Genesis

The Bible is the most published, read, and least understood book in the world.  The word “least,” correctly defines man’s present perception of this most important book.  The words least understood mean that of the millions of books written there is not one book that presents more of a mystery.  Not a single book presents more of a mystery than the Bible. None!

Of this least understood book, the part that is most likely read the most is the Book of Genesis.  True to course, Genesis is the least understood of all the books of the Bible. Why is this?  It’s because most think of it as being written in a time order.  Gen. 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE

What is known about the earth when it was first made?  Nothing more is said here, but God through Job reveals some important facts. God questions Job about the creation. Job 38:4-7. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” When the astronauts looked back at the earth from the moon they remarked about its beauty.

The sons of God, the angels, were so mesmerized by the beauty of what they saw that they shouted for joy at its magnificence.  This earth was beautiful when it was first made. According to God there was nothing that marred the beauty of it. Gen. 1:2 explains the great change in its appearance.  “The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” This is the next picture in time shown to us by God. The earth is no longer a thing of beauty, but is now pictured as void and without form.  Because of this change there was an act of re-creation required to restore it to its original beauty as the angelic host first witnessed it.

EARTH’S FIRST CHANGE

The word translated “was” is #1961, having the following definition in the Theological Word Book of the Old Testament. Quote: “To be, become, exist, happen.”  The translators used the word “was” instead of the word “became” because they fail to understand that something could act upon the earth to cause it to become chaotic and without form.  The earth did become chaotic and without form. When God makes something He does not need to redo it. Then what brought about the change?

Isaiah 14, verses 12-15.  “How you have fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground. You who weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high, yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.’”  

The beautiful earth is where God placed Satan and one-third of the angels to live as a type of colony. The term “my throne” says that Satan was the ruler of this colony. The phrase “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, means that he is saying “I will be like the most high God, the ruler of the entire universe.”  The term “ascend” depicts him going to war with God. This war changed the beauty of the earth to what is described in Genesis 1, verse 2:  In chaos and without form.

THE EARTH RESTORED

Looking at the earth in this condition, it would not be recognizable as described in Job 38. What is seen is an indistinguishable mass that did not allow the light to reach the physical earth.  The statement is, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  It was the water vapor that was so dense that it kept the light from reaching the earth, making it impossible to see it. It is obvious that the light source was already in place.  This presupposes that there was light present, but unable to penetrate the denseness of the water vapor.  Gen. 1:3-5, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness, God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” At what point were these observations being made about the earth if there was no light present? 

MEASURING TIME

Man may think that it was at this point that time was created. However, the truth is that man was given a way in which he could measure the passage of time through his sense of sight.  What God did was give man a tool to measure time by counting what he saw as periods of light followed by darkness. God established a countable cycle that is called days – the rotation of the earth.   Therefore, everything involving time is measured by the rotation of the earth. This is the only way to have a viable record of history.  Without a tracking device that places events in the order in which they happen history loses the power to teach those who follow. 

The correct understanding is that God cleared the atmosphere allowing the sunlight to reach the earth.  He then started the earth to rotate, giving a dividing of the night and day – Day One, which is now called Sunday.  Here God makes an important distinction, calling the night time first, making it the beginning of the day count just as the sun drops below the horizon starting a new day. This is unlike the Gregorian calendar that begins the day at midnight. A point that can only be determined by a manmade instrument called a clock.  The beginning and ending of the day can always be known in God’s system. 

Because the Garden of Eden is the center of the discussion, the creation of the day was made from this point on the earth, and at that time would mean that the first day began as it was becoming dark.  Picturing the opposite side of the earth, its day would be starting at 6 AM – in the early morning light.  This is the beginning of time as it is known today.  The count of the day, week, month and year begins here.  The day length becomes more meaningful by seeing it as one rotation of the earth, rather than thinking of twenty-four hours, which gives the impression of a static earth, rather than one that is continually moving.  It makes it clear that creation was accomplished in seven rotations of the earth. As the earth is moving God is making changes to it. 

