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Index
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Index
Angry King Cobra in attack position
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes
and as innocent as doves."
Matthew 10:16 NIV
The narrative sliced and diced:
1 ...Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" 2 The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. 3 It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: 'You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.'" 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, 5 but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:1-7 (Tanakh))
8 They heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8 (Tanakh))
9 The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?"
10 He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (Genesis 3:9-10 (Tanakh))
11 Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?" (Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh))
12 The man said, “The woman You put at my side—she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done!"
The woman replied, “The serpent duped me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13 (Tanakh))
14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent,“Because you did this,
More cursed shall you be
Than all cattle
And all the wild beasts:
On your belly shall you crawl
And dirt shall you eat
All the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your offspring and hers;
They shall strike at your head,
And you shall strike at their heel.”
16 And to the woman He said,
“I will make most severe
Your pangs in childbearing;
In pain shall you bear children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 To Adam He said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,'.
Cursed be the ground because of you;
By toil shall you eat of it
All the days of your life:
18 Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you.
But your food shall be the grasses of the field;
19 By the sweat of your brow
Shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground—
For from it you were taken.
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:14-19 (Tanakh))
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:20-21 (Tanakh))
22 And the LORD God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!" (Genesis 3:22 (Tanakh))
23 So the LORD God banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out, and stationed east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24 (Tanakh))
1 ...Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" 2 The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. 3 It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: 'You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.'" 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, 5 but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:1-7 (Tanakh))
The Serpent was the shrewdest of all the animals. The NIV describes him as 'more crafty', while the KJV describes him as 'more subtle'. In a sense, the Serpent was all these and more. For example, his shrewdness is apparent in his assessment and summing up of the man and the woman; while his subtlety can be seen in what he said and what he omitted to say to the woman.
What is the Serpent's main aim? It is simply to lure the man and woman into disobeying the Lord God: it is nothing short of recruitment on the sly!
The Serpent knows that the fruit of the tree of knowledge is not physically toxic in itself; whereas disobedience to the Lord God is a [spiritual] death sentence. And so the attack is made at the Spiritual Level.
The Serpent, like every other new arrival to the Heavenly Realm, is fully aware of the Primary Covenant instantiated between God and the Heavenly Beings: hence he understands the terms - and especially the penalty clauses contained in the Eden Covenant between God and mankind. The Serpent knows full well that - because he is immortal - any wrongdoing on his part will result in his eventual exclusion from the Heavenly Realm. Unless...!
But who does the Serpent target?
Many see the woman as the weak link, as do Paul and Peter:
[14] And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:14 NIV)
[7] Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7 NIV)
What is surprising is that even today many see the woman as the weak link, and therefore a soft target for the Serpent to attack with impunity. But why would that be surprising?
It is surprising because it would imply that Adam was much stronger at the Spiritual Level than Eve.
Being stronger, he would not be so easily fooled but would have continued to obey the Lord. Were that the case, then Adam would have immediately brought Eve's entrapment to the attention of the Lord. And there, standing in front of the Lord, Adam would have sought to defend Eve.
But, as the narrative shows, Adam was no knight in shining armour charging to protect, rescue, and to defend his wife in front of the Lord!
We know from the narrative that the Serpent targets the woman. The Serpent targets the woman because he knows that of the two she, being the stronger, will be the more difficult to convince; he knows that if he is to win the day it will require all his skill and guile to convince her; but if he can do that, then the rest of the plan will fall into place. What is the Serpent's strategy for dealing with the man? With a silence that is absolute, the Serpent dismisses the man completely: the man is a non-entity, a pushover; the Serpent treats the man with a fine contempt. Events will later prove the shrewdness and accuracy of the Serpent's assessment of the man and of the woman.
And so the Serpent picks his moment and sets the trap. He meets up with the woman when she is by herself. Perhaps they meet up close to the tree, or perhaps they stroll in the general direction.
The Serpent does not launch into a blistering attack on the Lord God; neither does he let his mouth run away with him with a pack of lies! Instead, he takes Eve straight to the Lord's words, “Did God really say 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?”
If the con is to work, then it is important that the Serpent commences with a basis in truth.
and he claims a mandate from Christ Himself:1 ... Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? ...(1 Corinthians 9:1b,c NRSV)
These claims, then, are Paul's starting points. On the face of it they are believable enough; and together are the platform from which Paul launches his false doctrine.[15] But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. (Acts 9:15 NIV)
[† Analysis: Paul's claim to apostleship.]
The Serpent goes right back to God's words. Did God really say that? The woman confirms that this is so. The Serpent then gives his own exegesis of God's words (Gen. 3: 1-5 T). The Serpent's tactics are sound: start with as close an approximation to the truth as is possible, and then slant and direct the exegesis into error and sin. Where better to start than with the Lord's words?
So as Eve looks at the tree of knowledge, she re-assesses the situation in the light of the Serpent's words. The fruit really does look good to eat; it's a delight to the eyes; and above all it's a source of wisdom (Gen. 3: 6 T)! She decides that it's okay to go ahead and eat - which she does. There aren't any immediate ill effects, so she gives some to Adam.
But it is only now, after both have eaten, that they discover the consequences of their disobedience. And the consequences are not of the physical order, illness or death, but of the spiritual order. Suddenly their eyes are opened! They discover that they are naked! They become fearful. And they hide from the Lord God (Gen. 3: 7-8 T).
The Lord God was expecting to meet up with Adam, but can't find him anywhere. So:
9 The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?"
10 He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?" (Genesis 3:9-11 (Tanakh))
The man and woman are called to account! Although the Lord God knows what has gone down, He gives Adam and Eve the opportunity to confess. As He will make clear in the Mosaic Covenant, without the acknowledgement of sin and true repentance, there can be no forgiveness.
[Essay: To forgive where there is no repentance, is to be complicit in the wrongdoing.]
