the call to repent. Noah certainly had preached the gospel of righteous to his siblings as had his wife and his sons’ wives to their families. For seven days of waiting for that first drop of rain, they watched for any indication of repentance, hoping to see at least one respondent to the years and years of warning. As the time slipped away hour by hour, Noah’s righteousness grew into a glaring contrast to the destitute condition of the human race. Who can know what insults, aspersions, and ridicule the worldlings hurled at Noah and his folly as it sat alone on dry ground? So the cross of Christ is counted as foolishness by the truculent rebels who deserve no grace, but have it extended to them just the same. Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark. .and the Lord closed it behind him. One translation says “and the Lord shut him in.” What can be more secure than this? Christ is the real ark, our sure refuge, our fortress against the onslaught of the enemy, against deserved judgment, against our own misgivings. We are shut in to Christ by the hand of God and nothing can ever extract us. We are safe and secure in Him. He has the key of David and it is “He who opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens.” (Rev. 3:7) He is “head over all things to the congregation,” and has all power in heaven and on earth. Noah was utterly and completely safe in the ark and not one wave could assail him. We are no less safe in Christ because God put us there and there’s not one thing we or any created being can do to reverse this reality. We are secure in time and in eternity because of His work on this earth that satisfied every righteous requirement of His Father. Noah built the ark precisely according to Jehovah’s instructions and Jehovah set His mark of approval on Noah’s work by shutting him in. Jesus’ work was of such pristine and sublime caliber that His Father set upon Him the seal of His approval in the resurrection. Now we are shut in to Christ and there is not a safer place to be. .and the Lord shut him in. Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark. .so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matt. What anxiety, what terrible anxiety, accompanied the rebels, the detractors, the mockers when they watched with expanding horror the vessel of mercy and salvation rise with the flood as they scrambled up the high places to suck in their last and fleeting gasps of life. Gone were the echoes of warning from the mouth of God’s preacher. Gone was the revelry of an existence devoid of God. Gone were the ephemeral pleasures of sin, and its overarching decadence. Gone were those moments of contemplation and conviction, however brief, at the dire prediction of the ridiculed ark-builder. Gone was all hope of contrition, of repentance, of salvation. Gone were all the fair-sounding pleas from the gracious lips of Jehovah’s oracle. All was gone, eerily and irrevocably gone, replaced by the cacophony of the implacable torrent, dashing into bits all memory of the illicit pleasures that had gutted any hunger for righteousness, any tendency to obey the strange, though confident, prophet of righteousness. Now came the inevitable and irreversible termination of an abject and violent and irredeemable age. What had shut in Noah and seven souls with him had shut all others out. and irrevocably so. .and the Lord shut him in, then the flood came upon the earth. For as in those days before the flood. .so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matt. Without Christ, earthlings do all in their power to make this world their comfortable home, trying desperately to circumvent or negate Jesus’ immutable prophecy of His coming. Some Christians go so far as to believe that it is our duty to change every society throughout the world into theocratic republics that will establish Christ’s kingdom and afford Him the way to return to earth. This is contrary to the Lord’s own words regarding the prevailing condition of mankind before He returns. As in the days of Noah, so in the days before His coming. What distinguished Noah’s days? Violence from the fountain of evil. Satan will never rest until he destroys every human being from the face of the earth. This is his goal, and if he doesn’t succeed, the Lord will gather unto Himself a remnant that will wrench from his vile hands the scepter of the earth, will crush his head finally and completely, and will bring to fruition the King and His kingdom, the Head and the body, the Father and His family, the Bridegroom and His bride. So as we near the end of this stage of history, violence and destruction will increase as it did before the flood when only a remnant found salvation. As then, so now. Only a remnant of the faithful will escape in the vessel they will have crafted—the living, functioning nation of Israel and the heavenly Christian congregation. .and the Lord shut him in, then the flood came upon the earth. For as in those days before the flood. .so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matt. .and His bride has made herself ready. Christians love to talk about, contemplate, and speculate on the end times, and the crafty make millions selling their ideas in slick packages to gullible believers who soak it up and fancy themselves experts on the subject. It is pointless to construct elaborate scenarios and timelines of coming events and to attach to them biblical prophecies when the Lord Himself did not know when He would return. It suffices us to know that as the days were before Noah’s flood, so it will be before the Lord’s coming. Unmitigated violence ruled the earth, and violence comes from godlessness and hatred and leads to wanton murder and destruction. Every generation proclaims theirs as horrible and that none could be worse, and yet time goes on, leading me to conclude that prophetic events do not drive the Lord’s timetable, but instead follow the one thing responsible for hastening that day, and that is, the preparation of His dearly beloved bride, His chosen nation. He loved her and “gave Himself up for her so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her. 5:25-26) Yet, it is she who makes herself ready by submitting to His sanctifying and cleansing work, by willingly returning His love, by cooperating with His inward working to rid herself of any spot or blemish. When she is ready, He will return—not because all the prophecies have been fulfilled, which give Him no pleasure, but because He wants to consummate His marriage to the nation He chose in Abraham. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. .a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. .through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Noah’s ark is pregnant with meaning. If foreshadows Christ, the nation of Israel, the Christian community, and now baptism, the symbol of death and resurrection. Jesus bore the righteous judgment of God, passed through death, and resurrected on the third day. When we receive His sacrifice, He comes into us and He brings us into Himself. We obtain forgiveness of our sins on the negative side and regenerating life on the positive. In pointing toward our Savior, the ark passed through the judgment of God where all oldness of the old creation came under death water, and it came safely to rest on the mountains of a cleansed earth in a new age. In baptism, we declare by our participation that our old life of degradation is under the divine judgment and when we emerge, we signify that we are now living and will live in the resurrection life of the Resurrected One. When we obey the Lord in baptism, we are demonstrating to many witnesses, seen and unseen, that the past life is buried and that we are going to live in the triumphant resurrection life of Christ. When we truly understand the import of this step and obey it, we enter into a new stage of our full and complete salvation whereby our whole being is progressively being saved. .the ark floated on the surface of the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. .through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How is it that baptism saves us? Weren’t we saved when we received the Lamb of God as our sacrifice and Savior? Wasn’t it that act of faith that saved us from our sins and from eternal condemnation? Noah and his family were Jehovah’s people and that fact constituted their salvation, but the environment around them was dark, decadent, and deadly, and it was from this they obtained salvation via the ark. Similarly, we became the Lord’s children when we received Him into us and that fact saved us from eternal perdition, but it did not transport us from the wicked, worldly environment in which we live. Noah needed the further salvation of the ark and we need further salvation through baptism. When we, in obedience to baptism, go into the water, we are symbolically demonstrating that we are dead and buried, and, in such a condition, are immune to the contamination of sin and death all around us. When we emerge, we symbolically leave all the oldness and deadness behind and rise to live in the new creation as new creatures full of the resurrected Christ. Even as the ark passed through death water, so do we in symbol. Baptism is a vital step in our walk with Christ, because it exhibits to the universe that we are serious about obeying the Lord, and that obedience and devotion to Him saves us from entrapments that bring us down. This daily, continuing obedience born in baptism saves us from our environment. So they went into the ark. .then the flood came. .the water prevailed. .all flesh perished. .the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah. The Lord is . .patient. .not wishing for any to perish. Noah took a long, long time to build the ark, during which time Jehovah exercised great patience, waiting for some to come to repentance. Some Christians strongly contend that there is no such thing as the free will of man, yet how can we explain the Lord’s patience and unwillingness to see any one perish without it? If His sovereignty overrides any choice we make, what need is there of divine patience waiting for something to happen that He has already preordained? If He is not willing for any to perish, as Peter states clearly, and yet many do perish, what does that say about God’s will? Is it ineffective, impotent or does it co-exist with the free will of His creatures? We agree that the Lord knows everything, yet I can’t believe He programs us to play out our role on the world’s stage according to His prewritten script. He, in His sovereignty, allows us freedom of choice. He knows how we will choose, yet waits patiently for us to choose to follow Him. We don’t know the future, He does, so we have the obligation to seek after and walk with Him if we are to avoid loss. Though He already knows our decision, the decision is ours. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky. .only Noah was left together with those that were with him in the ark. When the Lord judges, He judges thoroughly, leaving nothing to chance. Thus the wickedness of the ancient world fell under the righteous judgment of its Creator. This entire episode paints a vivid picture for us today, for believer and unbeliever alike. Jehovah is a holy and righteous God, and He will not co-exist with sin; therefore His judgment is always thorough. Judgment always causes loss. The ancient race lost their lives and everything they had built for themselves. The Pharaoh lost his firstborn son and his slaves. The Israelites lost a generation in the wilderness. David lost a son. Solomon lost the kingdom. Jesus lost His life to crucifixion. The disciples lost their soul lives—their own thoughts, opinions, preferences, ideas—in establishing the primitive congregation of Christians. All this loss comes at the judging hand of God. There is always a loss in judgment. No less is true today. We are so full of ourselves as believers. We insist on our own ways, our own possessions, our own comfortable meeting, our own inoffensive pastor, our own spiritual guru, our own place in the world. Everything is mine, mine, mine. If we are to escape a greater loss at His judgment seat, we’d better submit to His incremental judgment in our daily lives. We must suffer loss now because judgment must first begin at the house of God, or our judgment later will be devastating. Thus He blotted out every living thing. .and they loved not their lives unto the death. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him. .for he who has died is freed from sin. .even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin. Judgment results in death. Our Lord is holy and righteous and full of life, so He wants to eradicate anything in us that does not come up to His standard. We were born sinners so we sin, and this sin separates us from God. Our natural man, the old man, the old self-life, is irredeemably corrupt and needs to be replaced by the new man, the new nature that comes from the resurrected Christ; therefore the Lord judges our old nature with its profusion of sin. He did it conclusively on the cross along with its vile source, Satan. What we must see is that the practical reality of this judgment, this death to our fallen nature with its love of the world, its opinions, preferences, ambitions, its propensity for sin, is an incremental experience as we progress in our life with Christ. This is called “growth.” Judgment and growth go hand in hand. As He grows and increases within us, He judges our innate evil tendencies, and we decrease, we lose our opinions, our love for other things, our aspirations. Judgment and growth are sometimes slow, depending upon our receptivity. From the time Noah entered the ark until he stepped out of it was 190 days. That’s long time. Judgment came with the first raindrop and ended when Jehovah opened the door of the ark. Raindrops are small, and the Lord judges us in small ways, judging this and judging that until we are a new creation. The waters prevailed upon the earth. But God remembered Noah. Jehovah had shut Noah into the ark to protect him from the carnage of devastation surrounding him. The Lord’s righteous nature demanded that He put an end to the violent godlessness of the corrupted human race; but even in the midst of deserved judgment, Jehovah remembered Noah. What had Noah done to garner Jehovah’s remembrance and recognition? He had sought after the Lord and found grace in His eyes. He had walked with God as Enoch had done. He had obeyed Jehovah’s instructions to prepare an ark of salvation for himself, his family, and the less capable ones, the animals. In other words, he had done what the Lord desires of every human being, and that is, to walk with Him and to obey Him. Our walk involves our private, individual relationship with Him wherein He is working in us to perfect us. Our obedience has to do with building up the saints so that His people can escape judgment and be delivered to the next age. Walking and building—these are the distinguishing characteristics of Noah’s life that caused the Lord to remember him. If our lives are committed to walking with Him privately and to building up the saints in oneness publicly, then the Lord will remember us and deliver us to the next age, the kingdom age. But God remembered Noah. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Noah passed safely through Jehovah’s judgment and Jehovah remembered him because Noah had walked with Him when all around him were acrimoniously resisting his message of repentance. He obediently spent over one hundred years gathering and fabricating material to build the ark of deliverance. Noah not only had a wonderful relationship with the Lord privately, but he also produced the fruits of that relationship in his obedience and good works. These good works encompassed those outside of himself—his wife, his three sons, his three daughters-in-law, and the animals. What does this tell us? We have a responsibility by virtue of our calling to maintain a vibrant and intimate communion with our Lord. This is vital and mandatory if we are serious followers of Christ. Out of this relationship flows the passion and strength to take care of those around us, in other words, to build up the Body and to support Israel, the ark of safety that will end this age and usher in the kingdom age. This was Noah’s life and work for which the Lord remembered him. If we would escape loss from judgment, Noah must be our pattern. But God remembered Noah. .and the water receded steadily from the earth. Noah opened the window of the ark. Noah passed through Jehovah’s judgment without loss. The Lord found him full of grace and worthy to escape the destruction of judgment, but it was Noah’s good works that delivered him into the next age untouched. When he opened the window of the ark, he saw the beginning of a new age wherein he would assume great responsibility and authority. He had been faithful to walk with his God and to obey His instructions. His walk was an enjoyment of God’s transcendent grace, sublime and untouched by the affairs of earth. His work was that same grace empowering, strengthening, and motivating him to practically carry out God’s purpose on the earth. Walk and work. Noah’s faithfulness in both delivered him through judgment into the new age. What a picture for us! We have no less responsibility than did Noah. We are called out from the decaying world to walk with Christ and to make Him Lord of every detail of our lives. Were this all He required of us, we would be more than happy and satisfied; but there’s much more. We have to produce good works and those good works are ultimately for the building up of the Lord’s people, God’s house, His tabernacle on earth. We are those who must “see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God,” who are building upon our most holy faith. The judgment of Christ will determine the value of our works, not our faith, and we’ll be recompensed or punished accordingly. Noah opened the window of the ark. .and he sent out a raven. .then he sent out a dove. Jehovah is always concerned about the earth because He chose it among the billions of planets in the universe on which to realize His eternal purpose. Though suffering through this second catastrophic flood, the earth remained the venue upon which the Lord would work out His plan. So the ark had a window. .a window to look up to the heavens where the Father is; not just to make the heavenly connection, but to make the earthly contact as well. The ark is a type of the person of Christ, the nation, or Bride of Christ, and the Body of Christ. Though He was the heavenly anointed One, He became a man to live upon the earth. He connected heaven to earth as He is the reality of Jacob’s dream of the ladder. (John 1:51) The Christian community as well is heavenly in nature but it too resides on the earth. The window of the ark was not just for the purpose of Noah stretching forth his hands in prayer to the God of the heavens, but it was for releasing the raven and the dove to make contact with the earth. The Lord is for the earth, for without it, He would not have the human race, and without men and women, He would have none to love Him, follow Him, defeat His enemy, establish His authority, comprise His Son’s body, and be His Son’s bride. For our sake, we should be daily and eternally grateful that the window of the ark opened toward heaven but with earth in view. And he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove. .but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark. In applying the story of the raven and the dove to our own lives, we would do well to plunge beneath the superficial and review what we have learned about the ark and its denizens. All on the ark were saved. The ark is a two-fold picture of Christ—the person of Christ and the people of Christ – earthly and heavenly. Noah represents a proper leader among God’s people who leads all the weaker ones, seen in the animals, into the safety of Christ and His corporate people where they can escape the judgment upon the ungodly. But being in Christ and being protected from the future eternal judgment is no assurance of perfection or even spirituality. The raven pictures the carnal mind that feasts upon death. There are some Christians who enjoy misery and are happy with the sufferings of others and are never satisfied unless they can criticize and pick apart dead things. They are the ravens that perch upon death and feast. Make no mistake they are saved, but saved only from eternal perdition, not from the judgment seat of Christ where they will suffer great loss. There are also doves among the Lord’s people who love life and even in an environment of death, they search for the olive branch, the positive, the living thing. They shun death and though they are commissioned by the Lord to go into the world to preach and live the gospel, they know that the ark—Christ and His people—is their safe haven. So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove. .and He remained upon Him. .the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The fact that the raven and the dove were saved alike on the ark should give us pause, because it reveals the dichotomy among believers. The raven, once released from the ark of salvation, rushed upon death and never returned. Some believers chafe at the confinement of salvation, at the Lord’s desire for and expectation of their obedience, at their fellow Christians who do not love the world but rather rejoice in their Savior and Lord. Once their salvation is sure, once the rain of judgment has abated and the clouds have parted, they return to their original lifestyles and resume feasting on the dead things of a judged world. To be sure, they have escaped eternal perdition typified by the raging flood, but that is all they have, so the Lord of their salvation will judge their works and they will suffer great loss. Other believers love everything about their Lord and His gracious life. They appreciate their eternal salvation and their Lord who provided it and His people with whom they have been saved. They do not use their freedom as a license to sin, but they go forth into the world to seek the living thing, to live according to the inner life, and to return to the One they love. To them every moment is precious, every day is a new opportunity to feed upon the true life and to bring that life back to the ark as proof of the Lord’s provision and as food for His hungry people. The dove came to him toward evening, and, behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. The dove represents all things spiritual—our enlivened human spirit, the Holy Spirit, eternal life, a seeking heart—whereas the raven signifies death, our natural life, the self, the world, our love for the things of the world. Yesterday, I painted with a very broad brush and dealt with two classes of believers—the spiritual and the worldly—both of whom, represented by the raven and the dove, passed through the judgment flood and were saved. Of course there are many gradations between the two definitions, and the two birds typify the struggle that rages in the soul of every believer. Every one of us experiences the relentless warfare of the Spirit and the flesh for the control of our mind, our emotions, and our will. Before Christ, there was only the domineering flesh doing whatever it pleased. At regeneration, when Christ entered our spirit, there appeared a new dynamic—the spirit rose up to oppose the lusty, filthy flesh. The raven and the dove squared off in the arena of our thinking, of our feelings, of our volition, and of our behavior. The raven always pulls us toward death and self and the world. The dove counters and leads us to the Lord, to eternal life, to selflessness, to good works. Death and life wage a daily battle in us for dominance. It is our responsibility as Christians to retreat to our spirit and hide and abide under the wings of the dove. .he sent out a raven and it flew here and there. .he sent out a dove. .she returned to him. .(Gen. 8:7, 9) For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. All creatures on the ark were saved from the flood, including the raven. Since the ark is a picture of Christ, we are saved from condemnation by being in Him. The question is, how saved are we? Is being delivered from eternal perdition the extent of our salvation? What about our natural tendencies to lust, to envy, to criticize, to opine, to love the world, to deceive, to express anger? How much are we saved from these innate traits in our fallen souls? Shall we dismiss the Lord’s desire to change what we are into what He wants us to be—vessels filled with Himself? The raven, dark and foreboding, signifies our natural life that leaves the confinement of salvation to feast upon death in a judged world. He loved the dead things so much he went here and there, never satisfied, always wanting something more and something new, and he never returned to the ark and to the one who gave him his freedom. The dove, gentle and pure, went out in search of the living thing. She mirrors our innermost part, our spirit, that part of us where the Lord resides and which loves eternal life. These birds show us clearly the battle raging in our souls. We must take control of the leading part of our soul—our mind—and set it on the Lord in our spirit. If we don’t, the “raven” in us takes over and flees to the dead flesh. Our flesh and our spirit are implacable antagonists and it’s our decision whether our lives express the raven or the dove. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing. So Noah went out. We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Noah went forth from the ark as one having passed through death. All of his preferences, aspirations, proclivities, opinions—everything about himself—had been put away by the flood. Nothing remained but a new earth and a new beginning. He was, in essence, if only in outward form, baptized, or buried, into death, and was raised from the dead as the flood receded and as he went forth. Baptism is vital to the progress of our full salvation. It must never become a ritual or the result of an emotional decision. A person following the Lord in baptism, if he/she desires to obey the Lord fully, must understand that baptism is a symbol of death to everything old, even as Noah passed through many months of complete destruction of the old world with all its hopes, dreams and promises. A baptizee should have the understanding that his old life is all over, never to be resuscitated; that all they enjoyed and loved is in the grave with Christ, is under the death water. Noah went forth into a new life. All had changed forever and would never be the same. When the baptizee emerges from the water, he must realize that he, as Noah, is entering into a new, resurrection life where all things are new and different. A person with this understanding of baptism stands upon a solid foundation in his life and walk with the Lord. Then God spoke to Noah, saying , “Go out of the ark. .so Noah went out. .then Noah built an altar. Herein rests a profound principle deeply hidden in the Word of God and in the mysterious realm of absolute truth. After months of confinement in a floating zoo, when freedom surely tempted Noah to indulge himself at so long a restriction, when he needed time to himself to adjust, he instead built an altar and sacrificed some scarce and necessary animals. Noah took care of Jehovah first and foremost with what little he had. This is how Noah began his new life after baptism in the new world. His craving to please himself had gone into death, and in resurrection he sought to please his Savior by offering what little he had in thanksgiving for His merciful protection and in worship for His power and righteousness. By building an altar, Noah expressed his desire to commune with His God before all other considerations. How many Christians have this concept, or even consider the Lord’s wishes? Are we among the critics who criticize Noah for “wasting” precious and scarce commodities upon an altar; who scoff at Mary who lavished her ointment upon the Lord when it could have been sold to feed the poor? When we meet together with believers, do we remember the Lord’s promise to be with us if we meet in His name, and if we do, do we take care of His need for rest and refreshment like those dear ones in Bethany did and like Noah did by building an altar first instead of his own shelter? This principle of taking care of the Lord instead of our own needs, is secretive and known only by those grateful and obedient hearts that love the Lord intimately and know His yearning for fellowship with us. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. There were probably a good number of animals slain that day but there weren’t many to spare. Noah had brought aboard the ark seven of each clean animal and bird, the seventh of each slated for sacrifice. This is the Lord’s way. He requires of us sacrifice when we don’t have much except anxiety. When Jesus told the story of the Pharisee and the widow offering their gifts, He castigated the haughty leader for giving out of his abundance and extolled the widow for giving out of her poverty. You would think that Noah would have waited a while to see if the animals would thrive in the new world before offering them to the Lord. That would make perfect human sense. Instead he stepped out of the ark, built an altar, and sacrificed the seventh of all the animals and birds. The Lord is not interested in our pragmatism and our rationale. He wants our obedience above every other consideration. Noah faced all kinds of problems as soon as his foot touched dry ground. Shelter, food, animals, family, location, occupation. These things slapped him right in the face, but how did he react? He first built an altar to take care of Jehovah, not out of his abundance, but obediently out of his minimal resources. Then Noah. .offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground. .for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing. Jehovah smelled the aroma of the burning sacrifices and saw the thankfulness of Noah and his desire for future care from His hand. Noah knew he was a sinner needing a substitute and in his act of worship handled the animals as types of Christ, the ultimate Sacrifice. This pleased Jehovah, for in the soothing aroma, or aroma of rest, He smelled His Son, His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. Seeing the tiny remnant on the new earth in an act of voluntary worship, Jehovah opened His heart of love and issued a proclamation that the earth would never be drowned again. He realized that man’s heart was wicked from the womb because of the disobedience of the first parents, and that would never change; so in order to exterminate the evil in man, He would have to destroy and destroy again until man was no more. That would be counterproductive. The solution to this dilemma was the willing sacrifice, harbinger of Christ, offered in atonement for sin and as the pleading of an open heart for communication with its Master. This pleased Jehovah and made a way for Him to accomplish His purpose through man regardless of pitfalls ahead. Then Noah. .offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground. Nothing pleases the Father more than His beloved Son. When Noah offered the burnt offerings after departing the ark, he was in effect, handling Christ as the ultimate and final sacrifice and this is what pleased Jehovah and triggered His promise to never again cursed the ground, ground being that element from which He created man. This is a huge blessing and it reveals a deep secret about Jehovah. It is paramount that we see this secret of God’s heart. If we want to please Him, if we want to enjoy His presence, if we want to experience His blessed Person, we have to handle His Son properly. Not only must He be our Savior from sin and corruption, but He also must be the Ruler over all the details of our lives. As Savior He is our burnt offering sacrificed for our sins, but to become our Lord, He must find a heart eager to relinquish all upon the altar. When Noah built the altar, he not only acknowledged his sinfulness and his need for cleansing, but he also, by his actions, stated emphatically that his own life was itself a sacrifice ready to be burnt up in the service of his God. This is pleasing to the Lord. Then Noah. .offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma. .for we are a fragrance of Christ to God. When Noah built his post-deluge altar and sacrificed the seventh of all the clean animals, he was, in effect, handling the ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus the Lamb of God. Not only so, he was himself involved in the act of sacrifice by acknowledging his need for cleansing and by presenting himself as being one with the sacrifices. He was seeking absolution on the negative side and declaring himself one with the dying animals on the positive side. This reveals our path, our walk with God. We are sinful creatures who must be cleansed of sin in order to walk with our God. Jesus’ sacrifice meets that need. We are willful, natural creatures who must pass through the death of our sinful nature in order to walk in resurrection life. Again Jesus’ sacrifice meets the need for our death, for His is an all-inclusive death—a death that provides the cleansing blood to deal with our sins, and a death that includes every negative thing in creation, especially our evil nature that can do nothing but sin. When what we’ve done and what we are pass through death; i.e., is burnt, then that sacrifice releases the sweet aroma that is pleasing to the Father, for in it He smells the sacrifice of His beloved Son. Jesus’ crucifixion was the moment of His greatest triumph and it is into this and through this that God leads us everyday and makes us a fragrance of Christ and that is well pleasing to Him. Then Noah. .offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. Abraham built the altar. .bound his son. .and laid him on the altar. .present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice. As Christians we are marked for death, and this is an entirely positive aspect of our journey with Christ. When Noah built his altar and offered his sacrifices, we can see the obvious reference to Jesus, the Lamb of God, but do we see the reference to ourselves as His lambs? Lambs are sacrificial animals created, not just for wool and meat, but also for the Father’s pleasure when He smells the burning fat and is reminded of His beloved Son. Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs. We are His lambs destined for sacrifice, not the sacrifice of the physical body as His was, but for the daily sacrifice of everything natural and dead in us. In our prayers for one another, we are doing what Abraham did—offering his precious son to the Father as a sacrifice. Out of that offering came Christ. What would be the result if we could grasp this concept? How would our relationships with one another in the body of Christ change if we had the full realization that in our dealings with and in our prayers for one another, we are, in fact, offering each other on God’s altar for the death of our natural man? An old hymn says, “Through the cross, O Lord, I pray. Put my soul-life all away.” It goes on to say, “I for greater power pray not, deeper death is what I need.” Death always precedes resurrection. As believers we are not living to die. We are dying to ourselves so that we can live according to His life. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. When we offer ourselves upon God’s altar, we agree to die, and one of the Lord’s chief delights is the death of His saints. The one thing in us that must die is our selfish, natural life that we acquired from birth. When we willingly put aside our ideas and preconceptions and aspirations and egocentricity in favor of His virtues, we are humbling ourselves before Him and offering ourselves upon the altar to die. When we defer to others in the body of Christ by looking beyond personality quirks, abrasive attitudes, or juvenile remarks, and find, enjoy, and cherish the Christ in them, we are dying upon His altar. The smoke from our death ascends to His nostrils and soothes His heart, because our sacrifice reflects His own beloved Son who willingly laid down His life that we might live. But His life is a resurrected life and resurrection always follows death. Jesus told us that in order to follow Him, we had to deny ourselves and take up the cross. Self-denial leads to the cross and to death where emanates the soothing aroma pleasing to the Father’s heart. In the smoke He smells death, pleasing Him because it precedes resurrection life. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man. I will never again destroy every living thing. Sacrifice moves the Lord’s hand. When He saw Noah’s obedience in offering the animals on the altar as a thanksgiving for salvation and a plea for continued protection, He responded by lifting the threat of a future curse by water. When the Lord sees a sacrifice, He sees death. From death flows resurrection and only a life in resurrection has any power to accomplish God’s plan for the earth. This is what moves the Lord. Christians involve themselves in all sorts of gimmicks, programs, and facilities, convinced that this will draw people to them. Of course it works, but on which side of the altar—death or resurrection—do these methods operate? The Lord will never accept anything that does not pass first through death. Only that in us that has passed through death will move Him to act on our behalf. Many of us who live in our self-life according to our own preferences and preconceptions, are living a cursed existence. When we humble ourselves to Him, offer ourselves on His altar and relinquish our own strength, we escape the curse of death and we enter into resurrection. When the Lord smells the soothing aroma of our sacrifice by which He is profoundly pleased, He acts for our benefit. This delivers us from anxiety and into a true freedom and a deep confidence in Him wherein we find and enjoy and abide in His resurrection, free from the world, the flesh, and the self. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. .for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (Phil. After Noah, the Lord vowed to never destroy the earth by water again, because to deal with sinful man through catastrophic judgments would be ongoing until the eradication of humanity altogether. So instead of major events to deal with man, He implements seasonal changes. We know the Lord’s intention with man is to bring forth His beloved Son as Redeemer, Congregation-Builder, Bridegroom, Head and King. For this to occur, devoted men and woman must maintain their relationship with their God at the expense of their own comfort and preferences. But the Lord knows that people, regardless who, prefer stasis, prefer comfort and ease, prefer themselves above God and above others, because “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth;” therefore, our wise God brings in flux to stir up our environment and to force change on us lest we forget why we are on this planet. Just when we get comfortable with the summer, winter comes. After the enjoyment of harvest, we hunger and have to cultivate. We complain about the heat and cold comes and vice versa. Life is always about change so that we don’t stagnate. The Lord has designed everything in creation to get our attention so that we can focus on what He is all about. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Though nature is in constant flux, the One who deemed it so is not; rather He is our Rock, our Fortress, our immovable foundation. He oversees the inconstancy of nature and of our lives in order to bring us into a steadfast relationship with Himself that weathers any kind of storm or calm. Were He to allow placidity to rule our lives, we would sink into atrophying ease and pleasure and forget about Him. Were He to allow turmoil to batter us incessantly, we would eventually become embittered and cold. He knows just how much of what condition we need in order to maintain a steady, progressive growth in our walk with Him. In times of trouble we pray and prostrate ourselves before Him, seeking refuge and assurance. In times of tranquility we rejoice and revel in His provision and love. Both are necessary. Summer needs winter. Night needs day. How wise is our God not to leave us pummeled or pampered! He is the God of balance. We are made of twos—two legs, two arms, two eyes, two ears—each one needing the other. Christ Jesus is God and is man. Adam is incomplete alone and needs Eve. Israel needs Christ. Christians need Christ. The Old Testament and the New Testament need each other. So many twos and so much balance. So it is in our lives. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, but may it be that we learn to abide in the unchanging One where outward circumstances, whether easy or difficult, have no affect on us. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. The Lord’s heart is for the earth. Though the universe is filled with innumerable galaxies, suns, and planets, only earth is the venue to carry out His purpose. The Lord’s blessing to Noah and Adam was not that they would live a nice life and go to heaven someday. His blessing to Noah was a fluid environment wherein he had to rely upon the Lord to keep him focused on the task at hand, and that task was the same as Adam’s—to multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. Replenish has the connotation of refilling something that has been emptied. In both cases, the earth had been emptied by judgment upon an irredeemably corrupt race; so it was the Lord’s command to replenish and subdue the earth so that He could realize the accomplishment of His plan. When the Lord arranges our lives and circumstances, it is for our growth and maturation that lead to fruit bearing, to reproducing what we are, to replenishing, to filling up what is lacking. This fruit bearing is not an end unto itself, but rather the means whereby we, in cooperation with the Lord, subdue the earth; that is, destroy His enemy and establish His kingship. Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. The fear of you and the terror of you shall be on every beast. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you. Jehovah’s command to Adam to subdue the earth is here iterated with Noah. Because of the devastating breakdown of order before the flood, where violence was rampant, Jehovah puts a fear and terror in the animals for humans so that man could subdue the earth. Satan is always on the prowl to destroy God’s masterpiece, the human race. He occupied a serpent to tempt Eve in the garden. Between then and the flood, it is safe to assume that animals lost their respect for sinful man and contributed their share to the pandemic violence plaguing the earth. So to maintain order in the post-diluvian world, God put a fear of man in the animals. Throughout the Scriptures, animals frequently are seen as man’s adversary. The serpent in the garden, the birds at Abraham’s sacrifice, lions and bears seizing lambs from David, lions in Daniel’s pit, the devouring lion in Peter’s letter, the dragon in John’s vision. But what could destroy Noah and his sons instead became their food. What a lesson to us! Though Satan seeks our demise at all turns, he is but food to us. Joshua and Caleb declared that the giants in the good land were “food for us,” and encouraged the Israelites to go forth over the Jordan River. In our struggle against our implacable foe, we either eat or are eaten. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. As for you, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Here is the beginning of civil government in the Scriptures, formed by Jehovah’s decree that murder must be met by destruction of the murderer. This execution must not be executed by individual men but by those in authority who exercise responsibility before God to carry out His judgment. Murder and mayhem had dominated the human race before the flood, and now that Jehovah had promised not to destroy the earth by water again, He had to establish a barrier over which violent men could not cross. If they did cross the line of murder, they would lose their lives as a consequence. Many Christians believe that we should return to this model and practice capital punishment, not just for murder, but also for rape, homosex, adultery, and even rebellion; because it is decreed in the Old Testament. This begs the question, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus is the Word (the law) become flesh, the expression of His Father’s speaking. He fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law, and yet He exonerated the woman caught in adultery and admonished her accusers to execute her if they were sinless. The apostle Paul murdered Christians before his conversion, and according to those advocating a return to Mosaic law, he should have died. Imagine if this man had died at the hands of the legalists before the Lord had captured his heart! What a loss to us all! Yet those who don’t see in Jesus a fulfillment of, and thus an end to, the old law would have the penal code of the law the world’s system of justice today. According to Jesus’ word in Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28, the rigidity of the law untempered by His grace would be the end of every male (if not female) on the earth. Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons, saying , Now behold, I Myself do establish my covenant with you. .all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood. .this is the sign of the covenant. I set My bow in the cloud. .and I will remember my covenant. Jehovah sealed His promise to never again judge the earth by flood by setting His rainbow in the sky. This shows His eagerness to bring heaven and earth together, setting each end of the beautiful arch on the earth and stretching upward into the heavens. The rainbow follows the storm when the sky begins to clear and the dazzling rays of the warm sun strike the raging and receding cloud. What a wonderful picture of His grace to us. We sinful creatures deserve His stormy judgment and were it not for His mercy upon us, we would be swept away. But our Savior stood between earth and heaven and endured the heaviest storm cloud that ever gathered, suffering under its lashing judgment, until through the oppressive darkness of death, a ray of hope and love flickered and reflected against the gloom, until there blazed for all creation to see the great arch bridging the chasm between heaven and earth, proclaiming the all-encompassing peace, forgiveness and grace of our heavenly Father. I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. .and I will remember My covenant. How can we exhaust the depth of meaning behind these words? “I will remember!” For Jehovah to remember His covenant requires Him to forget our sins, and yet He says “I will remember My covenant.” What is more peaceful and hopeful on this earth than a rainbow arching itself high into the heavens and facing the sun with its back to the heavy, dark cloud passing into the distance? Who cannot but think of Calvary and of the judgment cloud, thick and heavy, “discharging itself upon the sacred head of the Lamb of God—a cloud so dark, that even at midday ‘there was darkness over all the earth?’” Yet even at that pivotal moment, love and forgiveness appeared, the cloud broke, a ray penetrated the oppressive sky, and the faint color of the bow, almost imperceptible, wafted into the atmosphere upon the most hopeful words ever uttered—“It is finished.” Here began the great span that transcended earth yet never lost its firm anchorage to the earth. Jesus, the divine human by virtue of His resurrection, is our rainbow connecting earth and heaven. His all-embracing life following His all-encompassing death is our peace, our hope, our joy; yes, our rainbow—the Man whom the Father remembered. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant. The Lord regarded the rainbow with such importance that the record shows He twice repeated His promise that He would remember His covenant whenever He saw the bow. And it should be no surprise that the Lord possessed such profound interest in the beautiful sign, for in that encompassing and colorful arch, attached at its bases to cursed earth (for God so loved the world) and rising far into the heavens, so far, in fact, that the visionary writes that “there was a rainbow around the throne;” He saw His dearly beloved Son who had borne His judgment and had released His love and mercy upon humanity. How precious this sign, not just to the Father, but to us as well, because under its wide expanse fits all of humanity. Under the broad canopy of His grace and mercy there is room for every sinner ever born on the earth. It remains a mystery that every one doesn’t accept the gracious confines of the One who brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven, choosing rather to escape to the futility of judgment waiting outside the protection of the bow, our eternal shield from the coming judgment upon the world. Rather should we rest under the light, peace, and calm of His extended arms. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. When the Father looked upon the beautiful arch, He saw His Son, the connection between earth and heaven, full of beautiful colors vividly exhibiting His aspects and virtues. Red, green, and blue are the primary colors that comprise the rainbow. Orange, yellow, indigo and violet are transitional, or secondary, formed by the combinations of the primary colors. This speaks profoundly of our Lord. Red is at the top of the bow indicating that judgment must first come before the barrier between earth and heaven can be breached. It points to the fiery judgment of God which, for the sins of man, required Jesus to bear its full fury and cost Him His life blood. Green is the color of life. When the blood of the Lamb cleanses us from our sins (red), we are enlightened (yellow) to our need for eternal life (green). The more we are filled with His life, the more He becomes our Lord, our King, to rule over us, seen in the blue. We all live under the blue sky, itself a picture of His over-arching kingship. Blue leads to indigo which passes into violet, showing us that His ruling within us is progressive, is developmental, is continual until He becomes our king in every detail of our lives. It is no mistake that red crowns the arch, green is in the middle, and violet is closest to earth. The Son met the Father’s judgment, released His eternal life into humanity, and is now developing His kingship on the earth in and among His people. How wonderfully significant is the rainbow! When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. The rainbow is brightly colored with recognizable color differences, yet it is impossible to tell where one color ends and another begins. Since the rainbow typifies the person of Jesus Christ, by extrapolation it also represents our life in Christ. Having no demarcation between colors, the rainbow tells us that our relationship with the Lord is progressive. When God looks at the earth, He sees a big problem that must be rectified. Sin has erected a barrier that only the perfect sacrifice can breach. Jesus paid the penalty, bore the judgment, and satisfied His Father. In our Christian life, we first come to Christ as our Savior from sin and condemnation. This allows the light to shine upon us as the warm sun to produce life. The more we are filled with His life, the more He begins to exercise His lordship over our lives. Our cooperation with Him allows Him His kingship, His royalty. These stages are not graduations whereby we never have need of the shed blood or of further light or of the filling of His life. Every day we need to begin by confessing our sins so the blood can cover us. Every day we need more light. Every day we need a fresh filling of His eternal life. Every day we need to yield to His kingship. Everyday we need the rainbow in our lives. Now the sons of Noah. .were Shem and Ham and Japeth. Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Shall we be surprised that Noah, so soon after his great deliverance, falls into the sin of drunkenness? Not at all. Man is a failure—in Eden he fails; here he fails; in Israel he fails; in the congregation he fails; in the kingdom he fails. No good thing dwells in the flesh of man and to expect more of man is delusionary. We do well to know this about ourselves: regardless of our greatest triumphs, we are never far from our greatest failures. Never a day should pass but that we humble ourselves under the forgiving grace of our God, confess our faults, our sins, and our evil propensities, and seek with all our heart the renewed filling of His divine life into our spirit. Only this stands between us and the abject poverty of sin and disgrace. Noah is not to be condemned, for would we assume the role of accuser when the surface of our own lives is but a thin veneer under which percolates a cauldron of iniquity? Let us tread lightly before our God and keep ourselves ever under His protective hand lest we miserably fall into shameful disgrace. We must recognize our depravity lest we be lifted up by pride and fall into the mire of sin and disobedience. Then Noah. .planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham. .saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers. But Shem and Japheth took a garment. .and covered the nakedness of their father. The Lord is the authority of the universe. With that all Christians, if not all humans, agree. The problem arises when He delegates His authority to men, because without His delegated authority, there is no practical ruling on the earth. Extreme human beings either despise authority and resist it at every turn, or they extol the person whom they deem is God’s authority and abrogate their responsibility of living under God’s rule. There is no doubt that Noah was God’s ruler on the earth at that time, and what he did was shameful. Having been delivered from the great flood by the Lord’s grace, he fell into a deep abyss of self-indulgence. The Lord’s intention in placing this incident in the record, is, among many things, to teach us not to trust in man no matter how charismatic, powerful, credentialed, eloquent, or mature he may be. Though he may represent God’s authority, he is not perfect, and unless he is perfect, he has no right to command obeisance from any one. He is a mere vessel in God’s hand having no credibility apart from God, and unless he has this view of himself, he will stumble and fall in full view of those around and will bring shame upon himself, upon the Lord’s people, and upon God Himself. Then Noah. .planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. In the beginning of the record of Noah, it states unequivocally that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” This is as high a praise that a man can receive, and yet that does not end the record. Noah enjoyed the Lord’s unparalleled deliverance from the end of the old world, and yet stumbled into a colossal failure. Should this shock us? Only if we are not human. Leaders among the Lord’s people walk on very thin ice. They are met on every side by scrutiny, some of it harsh and unforgiving. Christians are forever trying to find fault with their leaders because it gives them an excuse to criticize and to cease following, especially if their particular leader speaks the relentless and penetrating truth of God’s word to them that convicts them of their sinful lifestyle. Worldlings obsess over the missteps of Christian leaders and try to marginalize them so that they won’t have to deal with the truth of their decadence and depravity that brings guilt upon their consciences. It behooves every leader to walk circumspectly, for even Noah’s blameless walk with God was lost upon his own son, Ham, who could see nothing but his father’s nakedness. Noah. .drank of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham. .saw the nakedness. .and told his two brothers. As reprehensible as it is for leaders among the Lord’s people to fail and fall into sin, it is even more serious for their followers to deliberately expose them. Noah’s failure became a huge test to his three sons, a test that Ham miserably failed because of his rebellious heart. Though Noah’s sin was damaging and demoralizing, Ham’s rebellion was the worst sin of all, for it mirrored the sin of Satan when he aspired to the throne of God. Noah’s sin happened in the privacy of his own tent, yet Ham discovered it. What was Ham doing in his father’s tent if not on a faultfinding mission? He knew that God’s authority on the earth rested with his father, but Ham, obviously, hated authority and did his best to undermine it; thinking that if he marginalized his father, he would be free of the restraints of God’s authority. No sin is uglier than rebellion, nor is any more quickly punished. We do well to ask whether or not this sin lurks in our heart waiting to express itself. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.” I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Ham’s sin of exposing his father was an egregious violation of God’s authority resting on Noah, so Noah had no choice but to exercise that authority in order to restrain the rebellion lest it spread and dominate the earth as in antediluvian days. Knowing that Ham was diabolical and would ingrain his ways into his offspring, Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan, to the restraint of servitude to obstruct rebellion from overtaking him. The Lord’s authority is necessary in creation because by it He can accomplish His purpose through man. The rebel angel seeks in every way to destroy mankind and without the restraint of God’s authority exercised through man, he would succeed. His authority is an incarnated authority residing in men who are filled with His life and who walk according to His ways. Men bearing God’s authority must not necessarily be conscious of it, but must lead by example, by encouragement, by exhortation so that the flock will know the way to go. It is the staff of the shepherd that guides, prods, and finesses the flock into the lush pasture. The rod, on the other hand, corrects the errant lamb and drives away the predator. In sum, authority has a two-fold function: to lead and guide the flock to food and drink; and to drive away the enemy so that the flock can live and function in peace. Authority that violates these conditions is coercion and has nothing to do with Jehovah, the true Guide and Protector of His people. Then Noah. .planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham. .saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers. But Shem and Japheth took a garment. .and covered the nakedness of their father. Ham rebelled against authority and all authority comes from God. For the universe to run properly, there must be authority. For God to accomplish His eternal purpose using created beings with a free will, there must be authority. For the assembly to be built and the bride of Christ prepared, there must be authority. For the kingdom to be established upon the earth, there must be authority. Without authority there is no restraint and without restraint there is chaos. Rebellion is simply the refusal to come under the constraints of God and His principles. It is a choice to live for oneself and for no other. Ham was a vivid demonstration of one who hated restriction and who acted against it. For us to properly submit to Him and to His delegates is a suffering because it requires us to lay aside our opinions, our ambitions, our abilities, and to come under the guidance and wisdom, not the control, of more mature saints in Christ. How we react to this requirement and what attitude we express, determines whether we receive a curse or a blessing upon our lives and upon the lives of our children. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. The question in this episode of Noah’s drunkenness and nakedness is not of right and wrong, for clearly Noah was wrong to do what he did; but rather it is a question of authority and rebellion. Noah’s sin was of self-indulgent excess; Ham’s sin was of rebellion against authority, and the result of his sin was a curse upon his progeny. The natural assessment says that Ham’s punishment was too harsh and disproportional, but from God’s view, the curse was justified because of the rebellion on Ham’s part against the representative authority on the earth. Rebellion has to do with God’s government, His ruling, which must prevail among His people if He is to accomplish His eternal purpose of securing a bride, a body, and a kingdom for His Son. If there is no government, there is anarchy and anarchy leads to the destruction of the human race and of creation—the very intention of God’s avowed enemy. Only the ruling of the Almighty through His chosen vessels can excise this spiritual malignancy from the universe. This is why rebellion is punished with fury and swiftness. Noah. .drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham. .and told. Ham was an arrogant and rebellious son who sought his father’s demise. Some would argue that it wasn’t Ham’s fault that Noah sinned, therefore he shouldn’t be blamed; but that is a specious argument. Noah represented God’s authority on the earth, but his disrespectful son deliberately exposed his sin instead of covering it like Shem and Japheth did. Ham had the opportunity to learn obedience by denying himself and by suffering through the embarrassment without comment. This would have been the proper thing to do albeit a suffering to Ham. Our Lord learned obedience through the things He suffered, and by learning, He became the embodiment of authority. Ham failed at the crossroad of his life. He saw Noah’s sin and shame and could have covered his father and come under his authority; but instead he saw and told, seeking to discredit and undermine the bearer of God’s authority. This is Satan’s way. If he can bring in disobedience, then authority ceases to exist on the earth, giving him the freedom to establish his foothold. Authority cannot force obedience in the spiritual realm, but obedience can and does issue in authority. Noah, though flawed, walked with God in obedience and became the steward of God’s authority. Through Noah’s sin, Ham took the opportunity to activate his rebellious heart and to involve his brothers as well. Nothing is more egregious than this in the Lord’s eyes. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father, and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. Shem and Japheth were men under authority who refused Ham’s overtures to view their naked father. Ham’s intention was to diminish if not negate the authority that restrained him. He wanted the freedom to do whatever was right in his own eyes, and the authority from God residing in his father prevented this. Authority is always a restraint to evil, and it is that alone that frustrates the evil one. All authority comes from God, and, in the realm of the spirit, He imparts it to those who walk with Him. God’s life precedes His authority because only eternal life conquers death, which is the ultimate expression of rebellion. The more a person is filled with the divine life, the more the authority of God rests upon him. That is why it is vain to obey a mere man who flaunts his position among God’s people without first being filled with the Lord’s life. The Spirit brings authority when He fills a person with His life; so to exercise authority over people because of position or charisma or talent or personality without the infilling of God’s life, is ugly and reprehensible and false. Only authority from God can deal with the enemy, and He gives that authority to those who are filled with His life. There is no other way. Proper leadership comes with God’s authority and that comes only with His infilling life—not with power, not with gifts, not with charm. Leaders must heed this principle lest they confuse the flock of God and lead them astray. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said, “Cursed be Canaan. Without question Noah was the authority at that time on the earth and Ham was the rebel. In God’s universe, authority is vital to maintaining order. On the negative side, it brings in restraint, punishment, and the eventual elimination of evil. This is why Noah reacted like he did. He didn’t wake up and apologize for making a fool of himself; rather he woke up and restrained and punished rebellion, the cancer that eats away at the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. Without the exercise of God’s authority, there is no restraint and that leads to chaos. On the positive side, authority results in peace, rest, enjoyment, and serenity in the lives of those abiding under it. In such an environment, the Lord’s people have a huge load of uncertainty lifted from them and that enables them to produce fruit and material for the nourishment and building up of the nation and congregation. Thus the Christian community becomes a testimony of who the Lord is. Without authority there is no testimony because the saints are confused, discouraged, lethargic, and independent; living in an opaque atmosphere of little hope. This is why we all, especially the leaders, must live in the resurrection life so that authority can bud and blossom as did Aaron’s dead rod. Without the life, authority is forced and the people are abused. Aaron’s authority did not come from the rod he wielded, but from the blossoms on that rod. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.” I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me. Ham’s sin of exposing his father was an egregious violation of God’s authority resting on Noah, so Noah had no choice but to exercise that authority in order to restrain the rebellion lest it spread and dominate the earth as in antediluvian days. Knowing that Ham was diabolical and would ingrain his ways into his offspring, Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan, to the restraint of servitude to obstruct rebellion from overtaking him. The Lord’s authority is necessary in creation because by it He can accomplish His purpose through man. The rebel angel seeks in every way to destroy mankind and without the restraint of God’s authority exercised through man, he would succeed. His authority is an incarnated authority residing in men who are filled with His life and who walk according to His ways. Men bearing God’s authority must not necessarily be conscious of it, but must lead by example, by encouragement, by exhortation so that the flock will know the way to go. It is the staff of the shepherd that guides, prods, and finesses the flock into the lush pasture. The rod, on the other hand, corrects the errant lamb and drives away the predator. In sum, authority has a two-fold function: to lead and guide the flock to food and drink; and to drive away the enemy so that the flock can live and function in peace. Authority that violates these conditions is coercion and has nothing to do with Jehovah, the true Guide and Protector of His people. Shem and Japheth took a garment and. .covered the nakedness. He (Noah) said, “Blessed be the Lord of Shem. May God enlarge Japheth. God chose human beings to carry out and fulfill His eternal purpose. Because of the fall of Adam, the human race was corrupted by the evil one who is intent upon its destruction. The one thing that thwarts Satan’s machinations is authority and that authority passes from God to those who are filled with His life. The grave danger is the misuse and abuse of that authority. Nothing is graver than for a representative authority to fall into sin because then his misdeeds serve as an excuse and example for others. Some leaders flaunt their status and position instead of dutifully serving others as their slave. They desire authority instead of fearing it. Aspiring to bear the Lord’s authority requires a humble and gentle heart willing to enslave itself for the flock. No leader should feel comfortable, but rather should feel incompetent and unworthy, and should especially fear offending God and His people. A leader must look to the Lord for grace—inward grace from the Lord for strength and outward grace to deal with His saints. Nothing is worse than an overbearing leader who extends no mercy to others. God hates this because it misrepresents who He is, and, if there is no repentance, He will remove His authority from the offender and give it to the gracious one who fears it with all his being. It is a cloak worn only by the humble, gracious, and submissive slave. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. Being under their father’s authority, Shem and Japheth took the high and noble path regarding his sin. Ham had described the situation and probably had urged his older brothers to see for themselves, but they would have none of it. Shem, at least if not Japheth as well, knew God’s authority rested upon his father and if authority was damaged, especially at that fragile juncture immediately following the flood, then the evil forces that had instigated the flood would rise up again. So they refused to see Noah’s nakedness. When the seductive serpent appealed to the original pair and oversaw their fall, he entered their flesh as that “no good thing” described in Romans. At that instant, they realized their nakedness and sought to cover themselves. Eventually, of course, Jehovah covered them with the hides of sacrificed animals thereby restoring their right standing before him and enabling them to bear His image and authority. Noah, in his sin, threw off his covering before Jehovah, thereby exposing his sinful flesh to the invisible realm and to his rebellious son. This is an egregious sin for one in authority, for it irreparably damages his credibility before God, before the unseen principals in the air, and before men. Though Shem and Japheth did the right thing in covering Noah that did not mitigate his sin before Satan and Jehovah. He misrepresented God and that had dire consequences. Though two of his sons covered, they knew, and that had to have had a profoundly negative impact upon them personally. Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died. What can we make of Noah’s life? The record says that he “walked with God.” and “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Jehovah used him to terminate the old age and to usher in the new. He was obedient to the Lord’s command to build the ark and to save his family along with the lesser creatures. In every respect he was God’s authority on the earth, bearing God’s image and dominion. But the last recorded incident in his life was his self-indulgence in which he cast off his covering and misrepresented the One from whom he had received his authority. Though we can’t know for sure the ramifications of his sin, we can study the record and draw some conclusions. After Noah sinned and cursed Ham and blessed Shem and Japheth, he lived for another three hundred and fifty years. What follows his death is a sad account of the human condition culminating in the tower of Babel—a flagrant rejection of God’s rightful place among his creatures. This obvious loss of God’s authority on the earth could be traced to the Lord’s punishment upon the one who violated His trust. He had given much to Noah and exacted much. How tenuous is the bearing of God’s authority. Carelessness in behavior, naturalness of thought, of emotion, of volition, negates authority regardless the charisma or coercion exercised over people. Perhaps Noah is the tragic example of this. Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers. He also said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. We should always consider that our decisions are significant, especially when we review the ramifications of Ham’s rebellion against his father. Not only did Ham miss his father’s blessing, but his son, Canaan bore the curse of servitude, specifically by occupying Israel’s promised land and by coming under subjection. To his eternal discredit and shame, Ham also produced Cush who sired Nimrod, the builder of the tower of Babel. All this is the legacy of one decision by one man to rebel against the authority of God. Hopefully this will sober us before God and temper our volition. Shem became the father of all the Semitic tribes, the Israelites most prominent and through whom the Promised Seed would come. Noah’s blessing confirms the transcendence of Shem’s legacy because he invokes Jehovah, the God of Shem. There is no higher blessing than this because Noah places Shem into the possession of the personal God who will use Shem to convey the One to come. Japheth, the father of Gentiles, receives from his father the earthly blessing of spreading throughout the earth and of energizing its industry and traffic. Though Japheth received the earth, so-to-speak, in order to participate in the higher spiritual blessing, he had to dwell in the tents of Shem, the father of the One who became flesh and “tabernacled among us.” Jesus Himself, the true tabernacle, is the reality of the tents of Shem, so in those tents must Japeth make his home in order to share in the highest blessing of all – Christ. Now these are the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. This chapter has everything to do with legacy and this holds deep meaning for us, for we are known by the fruit of our lives. Our God is full of life and a distinguishing feature of life—all kinds of life—is reproduction. All life reproduces, expands, fulfills, bursts its bonds. It cannot do otherwise. We all produce something that will follow us, no matter how insignificant we view ourselves. By virtue of being alive, we produce. Whatever we are finds its expression in what we do. The three sons of Noah broke out in reproductive activity in order to fulfill the Lord’s command to replenish the earth. To no one’s surprise, we see the fruit of the father in the sons. Japheth filled the earth as per Noah’s blessing. Ham sired rebel children, most prominently, Nimrod, the architect and builder of Babylon, the epicenter of humanism and idolatry—direct affronts to Jehovah. Shem’s progeny included Eber, whose name means river crosser, from whom the line of the promised seed would come. Out of Eber Abraham, the Hebrew (a derivative of Eber), came forth. What we are we eventually produce. If we think we can hide who we are and what our character is, then best have no children, for surely they will express us to all the world whether we like it or not. Ham produced Nimrod, a far more advanced and powerful rebel than himself. Eber, the determined river crosser who refused to settle for less than Jehovah’s best, came from Seth, the faithful son who refused to expose his father, and consequently became the son through whom the promised seed would come. Now Cush became the father of Nimrod. .a mighty hunter before the Lord. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel. Throughout the book of God, the bitter rivalry between good and evil, between Jehovah and Satan, between light and darkness never fails to express itself on the sacred page. Of all the names of the generations of Noah’s three sons, only Nimrod warrants description, so extraordinarily evil was he. Whereas we may dig out a hint of the divine purpose in the name of Eber (river crosser), Nimrod, in accordance with his rebellious pedigree, makes such an ostentatious display of rejecting any and all things related to Jehovah, he captures space in the sacred record. He is the founder of Babylon, the ages-long counterweight to Jehovah and His purpose. When Noah left the ark, he built an altar and sacrificed before the Lord. The altar was not a prominent feature on the earth by any means, but rather small and apparently insignificant. Nimrod, by contrast, threw off the oppressive restraints of the new world, gathered souls, built a ziggurat (a stepped pyramid bearing a shrine), in direct defiance of Jehovah and His expectations of post-diluvian mankind. The difference between the altar and the ziggurat, between Nimrod and Eber, is the difference between the Lord who hides Himself in the affairs of men, who rewards those who diligently seek Him, who rarely makes an open show of who He is, and who moves about on the earth in and with those faithful few who will give Him passage; and Satan, the ever-flamboyant dazzler who appeals to bodily senses of those easily influenced by exhibitionism and superficiality. The altar and the ziggurat; Nimrod and Eber—opposites set one against another, never to be reconciled to the bitter end. Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born. Two sons were born to Eber. This description of Shem seems rather odd when compared to that of his brothers. Rather than a simple litany of names, the record distinguishes Shem with peculiar details. He is called the “father of all the children of Eber.” Eber’s name means to cross over to the other side, and from it came that race of men through whom would emerge the promised seed, the Hebrews. Abraham was called the Hebrew because he not only came from Eber, but he also carried out in a practical way the meaning of the name by crossing over the Euphrates on his way to Canaan in obedience to God’s calling. The record thus describes Shem, essentially, as the father of the Hebrews, leaving no doubt as to which of Noah’s sons would provide passage to the promised seed. The record also describes Shem as the older brother of Japheth, apparently in fulfillment of Noah’s blessing upon Japheth—“let him dwell in the tents of Shem.” Japheth probably wondered why being confined to his older brother’s tents could be construed as a blessing, unless he realized that the only true blessing was in the promised seed, the Word become flesh as the true tabernacle, the tent of flesh in which dwelt the Father of all. The tabernacle of the wilderness was the house of God, the enlarged tent of Shem, the nation of Israel, the Christian congregation, the assembly of God with man. Jesus was the mobile tabernacle made of human flesh in which dwelt the Father. He was the promised seed, and by His death and resurrection, He spread Himself to His disciples and formed the assembly of Christians, the present tabernacle of Shem. Only in that assembly is Japheth blessed. Nimrod. .was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber. Nimrod’s characteristics are intimidating—a mighty hunter and the founder of Babylon, the eventual world system in direct opposition to God and His people. This pretentious man reached the pinnacle of human achievement by defiantly rejecting postdiluvian restraints, described by one as an oppressively low ceiling of impending judgment upon sinful man. Nimrod refused to live under the low, but protective canopy of God’s constraints, and went forth hunting, not just animals, but souls of men. Typical men love charisma and strength and defiance and will sycophantically place themselves at the service of the self-assured. They did and Nimrod established his rebel kingdom. Eber, conversely, is hidden in the genealogy of his great grandfather Shem, nondescript yet determined, determined to cross over obstacles in pursuit of his God. Yet the record attributes the fatherhood of his children to Shem. Would this have concerned Eber? His offspring became the Hebrews—the Israelites—and they would offer to the world the Redeemer, the promised seed of Eve, and that is what he cared about, not his own notoriety. He was not impressed by Nimrod and crossed over the Euphrates in Abraham, and over the Red Sea and Jordan in the Israelites to protest the evil kingdom of Nimrod and to raise up a standard for the entire world to see and to live by—the promised seed, the Redeemer Himself. Two sons were born to Eber. Why should we promote the meaning of Eber’s name—to go across, to cross over? We know that Hebrews, a name derived from Eber, came out of Eber and it characterizes their history. The father of the Hebrews, Abraham, was called a Hebrew, and it was he who came out of Babylon by crossing over the Euphrates River in obedience to God’s call to go to Canaan. The Israelites (Hebrews) enslaved four hundred years in Egypt, crossed over the Red Sea in their exodus and over the Jordan forty years later into the promised land. Jesus crossed over His divinity to assume His humanity and then passed through death and resurrection to bring humanity over into divinity. The individual believer crosses over from sin and corruption into Christ at regeneration, and then declares his oneness with Christ by crossing through baptism. The saints pass through the secular opposition and the trappings of the world to become the Body of Christ. Throughout the Scripture, we who follow the Lord are always crossing over something old and stagnant in order to get to the fresh, living experience of our ever-new Christ. We will always be Hebrews so long as we continue to cross over and press on. Nimrod. .a mighty hunter. Two sons were born to Eber. The Scriptures are full of protagonists and antagonists—one, by virtue of a life lived in the Lord’s presence, who advances the Lord’s interests on the earth; the other dedicated to frustrating and thwarting the Lord’s work at every turn. In Genesis ten Nimrod looms large and intimidating as the mighty hunter who hunts and gathers men’s souls to establish his towering kingdom of Babylon. Eber appears faint in comparison yet it is with him that the Hebrew nation emerges and gives the world the promised seed. In the first two verses of Genesis we have a hint of the antagonism between God, the perfect Creator, and Satan, the spoiler. Then the list expands. Evil Cain murders righteous Abel. Abraham slaughters the marauding kings. Ishmael scorns Isaac. Jacob fears his fleshy brother, Esau. Moses and Pharaoh square off for the nation of Israel. The ten wicked spies oppose Joshua and Caleb. Saul pursues David. Daniel defies Nebuchadnezzar. Jesus battles the orthodox Jews unto death. Paul wars against traditional Judaism and Greek philosophy. The assembly engages in a death struggle against entrenched religion and the world. The Babylonish system rages against the city of God, the New Jerusalem. From beginning to end, there is a perennial battle for the earth and for human souls. Warfare is our lot by virtue of our birth and rebirth. We were born to fight. We have no choice. Our only choice is on which side we will fight—on the side of the apparent strength of Nimrod, the kingdom builder or the hidden strength of Eber, the river crosser. Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. .they found a plain and settled there. They said, Come, let us make bricks. Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven. Communication is indispensable to human interaction. The problem arises when that communication becomes centralized in the hands of evil men who use charisma and duplicity to deceive the simple-minded into blind obedience. Jehovah’s intention after the flood was that men should disperse throughout the earth under His protection and blessing, but human beings outside His presence are naturally afraid of the unknown and congregate in surroundings. Being of one speech made this easy to do. Add to this mix the Ham factor of rebellion and there coalesces the elements of a gathering storm. Utilizing the common language, Nimrod gathered about him like-minded men seeking protection from the God they had abandoned. They were will aware of their proximity to the judgment flood, and they never knew if or when Jehovah would unleash another torrent of judgment, albeit not of water. It was as if they were living under a thick blanket of oppression, under a low ceiling of constraint, ever waiting for the sin-hating God to exercise His renewed wrath upon them. So they huddled with Nimrod, urging him to lift the sky above them so they could breathe again outside the presence of Jehovah. They wanted freedom from the protecting and restraining hand of the God of judgment. Men wanted to be left alone and Nimrod rushed in to satisfy the demand. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks. “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name. I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach, for here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city that is to come. We should not forget that Genesis is the book of beginnings, of seeds that sprout and grow throughout the Scriptures and, thus, throughout history. What Nimrod and his followers did in building the city and the tower was to construct a godless system of commerce and religion that would, by its very existence and stated goal of making a name, oppose God and His people to the end of time. The city offered protection, enterprise, and entertainment for its inhabitants; the tower, a ziggurat topped with a shrine for sacrificing, supplied the religious needs. Here was a self-contained structure functioning outside the presence and influence of Jehovah. That same organization exists today and will remain until the final days. It is this diabolical organism into which we were born and in which we find ourselves as we live and move on the earth. As the Lord’s people, what should be our response to this multi-headed monster that encompasses our lives? John recorded the call to “Come out of her, my people.” That begs the question, how? How, if this system of economy and entertainment and religion is so pervasive around us and invasive in our thoughts and emotions, can we come out of her—she who has developed into a seductive woman? Only by Christ. He is the way. Nimrod. .became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel. Come, let us make bricks. Come, let us build. .and let us make for ourselves a name. Here marks the beginning of what we call the “world.” It is a system of entanglements designed as a counterweight to the Lord’s purpose on earth. It is no wonder that it began with Nimrod, the extension and expansion of his rebellious grandfather, Ham; and it should not surprise us that his description—a mighty hunter—was fulfilled in those souls he gathered about him as so much prey to do his bidding in building up a kingdom in direct opposition to the real King. He was more than a hunter of animals, although this surely endeared him to the hungry populace; he was a hunter of souls and in that regard was the diabolical incarnation of the avowed enemy of Jehovah and of our souls. As a measure of Nimrod’s greatness and stature, none among the many names mentioned in the genealogy in chapter ten carry any description save this one intimidating man. Before he gathered the weak, the fearful, the renegades about him to begin his kingdom work, he had secured a name for himself as being mighty, an adjective used twice in the record. He was well suited to lead lesser men into the fabrication of his godless kingdom that he carried forward with the promise of a name—a direct appeal to their vanity—and of a community—a deliberate violation of Jehovah’s command to populate the earth. Such is the power of charisma and such is the deception of the evil angel. “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. Jehovah’s command to Noah after the flood was to be fruitful and multiply and to replenish the earth. This meant that his descendents were to scatter throughout the earth, to thrust themselves into the unknown, into the unfamiliar, into a position of trust in Jehovah’s protection, sustenance and rest. But Ham’s rebellion fathered Nimrod’s rejection of Jehovah’s command and in his gathering about himself fellow rebels and in the construction of a city and a religious tower. As a counterfeit to Jehovah’s protection they built walls; to Jehovah’s worship, they built a religious tower; to Jehovah’s sustenance, they fabricated an economic system; to Jehovah’s peace and rest, they produced and enjoyed entertainment within the city walls. Everything needed for a self-sustaining community found its fulfillment in Babel, centralized under one mighty man, Nimrod. So goes the history of the human race. The strong always lust for centralization so that they can control the weak and keep them subservient and underdeveloped. The Lord wants to scatter men to the four winds so that they can learn to trust Him, and to develop as they should. He wants to be head over man and designed us such, never to be ruled by a strong man who eviscerates our motivation to seek the Lord and to excel. Whereas the Lord says “go and replenish the earth;” man says “come, let us build a city.” How cogent indeed was that writer who said, “Let us go forth therefore unto Him outside the camp.” “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. Come, let us build for ourselves a city. .you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house. “Come here, I will show you the bride. .and (he) showed me the holy city, Jerusalem. Here is the true “tale of two cities.” Nimrod who typifies Satan, the mighty hunter, snares men’s souls and builds a city of opposition to Jehovah’s purpose with men. Nimrod centralizes men into a self-sustaining and self-sufficient city with walls for protection. This is the world system whereby godless men live under the tyranny of Satan enjoying the blinding and eviscerating pleasure of sin while pursuing commerce for their sustenance and building a name for themselves through their accomplishments. Jesus, to the contrary, has no system to entrap His people, but rather promises to build His congregation by indwelling them and by bringing them together in oneness to experience His life. He is the head over all things to the Body and by drawing His seeking ones to Himself and to one another, He builds them into a spiritual house wherein His Father may abide. From the growth of this spiritual house emerges the holy city, the New Jerusalem, the magnificent fulfillment of all His work throughout the ages. The New Jerusalem, that final rest of God with His people, stands victorious in the end as the smoke from Nimrod’s shattered fabrication crowns the rubble of his deception and rebellion. