LIFE ON EARTH

Gloria Phifer

Ps. 57:5 “Be exalted O God above the Heavens. Let Thy glory be above all the earth. “Psalm 104.

We have been experiencing how God (Elohiym) has taken this dismal earth and brought forth order and Light.

Lab footnotes: The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles an hour. Even at this breakneck speed our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. God did not need to create the universe; He chose to create it. God is love and love is best expressed toward something or someone else. God created the universe because He loves us. (Gals can you believe we are spinning at this incredible speed...Wow!) Also, if we were any farther from the sun, we would freeze. If we were any closer, this earth would burn up.

The waters are in their boundaries…God named them “seas”. Dry ground has appeared and God named it “earth”.

Genesis 1:11-13. Can you smell the vegetation? See the trees loaded with fruit…flowers…color…the beginning of life. He was preparing this earth for us…mankind. What are your thoughts about these being seed bearing plants and trees with seed-bearing fruit?  (Hebrew says producing, yielding seed, to be sown.) I thought of self-sustaining…to produce more.

And God SAW that it was good. Evening passed and morning came, marking the 3^rd day. I love that God was watching His creation come into being. How satisfying. What joy!!!

Vs 14-19. When God said…”said” in Hebrew it is active and powerful…when God speaks it is explosive!!!  “Amar” “With great latitude. Challenge, command, declare, demand, desire, expressly.” I would have loved to hear God’s voice commanding everything into existence. To watch this creative process.

“Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night.  Lights “maowr” (maw-ore) a luminous body or luminary light. Cheerfulness; specifically a chandelier…bright. Break of day. Glorious, kindle, set on fire, shine.” We know our sun is a ball of fire.

Hydrogen generally determines a star's nuclear lifetime because it is used as the main source of fuel in a main sequence star. ... As an example, the Sun's nucleartime scale is approximately 10 billion years. Wikipedia

Vs. 14 what was their purpose?  The greater light ruled the day. The lesser light ruled the night.  Stars “kowkab” “in the sense of rolling. In the sense of blazing. Star…Messiah.” I thought it was interesting that Messiah was in this description.

And the evening and the morning were the 4^th day.

Vs 20—22. Now we have sound. There are fish filling the waters and birds flying, landing in the trees. Life. I love life. I love to hear the birds singing. I am amazed at the fish in the sea. A friend and I visited an Aquarian in Florida…there were fish with big Blue eyes. Also saw dolphins etc. I love the Omaha Zoo with the large fish tank. I am always amazed at the colors in God’s creation.” According to the best estimates of scientists, there are 3,500,000,000,000 (3.5 trillion) fish currently living in the ocean.”

New Study Doubles the Estimate of Bird Species in the World

https://www.amnh.org/about-the-museum/press-center/new-study-doubles-the-estimate-of-bird-species-in-the-worldNew research led by the American Museum of Natural History suggests that there are about 18,000 bird species in the world—nearly twice as many as previously thought. The work focuses on “hidden” avian diversity—birds that look similar to one another, or were thought to interbreed, but are actually different species.

And the evening and the morning were the 5^th day.

Vs. 24-25 every kind of animal. The beast of the earth. The only thing I’m not sure about it is the creepy things (lol). Oh there went a butterfly.  More life. More sounds. The lion roaring, the cattle mooing, (even the purring of my cat (J And God saw that it was good.

MANKIND vs. 26-31. To create “bara” “To create, shape, form, fashion. God created man in His Own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them.”  Man in Hebrew is “Adam” ( aw-dawm). A human being.  To show blood in the face. Flush or turn rosy be (dyed, made) red (ruddy).

Image “Tselem” (tseh’lem) meaning to shade. Resemblance. A representative figure. Semblance.

Male…”to record, to make a memorial, make remembrance. A male of humans.”

Female “from the sexual form. Woman.

LAB footnote: “God made both man and woman in His image. Neither man nor woman is made more in the image of God than the other. From the beginning the Bible places both man and woman at the pinnacle of God’s creation. Nether sex is exalted and neither is depreciated.” Thoughts?

And God blessed them. “To be blessed, be adored”. I loved that He blessed them and He adored them. .  