However, there is neither excuse nor mitigating circumstances for their disobedience, as they discover when sentence is passed. The Lord God deals with the Serpent first; then with the woman; and finally with the man (Gen. 3: 14-19 T). Up to now the Lord God has dealt with the man and woman as one person. Now, though, He addresses them individually and in chronological order of their wrongdoing - an indication of the disunity which will ensue...
Yet there is still another worrying aspect to consider: 'Now that man has become like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever[?!]' (Gen. 3: 22 T). And so the man and woman are driven out from the garden and banished (Gen. 3: 23-24 T).
8 They heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8 (Tanakh))
In hiding from the Lord, Adam and Eve acknowledge their guilt. And Adam confesses:
9 The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?"
10 He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (Genesis 3:9-10 (Tanakh))
But do Adam and Eve acknowledge their true guilt, or a false guilt? And does it even matter?
9 The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?"
10 He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (Genesis 3:9-10 (Tanakh))
Their fear is understandable! However, their fear probably goes right back to the time when the Lord God confronted Adam and Eve, and brought them into the Garden Annex. This is not something mentioned in the narrative. Nevertheless, the experience of those who've stood in front of the Most High and not been destroyed, will confirm this. Ezekiel6C, for example, threw himself face-down on the floor when confronted by the Lord (Ezekiel, chapter 1 T). Saul (later renamed 'Paul') fell to the ground (Acts, chapter 9). Job was distraught, and despised himself and repented in dust and ashes (Job, chapter 42).
Adam and Eve had been dwelling with the Lord God ever since they entered the Garden Annex. That initial fear when they were first confronted by the Lord God Almighty, would never have left them. So, in acknowledging their guilt - albeit false guilt - they realised that they were in trouble deep.
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
'Fear of the Lord' is the beginning of wisdom; the practise of 'fear of the Lord' will ensure ongoing benefit and growth.
Wisdom (Dictionary of English): mass noun:
It is possible to derive a sequence from this Dictionary of English definition, incorporating all the dictionary elements, with fear of the Lord as the driving force:
This sequence can easily be mapped to a cycle of events which will grow the body of knowledge and experience over time - as, for instance, is the case with the Book of Teaching - which is now the title of the Scriptures.
Fig.2: Fear - the key to treasure.
The cycle, described above, represents the treasure which is unlocked by the key called 'fear':
5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. 6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV)
That it is an ongoing iterative cycle is implicit in the 'practise of fear':
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
But what will jump-start this cycle? What will maintain the continuation of the cycle, and the continued growth which will then follow?
The answer is 'fear'! Not the fear which incapacitates and destroys; but fear which has its origin at the Spiritual Level within the Covenant, and which never ends:
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
The beginning of wisdom starts with sound judgement. And it is fear which is the trigger!
Jesus said that He had to go away, so that He could send the Lord Spirit. So, in the absence of the physical presence of either Father or Son, how can that sense of fear be generated in the hearts of those growing up in the Covenant, or those new converts who had hitherto denied the existence of God? For the young Samuel11C, the Lord spoke to him directly (1 Samuel, chapter 3); but a face-to-face encounter like that seldom happens in life. For most of us, in the first instance we acquire an academic knowledge of the Lord. But all is not lost for, even at the academic level, we can gain an insight into fear.
In order to get an academic insight into fear, it is necessary to learn about the Lord God. The Prime Axioms will provide a suitable introduction with plenty of opportunities for discussion. Although one may not be convinced of the existence of God at that moment, one can still make an assumption as to His existence and act accordingly. From this additional assumption, a form of conditional proof will show the fate of those who fall into sin and error.
Using conditional proof in this way in order to discover 'fear of the Lord' and where it leads, may appear clinical. Where is the emotion usually associated with fear?
Academic knowledge of the Lord God - though necessary - is not sufficient. That academic knowledge must lead to face-to-face discussion with the Lord. That transition from academic knowledge to face-to-face contact with the Lord is something experienced and remarked upon by Job:
5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. (Job 42:5 GNT)
But if there is to be face-to-face conversation with the Lord, then it will be necessary to seek Him out with heart and soul, as He commanded:
29 But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV)
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)
That transition from education to a face-to-face friendship with the Lord, will prevent suffering the fate of those who neglected to do so:
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' 23 Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'” (Matthew 7:21-23 NRSV)
And so the Lord urges Israel to seek Him [and meet with Him face-to-face]:
4 This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; (Amos 5:4 NIV)
Fear can paralyse and lead to self-destruction; but it can also guide and support.
Consider, by way of example, the Age of Discretion. One could dismiss God and His offer; or, one could allow the fear of the Lord to take His offer seriously, and to guide one into making the right choice as to which path to follow:
Fig.3: Age of Discretion
Knowledge, too, starts with fear of the Lord:
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; (Proverbs 1:7a (Tanakh))
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)
It is important that we don't allow our fear to overwhelm, paralyse, and destroy us. We must, if we are to survive, override our natural fear and channel it into seeking to better know and understand the Lord ... seeking to go beyond academic knowledge to actually meet with Him face-to-face. Call this the 'Practise of Fear'!
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
The Practise of Fear leads to growth in both knowledge and understanding:
10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)
Jesus, at twelve years of age, gained valuable experience in the Temple courts:
[41] Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. [42] When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. [43] After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. [44] Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. [45] When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. [46] After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. [47] Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. (Luke 2:41-47 NIV)
It is important that academic theory gives rise to experience. The experience thus gained will prove invaluable in life.
Because of the structure of the Mosaic Covenant, knowledge, understanding, and experience, can be made known throughout the entire community.
However, where there are updates to the Covenant, these need to be included in the Book of Teaching.
This is a spin-off from the Practise of Fear (Psalms 111:10 T), commended to all by the Psalmist:
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
Moses13C wrote the definitive Book of the Law - later to become the Book of Teaching with the integration of all the books in Scripture. His book was never intended to be a historical document, a snapshot of the times; rather, it was a reference book which was to be actively maintained and kept up to date, as can be seen from the various amendments to the Mosaic Contract (eg: Zelophehad Amendment, Sabbath Amendment, Zadok Amendment, Messianic Amendment).