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. .let us build for ourselves a city and a tower. .and let us make for ourselves a name. Earthbound and groveling men think they can escape their need for God by forming a godless association and by exciting each other to hastily build a city and a tower. Their unity with their Creator had been broken with the onset of sin and could only be restored and maintained through sacrifices and a close walk with Him, something for which these rebellious city-builders had no stomach. They would rather cast their eyes to the earth and make a memorial to themselves and their prowess, than to lift their eyes heavenward to God. So goes the evil enterprise of men drawn together to promote themselves. Jehovah formed man from the soil of the earth as His earthen vessel designed to contain His eternal life. The Babel-builders took that same soil, burned the life out of it, and used it to construct the city and tower. Metaphorically, this city, this world system, is fabricated by gathering human beings void of God’s life into an association to promote their independence from God, and to extol themselves and their names. How far afield does the enemy of God carry willing men! From clay vessels intended to hold divine life, to dead, clay bricks supporting a diabolical, enervating system. Same material, different function. Little wonder then that John urged the saints, “Love not the world,” for to do so is to risk being burned, being used, and being ruined. “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. Come, let us build for ourselves a city. And he. .showed me the holy city, Jerusalem. .and the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones. .adorned with every kind of precious stone. There are two opposing cities in the Scriptures and we belong to one or the other. One is Babel and the other Jerusalem. Babel began with Nimrod; Jerusalem began with the river crossing Eber. Babel is built of clay bricks burned thoroughly; Jerusalem is built of precious stones. Both bricks and stones are of the earth but pass through entirely different processes. Jehovah made Adam of clay as an earthen vessel to contain His life and nature. When the earthen vessel fulfills its purpose, it becomes, through the heat and pressure of self-sacrifice and devotion, a precious stone suitable for building the city of God. If the earthen vessel refuses its purpose, the enemy of God takes it and makes it into a burned, clay brick and uses it to build his city, the world system, and that system scorches the life and usefulness out of the clay. Bricks and precious stones are metaphors for human beings, even as Babel is a metaphor for the strangulating world system, and Jerusalem a symbol of the people of God fully prepared as the bride of Christ. These are the protagonists on the universal stage, and we comprise the building materials of both, which means we have a big choice to make of our lives—bricks or stones. May we choose wisely. Eber became the father of Peleg. .the father of Reu. .of Serug. .of Nahor. .of Terah. .the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. What to the cursory reader of Old Testament genealogies seems to be an insignificant litany of strange names, is the very lifeline of the seed promised to Eve. It is so like our Lord to hide Himself from the pompous detractors who disparage and reject the truth, and who attach themselves to strong, confident, and independent men. Nimrod commands the attention of the godless and doubters, but Eber sires a fair section of the line of Christ. The Lord always works with the ostensibly weak and truly humble and it is through them that He fulfills His eternal purpose. The Babel builders toiled to make a name for themselves as do worldlings in the present age, but whom among them do we note? Not one. The Lord puts to shame the wise, the crafty, the graspers, choosing instead those faithful few souls who see beyond the obvious; those resolute who demand to know and practice the truth of their existence; those diligent who cross every barrier to seize the meaningful and the permanent in the realm beyond the senses; those intrepid who review the mob of weaklings panting after their superficial misleaders and take the road less traveled by; those astute surveyors of the human condition who mourn and offer effectual prayers for others at their own expense; those rare few who reject their own comfort and ease and engage the enemy of their souls and the souls of their companions – this remnant, this offspring of Eber, this progeny of the Promised Seed commands the Lord’s blessing and presence. Abram’s wife was Sarai. Sarai was barren; she had no child. No crueler fate could await an ancient woman than to be barren, and that was especially true of a woman associated with the promised seed like Sarai was. For a young and beautiful bride to fail to conceive could not have been more devastating, and yet she loved Abram so much that he dared not put her away. This condition must have gnawed on her constantly as she would anxiously await the telltale sign every month. Still Abram stood with her because it was the right thing to do, just as the Lord stood with Abram because He had promised him a seed and it was only right to stand by His chosen vessel. This was another great depression in human history. The Babel builders had been dispersed as so many evil seeds to sprout and contaminate the earth. Shem’s line of promise was ensconced in Chaldea with the idols and idol worshipers. Abram’s brother was dead. Abram’s father, Terah, who had apparently heard the Lord’s call to migrate to Canaan, died far short of the destiny. Abram found himself settled in Haran on the Chaldean side of the Euphrates with a wife who could bear him no children. Everything in every direction looked about as bleak as it could possibly be. Eber’s line of river crossers was a mere thread, rivaling Noah’s for fragility; but when human strength is spent, then enters the Lord. Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there. It’s easy to think of Abram as the paragon of faith and obedience, that once he heard the Lord’s call to depart from the region of Ur and to head to the land of Canaan, he immediately dropped everything and forged into the great unknown. That’s how we like our heroes, but is that how we react when the Lord asks us to do something outside the realm of our familiarity, our comfort, and tradition? Of course not, so why should we hold Abram to an unrealistic standard? Like we do, he hesitated, so much so that it was his father Terah who moved the family out of Ur. They probably crossed some rivers along the way, befitting their name, Hebrews (to cross over), but they bogged down and settled in Haran, still on the Chaldean side of the great Euphrates. The fact that they settled in Haran is an indictment of Abram’s faith, but lest we be too hasty in our criticism, how many of us are willing to leave our familiar environs in the pursuit of Christ? I fear not many. Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. When the Lord wants us to do something or to go somewhere, He will speak to us through the Scriptures or through others around us or through the intuition in our spirit or through our circumstances. Whatever it takes to get our attention, He will use. Abram heard the call of the Lord to leave Ur and to go to Canaan (Acts 7:2), but apparently he remained in Ur and may have been responsible for the death of his brother who died while with his father. Being of the family of Shem and aware of his pedigree, of the flood, of Noah, and of Jehovah, Abram should have obeyed quickly and departed the land of idolatry and decadence. We don’t know if his hesitation directly or indirectly cost Haran his life, but it was enough for Terah to move away from Ur with what remained of his family. He no doubt knew of the Lord’s call to his son and seeing the degradation around him and suffering the loss of his son, he took the lead that Abram should have taken to immigrate to Canaan. The lesson for us is plain. The Lord would prefer to speak to us through His Word and through the intuitive capacity of our spirit, but when we are dull or distracted or disobedient, He will turn our circumstances and force us to reckon with Him. This could possibly explain why Haran had to die. What damage does our disobedience inflict upon the lives of others? Now the Lord said to Abram. The question is: when is now? Now that Abram had failed to take the lead to leave Ur. Now that his brother Haran was dead. Now that the family had settled in Haran far from the land of Canaan. Now that his father had died. Now that Abram was in a state of grief and confusion, Jehovah came and spoke to him, a clear indication to us that the Lord doesn’t give up on us. Abram was not supposed to settle in Haran and he knew it. He also knew that had he been obedient to the Lord’s first approach in Ur, his brother and father might be alive in Canaan. Nevertheless, the Lord came again and spoke to him, and to Abram’s credit, he was listening. What we don’t know and can only conjecture was the mechanics of His speaking. I’m sure we all have our fantasies about the Lord’s speaking, probably formed by Bill Cosby’s hilarious skit about Noah; but maybe He came as an ordinary man like He did prior to Sodom’s destruction or as Melchizedek. That seems likely. Jehovah is not into fanfare and ostentatious display. He is the God who hides himself from the prying eyes of the world and reveals Himself to those who are receptive and seeking. Abram was such a man, though it took this second encounter to get him moving. Abram required two visits; we should be so obedient as our father was. .and Terah died in Haran. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you.” For us to follow the Lord’s call to go to Canaan, which in typology is Christ Himself in all His riches, we must first leave something. In Abram’s case, he had to leave his country, his relatives, and his father’s house. He had to cut the ties to all things natural, and this required death. Terah represents the natural life that has to die if we are to follow Christ. In the Lord’s all-inclusive death, our natural life that we inherited from Adam, came to an end along with every other negative thing in the universe. In our daily following of Christ we have to reckon, or consider, ourselves crucified and to live according to this wonderful fact. It was only after Haran and Terah died that Abram heard the second call to leave his country. Only death can set us free to pursue our calling, and our calling is to leave what we deem familiar and comfortable and entangling, and to strike out into the vast resource that is the fullness of Christ prefigured by the land of Canaan. “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house. “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” If we are to follow the Lord with unfettered devotion, we have to leave our country and our family, not literally, but with our heart. Our country contains the degraded culture with its innumerable tentacles that reach out to enslave us; our family is that group of special and precious people who are closest to us, who mean the most to us, whose attitudes and opinions we value, who provide us a network of support and encouragement. Yet Jesus said that to be His disciple, we have to turn away from our deepest loves, the love of family and of self. Jehovah told Abram to leave his relatives and his father’s house. These are tough words and are not spoken to the fainthearted; still they are words we have to deal with. Is our pursuit of the promised land (the vast, rich Christ) circumvented by our love of our country (the world) and of our family and our close relationships? May it not be so. Let us love Him with all of our heart. “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house. “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Following the Lord fully requires a heart unencumbered by anything or anyone. For us to turn our backs on the world and its enticements and entertainment and endless stuff is relatively easy when compared to putting our closest relationships under the preeminence of Christ. In dealing with Abram the second time, Jehovah struck at the root of why Abram didn’t obey the first call when he was in Ur. He perhaps loved Ur too much, or wanted to remain with his cousins and siblings because they were his support network, or couldn’t conceive of leaving his father and mother. Whatever the case, Jehovah was very specific in His second call. Country—relatives—father’s house. The father’s house provides much to a child—security, sustenance, relationships, guidance, and worship. The influence upon a child is enormous, so of course Abram struggled to obey; but to follow the Lord, we have to put behind us that support structure that we’ve grown accustomed to. The Lord requires that we cast ourselves upon Him for everything. He wants to become our refuge and provision and guidance. He strives for an undivided relationship with us, and desires from us exclusive worship. The Lord seeks to be in the present moment what the father’s house was in the past. May He grant us grace to obey. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you;” (Gen. 12:1) In order for the Lord’s eternal purpose to be fulfilled, He needs real estate; He needs a piece of ground on this earth. He made man as His chosen vessel to carry out His purpose and because we are sentient beings, we live and move on this physical sphere. The Lord is not nearly as heavenly-minded as we are. Through massive deceit throughout history, the enemy of God has turned believers’ attention from the earth to heaven; but the irony is that the Lord wants to fill the earth with people who live according to the Spirit, according to the deep inner life that makes them useful in His hands. Too many of His people yearn to go to a “place” where all the pleasures of their physical senses will be forever satisfied. In other words, the Lord wants to fill the earth with spiritually minded followers; but His enemy wants to fill heaven with the sensually minded, the superstitious, the sentimental, and the selfish. This is a huge disconnect and an enormous blind spot among Christians. Jehovah knew that the only hope for His earth and its inhabitants was the coming forth of the promised seed to save humanity from sin, to regenerate them with divine life, and to crush His enemy’s head. This required the earth and a piece of ground, so His call to Abram was to go forth from every natural tie to the land He would show him. In typology this land is Christ, and in that sense we too are to forsake all as Abram did and to enter in to all His riches and enjoyment and fullness. Go forth. .to the land. I press on toward the goal. .let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. The way of a believer is a way of aggression, perseverance, and resolve. When Jehovah called Abram to leave everything and to go to a distant land, he was rooted in Haran on the Ur side of the great river. The record plainly states that Abram’s family had “settled there;” and who knows, the town may have been named for Abram’s brother. So there were strong ties binding Abram to his country, his relatives, and to his father’s house. For him to answer Jehovah’s call, he had to aggressively and resolutely forsake everything. In some way we all have the same experience. We are all fettered by something we like, something dear to us. Paul had to break through his strong Jewish background to press on toward Christ. The Hebrew believers had to abandon their desire to return to the old culture and religion and relatives to run the race set before them. The disciples had to forsake their livelihoods and their religion to walk the narrow, restricted way with Jesus in order to obtain the true life. We have to disdain our love of the world and the pampering ease of the Christian religion if we are to follow Christ. He is our promised land, but the way is mysterious, strait, and perilous to our flesh and self. Will we follow in our father Abram’s footsteps or remain settled in Haran? And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing. Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us. .for by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises. God’s call to Abram, at first to leave country, relatives and father’s house, is attended with promises to his obedience. “I will make you a great nation” answers to the deep yearning in this man whose wife was barren. He had no son and no prospect of having one, so this promise must certainly have salved the pain of what Jehovah required him to forsake. This obedient man would produce the earthly nation, Israel, and the spiritual nation, the Christians, from which the earthly kingdom and heavenly Jerusalem would emerge. This truly magnificent promise, that from Abram would spring a great nation producing the promised seed, Christ, is not a promise from which we in this day are exempt; for from our obedience to His call to forsake all to follow Him, Christ is born in us, formed in us, and emanates from us to produce in others the same result. Thus, on the heavenly side with the congregation is the gospel spread and the Body built. With the nation of Israel on the earthly side, the Lord is preparing His bride and establishing His kingdom. Though we, as Christians are the continuing fulfillment of the “precious and magnificent” promise to Abram, we are also the propagators and progenitors of that great heavenly nation as we daily obey the Lord’s call to come away from anything and everything that is not Himself, for He “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” Go forth from your country. .to the land which I will show you. In the Lord’s call to Abram, He does not coerce him to obey, for that would not inspire obedience; rather His way is to attract. Many ask why the Lord created free will; why He could not have accomplished His purpose by instituting force rather than choice. Could He not have directed Abram and made him act out what He intended? Certainly it is within God’s power and omniscience to do so, but that begs the question of why He created in the first place, and what place Abram as our father has in that creation. It is my contention that God’s purpose in creating was to secure a corporate wife for His Son, because at the beginning of Genesis He says that it was not good for Adam (a prefigure of Christ) to be alone; and at the end of the record, the city descends prepared as the Lamb’s bride. What kind of wife would she be to Him if in God’s sovereignty over the universe, He would not allow her to choose to love Him? And without love, could there even be a meaningful relationship? Could our Creator, by His sovereign will, make us love Him by refusing us free agency? I think not. A relationship of attraction, of loyalty, of trust, of obedience must be founded on love, and without the freedom to choose, love cannot exist. The Lord makes Himself more attractive to us than anything else, and this drives our surrender to all other things. It has nothing to do with coercion. The Lord promised Abram a land that He would show him. What would make Abram desire it over Haran? By his contact with Jehovah, he received an infusion of faith that attracted him, and that faith drove him to seek a better country. The attractive and desirable and lovely Jehovah drew Abram. This is His way, and because He is love, He has no other options. Go forth from your country. .to the land which I will show you. Jehovah did not tell Abram to go to a land into which I will transport you, or into which I will force you to go. Had Abram been void of volition, Jehovah could have moved him from Ur to Canaan like Scottie moved Kirk from danger to safety. Abram without agency would have been a pawn or a knight or a rook in the hand of the grandmaster. Had the arbitrary Jehovah used coercion to accomplish His purpose, then He would have had no purpose at all, save a mere arrangement of players upon the stage acting out their parts. But Abram did have volition because Jehovah has volition in His essence, and what He creates reflects and contains what He is. What He creates comes out of what He is. He chooses; we choose. He has free choice to propose and to perform, and so have we as His creatures. So He tells Abram to go forth to a land He will show him, not force upon him. He attracts by showing him something better that Ur. Not only so, in His contact with Abram, He puts Himself into him by speaking. His words convey Himself and that attracts Abram. Jehovah is altogether lovely and this loveliness woos Abram into obedience. Abram comes under the influence of his lovely and desirable Creator, not his powerful and intimidating God. When Abram heard the words, “to the land which I will show you,” he knew that Jehovah, the lovely and attractive one, would appear to him again and that is what drew him to obey. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing. .that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Without dispute, the entire Scripture is an unveiling of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s promise to Abram of blessing is a promise of the coming Christ. The great nation is Israel and the congregation is the Jews and Gentiles in one body. The blessing is the promised seed, Christ. Abram’s name is great because through his obedience and diligence and faith, he produced Isaac, the son in the lineage of Christ. Only Christ makes Abram’s name great, and only Christ makes Abram a blessing to the world. This is a good lesson for us. How many times do we look to the Lord to “bless” us—to give us stuff, or to ease our burdens, or to make us happy—when, in fact, He has already given us the one blessing that we truly need and truly want, and that is His Son. We can point to Abram and argue that Jehovah gave him a lot of material things to make his life easier, but then we miss the point. All that Abram received in the physical world was only to aid him in his production and upbringing of Isaac, the promised son through whom Christ would come. Abram had no regard for outward blessings of stuff. He was blessed by knowing that through him would arise the one blessing that would bless the whole world and that was Jesus Christ. Our calling is the same—bringing forth Christ to a needy world. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Jehovah casts over Abram a blanket promise that assures him perennial peace and security. Abram was settled in Haran intending to go nowhere, apparently, until the death of his brother and father precipitated a second visit from Jehovah. The charge to go forth into an unknown land and future must have left him with a full dose of anxiety and trepidation, but Jehovah was wise in His dealings with Abram. Surely he had to leave Ur in order to get to Canaan, but he didn’t hear the charge without hearing the motivation. This is Jehovah’s way. He created Abram with volition and approaches him with respect for that volition. He tells him to leave Haran, to forsake all the negative impediments in his life, but promises to bless him for his obedience. In our walk with the Lord, we follow the same pattern. He demands of us all that we are and all that we have. We cannot have what He is if we do not forsake what we are. That’s a tall order. Abram had to leave Haran, we have to leave our fleshly desires and our self-life and our lifestyle. But He does not only demand, He also provides the motivating promise to strengthen, enlighten, and encourage us to obey. That promise to Abram and to us is blessing and that blessing is His person as our inner peace, security, and satisfaction. We should never interpret blessing as being tangible stuff, for stuff is temporary, whereas He is eternal. Our blessing is Christ and nothing else. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. What must Abram have thought of this last promise of Jehovah? From having a barren wife and no future progeny to hearing that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed, Abram must have been both excited and overwhelmed. Jehovah laid out Abram’s pathway clearly—leave home and become a great nation and be blessed and be a blessing and bless all the families of the earth. To all this, Abram’s contribution was simply to obey. Jehovah did all the rest. Abram is our father and as such he presents a pattern by which we measure our walk with the Lord. This final promise to Abram was the coming Messiah who has indeed blessed all the families of the earth. Jehovah has granted us this same promise. When we are faithful to share our experience of Christ with others, He becomes their blessing as well as ours. We are the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise to Abram. Because Abram obeyed Jehovah, he migrated to the land of Canaan where he sired Isaac and saw his grandson Jacob come into the world. From Jacob came the nation of Israel and thence the Messiah. From Jesus came His enlargement, His body, His expression. This is the gospel, the good news that we as His members spread to all the families of the earth. If they receive this gospel, they are blessed, and thus does the ancient promise to our forefather come full circle. So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him. This simple statement of fact encapsulates an enormous amount of information, all relevant to us. After Jehovah commanded, promised, and prophesied in His marvelous conversation with Abram, the Shemite from Ur obeyed. It may seem strange to us today that he could have so easily and readily obeyed until we realize that this was the second time Jehovah came to him and appealed to him to leave Ur and to settle in Canaan. His obedience also came on the heels of his brother and father’s death, so his obedience came at a cost. He was also settled in Haran and we can surmise that his life was fairly static, so his obedience disrupted his life and the lives of his family members. But what could he do? He had visited with Jehovah twice, at least, and those visits enlightened him as to the magnitude of Jehovah’s call; for out of him a nation would emerge and blessing would flow to the whole earth via the promised seed. Our calling is similar to Abram’s in that it includes the command to leave everything of this world; to go forth into the good land, Christ; to participate in the building of a great nation, the Christian assembly; and to bless the families of the earth with the complete Christ, the head and the body. Will our obedience mirror that of our ancient forefather, or will we fall short and remain ensconced in our lifestyle? So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him: and Lot went with him. The Lord cares more that we obey Him as best we can, than He does if we try not to make mistakes. I suppose I could make a good argument that Abram obeyed Jehovah in going forth from Haran though he knew not where, but that he disobeyed in taking Lot by disregarding Jehovah’s command to “go forth. .from your relatives.” Lot caused nothing but problems for his uncle, but had he not accompanied him, Abram may not have met Melchizedek or eaten and negotiated with the Lord prior to Sodom’s destruction. The Lord uses everything to gain His purpose. Maybe Lot was not supposed to leave Haran given his ignominious demise, and yet had he not left with his uncle, there would have been no Ruth to marry Boaz. Is this not proof that the Lord gets mileage out of everything we do so long as we are seeking Him with all our heart? It is inevitable that mistakes come, but the Lord uses them to work upon us and in us to further His purpose. We must not fear mistakes! What we must fear is a static existence that breeds stagnation. Abram obeyed the Lord to go forth, and, granted, he probably should not have included Lot, but so what? At least he went forth. The first time the Lord called him in Ur, he only made it as far as Haran and then settled down. That’s the worst thing we can do. We must follow the Lord all the way regardless what baggage we carry or what mistakes we make in the process. Fortunately for Abram, the Lord called him a second time. So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. We can know our Creator by what He has created, because what He does expresses what He is. He created time and within time, lines of demarcation such as days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, epochs; and within these segments of time, there are seasons whereby change comes to the environment. This may explain why Moses recorded Abram’s age at 75 when he left Haran on the other side of the Euphrates River. At this juncture in man’s history, there emerged a wonderful milestone—Abram’s obedience and departure from Babylon. This was an enormous turning point in the Lord’s dealings with man. Before this point, His connection to earth was primarily, if not exclusively, with tiny groups or individuals; but now the Lord, through his obedient servant, could pursue a corporate people through whom He could live and rule. In our walk with the Lord in the Christian dispensation, there are also milestones. When we were regenerated, we came to Him as individuals in need of forgiveness, cleansing and rebirth; but as we progress in maturation, there will come a time that we will not just see ourselves as saved individuals, but as members of His body. This is a watershed moment of which, if Moses were writing our biography, he would record our age. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Someone could argue that when the Lord made the call for Abram to remove to a distant land, he should have left everything behind, including Lot, all their possessions, and his retinue, and simply gone out in faith, trusting the Lord for his provisions along the way. Of course Jehovah could have miraculously provided for the family’s needs; in fact, He could have placed them in Canaan in a heartbeat and been done with all the logistics of moving a caravan of goods and people and livestock from one country to another. But at what cost? Abram would have missed the tedium and turmoil of gathering possessions, herds, people, family, food, and water, which had to have been a logistical nightmare. He would have lost an irreplaceable opportunity of leadership training that would prove to be indispensable later on. He would have missed the nagging responsibility of organizing mundane details that had to have been daunting, if not overwhelming; but it was precisely those pesky details that eroded his own ideas, opinions, plans, and preferences in favor of the Lord’s superior life and ways. The Lord surely used the weariness of the relocation to reveal Himself as Abram’s inner strength, endurance, patience and mercy. And this, if we look at our own lives, is why we are physical beings living in a sensual world and yet called upon to lead spiritual lives reliant on our invisible Lord. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. The nation of Israel and the Christian community came from Abram, the father of faith and of the faithful; so his life is quite instructive to us. Many Christians tend toward hyper-spirituality in a negative sense; that is, they bend toward spiritualizing their priorities and minimizing their responsibilities. They would rather spend their time reading their Bibles and talking and contemplating the unseen realm than in doing their dishes or making their beds or cleaning the garage. They consider the mundane as unimportant and unworthy of attention; and yet Abram, our progenitor, was deluged with details when he answered Jehovah’s call to remove to Canaan. It was in those details that Jehovah could show Abram that though he was a physical being in contact with the physical world via his senses, his true life resided deep inside in his spirit in connection with his invisible Creator. All the minutiae of our physical lives, all the logistics required to care for the least important part of our human being, are designed by His wisdom to drive us to our hidden depths where the Lord is and to learn to abide there. Though we have to deal with outward things, we must give our attention to Him while we’re doing them. That was Abram’s training and it is ours as well. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Our Lord is so wise. He hides Himself from all but those who resolutely seek after Him. He is spirit and therefore invisible, and yet He creates a physical universe filled with physical creatures who can only exist through the use of their physical senses. Only those physical beings who realize that reality is not in what they contact with their senses, but in the unseen truths in the spiritual realm, can ever find the God who hides Himself. This physical creation is an expression of our Creator on the one hand that reveals who He is to the seeker, yet on the other hand it hides Him from those who care only for what they see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. The physical is a huge barrier to restrict all but those who fight through to find a relationship with their Creator. Abram heard Jehovah’s call to remove to Canaan and faced a mountain of details that impeded his way. Jehovah did not miraculously transport him to his destination, rather allowed the daunting logistics to constrict his servant and to force him to fight through to the unseen reality in the spirit. It seems like a minor detail that Abram passed through, but it was a massive task to assemble his entourage and possessions and to head off into the unknown. Abram, like Jesus, learned obedience through the things he suffered in the physical realm. Both faced down the daunting details of their lives to find the invisible reality. It is always easier to not fight and to leave the realm of the spirit to someone else, but then we are left destitute and estranged from the God who calls us to come forth to Him on the other side. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Nothing in the Scriptures is superfluous. Even the name of the tree is significant—Moreh—which means “teacher.” Abram left Haran to migrate to the land of Canaan, but once he got there he needed instruction, especially when he looked around and saw the Canaanites, descendents of Canaan who had come from Ham, the rebel son of Noah, the continuation of that notorious human/angelic aberration that had polluted the earth before the flood, and, without mistake, occupied the land chosen by Jehovah for His people. If ever Abram needed a teacher, it was at that point in time under the oak growing in a foreign, and, likely, hostile country. A true teacher is not merely the dispenser of information. Abram knew he was in the country of Jehovah’s calling, but what was he to do? How was he to live? He needed a teacher who would come to him as a living being. The oak was not a dead thing. Abram stopped at the oak because he knew there was life there and where there is life there is water. Jesus was well-known as a teacher, in fact, He was called “rabbi” many times, rabbi meaning teacher; but a lesser known fact about Jesus, known only to the seekers of truth, was that He was the living water available to all who would come to Him and drink. Jesus is the true oak of Moreh because He is the living One growing in a dry, foreign, and adverse land. We need to rest under His shade, drink of His living water, and learn of Him, our true teacher. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram. When Ham rebelled against his father, Noah, that sin brought a curse against his grandson, Canaan, and Canaan became a major player in Old Testament history. The race of Canaanites were always in opposition to God and to Israel; in fact, they continued the contamination of the purely human stock by sexually interacting with Satan’s fallen angels, resulting in the race of giants that plagued Israel up into the time of David’s reign. It was this aberration that watched Jehovah’s interloper, Abram, with suspicion and evil intent. Is it any wonder Abram needed “Moreh,” or a teacher? Here he was in the midst of Satan’s vile race that was defiantly entrenched in the land promised to Abram and his descendents. But the reality of Moreh, the sublime teacher, Jehovah, appeared to Abram and not only reassured His servant, but infused Himself into him by His speaking, for He is the logos, the Word, conveying His virtues and characteristics into His chosen vessel. Only a man filled with the life of the Creator could withstand the satanic usurpation and machinations targeted on his demise. Abram, by hearing and obeying, was that man. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendents I will give this land.” One of the great deceits perpetrated in the present time is that of instant gratification. This drive to be quickly satisfied robs people of the long view of life and delivers them into a warped view of themselves as the center of the universe. This is why the narrow path that leads to life has everything to do with the denial of the self-life, that fallen nature that ever strives to dominate our being. What did Abram think when the Lord told him to get out of Ur away from his relatives, his father’s house, and his country; to go to a land of Jehovah’s choosing and upon arriving, hear that the land would fall to his offspring? He had put together his entourage of people and animals, had accumulated all his possessions and provisions, and had migrated to hostile territory, to find out that his descendents would benefit from his labor, not him. For Abram to accept this required a long view, a denial of what he wanted. Do we have this attitude, or are we battered by our desire for quick and easy gratification? Do we have the view that our efforts to raise our families properly, to build up the Lord’s people by taking care of one another, to lead sanctified lives before our Lord, are not for ourselves, but for those who will come after to complete the work? Surely we want to see the bride and body prepared for His coming and to greet Him, but are we content to work toward that goal though He delays His coming? Let us learn from Abram. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendents I will give this land.” .they grumbled at the landowner, saying, These last men have worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. (Matt. The Lord as the sovereign King can do whatever He pleases, and that includes using people and events to bring about His purpose. We as His creatures have no inherent right to question Him, but we do have the agency to ask all kinds of questions of Him, and we do. Would we not expect Abram to wonder about the Lord’s promise to give the land to his offspring after he had done so much work to get himself in the right place? Surely. Didn’t the workers in Matthew who had worked all day have the right to complain about the eleventh-hour workers who received equal pay? They didn’t have the right but they had the free will. The Lord’s sovereignty chose to do it His way in both cases. We have the right and the obligation to bow down in humility and to praise Him that we could be involved at all in His work. What may seem unfair to us may be in strict accord with His plan and that alone must suffice for us. We deserve nothing from Him but condemnation, so if we find ourselves involved with Him and His purpose, we should rejoice, not complain. Our whole life, like Abram’s, may be, and probably is, a preparation for those who follow. Our kids, or grandkids, may be the eleventh-hour workers who finally see the Lord. So what? We must be thankful that we could participate in the process in whatever capacity. We need the Lord’s light to see the overall vision. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. After much hardship, Abram came to the land of Canaan, a hostile environment full of danger for the interloper from Haran. That Abram should look about in fear is expected of one so fresh from the friendly confines of the region beyond the great river. But to allay such fears, Jehovah, the God of all comfort, appears and speaks to and into His servant, promising the land to his progeny. Abram responds by building an altar, a place of worship and a place of dying. In the presence of Jehovah, Abram cowers under the light of holiness and realizes his wretched condition; thus he lays his hands on the innocent animal that bears his sins in foreshadowing the Lamb to come that takes away the sin of the world. Not only so, Abram, in essence, casts himself upon the altar before his God and relinquishes his fears, his doubts, his preferences, and his ambitions. In faith he dies to himself that Jehovah might live in and through him. The altar is the recognition that he is but an earthen vessel of no value save for that which fills it. But no such altar, no such recognition, and no such response are possible without the appearance of Jehovah. He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. We must be those who love the light that both gives life and exposes darkness. Loving the light, loving the communication with the Lord, will cause us to live a crucified life–a life of the altar. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your seed I will give this land. Here is the continuation of the seed promised to Eve that would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. In all of Jehovah’s dealings with His people, He always maintained His intention of securing a conduit through which He could come to earth. From Adam and Eve to Seth to Noah to Shem to Eber to Abram, the Lord preserved a line of faithful saints who would eventually make a way for the birth of Jesus. We may have the thought that in these days we are lost in a sea of Christians and have little in common with the Old Testament saints who preserved a way for the incarnation; however, as miniscule as was that ancient remnant, so today is the faithful modern remnant which gives the Lord a way to return to earth a second time. The devotion-sapping teaching that the entire Christian community will soon be snatched away before the trial that will engulf the world, grants impunity to carnal believers to live licentious lives in the belief that all will be well at the time of rapture. This wishful twisting of Scripture that deceives Christians into believing that they will avoid their trial by fire designed to purge their souls of dross, takes away the heart of the people for following the Lamb, for dealing with self, for building the saints, and for preparing the body of Christ. This is why today is as it was in antiquity–the Lord seeks a remnant through which He can come to earth. He came the first time through the small and faithful. So will He come the second time. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. This verse holds the secret of our life with the Lord. First He appears to us, then He speaks, and we respond. On His part He acts according to His sovereignty, according to His plan. On our part, we respond according to our free will. He never acts capriciously; we never respond mechanically. Each side acts in concert to accomplish a common goal–the gathering together of His people as His habitation on the earth. For the Lord’s part there is no mystery. He needs the earth for the building of His eternal habitation, for the preparation of the body and bride for His Son, and for the establishment of His kingdom to rule over the universe. For the man’s part there is a profound secret that, without discovery and implementation, will render him useless to the Lord. The Lord is gracious to come to us with a revelation of Himself, first as a Savior, then as the life-giver. When we received Him as Savior, it was after we saw our hopeless condition and our impotence to correct it. When we see Him as our source of eternal life with all its attributes, we must also recognize our hopelessness and impotence to bring anything to the relationship except our death. Abram built an altar to offer up the animal as a type of Jesus the Savior. He also recognized his inability to do anything for Jehovah except lay himself down in a humble way and to allow Him to fill him inwardly. The secret for Abram and for us is the altar where everything of our natural strength is put to death. This is the Lord’s way and He never deviates from it. