First book of the Holy Bible is titled as Genesis which means origin. One reads and learns about – how God made the existing world. Narrating us the beginning or creation of everything. Opening verse of the bible itself is like a marvellous musical piece which soothes one’s soul and lifts our frame of mind.
Both jews and Christian believe that Moses is the author and complier of Genesis. The first five books of the Hoy Bible are known as Pentateuch which were written by prophet Moses.
Genesis was written during Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the time between the crossing of the Red Sea and the entrance into Canaan.
Genesis is divided into two parts, the initial accounts the creation of the world and the beginning of human race with Adam and Eve. The second part concerns the early history of Israel, starting with the three patriarchs of Hebrew – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Followed by twelve tribe that were the descendants. God created all things good. Although, His creation rebelled and sinned against Him. Yet He still loves and cares for His people.
So? Reading up till now, do you have any troubling thoughts or queries? Like, how did Moses possess the knowledge to write regarding the making of the heaven, the earth and everything which has ever occurred before his existence? Maybe we all are well aware of the answer but let me solidify your faith and be of your aid with verses which is the word of God.
“I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them.”
Hosea 12:10
Every vision and revelation were given to His chosen ones by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21
Believing how God’s spirit moved Moses to reveal the beginning of everything in vison. We must acknowledge that God painted a parable to help us understand. This eases in to conceive a very titanic concept and assists us to grasp the objective of creation. Each and every prophesy being cited and explained inside the Holy Bible, which was written by approximately 40 humans of diverse backgrounds over the course of 1500 years.
If ever, anyone ask whether God created anything evil you can quickly reciprocate quoting from Genesis chapter 1 that our eternally existing God created everything with His holy word and saw that it was good. This clarifies that our God is the ultimate being with no beginning or end. He has the power and authority to command over his creation. Also, God’s creation was made in purity and goodness.
Everything God made including human is very good because God is good. Nothing God made is evil in itself. So then, human nature is good in itself. But sin is a free choice of man’s will and it is contrary both to God’s nature and human nature.
The Holy Trinity formed human. Man is not one in nature with the Holy Trinity but was made in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. Human was made in male and female. Therefore, the dignity of each man and each woman is this image and likeness.
God finished the making of heaven and earth for mankind’s sake. He rested from His creative activity on the seventh day to show His love and providential care for humans and to invite us to enjoy this Sabbath rest. For Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. ” (Mark 2:27)
God formed Adam’s body out of dust from the ground. The breath of life is the grace of the Holy Spirit, giver of the life. God breathed the breath of life into man’s body and he became a living soul. Therefore, Adam was a living soul because he possessed a body, a soul and the grace of the Holy Spirit.
One can speculate and conclude that how preciously and with benevolence humans were formed. World was formed by the word but human was carefully articulated with affection.
God gave human a place and a law. The place was paradise and the law was the commandment as stated in Genesis 2:16-7 (Prohibiting Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge). Humans were to obey this commandment through the grace of God, the word.
Boldly assuming that we are well aware of the story of serpent who tempts Eve in the garden of Eden (reference Genesis 3:1-7). It used to puzzle me, why the cunning serpent approach the woman first? I was amused by some gender jokes which was taken in as a light hearted humour but the thought of not finding an appropriate answer was worrisome.
God saw and said, “It’s not good for man to be alone…” (refer Genesis 2:18). Adam started to feel lonely as he did not have a companion comparable to him. God brought trance upon Adam and took one of his ribs and filled with flesh.
Upon seeing Eve, Adam’s response was, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman, beacuse she was taken out of Man. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. ” ( refer Genesis 2: 23-25; Woman was used in terms of an endearing title, not displaying disrespect. The translation can sometimes be little confusing yet the emotions of love stays the same). Talk about love at first sight. Serpent, the cunning devil also known as the master of lies, laid a deceitful trap to make God’s beautiful creation sin. I came to the realise this scheme, thanks to a recent event. A well-known football/soccer player did something, his tiny gesture affected a beverage company which is worth a billion dollar, witnessed a sudden loss in the market.