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;
all who practice it gain sound understanding.
Praise of Him is everlasting. (Psalms 111:10 T)
5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. 6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV)
The fear mentioned here is not the kind which incapacitates and leads to self-destruction. The fear which is the key to treasure is the type of fear which is channelled into taking God's words seriously, reverence, awe, and deepening the personal connection with Him.
As one gets into the Eden Covenant, and later the Mosaic Contract, one quickly comes to understand just how difficult it is to live in the Lord's company without falling into sin and error. The standards set by the Lord God, and found in the Prime Axioms, are so high! We could allow that fear to destroy us; or, we could channel it into learning more about the Lord God and His Covenant, so that we would be better equipped to avoid falling into sin and error. As always, prevention of sin is to be preferred over cure!
he Psalmist rightly observes:
97 O how I love Your teaching!
It is my study all day long.
98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies;
they always stand by me.
99 I have gained more insight than all my teachers,
for Your decrees are my study.
100 I have gained more understanding than my elders,
for I observe Your precepts.
101 I have avoided every evil way
so that I may keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your rules,
for You have instructed me.
103 How pleasing is Your word to my palate,
sweeter than honey.
104 I ponder Your precepts;
therefore I hate every false way.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet,
a light for my path. (Psalms 119:97-105 (Tanakh))
In one's search for God, one omits Jerusalem at one's peril, simply because Jerusalem is the dwelling place of the Lord's Name, His 👀 , and His ❤️ :
The LORD said to him [Solomon], “I have heard the prayer and the supplication which you have offered to Me. I consecrate this House which you have built and I set My name there forever. My eyes and My heart shall ever be there.” (1 Kings 9:3 T)
One doesn't need to wait to meet the Lord God in the New Jerusalem. Meet with Him now - in Zion! Join Him there, and dwell there with Him in this life!† Get your name in the Register of Zion! Get a Life today!
† 8 The former said to him, “Run to that young man and tell him:
“Jerusalem shall be peopled as a city without walls, so many shall be the men and cattle it contains. 9 And I Myself—declares the LORD—will be a wall of fire all around it, and I will be a glory inside it. (Zechariah 2:8-9 (Tanakh))
Our fear-driven quest must not begin and end with knowledge and understanding!
Indisputably, wisdom and knowledge are necessary; but they are not sufficient. Something more is needed if we are to bear fruit for the Lord!
Within the Heavenly Realm, which includes the Eden Annex, obedience to the Prime Axioms and Primary Contract is sufficient in order to dwell safely in the company of the Lord God. Because the Heavenly Beings are immortal beings, there is no Rescue Contract for those who fall into sin and error. In the Annex, although mankind were mortal, it was the Lord's hope and expectation that mankind would remain free of sin and eventually partake of the Tree of Life. Because the Garden was an annex to the Heavenly Realm, the Lord was not yet able to instantiate a Rescue Contract.
Because there is no Rescue Contract in the Heavenly Realm, there is no demand for fruit. Each person, on reaching the Age of Discretion, is expected to obey the terms and conditions of the instantiated Primary Contract. The penalty clause of the contract, quite simply, is Death. Obedience to the Primary Contract is our duty: Jesus explains our obligation to the Primary Contract in these words:
10 “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:10 NIV)
The situation on Earth following the fall is different. Due to mankind's mortality it became possible to offer the Rescue Contract to any who might fall into sin. In offering the Rescue Contract, the Lord was indirectly expressing His desire that none might perish. The Lord set up the Rescue Contract, but it was left to His People to take the Covenant with its Rescue Contract to the nations, and to bring the lost sheep back into the Fold.
Following the fall came the expansion of mankind. And, as the population increased and spread out across the Earth, evangelism was based on individual responsibility. The only problem was that there were no experts appointed by God to instruct, guide, and maintain the integrity of the Post-Eden Covenant. The difficulties surrounding communication and transport in a rapidly changing world, made setting up a school of experts problematic.
We know, from the account of creation, that the Lord God kept everything under review. And this continued during the expansion phase of mankind on Earth. We know about this ongoing monitoring from the account of Job.
The Job-Account is a presentation of the state of religion as it was at that time. That account contains a verbatim transcript of what took place between Job and his three friends. Analysis of the transcript confirmed that a change in the Covenant was required in order to keep pace with changing conditions on Earth. However, that update to the Covenant would have to await a more suitable, settled, and stable time.
The years passed ... until the Lord God chose the House of Israel to be His experts in the world (the Priesthood of Zion). Supervision and leadership would be handed to the Levitical Priesthood. And so the Post-Eden Covenant was updated to the 'Mosaic Contract'.
Returning to the Lord's desire that none should perish, this is enshrined in the Mosaic Covenant:
Cast away all the transgressions by which you have offended, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, that you may not die, O House of Israel. For it is not My desire that anyone shall die — declares the Lord GOD. Repent, therefore, and live! (Ezekiel 18:31-32 T)
The Job review showed that the church was failing to keep pace with the changing conditions. So, in order to improve matters, He chose the House of Israel to become a kingdom of priests (Priesthood of Zion) and a nation set aside for His service:
On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain, and Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me. Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:1-6 T)
Evangelism leading to fruit had always been a requirement of the Covenant following expulsion from the Garden Annex. But with the Mosaic Contract the Lord God changed how that evangelism was going to work. And in His words to Moses13C, the Lord God made absolutely clear that evangelism was to be written into the Mosaic Contract.
With this explicit requirement of fruitfulness, came its integration into the terms of the Rescue Contract. Hence, if there is no fruitfulness recorded in the Book of Life, then forgiveness is denied. Of course, a certain amount of direction can be gleaned from the Covenant; but the bottom line is that fruitfulness must follow on from discussion with the Lord and obedience to His directions. Since the Covenant and its explanation are a work in progress, fruitfulness can be applied retrospectively to the Rescue Contract at the time of the Post-Eden Covenant.
But although the Covenant contains some details regarding outreach, there has to be discussion with the Lord in order to discover his specific guidance for individual and group alike.
