2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth Acts 17:24-25 God that made the world "finished, ended" (kalah) "ended his work" ... "he rested" /
were finished, and all the host of and all things therein, seeing that Accomplished, determined, to bring The Lord quit his work not from /
them. he is Lord of heaven and earth, to pass. lack of energy or exhaustion, for /
2:2 And on the seventh day God ended dwelleth not in temples made with the Lord as a Spirit does not suffer /
his work which he had made; and he hands. "host" (tsbaah) from this type of short falling as /
rested on the seventh day from all Neither is worshipped with men's A mass of things, company. does fleshly man. He entered a rest /
his work which he had made. hands, as though he needed any thing, from a sense of completeness, in the /
2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, seeing he giveth to all life, and "made" (asah) nature of a celebration of His /
and sanctified it: because that in breath, and all things; To do, accomplish, bestow, bring pleasure in His work. /
it he had rested from all his work Exodus 31:16-17 Wherefore the children forth. /
which God created and made. of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to "blessed" .... "sanctified" /
2:4 These are the generations of the observe the sabbath throughout their "rested" (shabath) The Lord established a period of /
heavens and of the earth when they generations, for a perpetual coven- To desist from exertion, cause to rest to commemorate the goodness and /
were created, in the day that the ant. cease, to celebrate. completeness of His creation. He /
Lord God made the earth and the It is a sign between me and the desired that all the host of heaven /
heavens, children of Israel for ever: for in "blessed" (barak) and all earthly inhabitants would /
2:5 And every plant of the field six days the Lord made heaven and To bend the knee, to kneel down, also celebrate and enjoy the wonders /
before it was in the earth, and earth, and on the seventh day he to praise, to bless. of this miraculous creation. Sad /
every herb of the field before it rested, and was refreshed. indeed is the fact that very many /
grew: for the Lord God had not Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast "sanctified" (qadash) humans are so covered up with the /
caused it to rain upon the earth, thou not heard, that the everlasting To pronounce clean, to purify, worry and sorrows of this earthly /
and there was not a man to till God, the Lord, the Creator of the to dedicate. living that they cannot stop to rest, /
the ground. ends of the earth, fainteth not, and enjoy the wonders of life. /
2:6 But there went up a mist from neither is weary? there is no search- "generations" (toldah) /
the earth, and watered the whole ing of his understanding. Descendants, family, lineage, race "the generations" /
face of the ground. Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made Here we start a more detailed /
2:7 And the Lord God formed man of me, and the breath of the Almighty "plant" (siyach) retelling of portions of the /
the dust of the ground, and hath given me life. Bush, shrub, plant. creation, possible from another /
breathed into his nostrils the Psalms 139:14 I will praise thee; for author, as transcribed by Moses. /
breath of life; and man became a I am fearfully and wonderfully made: "herb" (eseb) /
living soul. marvellous are thy works; and that To glisten, tender shoot, grass, "had not caused it to rain" /
2:8 And the Lord God planted a my soul knoweth right well. herb. "a mist...watered the whole face" /
garden eastward in Eden; and there Psalms 103:14 For He knoweth our The description seems to be that of a /
he put the man whom he had formed. frame, he remembereth that we are "rain" (mater) milder, warmer, more humid earth, with /
2:9 And out of the ground made the dust. To cause to rain upon. the water table very close to the /
Lord God to grow every tree that Revelations 2:7 ...To him that over- surface. A veritable oasis of per- /
is pleasant to the sight, and good cometh will I give to eat of the "till" (abad) fection where there are no storms /
for food; the tree of life also in tree of life, which is in the midst To work, to serve, to till. or severe weather systems. A situa- /
the midst of the garden, and the of the paradise of God. tion which exists in some limited /
tree of knowledge of good and Revelations 22:2 In the midst of the "mist" (ed) tropical areas of the earth today /
evil. street of it, and on either side of A vapor, fog, mist. where rain is not necessary, and if it /
2:10 And a river went out of Eden to the river, was there the tree of does come is a mild mist or evaporates /
water the garden; and from thence life, which bare her fruit every "watered" (shaqah) before it reaches the ground. /
it was parted, and became into month: and the leaves of the tree To irrigate, to moisten. /
four heads. were for the healing of the nations. "living soul" from "dust of the ground" /
2:11 The name of the first is Pison: Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the "whole face" (kowl paneh) Biological chemists have verified /
that is it which compasseth the righteous is a tree of life; and he All of the face. that there are soils that contain all /
whole land of Havilah, where there that winneth souls is wise. the necessary ingredients, they just /
is gold; Job 38:25 Who hath divided a water- "breath" (nshamah) do not have the required complex /
2:12 And the gold of that land is course for the overflowing of waters, A puff, a wind. organic consistency. The name "adam" /
good: there is bdellium and onyx ... is related to red, a reddish clay /
stone. Psalms 147:15&18 He sendeth forth his "life, living" (chay) soil. /
2:13 And the name of the second commandments upon earth: his word Living, sustain life. /