BEGINNING OF RE-CREATION

Gen. 1:6-8 says “Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus 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. So the evening and the morning were the second day.’” Here God is remaking the surface of the earth, preparing it for man’s habitation.

In Day two God made the atmosphere. What He did was surround the earth with a gaseous atmosphere that would sustain both plant and animal life which was an important part of His design. This atmosphere contains the following major components: water vapor in varying amounts of what is called humidity:  nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.  All of these are necessary to support plant and animal life.  The nitrogen and carbon are essential for plant life; a thing which the environmentalist do not seem to understand. Gen. 1:6-8, “Thus 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. So the evening and the morning were the second day. God prepared the atmosphere which would support the two types of life that He planned for the earth. Basically it is nitrogen, carbon and water for plant life; water and oxygen for air breathing animals and people.  

CREATION OF LIFE

Next is the separation of the liquid water from the solid mass of the earth.  Gen. 1:9-10, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into 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 He called seas. And God saw that it was good.”  The work of the third day was still not finished. Gen. 1:11-13, “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth;’ and it was so. And the earth brought fourth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day.”

The first living thing created was plant life, pointing to the symbiotic relationship of plant to animals.  The plants are food for the animals, and are needed before the animals are created.  In turn, the animals leave the by-product (manure) as well as the gases of nitrogen and carbon dioxide that are needed by the plants to survive.  In turn the plants produce the oxygen that animals and humans need to survive. Thus this marvelous creation is designed to work together. Plants are needed for animals and animals are needed for plants.

The next five verses, Genesis 14 through 18, rank high as the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Many think these verses are saying it was at this time that God created the sun moon and stars.  It has already been made plain that the universe, with all of the stars and planets, had been created as stated in Job 38.  God does not create anything in a state of chaotic unrecognizable form.  This earth is an example of what He has created as beautiful and functional. The key to understanding what God did on the fourth day is found in Gen. 1:17-18. “God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” 

GOD SETS HIS CLOCK

The word “set” is Strong’s number 5414, with the meaning: “The three broad areas of meaning of the verb natan are 1, give, 2, put, or set and 3, make or constitute.”  As already known these bodies already existed prior to day 1, the correct meaning for this word should be set, and is what the translators correctly use.  This reveals that God aligned the earth, sun, moon and stars to reflect this fourth day of creation, which is the fourth revolution of the earth.  God set the clock He gave to man to the correct time.

In Genesis 1, verses 14-15, He explains the purpose. “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, for days and years, and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth;’ and it was so.”

This is God’s clock for man. Once set no one could alter it except God Himself, which some think He did make a change to it. They say this without factual scriptures to back that claim. God never changed the day count of revolutions.

UNCHANGEABLE TIME

Through thousands of years of man’s observation of the heavenly bodies, beginning with the Egyptians, there has never been noted any change in the movement of these bodies from their fixed orbital paths. Therefore there was no change in the velocity of the bodies in what we call the heavens.  Reference the article: INTRODUCTION TO BIBLICAL TIME, found at www.biblicalcalendarproof.com  

There is no scripture that says that God ever changed the day, month or year.   Since God set them in orbit they have remained exactly that way. All Biblical prophecies can be based only on a fixed calendar of time. That calendar was set at creation. All measurements of time are based on the rotation of the earth – day, month and year. All three elements are counted by the rotation of the earth.

MAN LIMITED

Many who think of themselves as the elite of thinkers believe that the elements of the earth created themselves into what is presently called the earth and its atmosphere. Contrary to the theory of evolution nothing creates nothing, and when taken back to its origin, the starting point, this is an obvious fact. Therefore, they must begin with something that exists.

 From our first perception of life only the results of creation are seen as it exists in the present. Therefore, the concept of nothing is not in the realm of possibility for human minds. This is shown in Heb. 11:1-3.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

In verse one, the word “evidence” is used, pointing to what can be comprehended with mam’s five senses.  These senses are: to see, to hear, to smell, to taste and to feel.   Man cannot go beyond these five ways of measuring and understanding things, and is why the statement is made “the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear,” or things man can comprehend with the five senses.   God simply uses some unknown things that we cannot comprehend because we lack the faculty’s to do so.  What this is saying is that this original source is not comprehensible using the five senses man has been given, and man cannot detect or understand based on his senses.   