Consider:
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?'
23 Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'” (Matthew 7:21-23 NRSV)
Those summarily rejected by the Lord would undoubtedly claim faith in the Lord (cf. Pauline doctrine of 'faith'). Yet, for all their protestations of love, faith, knowledge, and works, they did not have that personal contact with the Lord which is so necessary if one is to bear fruit. Everything had been done without the Lord's personal direction: “I never knew you,” said Jesus, as if to emphasise the point. And because they didn't discuss matters face-to-face with the Lord, they never got to learn of the plans He had for them, how they could produce much fruit in a needy world continuing its exponential descent into unimaginable evil...
9 The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?"
10 He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?" (Genesis 3:9-11 (Tanakh))
[Dr Paul Tournier discusses the difference between true and false guilt in his book Guilt and Grace.]
And we see here, in this seemingly simple story of creation and the fall, the very first instance of false guilt. Compare Adam's words with Gen. 2: 25, where we read that previously 'The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame' (NIV).
The shame at their nakedness was false guilt; their true guilt was in breaking the Eden Covenant. As to conscience, conscience had been unable to distinguish between true and false guilt; even worse, it had led them into sin and error.
Close examination of the narrative yields an important insight into 'guilt'.
'Where are you?'' asks the Lord God (Gen. 3: 9 T). The man replies, ''... I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid' (Gen. 3: 10 T).
Adam was stricken with fear because of false guilt over his nakedness. Nakedness between husband and wife is not a cause for guilt - it is entirely natural. Adam and Eve had been living like this for some time (Gen. 2: 25 T): they are, after all, one person. So how did this false guilt come about?
The Lord God's follow-up question provides a clue: 'Who told you that you were naked?' (Gen. 3: 11 T). The Lord God knew that nakedness between husband and wife was a cause of false shame; and He knew that a third party had put this idea into their heads. There is no record of a reply. But, from God's question, it is almost certain that after the couple had eaten the forbidden fruit, the Serpent followed-up on the guilt of their disobedience, and redirected it to the false guilt of their nakedness. The Lord's question is perhaps rhetorical, for He knew what had gone down and who the culprit was.
This is what happens when sin is defined by anyone other than the Lord God - and anyone-other includes self! Conscience can never define sin, because conscience comes from oneself, not the Lord God. As the Serpent said,
4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, 5 but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” (Genesis 3:4-5 (Tanakh))
To paraphrase, “Eat of the forbidden fruit, and become like God, able to define right and wrong!” And it is that knowledge and understanding which will drive one's conscience, and which will leave one open to the opinions of others and those in authority.
[Dissertation: Conscience vs the Two Abstract Rules.]
It is necessary to distinguish between true and false guilt. True guilt comes from disobedience to the Lord God and the disregard of His Intentions. False guilt, on the other hand, tends to come from the moralization and judgements of men, whether self or others.
Before Jesus' day, the religious leaders added their own moral judgements to their version of the law. Inevitably, many of these would be a cause of [false] guilt if they were disobeyed. It was on this basis that the authorities sought to entrap Jesus with regard to [the false guilt associated with] healing on the Sabbath (Mat. 12: 9-13). Jesus answered the Pharisees with the illustration of the sheep stranded in a pit, and then concluded, “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Mat. 12: 12 NIV).
The replacement of God's Laws with false traditions had also led people astray:
[8] You [Pharisees and teachers of the law] have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
[9] And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (Mark 7:8-9 NIV)
[Essay: The Covenant safeguards for those working or otherwise occupied on the Sabbath.]
In His Sermon on the Mount (Mat. chapter 5-7), Jesus took some of God's explicit commandments (where disobedience leads to true guilt) and extended the meaning of wrongdoing to include intent (e.g., Mat. 5: 21-28 NIV): He made explicit that which is alluded to in the OT Scriptures.
Later in Matthew's gospel (Mat. 22: 36-40), Jesus summarized the Law with just two [abstract] commands found in the Torah: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Deut. 6: 4); and love your neighbour as yourself (Lev. 19: 18). Jesus simplified the Law into two abstract rules at the Spiritual Level. The evaluation of those two abstract rules changed the countable Law, with its 613 Mitzvot, into an uncountable Law having the potential for an infinite number of commandments (see Two Abstract Rules).
By extending the meaning of wrongdoing to include intent, and by explaining how evaluation of the two abstract rules reveals wrongdoing, the Lord Jesus showed us the full extent of sin together with the absolute perfection of the Covenant.
Dr Paul Tournier summarizes the differences between true and false guilt: 'God's thoughts and men's thoughts; judgements of God and judgements of men: that is a clear formulation of the opposition between true guilt and false guilt' (Guilt and Grace).
Note how the [false] sense of guilt at their nakedness distracted Adam and Eve from the [true] guilt of their disobedience to the Covenant.
False guilt inevitably comes between an individual and the Lord God: conversation is hampered because they are talking at cross purposes. This will, of course, hinder and delay any resolution, namely the recognition and confession of the true guilt and the acceptance of forgiveness for it. Forgiveness requires the confession and repentance of true guilt, for example:
13 If it is the whole community of Israel that has erred and the matter escapes the notice of the congregation, so that they do any of the things which by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt — 14 when the sin through which they incurred guilt becomes known... (Leviticus 4:13-14 (Tanakh))
'Original sin' is a false doctrine which has been around for quite a while. It is to be found in the Old Testament, the New Testament (Paul), and in the church in the years since.
The concept of original sin traces its origins back to the fall. But it is a concept to which the Lord does not subscribe.
As the Lord explains, sin is not inherited. Guilt is attributed on the basis of existential wrongdoing:
The person who sins, he alone shall die. A child shall not share the burden of a parent's guilt, nor shall a parent share the burden of a child's guilt; the righteousness of the righteous shall be accounted to him alone, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be accounted to him alone. (Ezekiel 18:20 T)
Henceforth, the doctrine of original sin is forever banned in Israel:
The word of the LORD came to me: What do you mean by quoting this proverb upon the soil of Israel, “Parents eat sour grapes and their children's teeth are blunted”? As I live — declares the Lord GOD — this proverb shall no longer be current among you in Israel. Consider, all lives are Mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child are both Mine. The person who sins, only he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:1-4 T)
[Dissertation: Original Sin.]