Vs. 28 God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.

LAB footnote: “To “reign over” something is to have absolute authority and control over it. God has ultimate rule over the earth and He exercises His authority with loving care. When God delegated some of His authority to the human race, He expected us to take responsibility for the environment and the other creatures that share our planet. We must not be careless and wasteful as we fulfill this charge. God was careful how He made this earth. We must not be careless about how we take care of it.”

They were given dominion.  “To tread down. To have dominion. Prevail against. Dominate, rule, subjugate. “So all dominion on this earth was given to mankind. God made him ruler over this earth. Thoughts?

There was another time when Jesus gave us the dominion over the enemy (who will soon show up in this story).  Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Vs. 29-31. Notice what the man and the woman were given to eat. A vegetarian diet. They did not eat meat until after the flood. Vs. 31 And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the 6^th day. So mankind was created on the 6^th day.

Gen. 1:1-3. What did God do on the 7^th day?  He blessed and sanctified (set apart as holy) the 7^th day. +

Rested “Shabath” (shaw-bath’) “To repose, desist from exertion. Celebrate, be still.” To keep the Sabbath holy is one of the 10 commandments.

Notice vs 31 “And God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good.”  Hebrew “towb”. “Good, beautiful, bountiful, best, cheerful, at ease, be in favor, graciously, joyful, kindness, pleasant, pleased, pleasure, prosperity, wealth, welfare, well favored. To be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be happy, be right.” This is how God saw and felt about everything He had created!!! Once again I am struck with the thought that God loved the experience of what He had created…He was very pleased with it. Thoughts?

1^st day….Light (so there was light and darkness)

2^nd day…sky and water (waters separated)

3^rd day…Land and seas (waters gathered): vegetation.

4^th day….Sun, moon and stars (to govern the day and the night and to mark seasons, days and years.

5^th day…fish and birds (to fill the waters and the sky)

6^th day…animals (to fill the earth.) Man and Woman (to care for the earth and to commune with God.)

7^th day…God rested and declared all He had made to be very good.

THE FIRMANENT AND EARTH

The 2^nd day.

Gloria Phifer

Genesis 1:6-8 the firmament in Hebrews “raqiya” (raw-kee-ah). “An expanse, the firmament or visible arch of the sky. Expanded surface (solid), expanse (flat at base support) firmament (of vault of heaven supporting waters above. 

 1. Considered by Hebrews as solid and supporting waters above. To make a spreading of clouds.

Amp. Bible “And God said, let there be a firmament (the expanse) and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so. And called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and morning, a second day.” (2^nd day, sky and water (water separated).

Life app footnotes: The space between waters, was a separation between the sea and the mists of the skies.

Thoughts?

Living Bible “And God said, “Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the oceans below. So God made the sky, dividing the vapor above from the water below. 

This all happened on the 2^nd day. (Living Bible footnote “literally, “let there be a dome to divide the waters.”)

Job 26:7-10. “He created the horizon when He separated the waters; He set the boundary between day and night. (Lab study Bible).

Psalm 33:7-9 “He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.” Vs. 9” When He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command.”

Prov. 8:28-36. “I was there when He set the clouds above, when He established springs deep in the earth, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when He marked off the earth’s foundations, I was the architect at His side I was His constant delight, rejoicing always in His presence. And how happy I was with the world He created; how I rejoiced with the human family!””(Wisdom is speaking)

LAB footnotes “God says that wisdom is primary and fundamental. It is the foundation on which all life is built. Paul and John may have alluded to some of Solomon’s statements about wisdom to describe Christ’s presence at the creation of the world. Col.1:15-20, Col. 2:2, 3; Rev. 3:14. (Solomon wrote Proverbs, doesn’t give a date but was early in his rulership.)

Jeremiah 5:22 “fear you not me? Saith The Lord: will you not tremble at My presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it. “(Though the ocean and sea toss their waves and roar they cannot go over God’s limits. His command prevails!!!)

This is perhaps a better question than how much rain a cloud can hold. Scientists estimate that one inch of rain falling over an area of one square mile is equal to 17.4 million gallons of water. That much water would weigh 143 million pounds!