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To our descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. The Lord’s appearing and speaking and our altar are inextricably linked. Abram’s response to Jehovah’s appearance and speaking is what every believer’s reaction should be, and that is, to build an altar upon which death occurs. If we expect the Lord to shine on us, we must die. If we expect the Lord to speak to us, we must die. If we expect to have any dealings with the Lord in any capacity, we must die. There is so much in us that is ugly, deceptive, hateful, even vicious and it must be slain on the altar at the feet of God. There is much in us that is kind, moderate, friendly, even obsequious and it must die in the same place. If I am full of myself with its opinions, preferences, ambitions, etc., I am useless to the Lord and good for nothing. That is why I must die to self and to the flesh. I need an altar, a continually burning altar. Christians await the Lord’s appearance to whisk them off to their version of the land of Oz, and yet they avoid the altar like a virulent virus. If Abram’s altar followed Jehovah’s appearance, how much more should our altar precede Jesus’ appearance? Christians are forever fleeing to greener and fresher comfort zones where they can avoid troublesome neighbors in the faith; yet expect the Lord to snatch away their unsanctified souls in a phony rapture to a place of eternal comfort. Here’s breaking news: we must die if we are to see the Lord appear. So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed. .by faith he lived as an alien. .dwelling in tents. Abram’s life could be encapsulated in the altar and the tent–the altar being his relationship with the God of his calling; the tent his involvement with the physical realm. Most of our time and energy is devoted to the care and nurture of that part of us which houses our spirit and soul, so Abram kept it simple, providing for the necessities of his existence, not for the desires. Abram didn’t pursue comfort and ease for his flesh because he was “looking for the city with foundations.” He saw the end of his faith, the purpose of his existence, the accomplishment of his God’s plan for creation; and this kept him satisfied with his meager shelter. If we don’t practice the daily dying to self and the flesh, we will never be satisfied with a tent. The life of the altar precedes life in the tent, and the altar follows the Lord’s speaking and appearance. We can deduce that when the Lord appeared to Abram, he revealed the final goal of creation, and that is the holy city Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb. This vision drove Abram to humble himself, to build an altar, and to allow death to do its work for him and in him. With this as his governing vision and his daily practice, he was well satisfied with his simple tent. May the Lord grant us such a vision and practice. So he built an altar. Then he proceeded from there. .and pitched his tent. By faith Abraham. .obeyed. .lived as an alien. .dwelling in his tent. .for he was looking for the city which has foundations. A tent has no foundation, is easily transportable, lacks permanence, and tells us emphatically what should be our attitude and practice regarding the world and its system. As physical beings, we are ever in quest of comfort and pleasure to make our existence tolerable. We are continually trying to improve our lives to make them easier for ourselves and for those we love. This is inbred in our human nature as a reflection of our Creator in whose image we are made, because He is a God of purpose, of accomplishment, of progression. The problem comes when people depart from the reason for our existence–the holy city Jerusalem, the Lamb’s bride–and resort to the base characteristics of our fallen nature and live unto ourselves. Then our lives become a grasping for meaning, for stuff to give us comfort; but comfort is short-lived and then pleasure assumes the throne of lost human beings. So the departure of human lives from the purpose of God becomes a vortex spiraling downward into a spiritual vacuum. Abram was the antithesis to this. He could have arrived in Canaan and built a settlement and established himself as a fortress among the Canaanites; but instead he dwelt in tents because he knew from his contact with Jehovah that he was on earth for a purpose and that was to provide a conduit for Eve’s promised seed from whom would come His bride. He was looking for this by living before Jehovah and by absorbing His words. His physical necessities paled in comparison to this noble purpose and it enabled him to be satisfied with his alien status and with his transient shelter. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent. No matter what kind of spiritual experiences we have, we always have to proceed from there. Abram saw and heard Jehovah and built an altar. This is wonderful by any definition, but he had to proceed from there and face the reality of his physical existence. He needed a tent. Can we not surmise that Abram would have rather remained in Jehovah’s presence listening to His words than to venture on to the mountain? But the Lord is wise. He knows the physical life is difficult and demanding and full of responsibilities. In Jehovah’s presence there is the sublime peace and rest untouched by the earth; but He puts our spiritual experiences to the test through the tedium and minutiae of our everyday lives. This is how we can know the Lord in actuality, in practical terms, in reality. In the midst of our busyness in fulfilling our obligations, we carry with us our portable retreat where we practice being in the Lord’s presence. This is our tent, our haven of rest, our tiny tabernacle wherein the Lord resides and awaits our return. An old monk many years ago was assigned the thankless and menial task of washing the monastery dishes; so rather than grouse about his mindless employment, he learned to “practice the presence of God,” which became the title of a small booklet describing his experience. He took advantage of his circumstances and retreated to his tent to be with his Lord. That didn’t mean the dish cleaning suffered while the monk prayed. Not at all. He cleaned the dishes well by abiding in his little tent with his Lord. The Lord appeared to Abram. .so he built an altar. .that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom. .bearing fruit in every good work. The Lord’s appearances are strictly a matter of His gracious choosing according to His plan. Abram did nothing to deserve these timely and merciful visits. They were in every way a product of the Lord’s grace. He didn’t have to appear and speak, but He did because of His grace. Although grace is a free gift that cannot be earned or repaid, a grateful recipient cannot but respond in some way if only to love the giver. In Abram’s case he built an altar. He did something good. He performed a good work. Though grace is a free gift from the Lord, we can never expect to receive it without losing something of ourselves because of the limited capacity of our being. When we received the gift of Christ our Savior, He entered into our spirit as our new life. Previous to that, we had our physical life and our soulish life and were able to live independent of God; but after regeneration, we have a spiritual life that intends to dominate us, to reduce us to nothing, to kill what we are in our fallen nature and to replace us with Himself. We received the free gift by grace, but find ourselves in a serious fight for survival against this divine “interloper” in our spirit. We realize we are no longer able to live independent from Christ because He now occupies our inner being. Our previous life comes under His scrutiny and we can’t do the things we had done with impunity. There is nothing left for us to do but build an altar and humble ourselves before the Lord and die. This was Abram’s fruit, his good work, his contribution to the Lord’s gracious visitation. Building an altar, synonymous to dying to self, is the proper fruit to bear before the Lord, for out of that dying comes every good work according to His life and purpose. So he built an altar. Then he proceeded from there. .and pitched his tent. By faith Abraham. .obeyed. .lived as an alien. .dwelling in his tent. .for he was looking for the city which has foundations. Abram’s tent reveals his relationship to the world and his altar shows his relationship to the Lord. His tent was a temporary shelter to provide for his physical existence, and in no way did it provide more than what the man of God needed. Surely Abram had the means to establish a permanent dwelling, but he was searching for a city with foundations. It had to have been that in his visits with Jehovah, Abram learned that the ultimate goal of creation was the holy city Jerusalem, the Lamb’s bride. Learning such, he set about aligning his life with that purpose; in other words, in all he did he made certain he was one with the Lord for this one thing. In all his dealings with the Lord and with other people, he practiced looking for the city with foundations. We should never think that he wandered aimlessly about looking for something on earth that one could only find in the spiritual realm. That’s silly. Rather, in everything he did, he made sure that he was focused upon and aligned with the one purpose of Jehovah, and that was the holy city, the lovely bride of Christ. This begs the question, are we too in search of this same city? Are our lives spent in a tent or in a palace? Do we have roots in this world or in that holy city? As tent-dwellers we must not be of this world, but we should be its best citizens; have its cleanest and neatest homes and yards and vehicles; be its best stewards of money; comport ourselves with dignity and integrity; be the best business people, employees, and employers. We must do all this from the door of our tents, always having our eye on the prize, always searching for that real city as our father Abram did. So he built an altar. Then he proceeded from there. .and pitched his tent. .with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. .and there built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. By faith Abraham. .obeyed. .lived as an alien. .dwelling in his tent. .for he was looking for the city which has foundations. Our manner of life will afford the Lord a dwelling upon earth, but if we spend our lives in pursuit of pleasure and status and comfort, then we accumulate a useless pile of rubble. We have the choice. If we live before the Lord on the altar and in the world from our tent, then we engage ourselves in the building up of His dwelling, His house, His people, His Bethel on the west. If we “love the world and the things that are in the world,” then we add to and even become the pile of ruin, which is “Ai on the east.” Where we pitch our tent in this world is critical. If we remain detached from the enticements of the world and live our lives in pursuit of His one purpose, then we are built into His dwelling, His Bethel. If we love the world, we become ruble. We can spend our time and energy pursuing the eternal things or the temporal things, but we can never expect to do both. If our hearts gravitate toward one, we will abhor the other. We cannot have both. We either look toward Bethel and the Lord’s purpose, or toward Ai and its eventual ruin. .there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there. Our walk with the Lord is always fluid, never static, because we are fallen creatures living in a sensory world trying to follow an invisible God. Jehovah’s call to Abram was for him to go to the land of Canaan, not to Egypt. Egypt represents the godless world system with Satan, represented by Pharaoh, at the helm. For Abram to sojourn in Egypt was a departure from the call of and communion with Jehovah. He set up no altar in Egypt. Jehovah sent the famine to Abram to test him, to see how he would respond. He reacted as most of us would have–he went down. And herein rests the wisdom of our Lord. Few Christians realize that when we embark upon our journey with Christ, we are going to face one trial after another in order that the Lord may perfect us for the ultimate goal of becoming a constituent of the corporate body of Christ. This requires a lot of work on the Lord’s part and on ours. From the time He calls us out from the world unto Himself until we are sanctified and formed with others into His body, we pass though many fires that purge the impurities out of us and render us holy as He is holy. Abram’s fire was the famine. Would he wait it out trusting that Jehovah, who called him to the place of drought, would provide; or would he rely upon his own ingenuity and rationality and head for Egypt? It is so easy to trust in what we can see and not in the God we cannot see, but this is His way. Our physical lives and the necessities of existence are, in a sense, like Abram’s famine–they will either impel us to trust in what we can see and in what we can do, or compel us to wait upon the unseen hand of Him who called us unto Himself. Abram, being young in his experience with Jehovah, went down. We should learn from him. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. All discipline. .seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it. .it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. The surest way to determine whether or not we know something is to take a test on the material. Abram had at least two encounters with Jehovah during which He appeared and spoke to him. These visits were enough to inspire Abram to leave Mesopotamia and to journey to the land of Canaan where he had never been before. Abram’s transition from a land of idols to a life of faith came under fire when a famine struck the new land. How would Abram react? We know he went down to Egypt in failure. Our lives with the Lord oscillate from peaks to valleys, from sunshine to rain, from ecstasy to despair, from joy to sorrow, from pleasure to pain, from defeat to victory. We can never count on things remaining the same. You would naturally think that Jehovah would have provided an oasis in the desert for his called-out itinerant before the famine took control of the land; but how would He have disciplined his child and trained him for his long life of accomplishments if He didn’t bring a test to him? Had Abram learned the secret of faith, of trust in his invisible God, of humility under His wise and gracious sovereignty? The record says he went down. How long does it take us to learn discipline under His hand? Are we trained yet? Is there the peaceful fruit of righteousness coming forth in our thoughts, words, and behavior? We should welcome the adversity that comes our way because it proves that He is still working within us to train us to bring forth Christ in all we do. .when he came near to Egypt. .he said to Sarai his wife. I know that you are beautiful woman. .when the Egyptians see you. .they will say. This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me. How far is this from the tent and the altar, the simple intercourse with the world and the intimate fellowship with Jehovah! Once Abram departs from the presence of the Lord in the land of promise, his life becomes complicated and entangled. Fear sets in, human ingenuity takes over, conspiracies hatch, and people suffer. We can haggle about why Abram acted as he did because of cultural mores, but the fact remains that because he left Jehovah’s presence in Canaan, he was, by necessity, forced to contend and compromise with Egyptian sensibilities, something he didn’t do or need to do in Canaan among the Canaanites. Whenever we leave the presence of the Lord, we are at the mercy of the world around us, and in order to get along we must bend to the world’s ways. When we are living according to His life and in His presence, we are immune to demands of the fallen culture around us. We are transcendent and untouchable and unaffected, but once we strike out on our own, we suddenly realize, as Abram did, that in order to survive, we have to lie and conspire and manipulate. This is a pointed lesson for us. When Jesus told us to abide in Him, He knew the consequences if we didn’t obey His word. Peter didn’t obey and took off the servant’s ear and denied the Lord. Most of the disciples didn’t obey and fled Jesus in His hour of need. When we leave the Lord, we hurt others. Sarai came under the control of the despot Pharaoh so that Abram could preserve his life, and that was shameful. Sir Walter Scott said it best, “Oh what a tangled web we weave; When first we practice to deceive.” Abram’s deception grew from his departure from Jehovah. .they will say. This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me. Abram’s reasoning is pure nonsense because he is outside the presence of Jehovah. His rationale is dictated by Egyptian culture and not according to the fresh promise of Jehovah that his descendants would occupy the land of Canaan. Did he really think his little conspiracy with Sarai was necessary after hearing the promise of progeny for the second if not the third time? Yes, he did, because he was outside the presence of his God living by his own strength and cunning. When we fail to maintain our daily/hourly touch with the Lord, we are likely to make some real stupid decisions that will haunt us. When we are not abiding in Christ, we can’t think clearly and we enter a realm that can chew us up. Abram compromised Sarai’s sanctity to save his own butt. This is about as low as a man can go. Did he not think of the ramifications of his shameless act of selfishness? Did he not consider the consequences if Pharaoh had forced his wife? How could he when his mind wasn’t under the control of his spirit where Jehovah was? Paul said, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” We know where Abram’s mind was set. He was preserving himself at the expense of his wife, allowing her to become part of Pharaoh’s harem. This is reprehensible but understandable when we lose our bearings. Outside the Lord’s presence is darkness and when we have to negotiate our way in darkness, we lose all perspective and make foolish decisions that impact others, especially those closest to us. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you. .it came about. .the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. .and praised her to Pharaoh and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Therefore he treated Abram well. .but the Lord struck Pharaoh. Pharaoh called Abram and said. Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Operating outside Jehovah’s will and presence, Abram and his little scheme functioned according to plan. Sarai entered into Pharaoh’s harem and Pharaoh treated Abram well. That was fine for Abram, but what about poor Sarai? What was she going through when the maidens came to prepare her for her night with the king? And what plagues did Pharaoh suffer when Abram’s wife came into his chamber? We don’t know, but Pharaoh knew something was awry and isolated the problem to Sarai and surely demanded an explanation, which, though in disobedience to her husband, she wisely revealed to the king, possibly in return for their safe escort from Egypt. It’s hard to forgive Abram for his cavalier and callous treatment of his wife, though, in his defense, his faith in Jehovah was young and undeveloped. But what would have happened to her had the conspiracy played itself out and Sarai had slept with Pharaoh? Would Abram have cast her off as defiled and looked for another? It seems that was his attitude. But courageous Sarai broke ranks and uncovered the plot when the Lord intervened to preserve her sanctity, and Abram didn’t have to face that prospect. When we lose faith in the Lord and devise our own plans, we suffer and those around us suffer. We need to keep short accounts with the Lord lest we stray from His presence; otherwise, our circumstances will overwhelm us and drive us to foolishness. No wonder the Word exhorts us to remain steadfast, even in a famine. .the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen. .and servants. Notable in this episode in Abram’s life is the absence of an altar and the accumulation of material stuff. He had no communion with Jehovah while he was acquiring worldly wealth, which some argue is vindication for our duplicity when dealing with the unbelieving world. That’s insane, no matter what the cultural mores were at the time. Beware whenever the world lavishes on us material goods, for what the world gives in the front door it will take from the back. Abram nearly lost Sarai to defilement because that was the world’s price, highlighting the ugly fact that he was willing to pay it. This is how far the trial and his loss of faith carried him. It would have been better for him to starve in Canaan, than to treat Sarai so shabbily. If we ever, in the midst of trial, avert our eyes from our Lord, we will always look to the world and the things in the world for relief; but the world will always get its due. We can’t love God and the world simultaneously. They cannot coexist within us because they are diametrically opposed. Going into the world is spontaneously forsaking Jehovah. Abram built no altar in Egypt, and with no communion with his Lord, he became deceptive and manipulative. We can only hope that while he was enjoying the fine Egyptian hospitality from the hand of its evil despot, his conscience was torturing him. May that always be the case with us. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Jesus surely spoke truly when He said that “narrow is the path that leads unto life, and few there be that find it.” Abram’s path narrowed considerably when the famine hit Canaan, so narrow that he fell aside and went down to Egypt. What presented itself as an opportunity for obedience in trusting Jehovah, degenerated into a disgraceful waste of time. No one can dispute that the Lord is able to use everything that comes into our lives, whether arranged by Him or devised by us; but when we wander from the path, we fritter away irredeemable time. We learn lessons, to be sure, but we lose time that we’ll never get back. By descending into Egypt, Abram not only brought shame upon himself and His God; but he also squandered time outside Jehovah’s presence. He did not build an altar in that idolatrous country because he was not in communion with Jehovah; and to compound his faithlessness, he had to suffer in silence the rebuke of Pharaoh for lying and deceiving. Let us guard our hearts above all that we guard lest we return to that from which the Lord delivered us by His own precious blood, lest we burn up time that the Lord could use to work within us instead of upon us, and lest we hear the scathing rebuke of an angry world for our duplicity. “Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. The Lord intervened on Sarai’s behalf to save her from Pharaoh’s defilement, but He was silent when Pharaoh called Abram in to rebuke his duplicity. So was Abram. He couldn’t say a word. His testimony in the world was shot and he had brought disgrace upon Jehovah’s name. Though Pharaoh was wrong to keep a harem and to take, with mpunity, another man’s wife, we cannot justify bad behavior with worse. Nor can we justify Abram’s lying by pointing to all the goodies Pharaoh supplied him while Sarai was in his house. Deceit constitutes a deliberate departure from the presence and sovereignty of Jehovah. Deceit is not an accident or mistake or an error in judgment; it is a statement of independence from Jehovah, of human cunning, of manipulation, of securing self-advantage. A person who practices deceit carries a reputation that is inveterately tarnished. Trust is vital in every relationship and nothing obliterates trust like deceit. What takes a lifetime to establish can crumble under the insufferable weight of one little lie. Abram lost all his credibility with Pharaoh. We may think it minor that Abram stuck it to Pharaoh, the interminable despot, until we read Jesus’ words about His people being the light of the world. So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev. After the sour experience in Egypt, full as it was with faithlessness, conspiracy, and deceit, Abram repented and left Egypt for the Negev, the southern desert of the promised land. Better the barrenness of the promised land that the abundance of Egypt. Egypt represents in Old Testament types and shadows the world system with its apparent abundance, with Satan as its head. In the account of Abram, whatever is not the promised land of Canaan is the world with all its trappings. It is that country from which he was called by Jehovah. We are no different from our spiritual father. We, as believers, have been called by the Lord to depart from our “country,” the world of sin, pleasure, and corruption. When we stumble from our walk of faith in the one who called us, we inevitably return to that which appeals to our flesh or to our soul. Abram faced a famine and fell into faithlessness and went down to Egypt. We may encounter a spiritual famine and go down to the world to find gratification in things and in pleasure. We are not static people. We are always in pursuit of something. If the object of our quest is not Christ, it will be something else that will draw away our hearts. We need to vigilantly maintain an attitude of repentance–a turning from Egypt and a going up to the Negev. So Abram went up. Now Abram was very rich. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning. .to the place of the altar. .and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. This is such a pleasant story, one of restoration and one that is repeated many times in the Scriptures. Jehovah is the God of redemption and restoration and will not be satisfied until His errant child is fully restored, and to a level exceeding the former condition. Abram had gone down to Egypt hungry, fearful and faithless, but when he returned, Jehovah didn’t require him to do penance and grovel for a certain time and in a certain way. Jehovah enriched him by His grace. When Abram turned his back on Egypt and looked homeward to Bethel, the Lord rushed into provide and to protect His repentant child. He came home to God’s dwelling place and he pitched his tent, he settled in, he found his altar, and he called upon the Lord’s name. What a huge relief it had to have been for him to come back to his resting place, to his communion with his God, to his calling upon Jehovah’s name. This is where the Lord wanted him all along and had he remained, Jehovah would have supplied him. But it takes negative experiences to accentuate the Lord’s presence and purpose, at least for many of us. Surely Abram’s first encounter with Jehovah at Bethel was sweet, but now, having passed through Egypt, he undoubtedly was humbled and grateful and cognizant of the preciousness of his Lord’s love and care. We don’t deliberately sin that grace may abound, but we stumble. .many times. The secret is not to remain down, but to rise up and go up and put ourselves in communion with the Lord. This is the pathway of restoration. So Abram went up. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning. .to the place of the altar. .and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. It’s myopic to think that once we come to the Lord and receive His gift of grace, that falling back is impossible. Abram was a “saved” man insofar as he was no more living in the Babylonian region of idolatry. Jehovah had appeared to and spoken with him at least twice, and Abram had responded obediently and journeyed to the land of promise. He was indeed “saved;” the question is how “saved?” Because of trials, he reverted to his own devices and fell back from the God of his salvation. Did he lose his original salvation? Of course not, because salvation is a progressive, dynamic process. He would always be saved from Babylon but his salvation was not a dead thing, but a living person–Jehovah Himself–who was always at work to bring him further along the path of total salvation. When he went down to Egypt, the process stopped, at least as far as Abram was concerned. But when he suffered Pharaoh’s rebuke, repented, went up, rediscovered God’s presence at His house at Bethel, found his altar and communed with Jehovah by calling on His name, the process of salvation, the growth of his inner being, continued onward and upward, buttressed by his negative experience of slipping back. We should not get discouraged in our journey. Sometimes we fall. .all of us, but we can and should repent and return and move on as Abram did. He went on his journeys. .as far as Bethel. .to the place of the altar. .and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot. The Lord never stops working on us once He begins. After Abram’s dreadful experience in Egypt, he was surely amazed at the Lord’s graciousness upon him to restore him to his original fellowship without a bunch religious penitential gyrations. Abram repented and returned and moved on. He had to have been beside himself with joy upon reentering communion with his God. But the Lord is ever and always the God who tests our heart to make certain we are genuine. So with Abram. In the midst of his restored joy and relationship with Jehovah, Abram found himself confronted with reality. Immediately following his calling upon the Lord’s name, the record states, “Now Lot. Abram probably asked himself why he ever brought this boy from Haran in the first place. Well, he did according to Jehovah’s sovereignty and he had to take responsibility. Lot represents the young, immature believer eager to gain his independence. What would Abram do? What do we do? We treasure our relationship and communion with the Lord and yearn for its unabated enjoyment, but what invades our space and time? Lot. “Now Lot. The Lord yokes us with the care and feeding of the weaker believers and He requires that we watch for their souls so they don’t fall short of His grace. They are a nettlesome bunch that seems always to interrupt our fellowship with the Lord. Good! This is the Lord’s way. The stronger bear the weak, for, after all, Jesus spent over three years with His disciples. This is good and very truthful. – J.P. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife. This sad story of two men of Jehovah clashing over the abundance of possessions brings into sharp focus the ways of men and the ways of God. When Jehovah called Abram from Chaldea, His intention was that Abram would occupy the land of Canaan. There was no excuse for the strife between Abram and Lot, because they were perfectly able to work out their differences. But Lot, who represents the immature believer, would not, preferring rather to intensify the strife between his herdsmen and his uncle’s in order to affect a division. Lot wanted a rupture in their relationship so that he could distance himself from Abram’s spartan lifestyle of living in a tent and of burning sacrifices on an altar. Lot had a plethora of possessions and these possessions corrupted him. He loved the “world and the things in the world,” and this drove him from his uncle who also had possessions, but was not consumed by them. Abram was perfectly satisfied with his tent at Bethel in Jehovah’s presence and with the altar whereby he maintained communion with his Lord through the sacrifices and through calling on His name. What a terrible result came of Lot’s decision to pursue the world: “they were not able to remain together.” This is man’s way, not God’s way. Is not this the bane upon the Lord’s people throughout the ages? “They were not able to remain together.” How easily was Lot’s heart drawn off and how devastating was the result for him. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together. No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and wealth. When Jehovah called Abram to journey to the land of Canaan, His intention was to have a place on earth where His people could worship and serve Him without distraction. Lot was not satisfied with this arrangement and used the strife between his herdsmen and Abram’s as the occasion to divide and depart. It is true that the land could not sustain them because Lot wanted ease and pleasure, whereas Abram wanted a simple tent and altar. The land was never meant to support a pleasure-driven lifestyle, only a lifestyle motivated by a love for Jehovah. Christ is our real promised land. We walk in Him exploring all the richness of His virtues. We cultivate our hearts, we plant Him, grow Him, and harvest Him. He sustains us, protects us, satisfies us, and lavishes Himself upon us. He is our mountain for strength and worship. He is our living water in the valleys. He is our grain and fruit and milk and honey. He is our temple where we gather to experience each other’s portion. But Christ will not sustain the one who loves the world and the things in the world. If a person will not be satisfied with Christ and live simply by tent and altar, then he will have to forsake Christ and flee to the world. There is no compromise and no coexistence. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. .much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved in his life. Lot was a saved man but not very saved. Peter even calls him a righteous man, but on what basis could he ever dare say that? Insofar as he attached himself to his uncle Abram and came out of Ur with him, he was righteous; and inasmuch as he was rescued from Sodom on the strength of Abram’s parley with Jehovah for a few righteous, he was righteous; but he had nothing of his uncle’s faith or vision. The world was in his heart seeking fulfillment and expression. He was saved from the idols of Ur and the fires of Sodom, but his heart was compromised by its desire for the world and the things in the world. When the herdsmen squabble presented itself, Lot sprung at the chance to leave the presence of Jehovah and indulge in the passions and pleasures of the world. He could not blame the controversy for affecting his decision–that was only the ostensible cause of stumbling–for his worldly desires drove him. Not even his fellowship with his uncle could save him, for every one must stand or fall according to the strength or weakness of his own heart. Abram’s heart overflowed with faith; Lot’s with love of the world. Lot could not be and was not saved by Abram’s faith, for all the closeness to his uncle could not prevent the outbreak of that which filled his heart. It is a sober thought indeed that Lot was a “saved” man. Which begs the question: How saved are we? And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram. .and the herdsmen of Lot. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. .that they may be one. .so that the world may believe that You sent me. It seems strange that Moses included the Canaanites and Perizzites in context of the striving herdsmen; but not if we consider what these heathen people were witnessing. They apparently were watching the fighting herdsmen, but actually they were viewing Abram and Lot, the two interlopers representing the one true God. This uncovers a profound principle developed throughout Scripture. Our circle of influence spreads with every person brought under our umbrella of responsibility. Abram and Lot did not merely hire some men to care for their livestock, they assumed the obligation for them because these men were practical extensions of their masters. What they said and how they behaved was not independent of Abram and Lot, but was an expression of them to the onlooking world. Neither man could say that the striving wasn’t their fault or problem. To the Canaanites and Perizzites, they were watching a feud between brothers, between relatives, between men representing the invisible God. This was shameful and humiliating and regrettable. Lot took the natural way and divided. Jesus prayed diligently that His believers would be one because He knew the essence of Lot is in every heart. Given independence from His presence and purpose, His own would divide. To practice oneness, as Lot should have done with his uncle, requires much constraint and humility, something most refuse. Division among His people besmirches His name. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me; nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are brothers. This had to have been a sad day for Abram to endure. He had been with Lot for many years, probably from the untimely death of his brother, Haran, Lot’s father. We can deduce that Abram had promised his brother that he would care for his son as if he were his own. So when Lot sought refuge in the world, he needed an excuse to leave his uncle, and the herdsmen squabble provided it. We can almost hear the yearning in Abram’s pleading with Lot to work out their differences, but Lot had already made up his mind. That had to have grieved the man of God to see his close relative, even his protégé, depart from the narrow path of serving Jehovah to a life of sin. Who can know the anguish in the magnanimous heart of the father of faith? Did Abram blame himself for not trusting in Jehovah’s provision by going down to Egypt where his nephew may have indulged himself with the pleasures of sin? It is rather curious that this rupture of their relationship followed so closely after the episode in Egypt, the center of the world system at the time. Abram may have felt himself a failure in regard to Lot, that he had let his brother down by losing his son to degradation. Do we have such a heart as this? Do we grieve when we see those we are close to, those who have lived under our influence, take a way opposite our own? May we see to it that none for whom we bear some responsibility falls short of the grace of God. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. Abram tried his best to avoid the fracture in his relationship with his nephew, but Lot welcomed the opportunity to break free of the restraints of living in Canaan under the hand of Jehovah with his uncle. He may have succeeded had he not carried Lot with him into Egypt where Lot’s taste of the world lingered long and delicious in his consciousness. Evidently he experienced the pleasures of sin and that turned his heart. Nothing would deter him from finding and living a life dedicated to selfishness, to ease, to comfort, to independence from Jehovah. He had tasted and he wanted more. Abram had no choice but to set his nephew free, and probably did so with tears. Every caregiver faces this dilemma. As much as we want to hold those we care about close to us, at some point they will exercise their freedom to strike out on their own. How they make their way in the world and what decisions they make are a direct reflection of what they gleaned from us and what values we instilled in them. In all the time Lot spent with his uncle, he saw how Abram forsook the idolatrous country of Ur, migrated across the Euphrates to Canaan in obedience to Jehovah, became satisfied with a simple tent and altar. All this may have made a deep impression on the young man. We can only speculate what would have been the produce of Lot’s life had he not tasted Egypt when his uncle lost faith in Jehovah’s ability to provide during the famine. Leaders of God’s flock have a serious responsibility before the Lord. Missteps can damage the young, sometimes irreparably. Lot seems to be such an example. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left. Here Abram demonstrates the characteristics of a believer who is spiritually minded and not worldly-minded. He actively addresses a problem between himself and another so that the world looking on (Canaanites and Perizzites) will not be able to assign blame and mock Jehovah. He pleads with Lot to end the strife, but when Lot does not respond, Abram presents a resolution, a resolution that reveals a man who has little to no regard for his physical life. Abram is much more concerned for other things that relate to his relationship with Jehovah and His calling. This is a mark of a spiritual believer. They don’t care where they live because they know it doesn’t matter. He knew he was on a path that would fulfill Jehovah’s plan that would bring forth a promised seed that would produce a great nation. He had only a cursory interest in where he pitched his tent, for he knew that a tent was temporary anyway. It was only a place to lay his head and nothing more. How much of Abram’s attitude resides in our hearts? Are we overly concerned about where we live, what we wear, and how we will make a living? Abram was perfectly comfortable to let Lot determine where he would live. Left or right made no difference to him because his mind was set on the spirit, his heart belonged to Jehovah and what Jehovah wanted, not what he wanted. What matters most to us? That is the question we all must answer. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. .like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. The weak believer tries to live on the fence between Christ and the world, thinking that he can have the best of both; but it is not possible because the world hates Christ. Lot knew what he should have done in dealing with the strife between him and his uncle, but he used the incident to leave Abram and the God who had brought them to the land of Canaan. He chose the Jordan valley because it was lush and it promised an easier existence than the harsh reality of living under the providing hand of an invisible God who is accessed by faith. Satan knows the human heart and knows it well. He knows that the deepest part of a person–the spirit–is designed to contact and house the living God; so he concentrates his efforts to foil Jehovah’s plan by presenting a realm which appeals to the physical senses. Lot saw the vegetation and was attracted because it offered him an easy life for his flesh. To have remained with his uncle in Canaan would have required a life of a mere tent and an altar for communion. This was difficult for a fleshly man like Lot, so he chose the way of the flesh and paid dearly. The apostle John said it best: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. .like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. Every believer is called out of the world, that system of things that opposes the Lord and entraps people. We are all sensual beings who are born into a world that can only be negotiated by the use of our physical senses. This realm becomes a kind of divine filter that screens out those who seek nothing more than the gratification of the body and soul. Those who see beyond the tangible and desire the invisible, spiritual reality, have minimal regard for lesser things. Lot never got beyond the filter though he had been saved from the idols of Ur. He retained the memory of the lush delta of the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where Jehovah had established His garden for the original couple. The recent sights and sounds and smells of the fertile Nile and the easy Egyptian life lingered strong in his memory as he looked over the Jordan valley. He knew well that where there was plenty of water and food, there was a commensurate abundance of time and pleasure, and nothing motivates a fleshly person more than the pursuit of pleasure. In Canaan, Jehovah’s land, Abram and Lot had to work to eat and had to trust in Jehovah to provide. In the well-watered valley of the world, work is minimized and pleasure rules. Lot, representing the carnal believer, took the easy way, but even the easy way has a price. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from one another. Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and constricted the way that leads unto life, and few are they that find it. (Matt. Lot chose for himself, not for Abram, not for Jehovah, not according to his calling out of Ur, but for himself. This is the hallmark of a weak believer. He chose for himself. The fallen mind, the fallen emotions, and the fallen will constitute the self, and the self, with its selfishness, blinds a person to spiritual things and creates an aversion to the Lord and to His people. This is why Lot journeyed backward in the direction he came from, and, in so doing, separated from his uncle. As believers, we are on a journey and the journey can only take two paths–the narrow way that leads to life or the broad way that leads to destruction. The narrow way leads upward, in Abram’s case, up to Mt. Moriah; the broad way leads downward, in Lot’s case, down to Sodom. The narrow way leads to Christ; the broad way leads to the world. Lot was called out of the world of idols with his uncle, but by acquiescing to his dominating self, he fell back and went down and retreated to the world of sin. When believers choose a life of ease, of pleasure, of materialism, they spontaneously separate from those in pursuit of Christ. They choose comfort and expediency over the oneness of the assembly, that divine/human entity that demands self-denial and a following after Christ. Lot separated from Abram because he loved himself more than Jehovah. Christians separate from one another for the same reason and thus invite the destructive judgment of God. So Abram said to Lot, Please let there be no strife between you and me. So Lot chose for himself. Thus they separated from each other. Accepting the premise that Abram is the spiritually-minded believer and Lot the fleshly-minded, we see in these verses the ultimate result of the believer who persists in pursuing the desires of the flesh; and that is, division between brothers, between believers, between those who hold the name of Jehovah, and this is shameful in the extreme, for it broadcasts to the world that the God of love appears incapable of instilling into His own that same eternal love that can overcome any human misunderstanding and any intestine difficulty among believers. It brings into question whether or not the heavenly virtues can indeed be transferred, realized, experienced, and enjoyed on the earth. There are too many men like Lot and not enough like Abram. When the Lord decided to use men to fulfill His purpose and created them like Himself–with volition–He, in one sense, took a huge risk, because his enemy has nothing to do but frustrate, damage, and destroy; whereas the Lord has to redeem, fill, build up, and perfect. It is altogether easier to demolish than to build. Abram had to put aside his own preferences, to be content with his spartan tent and small altar, to wait on Jehovah for the promised seed. Lot was under no such constraints and “chose for himself’ where he wanted to live and what he wanted to do. The two were incompatible and heading in opposite directions. The division between Abram and Lot was entirely the fault of the flesh, and so are all divisions among the Lord’s people today. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. So ends this sad chapter in the lives of Abram and Lot. The man of the Spirit settled in the land of his calling; the man of the flesh in the cities of sin. Notice the regression of the fleshly believer. He first lifted up his eyes to see the well watered Jordan valley (mind and emotion); he chose for himself according to what he saw (volition); he journeyed eastward, the direction from which he originally came (behavior); he settled, not in the midst of the vegetation he first saw, but in the cities of the valley (bad behavior); and, finally, he moved into the epicenter of wickedness, Sodom (decadence). This shows that the flesh is never satisfied and continually regresses. We should never divorce ourselves from these two men. The Scriptures don’t exist to give us nice little stories from the ancient past. They are the literal words of God and apply to all people for all times because human nature never changes absent the Savior. Abram is the believer devoted to the Spirit. Lot is the believer living according to his flesh. Therein lies the war. The flesh wars against the Spirit and the Spirit wars against the flesh. We are foolish if we think this war ever ends so long as we live in our physical bodies. If we entertain the flesh, we could end up in Sodom. If we are resolute to abide in the Spirit, we will settle in Canaan, our good land, our abundant Christ with all His riches and virtues. The choice is ours. When we lift up our eyes, do we see His face, or do we see the well-watered world? The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are. .for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.” Abram was not made of wood. He had the same difficulties as his nephew, Lot, in looking after his herds and flocks and the men and women needed to care for them. It would have been easy for him, being the elder, to have told Lot to remain in Canaan while he made his way to the Jordan valley; but Abram was a man of Jehovah, and he buried his own preference in favor of the younger man’s choice. Once they finalized their agreement, then Jehovah came to him. “Now lift up your eyes. This is His way. Jehovah did not micromanage Abram’s life. He called Abram out of Ur and he responded obediently if not immediately. When Abram arrived in Canaan, Jehovah visited him again. Jehovah always waited for Abram’s response and forced him into nothing. Though He is the sovereign God and had a plan for Abram, He never violated Abram’s volition. When Abram gave Lot his choice and found himself in what was ostensibly an inferior country though in accordance with his original calling, Jehovah came to him to iterate and solidify His promise to him. He opened Abram’s eyes to the good and promised land (Christ), the place where he would dwell and be content and satisfied. This marvelous reaffirmation and revelation proceeded from Jehovah’s boundless grace, to be sure, but also from Abram’s maturation as a man in search of the eternal city. The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes. Living on this earth requires a lot of time and effort to be devoted to our existence and all the problems associated with that. Abram encountered the big brouhaha with Lot over the squabbling herdsmen. What to do? Where to go? What kind of resolution? He had to deal with the situation. He did not have the option of running away and hiding from the problem no matter how much he wanted to. So with us. Life is one continuous series of problems, some minor, some major, and sometimes we want desperately to escape them; but the Lord won’t let us because problems have to be solved and they force us to the end of our human strength, leaving us nothing but our Lord. This is how we are changed. The Lord came to Abram after the resolution of the conflict. “Lot had separated from him.” He encouraged Abram to lift up his eyes from his problems and to see the future. Many times we are so embroiled in situations on the earth that we lose sight of the heavenly perspective. Sometimes we can’t help it because the circumstance demands our full attention; so if we’re faithful to wrestle it to the ground and overcome it, He will come and draw our vision upward to see Him and His purpose. Abram did not flee the problem with Lot, but dealt with it diligently and thoroughly. Then Jehovah came. Abram fulfilled his responsibility and Jehovah came him. This is a good lesson for us. The Lord said to Abram. Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give you. .that you. .may be able to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth. One of the great mysteries of creation is the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms. Too often we ascribe to the Old Testament saints a lesser status and experience than to our own, but this may be a fallacious view. The writer of the book of Hebrews described Abraham as one who was “looking for the city which has foundations.” Don’t all cities have foundations? Does that mean he was wandering around the land of Canaan thinking that perhaps over the next hill he would find a city that was actually anchored to the ground? Preposterous! He was looking for the New Jerusalem–the destination of God’s people, the bride of the Lamb of God, the consummation of God’s work with His called and chosen people–by living his life simply and in communion with Jehovah. If Abraham was aware of this city, can we accurately say that he wasn’t aware of the nation of Israel to come, the law, Moses, David, the temple, the Messiah, the Promised Seed, the Body of Christ and the kingdom? All of these items were, in time and space, between him and the city with foundations. Would the Lord reveal to him the end of the story but not the middle? I don’t think so. So when Abram looked out upon the chosen land in each direction, he saw a physical land that would someday be inhabited by his descendants, but more than that he saw a land that would become the chief metaphor to describe the experience of Christ in His fullness. When Abram looked in four directions, he was, in effect, laying hold of Christ in His breadth, length, depth, and height. He saw the land, but he was apprehending the Promised One to come. .for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. From His second call to Abram onward, Jehovah always included his descendants in the promise to him. Jehovah is life and life in any form is inherently reproductive. He expected Abram to reproduce, to bring in others who would occupy the land of promise. Abram was an extension or continuation of the one who called him from idols to the spacious land. As Jehovah came to Abram to speak words of prophecy and promise, He conveyed himself into the spirit of his servant. This infusion of life was not to stop with Abram, but was to pass to his progeny. This is the nature of Jehovah’s life. The land represented Christ, our expansive resource full of every divine and human virtue, and Jehovah wanted Abram and his offspring to fill it up and to enjoy, to appreciate, and to appropriate every detail of it. We should all have descendants whom we are bringing into the promised land. If we are serious about following Jehovah and listening to His voice and receiving His life and words, He will give us children to bring into the profound and unlimited knowledge and experience of His Son. This experience and apprehension is not bound by time. All of us, from the time we laid hold of Christ, will never outgrow or outlive or exhaust all the riches found in Him. The land, representing Christ, promised to Abram, the father of all the saints, is forever. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you. Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in Him. The Scriptures are like a gold mine. They require a lot of digging, a lot of hard work, a lot of research and exploration. They yield up an occasional nugget that inspires us to keep on searching, but the land of Canaan is more than a simple nugget or even a collection of nuggets; it is a vein of gold running from Abram to the New Jerusalem. It is, in my opinion, the clearest metaphor to describe the unsearchably rich Christ that the Lord has called us to enjoy and explore. Jehovah’s encouragement to Abram to get up and walk through the land from one end to the other and from one side to the other, reveals His high regard for His Son. Abram obeyed and explored the land and settled in it. How much do we explore the rich Christ we’ve been called to enjoy? Do we walk in Him, discovering from day to day some new aspect of Him previously unnoticed? Do we pick up our tent (our practical living) and walk about Christ and settle in Him and build our altar (our life of sacrifice to Him)? We have an exhaustless Savior who yearns that we discover Him. May we not disappoint Him. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you. Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. The Word of God is precise and efficient. To a cursory reader there is no significance to the name of that place where Abram settled. We can rightfully assume that he obeyed the Lord’s charge to rise up and explore the promised land. During that scrutiny he found the place where he wanted to live–a lofty place where olive trees covered the hill called Hebron. Hebron means “league,’ or “confederacy,” or “fellowship.” Abram walked about the land and chose that place where he felt most in league with Jehovah; that place where his fellowship and communion with his Lord came easily and consistently; that place most suitable for his altar of sacrifice and devotion. In like fashion and according to the typology, we should spend our days exploring our vast Christ and settle down in Him and offer ourselves as living sacrifices. It is instructive that, according to an old Bible dictionary, the place where Abram felt nearest his God was a hill of olive trees. Throughout the Old Testament, olive oil is a picture of the Spirit, produced when the fruit is pressed, and the Spirit, no stranger to the sacrifice of the Son, carries within Him the results of that great pressure. He is the pure and true olive oil who resides at Hebron in the place of communion between Jehovah and His servant. How meaningful are these details for the spiritual realm. Arise, walk about the land. Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt. .in Hebron. .and there he built an altar. Abide in me and I in you. It helps us comprehend and apprehend our Christ when we consider Him as the reality of the promised land. He is spacious and rich and accessible and explorable. Abram was called out of the world of idols to this wonderful place and it is there that he settled down. He pitched his tent in Christ near the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, the olive tree grove in the high country. In Christ we have the strength of the oak and the anointing of the olive oil, the Spirit. We can dwell in Him and build an altar. In Him we can live and move and have our being. This is what Abram did. Can we say that it was here in the place of strength (oaks), in the place of the Spirit (olives), in the place of devotion (altar), and in the place of communion with Jehovah (Hebron), that Abram did indeed find that eternal city, New Jerusalem? It seems so because the characteristics of that city–its strength, its flowing Spirit, its Lamb, and its many constituents in eternal fellowship with their architect and builder–are present with Abram in Hebron. The city he was looking for he found when he tabernacled in Christ in Hebron. He saw the land as the great metaphor of the coming one and he dwelt in Him. This abiding produces the city with foundations. Our lives only have solidity, only have anchor and foundation and permanence when we abide in Christ. Abram planted himself in Hebron among the olive trees and found the city with foundations. Pharaoh commanded his men. .and they escorted him away. Abram dwelt. .in Hebron and there he built an altar. When A ram heard that his relative had been taken, he led out his trained men. Abram made significant strides in a short time in his life with Jehovah. After he made the wrong decision to go down to Egypt to avoid the famine, in humiliation, Pharaoh’s men escorted him out of Egypt. This was shameful, but he learned, and through that experience, he relinquished his preference to his nephew and settled in Hebron where Jehovah wanted him to be, and where he found the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God. This constitutes a huge advancement in Abram’s walk with his God. The Lord never lets us rest on past experiences, no matter how good they are. Abram had settled down in Hebron where he was supposed to be, which was tantamount to abiding in Christ, and life was good for the patriarch. He had passed through the negative experience of Egypt and the difficulty with Lot. He had explored the land of Canaan from top to bottom, discovered its vastness and abundance, and had chosen Hebron, a place of strength and communion, to settle down. All was well; the waters calm. But the warring kings took Lot hostage. Once again, Lot disrupted the placidity of Abram’s life. Abram had to help his relative. It is never Jehovah’s intention to leave us to ourselves in our sweet and isolated relationship with Him. Our communion with Him is never for ourselves only, but for others. Our abiding in Christ is for the salvation of others. Abram had settled down and was perfectly satisfied and strengthened in Christ, the good land. But Lot was a hostage, and Abram had to react to save him. This is our calling. And the king of Sodom. .of Gomorrah. .of Admah. .of Zeboiim. .of Bela. .arrayed for battle against Chedolaomer. They (Chedolaomer) took all the goods. They also took Lot. Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. When Abram heard that his brother had been taken, he led out his trained men. War on the earth is the expression of the war in the heavens. This is the first recorded war in Scripture and it involves Lot who is out of place as a man of Jehovah. Having decided to forsake his God-fearing uncle in favor of the comfort of the wicked world, Lot found himself embroiled in the vagaries of that system of life, a system that is designed by its evil fabricator to destroy human lives and render them useless to Jehovah. Abram, the Hebrew, the river crosser, on the other hand, had settled in Hebron in communion with Jehovah, when a fugitive came with the report. He was enjoying sweet fellowship with his God when he was called upon to cross over to rescue his brother. Though Abram had crossed the Euphrates in the beginning in his obedience to Jehovah’s call, it wasn’t until he had to engage in warfare to save his brother that he was called “Hebrew.” So with us. Unless and until we are engaging in spiritual warfare against the unseen forces on behalf of our brothers and sisters, we cannot be Hebrews. Christ is always calling us to come across to Him, to forsake all to follow Him, but until we see that He is both head and body and that our pursuit of Christ is also the rescue of our brethren from the grip of the enemy, we cannot bear the name, Hebrew. Abram’s response to Lot’s dilemma was his crossing over in pursuit of Christ. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. Then they (the victorious kings) took all the goods. .and all their food supply. .they also took Lot. A believer who chooses the world over Christ can expect trouble on every hand. The world is not the earth but a system of life whereby people live apart from God. This puts them at risk for every kind of godless behavior, and the cold, heartless world does not care for anything but what will benefit the strong and cunning. The victorious kings, rulers in this world system, looted Sodom and Gomorrah, taking their goods, their food supply, and even their people. The evil scheme wants it all–not only productivity (goods) and sustenance (food supply), but also the souls of the people (Lot). Satan doesn’t care because he only exists to destroy and will use any means. He especially attacks the Lord’s people who love the world and the things in the world as Lot did. These verses hold some indispensable lessons for us. In the world there are tar pits, places of death that resist any effort to escape. In the world there is the relentless struggle to take from others and hoard for self. The kings took the goods, the food, and the souls. Satan is not satisfied nor ever can be with acquiring our stuff. He wants our souls. When we choose to love the world, we are at the mercy of the strong kings who represent the evil king. If we place ourselves in that tenuous and precarious environment, we jeopardize everything we have and are. We lose control of our lives and fall under the power and dominion of those who rule over that realm. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Spiritual warfare is not for the individual. Abram did not go out alone to confront the enemy; rather he took 318 trained men with him. Too many Christians have an inflated view of themselves when facing down the enemy of their souls. They think they have the power in the name of Jesus to put Satan to flight, and in a sense that is true as His is the only name that has conquered the enemy; however, Abram went out to war against the enemy with trained men born in his house. We can never be trained for spiritual warfare if we are not born in the Lord’s house, His house being His people. When we are born of His life at the time of our regeneration, we are born into His congregation, His house. From that point on He trains us to live according to His life and that life increases in us until we mature from children into sons able to bear responsibility. From among those sons come those who are exercised to do battle against the enemy. Although it is incumbent upon every child and son to resist the devil so that he will flee, it is only the purview of those mature and trained soldiers to go out with their leader to battle the wicked kings. Only the distinct, the elite, the select few answer the Lord’s call to go to war. This is why the record is so specific–318 trained men. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. I will build My assembly; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matt. When the news came of Lot’s capture, Abram didn’t just scoop up a bunch of his men and take off in wild pursuit of well-armed and disciplined armies, expecting Jehovah to cover his derriere. He had at his disposal men who were born in his house surrounded by his influence and trained for warfare under his careful tutelage. He fought the enemy with those of like mind, and he had a definite purpose for doing so–the rescue of his nephew. Abram, in this instance, was a type of Christ who told Peter that He would build His assembly and would engage His enemy through it. He didn’t say He would pull together some from here and some from there and, because of their belief in Him, they would somehow defeat Satan and plunder his realm. Not at all! He said He would build His congregation and that congregation would prevail. Abram took his trained men, those who had given up their lives, ambitions, and preferences to their master in order to be “built” together into a cohesive extension of their trainer, Abram. The congregation that triumphs over Satan is comprised of those saints who forsake their own lives for Christ’s sake and submit under His training to the rigors of discipline designed to strip them of everything but what is eternal and living. This built up congregation comes together meeting by meeting under the discipline of the mighty Assembly Builder. This assembly is the three hundred eighteen trained men fit for battle. He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. A true leader does not have to micromanage. He is not a control freak who insists on knowing and subduing everything. He is comfortable with others and allows them to make their own decisions even if those decisions affect him. A true leader encourages the development of those around him because he is not cratered with insecurity and/or self-promotion. Abram was a true leader. “He divided his forces.” This tells us a lot about proper leadership. Abram trusted his trained men. He, of course, in fellowship with them, made the strategic decisions of the war, but he left the tactical decisions to them. This trust in their person and training allowed Abram to divide his forces and come at the enemy from different directions. Spiritual warfare is not a one man circus, because the Lord is not interested in spiritual giants who can do everything themselves. This is how the Christian religion in general is set up today. The mighty do everything; the laymen do nothing but hire the mighty. This explains the appalling impotency of the general Christian community. Leaders gather about themselves sycophants who mindlessly grovel and carry out wishes. Abram’s example of delegation and trust is the glaring antidote to our current degenerative practices and is the key to spiritual warfare. Except for pockets of the faithful, spiritual warfare is pretty much one-sided. When Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he led out his trained men. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot. What sets apart the Christian faith from all others is the incarnation of God. The Logos, the Word, was made flesh and tabernacled among us. Jesus was a divine human. He was God become a man and by His resurrection He was a man become God. We, as regenerated human beings, have the Triune God Himself indwelling our spirit. “That which is born of Spirit is spirit.” We are as Jesus–people bearing about in our person the Almighty God. We are His present incarnation. When people see us, they should see Him. This is how He chose to fulfill His eternal purpose–to integrate organically with and in His people so that He could live, express Himself, and work upon the earth. Consider Lot’s predicament. When the kings captured him, he surely was horrified and terrified. In his extreme need, we can surmise that he called out to Jehovah for help. Does Jehovah answer his prayer by dropping help out of the sky like rain upon Lot’s head? He answered by incarnation. He answered Lot’s distress with a man who was in communion with Him, who was filled with Him, who was His incarnation upon the earth. Is this how the Lord answers prayer in the present day? Does he send an Abram to us? Are we expecting mercy drops to fall around us to give us what we ask for, or do His answers to our prayers come with a covering of skin? When Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he led out his trained men. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot. Our God is the God of incarnation, not just as applied to Jesus, the Son of God become a man, but from the beginning. His way of accomplishing His original purpose for creation is always through the agency of human beings. The whole Scriptural record depicts the integration and cooperation of the human and the divine. The Lord has restricted Himself to His creature and does nothing apart from the willing and faithful and prayerful man or woman. Of course He is sovereign over all, but even His sovereignty includes the volition of His creature. He does not act apart from cooperating man. As His purpose marches across the pages of Scripture, we find those cooperating individuals in the mix–Abel, Enoch, Noah, Eber, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Daniel, Jesus, the apostles. When Abram heard of Lot’s capture, he surely prayed for him and his family, for their safety and well-being. How did Jehovah answer? By using the man who prayed. Abram prayed and Jehovah said, “You go.” When we pray for others, we may and maybe should be the answer to our own prayers. When we pray that others be encouraged and strengthened, perhaps we need to make contact and render that encouragement and strengthening rather than expect the answer to fall out of the sky like spring pollen. Our God is incarnated. When He puts others on our heart, He may be making us the answer to our own prayer. Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlamer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him. .and Melchizadek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. The king of Sodom said. Give the people to me. Satan never gives up. What he can’t pull, he will push. In rank disregard for Abram’s nephew and for Abram himself, he comes in through Chedorlaomer and carries Lot away hostage. After Abram defeats him and rescues Lot and chases him out the region, one of his minions, the king of Sodom, caretaker of the miserably decadent city After Abram defeats him and rescues Lot and chases him out the region, one of his minions, the king of Sodom, caretaker of the miserably decadent city and the one who fell into the tar pits, a place of thick death, dares to offer Abram the spoils of war in exchange for the people, fully aware, of course, that he was in no position to bargain for anything. Abram had assumed control over the goods and the people, but Satan is more than willing to part with this world’s stuff so long as he retains the people. He always wants people. This should open our eyes. Satan is blatant. Here in the person of the king of Sodom, covered with the blackness of death, he negotiates for the souls of the people. And so he ever continues to this day to angle himself into a position to wrest control over men. He goes about trying to neutralize souls and to render them useable to the Lord just as he did “righteous” Lot. But Christ (Abram) does not negotiate. He paid the price to affect our rescue and, apart from our willingness and propensity to love the world and the things in the world, will never relinquish His claim upon us. Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings. .the king of Sodom went out to meet him. .and Melchizadek king of Salem. The satanic kingdom is inherently chaotic though we ascribe to it an inflated degree of organization and efficiency. From this account in Genesis, we can see this kingdom is reactive rather than proactive. All the kings in the story represent the evil, oppressive adversary who lusts for the souls of men. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah rebelled against Chedorlaomer and started a war in which Lot was taken captive. Abram won the war and rescued Lot and gained the upper hand, but that did not deter Satan. Though defeated he nevertheless approached Abram with an offer to take back the people in exchange for the spoils. So Satan wars against himself and divides his house and yet expects to bargain with the conqueror. It makes no sense because Satan is not confined to reason. He appeals to emotion, not to intellect. Melchizadek, on the other hand, comes to Abram with bread and wine, elements of the sacrifice of Christ as the bread of life broken for us and the blood shed for the blotting out of our sins. Melchizadek is the ancient manifestation of Christ as the righteous king of Salem, the city of peace, and as the priest of Jehovah. In his function as priest, Melchizedek brings God to man and he brings man to God, all of which he does in this encounter with Abram. While Abram was fighting, Melchizedek, as faithful priest, was bringing Abram to God for strength, for cunning, for wisdom. When the victory was secure, Melchizedek brought God to Abram in the form of bread and wine; all of which reveals that Melchizedek, in contrast to Satan in the king of Sodom, appeals to the spirit and nourishes Abram accordingly. Whether we think so or not, every day in the life of the Christian is a day of warfare. Christ is interceding and will follow our victory with sustenance for our spirit, while Satan will tempt us with this world’s goods. This is the Spirit warring against the flesh, and we, by our volition, determine the outcome. Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings. .the king of Sodom went out to meet him. .and Melchizadek king of Salem. Satan is no fool. He knew Abram was hungry and exhausted and vulnerable to his overtures, so he played nice with the servant of Jehovah, approaching him with an offer of this world’s goods, trying to entice him to compromise. Small wonder that the archenemy is depicted in the Scripture as a conniving serpent. What he failed to do as the roaring lion deprived of his prey by the victorious Hebrew, he attempts to rectify through the back door by his inane proposal. But make no mistake, Abram was vincible or the mighty fiend would not have wasted his time. We are all susceptible to this world’s inducements. At the height of Satan’s temptation, when the fever pitch of the battle had subsided, when the combatants of Jehovah were exhausted, when the lure of this world’s pleasures beckoned loudly, Melchizedek, king of righteousness and peace, comes forth bearing true food, true drink, and resounding truth, pronouncing blessing upon Abram from the Most High, “possessor of heaven and earth.” What a glaring contrast to the paltry offer of worldly goods! Melchizedek brought Abram into communion with the God who possessed everything. Though we are tempted by our enemy to dabble in his vast warehouse of stuff and pleasure, if our hearts are for the Lord and are seeking after Him, He will be our way of escape. He will meet us and feed us the hidden manna to strengthen us, the cheering wine to refresh us as we move through this life in daily conflict with the destroyer who ever seeks our demise. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Melchizidek is an enigmatic figure of the ancient world who was obviously greater than Abram because he blessed him. Because of the New Testament description of him, I have no reticence in calling him the Son of God. Who but Christ has no father or mother or beginning or end? And why not consider him such since he is not bound by either time or space? As the Son of God he bears the title of King of righteousness and King of peace, as well as being a priest of God perpetually. This man was certainly more than just a type and shadow–he was the reality. As the Son of God, Melchizedek interceded for Abram in his stunning victory over the kings and when the battle was over, he came to him with bread and wine. This was his responsibility as priest of God. On the one hand he brought Abram to God by praying for him, by interceding, by lifting him up to the heavenly holy of holies and to the presence of God. When such a priest intercedes, how can God not answer? Abram was about the business of recovering a captive brother and the priest interceded on his behalf and it was accomplished. This was the priestly function of bringing Abram to God. On the other hand, after the war was successfully completed, the priest brought God to Abram in the form of bread, wine, and blessing. As the Son of God, Melchizedek was the bread broken for us at the cross and the wine poured out for our forgiveness, our life and our enjoyment. In sum Melchizedek offered himself to Abram, his faithful warrior, as recompense for his service in saving a brother and in defeating the enemy. How meaningful is all this! And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. The two functions of a priest are to bring the people to whom he is ministering to God, and to bring God to the people. When Jesus said that He was the ladder that stretched from earth to heaven on which the angels ascended and descended, He was revealing Himself as Melchizedek the priest of God. While Abram was warring, Melchizedek was interceding and the angels were ascending the ladder carrying prayers to God. With the victory secure, the traffic on the ladder reversed and they came down bringing God to the warrior Hebrew in the form of Melchizedek’s bread and wine. Today, this Jesus is enlarged to include His body, and now we participate in His intercession by praying for one another and by functioning as priests. All of us in one form or another are involved in warfare against the enemy of our souls and of our fellow brothers and sisters. The evil tyrant is always trying to snatch us away as he did Lot, or to tempt us as he did Abram. This requires us to behave as priests and to join with our heavenly high priest in prayer for each other and to join with our earthly Melchizedek in bringing nourishment and sustenance to each other. This is hard work but it must become our labor of love. It was difficult for Abram to overcome the logistics of saving Lot, but in the end the priest of God blessed him. We are both warriors and interceding, feeding, and blessing priests. Let us be faithful to this vital work of our calling. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes or us. Fallen man needs an intercessor to approach a holy God. While Abram was involved in warfare against the wicked kings, one stood by interceding for him before God, acting as his mediator, representing his case before the righteous Judge. The Judge ruled favorably on Abram’s behalf and he prevailed. Melchizedek was that intercessor between Jehovah and Abram. We can rightly speculate that Abram was on his face before Jehovah in regard to his nephew Lot. The prayer began in the spirit of the ancient Hebrew. From there it passed to Christ, the ladder bridging earth and heaven. Melchizedek was there to convey the warrior’s prayers to the righteous Judge. Melchizedek is called the King of righteousness, so it is fitting that he plead Abram’s case before the righteous Judge. Abram was engaged in a righteous cause, was represented by a righteous king, and was heard by a righteous Judge. The ruling in the heavenly court was that Abram would slaughter the evil kings, would rescue Lot and his family, and experience nourishment and peace. Melchizedek returned from his intercession bearing bread and wine and blessing, not as the king of righteousness but as the king of peace. When we are involved in the noble cause of saving the Lord’s people from the world and the flesh, we can be assured that we have an Intercessor pleading our cause, bearing our prayers before the Great Judge. He will come to us with nourishment and peace. Christ is our wonderful Melchizedek, our king of righteousness, our food, our drink, our enjoyment, and our king of peace. .now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. When Melchizedek brought out bread and wine for Abram, it was not just to satisfy his physical needs, but also to typify the redemption of Christ seen in the emblems of His table. When Abram partook, he was partaking of Christ as his bread of life and as his cleansing, forgiving Savior. By this infilling of the God Most High, Abram was one with Him and was possessed by Him. Melchizedek, as priest, brought God to Abram, and Abram, by his receiving and partaking, became the possession of God. When he was filled and possessed by God, he was blessed. We all like to be blessed. In fact, our usual prayers are laced with invocations of the Lord’s blessing upon this and that person. Sorry to say, we are probably missing the mark with our conception of what blessing really means, and we would do well to consider Melchizedek and Abram. Abram’s blessing came from his eating of the bread and wine, pictures of the redeeming Christ. Christ in him possessed him and this possession became his blessing. Blessings are not benefits dropped into our lives by some cosmic benefactor. They are the Triune God Himself possessing us as we partake of Him as our food and drink. Only after Abram received and ate the bread and wine did Melchizedek pronounce his blessing upon the Hebrew warrior. “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor . When God possesses us, we are blessed indeed! Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. If the primary reason for creation was the formation of a bride and body for the Son, then an ancillary purpose was the restoration of the usurped earth. Satan through rebellion had corrupted the earth and throughout history has dominated it and its inhabitants. The Lord, of course, wants to recapture and restore it, but He will not do so directly just because He can. He has chosen to do the work through His willing vessels who yield themselves to His indwelling, His infilling, and His working. Abram was such a vessel. After the victory over the satanic kings, Abram received from Melchizedek (Christ) the elements of redemption and enjoyment seen in the bread and wine. He was filled up with the divine life and essence and this infilling made him the Lord’s possession–the true meaning of blessing. By possessing His vessel on the earth, Jehovah could legitimately bear the title of “possessor of heaven and earth.” To the Lord, heaven is not the problem, but earth is; so by the feeding and nourishing and strengthening of His chosen vessel, Abram, He is able to make the claim that He possesses this troubled planet. We believers too often have our dreams and hopes set on a fantasyland far away from all our troubles, but the Lord has His heart set on gaining the earth for His purpose. He will only do it through his compliant and devoted warriors like Abram. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” After Abram slaughtered the kings (Satan), rescued Lot (the retreating saints), met Melchizedek (Christ) who brought out bread (Christ as the bread of life) and wine (Christ as the Redeemer and flowing enjoyment), he was filled with the one who had delivered his enemies into his hand through intercession. Jehovah, by indwelling and infilling Abram, gained control over him; that is, He possessed him. Because Abram was the Lord’s agent on the earth, Melchizedek described Jehovah as the possessor of earth. Abram experienced the Lord’s blessing because he was possessed by the Lord by being filled with bread and wine. The more the Lord occupies and possesses us, the more we are blessed. The converse is also true. Jehovah himself was blessed because he possessed Abram. We have the capability to bless our Lord by allowing Him to possess us. He receives us to Himself, like Abram received bread and wine to himself, and this is what blesses the Lord. Both Abram and the Lord possessed each other and this is why Melchizedek blessed both of them. True blessing comes by being possessed. Melchizedek. .brought out bread and wine. .he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. Jehovah, through Melchizedek, or, perhaps more accurately and appropriately, AS Melchizedek, offered himself as food and drink to Abram who received and was filled. This willing vessel, filled as it was with its Lord and maker, became His possession. One little man among so many upon the earth became the property of God Most High. Jehovah possessed Abram, a nomad from Babylon and this one man was enough for Melchizedek to proclaim that Abram was of God Most High and that God Most High was possessor of not just heaven but also earth. The Lord doesn’t need much to accomplish His purpose. Jesus said that only a few will take the way of life, but those few are enough. Abram was enough to rout the enemy, to receive Melchizedek, to become possessed of God Most High, to become the father of all those who would take the narrow way of life. Noah and the seven souls were enough for Jehovah to affect judgment and to begin anew. Joshua and Caleb were enough to conquer the land of Canaan. David was enough to cleanse the land of enemies. Daniel and his friends were enough to stand up to the rulers of empires. The returning remnant was enough to rebuild the temple and to afford the Lord the way to enter humanity the first time. The handful of apostles was enough to turn the world upside down. The overcoming saints will be enough to build the body of Christ, to usher in the end of the age. “Few there be. By His mercy, let us be vigilant to be among those few. And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. There’s a paucity of understanding concerning the coordination between the human and the divine. On the one hand the Lord is fully capable of doing things by Himself without any help from anyone because He is the sovereign king of the universe who is omniscient and omnipotent. On the other hand He has restricted Himself to the will of human beings. It is too hard to grasp how this could be. Though He is sovereign over all and knows everything and can make anything happen, He will do little unless He possesses a willing vessel who will pray and give Him a way. Because of His sovereignty He has chosen this way of doing things and this remains an awesome mystery to our finite minds, but it leaves us with a tremendous responsibility. Notice that Melchizedek didn’t bless the God who destroyed the enemies for Abram; rather he blessed the God who delivered the kings into Abram’s hand. This is the Lord’s way. He doesn’t act and accomplish in a vacuum. He has chosen the way of incarnation, of inhabiting human beings who will allow Him access to the earth where He can deal with His enemy. Had Abram not gathered his trained men and pursued the kings, Lot would never have been saved. The Lord “needed” a man to pray, to comply, and to work in order for Him to move upon the earth and to accomplish His purpose. Abram was such a man. Though the Lord judged the evil kings, He did it through His faithful servant. Of course Jehovah could have done it all Himself, but without Abram’s hands to do His bidding, there would have been no hands into which to deliver the enemy. Such is the Lord’s self-imposed handicap; such is our great responsibility. And Melchizedek. .brought out bread and wine. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High. He (Abram) gave him a tenth of all. Abram set a great precedent that persists to this day when he gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the spoils of his victory over the kings. We are on this earth as agents of our God to do His bidding and to accomplish His purpose of defeating His enemy, of building His earthly nation, of establishing His kingdom, and of becoming the body of His Son. We know that the evil one has corrupted and usurped the earth and does all he can to frustrate and destroy God’s plan. So life is a struggle. We are living as pilgrims in a hostile environment while we pursue our heavenly Christ. That does not mean we seclude ourselves from everyday life as some have done, going so far as to perch themselves on tall poles in order to avoid the taint of this world. We are here to be in the world and not of the world. Being in the world requires us to handle money, the lifeblood of Satan’s system. Our use of this necessary evil betrays who we are. Abram triumphed over the evil kings and acquired their wealth, a rather tenuous position because of the nature of riches and their affect upon the heart. But at that critical juncture, Melchizedek came with the true riches–redemption and sustenance in the bread and wine; and blessing from the possessor of earth and heaven. Abram responded by committing himself to be possessed by God Most High, and this commitment came in his tribute of one tenth of the spoils. Abram’s attitude was to give all; Melchizedek took only a tenth. Our attitude in handling money should be to give it all to the Lord, and not to give a legal ten percent as if that were our obligation. All we have and are belongs to Him. He gave him a tenth of all. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins. .she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on. There are two ways to live before the Lord–the way of legality and the way of life–and the story of Abram’s giving brings this into sharp focus. Many, if not most, Christians take from this account an obligation; while a few see a revelation as to how we should live. I can’t image that Abram calculated what he should give to Melchizedek in exchange for his intercession, his nourishment, and his blessing. He realized he was not responsible for his victory or all the wealth that followed that victory. It was the Lord’s grace upon him that enabled him to prevail and to benefit; therefore it was incumbent upon him to give up everything to the one responsible. That he gave a tenth was more Melchizedek’s decision than Abram’s. Christians who don’t live in the reality of the indwelling Christ, take this account and make a law out of it. “The Lord requires a tenth, that’s my obligation, that’s the amount that will appease my conscience and the rest is mine to do with as I please.” That’s the sorry attitude that entirely misses the spirit of Abram’s tribute to Melchizedek. When Jesus told the story of the contributors, He extolled the widow for giving out of her poverty everything she owned. That is the spirit of the Genesis record. Abram didn’t have the thought, “What was Melchizedek’s intercession and strength in this war worth to me? Oh, let’s see. .maybe a tenth of the spoils. That should be enough.” That is ludicrous! Abram was like the widow. He gave up everything to the Lord and the Lord returned ninety percent. What if the Lord returned only sixty or seventy or eighty percent? It was never Abram’s to begin with and he knew it. But do we know it? The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” How timely that Melchizedek came to Abram prior to the king of Sodom. Abram and his men were no doubt tired, hungry, exhausted, and weary from the stunning victory over the wicked kings, so it is no surprise that this reprobate king would approach him at such a critical and vulnerable juncture. But in his deepest need, Abram found Melchizedek first. This is the Lord’s protection of His warrior-servant. He had prayed Abram through the battle for Lot’s rescue and wasn’t about to leave him unprepared for this back door assault by the king of Sodom. Melchizedek fortified Abram with divine nourishment of bread and wine, and blessed him with the possessing God Most High. Abram was a captured and captivated man when the king of Sodom made his pitch. How gracious is our Lord! He knows His enemy well and will not leave us unprotected. Our lives consist of a series of battles against the enemy of our souls and the souls of our brothers and sisters. We fight and sometimes prevail, but that does not deter Satan from approaching from another angle in the attempt to draw us away. And what is his bait? This world’s goods. How subtle is the serpent. Having delivered Lot from the power of the world, would Abram be thus ensnared? Had the king of righteousness and peace not fed him; had the possessor of heaven and earth not possessed him prior to the evil proposal, the outcome may well have been different. Satan never rests in his attempt to draw away our hearts; nor should we rest in being vigilant to guard them. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” On your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. Satan, as incarnated in the king of Sodom, cared for only one thing and that was the retention of the people, for what is a king without a kingdom? For Satan to exist he needs people. From the beginning his sentence was to crawl about eating dust, a picture that seems rather remote from us until we realize Adam’s origin, and thus our own, was dust. If we choose to remain natural and earthy and never or rarely or inconsistently rise above the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, then we, by default, offer ourselves as Satan’s food. When he came to Abram with his vile offer of worldly goods in exchange for the people, he was tempting Abram to retreat from his great victory and to yield himself up to the proclivities of his fallen flesh. Had Abram accepted the offer, he would have become a tasty meal for the roaring lion that prowls about seeking whom he may devour. Abram, as a result of his victory over the enemy, had under his control the source of Satan’s sustenance. Without the people, Satan starves and weakens. When we as warrior-servants battle for one another in the unseen realm and prevail, we deprive our enemy of his strength, of his food source, and force him to negotiate with us. What he brings to the table is stuff that he owns–worldly goods–to entice us to relinquish his food. When the world and its things distract us, we cease fighting for each other. We stop praying and prevailing and we lose our grip on those over whom we are given charge. Our vigilance is not for ourselves only but for those we fight for. Many depend on us. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” Abram said. I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours. Although Abram had defeated the kings and had under his influence the displaced people of the Jordan Valley, he nevertheless could not hold them because he was not a despot forcing his will upon them. They had to choose whom they would follow. Though Abram had prepared for war, had prevailed in war, and had delivered the people from the wicked belligerents, he could not hold them against their will. He had to turn them over to their own choice. Would they return to their cities or remain with Abram? That was up to them. The parallel with Christ is obvious. Satan had taken us all captive. Christ came and rescued us from the usurper’s tyranny at the expense of His own life. He bought us with a great price and legally we belong to Him. He has all the right to force us to be His for He paid the ultimate price for our deliverance. But He will not force us. He died to make us free from Satan’s grip. .if we so choose. He never has and never will force His will upon us. We are responsible for our own decision to live under the ruthless dictator of this world, or in the freedom of the sons of God. I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, “I have made Abram rich.” I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. It is notable that Melchizedek did not come to Abram before the war with the kings because he knew Abram was well prepared and focused upon the task at hand. Abram knew he was numerically inferior to the kings’ armies, so he had to look to Jehovah for strength, for strategy, for courage. It was after his stunning victory, when pride and relaxation could have raised their ugly heads and render the warrior vulnerable to subtle suggestions, that Melchizedek intercepted the meeting between Abram and the king of Sodom, and provided the nourishment and blessing that allowed Jehovah to possess his servant and that emboldened Abram to resist the satanic proposal. That Melchizedek came when he did was strictly a matter of the Lord’s grace to Abram. This infusion of grace empowered Abram to resist the devil. Here is a clear example of the cooperation and coordination of the divine grace and the human will. Abram would have failed miserably without this gracious visitation that filled him and possessed him with the eternal life. And Jehovah was able to deal with his enemy through the exercise of His servant’s volition. Both Abram and Jehovah worked together to undercut Satan’s attempt to compromise the ancient Hebrew warrior, the father of our faith, and derail the Lord’s purpose. I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours. I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten. It’s almost possible to hear Abram’s disgust with the king’s proposal, but had he not been filled with Melchizedek’s bread and wine and blessing, it may not have been so. Consider his situation. When he and Lot separated, Lot went down to the well-watered Jordan valley leaving Abram with the thirsty high desert. Abram had to live a nomadic existence in order to feed his extended family and his flocks, so the king’s offer of the spoils of war, with all its bounty and promise of ease, could have appealed to Abram save for his encounter with Melchizedek. But Abram was unreceptive; in fact, his response was definite and unequivocal. “I will take nothing.” Not even a thread or sandal thong. We can imagine Abram looking the evil king squarely in the face with disdain and contempt for even uttering the vile temptation. Abram is our father and we should look to him for the proper attitude and method in dealing with the enemy of our souls. “I will take nothing!” The world is always coming to us with offers of pleasure, of ease, of self-coddling, trying to compromise our life with Christ and to dilute our witness. We need to do as our father did–be filled with the higher life of our Lord until He possesses us; and resist the devil in no uncertain terms. But, as with Abram, the filling and blessing must precede the conflict with the king of Sodom. That is the only way we can say, “I will take nothing.” I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say “I have made Abram rich. I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me. We learn much from Abram on how to deal with the world and the ruler of the world. After the slaughter of the kings and the rescue of the captive people and the capture of the plunder, the king of Sodom, representing Satan, brazenly approached the triumphant Hebrew with his vile temptation. Abram did not claim ownership of the people for they had their own volition and would choose which master to follow; neither did he claim ownership of the spoils of victory because they belonged to the god of this world. This is a powerful message to us. Do we consider the material things of this earth that we have accumulated as belonging to us? If we do, we have fallen for Satan’s lie and run the risk of coming under his control. The king of Sodom thought he could secure his people by offering stuff to the man of God, and had the man of God accepted his proposal and taken the spoils, he would have forfeited his soul. This is Satan’s method–to dangle material things in front of us in order to capture our thoughts and our affections. His goal is people under his control, especially the Lord’s people, and since he owns the world system full of things and pleasures and sin, he uses anything and everything to divert our eyes from the Lord and to gain control over us. May Abram’s response resound in our ears and hearts all the days of our lives–”I will take nothing!” I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me. In our walk with the Lord through this world, though we are agents of revolution in foreign territory trying to overthrow a usurper who knows quite well what we’re up to, we have to survive in order to be effective. It is our task to extract from the ruler of this world his means of domination over the souls of men and to use it against him and to hasten his demise. Abram did a job for the king of Sodom that the king couldn’t do himself–he rescued the Sodomites, including Lot and his family, from the marauding kings. Abram was due payment and, though personally he took nothing, he received payment for the food the young men with him had eaten. He expected no more or less than that. So should be our attitude in dealing with this world. Because we are living in illegally seized territory ruled over by the tyrant of this world, we are forced to use his means of exchange in order to make our way; but once we find value in his money and find our hearts drawn to it, we will come face to face with the king of Sodom and his offer, which, when reduced to its essence, is our heart in exchange for his goods. This is a sobering truth to contemplate. The Lord has entrusted His life to us in order that we would live unto Him for the accomplishment of His purpose upon an earth that has been illegally overrun by His enemy. What a terrible shame that this despot has been able to entice the Lord’s people away from their lofty and noble commission by offering them this world’s things in order to compromise their lives and to neutralize them to things of Christ. Abram was able to resist and went on to become the father of the faithful. What about us? I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share. The three men who went with Abram were Amorites and Amorites had nothing to do with Jehovah; and yet they joined Abram in a confederacy to confront the invading kings. This is remarkable because they could have regarded the invasion as an opportunity to drive out the interloping Hebrew from Haran. The fact that they joined with Abram shows Abram’s character and leadership. Abram had come from Chaldea at the behest of Jehovah, and had he been contrary and belligerent in the land of Canaan, the three brothers would have risen up against him long before this episode. But Abram was a gracious man, and righteous and fair in his treatment of others. This was a sterling testimony of his God living through him, and it was his high character that endeared Abram to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Then when the war was over, Abram made sure everyone was recompensed for his help. He was truly a man of God who denied anything for himself, but meticulously cared for others. This is the mark of a true follower of Jehovah and a true leader of men. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people. Abram said. I have sworn to the Lord God Most High. I will take nothing. Words mean things. God ordained language as the means of conveying Himself to humanity. He means what He says; we should mean what we say. But, unfortunately, words have diminished in value as time moves on. The rampant rate of divorce testifies to that fact. A couple, who in the heat of the moment, promises to have and to hold until the death of one or the other, will, when the flower of youth fades, turn against what they had promised to each other. When many people sign promissory notes to repay loans, they will regard their promise as being as worthless as the papers they signed. When Abram had eaten of Melchizedek’s provisions and was filled and possessed by the Lord Most High, he was strengthened and empowered to resist the overture of the evil king of Sodom. In that position and condition, he swore by the Lord Most High that he would take nothing from the king. That was a serious matter because Abram assumed a position from which there was no retreat. “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.” God put Himself in an irreversible position for our sake through Abram, and He has never reneged nor can He. May this be a lesson to us to never promise to the Lord or to others what we don’t intend to fulfill lest we invite the Lord’s judgment upon us. If we have any reservations, we should remain silent. Abram was fully confident and thus spoke. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram. I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. This is a watershed moment for our father, Abram. After he had suffered through the separation of his nephew, had rescued him from the four kings, had met Melchizedek, had eaten the bread and wine, and had resisted the king of Sodom, Jehovah graciously came to him in an inward vision, not in an outward visitation as He had previously done. If we want the Lord to show us more of Himself and of His purpose, we don’t need to sit around asking Him for speaking and vision; rather we need to be about our Father’s business of rescuing our brethren from the clutches of the enemy and of resisting the world and the things in the world. If we are actively engaged in these activities–helping each other along the path, fighting the enemy on behalf of others, becoming possessed by the possessor of earth and heaven–then He will come to us and reveal more of Himself and His purpose. We must never be passively waiting around for some great revelation. It will come when we are occupied with the welfare of others. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. It is noteworthy how Jehovah came to Abram at this juncture of his sojourn. In the past He had come to Abram outwardly and connected with his physical senses. Not this time. He wanted to teach Abram his invisible presence so that the father of the faithful could indeed learn to live by faith. Because Abram was to become the father of the Israelites and the Christians, he had to be the prototype of a man living according to the life of the invisible God. The Israelites enjoyed the Lord’s presence both visibly and invisibly, building for Jehovah a house wherein He lived and communicated through a mediating priest. The Lord carried the Christians a step further. When the Spirit fell upon the congregation of the faithful, there were many outward manifestations of the Lord through miracles and supernatural events, but, as with Abram, the Lord preferred to hide Himself in humanity, and He eventually, except for a few extraordinary manifestations, became completely invisible. Now He hides Himself in His saints and exhibits His virtues through those who diligently seek Him out. Abram was the forerunner of those who would learn to know the Lord according to the deepest part of man–the spirit. So this time the Lord came to Abram in an inward vision, not in an audible visitation. This is the Lord’s way–to lead us deeper into Him so we aren’t superficial. This is the narrow path and the strait gate–not an easy way for physical beings like us, but it is the only way that leads to the highest life. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth. The Lord appeared to Abram. And Melchizedek. .brought out bread and wine. These verses reveal a wonderful progression in the Lord’s work with Abram. In the beginning the Lord spoke a word to Abram while he was in Ur and in Haran; then He appeared to Abram and this appearance had to have made a deep impression him. After this encounter, Jehovah came to Abram in the person of Melchizedek, as a man; and in this instance, He approached Abram in a vision. From an outward audible visitation to a sentient manifestation to a meeting with an incarnated king to an inward vision, Jehovah wanted then and wants now to hide Himself in the hearts of His people, but only those who have the heart and eyes to seek Him and find Him will enjoy and benefit from the experience. I don’t think Christians have much appreciation of the incarnation and how much Jehovah prizes it. It is the method He has chosen to reveal Himself and to meet the needs of His followers. Though He will use outward means occasionally to reach His creature, He ultimately does His work through humanity. Jesus is the God-man who came as the incarnated God into humanity. The saints are now the extension and enlargement of this God-man. Though the Lord reserves the right to come as a rushing wind and flaming tongues, producing many miracles, similar to Abram’s first encounter, ultimately He hides Himself inwardly in His people as He did with Abram in chapter 15. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you, and your exceeding great reward. The Lord makes Himself known in all the fullness of His characteristics only to those who diligently seek Him. He is not cheap, and for everything we see and know of Him He exacts a price. If we think we can have this world and all its junk and have a deep and abiding relationship with Him at the same time, we are deluding ourselves. Abram had just expended great selfless effort in securing Lot’s freedom, and, because of his encounter with His incarnated God, had rejected the king of Sodom’s offer of material enrichment. He was poured out and emptied of himself and was possessed by the possessor of earth and heaven. It was at this stage of Abram’s maturation that Jehovah approached him inwardly by His word–not Himself directly–in a vision–not through an outward appearance. What had been a direct contact with His servant was now doubly removed. Rather than Jehovah appearing, it was His word that came to Abram. Rather than Abram seeing Jehovah with his physical eyes, he saw Him in a vision. This is Jehovah’s way. Our relationship with the Lord can only deepen when we refuse to measure His presence by what He gives us. Abram had rejected all and the Lord rewarded him with His inward presence. We superficial Christians have the idea that if we have a lot of stuff or see a lot of outward evidence, then we feel blessed by the Lord and are where He wants us to be. Wrong! Abram rejected the king’s offer, down to a single thread, and that is when the Lord deepened Abram’s knowledge and experience. Our Lord is a hidden God and He wants us to diligently seek Him inwardly. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram. I am a shield to you and your exceeding great reward. After Abram slaughtered the four kings and their armies and rejected the offer of the king of Sodom, he must have had some natural fear of reprisal. That would be the human reaction, but Jehovah settled his fears by coming to him in an inward vision. Having rejected the king’s offer of material goods after an expensive and exhausting venture, Abram took nothing but food for his men as a recompense; but Jehovah comforted and encouraged His servant warrior with the best reward of all–Himself. We are all troubled by fears of one sort or another. This is inherent to a human being making his way through this life on the earth. Abram was no different than any of us, and he needed the inward, not the outward, assurance from His Lord that He was his shield, his protection, his unassailable fortress. Jehovah’s preference is to come to us inwardly in a deep and profound and hidden way, Spirit to spirit, into the core of our being. This is reality. Spirit to spirit is the way of incarnation and the way that Jehovah takes possession of His creature. After the war with the kings, Abram was left with nothing except expended energy and food for his men. Not much for his prodigious effort. Outwardly, Abram walked back to Hebron with no recompense, with nothing to show to his household; but inwardly he had an “exceeding great reward”–Jehovah Himself in his being, invisible yet more substantial than ever before. May we all come to see and to love our inward, hidden, and incarnated Lord. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; and your exceeding great reward. The Scriptures are marvelous because there are many levels of understanding that we can glean from the simple words, and thus it should be because this book is the eternal, unfathomable word of the God of creation in whom there in no The Scriptures are marvelous because there are many levels of understanding that we can glean from the simple words, and thus it should be because this book is the eternal, unfathomable word of the God of creation in whom there in no limit. Depending on our desire to know Him, we can treat the word as a mine that yields only to persistent digging before relinquishing its treasures. We can read these words on their face and say, “Wonderful! Jehovah is Abram’s shield and reward.” That alone is significant and awesome. Or we can consider the context and see how Jehovah came to assure Abram of protection against potentially vengeful kings, and to be to him the replacement of the material spoils he refused to take from the king of Sodom. But there is even more light we can enjoy. “I am a shield to you.” This is Jehovah’s promise of grace to save us. When He called us and we opened to His call and received His gift of salvation, Jesus, He became to us our protection from the enemy’s onslaught and the judgment of a righteous God. But that is the mere beginning. .and your exceeding great reward.” This is the great expanse we have before us once we become regenerated. He is there to be our exceeding great reward. Who can know the depth of this promise?! The more we live and move in our Lord, the more He opens to us all that He is. He always rewards our diligence to know Him by revealing Himself to us. Whatever small step we take on this journey, He rewards exceedingly, not by giving us stuff, but by becoming in us more and more and more. Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you, and your exceeding great reward. Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless. The way Abram responded to Jehovah reveals much about the father of the faithful. Jehovah’s word allayed his fears of the defeated kings, so Abram didn’t have that to worry about; but Jehovah’s promise of being Abram’s exceeding great reward gave him great confidence to confront the Lord with the issue most on his heart–promise of an offspring? Abram had heard clearly Jehovah’s repeated promise of a great nation coming from him, but what good were promises if Sarah was barren? This was not a self-centered appeal, but rather a question of how Jehovah was going to establish Himself upon the earth without a child. Promises of safety and rewards to Abram personally were wonderful, but what about a people to bear Jehovah’s testimony? Can we be so bold as Abram was? We have the Scripture as His word and His promise to us. We know His heart and how much He desires a bride prepared and a body built up in oneness. Can we not strike at the heart of the matter and ask Him when His promise will be fulfilled and how? Absolutely! It’s marvelous that He died for us and saved us and is working in us, but where is the fulfillment of His promise to build the assembly? What will He do about that? Abram questioned the Lord regarding the overall plan for a nation; we should question Him regarding the overall plan for the nation and the congregation. Abram struck at the heart of the issue and so should we. To do less is to be disingenuous. Abram said, O Lord God, what will you give me, since I am childless. .since You have given no offspring to me. One of the striking characteristics of all forms of life in this creation is reproductivity. Every life strives to reproduce–from flowers to insects to worms to beasts and to humans. Jehovah had just assured Abram that He would be his exceeding great reward, and yet Abram asked Him, “What will You give me?” This is exactly the response Jehovah expected. He had promised Abram protection and personal reward, but Abram was looking to reproduce, to enlarge, to expand, to fulfill the purpose for which he was called. All that Jehovah was to him he wanted to pass on to others. To a person who has a vital relationship with the Lord, like Abram did, only reproduction will satisfy them. Having his own personal connection with the Lord, however intimate, was not enough. Such a person must share it with others. Abram wanted to pour into his offspring what he had received of Jehovah. Are we satisfied to have our own private relationship with the Lord or do we yearn for offspring? Is Christ all we care for or do we care for the enlarged Christ, the body of Christ? Surely Christ is our shield, our Savior, and our exceeding great reward, but is that enough? To Abram it was not. In essence, he asked Jehovah, “Where are your people?” We know, of course, that Abram appreciated Jehovah’s promise. What more could we ask for knowing that He is everything to us as our great reward? We can ask for progeny into whom we can pour our knowledge and experience and love. We need Christ and we need His body. We need offspring because offspring become more Christ for our enjoyment. Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless. .take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. At first blush it seems that Abram is brazenly ungrateful for questioning the One who had just promised to be his shield and great reward; but Abram had heard the promise of descendants too many times to be deterred. He knew that Jehovah’s plan called for a nation of kings and priests to serve Him and to accomplish His purpose. What Jehovah had placed in Abram in Ur and in Canaan came forth in his question about offspring. Abram knew that without offspring, there was no hope that Jehovah’s agenda would be implemented on the earth. We can take a lesson in prayer from this tête-à-tête between these two friends. Abram was certainly heartened by Jehovah’s reassurances, but that was not his primary concern. What he gained personally from his relationship with Jehovah was not the end in itself but the means whereby offspring could come from his loins. Abram was looking toward the nation of Israel and the body of Christ, and, ultimately, the city of God, the New Jerusalem. This was the city he was looking for and he knew without offspring he would never find it. For this we should give the Lord no rest. We should inquire of the Lord about His promise to build the congregation by gathering His people to build it up. Abram never hesitated because he knew Jehovah’s plan. We know His plan and how Jesus prayed for the oneness of His people, so we should challenge Him to answer, and we should give Him no rest until He does. And Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” It is so hard to wait on the Lord. We see a problem and we want to fix it right now. Apparently we inherited this trait from our Hebrew father. Abram knew he had to have offspring to fulfill the purpose of his calling and in order for Jehovah to accomplish His ultimate goal; but he was not about to wait for Jehovah to work in His own time and in His own way. Had Abram stopped with his question and not offered his opinion, we could excuse him because his question was legitimate. It was a simple reminder to the Lord about offspring, entirely appropriate, but then he descended into blame. “Since You have given me no offspring. Not only so, he then tells the Lord exactly who it is who will inherit his estate. We must commend Abram for his singular vision. The victory over the kings did not distract him, nor did the offer of material enrichment. His eye was single for an offspring who would become his heir. But his edgy conversation with his shield and great reward was too much, though it is better to be too much in our prayers than to not pray or pray weakly. Abram was bold in his approach to the Lord and the Lord responded in kind because Abram’s prayer was according to His will. However, we should be careful to avoid telling the Lord what to do or how to do it; or, worse yet, tell him what we are going to do. In Abram’s concept, Eliezer was his heir, but not so in the Lord’s. May we learn to wait until our strength is dead. Then resurrection can take over. Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “This man will not be your heir; but the one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” The physical sentient realm is always in conflict with the invisible spiritual realm, and this is by design. The Lord never intended that finding Him would be easy, because He made a world wherein value has a price and is secured through much effort. In Abram’s case, Jehovah promised him that He would be his exceeding great reward; but did that mean that Abram would become the recipient of a ton of material blessings? Not at all. Jehovah’s previous promise was that Abram would bear an offspring that would inherit the land of promise. The fulfillment of that promise would be Abram’s exceeding great reward. But, alas, poor Abram reverted to his dead, fallen nature and complained to and blamed Jehovah for his barrenness, and, furthermore, told the Lord that he was going to make his servant his heir. Essentially, Abram was offering what he had acquired through his own strength–his servant, Eliezer–to the Lord, as if his dead nature would or could fulfill His plan. Are we not the same as our father? We think we have something to offer the Lord that has some value when, in repeatedly demonstrated fact, we are full of corruption and death. What we bring to the Lord that we think has value is nothing more than Cain’s offering. Eliezer was Abram’s Cainite offering. The behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “This man will not be your heir; but the one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” It is the natural, fallen human who thinks he can do something for God that will stand the test of His righteousness and holiness. The only problem is our righteousness is filthy and corrupted and irredeemable, and is destined for destruction. When we receive something as a gift, we think we need to pay for it or to reciprocate. The Lord saved us by His grace. We didn’t deserve it, earn it, or qualify for it. The Lord simply selected us and bestowed His favor on us without any effort or qualification on our part, all of which begs the question, why do we think our post-regeneration life would be any different? His eternal life came to us as a gift, freely given without cost to us. Once we receive this gift are we suddenly called upon to work apart from this life and according to our own strength and effort? Never! It is true that we will be judged according to our works and our works will determine our future, but we must not bring our Eliezer to the Lord. What we obtain through our effort and cunning, no matter how favorable in our eyes, will never earn Jehovah’s acceptance. Only that product of His eternal life working in us will meet His righteous and holy requirements. Nothing else! What we are in our natural state and what we acquire through natural strength must die. Only the Lord’s life is suitable for His purpose. His life must dominate and energize our being so that what comes forth from us is eternal, is Isaac and not Eliezer, is Christ and not the self. And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” After rejecting Abram’s offer of Eliezer as his heir, Jehovah brought Abram outside to give him a vision, a vision of heavenly, spiritual things. We can never see beyond ourselves unless the Lord brings us outside ourselves. Abram was occupied by the Lord’s promise to give him an offspring as an heir, so much so that following hard after Jehovah’s promise to protect him and be his great reward, Abram immediately replied with a question and a statement concerning the matter. He was throttled by worry and, as a result, he was on the verge of manipulating his future. He was self-bound, and in such a condition, he was in darkness and confinement. Is this not the story of our lives–confined within ourselves and blind to the real situation? Abram was preoccupied within himself as to how Jehovah was going to fulfill His promise, and yet above him outside himself, the answer was as clear as the stars shining in the heavens. He needed a vision in order to take him out of his own little world of self where he had already figured out the answer to Jehovah’s promise–his servant, Eliezer. Jehovah would have none of it, so, according to His graciousness upon His vessel, He brought him outside. Should we not crave such experiences as this? Indeed! We should fervently pray that the Lord would have mercy upon us and bring us outside ourselves to see truth. Only He can take us outside to show us the vision. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord so He will do it. And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Abram was consumed with his lack of offspring, evidenced by his complaint to Jehovah who had graciously come to him as his protector and great reward. Jehovah knew His vessel needed to see a vision of heavenly things in order to make him compliant, useful, and productive, and to deliver him from his personal confinement in his shrinking world of spiritual paralysis–a world that was pushing him away his enjoyment of his Lord into excessive concern for offspring. So Jehovah took him outside and told him to “look toward the heavens.” Truth lies above the cares of the earth. At the point of death Stephen looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing. This earth and its cares can become utterly dark and confining. We may recognize the need around us and within us, and that is a good thing to be sure, just as Abram saw his need for a son, but if we don’t look beyond ourselves and our earthly confinement, then we are consigned to darkness and oppression. We have to look beyond ourselves and see things from the divine perspective. We need a “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him.” Stephen was certainly involved in earthly matters as the stones rained down on him, but he lifted his eyes to see his Lord. Though we may be heavily burdened by the earthly situation around us–our own barrenness, the paucity of the saints, and the degradation of humanity–this must not paralyze us. We must plead with the Lord to take us outside all of this so we can look heavenward to Him. Only then can we fulfill His purpose on earth. And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens. Abram is the father of faith, or the father of the faithful. His descendants are comprised of the earthly component, the nation of Israel; and the spiritual, heavenly component, the Body. Israel, being of the earth, is likened to the sand of the seashore; whereas the Christian community, being of the Spirit, is likened to the stars in the heavens. It is noteworthy that Jehovah showed Abram the spiritual, heavenly descendants in an inward vision. If we are ever to see the matter of the assembly, we must have an internal revelation from the Lord Himself in our spirit. There is no other way. Why was it necessary for Jehovah to show these things to His servant? After his victory over the kings, Abram watched his nephew return to Sodom and to the source of his problems, and this may have dealt a crushing blow to the Hebrew patriarch and warrior. He had extended himself to rescue Lot only to watch him fall back again. So on his way back to Canaan, Abram had to have been contemplating his own life and its fruitlessness and hopelessness. Lot had proven himself to be worthless and unworthy of his uncle’s inheritance. Abram had no son or any prospects of one. All he had were promises, but at this juncture those promises weren’t cutting it. At this low valley Jehovah came inwardly to enlighten His slave. He knew that without a controlling vision, Abram would flounder and perhaps fail. He needed motivation, a reason to press on, to wait for the Lord’s timing, to keep the faith. This is typical of us all. We need motivation in order to do anything, especially in regard to the invisible realm. Without a vision of where we are going and of what is to come, we will only exist and live a perfunctory life; but with a vision, we will thrive and produce. And He took him outside and said, Now look toward the heavens and count the stars. .so shall your descendants be. Jehovah’s intention here was more than numerical. The promise to Abram surely included descendants more numerous that he could count, but if numbers were the thrust of Jehovah’s promise, then sand on the seashore, a metaphor He had used before, would have been more than adequate. But Jehovah wanted to show Abram the nature of his faithful descendants. Not only would they be a great number, but they would also be glorious, transcendent, heavenly bodies possessing their own light and shining brightest in the darkness. The moon typifies Israel and the congregation in that it has no light of its own, but borrows it from the sun and reflects it into the darkness. We, as the gatherings of saints, reflect what we behold. If we corporately turn our eyes upon Jesus, then the moon shines brightly, but if we turn away from the Son and love the world instead, then darkness reigns. When this happens, it is up to the spiritual, overcoming, transcendent saints to shine and drive away the suffocating darkness. These stars are utterly devoted to the Lord, so much so that they emit their own light. They are not reflectors, rather they are burning from within because they possess the divine passion and fire in their spirits. When the Christian assembly is in decline, the strong, spiritual saints ascend and take responsibility in lieu of the general community of saints. Jehovah’s purpose in showing Abram the stars was to assure him that regardless how checkered would be the history of the Lord’s people, there would always be those who would never go dark and would never lose their position far above all. There would always be overcoming saints regardless how bleak the situation. Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. In order to understand this verse, we have to understand what righteousness is, to bring that esoteric buzzword into our world and into our grasp, to retrieve it from the dusty archives of dry theological doctrine and make it relevant. Simply put, righteousness is doing the right thing and not the wrong thing, and that begs the question, what is the right thing? As with every positive virtue that exists in the universe, righteousness resides in the Lord as an aspect of His essence. He is righteousness itself. He defines it. He always does the right thing and never the wrong thing and always for the right reason. What is it that determines rightness, then, even with the Lord, because sometimes we can’t understand why He does what He does. How do we know it is right? We could be simplistic and say that whatever He does is right, no matter what, and that is true, but maybe we can dig a bit further. Why is the Lord so active and why does He do so many things? I feel His desire for a corporate bride and corporate body for His Son motivated him. This is the reason for His creation and for our existence. Everything He does is for this one unique goal and because He does it, and because He does it to benefit His Son, it is the right thing to do. The Son as well does all things to please His Father and that makes everything He does proper and moral and righteous. This is the standard for righteousness and its definition. Abram believed Jehovah and this was reckoned to him as righteousness, as a virtue imparted to him by the Lord, because his belief was that Jehovah would fulfill His promise of an offspring and that offspring would lead to the Messiah who would produce the nation of Israel, His bride, and the assembly, His body, and complete the eternal plan. Jehovah is righteousness. What He determined, in eternity before time, to accomplish was the right thing to do, and to do it for His Son was the right reason to do it. To the extent that we cooperate with and obey Jehovah for this noble plan is the extent righteousness is reckoned to us. Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. The righteousness of verse six is tied contextually to the descendants of verse five, and this is critical to know in trying to understand “righteousness.” Jehovah promised Abram descendants as numerous and glorious as the stars. By observing and contemplating their meaning, Abram had the realization that Jehovah could and would fulfill His promise to bring the Messiah to earth through him via his offspring, and that Messiah would produce the nation of Israel and His Body, the city he was looking for, the heavenly New Jerusalem. The Scripture doesn’t tell us if, when, or where Abram found this city, but perhaps he found it in the heavenly stars of his vision. It could have been then that the whole purpose of God opened up to him. Once Abram saw this vision with his inward eyes, with his spirit, he believed and had the assurance that Jehovah would do what He had promised. This belief, this trust, this assurance was Abram’s proper response, was the reaction that Jehovah wanted from his servant. So what did Jehovah do? He imparted to his believing human vessel His own essence, His own life and element and virtue. Because He is righteousness, that is, because He always does the right thing at the right time for the right reason, He deposited Himself in Abram as righteousness. Abram had seen the Lord’s purpose in previous fellowship, but not so clearly as in this vision. He saw that human beings were vital to its fulfillment, especially his descendants. This one purpose conceived and executed by the One who could do no wrong was in every way the right thing to do, and was in every way the standard by which every thought, every motive, and every action by every human being through all time had to be measured. Abram believed the Lord and believed that the Lord’s purpose would be fulfilled through his offspring, and that belief resulted in Jehovah’s gracious impartation of righteousness into his inner being. If we, Abram’s descendants, desire righteousness imparted into us, we must align ourselves with the Righteous One and His one unique, overriding cause against which all others things are compared–the Messiah and His bride; Christ and His body. Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Abraham, who is the father of us all. .in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. When Abram looked up into that star-spangled vault and heard Jehovah say that his descendants would be as numerous and glorious as those distant lights, and then looked at his own body and its total incapacity to produce even one offspring, he could only humbly bow before His God in total trust that He could bring life out death. Abram had seen the work of his resurrection Lord when He called him out of the region of death, Ur, and led him to the land of life, Canaan. In his battle with the kings and their armies, he led only 318 men. He and they had no chance to prevail, were as good as dead in the face of overwhelming force, and yet Jehovah, God of resurrection, intervened for Abram and his small band of warriors. When Abram believed Jehovah and acquired His righteousness, his belief was upon the God who was able to generate life out of death. His descendants would be products of resurrection because his own infertile body could produce nothing. Only resurrection could fulfill the vision of the stars, and Abram’s part was to cast himself at the feet of the Lord of life with the hope and expectation that the Lord would use his “dead” body and call forth life from it. Abram learned, and we should too, that we sinful humans can only bring death to the table, but across the table sits the One who will take our death and turn it into life. This principle, this vision must govern our lives if we are ever to be effective and productive for our Lord. Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. In order to grasp the Christian faith and the Christian God it is imperative that we understand what righteousness entails. Everything God is and does defines the word. Central to its meaning is to be right and to do right. We have a moral Creator who is right in His essence and does right in His actions. Because we are created in His image, we, too, have the innate sense of what is right and what is wrong. We call this native, spiritual intelligence our conscience. Righteousness, a virtue of the Lord, cannot exist without responsibility. When Jehovah decided to create humanity for the express purpose of securing a corporate bride and body for His Son, He made the right decision. When He formed Adam from clay, He did the right thing, but in so doing He placed Himself under a great obligation to take care of His creature. Now everything He does is for His Son and for His Son’s bride and body. In that pursuit He promised Abram offspring and He had to deliver because He was obligated by righteousness. When He looked upon His faithful servant, who believed His word concerning descendants, He had no choice but to impart Himself to him as righteousness. It was the right thing to do and He was obligated to do it, and did. The converse is also true. When Abram transgressed His righteous God, Jehovah had to punish him because that too was the moral and correct thing to do. In all His dealings with us, the Lord must impart Himself to us for our faithfulness, and must punish us for our unfaithfulness. Either way He is obligated, is held to a standard imposed upon Himself because of who He is and what He does. Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. When Abram saw the vision of his descendants in the stars, he was essentially viewing the nation of Israel and the body of Christ, both of which comprise the holy city, New Jerusalem. A person who sees this vision, sees the whole counsel of God, sees the eternal purpose of creation, and in so seeing, realizes his inadequacy to bring about its fulfillment. That leaves only one choice to the seeking one–a confession of weakness, a humbling at the Lord’s feet, and an apprehension of the One who is able to bring forth life from a dead situation. All this is implied in Abram’s belief in the Lord. It was a thorough dealing with self, with sin, with the great vision and with the Lord Himself. This is belief, not a mumbled, canned prayer, but a complete repentance from the old life and a grasping of the new. “He believed in the Lord” is pregnant with sublime meaning and insight. A person who, like Abram, sees such a revelation from the Lord of His one, unique, overarching plan, and believes, that is, makes himself totally available for the Lord’s use in reaching this goal, will receive from Him into his innermost being, righteousness, a divine attribute. Abram, in having righteousness reckoned to him, received the righteous Jehovah into him. Righteousness was not some fluttery stardust that Jehovah sprinkled upon his servant; it was Himself imparted into Abram that made him righteous, that made him do the right thing for the right reason at the right time according to the indwelling life of His righteous God. Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars. .so shall your descendants be. Then he believed in the Lord, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Righteousness is not an ethereal concept that has no basis in reality. If the primitive definition of the word is to think the right thing and do the right thing, then its genesis must rest in the Creator who conceived and executed creation as the means whereby He could secure a collective bride and body for His only Son. As a father, that was in every way the right thing to think and the right thing to do. He is altogether righteous and is, in fact righteousness itself. For Abram to obtain this righteous God, he had first to see creation for what it is, and that is the means to a glorious end, the end being the holy city, Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb of God. This what he saw when he looked heavenward at the stars. He saw the heavenly vision of his descendants–the complete Christ, Head and body, Man and wife. After this vision captured his heart, he secondly had to obey the vision by believing in the Lord. First the vision and then obedience to the vision. While peering at the dazzling display in the night sky, he realized his hopelessness and his need of salvation. He opened himself to his Lord and received into his spirit the One responsible for the conception and execution of the vision, the One who is righteousness, the One fully able to bring the vision to pass. This vision of the complete Christ seen in the stars representing Abram’s descendants, led to the infilling and indwelling of Abram’s righteous God, and that is why righteousness was accounted to him. He possessed it! Paul also saw the vision of Jesus and His body–the complete Christ–and he obeyed it and gave every ounce of his life to its realization. That was his moral and proper response and, as with Abram, it filled him with the righteous One. Would we be like these two fathers of our faith? Then we should daily pray that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened to know the hope of our calling (Christ) and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (the assembly). And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” Though the vision of the descendants was heavenly and spiritual, prerequisites for permanence and reality, the practical outworking of that vision is on a troubled, corrupted, and usurped earth. God’s enemy knows that the ultimate habitation of God with His people is on earth, and he does all he can to prevent this, for when this happens, he will be displaced and consigned forever to the lake of fire. Though the vision is of the heavens, its practical outworking and effect must take place at the scene of battle, and that is on the earth. The Lord is smart and knows his enemy well. This interloper, who ruined creation with his rebellion and would continue the carnage forever without abatement if allowed to, uses the earth, his original mandate, on which to battle his Creator. Everything has two sides and here in Abram’s inward revelation, Jehovah reveals two sides. On the positive side is the transcendent display of Abram’s descendants, including the nation of Israel, Christ the Messiah, and the Body. This wonder filled vision must control our lives. On the negative side, there is the problem with the earth. The Lord must have the earth in order to fulfill His eternal purpose, so the nation and the assembly must ultimately conquer this sphere and drive out the enemy conclusively. This cannot be done without the controlling, heavenly vision of the complete Christ, and the vision is wasted if the enemy remains entrenched on the earth. The vision must translate into decisive action in order to become practical and real. The nation brought forth the Messiah; the Messiah produced the congregation of saints. Now all creation awaits the overcoming saints to engage the enemy, defeat him and fulfill Abram’s vision. Now look toward the heavens and count the stars. I am the Lord who brought you out. .to give you this land to possess it. It would seem at first glance that there is no connection between the stars and the land, but there is such a connection that there cannot be one without the other. It’s clear that the fulfillment of Jehovah’s plan has everything to do with the earth. This is the venue He chose out of the billions of options in the universe to work out His eternal plan of creation, of incarnation, of redemption, of gathering a people, of producing a bride and body for His Son. Of course Satan knew this because in the beginning of time, the Lord gave him charge over the earth as his protectorate, a charge that changed to usurpation once he rebelled. This did not in any way change Jehovah’s motivation for and execution of His noble purpose. Jehovah needs some who will follow Him, like Abram. Some who will take up arms for Him, who will allow Him to enlighten them, and who will obey that enlightenment. Abram’s inner vision of his descendants as the heavenly stars gave him a revelation of Jehovah’s great plan for humanity, but coupled with that vision was the matter of the land upon which the plan would be executed. It is shameful for Christians to see and appreciate the Christ in His glory without caring for the earth and its problems. The land makes the vision practical, because it is on the land that others live, and it is the others who make life hard for us. Having a vision of the complete Christ is awesome and inspiring, but dealing with others in trying to help them see what they have in Christ and to bind them together as the proper gathering, is difficult and often discouraging. It would be easier to fly away to the heavens and to enjoy the lofty vision, but the Lord brings us back to earth where the hard work of building the body of Christ and the assembly of saints and defeating the enemy takes place. The heavenly vision must be coupled with the earthly execution. And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it. .and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him. The Lord’s ways always involve willing people. He demands a people who are devoted to Him in order for Him to fulfill His purpose. His unique plan of presenting a bride to His Son required offspring from Abram’s loins through which would come the Messiah. The venue for these extraordinary events is the earth and more specifically, the land of Canaan. All of this is predicated upon human cooperation. Jehovah states that he brought Abram out of Ur, and yet Abram made the decision based on Jehovah’s appearances to gather up his family and move. Jehovah promised to give the land to Abram as an inheritance, but in Jehovah’s way an inheritance is not simply a gift but a reward for faithfulness. He gave the land to Abram, but Abram had to possess it. Jehovah does the giving; Abram does the possessing. Paul explains this by presenting a progression of the Lord’s life in a person in Romans 8. When we come to Christ, we are His children. As we grow in His life we become sons. As we lose our self-life through sufferings and prove ourselves faithful and trustworthy to Him, we become heirs. Jehovah said He would give the land to Abram, but not simply as a gift, but as an inheritance–something that had to be earned through diligence and faithfulness. This was the beginning of a long process that would result in the nation of Israel taking painstaking possession of the land where the Messiah would be incarnated. It was Abram’s inheritance, but only after a lot of work and suffering and cooperation and proving. .count the stars. .so shall your descendants be. I am the Lord who brought you out. .to give you this land to possess it. For no man can lay a foundation other that the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Abram’s heavenly vision of his descendants could not have been realized without the earth, for it is upon this physical earth that spiritual truths are tested and proved. Abram saw the stars and Jehovah declared them like his descendants. That revelation is heavenly, sublime and transcendent, and we all need such a view far above the entangling cares of this earth; but Abram’s offspring were made from the dust of the earth, not from the dust of stars. Included among Abram’s progeny is the Christian community, and that gathering is that heavenly, spiritual, universal body of Christ seated in the heavens with Him. We are also living on the earth where we is being fitted and joined and framed and polished and prepared. There are the stars and the land, the heavens and the earth, the heavenly vision and the earthly application, the heavenly Christ and the earthly Jesus. This one complete, universal man, both Head and body, is Christ Jesus, the foundation on the earth for the heavenly congregation. It is tempting for a Christian to become enamored of the transcendent aspects of the Christian life at the expense of the practicality of building up others in the faith. Abram saw the vision; Jehovah gave him the land of Canaan to possess. Abram looked toward the heavens; Jehovah said possess the earth. Only on the earth does the vision become real and meaningful and useful. We must live with the vision before us to govern us, but we must also put the vision into practice by building up the assembly in the place where we live. The foundation upon which we build is Jesus Christ–Jesus of the earth, Christ of the heavens. And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted. .in Him. .you are God’s farm. The entire Scripture is the story of a divine romance between Christ and His people. In the beginning is Adam and Eve, prefigures of Christ and His bride, the nation of Israel. Throughout the Old Testament are hints and flashes of this universal couple in the ebb and flow of a relationship that comes to fruition in the New Testament and eventuates in the holy city, New Jerusalem. In keeping with this theme, there are two sublime metaphors that describe this wonderful couple–the stars and the land. Jehovah described the stars Abram saw in his vision as his descendants, transcendent and innumerable. As the nation of Israel and the congregation of saints, we are included in that vision. Then Jehovah commissioned Abram to possess the land of Canaan, the place where his descendants would develop and fulfill the eternal intention. That Christ is the land of the Scriptures is proven in the recreation account of Genesis where the land emerged from the sea of death on the third day. Paul told the Colossians to walk in Christ and be fully rooted in Him, possible only if He is the land. He told the Corinthians they were God’s farm. Christ is the land upon which the farm rests and draws its supply. All these verses prove that Christ is our good land, our promised land. Only in and upon Him can the assembly of saints be established and grow. This is the overarching vision–Christ as the land of promise, the nation of Israel as the sand of the sea, and the congregation as the stars of the heaven–that dominates the Scripture from beginning to end. May it dominate our lives in the same way. I am the Lord who brought you out our Ur. .to give you this land to possess it. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs. .of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates. .of olive oil and honey. .out of whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. (Deut. Christ is the good land, the promised land that Jehovah told Abram he would have on the condition that he would have to possess it. This is Jehovah’s way. By grace He promised Abram a good land, a land that Jehovah took from illegal inhabitants and gave to Abram and his offspring. By hard work Abram had to “little by little” possess this land of promise. Did Jehovah give it or did Abram, through his descendants, take it and possess it? Yes! The Lord graciously brought us to Christ without any effort of our own. “Not of works.” It was purely by grace that Abram received the promise of the land, and it was purely by grace that we received our Savior; but from that point on it was up to us to possess this good land, this super-abundant Christ, this Christ of living waters of fountains and springs; of the nourishing bread of life made from wheat and barely and baked in the oven of God’s judgment; of the sweet pleasure of figs and bitter sweetness of pomegranates; of the crushed life of the olive and the medicinal goodness of honey; of the strength and protection of iron and copper to deal with God’s enemy. All this is in Christ our land, and it is our calling to explore and exploit all that He is and can be to us according to our daily diligence. He is our gift by His grace; His is our reality by our effort. “To give you this land to possess it.” And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I shall possess it?” Well-placed and well-timed questions are like keys that unlock great vaults of hidden truth. Jehovah walked in the garden after the fall asking of Adam, “Where are you?” This question brought Adam to salvation and led to the promise of Eve’s conquering seed. Jesus stood and asked Saul, “Why are you persecuting Me?” This question led to Saul’s conversion and to his vision of Christ and His people (Jews and Gentiles) being one new Man. When Jesus was on the cross bearing our sins and all negative things, He cried out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” Though He received no direct answer, the question was a prayer to His Father that strengthened Him to endure and to thrust into His Father’s able hands His suffering spirit. Abram’s relationship with Jehovah was marked with questions, none more salient than the one here, because it gave Jehovah a way to reveal vital principles that govern His ways and reveal man’s responsibility. Though some may argue that Abram would have done better to simply bow in humble acceptance, his curiosity unearthed a seeking heart, a heart that wanted to know Jehovah and His ways. His question was not one of doubt but of desire. He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I shall possess it?” So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” All sacrifices point to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. From the beginning when Jehovah slew the animals to cover the bodies of our first parents, every slain animal offered as an oblation for the atonement for sin, pointed to and represented His great and selfless sacrifice. In answer to Abram’s question concerning the possession of the land, Jehovah in essence said, “I have promised you this land, not just by My word but by My action. My only Son will give up His own life that what I have promised will come to pass.” Outwardly and negatively, that land would become the battlefield upon which the Lord and the Hebrew nation would conclusively triumph over the avowed enemy during the time of Christ’s reign. Inwardly and positively, this land represents Christ in all His vast riches and fullness, and in whom the temple is built. This vital and everlasting experience of enjoying Christ in His fullness, required Him to die a sacrificial death, for without that death, Abram and we could never qualify to partake of the promised land. It was imperative that the animals, representing and pointing to God’s own lamb, be put to death. The death of His Son sealed forever Jehovah’s promise to the faithful that they would enjoy the abundant riches of His Son and the fellowship of His people typified by the good land, and that His enemy would, in reality and tangibly, be defeated upon that contested strip of earth. “O Lord God, how may I know that I shall possess it?” Bring me. .a heifer, . .a goat, . .a ram, . .a turtledove, . .a pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two. .what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life. The entire Scripture in one way or another is about Christ. This story of Abram and the sacrifices exemplifies this. When he asked Jehovah about possessing the land, which is a profound metaphor of Christ in all His virtues and fullness, He responded by having Abram bring forth and handle the animal sacrifices, prefigures of the great Sacrifice. Interestingly, the answer to his question came from him, because Jehovah instructed him to bring the animals and to cut them in two. Jesus, the reality of all sacrifices, came out of Abram through his offspring and Abram, vicariously through his offspring, slaughtered the Lamb of God. In other words Abram prepared the animals according to Jehovah’s instructions and he did it by touching and handling Jesus, just as the apostle John said the disciples had done–touched and handled the Word of Life. So in answer to Abram’s question about possessing the land, Jehovah told him to touch and handle the Word of Life, because Jesus is the reality of the promised land and the reality of every sacrifice. Do we desire to possess Christ as our good and promised land, the land that in typology displays every virtue found in Him? Then we need to touch Him and to handle Him and to bring Him to Jehovah, even as the Israelites had to bring their animals to the priest and to lay their hands upon its head before it was burnt as an offering. Christ is everything to us. He is our good land to possess. He is also our sacrificial lamb, which, if we lay our hands upon Him and identify with Him, enables us to live before our holy God and to enter in to Him and to explore and to enjoy His innumerable facets. “O Lord God, how may I know that I shall possess it?” Bring me. .a heifer, . .a goat, . .a ram, . .a turtledove, . .a pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Jehovah’s intention for Abram was for him to possess the land that He had given him. He gives according to His grace; we possess according to our works. Abram sought to know how this could transpire. How could he possess the land, and the answer was through sacrifice, not his own, but rather through the Messiah’s seen in the death of the animals. Our possession of the land, representing the unsearchable riches of Christ, comes by our handling of the crucified Christ and by our bringing Him to the Father. He bore the holy Father’s wrath and He stands between us and the Father as our substitute. He bore our sins on the cross that we might live, and that we might know Him as the abundant life seen in the many aspects of the good land. Death always precedes life. There is no resurrection without crucifixion. There is no possession of the promised land without the handling of the sacrifices. There is no possession of Christ without handling Jesus. In this Christian era, we are called by God to possess His Son in His fullness. This is our daily work. Every Sunday we start the week by handling Christ in His death, by taking the symbols of His broken body and shed blood. Our weekly journey into the riches of the good land starts at the cross, at the divided animals. We never outgrow our need for cleansing and forgiveness and we must pass this way if we desire to know Him in His expansiveness and in His fullness. The cross governs our passage into all that stretches before us. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two. .the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The pivotal event in history was the crucifixion of Jesus because it was then and there that Satan, sin, and the world were nullified. When Jehovah told Abram to bring Him the sacrificial animals, Abram enacted the crucifixion because Jesus is the reality of all animal sacrifices. Abram, as the offerer of the sacrifices, laid his hands upon them and identified with them. We, too, when coming to the Father, bring Jesus as our covering sacrifice acceptable to God. We identify with Him in His death and resurrection because we as fallen, corrupt creatures were put to death in Him and were raised with Him as well. The death of Jesus is our passage to the knowledge and experience of all His virtues seen in the promised land. This practical enjoyment and experience of Christ builds His body, even as in the promised land the triumphant nation erected the temple – the house of Jehovah. We see and grasp Jehovah’s purpose through Jesus’ sacrifice and through our identification with it. Satan won’t sit for this because he knows that the nation of Israel occupying the land and the functioning body of Christ will be his demise. When Abram had enacted the crucifixion of Jesus by slaughtering the animals, Satan reacted and came down in the birds of prey to frustrate and ruin the sacrifice before Jehovah could accept Abram’s offering. In Jesus’ life on the earth during His ministry, He was always in danger of premature death because of Satan’s attempts to kill Him before the Father could lie upon Him and judge all the vile and negative things of the universe. May this make us aware of his evil tactics and inspire us to resist him and to drive him away. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness. I’ve always wondered why Paul determined to know the crucified Christ and not the risen Christ or the transcendent Christ when dealing with the carnal and divided Corinthians. We could ask the same of the story at hand in Genesis. Why didn’t Jehovah transport Abram to a high mountain and show him visions of the promised land with its abundant life and its spectacular temple instead of requiring the unpleasant slaughter of innocent animals? In both cases the crucifixion of Christ took precedent over everything else, because in the Lord’s work we as fallen creatures must meet our end. All we are in our fallen condition, and all corruption in general died when God laid every sin on His sacrificial Lamb. Paul approached the proud and arrogant Corinthian assembly in a state of weakness because he came to them as a crucified man. Abram came to the gate of Jehovah’s promise of the land with his hands full of slaughtered animals, with the crucified Christ, and in a state of weakness. This is Jehovah’s way. Our death must precede our work or it will be ineffectual. Our “self-life to the cross must go” if there will be progress in our life with Christ, and if our efforts to build the assembly of the called are to prove living and permanent. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. The Lord’s revelation to us of His purpose is not common and easy. It is a pearl that He will not cast before swine to be trampled in the muck. For Abram to see the promise of an offspring in the good land of Canaan, he had to enter into death indicated by his deep sleep. Although he had offered the animals as sacrifices, he too had to become “dead.” We are crucified with Christ and unless we enter into and experience the practical reality of that death, we’ll receive no revelation from Jehovah. That is our starting point. That is the gate that brings us into the full knowledge and experience of Christ and His body. Adam, though sinless and therefore representative of those washed in the blood of God’s lamb and regenerated, had to enter into “death,” the deep sleep, so that out of him could come Eve, a type of the congregation of saints. Abram, sinless before Jehovah because of the blood of the animals, had to fall into a deep sleep, “death,” so that out of him could come offspring – the nation of Israel and the assemblies of saints – to live in the promised land and to live in Christ. Having our sins forgiven is only the beginning of our journey. We must present ourselves before Jehovah as those crucified with Christ. Nothing of ourselves must be active and alive lest we miss the vision and the practical outworking of that vision. For us to see His eternal purpose, the nation as the wife of Christ and the congregation of saints as the body of Christ, and to experience it, we need death to our self-life–a deep sleep. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Our journey with the Lord must take the way of suffering for that is the way He took. Would we think that following the Lamb wherever He goes would take us away from the cross and from suffering? In this encounter with the Lord, Abram asked two questions–what about my offspring and what about the land. Jehovah answered the first with a heavenly vision of stars, the brightest of which was the coming Messiah. The second He answered by requiring sacrifices and deep, dark, terrifying sleep that revealed the practical journey of those descendants. It is wonderful to see the vision of heavenly stars representing Abram’s descendants–the nation of Israel and the gathering of saints–but when that vision is brought down to earth for its practical reality and outworking, then there is the slaughter of animals for sin; and deep sleep, great darkness, and terror for the self. Following the Lord for His purpose is a difficult path full of suffering because it is full of the Lord’s people, and those people carry with them the means of our sanctification. Some are overbearing, offensive, and abrasive; some are willful and unbending; some are overconfident and proud and even arrogant; some are myopic and satisfied; some provoke misunderstandings, disappointments, and discouragements; some vilify and betray. And these are the Lord’s people, those with whom we are commissioned to run the race. It can be dark and terrifying to our self-life, a valley of the shadow of death, but we must make it through again and again if we would bind upon our hearts these same people and carry them along with us toward the goal. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. Our Lord is so practical. When Abram looked up in the night sky and saw the starry host representing his offspring, the vision of the Messiah, the nation of Israel, and the congregation of Christian saints seized him and he believed and Jehovah came into him as righteousness. This is wonderful. This vision, this sublime, heavenly revelation comes only by His grace. It was a gift from Jehovah that cost Abram nothing. It was pure grace from the bountiful hand of his God. But when Abram inquired about the land, the place where the nation of Israel would live and move and worship; where Jesus would live, die, and resurrect; where the gospel would go forth to the whole world; where the assembly of His people would be built and produce the body of Christ; and where the King would come to establish His kingdom, it was not just a simple belief that Jehovah required of Abram. The outworking of the heavenly vision demanded work and suffering and death. The Lord chose the earth as the place where the body, the kingdom, and the bride of Christ would come forth through much suffering. The land is where the descendants would gain their glory and transcendence and shine as stars. The land is where our sin demands a sacrifice and our self-life and flesh must die in order for us to participate in and work for His great plan. The heavenly vision must become our practical reality on the earth and in our daily lives, and that can only come when we deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Him. .and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. The Lord is so wise to work out His purpose on the earth with physical creatures. By taking this way, He is able to find those whose eyes look past the sensual and rest upon the eternal. This is not easy to do and it requires what Abram engaged in during this encounter with Jehovah–prayer, sacrifice, and suffering. The heavenly vision of the stars required nothing but the outpouring of the Lord’s grace, for which we are grateful, but are we willing to pay the price to see the reality of this heavenly vision worked out on the earth, because if we are, it will demand that we pray–”O Lord God, how shall I know that I shall possess it?” It will demand sacrifice–”’Bring Me a heifer. .a goat. .a ram. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two.” It will demand suffering–Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. This was Jehovah’s way of purging and refining His chosen and enlightened vessel to make him useful in His hand and for His purpose. Abram willingly passed through Jehovah’s requirements because he was governed and motivated by what he saw in the heavenly vision of the stars. He saw the destination of his descendants–full of light and glory established in their transcendent positions far above all. He saw the city with foundations–the heavenly New Jerusalem–the city he was looking for with eyes of faith. This revelation from Jehovah motivated him to endure the “momentary, light affliction” of working and sacrificing for its practical reality on earth. His suffering would yield an eternal weight of glory. “Lord, gives us the eyes and heart of our father, Abram.” God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be oppressed four hundred years. Abram’s obedience led to Jehovah’s speaking in answer to his prayer about possessing the land of promise. The land of Canaan in typology is the abundant Christ. Abram’s question was about possessing this land, this Christ, and Jehovah’s answer dealt directly with Abram’s descendants. Without offspring, Abram would never have been able to possess the promised land. Though Abram asked “how shall I know that I shall possess it,” Jehovah answered by assuring him about his descendants. The promised land is only a promise until there are descendants to populate it. The inclusive, abundant Christ can never be possessed and experienced and enjoyed unless the congregation of saints rises up, marches in, and conquers it. As individual Christians we can know and enjoy something of Christ as our daily bread (manna in the wilderness) and our living water (the water-producing Rock), but it takes the assembly, the body of Christ, coming together to worship, to seek, to study, to pursue Him as their rich source of all things spiritual to possess Him as the one reality of the land of promise. We ask the Lord how we can know Christ in His fullness, He answers us by directing us to His people where we become connected and yoked as fellow slaves. The land of Canaan was only for Abram’s progeny. The fullness of Christ is only for the gathering of His people. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If the land promised to Abram is a prefigure of the rich and full Christ, then the land of oppression is a type of the world system. When Satan corrupted the earth, he fabricated a system designed to enslave human beings and render them useless to the Lord and to His purpose. The Lord created the earth as the means to sustain physical life. Food, water, shelter, clothing–the basic necessities–are present in abundance along with the ancillary things that make life enjoyable–the beauty of creation; the pleasures of touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell; the euphoria of procreation. Everything the Lord provided us is to enhance our understanding and appreciation of who He is and what He is about. But Satan turned all this on its ear by his rebellion and corrupted the inhabitants of the earth, enslaving them in his corrupt system called the world, a miasma of abused pleasure that captivates people and turns their hearts away from eternal truths to temporal enjoyments, and if unabated, to addiction and abject ruination. When our hearts fall into subjection to the limitless array of the things of the world, we can reach a point when we don’t want to leave them, and if we don’t fight against that tendency in the Lord’s strength and conquer it and abandon it, then we become slaves without a will and can never extricate ourselves. That is Satan’s goal. He wants to neutralize the Lord’s people and eventually eviscerate them of all things spiritual. Small wonder that John exhorted his readers in the strongest terms–do not love the world. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants. .will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. .will be enslaved and oppressed. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and. .they will come out. This divine prophecy speaks of Egypt as the land of captivity for Abram’s progeny. As such, it typifies the world out of which we were called unto Christ and saved. Though Jehovah created the earth with immense beauty and wonder for the delight of His people, Satan came into corrupt and ruin by devising a system, a snare, to trap and exploit human beings. This is the evil fabrication that the Lord will judge and destroy. So how do we live in this world and not be of it? When Jesus lived among His people for those few years, He was unaffected by the enticements and pleasures that normally plague mankind. He learned early on to conduct Himself according to His Father’s eternal, divine life within Him, and that life shielded Him from the evil system that sought to bring Him down. The Israelites were comfortable in Egypt until Pharaoh began to abuse them. They would never have left unless the situation became unbearable. Unless the Lord opens our eyes to the future of this world we live in, we will remain content as Satan’s slaves and will spend our lives building up something that will burn in judgment. Once we see Christ as our present and future, the world becomes noxious and toxic because we see the evil personage behind it. Once we see Christ as our goal, our pleasure, our enjoyment, our reason for living, then we are inspired to live as Jesus did, and that is, according to a higher calling and a higher life. When we enter into this daily experience, He strengthens us to live in the world without the world living in us. .they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will judge the nation whom they will serve. As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace, you shall be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they shall return here. This rather strange sequence of thoughts seems disjointed. Jehovah’s prophetic word concerning Abram’s descendants is interrupted by His reference to Abram’s future. Why the interruption? Why doesn’t Jehovah complete His thought about the corporate before dealing with the individual? Could it be that we have a God who has priorities and is balanced? Christians have a tendency to view their faith as revolving around themselves as individuals. They fail to see themselves as subservient to the body of Christ, as a mere member of many; but when our gracious Lord reveals the congregation of saints as the corporate Christ to them, there is the danger of dismissing the lower status of the individual for the higher status of the corporate. Not so with Jehovah. Though the Lord’s eternal purpose can only be fulfilled through the collective effort of the body and bride of Christ, it is never at the expense of the individual members. He is balanced, unlike many of His people. He does not abandon the parts that make up the whole. As for us, if we devote ourselves to His body, to the care and nurture of His saints, to extend ourselves to what is most precious to Him, then we can expect special, individualized, custom care from Him. In the prophetic speaking of Jehovah, Abram, the individual, found himself sandwiched between Jehovah’s words concerning his offspring, the corporate. Though the Lord’s purpose rests with the many, His care extends to each. Another reason for us to hid ourselves in the body of Christ surrounded by the saints. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. This promise from Jehovah to Abram comes between prophetic words concerning Abram’s progeny. Jehovah’s care for the individual comes in the middle of His care for the corporate. For us to receive the Lord’s special care requires us to hide ourselves in the saints, to surround ourselves on all sides with His people. If we are faithful to devote ourselves to the nurturing of His body, He will care for us like He did Abram, with the promise of peace and maturation. “You shall go to your fathers in peace.” This implies that Abram’s fathers are in some state or place where they have gathered awaiting his arrival. This was a clear indication from Jehovah that Abram’s earthly existence was not final, that there was life beyond the grave, that physical life was the beginning of everlasting life. For Jehovah to mention this to Abram was to graciously grant him great hope for the future and that great hope issued in peace. What better state can we be in than in a state of peace? And who is our peace but a lovely person, Christ Jesus? In the midst of Abram’s deep sleep, terror, and great darkness, Jehovah promised progeny and peace to His servant. Christ is our peace in the midst of turmoil and death. Regardless of our circumstances, or how unsettled our lives are, peace translates us to the heavenly realm far above all. Peace calms the troubled soul and this peace is a person in whom we rest and hide, whom the worst situation cannot affect. What a mercy from His hand to us! It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch, which passed between these pieces. The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day. .and in a pillar of fire by night. Jehovah passed among the sacrifices as smoke and fire but only after a profound encounter with His servant regarding his progeny, his obedience, and his sacrifice. His passing as smoke and fire heralded His leading the Israelites through the wilderness as a pillar of smoke and fire. The oven and the torch show us how the Lord leads us. But His leading is not without cost. The smoking oven and the flaming torch are informative if only for their adjectives. Why did the writer add “smoking” and “flaming” to the descriptions if not to emphasize the intensity of each? The oven here is not for baking food but for refining out impurities. The fact that it is smoking shows intensity and finality. A torch by definition implies fire, and a flaming torch means intense light, light able to guide through the darkest night. We live in a dark world and it grows darker by the day. If we are true descendants of Abram, we will have a heart to follow the Lord and that involves obedience. Our obedience will open the way for the Lord to refine us in His smoking furnace, surely painful; but it also assures us that we will not walk in darkness but in the light of his “flaming torch.” Refinement and enlightenment are never separate. There cannot be one without the other. It came about when the sun set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. Though Abram’s vision was heavenly and though he responded by believing in the Lord, he was still a man living on the earth and he was necessary for the fulfillment of Jehovah’s purpose. His heavenly vision had to be worked out day by day through his obedience in handling Christ (the animal sacrifices), though resisting God’s enemy (the birds of prey), through the Lord’s refining his being (the smoking oven), and through the Lord’s enlightening his way in a dark and terrible world (the flaming torch). It is not easy to follow the Lord, because where He is going has everything to do with His accomplished plan seen at the end of Revelation in the holy city, Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb. This was the city that Abram was looking for and his search took him through all these things mentioned in these verses. This should hearten us to endure whatever pain is necessary, whatever sacrifices we have to make, whatever refining of our natural life and flesh we have to undergo, whatever darkness and terror we have to pass through. Abram had the vision of the heavenly stars–his progeny transformed and exalted–to guide and govern him. We should entreat the Lord for the same vision, the vision of His people coming together into His beloved nation – His bride – out from which springs the great mystery – His body. This should give us the incentive to sacrifice what we are and have to the Lord and His people. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” .behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch. .passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram. Abram’s obedience secured the Lord’s promise that he would not only have descendants from his own body, but also those descendants would possess the land of Canaan. This is an extraordinary truth to contemplate. Abram’s obedience was not just an immediate benefit for himself, but it extended far, far beyond him even up to the present hour, for out of his loins came Isaac who fathered Jacob and so forth all the way to Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and the head of the body. We should never underestimate the ripple affect of our obedience. The Old Testament history of the Israelites is full of failure and treachery, even to the point that Jehovah determined to destroy the entire nation over the golden calf incident, retreating only when Moses told Him to remember Abraham. What about us? Do we have the view that our obedience in following Christ spreads its benefit to all within our circle of influence? When we do as Abram did in handling the sacrifices and in driving away the birds of prey, we put the Lord’s promise of offspring that will possess Christ as the good land to the ultimate test. When we allow ourselves to go into death (the deep sleep), so that the Lord as the refining oven can purge and purify us, we force His hand and prod Him to act on our behalf and on the behalf of His people. If our heart is for this, He has no choice but to follow up on our obedience. Though the Lord is sovereign and can do anything He wants, He has constrained Himself to the obedience of His servants. What great responsibility we bear! On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given the land. Most of our lives are routine, if not monotonous, but occasionally something happens that is monumental and memorable. Abram had just such a day in this encounter with Jehovah. His eyes were opened to see his descendants exalted and glorified. His belief in that vision and in the fact that it would be fulfilled filled him with the Righteous One who revealed it to him. He not only saw the heavenly vision of the stars, but also the earthly means through sacrifice, death to self, refinement by fire, and enlightenment of making it a practical reality. This was a great day in the life of Abram. It is here that he began to see what he was looking for, and this is, the holy city, New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ his descendant, a city high and lifted up, shining in glory, comprised of precious stones and pure gold refined in the crucible of heat and pressure, a city full of his illuminating God. What a day, what a turning point, what a milestone in the life of Jehovah’s servant! This was a day when Jehovah spoke and revealed, when Abram listened and saw. This was a day that would govern the remainder of Abram’s life, a day around which the rest of his days would revolve. This is the kind of day we should all seek – a day of His speaking, of revelation; a day that captures our attention and seals our consecration and controls our lives every day thereafter. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite. .and the Canaanite. .and the Jebusite. The Old Testament is the picture book, the New Testament is the explanation. Pharaoh, the earthly tyrant typifies Satan, the universal tyrant. The dry land emerging from the death water on the third day prefigures Jesus’ resurrection. Egypt is a picture of the enslaving world. Noah’s flood points to baptism where death is left behind and where new life comes forth. But no metaphor is so complete and pregnant as the land of promise typifying Christ as our inclusive repository of every positive virtue. He is vast, expansive, substantial. This land Jehovah promised to Abram. Though Abram had a partial experience of this land, Jehovah’s promise was to Abram’s descendants. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was for internal strengthening so that Christ could make His home in them, so that they, in turn, could be rooted and grounded in love, two verbs readily identifiable with the earth, and specifically, the promised land. He further explains that their comprehension, even better, their apprehension of this immense Christ is with all the saints. Though we may know aspects of the promised land as individuals, we can never know and appropriate the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ our land without the saints. The promised land was for Abram’s descendants; the fullness of Christ is for the body. We should never be satisfied with a few riches when His promise is the fullness of Christ given to His body. Only corporately can we explore and discover all that He is. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river Euphrates. The Lord’s words are eternal and will always be fulfilled. This promise to Abram has yet to be accomplished, because not even Solomon in all his splendor and power had control over this much territory, and Solomon was the pinnacle of the nation of Israel. After him the kingdom was divided, Israel went into exile, returned to build the city and the temple only to be conquered by the Romans who eventually destroyed Jerusalem, the temple, and dispersed the Jews to the four winds. So what can we make of this sure word to Abram yet unfulfilled? When the King of kings returns to establish His kingdom for 1000 years, Israel, as a kingdom of priests, will rule the nations from the land promised to Abram in its complete, river-to-river dimensions. Typologically, this speaks a profound spiritual truth to us. Christ in His unlimited expansiveness is seen in the abundance of the promised land. Even as the warrior David strove to cleanse the land of enemies and to expand its borders, we also are gong forth to deal with the enemy of God by the ever-increasing enjoyment of Christ, but never should we think there is an end, because He is exhaustless. Rather we should strive to experience all we can of Him in this life, knowing that the kingdom will bring in far-reaching borders that have never been explored. Such is our Christ! Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid, perhaps I shall obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. This amazing turnaround informs our journey through life with our Lord. Abram had just had an astonishing meeting with Jehovah in which he saw visions of his descendants and their place in the world. It was altogether right and appropriate to believe in Jehovah’s revelation and Jehovah reckoned his belief as righteousness. He would have descendants! There was no doubt. He had seen it, believed it, and the Lord imparted Himself into him. He also saw the way the vision would be carried out in the land of promise through sacrifice, death to the natural man, enlightenment and guidance from Jehovah, and the Lord’s promise. There was nothing for Abram to do but wait on the Lord for the time of fulfillment. If only it were so easy. Abram was 85 and understandably anxious for the Lord to make good on His promises. Sarai was even antsier as her time for childbearing was nearing an end. So rather than trust Jehovah and His vision and His word, Abram did what Adam had done years before: he listened to the voice of his wife. In both instances, the prospect of illicit pleasure birthed a downfall–Adam with the forbidden fruit, Abram with the handmaid. How easily men fall, even great men of God. Any man who says he would never succumb to this kind of temptation is a fool. These two ancient fathers, after profound encounters with their God, fell precipitously into sin. Are we somehow immune? Ludicrous! So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children through her.” This is a sad episode in the lives of these two sojourners who should have known better. Sarai should have known that Jehovah was graciousness itself, having saved her from the hand of Pharaoh. She witnessed the great deliverance of Lot from the evil kings. Surely she knew of Jehovah’s word to her husband that they would have descendants from his body; and yet she takes it upon herself to devise a plan to facilitate the Lord’s promise. This is a classic demonstration of the strength and cunning of the fallen human nature, no different in principle that what Sarai’s ancient mother did when she conversed with the serpent and took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sarai considered her situation and found herself beyond the reach of childbearing and blamed Jehovah for her condition. Eve blamed God by misquoting His prohibition and by making it more prohibitive that it was. How the natural man let loose from its constraints will contaminate and corrupt – first by blaming the Creator and then by devising a scheme to entrap the one given to them for protection. Eve offered the fruit to Adam, and, after his initial shock at what she had done, probably convinced him he couldn’t live without her. Sarai offered her handmaid to Abram and convinced him unless he conceived with Hagar, there would be no offspring. What disastrous results follow the woman who leaves the shelter designed by Jehovah to keep her safe and secure. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Of course he did. What man wouldn’t when the suggestion involves illicit sex with another woman? Abram is truly the father of us all because he was driven, not by Jehovah’s promise of offspring, but by the powerful attraction of pleasure. The fallen body, the flesh, is a force so powerful that it must be governed at all times and in all places by forces even more powerful. The Lord gave Abram beneficent restraints and it served him well until this juncture in his life. One restraint was his relationship with his God in which he heard His voice, saw His visions, and obeyed His commands. This connection with the Life of creation strengthened him to evade the corruption of death surrounding him. Another restraint was his monogamous relationship with Sarai. Though the whole world around him practiced polygamy, there is no indication that Abram did until now. The Lord’s intention for a man is for him to have one wife. She must be his sole avenue of physical satisfaction. Monogamy began the Scriptural record and gave way to widespread polygamy until the New Testament returned marriage to its origins. Man’s nature is to gravitate to as much physical pleasure as possible. The Lord’s way is to restrain the lusts of man with a single woman. When that single woman gave permission to Abram to take another, he didn’t philosophize and pray about it. He pursued his pleasure rather than his God, and no man since can condemn him. After Abram lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife. It is a universal and infallible principle that behavior defines a person. When Forrest Gump asked his mother if he was stupid, she replied: “Stupid is as stupid does.” People know us by our works because no one can look upon our hearts to see what we really are except God. What we are is expressed in what we say and in what we do. We cannot hide. Nor can Jehovah. When we view creation, we get a good idea of what Jehovah is like, and we get a more complete knowledge by reading and understanding what He wrote. That being said, Jehovah created so that Christ could have a bride and a body. Everything in creation, directly or indirectly, points toward this purpose because everything Jehovah does reveals something about Him, and nothing is more about Him than the completion and satisfaction of His Son. Why, then, is it so egregious for Abram to follow his wife’s suggestion and take Hagar as his wife? That is like asking why does Christ need only one wife, and not two or three? It’s a shameful consideration. Christ is the husband of one corporate wife; therefore all proper man/woman relationships must follow this pattern. It is worth noting that Hagar is mentioned as Abram’s wife, though it is highly unlikely that there was any kind of ceremony of recognition attached to this utilitarian copulation. Nevertheless, Moses, inspired by God, recorded this consummation as being a marriage. This shows the infinitely high value the Lord places upon the marriage act, for the physical act is the figure of the celestial marriage of Christ and the bride–the holiest of all unions. For Abram to violate the sanctity of his marriage with Sarai, was to insult the Creator of monogamy. Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. Thus does the soul that waits not upon God. The fear and indignity of barrenness drove Sarai from the promise of the Lord into a treacherous retreat from the principle of monogamy. The pattern had been set among the ancients who followed the Lord. Adam had Eve; Noah had his one wife; Abram had Sarai. Though the whole world under the influence of Satan would run after the pleasure of multiple wives, Jehovah had set the restraint upon men and demanded they live under it lest they destroy themselves in the pursuit of illicit gratification. Sarai had to know this yet she persisted in applying her natural cunning to an ill-conceived and ill-advised scheme. She is a harbinger of all attempts to accomplish divine promises by natural means, and it is ugly indeed. Jehovah promised Abram an heir from his own body. Jesus promised us that He would build His assemblies of His people. Jehovah promised Abram a nation through whom came Christ. Christ, His nation, and His body comprise the eternal purpose of God and the target of Satan’s attack. So the enemy of God deceives men into thinking they can apply natural and worldly methods to fulfill what Christ alone promised and what Christ alone can execute. Sarai’s project produced Ishmael, a son of sorrow and trouble, a perennial source of conflict with the true heir. Well-meaning men devise worldly fabrications they think will build the Lord’s assemblies to augment the Lord’s promise, and yet they produce ugly fractures in the body of Christ and gross caricatures of the New Testament model of the simple gatherings of saints. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived, and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. So begin the results of leaving the path of trust and faith. Hagar does what Sarai could not and tauntingly exalts herself above Sarai. Sarai’s proposal and Abram’s execution of it was an exercise of the flesh, of the self, not of the spirit; and, as with every action, there are consequences that must run their course. It cannot be otherwise. Paul told the Galatians “the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption.” “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident. .enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger. Sarai and Abram sowed to their flesh, devised a scheme to produce the promised heir, and created a monster. As soon as Hagar knew she was pregnant, she turned against Sarai and despised her. Abram was caught in a vice between two wives, suffering the fruit of his season of pleasure. But the deed could not be undone. How readily and certainly does the scorpion of sin turn upon it perpetrator. We must dash our ungodly ideas that appear good but have not been crucified and resurrected. Abram and Sarai were attempting to produce the promised heir using their own methods. Abram should have reacted to Sarai’s proposal but was instead intrigued by the prospect of fleeting pleasure and succumbed to it. The Lord Jesus promised that He would build His assembly and we imagine that we, through clever ideas and machinations, can do it for Him. We sow to the flesh and reap divisions, profiteering ministries, and destitute congregations. Christ, the promised seed, His Bride and His Body are the focus of God’s work in creation. They are also the targets of Satan’s relentless attacks. He used Sarai and Abram to attack Christ and he can use us to attack His people. May we fear. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. When the Lord brought Eve to Adam, Moses wrote that the man would be joined to his wife and “they shall become one flesh.” When Abram, seeing he was childless, proposed to Jehovah Eliezer as his possible heir, Jehovah responded unequivocally, “This man will not be your heir, but one who shall come forth from your own body.” In the Lord’s eyes, Adam and Eve were one complete person. So were Abram and Sarai. Therefore when Jehovah promised Abram that a descendant would come forth from his own body, He had not the slightest notion that the bearer of that seed would be any one other than Sarai, because in the Lord’s eyes they were one complete person as were Adam and Eve, and that one particular complete person was Jehovah’s choice to conceive, bear, and raise the promised offspring. If what issued from the loins of Abram was all that Jehovah cared about, then Hagar’s child would have been the promised seed. He certainly was not. The account of Adam and Eve becoming one flesh is a key to opening up the entire Scriptural record. From the beginning to the end, the book deals with one main theme–the production, maturation, and perfecting of the corporate bride and body of Christ. The Lord looked upon Adam and Eve as one person even as He regards Christ and His bride as one person. This is a profoundly sacred truth that should govern every child of God. For Sarai to hatch her vile scheme and for Abram to execute it, was a serious breach of trust in Jehovah’s ability to fulfill His promise. It took the most precious truth ever revealed to man–the union of Christ and His bride clearly displayed and promoted in monogamy–and threw it down to be trampled upon. To break their holy union before Jehovah and to bring in another wife was a colossal insult to the Lord who had established monogamy as the most precious prefigure of the future union of His Son and His bride. Surely Jehovah grieved. .and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you.” Abram’s violation of the sacred principle of monogamy bore immediate and bitter fruit. Though some sins may go unpunished until the future judgment, this was not one of them because it affected so many lives. Because of her pregnancy, Hagar became proud and condescending to Sarai. Sarai refused to accept blame for being the visionary and manipulator of the wicked conspiracy. Abram was caught between two enemies and could not escape. Ishmael was the innocent victim of the whole miserable affair. We are not islands unto ourselves. We don’t exist in a vacuum. Everything we do has a ripple affect. We touch so many lives whether for good or for evil, for Christ or for self; and it should give us pause when we read how quickly Abram’s situation deteriorated after he broke the sacred vow with Sarai. As soon as Hagar knew she was pregnant, trouble began for Abram. It is imperative that we guard ourselves from sin because we don’t know how far the ripple will extend and whose lives it will touch. To this day Ishmael and Isaac are enemies because of Abram and Sarai’s sin. Though we may think what we do is a personal matter and is no one else’s business, we are organically and inextricably connected to other members of the body of Christ, we are not independent of them, we are responsible to them, and we have no inherent right to act on our own. When we do act on our own and sin, the ramifications are widespread. But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. This is the first instance among the Lord’s followers of polygamy and, rather that justifies and encourages the practice of it, it exposes the tangled web of blame, hatred, independence from Jehovah, and the volatility of human nature that it spawned. Polygamy should have died with Abram. In this whole affair of trying to secure the promised seed, Jehovah is absent from Sarai and Abram. Sarai doesn’t consult with Jehovah about His promise and about how He practically will carry it out. When Sarai casts blame upon Abram for Hagar’s rebellious attitude toward her, Abram doesn’t fall on his face before Jehovah and confess his sin and beg forgiveness, rather he throws the pregnant woman back under Sarai’s control to do whatever she desires. He doesn’t take responsibility for what he has done and he doesn’t mediate between the two wives, rather he deflects the problem and hopes it goes away. Sin has a life of its own, and this is literally true, because sin is the fruit of the evil one living in the fallen flesh corrupting the soul. From her natural mind, Sarai concocted the evil scheme thinking it was good. Abram responded from his flesh, desiring pleasure. Hagar treated Sarai condescendingly at her pregnancy. Sarai blamed Abram. Abram deflected the blame and refused his obligation. Sarai treated Hagar hatefully. On and on. This cascade of evil should not surprise us, because sin, the expression of Satan’s life, compounds itself quickly if left unchecked. So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water. He said, “Hagar. .where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from. Sarai. Then the angel. .said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit. The angel of the Lord found the pregnant Hagar cowering in the wilderness because of Sarai’s mistreatment and animosity. She would not have lived long in that environment, which is exactly what Sarai wanted and what Abram authorized by giving Sarai free reign over her. Abram was not thinking clearly. Having just come from the vision experience of the stars and the sacrifices, he left himself unguarded and thoughtlessly responded according to his flesh when introduced to Sarai’s scheme. Then, having impregnated the maid, he turned her over to Sarai’s control rather than take responsibility for what he had done, hoping she would do his dirty work. He should have realized the wrong he had done, but rather than repent and beg forgiveness before Jehovah, he watched the pathetic Egyptian flee into certain death bearing his child. What was he thinking? Why didn’t he intervene? As he watched the pregnant woman disappear into a slow death, was he dismissing the ramifications of his sin, hoping that the impending death of two innocents, one his only child, would deliver him from an impossible situation? Let Hagar die with the child and I’ll move on with my life. Was this his thought? Was he complicit in Hagar’s expulsion, and, dare I say it, in her murder? Was the acrimony between the two wives so intense that he sought relief in Hagar’s demise? Doubtlessly, he knew what Sarai was doing to the poor woman, and yet he did nothing. Sin by omission is not sin diminished. Did he dare think that Jehovah didn’t know or care? Had Abram forgotten in his fleshy passion the omniscient Jehovah was a righteous God? How utterly blinding is sin upon the soul. Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority. The Lord will not let sin go unpunished. When Hagar found herself pregnant with Abram’s child, she rebelled against Sarai and treated her condescendingly. This, of course, enraged Sarai and resulted in Hagar’s banishment to the hostile wilderness where she faced certain death. So when the angel found her and told her to return and submit to Sarai, the Lord was striking at the root of several sins. Hagar’s rebellion against Sarai, Sarai’s rage and jealousy and attempted murder, and Abram’s irresponsibility and duplicity in passively conspiring with Sarai to remove a huge problem, all came under the fire of the Lord’s judgment. What Abram and Sarai had intended as a tidy resolution to the monster they had created through their disobedience and faithlessness, came back to plague them for years. Abram was faced with two contentious wives and a son of his own making, not of God’s promise. This surely drove him to his knees in repentance, which is exactly where the Lord wanted him. Had he fallen on his face in prayer the moment Sarai made her suggestion, all this could have been avoided, but in the Lord’s universe, whatever a man sows, he will reap. The harvest of Abram and Sarai’s sins was ripe, and how bitter and galling was the fruit. The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority. I will greatly multiply your descendants. Abram and Sarai colluded in an attempt to bring forth the promised offspring according to their flesh. Rather than wait upon Jehovah to fulfill His word to them, they went ahead of Him in violation of the most sacred of all divine restrictions designed to protect mankind, and that was monogamy, the clear representation of one of Jehovah’s purposes in creation–the production and perfecting of one blameless, spotless, corporate bride for His Son. How offensive was this to the Lord? More than we can know. Sexual carelessness is something intolerable to the Lord because it strikes at the core of His purpose of providing a bride for His Son’s ultimate satisfaction and pleasure. The physical coupling of a man and a woman mirrors the sublime union of Christ and His wife, the most holy union possible. Period. What should be a reminder to every husband and wife of the union of Christ and His bride, has come under vicious attack from the enemy of God from the beginning, and it appears to be intensifying as time passes. So much of the world system is founded upon the misuse and abuse of this treasured gift from the Creator. Those who practice the sin of adultery or fornication run the risk of ruining their lives through dissatisfaction. A person who knows another partner, or several, can never, except through the Lord’s mercy and grace, be satisfied with one, and yet this is the Lord’s requirement for human beings. It is not that He arbitrarily denies pleasure to His people, but He knows true, lasting pleasure can only come within the parameters of monogamy. To stray beyond His prohibition is to invite bondage, addiction, and destruction of a soul’s usefulness to Him. Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they shall be too many to count.” The Lord’s ways are not our ways. He cares deeply for human life; we regard it as expendable. When Abram and Sarai’s little conspiracy blew up in their faces because of Hagar’s arrogance and Sarai’s hatred, Sarai sent her into the wilderness to die and Abram tacitly approved. This vile act exposes the callous disregard humans, in general, have for one another, even among those who name the name of Jehovah. Abram and Sarai were fine with banishing an innocent pregnant woman to her death, and this right after Jehovah had reckoned Abram as righteous for his belief in His promise of offspring as numerous as the stars. This is hard evidence that being positionally righteous before Jehovah is far different than being conditionally righteous. Abram was anything but righteous in this episode with Hagar. Jehovah values human life–every human life. He could not bear to see Hagar and her unborn left to die, so He sought her out and heard her prayers and responded and promised her countless descendants. This unveils the Lord’s grace, because He knew the future and what a perennial problem Ishmael would be to Isaac. That didn’t matter. Those souls that would come out of Ishmael were created souls nonetheless, souls of potential value to Him and His purpose. They had every right to exist. This is grace and grace is the Lord’s way. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over. .all the earth and over every creeping thing. The great Scriptural themes are in seed form in Genesis, and the matter of dominion over the earth is no exception. Whenever we see the exercise of God’s authority we find the experience and infilling of His life. Enoch received notice from God that when his son died, judgment would come. From that time forth he walked with God (image) and 969 years later, judgment came (dominion). Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (image) and through his obedience judgment came (dominion). Abraham opened his heart and home to the three heavenly guests (image) and the twin evil cities suffered judgment (dominion). Joseph had a tender heart and received from the Lord visions of things to come (image). Through extraordinary circumstances, he became ruler of Egypt (dominion). Moses was infused by God at the burning bush (image), and conquered Pharaoh (dominion). Joshua was faithful to the Lord (image) and conquered the promised land (dominion) David nurtured his relationship with God (image) and became king over Israel (dominion). Daniel and his friends had an intimate relationship with their God (image) and conquered the lions, the furnace, and the Babylonian king (dominion). Jesus lived according to the life of His Father (image) and conquered human existence, disease, demons, sin and death (dominion). “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. So Hagar bore Abram a son and . .called the name of his son. Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six. So the work of the flesh was done, and like all works of the flesh, the consequences followed. Abram had a bondwoman and free woman for wives, something Jehovah never sanctioned and never intended. He had a son from the illegal wife whom the Lord said would be a wild donkey of a man–tough, strong, untamable, stubborn, tenacious. And how could the child not be so given the environment he was thrust into? Sarai had tried to abort his birth by casting him and his mother into the wilderness. His father had not intervened. His mother was guilty at first of flaunting her fertility and incurring the wrath of her mistress. It’s hard to believe that once the child was born the atmosphere in the home improved. Surely Sarai, still barren, despised Ishmael and his mother. Abram was probably hesitant to show the child the necessary fatherly affection for fear of Sarai’s reprisal and his reticence would have incensed Hagar and turned her bitter. Abram had dug a deep hole for himself and Jehovah left him in it. Nothing good comes of the flesh. We can dress it up, educate it, ordain it, venerate it with copious accolades, ascribe to it all manner of “good” attributes, but one thing is certain, it will never bring forth Jehovah’s promised seed. The works of the flesh are dead works, void of the divine life. The flesh can only produce death, and death is the domain of Satan, spreading like a cancer to destroy people. Abram had forsaken Jehovah and His promise by following his flesh, and was about to pay a dear price that would affect all within his world and beyond. Abram was eight-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram. Sin breaks our fellowship with the Lord, and we see no better example of this than in these verses. In order to expedite the promised seed, Abram and Sarai conspired to use the Egyptian maid, Hagar, and produced Ishmael. They both acted in unbelief, having no faith that Jehovah could and would accomplish what He had promised. Jehovah was so displeased with His servant that the record is silent for thirteen years, probably thirteen years of acrimony and bitterness in Abram’s household. Two hateful women and an unruly son greeted Abram day after long day with no sign of Jehovah for well over a decade. So sin and works of the flesh neutralize and alienate the people of God. Abram and Sarai did not believe the Lord could perform what He had promised and they presumed they could do it for Him. Was this an aberration? Was this a singular incident in the history of the Lord’s people never to be repeated? Would it have been so! When the Lord was on the earth, He, as the promised seed, stated definitively that He would build His congregations. But then He ascended to the throne in the heavens and returned as the Spirit to indwell His people, energizing them for the task of fulfilling His promise. We, the people of His indwelling, are under His commission to build His Body, the expansion and enlargement of Jehovah’s promise to Abram. So what do we do? We survey the pathetic condition of the assemblies of Christians, even as Sarai surveyed her advancing age and barren womb, and decide we can do something to help the Lord. We produce programs, ministries, marketing ploys, elaborate facilities, and charismatic leaders to do for the Lord what He promised to do. The result? Ishmael. We end up with self-centered ministries that splinter the congregation and persist year after year without the Lord’s life or blessing. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram. It is not insignificant that Moses included Abram’s age in the record. The ages of eighty-six and ninety-nine are not mere biographical facts of the ancient father, but a glaring reminder of Jehovah’s absence in his life in response to what he had done. By his human strength and effort, he had produced a son of the flesh, not of the promise. He had tried to accomplish for the Lord what only the Lord could deliver and that was the seed of promise. I don’t think it is too bold a statement to say that all the Lord’s promises in the Scripture are directly or indirectly concerned with Christ and His Body; for they, after all, comprise the divine human couple for which creation exists and for whom the record from beginning to end concerns itself. When Jehovah promised Eve a seed, it was Christ. When He promised Abram offspring, it was Christ and His earthly and heavenly people. When Jesus came, He promised the congregation. This is the focus of God’s plan for humanity and it is precious in His eyes. For us to lay our hand upon it in the wrong way is an egregious affront to the Lord. Abram suffered dearly for Ishmael. Jews have suffered greatly for their mistreatment of Jesus. Humanity has suffered mightily for men’s misuse of the Christian community throughout history. Though we are called upon to preach and demonstrate Christ to the world, and are commissioned to build His Body, we must learn from Abram and fear our flesh and our natural strength and abilities. We must be vessels in His hand, not weapons in our own. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him. Though Abram had produced Ishmael in collusion with Sarai, and offended the Lord because of unbelief, and though He departed their lives for thirteen years, He nevertheless returned graciously to them and appeared and spoke to Abram. By this time Abram had probably given up hope. His victory over the kings, his encounter with Melchizedek, his vision of the stars, the smoking oven, the torch, were all but distant memories. All the sessions with Jehovah in which he heard the promise of descendants and the land were diminishing in his mind as each day brought more distance and discouragement to his heart. The Lord left him to himself to show him the dark and barren abyss of impatience, good intentions, human strength and unbelief. This self-inflicted suffering surely rendered Abram weak, incapable, and yearning for renewed fellowship. The production of Ishmael cost Abram thirteen years of his life and sometimes that is necessary if the Lord is to get our attention. He had to drain Abram of all his natural strength if He was to use him to produce the promised seed. As year followed year, Abram surely must have realized how utterly impotent and disgusting was his human life, and we can imagine that he had fallen on his face in despair and repentance many times, begging for a reappearance of his God, only to be rebuffed by silence. May we learn from our patriarch and fear our natural abilities, and lay all we are before Him, so Christ, and not Ishmael, may emerge from our lives. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. This was a watershed moment for Abram because he was at the end of himself. After thirteen years of dead silence from Jehovah, two acrimonious wives, continued barrenness for Sarai, an unruly child, he was at the end of his natural strength. He had sown to the flesh and had reaped of the flesh, and it seemed there was no end in sight. It is at this point Jehovah’s grace came to the despairing patriarch. He was hungry, lost, dark, desperate for his God, and when his life seemed hopeless, the gracious Lord appeared to him at last. The names of the Lord are highly significant. Elohim is the distant, unapproachable, majestic Creator of all things. Jehovah is the same God seeking a relationship with His creature, man. Here, this same God came to Abram in his abjection as El Shaddai, the Almighty Breasted One. We think of God as being exclusively masculine, and yet He created the female in His image and after His likeness as He did the male. He encompasses both male and female. As different as men and women are, they both came from the same source, the same Creator who encloses both natures and characteristics in Himself. At this juncture in his life, Abram needed a mother’s touch. He needed a mother to take him into her arms and feed him a nourishing supply of warm milk to strengthen, nurture, and enliven him. He needed love and reassurance and a bountiful supply of the divine life, so El Shaddai, the gracious and nurturing and abundantly satisfying source, came to Abram as the Almighty God with an udder. He came to Abram as the Breasted One, full of the divine life and completely accessible to His starving and destitute child. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. This divine appearance, coming after a thirteen-year hiatus during which Abram and Sarai had been living with the consequences of their human folly, underscores the grace of El Shaddai, the Hebrew name of God Almighty. What should have been years of joyous celebration of the birth and growth of a young boy, instead became a painful and daily reminder to Abram and Sarai of the Lord’s displeasure at what they had done outside His promise to them. Every day was a descent into despair, until Abram lost all hope of ever hearing Jehovah’s voice again. But just as the night could get no darker, the Lord’s grace could shine no brighter. Jehovah, as El Shaddai, appeared! When Abram most needed comforting arms to hold him and a warm bosom to envelope him, El Shaddai, the Breasted One, came to him to suckle him, to impart His divine life into him, to lift him from the pit of despair, to set his feet on solid ground, to speak into him words of encouragement, hope, and meaning. What a wonderful picture is this! Our father of faith, Abram, reduced by his own cunning to the condition of a lost child, then taken up by the strong and tender arms of his long-departed Lord and nourished at the breast of divine life and love. .well, is this not a precious picture of our gracious Lord coming to us in our need? Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. Though the Lord came to Abram according to His grace, Abram was not absolved of responsibility. We could write volumes on the grace of the Lord and how He comes to us because He loves us and because He wants to, not because we’ve done anything to deserve His favor. Abram had produced Ishmael and it was in the Lord’s purview to let him die in his wretchedness and disobedience, but the Lord chose to come to His servant. He let him twist in the wind for well over a decade, but He did not forsake him. He appeared to Abram! This is grace! He didn’t remove the consequences of Abram’s disobedience, for that would violate the principle of harvesting what we sow. Abram sowed to the flesh and would reap accordingly; however that does not negate the Lord’s grace. What is grace in this encounter? The Lord appearing to Abram and speaking to Him. Grace is the Lord, but not just the Lord in the heavens but also the Lord coming to us. There is no need to perform theological contortions to understand all the nuances of grace. Purely and simply, it is the Lord coming to us in our situation and speaking to us and conveying Himself into us. By grace we are saved. So was Abram. The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. The Lord’s appearance, His speaking, and His revelation as El Shaddai, the Almighty God with an udder, was strictly grace to His errant servant, Abram. After producing Ishmael in an attempt to secure the promised offspring, Abram fell to the bottom of life. Two hostile wives, an untamable son, and no contact with Jehovah for thirteen years. It was his own fault, and the Lord had every right to stay away for many more years, but He appeared to Abram anyway, and spoke to him and revealed Himself as the all-sufficient God with an udder through which He could impart His life into Abram. This was a pure demonstration of grace. Though the Lord’s grace is sublime and marvelous, many Christians misinterpret it as being void of human responsibility, but the Lord told Abram to walk before Him. It was his obligation to conduct his life before El Shaddai. Grace brought him to the divine udder, but only he could drink of it to gain the strength to walk before his Lord. For thirteen years Abram had merely existed in the absence of his Lord, but now the Lord graciously came to him with the way for him to live abundantly in His presence, and that was by drawing his supply and nourishment and strength from the udder of El Shaddai. Abram didn’t just need words of promise anymore, he needed milk and a way to receive that milk. He needed El Shaddai and it was his responsibility to draw deeply from that source. The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. John Calvin, the eminent reformer who was instrumental in breaking the shackles of Roman Catholicism, extolled the Lord’s grace and lifted it to sublime heights as the renunciation of the entrenched and lucrative system of human works abused by corrupt priests to enrich themselves. But the Lord’s grace does not operate in a vacuum, and, as with everything in the spiritual realm, He works in conjunction with human beings. Calvin promoted grace and understandably diminished works even to the point of taking away man’s volition. This was a grievous error, and it’s not what we see here with Abram and El Shaddai. El Shaddai appeared to Abram when Abram was in the doldrums. His coming and appearance and speaking was His flowing out to his undeserving servant, and this is grace. But this wasn’t the end of the conversation. El Shaddai told Abram to walk before Him and be blameless. Abram had to work and work like never before in his life. What would he do? Relax and say, “Grace is all I need, because the Lord will do everything for me?” Only if he wanted a swift kick in the derriere for being passive. Was he to call up all the determination and motivation he could muster and try to walk blamelessly before El Shaddai? Preposterous! How then should we live? The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. How then should we live? What can we learn from our father, Abram? The Lord’s opening sentence is both encouraging and rebuking–encouraging in that He comes to Abram as El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God with an accessible udder upon which Abram can draw his strength and supply; rebuking in that the admonition to walk before Him and be blameless implied Abram had been walking in the flesh and was totally guilty. El Shaddai demanded from Abram a blameless walk before Him just as Jesus exhorted His people “to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This is the requirement. This is our obligation as Christians and the Lord will not let us slide by without a full accountability. But let us realize who it is who is demanding perfection and blamelessness from our walk before Him. It is El Shaddai. Our breasted God is not simply a lawgiver, though He does place a divine standard upon our behavior. He is also our source and supply who fills us with His enabling life. Our primary responsibility is to draw from Him, to nurse at His all-sufficient breast, until we are filled and energized and enabled. Then, and only then, can we walk before Him and be blameless. We cannot meet His demands without the infusion of His indestructible eternal life. I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. It was a principle from the beginning that the Lord would do nothing apart from the cooperation of man. Here that principle extends to Abram. The Lord’s condition for executing His covenant with Abram is that Abram walk before Him blamelessly, a far cry from what he had done in siring Ishmael. We’ve seen the way for Abram to do this is by availing himself of the rich supply of divine nourishment through his all-sufficient El Shaddai. For reasons known only to Him, the Lord has chosen the way of human cooperation to accomplish His purpose, so in that sense He needs willing vessels obedient to Him. Our Almighty Creator has limited Himself to us and our decisions. Though He is sovereign and omnipotent, He allows Himself to be restricted by the will of man that He created. He is remarkably comfortable living alongside the volition of His creature. This explains why He told Abram that He would establish His covenant between them after He commanded Abram to walk before Him blamelessly. This is a huge and impossible condition for Abram to meet without an external source of strength. Praise El Shaddai that He is that accessible source! Without the filling of the Lord’s life, Abram would merely produce another Ishmael, but with it, the Lord used him to bring forth Isaac. .walk before Me and be blameless. .and I will multiply you exceedingly. Do we desire to be used by the Lord? Then we have to meet His conditions. If we do not walk before Him without reproach, then He cannot use us. But if we do conduct ourselves blamelessly before Him then He will multiply us exceedingly. Walking before Him involves our entire life–our thoughts, our choices, our feelings, our behavior, our words, our interactions with others. We cannot live compartmentalized lives, reserving areas for ourselves, and expect Him to use us to impact other lives. He is a jealous God and He demands our whole being. If we reserve space for ourselves, we cannot expect the Lord to reveal Himself fully to us or to use us completely. Abram took his own way and did his own thing and lost the Lord’s presence for thirteen years. The Lord graciously revisited him but with high demands upon his servant, so high that they were impossible to meet. For Abram to walk blamelessly before the Lord, he had to come to El Shaddai as a helpless infant, fall into His arms, and draw from the source of strength and nourishment. This was the only way he could ever meet the requirements of the Lord. His multiplication depended entirely on this. So with us. If we are to impact others, to make a difference in other lives, to bring others to him, to be multiplied exceedingly, we have to live at the breast of El Shaddai for our strength, our vision, and our endurance. I will multiply you exceedingly. Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him saying. The Lord promised to multiply Abram. We know the objective promise was for many offspring that would eventuate in Jesus, but subjectively Abram was to reproduce himself and all that was in him acquired from his experiences with his Lord. To sire a biological son who would in turn sire more sons is not Jehovah’s primary intention. He wanted Abram to produce a son who would be instilled with the divine vision, knowledge, and experience gained through a lifetime of walking with the Lord. The Lord wanted offspring from Abram who would absorb and reflect Abram’s passion for and experience with his Lord. It was secondarily about biology, but primarily about spirituality. The Lord’s intention was that Abram would pass on himself, would multiply himself, to reproduce himself in his biological son. This is a high responsibility. When we look at Abram’s life and what he passed through, we can see the value of that life in the Lord’s eyes and why He wanted to multiply it exceedingly. Abram heard the Lord’s call to leave idolatrous Ur and to go to Canaan. He became the first Hebrew, the river crosser. He suffered with Lot and agonized over him. He built altars for his redemption and consecration. He exercised faith and endurance in defeating the enemies and in rescuing Lot from certain destruction. He took bread and wine from Melchizedek and offered him tribute. He saw visions of the nation of Israel and the Christian community and the refining furnace and enlightening torch. He passed through a deep, lonely valley with Ishmael and was reduced to nothing as a result. All this was in Abram. All this high-value, irreplaceable experience was in him and this treasure the Lord intended and promised to reproduce in Abram’s progeny. The lesson to us is obvious–what we are in Christ and what we have acquired through our devotion to Him, the Lord wants to reproduce in others through us. Are we worthy of this reproduction, and are we willing?