In 1 Corinthians, chapter 8 (food offered to idols), we find an example of Paul's failure to educate others as to the differences between true and false guilt. Rather than strengthen the brother's understanding and faith, Paul is happy to leave him languishing in weakness and error. Hardly the action expected of an apostle! Or perhaps, being self-proclaimed (1 Corinthians 9:1-2 NRSV), it is.
[Analysis: Paul's negligence and dereliction of duty.]
Unfortunately, the evil doesn't end there, for Paul proceeds to equate doubt with sin, and faith with truth:
23 But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23 NRSV)
[Essay: Paul, and the repression of doubt (Ro. 14:23).]
[Analysis: Faith is a measurable attribute (see Jesus' observations and remarks). As such, it cannot define Truth, neither can it distinguish truth from error. Having annulled the Covenant and its Law, Paul falls into sin and error by relying on 'conscience'.]
James also throws his hat in the ring:
6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7-8 for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6-8 NRSV)
[Analysis: James 1:6-8.]
Needless to say, doubts - like questions - are to be discussed with the Lord face-to-face, either individually or collectively. However, following the annulment of the Covenant by Paul et al, this is not something which takes place within the new-covenant church.
What is significant about the doctrine of Paul and James, is that it doen't help to resolve a person's doubts. Their doctrine resolves nothing, since its purpose is the removal of doubt through active suppression. That suppression will have consequences further down the road...
Doubt needs to be resolved! But before doubt can be resolved, it must first be admitted and faced. Resolution may then follow through:
To doubt is not to fall into sin. Sin occurs when doubt is not brought before the Lord for His ruling. That ruling may involve further study, as directed by the Lord; and it may also involve further discussion with the Lord.
Indeed, where there is bafflement, the Covenant requires that such matters be brought to the attention of the Lord for discussion with Him. His rulings are to be obeyed to the letter and, if necessary, incorporated as amendments into the Covenant (eg, the Zelophehad Amendment, the Sabbath Amendment, and the Zadok Amendment). The Mosaic Contract required that baffling cases be brought before the Levitical Priests or magistrate-in-charge:
If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law, or assault — matters of dispute in your courts — you shall promptly repair to the place that the LORD your God will have chosen, and appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case, you shall carry out the verdict that is announced to you from that place that the LORD chose, observing scrupulously all their instructions to you. You shall act in accordance with the instructions given you and the ruling handed down to you; you must not deviate from the verdict that they announce to you either to the right or to the left. (Deuteronomy 17:8-11 T)
This won't work today, because the shameful conduct of the Levitical Priesthood reduced the office to being nothing more than Levitical Servitors, barely entrusted with the most menial work. Their office continues pretty much in name only, in order to fulfil God's promise:
For thus said the LORD: There shall never be an end to men of David's line who sit upon the throne of the House of Israel. Nor shall there ever be an end to the line of the levitical priests before Me, of those who present burnt offerings and turn the meal offering to smoke and perform sacrifices. (Jeremiah 33:17-18 T)
We can understand why the Lord ensures the continuation of the Levitical Priesthood. In defiling the Covenant and rejecting Jesus, they did far worse than the Israelites mentioned in Ezekiel, chapter 36. Therefore, even more so than those Israelites at the time of Ezekiel6C, the office of Levitical Priesthood must continue to bear its shame.
Today, we can understand why the office of Levitical Priest continues in little more than name only!
Firstly, with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, the Covenant ceased to be enforceable at the Physical Level, putting an end to most of the duties of the Levitical Priesthood and Servitors.
And secondly, the acute shortage of qualified priests:
Nevertheless, despite all the attacks, the Covenant remains in force at the Spiritual Level. Hence the need to take away the responsibility of shepherding the flock from those who must bear their shame, and hand the shepherding over to the Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek:
Turn back, rebellious children — declares the LORD. Since I have espoused you, I will take you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will pasture you with knowledge and skill. (Jeremiah 3:14-15 T)
The Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek, it should be noted, operate entirely at the Spiritual Level.
Since obedience to the Covenant is no longer an option for Paul, how does he incorporate that keyword 'obedience' into his doctrine?
[Analysis: Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews defile and annul the Covenant, but appeal to the Covenant when it suits them.]
The retention and the reduction of the Levitical Priesthood to the lowest level of Servitor, is not a 'let-off' given by a warm, kind-hearted, and generous God. Quite the reverse. It is the decision of an aggrieved and incandescent God to ensure that the office of Levitical Priest continues to bear its shame throughout Eternity; and that shame will be intensified by the appointment of some Gentiles to the office:
And out of all the nations, said the LORD, they shall bring all your brothers on horses, in chariots and drays, on mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem My holy mountain as an offering to the LORD — just as the Israelites bring an offering in a pure vessel to the House of the LORD. And from them likewise I will take some to be Levitical priests, said the LORD. (Isaiah 66:20-2 T)
The appointment of aliens to the office of Levitical Priesthood had previously been forbidden:
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his sons, forever, to be consecrated as most holy, to make burnt offerings to the LORD and serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name forever. (1 Chronicles 23:13 T)
51 “We were shamed, we heard taunts;
Humiliation covered our faces,
When aliens entered
The sacred areas of the LORD's House.” (Jeremiah 51:51 (Tanakh))
4 Then he led me, by way of the north gate, to the front of the Temple. I looked, and lo! the Presence of the LORD filled the Temple of the LORD; and I fell upon my face. 5 Then the LORD said to me: O mortal, mark well, look closely and listen carefully to everything that I tell you regarding all the laws of the Temple of the LORD and all the instructions regarding it. Note well who may enter the Temple and all who must be excluded from the Sanctuary. 6 And say to the rebellious House of Israel: Thus said the Lord GOD: Too long, O House of Israel, have you committed all your abominations, 7 admitting aliens, uncircumcised of spirit and uncircumcised of flesh, to be in My Sanctuary and profane My very Temple, when you offer up My food — the fat and the blood. You have broken My covenant with all your abominations. 8 You have not discharged the duties concerning My sacred offerings, but have appointed them to discharge the duties of My Sanctuary for you.