You'll Be Shocked at How Much the Average Cloud Weighs - Heads Up

https://headsup.boyslife.org › Science

According to scientists, the weight of the average cumulus cloud is 1.1 million pounds!

The Water Cycle: Water Storage in the Atmosphere

New!

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Water cycle

The atmosphere is full of water

The water cycle is all about storing water and moving water on, in, and above the Earth. Although the atmosphere may not be a great storehouse of water, it is the superhighway used to move water around the globe. Evaporation and transpiration change liquid water into vapor, which ascends into the atmosphere due to rising air currents. Cooler temperatures aloft allow the vapor to condense into clouds and strong winds move the clouds around the world until the water falls as precipitation to replenish the earthbound parts of the water cycle. About 90 percent of water in the atmosphere is produced by evaporation from water bodies, while the other 10 percent comes from transpiration from plants.

There is always water in the atmosphere. Clouds are, of course, the most visible manifestation of atmospheric water, but even clear air contains water—water in particles that are too small to be seen. One estimate of the volume of water in the atmosphere at any one time is about 3,100 cubic miles (mi³) or 12,900 cubic kilometers (km³). That may sound like a lot, but it is only about 0.001 percent of the total Earth's water volume of about 332,500,000 mi³ (1,385,000,000 km³), as shown in the table below. If all of the water in the atmosphere rained down at once, it would only cover the globe to a depth of 2.5 centimeters, about 1 inch.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN:“Another way to illustrate the relative lightness of clouds is to compare the total mass of a cloud to the mass of the air in which it resides. Consider a hypothetical but typical small cloud at an altitude of 10,000 feet, comprising one cubic kilometer and having a liquid water content of 1.0 gram per cubic meter. The total mass of the cloud particles is about 1 million kilograms, which is roughly equivalent to the weight of 500 automobiles. But the total mass of the air in that same cubic kilometer is about 1 billion kilograms--1,000 times heavier than the liquid!

So, even though typical clouds do contain a lot of water, this water is spread out for miles in the form of tiny water droplets or crystals, which are so small that the effect of gravity on them is negligible. Thus, from our vantage on the ground, clouds seem to float in the sky.”

How cool to think that in the atmosphere around us right now are these small particles of water. Thoughts? Oh, the magnificence of God Almighty. The One Who gives us gravity, air and water…clouds and seas.

Genesis 1:9-10. And Elohiym said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good.”

 This is the 2^nd time that God SAW “That is was good.” The 1^st was when He saw the Light and He said “it was good.” Now He calls the dry land Earth and the water Seas and God SAW that it was good.

Said in Hebrew “To say with great latitude. Appoint, certify, challenge, charge, give command, declare, demand, desire, determine, expressly, name, promise, publish, Use Speech.”

What stands out to you? I like all of these. Especially appoint, charge, challenge, command, desire, use speech…actually I like them all (:

Together in Hebrew is “quvah” (kaw-vaw) “To bind together (perhaps by twisting) To expect, collect, gather together, to wait, look for, hope, expect. To be collected. To wait for, linger for. Thoughts?  (to gather the waters together.)

Dry in Hebrew is “yabbashah” (yab0baw-shaw) “dry ground. Ground, land. To make dry, be dry, become dry, be dried up, and be withered. To exhibit dryness.”

Appear “raah”. “To see, appear, approve, behold, consider, discern, make to enjoy, have experience, gaze, joyful, view, and visions. To see, have vision, observe. “ So God saw the water go into place and the ground appear.

We saw last week with the coming of The Light God had a wonderful experience. Now it looks like He enjoyed this experience of the earth appearing dry. Thoughts?

God called “qara” “to call out, proclaim, cry, and utter a loud sound. To call with the Name of God. To summon, invite, commission, appoint, endow, to call, name, and give name to. Be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named, and be chosen.

Earth “eh-rets”. “Whole earth (as opposed to a part).Land, country, territory, land of the living, to be firm.” What are your thoughts?

Seas “Yam”. An unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf or large body of water. Seaward.

When God saw His work, accomplished by His Word, He saw that it was “Good.” I love that God had enjoyed this experience of Creation.

