Atonement for Sin

Sin must be atoned. This something mankind cannot do. Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin and shame when they covered themselves with leaves. (Genesis 3:7) However, that’s not how sin must be covered. Atonement requires a reconciliation by blood. (Exodus 29:36; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:7) And that’s what God provided.

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:20-3:24)

Verse 20 simply appears to be an informative statement conveying that the woman’s name was Eve. The name “Eve” is a Hebrew name which means “life”. As the text states, this is appropriate because all human beings came from her. She was the first mother.

Don’t Eat That

God created all things, so He makes the rules.  God gave Adam the responsibility for the whole garden.  Adam could eat whatever he liked, except for one thing. 

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17)

Sometimes, God’s restrictions don’t make sense to us.  As a matter of fact, we’re not sure why God gave this restriction.  However, God does not have to explain Himself.  After all, He’s God! Continue reading

The Breath of Life

As previously discussed, Genesis 1 is a sequential summary of what God created on each day of the creation week.  Genesis 2 provides additional details about the creation week.  Likewise in Genesis 2:7-9, additional information is given about the creation of man, including the breath of life God gave him.  

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 soul. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:7-9)

Please notice a few things.  First, God made man from dirt.  The chemical composition of the human body is mostly oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.  These elements make up about 96% of the human body.  The vast majority of the chemicals in common dirt are also these four elements.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body; http://organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/soilbasics/soilchemical.html)  Therefore, the biblical account is consistent with what we see in scientific research.   Continue reading

Food in Eden

Eating in the Garden of Eden was meatless as is explained in the verses below.

Genesis 1:29-30  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.  30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

In Eden, food came from plants.  This was true for the land animals too.  Some may scoff that some animals cannot survive without meat.  That may be true in our fallen world, but not in Eden.  Even in a fallen state, some animals which normally eat meat sometimes choose not to.  (See No Taste for Meat and Unexpectedly Vegetarian Animals – What Does It Mean?)  The prohibition against eating meat ended after the Flood of Noah.  (Genesis 9:3)  So there is no biblical reason to practice vegetarianism in our current dispensation.

The Blessedness of Godliness

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

These verses have a simple, yet profound message.  First, stay away from ungodliness (vs. 1).  Second, delight in God’s Word (vs. 2).  Third, enjoy the benefits that right living brings (vs. 3). Continue reading