9 Thus said the Lord GOD: Let no alien, uncircumcised in spirit and flesh, enter My Sanctuary—no alien whatsoever among the people of Israel. (Ezekiel 44:4-9 (Tanakh))
“The obedience that comes from faith [in Christ Jesus]” (Ro. 1:5 NIV).
21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22a NRSV)
Paul maps “God's righteousness” to “having faith and belief in His Son”. In this, Paul contradicts Moses, who said that righteousness resulted from obedience to the Covenant and its Law:
[24] The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. [25] And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." (Deuteronomy 6:24-25 NIV)
[Essay: The Lord authenticates Moses' Book of Teaching, but fails to authenticate Paul's new-covenant doctrine.]
We can see where Paul is coming from. At one time he had rejected Jesus and sought to persecute all who followed Him. It was after Paul's encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road that Paul saw how wrong he'd been.
The Lord tasked Paul with taking His Name to the Jews and the Gentiles:
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man [Saul] is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. (Acts 9:15 NIV)
Paul is so overcome that he consigns everything else to the refuse heap:
[7] But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss; [8] yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him, [9] not having my righteousness, which [is] of law, but that which [is] through faith of Christ -- the righteousness that is of God by the faith, (Philippians 3:7-9 YLT)
Unfortunately, Paul's emotion overcomes good sense, with the result that rational thinking also ends up on the rubbish heap.
Instead of seeing the errors in his upbringing, education, and training, and seeking to correct them, Paul goes off at half-cock, defiling the Covenant and then annulling it - not to mention implicating the Lord Spirit in his bogus doctrine.
Paul is totally blind - spiritually - where the Covenant is concerned. One need only read the narrative to see the warped and twisted understanding of the Covenant given him by his teachers, the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Paul's covenant, like that of his teachers, was the covenant belonging to the House of Desolation and the synagogue of the lord Satan.
The tale of woe continues, for Paul is also guilty of gross negligence. Not only does he fail to correct his understanding of the Covenant, but he also fails to enquire of the Twelve about Jesus and His theology.
Consequently, Paul annulled the Covenant. A Covenant of which Jesus stated that it was necessary to fully understand in order to understand what He Himself was saying:
45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47 NRSV)
Finally, just when it seems that Paul's doctrine can't get any worse, Paul attributes his false doctrine to the authority and guidance of the Lord Spirit:
[1] I am speaking the truth in Christ - I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit- (Romans 9:1 NRSV)
12 The man said, “The woman You put at my side — she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done!" The woman replied, “The serpent duped me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13 (Tanakh))
When Eve hid from the Lord, she admitted to wrongdoing. But, by way of explanation, she admits to being duped by the Serpent: 'The Serpent duped me' (Gen.3:13 T). Being duped, however, is in-itself an admission of weakness, of inadequacy. It is no defence. Neither is it cause for mitigation under the terms and conditions of the Primary Contract (see: 'No Mitigation').
The man said, "The woman You put at my side--she gave me of the tree, and I ate." (Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh))
“The woman you put at my side” (Gen. 3:12 T). Adam insinuates that the Lord God is to blame by giving him a second-rate, weak woman: “It's all your fault!”
Note the derogatory overtones to the use of the term 'woman'. This depersonalisation of Eve by Adam, this distancing of himself from his wife, is a technique later used by Paul to slant the narrative in order to support the universal subjugation of women:
And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:14 NIV)
By depersonalising Eve in this way, Paul is able to generalise 'woman' into 'women', subverting truth for his own agenda (which is directed towards the enslavement of women).
Paul calls Adam by his name. Eve, on the other hand, he refers to as 'the woman'. Note how Paul attempts to whitewash Adam: 'And Adam was not the one deceived'. The Serpent uses all his guile on Eve; whereas Adam, knowing God's commandment, has a word with his wife and eats what's put in front of him! Go figure.
Adam also blames the woman: 'she gave me of the tree' Gen. 3:12 T). And with that the unity of man and wife is shattered. Adam was no knight in shining armour: he made no effort whatsoever to defend a wife who'd been led astray by the Serpent; he didn't even stand up and plead mitigating circumstances on her behalf. His words were a craven attempt to get off the hook by trying to put all the blame on the Lord God and Eve. One gets the sense of a self-serving husband lacking true depth of feeling for his wife. And it is here that we begin to catch a glimpse of the accuracy of the Serpent's assessment of Adam's character, and his fine contempt for him.
But interestingly enough Eve doesn't reproach the man for his contemptible spinelessness and lack of support. Did she pick up on her husband's shallowness? Was Eve now fully aware of Adam's spineless and self-serving character?
The church have heaped blame on Eve down through the centuries, and have been consistent in their refusal to see Adam's obligation to catch his wife when she fell; compare their action with that of the secular world in which there is a desire, a need, and an expectation of support when things go wrong. “Will you catch me?”
Was such the nature of Eve's desire for her husband? And has such been the case since?
Of course, such care and support work both ways in a marriage! Several men have unashamedly told me of the support and help they received from the wife in times of difficulty; and not only support, but their wives made them better men than they would otherwise have been.
[Dissertation: Support!]
Many years later, Jesus will take up the theme of judgementalism in His sermon on the mount:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV)
14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent,“Because you did this,
More cursed shall you be
Than all cattle
And all the wild beasts:
On your belly shall you crawl
And dirt shall you eat
All the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your offspring and hers;
They shall strike at your head,
And you shall strike at their heel.”
16 And to the woman He said,
“I will make most severe
Your pangs in childbearing;
In pain shall you bear children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 To Adam He said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,'.