How about you?

GENESIS…THE BEGINNING CREATION

CREATION.

Gloria Phifer

Genesis was written by Moses. The original audience was the people of Israel. Date written 1450-1410 B.C. It was written in the wilderness during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula.

Welcome to “The Great Adventure.” Our traveling clothes are on and we are returning to the very beginning “Genesis.”

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

(All Hebrew and Greek are taken from Strong’s Concordance). Hebrew for “beginning is “re’shiyth (ray-sheeth) “The first, in time, in place, order or rank. (Specifically, a first fruit) First, chief, choice part.” It came from another Hebrew word “rosh” “which means “to shake.”

Remember, Jesus was the First fruits raised from the dead.

God in Hebrew is “elohiym” (el-o-heem). The word is plural. Deity. God.”

 Here we see that Elohiym is plural…The Trinity. As we will see, God The Father, God The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit were all involved in creation.

Created in Hebrew is “bara’” (baw-raw) “To create, shape, form. To shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject.) Something new. Of miracles. Of birth. As formative processes. Of new conditions and circumstances. Of transformations.”

Heaven “shamayim” (shaw-mah-yim). “To be lofty, the sky as aloft; the dual, perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve. Air, Heavens, sky, as the visible universe the sky. As abode of stars. Atmosphere. Heaven, (as the abode of God.).

Earth “erets” (eh’rets) “Meaning to be firm. Whole earth (as opposed to a part).

This was just the first sentence of Genesis in Hebrew…What stands out to you?

What stands out to me is that God is plural…showing the Trinity. Also, the very beginning. The formative process of creation. The visible universe that we can see in the sky. Also the visible arch that the clouds move in. 

I remember sitting on a plane and as we flew I could see the arch of the sky over the earth.

Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void.  This Hebrew word for form is “tohuw {(to-hoo) “From an unused root meaning to lie waste. A desolation: a worthless thing, in vain: confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, waste, wilderness. Formlessness, confusion. Formlessness (of primeval earth) nothingness, empty space. Wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places) place of chaos.”

Wow what are your thoughts?    I find it interesting that it was a place of chaos and confusion, a wasteland, a solitary place.

Void in Hebrew is “bohuw (bo’hoo) “an unused root meaning to be empty. A vacuity, and undistinguishable ruin: emptiness, void.

(This reminded me of when we do not have Christ in our lies. There is an emptiness…a vacuity, a void. A wasteland longing to be filled.”)

Darkness was over the face of the deep. “Choshek (kho-shek). “The dark, literally darkness; misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness, night, obscurity, secret place. To be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden. To cause to be dark, to hide and conceal, confuse.”

What are your thoughts about this darkness that covered the face of the deep?

This darkness was upon the face of the deep. Hebrew for deep is “thowm” (the-home’) “As abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean water –supply): deep, abyss, the grave, primeval ocean, deep. To make an uproar, or agitate greatly, destroy, move, make a noise, murmur, roar discomfit, be moved. To be in a stir. To show disquietude.”

 This deep was noisy. Agitating. To made a roar. It was stirred up. And darkness was on the face of this deep.

 What are your thoughts?  I would not have liked this. I do not like darkness and this agitation and this roar.  Thank God for the next sentence.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  Hebrew for Spirit is “ruwach” (roo-akh). Wind, by resemblance, breath. A sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, Life, anger, blast, breath, wind, breath, mind, spirit. Of Heaven. Spirit of God, the third Person of the triune God, The Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and The Son. Imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power. As energy of life. As manifest in The Shekinah Glory.

To blow, breathe of delight.”

Wow, The Holy Spirit, The breath, the energy of life, the manifestation of the Shekinah Glory of God. The Breath of life.  Warlike energy.

The Holy Spirit is Elohiym…part of The Trinity.

Moved in Hebrew “rachaph” (raw-khaf) “To brood, to be relaxed, flutter, move, shake. To hover.

Can you see, in your mind’s eye, the Spirit of God with His presence expanded over this roaring darkness of deep? The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of Life.