We, humans when emotionally incline or passionately attach towards some people, these people can have an influence in your life. Knowingly or unknowingly, you tend to listen or try to imitate them. Bible was recorded ages ago but if you notice there are similar pattern of temptation still being in play even till this day and age. To introduce sin in an individual or to a group just spot an influencer and then wait for them to commit a sin. Story of Samson and Delilah (refer Judges 16), the downfall of wise King Solomon (refer 1 Kings 11:6-10) shows impact of others. There are documented positive consequence or influence too like Queen Esther saving her people (refer Esther 5 – 6).
Backing my theory of manipulation, wickedly crafted by today’s world. If ever you’ve noticed we christians used to and still preach how God’s love is profound. The world now commits a lot atrocities in the name of love. Bible speaks how rainbow is a sign used by God as a promise to Noah that it would remind God not to destroy His creation by flood again (refer Genesis 9: 12-17). Today, it represent something else, mocking our God. Bible speaks how your belief can make all things possible. Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. (Mark 9:23) Some people prompt this as manifestation which is a form of witchcraft. Again, misleading many to sin and going astray from the almighty God. Back then, the serpent twisted God’s word to make Adam and Eve to sin. Even today the devil tempts the world to execute sin in a similar style, by twisting and turning the Holy word.
The serpent is the devil (2 Cor 11:3; Rev 12:9) and the devil tempted Eve. Devil contradicted God’s commandment by denying death and decay in the grave as the penalty for disobedience (you shall not die by death). He also tempted Eve with promise of deification (you will be like gods, knowing good and evil). But deification comes through obedience to God not through disobedience. Nevertheless, Eve was deceived and thus, disobeyed God. She in turn gave the fruit to her husband and he ate. In his disobedience, he willed contrary to the will of God: for he ate the forbidden fruit. His free will was the first thing to suffer in the fall and thus is the first thing that needs healing in man.
In the Old Testament account of creation, God created mankind and established a place for humans called Paradise. He also gave him a commandment regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: And the Lord God commanded Adam saying, “You may eat food from every tree in the garden but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not eat; for in whatever day you eat from it, you shall die by death” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Adam and Eve did not physically die the day they ate from the tree. The words -“you shall die ” indicate a spiritual death through separation from God.
Ancestral sin is the disobedience of Adam to God’s command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam willingly disobeyed God’s commandment and diverted himself or fell from God’s path to perfection, thus separating himself from his Creator, the source of life.
We who are of Adam’s race are not guilty because of Adam’s sin but because of own sin. However, because all of mankind fell away from the grace of God through Adam’s disobedience, man now has a propensity, a disposition, an inclination towards sin. Just as death entered the world through sin, now sin enters through fear of death.
The fall of Adam caused mankind to become subject to mortality. While this is often seen mainly as a punishment or penalty, the emphasis concerning God’s judgement on Adam and Eve at the Fall is best understood in terms of His mercy. So, for example, concerning human’s mortality (Genesis 3:19), St. Gregory the Theologian states, “Yet here too He provides a benefit- namely death, which cuts off sin, so that evil may not be everlasting. Thus His punishment is changed into mercy.”
We have learned that everything was created in perfection and in goodness for the wellness of mankind. We are formed in the image and likeness of God. Our ancestors were in paradise, enjoying free will and was a given law to be followed. The law protected them and was for their own sake. They fell in temptation by a being, who is full of trickery and lies. We sinned and yet we were not punished but had obtained a gift of mercy because of God’s divine love.
This is our origin. Holy bible is not your enemy or a rigid rule book but an ally to whole mankind as it contains promise (Testament itself meaning covenant/promise). Promise testified, coded and prophesied out of pure love. If a medicine to a deadly disease happens to be sour, would you choose to tolerate temporary sourness or to succumb to your illness, leading to slow death? Sadly, today the world has been misinformed, misguided and we tend to willingly accept slow death as in sin over remedy (Holy word of God). Please surrender to Lord Jesus Christ and nothing else.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.”
1 JOHN 3:1
“Your faithful love is priceless, God! Humanity finds refuge in the shadow of your wings.
PSALM 36:7
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