Cursed be the ground because of you;
By toil shall you eat of it
All the days of your life:
18 Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you.
But your food shall be the grasses of the field;
19 By the sweat of your brow
Shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground—
For from it you were taken.
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:14-19 (Tanakh))
Being duped is neither a defence nor an occasion for mitigation of sentence.
To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children." (Genesis 3:16a NIV)
Paul declares that Adam's wrongdoing brought Death to everyone:
For as in Adam all die (1 Corinthians 15:22a NIV)
With this declaration, Paul confirms that his doctrine is inescapably linked to original sin.
It follows, then, that within that doctrine, Eve's wrongdoing becomes the source of original sin handed down to women, and from which redemption is to be found through having children:
14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. (1 Timothy 2:14-15 NRSV)
This is another instance of Paul letting his mouth run away with him without thinking his 'doctrine' through. What of those women who die young, or remain single because of God's work, or suffer an accident, or are unable to have children through no fault of their own? These people - according to Paul's doctrine - will not be saved from the so-called 'original sin' which condemns them. In the light of the Covenant, Paul's 'doctrine' would be laughable were it not for the damage inflicted on both women and community by the church down through the years.
There is even more telling evidence against Paul! In holding to the false doctrine of original sin, Paul has resurrected a concept angrily outlawed by the Lord God at the time of Ezekiel6C:
The word of the LORD came to me: What do you mean by quoting this proverb upon the soil of Israel, “Parents eat sour grapes and their children's teeth are blunted”? As I live—declares the Lord GOD—this proverb shall no longer be current among you in Israel. Consider, all lives are Mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child are both Mine. The person who sins, only he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:1-4 et seq T)
"... your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." (Genesis 3:16b NIV)
'... he will rule over you.' These words directly imply that heretofore there had been equality within the marriage, with neither seeking to dominate or enslave the other: both of them working together in true unity and harmony.
Now that Adam has tried to transfer the blame to Eve, everything is about to change! So the Lord God warns Eve about what is going to happen to her. Adam will enslave her; and he has the physical strength to enforce that enslavement. Confirmation, if ever it were needed, follows in God's blistering attack on Adam.
In view of the blame Adam heaps on Eve, God's warning as to Eve's enslavement should come as no great surprise.
Many men misrepresent the future tense - 'he will rule over you' - as a command to men giving them license to enslave women. And people who should know better - people like Paul and Peter
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7 NIV)
...use this to misrepresent women as being the weaker sex, and therefore so untrustworthy that they need to be subject to the authority of men. There is every indication here that Paul has misled Peter, as evidenced by his words later in the chapter:
[14] Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; [15] and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, [16] speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (2 Peter 3:14-16 NRSV)
Women are misrepresented as being the weaker sex, and therefore so untrustworthy that they need to be subject to the authority of men:
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:11-14 NIV)
Paul goes so far as to require a woman to have a symbol of authority on her head:
9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. 10 For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:9-10 NRSV)
This, however, is but one step removed from carrying the mark of the Beast:
16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17 NIV)
This is nothing less than the precursor of an evil which warrants inclusion in the Blacklist:
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11 NIV)
Perhaps surprisingly therefore, the Lord predicts that, "Your desire will be for your husband..." (Genesis 3:16 NIV)
The Lord God rejects Adam's insinuation that He is in any way to blame:
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:17 NIV)
The Lord God gives Adam a sharp reminder of his own wrongdoing. It is a repudiation of Adam's insinuation that God was at fault. In listening to his wife rather than Himself, God condemns Adam's weakness. And God's words are a reminder to Adam to examine his own conduct before criticising that of his wife.
God's words, however, go far beyond this. A closer inspection shows that the unity of marriage is such that Adam might have been able to save the day:
17 And to the man he said,
"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,'
[therefore] cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; (Genesis 3:17 NRSV)
The absence of a modal qualifier suggests that the Lord God's reasoning is deductive.
In view of the Lord God's argument and its deductive conclusion, what would have happened if Adam had refrained from eating but immediately asked the Lord for His help? The nature of the argument is such that one must consider the alternatives.
Implicit in God's words is the suggestion that had Adam not eaten, but approached God directly with the problem of Eve's lapse, then Adam and Eve might not have been thrown out of the Garden. See the parallel precedent set by vows within marriage.
There is a grim irony in men accusing women of spiritual weakness!
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:7 (Tanakh))
The Lord God replaced the fig leaves with more durable clothing:
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:20-21 (Tanakh))
The Lord God's assessment of the state of mankind:
5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Gen. 6:5 NIV)
Hence the covering of one's nakedness was a safeguard subsequently written into Covenant Law. For example:
Do not ascend My altar by steps, that your nakedness may not be exposed upon it. (Exodus 20:23)
When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:6-7 (Tanakh))
In the light of the annulment of vows, the text raises an interesting question. What is the significance of verse seven 'Then the eyes of both of them were opened'?
Why weren't Eve's eyes opened as soon as she ate the forbidden fruit? As a person, hadn't she already fallen into sin and error? Why were their eyes opened only after both had partaken of the forbidden fruit?
The questions raised above highlight the degree of danger to which we are exposed when residing with the Lord God in the Heavenly Realm. Which, in turn, highlights the need for obedience to the Covenant.
Furthermore, the questions force us to look once again at the true state of marriage:
Fig.4: The married state.
The schematic shows that neither Adam nor Eve existed as individuals. Each was a component part of the single entity 'HusbandWife': in this instance 'AdamEve'.
At the Physical Level, husband and wife are a complex, composite single being; at the Spiritual Level they are one person. At the Physical Level, it would appear that there are two individuals; but this is an optical illusion which can easily lead people astray.
[Essay: Specialisation in the Plant Kingdom.]
[Essay: Specialisation in the Animal Kingdom.]
When Eve ate the forbidden fruit, husband and wife were no longer of one mind. Eve had fallen by the wayside, but at that time Adam had not done so. One might therefore say that AdamEve was in an inconsistent state at the Spiritual Level. Their unity was effectively shattered.