Man’s brain can only receive what these five senses record, and is why the term “nothing” cannot be understood or verbalized.  Only terms that relate to the five senses can be used, and this is because these senses always depict something. It is also true when trying to depict eternal time and space without limits. Therefore, the evolutionist must always start with something that exists in order to build their theory, making it appear to be working.  

In John 20:19, Christ walks through the wall into the room where the disciples are. “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” Here Christ is seen passing into a closed room to present Himself for the first time since His crucifixion, with the wounds that had killed him. Yet it had no effect on His ability to appear or talk.

How can this be?  Man’s brain can only receive what these five senses record. This is why the term “nothing” cannot be understood or verbalized.   The evolutionist must always begin with “something” to make their assumption appear to work. They could not comprehend what was made clear to the disciples when Jesus appeared to them after His crucifixion as seen in John 20:19. With his five senses man cannot understand how Christ passed from a human life form to another life form; a life form that does not have the restrictions those that humans are living under in this temporary creation.  

The evolutionists find life temporary – we live, we die, and that is the end of it. This life is also temporary for those who understand that God has a plan for mankind, and they understand it is temporary for a reason.     

The reason for this change will be explained by showing the first seven days of creation. The fifth day is found in Gen. 1:20-23. “Then God said ‘Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly across the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abound, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.’ So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.’”  

On the sixth day God began by making the air breathing land animals.  Gen. 1:24-25 ‘Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring fourth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth, each according to its kind;’ and it was so…….. And God saw that it was good.

A TEMPORARY CREATION

 In verses 26 and 27 God reveals the reason for making this special creation temporary, with all its beauty and complexity.  “Let us make man.”  The words “let us” reveal an important truth that there is more than one being involved in the process of creating man.  As God is the only one who can create life we see here what the rest of the Bible reveals. Two beings are God – the Father, and Christ, His son.  One does the planning and the other carries it out. In this case it is Christ who made the first man. Man is a being that stands apart from the rest of creation; one made capable of understanding all aspects of this present creation by being given the five senses and a brain to comprehend what they reveal of his present surroundings. This enabled man to make calculated decisions on what action he would take.

Embedded in these two verses are the reasons God gives for making this temporary creation. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.’”

In this simple announcement by the two beings of the Godhead an important work is revealed which has occupied their full attention for more than 6,000 years. Most read over this passage, making the assumption that the two words, “image” and “likeness” mean the same thing. However, they are two different words with independent meanings.  In Strong’s numbering system of Bible words the number for “image” is 6754, and the number for “likeness” is 1823.  By understanding what these words are meant to convey, God reveals the core reason for placing man on this complex, beautiful planet with a temporary existence.  Just as the evolutionists live and die without a reason, there are those who search for a reason for their existence.  In the meaning of the two words, image and likeness the answer is found. 

The word “likeness” means that God created man with the same outward shape as Himself. Head, arms, legs, body, feet, etc.  The most important part of man’s construction was to be the development of his character typified by the word “image,” which means godly character. 

To have the character of God means that whatever circumstance mankind faces in this life, his actions should be the same as those of God in the same situation. To accomplish this goal He began with a single individual who was allowed to make autonomous decisions based on what his five senses sent to a recording device understood to be man’s brain.  This allows man to make independent decisions, good or bad, based on the memory his five senses give him which, in effect, is a record of his experiences. It is called “Free Moral Agency.” God made man to be a stand-alone individual, free to make his own decisions, reaping either good or bad results from the decisions that he makes. 

As already noted there is a male and female human present. The detail of how and why the female was created is explained in chapter 2 of Genesis.

