“A Different Reading of Tanach Stage 1”

During the story of creation, each thing(s) that is made is examined, found(known or seen) to be good(correct) before that day’s work is finished. Except when the LORD made man(the gardener), formed from the dirt by the LORD who caused HIS breath to be in the man.(Hence- “Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” OR “Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.” ) Man is known to be less than GOOD, but man was created in the image of God and given the responsibility to Choose. The choice is, to do what God said, or to disregard what God said.

From then until now, each of us is tested. This is always to see whether or not we will chose wisely. Adam and Eve are the first testees.

The First Test –A tree in the middle of the garden, God said “Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.”(King James Translation, although the 1917 version of Jewish Publishing Society identical)

The Tools –The man’s helper(Eve), the tree and the snake.(side note: the man and the animals could talk to each other, then.)

The Result –The man did eat –a death does happen, but God’s charge is more subtle than “eating from the tree”. The charge is that the man heeded her(Eve) words when God told him(Adam) something else. The ground is cursed now. “Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because you hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for your sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life”

There are two sins for Adam, first he did eat of the tree. Second and more important for US, he chose not to heed the word of God. In our defense(today’s time), God moved through the Garden and spoke with mankind, so Adam had first hand knowledge of God and God’s word. And he still fell on his face, we must seek God and strive diligently to understand His Law.

From that point forward, Mankind continues the on a down hill path, with very few exceptions. One of the exception is Enoch, who is the first that does not die.(Another interesting topic for discussion.)

Breaking here!

Shalom,
James Jeffries