The fact that Eve's eyes were not immediately opened suggests that there was, as yet, no formal entry in the Books of Record. Why was that?
I think that the key is to be found with Jesus' explanation of marriage:
3 Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"
4 He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:3-6 NRSV)
Adam and Eve were not separate entities; they were a single entity at the Physical Level and at the Spiritual Level.
Thus, when Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, AdamEve was in an inconsistent state.
It is only when Adam partakes of the forbidden fruit that AdamEve is once again in a consistent state at the Spiritual Level:
When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:6-7 (Tanakh))
And it is now, in their unity of wrongdoing, that they become guilty and their eyes are opened. The pen now descends upon the page and records the details of their wrongdoing in the Books of Record; the state of AdamEve immediately changes from 'innocent' to 'guilty' (see: Books of Record).
Had Adam not eaten the forbidden fruit which Eve placed in front of him but then ignored her lapse, then he would have become complicit in Eve's wrongdoing and their guilt would have been sealed: for we know that silence gives assent:
6 If she marries, while obligated by her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, 7 and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her at the time that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. (Numbers 30:6-7 NRSV)
However, had Adam refused to eat the forbidden fruit and immediately called upon the help of the Lord God, then things might have turned out very differently! The pen, though hovering over a new page in the Books of Record, had not as yet recorded anything.
With the marriage in an inconsistent state, Adam's immediate cry for help would have avoided any hint of complicity; and Adam could have emphasised the extenuating circumstances of the Serpent's deceit, and perhaps Eve's inexperience due to her late arrival in the Garden Annex. Then, again, they had little experience of the married state, and no education as to the demands of marriage, or the dangers. They did not have the benefit of a Book of Teaching like we do today.
The Lord's own words lend support to this safeguard:
Consider, all lives are Mine; the life of the parent and the life of the child are both Mine. The person who sins, only he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)
Since AdamEve are one person, the Lord is unable to destroy half of a person!
Therefore, had the Lord God written AdamEve's name in the Books of Record while the marriage was in an inconsistent state, then the Lord God would have violated His declaration - explained to us at the time of Ezekiel6C - that 'The person who sins, only he shall die'. The Lord God would have wrongly attributed sin to Adam which he hadn't committed. And so the pen hovers over the page in the Books of Record, while the Lord God awaits Adam's response to the forbidden fruit placed in front of him... The Lord's heart is saddened when Adam rejects His help and tucks into the forbidden fruit. With heavy heart He writes 'AdamEve' in the Books of Record, and commences to fill in the details of their wrongdoing...
The Lord God was always available; and He would have responded immediately to any cry for help from Adam. We have already seen that one spouse could annul the vows of the other outside of the Rescue Contract, provided it was dealt with as soon as it became known. And I am confident that had Adam acted promptly in similar fashion, then the Lord God could have forgiven Eve's lapse and put the pen back in His pocket.
AdamEve, dwelling with the Lord in the Garden Annex, was very much like the vulnerable young girl who was living at home under her parents' protection within the framework of the Covenant.
Just like that young girl, AdamEve lacked maturity. Like the vulnerable young woman living in her parents' home, they were living in God's Home in the company of their Heavenly Father! Furthermore, like that vulnerable young woman, they were dwelling with their Heavenly Father in the framework of the current Covenant. And like that vulnerable young woman, the vulnerability of AdamEve would lay claim to the Lord's safeguards.
The parallel is far too close to dismiss out of hand! The safeguards far too similar to ignore!
[Essay: Adam's failure to 'catch' Eve.]
[Dissertation: Marriage: educating the engaged couple.]
[Dissertation: Maintaining a consistent state to marriage.]
Further extensions and implications are left as a homework assignment.
[Essay: Mistakes made in the classroom vs mistakes made in the workplace.]
[Essay: What takes place in the classroom stays in the classroom.]
[Dissertation: Covenant Safeguards.]
Adam insinuated that God had given him a second-rate wife, a wife who was clearly a liability. Perhaps the seriousness of this rift [between men and God] is to found in Gen. 4:26, where it states that it wasn't until Enosh was born that men started to call upon the Lord:
25 Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel," for Cain had killed him. 26 And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. It was then that men began to invoke the LORD by name. (Genesis 4:25-26 (Tanakh))
Adam blamed Eve. And blame would ultimately lead to Eve's subjugation.
The Lord God warned Eve that she would be enslaved:
To the woman he said, "... Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. " (Genesis 3:16 NIV)
But of course, men have taken this simple warning - addressed specifically to Eve - and turned it into a commandment and a licence for the enslavement of women everywhere!
Three-way disunity - between God, men, and women - is the consequence. Potentiation (q.v.) is destroyed. Division will end in total collapse:
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25 NIV)
[Dissertation: The divided church.]
Before the fall, the man and woman worked together, without either seeking to gain the ascendancy over the other. What the Lord God wants is for husband and wife to work together in similar fashion under His guidance and leadership. Despite being excluded from the garden, this is still something to which we may aspire today.
But sin enters in and 'unity' is one of the first victims: Adam blames both God and the woman.
From blame to subjugation of the woman is but a short step. Paul is so strident that I have been asked about Paul's problem with women. Even Peter is tainted by Paul's 'theology'. For example:
7 Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life-so that nothing may hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7 NRSV)
Down through the ages, this disunity has continued to grow and spread: it is to be found in every level of society - and not least within the churches, with all their sects and divisions. Each believes that it has a monopoly on the 'truth' - though some may hasten to give the illusion of humility. Consequently each clings to its principles; and when the 'truth' changes, then there is fierce in-fighting followed by further schism.
[Essay: Disunity destroys potentiation.]
Jesus requires us to:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)
Jesus requires obedience (verse 20). In addition, we are required to teach obedience.
But if we are to truly obey Jesus, then it is imperative we understand and believe what Moses13C wrote:
45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47 NRSV)"
For only then will we find David's Tent.
Whereupon the Lord puts us to the question:
"Are you interested in helping with the rebuilding of David's fallen Tent?"
Version: 2024-08-01