The Holy Spirit brooded and hovered over the darkness. This is what He does in our lives when we are in darkness. He begins to work…to brood, to hover over our darkness…showing us that we need a Savior. We need Light.

Lab footnotes: “The image of The spirit of God hovering over the earth’s surface is similar to a mother bird caring for and protecting its young (Deuteronomy 32:11-12, Isaiah 31; 5) God’s Spirit was actively involved in the creation of the world (Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30) God’s care and protection are still active.”

vs. 3 “And God (Elohiym) said (To say with great latitude, command, declare, demand, speak, use speech, to be told.) “LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!” AND THERE WAS LIGHT.”    (THE WORD SPOKEN!!!)

(This was before the sun and the moon and stars in vs 14-19.)

So, what was this light?  I believe it was God’s presence…He spoke and there was Light!!! Somehow, in my thinking, the earth had been cut off from God’s presence…His light…it had been hidden in darkness.

Light in Hebrew is “owr” (ore) “Illumination, luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) Light of day. Day break, dawn, morning light. Light of prosperity. Light of instruction. Light of face. Jehovah as Israel’s Light. To be or  become Light!!!”

In our lives, after The Holy Spirit has been working in our heart, He shows us “The Light” Jesus Christ…and when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior…the darkness is vanquished…we have come into the Presence, The Light of God. No longer does darkness reign in our lives…Light reigns.  Matthew 4:16, Luke 1:79, John 1:4, 9, And 19, John 9:5, And Colossians 1:13.

GOD PREVAILS

Gloria Phifer

      There is so much happening in the world at this time. I pray every night for our our country and the countries in peril right now.
     
     "Jacobs Trouble" kept coming to my mind. In Jeremiah 30:7 Vs. 3 God is telling Jeremiah that these things will happen in the latter days when God has returned Israel to their land. In 1948 Israel became a nation after being dispersed around the world in 70AD.
After 2,000 yrs there was once again "Israel". I looked up Israel in Hebrew it means "God Prevails."
      
      Jacob was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel.

      In Jeremiah 30:7 There is coming a time in the latter days called "Jacobs trouble." It will be a time of fear and trembling, terror. Men and women alike will be in travail...their faces pale for the things happening on the earth. (I believe this will be the great tribulation.)
        
        vs.11  God will be with Israel. He will make a full and complete end of all nations where God had scattered His people. (Remember, now He has returned them to their land.)  vs. 16 All who have devoured the Jewish people God will devour them as they devoured Israel.

         The last verses of this chapter shows God blessing Israel and their descendants. 

        At the time of this writing, Hamas has been attacking Israel with rockets and hidden tunnels. Israel has been destroying the area where the rockets are coming from (The Hamas has sent them from schools, private homes...etc. hiding behind the Palestinian people.)
Israel is destroying the tunnels. The concrete had been given to the Palestinians to rebuild their homes but Hamas has used it for tunnels into Israel so they could attack, kill and kidnap. Their agenda is to destroy Israel.

         Israel is isolated. One small country fighting terrorists. They are being criticized. What courage to stand alone against an enemy that is one mile away.   They are NOT ALONE...God is the God of Israel.  Israel-God prevails.

         Pray and bless Israel...those who bless them will be blessed those who curse them will be cursed.

 

Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love you. 



 

CHOSEN

Gloria Phifer

            How many of us long to be "chosen". In the world to be "chosen" contains great privileges. I can remember, as I am sure you can, of times when I was not chosen. The hurt and rejection that come with that. It was taken personally…"what's wrong with me that I am the last one on the ball team to be "chosen". Changing schools 14 times I had plenty of "not being chosen…not being accepted."

            I personally believe, the enemy begins early with rejection, to build a stronghold and lies that we are not valuable.

   

             Then there are the times when we have been chosen…a small light that flickers as a candle and then burns out.  To be "chosen" in the world is fickle. The world cannot be trusted.  They can take you in one moment and throw you out the next.  Not so with our God.

            Eph. 1:4 is one of my favorite scriptures. What are your thoughts about being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world?  Thoughts of being holy and without blame before Him in love?