God laid out the initial part of His fundamental plan in Gen. 1:28. “God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”  This tells what to do, not HOW to do it.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Why a temporary creation?  It was because of God’s outgoing concern for mankind being based on that concern. Man’s existence can only be based on two ways of life.  One is the competitive system called Survival of the Fittest, which is clarified as first seen in the book of Genesis with Cain killing his brother Abel, eliminating him as a rival.  It is this threat of violence that is intrinsic to this system, causing man to join into groups which grow into nations for protection. The existence of nations is based on this act of joining together for the purpose of protection of the individual. The fundamental drive for this system is fear; the fear of what the competitor might do to him to gain an advantage.

Look at the nations of this world. History shows they spend their wealth to arm themselves for either preservation or dominance of others.  Then, within individual nations, there is a scramble of men who want to be the leaders. Not necessarily to lead the nation but for what they conceive as bettering themselves to achieve their goals of wealth and power which they deem as security. They have no restrictions on how these goals are achieved in this competitive system known as Survival of the Fittest.  This means that whatever it takes to achieve the goal they are willing to do. Lying, stealing, cheating, and even killing is accepted, forcing their will unto others through intimidation.  Is there some kind of unwritten restraint which prevents the disaster that ensues? The survival will always out trump any perceived notion apart from God’s written laws of conduct that would be man’s guide. Fear is the engine that controls this society; being responsible for ever growing weapons of war and man’s ability to use them. 

This end result is explained in Matt. 24:22. “And unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved, but for the elects sake those days will be shortened.”

GOD’S WAY

The other way is God’s way of having an outgoing concern for others, giving man the security in which he would prosper. Their first concern is for the wellbeing of their fellowman, resulting in a working cooperation never before experienced by man; a system free from fear. Micah 4:4 “But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.” Through God’s word He speaks to man, showing him the way. 

It is understood that God has an outgoing concern for man’s existence in an eternal sense of living forever. Man is here in this temporary creation to learn what God already knows about eternal life.  Man must learn,  in an intrinsic way, how to live a productive, satisfying life, making it the only course of action that man willingly takes. 

Knowing that God has made man, it is clear that He has the right to destroy him. He shows this by the potter’s action in Jerimiah 18, verses 6 through 8. “Oh house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? says the Lord. ‘Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, oh house of Israel!  The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.’” 

When God sees a man’s intent to live by His principles there is no fear. I John 4:17-19. “Love has been perfected among us in that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” 

This way brings about a community unfettered by fear.  Joining together in communities facilitates the betterment of an individual.  However, the community is subject to the independence of the individual.  Each works for the betterment of the other. This is the society that Christ will establish when He returns to this earth.

This betterment can be accomplished simply by reversing the conduct embedded in the Survival of the Fittest system. Don’t lie, don’t steal, and don’t commit adultery, coupled with a deep respect for the God who did the creating.  Man must understand that he has no intrinsic value, but exist at God’s pleasure. If one has an overriding faith in His system, a faith in His way of life that is so strong, one is willing to sacrifice his physical life rather than walk contrary to God’s principles of conduct. Matt. 10:38-39. “And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”  This is repeated in Matt. 16:24-25. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’”

WHY THE SEVENTH DAY?  

In continuing to examine the early days of man’s existence it will be seen how the Survival of the Fittest system came about as the standard for man’s way of life. Chapter 2 of Genesis opens with the establishment of the seventh day as a commemoration of the creation of the world and man. Gen. 2:2-3, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”    

The following verses from Genesis 2 are a detailed description of what had occurred on the sixth day. But, before continuing there are some important observations to be made about Genesis 2:2.  God ended the work of physical creation; He did not stop His most important work of developing godly character in man.  John 5:17

“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” John 15:1-2

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” 

It is the physical work that God ended at the end of six days; giving man an example to follow.  He finished His physical work in six days, resting on the seventh. He gave man this example to follow. Man is given six days to provide a living. The seventh day is reserved for man’s spiritual growth: who he is, why he is, and what the future may hold for him.  

Man either recognizes the vital importance of the seventh day and the observation of it, or passes over it to his own destruction.

Genesis 2:5 ……“Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.”  Here it is seen that God returned to the description of what He did on Day 2.  Moisture for the earth to grow plants was provided by dew rather than rain and explains the great change that was the result of the Noachian Flood.  

