Genesis 1:26-28 KJV And
God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
(27) So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. (28) And 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 moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 2:18-24 KJV And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. (20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. (21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 5:1-2 KJV This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; (2) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Man was God's final work in Genesis.
God made angels with one another like themselves, and animals with male and female amongst themselves.
We can see a picture, here, showing it was not good that GOD BE ALONE. A pattern is accomplished by God. And Jesus said something that tells us that marriage of man and woman was only temporary and not intended to occur with people in the resurrection. Matthew 22:28-30 KJV Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. (29) Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (30) For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. God set forth marriage for mankind as a temporary issue. Why? When Adam is shown all the animals God created, to give names to them, he also finds there is not a help meet for him amongst these beasts.
Genesis 2:18-20 KJV And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. (20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. Notice we read God said it's not good for man to be alone, and then shows us how God caused all animals to walk before him.
And when there isn't, God does something that patterns forth God's own plans that would enable Himself to no longer be alone, but have a BRIDE. Gen 2: (21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. After saying the CHURCH is Christ's wife... Ephesians 5:23-25 KJV For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (24) Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ...we read this in Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5:30-32 KJV For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (32) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. The same words used in describing Adam's incomplete state in Genesis 2, made complete by joining himself to his wife is indicated in Eph 5 describing the church and Jesus. The pattern of Adam laying down his life, after he found no help amongst all the creatures, in order to get that help from his own life, is a perfect picture of the cross. Adam laid his life down to obtain a bride. Ephesians 5:25 KJV Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Christ gave himself FOR THE CHURCH -- to obtain this church. Adam's sleep represents Christ's death on the cross.
1 John 5:6 KJV This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. Jesus came by water and blood, so the church had to come by water and blood. Water baptism was when the Father witnessed Jesus as His beloved Son. His shed blood was witnessed by the prophets all through the Old Testament. And these two materials that witnessed of His coming, came from Him in order to produce the church. Notice that Adam was NAMING the animals as he looked for a help amongst them.
Acts 15:14 KJV Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. The church is JESUS' NAME! Jesus now has a CHURCH for His bride, and DESIRES TO UNITE TO THE CHURCH.
1 Corinthians 15:47 KJV The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
This LOVING Jesus NOW is our concern today.
2 Corinthians 11:2 KJV For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. INTIMATE love in the bible was termed as KNOWING a person. Genesis 4:1 KJV And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Philippians 3:10 KJV That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Matthew 7:22-23 KJV Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. This shows us people can be involved in churches, even seeing miracles through prayers, but never get to the whole point God was after... LOVING HIM. The first commandment included this FIRST thought! Deuteronomy 6:4-5 KJV Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Even Moses caught it, while the rest did not. Watch the story unfold, bringing Moses' desire for God to the surface. Exodus 32:34 KJV Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. Exodus 33:2-3 KJV And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: (3) Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. Exodus 33:12-17 KJV And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. (13) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. (14) And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. (15) And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. (16) For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. (17) And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. A cry from someone to KNOW THE LORD stirs up God's heart and sparks the Lord, causing him to change his mind and to once again commit himself to lead Israel personally.
(13) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And notice what happened after God heard Moses' desire for HIM! Exodus 33:22-23 KJV And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: (23) And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. Exodus 34:5-7 KJV And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. (6) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (7) Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:29 KJV And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. Moses went into the cleft of the rock... place of CLEAVING or smiting, representing the cross and the smiting of Jesus in death.
And although Moses could not see God's face, we read it was yet INTIMATE, for we read: Exodus 33:11 KJV And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. And speaking of FACE TO FACE... Genesis 1:2 KJV And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Like Moses, WE ARE CHANGED INTO WHAT WE SEE when our FACES are exposed to it.
2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. FRUIT COMES FROM RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. Romans 7:4 KJV Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Adam knew Eve and she bore Cain, and we know what Cain turned out to be.
TWO TREES in the Garden show this picture.
The bad thing about the knowledge of good and evil is that it appears so religious, while it is COUNTERFEIT.
Concentration upon what is good and evil actually ENGENDERS JUDGMENTALISM amongst people.
Matthew 23:5 KJV But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, Matthew 23:15 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:23 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:25-27 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (26) Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. (27) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. This is the sort of thing that still goes on, but in churches now.
Otherwise we wind up with people doing what we want, but it not being in their hearts, and therefore it doing neither them nor God any good.
Legalism is flesh urging flesh to do good using fleshly power.
I've seen more sinners turned away from well-meaning DRAGONS!
When LIFE changes people, they simultaneously reproduce GOD through fruit of the Spirit! Galatians 5:4-6 KJV Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (5) For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (6) For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Galatia's church fell from grace.
In other words, WAIT for righteousness,m instead of working for it,m because FAITH working by LOVE avails much.
People who stress the outward are described and shown here to eventually begin fighting and biting one another and devouring one another. Galatians 5:14-15 KJV For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. When you FORCE your flesh to do good in it's own fleshly power, something else stirs up in the flesh that we do not want to come out.... MONSTERS!
Instead of making ourselves reach through our fleshly efforts to gain something spiritual, we must WAIT after asking God in faith to work.
Galatians 5:22 KJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:23 KJV Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Law is self urging self to do good without any reliance upon God's Spirit to do it, instead. Galatians 5:18 KJV But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Leading by the Spirit makes us not under the urgings of law for self to make self do good. Romans 8:14 KJV For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. THESE ARE THE TRUE CHRISTIAN! 1 John 1:3-4 KJV That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. That is what John was after!
A Serpent handed Eve the false fruit. Jesus called people: Matthew 23:33 KJV Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Let's give the world LIFE! |