river is Gihon: the same is it runneth very swiftly. "Eden" /
that compasseth the whole land of ...he causeth his wind to blow, "soul" (nephesh) Where was Eden? Babylonian tradit- /
Ethiopia. and the waters flow. A creature, person, self, ions place it at Eridu which is 12 /
2:14 And the name of the third river Psalms 8:3-9 When I consider thy a living being, animals also miles south west of Ur, the home of /
is Hiddekel: that is it which heavens, the work of thy fingers, have this characteristic, it is Abraham. It is regarded as the old- /
goeth toward the east of Assyria. the moon and the stars, which thou not unique to man. est and most sacred city. Evidence /
And the fourth river is Euphrates. hast ordained; is that this area was at one time at /
2:15 And the Lord God took the man, What is man, that thou art mindful "Eden" (eden) the coast of a larger ancient Persian /
and put him into the garden of of him? and the son of man, that thou Pleasure, delight. Gulf. The soil there in the flood /
Eden to dress it and to keep it. visitest him? plains of the Euphrates river is very /
2:16 And the Lord God commanded the For thou hast made him a little "good" (towb) rich and in earlier times one could /
man, saying, Of every tree of the lower than the angels, and hast Pleasant, beautiful, delightful, obtain plenty of food from picking /
garden thou mayest freely eat: crowned him with glory and honour. right, virtue. fruit and grain that grew naturally /
2:17 But of the tree of the Thou madest him to have dominion there without any effort of planting. /
knowledge of good and evil, thou over the works of thy hands; thou "evil" (ra) Another tradition is that it was in /
shalt not eat of it: for in the hast put all things under his feet: Bad, inferior quality, wicked, the Armenian highlands at the head- /
day that thou eatest thereof thou All sheep and oxen, yea, and the to spoil. waters of the Euphrates, Tigris, /
shalt surely die. beasts of the field; Phasis and Araxes rivers. The origin /
2:18 And the Lord God said, It is The fowl of the air, and the fish "Pison" (piyshown) of most of our domestic animals and /
not good that the man should be of the sea, and whatsoever passeth Spread, scattered, diverse. many fruits and vegetables has been /
alone; I will make him a help meet through the paths of the seas. traced to the Caucasus region and the /
for him. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is "Gihon" (gichown) area of origin of the Caucasian race. /
2:19 And out of the ground the Lord thy name in all the earth! To gush forth. /
God formed every beast of the Psalms 33:4-9 For the word of the Lord "knowledge of good and evil" /
field, and every fowl of the air; is right; and all his works are done "Hiddekel" (chiddeqel) If Adam and Eve could obtain such /
and brought them unto Adam to see in truth. (probably same as Tigris) knowledge from partaking of a forbid- /
what he would call them: and He loveth righteousness and judg- den activity, was this symbolic of /
whatsoever Adam called every ment: the earth is full of the good- "Euphrates" (perath) disobedience, or was there a chemical /
living creature, that was the name ness of the Lord. To break forth, rushing. reason connected with the food? Many /
thereof. By the word of the Lord were the scholars think that it was the act of /
2:20 And Adam gave names to all heavens made; and all the host of "alone" (bad) disobedience only that was required. /
cattle, and to the fowl of the them by the breath of his mouth. Separation, apart, by self. But our bodies are basically a /
air, and to every beast of the He gathereth the waters of the sea chemical factory and certain chemicals /
field; but for Adam there was not together as a heap: he layeth up the "help meet" (ezer) are known to cause undesirable behav- /
found a help meet for him. depth in storehouses. A helper, a aid. ior. May we also conclude that since /
2:21 And the Lord God caused a deep Let all the earth fear the Lord; let the tree existed that evil also /
sleep to fall upon Adam, and he all the inhabitants of the world "deep sleep" (tardemah yashen) existed prior to this time. Many /
slept; and he took one of his stand in awe of him. A lethargic trance, a sleep. scholars propose that the original act /
ribs, and closed up the flesh For he spake, and it was done; he of disobedience occurred long ago /
instead thereof. commanded and it stood fast. "ribs" (tsalah) when the angel satan was found to be /
2:22 And the rib, which the Lord God I Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first A curved portion of the body, disobedient. /
had taken from man, made he a formed, then Eve. a side. /
woman, and brought her unto the Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than "rib" /
man. one; because they have a good reward "man" (iysh) Many scholars think that it is /
2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone for their labor. A person, an individual, a male. unfortunate that it has been trans- /
of my bones, and flesh of my For if they fall, the one will lift lated as "rib", they feel that "side" /
flesh: she shall be called Woman, up his fellow:... "woman" (ishshah) would be more appropriate. They /
because she was taken out of man. Matthew 19:4-6 ...Have ye not read, A female. feel that the sense of this passage /
2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his that he which made them at the begin- is not that woman is of lesser value /
father and his mother, and shall ning ,made them male and female, "cleave" (dabaq) or subordinate to man, but that she /
cleave unto his wife: and they And said, For this cause shall a To impinge, to adhere, to be joined. is a coequal that completes the /
shall be one flesh. man leave father and mother, and whole to make perfect the union. /