HOW GOD MADE MAN AND THE GARDEN        

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Here God personally forms man and with his own breath brings him to life.  Gen. 2:8 “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there He put the man whom He had formed.”  The man, Adam, was present to experience the garden that God created next. By definition it was a walled garden, so Adam saw the wall forming as God spoke the words to build it.  He saw trees with edible fruit being formed, bushes bearing fruit, and a river running through the garden. Adam was an eye witness to all of this being created.

GOD’S COMMAND   

Genesis 2:15 tell us, “Then the Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”  Then God gave Adam the job of caring for the garden. As every gardener knows the garden must have attention. Gen. 2:16-17 “And the Lord God commanded man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may eat freely; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”   The word commanded was a command of instruction, carrying the penalty of death if not obeyed. It should be understood that the penalty at that point would be meaningless to Adam if God had not explained in verbal terms what death was, and then gave him a factual picture of what the end of life meant.

The command carried with it the penalty of death if disobeyed. However, man was still free to choose.

When looking at the penalty “you shall surely die,” the correct translation reads: “dying you shall die.”  Clearly this reflects the aging process man faces in this present life which always results in death.

Genesis 2:18 “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’”  Before God made Eve He gave Adam the task of naming the created animals. In the process Adam understands the animals were created in pairs, but that he is the only human being. Adam’s partner is to be a helper, Strong’s number 5828.  The word helper carries the understanding of one who is intrinsically involved in attaining the goals set by the one who leads the way, the husband. Not a slave, but one who works alongside.  The ultimate success of the family is the responsibility of the head. Matt. 19:5-6 “And said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and two shall become one flesh.  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.’”  The key words here are “joined together.” Strong’s #4801 explains it. “It is future from sun (4862) together and zeugos 2201, yoke, pair.  To yoke together as animals. Figuratively to join together, unite as husband and wife.” Here the picture is of two pulling a cart which cannot be moved or made to go in one direction without the two pulling together.

Before going further there are important points to be made.  Satan was not allowed into the garden until God allowed it.  As already noted there are two ways of living. First is God’s way of outgoing concern for others.  He took whatever length of time that was needed to instill this principle into Adam and Eve.  This is not revealed, but should be obvious by the interchange that took place between Eve and Satan. Another point is that when teaching them God appeared as a man.  For proof read the article HAS GOD APPEARED IN PHYSICAL FORM?  This was done because God wanted to emphasize the teaching, not the teacher.

THE “SNAKE” REVEALED

When Satan came into the garden how did he appear, and to whom did he make himself known? His appearance was as described in Ezekiel 28, verses 12 through 14. “Son of man, ‘Take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him,’ Thus says the Lord God: ‘You were the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering; The Sardis, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones.  

Genesis 3:1 says: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And He said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said you should not eat of every tree of the garden?”  This describes a being that God created along with every beast of the field, including the angels. Here the word “fields” represents the entire universe and all living beings on it.

In the Book of Genesis the term “serpent” is used to describe a being that is later pictured in Revelation 12, verse 9.  “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The Book of Revelation makes it plain that the serpent of Genesis was factually Satan.  God used the metaphor of a snake to picture the evil intent of Satan.

The next important word used is cunning, which is #6175, and described in the Theological Word Book of the Old Testament: “This adjective is negative when rendered “crafty.” (See Job 5:12; 15:5). The most memorable use of arum in this negative nuance is, of course, Genesis 3:1, ‘Now the serpent was craftier than any other wild creature which the Lord God had made.’”

The next statement is taken to mean the animals that God made on the earth.  The word is beasts and is #2416. It has the wider meaning of all living beings, including all of the angels.  #7704 is for the word field, and is described as including the high place, and describes all creation.   It is why all creatures would include the angelic host.