             In my flesh I have little experience with being chosen.  In my spirit I am crying out…"Yay!!!" I am Chosen!!! I am so valuable to God!!!  Before the foundation of the world!!! Wow!!! This scripture is one to meditate on and pondered.  You and I can stand before Almighty God in holiness and without any blame because of Christ!  Ahhh to be chosen…what wonder. I love this…how about you?

            1 Cor. 1:25-29.  We are not what the world would have chosen. And we cannot take this glory; it belongs to God alone. Do you realize what a miracle for us, that we are chosen by God?

             I am sure there are people from my childhood and teen years that wonder if I ever made it.  I'm sure they would stagger in wonder that Gloria is a follower of Jesus and even teaches a Bible study…the wonder of it all.  I have heard Joyce Meyer say, "Do you realize how impossible it is that I am standing up here?"

Your thoughts that God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise?

    James 2:5 chosen the poor of this world…rich in faith…heirs of the Kingdom.

           

            What I see is Grace.  Grace that  God can take a life in shambles and turn it into His Glory. Thank you God that I am what the world would have counted foolish, weak and poor.  You have made me Your child. All the glory belongs to You!!! And this Glory belongs to You.!!!

            I just noticed, in the margin of my Bible, it has "God's Tool Chest"…number one was "Chosen Instruments…."  For 1 Cor. 1:27. How profound…thank You Lord.

            I care nothing about this world and its acceptance…I want only to be chosen by God!!!

            John 15:16, 19 Jesus chose us and ordained that we would go forth and bear fruit.  He has given us the privilege of asking the Father in His Name.  In vs. 19…the world will hate us because we are not of this world.

  What are your thoughts? Is there a cost of being chosen?

             When we are IN CHRIST we are no longer of this world. We live in it, but we are Citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom. Later in the study we will look at this Kingdom within.   there is an old song "Take the world, but Give me Jesus!!!"

    2 Thess. 2:13. He has chosen us from the beginning!!! Wow! Yay God!

 

   1 Peter 2:9" you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people: that you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  Your thoughts?

I love this scripture. You and I are chosen in this generation…for such a time as this. You and I are royal priests.  We are holy. We are peculiar (not like the world…of a different kind.) We have the privileges of showing forth the praises of God (also by the way we live our lives.)  For someone who lived in darkness…I am sooo thankful He called me into His marvelous light…All praise to Jesus.

  Beloved…you have been chosen!!! Here is our proclamation…I AM CHOSEN OF GOD!!!

  AMEN AND AMEN. I'm rejoicing…how about you?

Ø      I am a child of the living God.

Ø      I am chosen by God.

     

       

THE GARDEN…THE ARCHENEMY…THE FALL.

 Many years ago I was going through something and it concerned a loved one. The Lord said to me and I wrote it in my journal, "The enemy will always attack the seat of your affections.  He has come against you because you are the seat of My affection. If he can hurt you he hurts Me." (Thank God, the Lord always turns what the enemy means for harm, into good for us.)

Adam (man and woman) were the seat of God's affections.  He crowned them with His glory and honor. I have been watching Billie Brim on Kenneth Copeland this week (She wrote a book called "The Blood and the Glory".) She said man was literally crowned and covered with the Glory of God.

Let's read Genesis 3. I'm like Susan in Chronicles of Narnia…"He's a beaver he shouldn't be talking."  Well, he's a serpent and he shouldn't be talking!

Had she talked to this serpent before? She doesn't seem shocked he's there and he's talking.

The serpent uses the Word of God against her …mockingly…"Has God said?"

Vs. 4. The serpent calls Lord God a liar. And then makes it sound like God is holding out on her.

(Don't ever try to reason with the devil…he is cunning…just say, "It is written…"

Speak the blood of Jesus and tell him to get out of your garden!)

Remember, she is talking to the arch enemy of God.  She is made in the image of God. Within her is the Breathe of God. She has "The life", Communion with God.  He walks with her and man every evening in the garden. They live in the presence of God. They are in perfect communion. All her needs are met.

First she looked. And then she desired it. And then she ate. And gave it to her husband who was with her! And he ate it!   1 Timothy 2:14.  He was not deceived!

