Thoughts on Genesis

[Amanah]

The author of Genesis is Moses.

The intended audience is Israel.

The purpose is to give the Israelites background understanding as they are being delivered from Egypt via the blood, water, and Spirit of the passover, Red Sea, and the pillar of cloud (acts 2:38).

And then taken to Sinai to receive the law of the covenant.

Genesis is back drop for Old Covenant.

In Genesis 1:14 the Israelites are given the basis for the biblical calendar, The lights are placed in heavens to mark days, years, and times of the festivals such as passover.

And God created man, male and female, and gave them dominion over the earth.

[Amanah]

Moedim (מועדים) in Genesis 1:

Moedim is a Hebrew word meaning "appointed times," "seasons," or "festivals."

Genesis 1:14:
"And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons (moedim), and for days and years'".

God creates celestial bodies to:
1. Separate day and night.
2. Serve as signs (otot) for navigation, agriculture.
3. Mark appointed times (moedim) for worship, festivals.

Moedim refers to:
1. Sabbath (Exodus 31:13-17).
2. Annual festivals (Leviticus 23):
- Passover (Pesach).
- Unleavened Bread.
- Firstfruits.
- Pentecost (Shavuot).
- Trumpets (Yom Teruah).
- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
- Tabernacles (Sukkot).
3. Sacred assemblies (Leviticus 23:36).

Moedim prefigures:
1. Christ's fulfillment of OT festivals.
2. The Church's observance of the Lord's Supper, Sabbath.

Application
1. God's creation is tied to worship and covenant.
2. Time is sanctified for divine purposes.
3. Moedim emphasizes Israel's unique relationship with God.

[Esaias]

The purpose of Genesis is to provide God's people with the historical background of the things contained in the Law, and the basis for the Covenant. It shows that the things contained in the Law are not entirely new, but have historical precedent with God's people. For example, sacrifice is seen going back to at least Cain and Abel, and is implied in God's providing leather clothing for Adam and Eve. God having a particular people for Himself distinguished from the ungodly masses is seen in the deviation of Seth's and Cain's lineage. The mediatorial role of God's people is seen in the sacrifice of Noah and the covenant God made with mankind and the earth in response to Noah's sacrifice. The basis for the tithe is seen in Jacob's vow to God. The displacement of the Canaanites is seen in the curse placed upon Canaan as a result of Ham's sin. The institution of circumcision is seen in the establishment of the covenant with Abraham. The Sabbath is seen in the original Creation account. There are some tie-ins with the Passover (in Exodus) with the very day that Abraham entered covenant with God, indicating the calendar of Divine Appointments predates the Exodus and was likely known to the people of God going back to the beginning.

And so forth. It is Israel's "family history" and provides the historical authority for what was taking place during and as a result of the Exodus.

[Amanah]

Thank you for your reply Elder E.

Genesis 2:8-17 ESV
8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

*God plants a garden in Eden.
*The garden is a paradise with beautiful trees and precious stones.
*Two special trees are in the garden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
*The Tree of Knowledge is forbidden, with consequences for disobedience.

- God places Adam in the garden to care for it.
- Adam is commanded to:
1. Work the garden
2. Keep the garden
3. Not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of Life
H2416 - life representing fresh flowing water, revival and renewal, spring time. Obviously representing Jesus.

The Tree of Knowledge
H1847 - knowledge meaning wisdom or ignorantly unaware. Disobedience and rebellion.

The Tree of Life is Symbolic of the cross.
I'm assuming the Tree of Knowledge is symbolic also? Not sure.

Revelation 22:1-4
The River and the Tree of Life
22 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Thank you for your reply Elder E.

Genesis 2:8-17 ESV
8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

*God plants a garden in Eden.
*The garden is a paradise with beautiful trees and precious stones.
*Two special trees are in the garden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
*The Tree of Knowledge is forbidden, with consequences for disobedience.

- God places Adam in the garden to care for it.
- Adam is commanded to:
1. Work the garden
2. Keep the garden
3. Not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of Life
H2416 - life representing fresh flowing water, revival and renewal, spring time. Obviously representing Jesus.

The Tree of Knowledge
H1847 - knowledge meaning wisdom or ignorantly unaware. Disobedience and rebellion.

The Tree of Life is Symbolic of the cross.
I'm assuming the Tree of Knowledge is symbolic also? Not sure.

Revelation 22:1-4
The River and the Tree of Life
22 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

Where did Israel gain knowledge on what was good or evil?

Romans 7:7

[Esaias]

It seems to me (just my opinion) that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't a tree that had some kind of magical fruit that if you ate it you suddenly got some kind of special knowledge. But rather, the fact the fruit of that particular tree was forbidden, if Adam and Eve ate of it they would immediately discover the knowledge of good and evil. BECAUSE they would have disobeyed God. By disobeying God they would discover what the difference between "good and evil" actually was, good being equivalent to obedience and evil being equivalent to (or a consequence of) disobedience.

So the knowledge was gained through the disobedient act, rather than the fruit in and of itself.

I think brother Benincasa is pointing us in the right direction to understanding this when he mentions Romans 7. It appears Paul is indirectly or in a subtle sense describing Adam, at least referring to him, in speaking of being "alive, then the commandment came, sin revived, and I died". The parallel is definitely there.

[diakonos]

This is a good thought!

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Where did Israel gain knowledge on what was good or evil?

Romans 7:7

The choice to define good and evil for yourself instead of following God's definition (law). Which led to self interest, human govt, and destruction.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Esaias

It seems to me (just my opinion) that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't a tree that had some kind of magical fruit that if you ate it you suddenly got some kind of special knowledge. But rather, the fact the fruit of that particular tree was forbidden, if Adam and Eve ate of it they would immediately discover the knowledge of good and evil. BECAUSE they would have disobeyed God. By disobeying God they would discover what the difference between "good and evil" actually was, good being equivalent to obedience and evil being equivalent to (or a consequence of) disobedience.

So the knowledge was gained through the disobedient act, rather than the fruit in and of itself.

I think brother Benincasa is pointing us in the right direction to understanding this when he mentions Romans 7. It appears Paul is indirectly or in a subtle sense describing Adam, at least referring to him, in speaking of being "alive, then the commandment came, sin revived, and I died". The parallel is definitely there.

I think so too

[Amanah]

The Serpent, Leviathan is Babylon

Strong’s Definitions
נָחָשׁ nâchâsh, naw-khawsh'; from H5172; a snake (from its hiss):—serpent.

Isa 27:1 - In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Strong’s Definitions
לִוְיָתָן livyâthân, liv-yaw-thawn'; from H3867; a wreathed animal, i.e. a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea-monster); figuratively, the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of
Babylon:—leviathan, mourning.

Genesis 3:14-19 KJV
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Isa 65:25 - The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 65:17-25 KJV
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.