EVE AND SATAN             

When reading the word “serpent” many think Eve was speaking with a talking snake.  Can a snake be more cunning than an angel?  It should be obvious that Eve was dealing with Satan, who is metaphorically pictured as a snake.  As pictured in Ezekiel 28:12-14 she was overwhelmed by his appearance, and all logic deserted her. His impressive appearance gave her the impression that he should be believable.  When Satan quizzed her about eating of every tree in the garden he implied that there should be no restrictions. Gen. 3:1. “….Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” Note that Satan uses the negative word “not” in the positive sense, preparing Eve for the coming lie.

Eve’s response is given in Gen. 3:2-3.  “And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it lest you die.’”  Eve answered with fear rather than with knowledge of what the tree would do to anyone, even by just touching it. 

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL         

By correctly understanding what the tree and its fruit metaphorically stood for, and the physical effect the fruit would have on the human body, it can be seen why God gave Adam the instructions that He did.  This tree represents the life system of survival of the fittest; good for those who reach the top, evil for the majority who live under oppression.  It would also physically change the DNA of man, preventing him from accurately replicating his cellular structure as seen in the aging process, followed by death.  

Gen. 5:1-2 “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them mankind in the day they were created.”  God created them perfect; their cellular structure duplicated themselves perfectly. They had the potential to live indefinitely in their human bodies. However, once they ate of the forbidden fruit their bodies lost the ability to perfectly replicate its cellular structure.  It is why in Genesis 5, verse 3 it says, “And Adam lived 130 years, and begot a son in his own likeness after his image, and named him Seth.” This son would now have the changed body of Adam, subject to aging.  One of man’s greatest quests throughout history has been to find the fountain of youth, allowing him to overcome old age and death and live forever. This quest can only be attained by a change of attitude in the mind.  

Adam’s son had Adam’s physical appearance and also had his character with two exceptions. They were Enoch and Noah, who walked with God.

Recently man has discovered that the gradual loss of the replicating function of his cellular structure is the key to why man ages and dies.  He wants to overcome this impediment to prevent the aging process. To make this kind of change is beyond man’s ability, which is limited to his five senses.  Man cannot create life!

WHY ADAM FOLLOWED EVE

Eve acted impulsively, rather than going to the creator of the tree to confirm the truth of what Satan was telling her. She agreed with the idea that being the first created beings they could rule all future offspring. Again – survival of the fittest. She then takes the fruit to Adam, who also acts impulsively by eating of the fruit, but for a different reason.  He knows that Eve is going to die, and he will lose his partner. If Adam had taken this to the creator before eating of the fruit there would have been a totally different outcome. I Cor. 7:16 explains, “…….how do you know, oh husband, whether you will save your wife?”  God gave the husband power to disavow any vow that his wife makes, that the husband deems detrimental.  Reference Num. 30:1-8.  

I  Tim. 2:14 shows that Adam was not deceived by Satan. “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.”  Adam failed in his responsibility of leading the way by not having faith, which is pointed out in I Cor. 15:22. “For as in Adam all die.”  And because of his sin all mankind dies. “Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  The penalty of death was passed to Adam’s progeny as is made clear in Genesis 5:1.  Adam failed to have faith in his maker.  Faith without obedience to God is not faith.

SATAN’S CHOICE

As Satan came into the garden there were three possibilities open to him.  One – he could do nothing. Two – he could tell Adam and Eve to follow the instructions of the All Powerful God by relating the story of his own failure as found in Isiah 14:12-15. “How you are fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;  I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.”

The word “weakened” is past tense but it should be present tense, because that is what Satan is doing now.

He weakens the nations by war or the threat of war. This does nothing but side-track the wealth of the nations in preparation for death and destruction.

Satan’s third option was to try to upset the plan God had for man by deceiving Eve. If she accepted his deception he would replace God to become her god because he sees himself as the one most fit to lead the human race. This is seen in today’s society.

Gen. 3:4. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’”  (Dying you will die.)  The word used here for “not” is Strong’s #3808, and is an absolute or factual negation.  It is the same word God used in telling Adam not to eat of the fruit of that tree.

Why did Satan chose Eve and not Adam for the deception? He knew Adam would not be impressed with his appearance because Adam had the mind expanding experience of witnessing the creation of the garden.  But he could get Adam to capitulate through his wife.