Adam, what is happening? You have dominion.  You know the Word of God is true. You know if you eat of this tree you will surely die.  What about your wife?  She's talking to a serpent…a little help would be appreciated here! A lot of spiritual authority…Dominion…would have protected both of you.

Adam. Adam…you ate the fruit! Why didn't you speak up?  Were you tongue tied…you who named all the animals?  Were you so enamored with this woman and concerned with what she would think of you? Beats me Adam, you could have saved us a lot of trouble!!! Now was not the time to be passive!!!!! Why didn't you yell "Get out of my garden!!!!?

As soon as they ate, their eyes were opened to the nakedness, and for the first time they felt "shame."  They tried to cover their nakedness. (Did the Glory of God lift off of them when they sinned?)

Now they heard the Voice of the Lord God as He walked in the garden in the cool of the day….The echo of these words ring through time…"Adam where are you?"

For the 1st time they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. (Selah…pause and think.) vs. 10 for the 1st time they were afraid…they had never known fear.

Sin makes us afraid of God…it makes us hide…it brings us shame.

Vs. 11…Did you go against the "One" commandment I gave you?

Now comes the Blame Game. Vs. 12 the man said, "The woman You gave me…she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."  Not only is he blaming the woman but he is blaming God for giving her to him.

Vs. 13 the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.

Vs. 14. The Lord God never asks the serpent why he did what he did. He curses him. I have never heard a serpent make a sound have you? Like other animals have their own voice…like a meow or bark.   As far as I know serpents only hiss and rattle. The serpent is more cursed then every beast and he will crawl in the dust and eat dust all the days of his life.

Vs. 15 the first prophesy given for a Redeemer.  He would be the Seed of the woman; He would bruise (or crush) the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise His heel.

Beth Moore from "Jesus the One and Only"…" As Jesus ascended the last thing the disciples saw were the scars on His feet.  Now God incarnate stepped off this planet with feet scarred and bruised. As God predicted, the ancient serpent struck Christ's heel, but on the Day He ascended, all things were under His feet. Jesus Christ walked the way of humanity so humanity could walk the Way of God. How beautiful the feet that bring good news."

Through a woman, a Redeemer would come.

I want to share a story with you.  When I was born my mother and I lived with her family in the small town of Magdalena, New Mexico (where I was born). We lived outside of town on a ranch…it was barren, dry and desolate.  My mother told me this story: she had me outside playing in a galvanized tub (one or two years old). She heard something and looked down and there was a rattlesnake shaking his rattle.  She screamed and my 4ft 11inch grandmother came out the screen door with a rifle and shot the head off that rattler. Yea Grandma!  She was a Hot Shot!  (Too bad she wasn't in the Garden).

(It's ok Grandma, Jesus crushed the serpents head.)

Vs. 16-19.  The woman's conception would be more painful and her desire would be unto her husband and he would rule over her.

Adam, because he had listened to the voice of his wife and eaten of the tree, the ground would be cursed. The ground was cursed because of Adam…it would bring forth thorns and thistles and he would have to toil by the sweat of his brow.

I still see this in our lives.  The woman is so concerned about relationships and the man is preoccupied in his work and how to make a living. The woman is trying to work on their marriage while the man is working on his job. The job usually is his 1st priority.

Vs. 20- 24.Adam changed the woman's name to Eve.

 Innocent blood is shed in order to cover their nakedness. To ensure they do not eat of the Tree of Life (Why didn't they before?) they are sent from the garden.  The Lord God did not want them to live in a sinful state forever.  Vs 24...  Lord God drove them out of the Garden of Eden. Cherubim's and a flaming sword guarded the garden so they could never return.

  They had lived in perfect harmony with their Lord God and each other. Now sin separated them from God and from each other. (I doubt there was much harmony.) Now they had a sinful nature to deal with and the consequences of their sin.

Paradise lost! Sin…shame…loss of glory…fears…the 1st painful memory and regret…

They were driven out into the earth of thorns and thistles. Their footsteps were blame, shame and regret.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God."

With the Lord God, the Most High, there is always hope.  He has a plan …a plan of redemption.  We know Him as Jesus Christ, the Savior….the Seed of the Woman…the

Hidden Mystery of God.