ADAM AND EVE NAKED

After the initial encounter with Satan, Adam and Eve realized they did not have clothes on. Gen 3:7. As a result they are distressed and tried to cover themselves with the leaves of plants.  There was no need for them to have a covering while in the garden because it was climate controlled, being enclosed with a wall.  It was a great contrast in what Satan was wearing and their nakedness. Before this encounter they had no recognition of their naked condition.

Gen. 3:11. “And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’” This question is answered by the fact that the only other being who could communicate to them was Satan.  Satan would have surly pointed out that they were naked in comparison to him; he shamed them. 

THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY

In Genesis 3, verse 12 it says, “Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’”  Adam tries to deflect his responsibility back to God, saying “You were the one who gave me the woman.”  Then he places the blame on her, saying: “She is the one who gave me the fruit.” Gen. 3:13. “And the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”  Eve’s excuse was that the the “snake”, Satan, lied to her. But she failed by not going to the source of truth, God.  An example to follow is given to us by the Bereans, who checked the scriptures to see if Paul was telling the truth, and we should do the same. 

The Old Testament and New Testament are connected. Anyone who says that they are a disciple of Christ has a responsibility to make sure that those claiming to be speaking for Christ must teach from the Word; that is: the Bible.  Paul taught New Testaments truths that the Bereans confirmed to be true by studying the Old Testament scriptures.  It was their only source of truth, and Paul commended them for their diligence.  A true teacher always will show a unity of the Old and New Testament scriptures.  Luke 21:33. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.”  

Continuing with verses 14 and 15, “So the Lord God said to the serpent; ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than the cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’”  The offspring of the woman are the called of God under the leadership of Christ.  Satan’s seed (followers) are those who understand the survival of the fittest as the only system for man. 

In Satan’s mind he could not conceive that God would destroy him. His thinking was that he fought God with the intent of replacing Him, and yet was still functioning.  “Because of my beauty I feel permanent.”  It is plain that Satan failed to perceive that righteous character is more important to God the Father than appearance. 

Nothing is more apparent than the comparison than Saul to David. I Sam 10:23 gives a picture of Saul. “So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.” This was a man of great strength vs David, a man of faith who trusted in God. 

I Sam 17:26. “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, ‘What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God?’”

Satan’s end is prophesied here by the bruising of his head.  The words “bruise his head” are Strong’s number 7779, which can be translated either bruised or crushed. In light of the prophecy of Ezekiel 28 it clearly should be translated “crushed.”

To be cursed more than animals puts on Satan the highest punishment of any created being God made.  No matter what he does it will end in his defeat; even when it appears that he has a victory over man, the true end is humiliation, with the final end being total destruction as shown in Rev. 20:7-8. 

Satan’s ultimate punishment comes at the conclusion of Christ’s one thousand year reign when God uses him one last time to deceive the nations. “Now when the thousand years have expired Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” 

The end of Satan is described in Ezek. 28:17-19. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuary by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading, therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.”    

This is an example of the Berean attitude that men should have.  Can there be an ever burning hell if God’s arch enemy, who is the deceiver of the whole world, is burned and becomes ashes?  Someone is not telling the truth! The truth of the Bible is that all who refuse to understand God’s way of outgoing concern for others will have an end just like Satan.   Malachi 4:1-3 explains this. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of Hosts, ‘That will leave them neither root nor branch.’ But to you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall grow fat like stalled fed calves, you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the Lord of Hosts.’”   The history of their end will be there forever, just as Christ said in Luke 21:33. 

Gen. 3:16-17, “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”  Instead of a partner working in unison to the goal that God set she is ruled over by her husband. Verse 17, “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’”   

Adam was the one who was supposed to be leading the way, but he failed in his leadership. The consequence was that they would now be living in Satan’s world; one of competition with the plants, the animals and their fellowman.  Fear would control his life.  All mankind now is living in this system.  God is in the process of imprinting this lesson into man’s memory, never to be forgotten.  Luke 21:33. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”