2:25 And they were both naked, the shall cleave to his wife: and they "naked" (arom) From our present knowledge, we know /
man and his wife, and were not twain shall be one flesh? To be raw, bare. that it is only necessary to take /
ashamed. Wherefore they are no more twain, one cell and slightly alter the DNA /
but one flesh. What therefore God "ashamed" (buwsh) pattern to have the basics for /
hath joined together, let no man put To become pale, blush, to disgrace, another, but different human. /
asunder. to disappoint. /
I Corinthians 11:12 For as the woman /
is of the man, even so is the man /
also by the woman; but a /
God. /
/
/
MATTERS OF CONTENTION MATTERS OF CONTENTION /
/
"had not caused it to rain upon the earth" "thou shalt surely die" /
Psalms 135:6-7 "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and A literal translation is "dying you shall die". Other translators /
in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to have rendered it as "by death you shall die" and "you will be doomed to /
ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; die". Scholars are divided on whether this indicated a physical death /
he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. or a spiritual death. We have the impression that Adam and Eve could have /
The present hydrologic cycle is also described in Ecclesiastes 1:6-7, Job lived eternally in the garden if they had not been disobedient. But /
28:24-27 and Job 36:26-29. But Genesis is detailing a different hydrologic could this have happened if they could not eat of the "tree of life" which /
cycle that does not include rain fall. Many scientists have said this is they were later separated from? Or does the "tree of life" pertain only /
improbable! Others have proposed the "vapor canopy model". This model to a spiritual eternal life. Was the physical body capable of eternal life /
requires a continuous dense vapor covering to entirely enclose the earth as originally formed? Or was eternal life achievable only in a spiritual /
in the upper atmosphere. This covering would filter and diffuse the sun's existence? We are so closely tied to our dieing physical body that it is /
radiation. The greenhouse effect of the canopy would provide a warmer and hard to imagine that any physical thing could live for ever under any cir- /
more even temperature through out the atmosphere of the earth. The more cumstances. But apparently this is what the creator intended! Or did He? /
uniform temperature of the atmosphere would minimize the great air mass Being all knowing, He obviously knew that man would be disobedient and what /
movements (storms) that now exist and if rain existed it would probably He would be required to do after the disobedience. /
be restricted to areas over very large bodies of water. Land areas would Many scholars believe that Adam and Eve were doomed to start dieing /
receive moisture from dew or mist caused by the local night cooling effect physically at the first moment of disobedience. That the "tree of life" /
of a more uniform more humid atmosphere. Lesser cooling would be required pertained to physical eternal life. But ever more undesirable was the /
to provide the mist due to the higher humidity. Such a greenhouse earth separation from the Creator that was to come from the act of disobedience. /
would provide for a lusher more tropic vegetation all over the earth as the Many propose that true death is eternal separation from the Creator. That /
fossil record seems to indicate. physical death is a mere formality that must now come. The true death is /
Many scientists who could agree that the canopy model is a viable model, spiritual death which is eternal separation from the Creator. The death /
would however disagree with the timing. They would feel that such a atmos- referred to in the passage of discussion is physical death since Adam from /
pheric model would have to be relegated to an early primordial earth of one act of disobedience had not been for ever separated from the Creator. /
many million years ago. This could not be the atmospheric model within the Adam could still be the recipient of eternal spiritual life with the Crea- /
last ten thousand years of earth's history which the Biblical chronology tor if he demonstrated true repentance for any acts of disobedience perfor- /
seems to require. med while in the physical body! Others would claim that spiritual eternal /
life could be obtained only by demonstrating good works. And obviously /
"formed man of the dust of the ground" others would say that the physical life is all there is and that there is /
What is the true nature of man? Scientists have long been studying the no eternal spiritual nature. The Scriptures obviously disagree with the /
human body and its various wonderful and very complex natures. Will they latter opinions. The Old Testament Scriptures had not fully developed the /
ever be able to reduce it to a mathematical formula that can be input to concept of a spiritual eternal life. This was more fully developed and /
a equally complex computer and thereby manufacture an exact duplicate of expounded by the Lord Jesus Christ. /
man? This is the dream of many scientists! But can it actually be accom- /
plished? Can man ever manufacture a being that can reason and think in "It is not good that man should be alone" /
the exact nature of man? Can man ever manufacture a duplicate of the human In many "modern" cultures the family life style is being currently attac- /
body with its many strengths and also many weaknesses? Of course the ked and many are claiming that it is no longer necessary. They say that /
objective would be to manufacture a likeness that has the strengths, but the female is now capable of being economically the equal of men and she /
not the weaknesses! The writings of Genesis emphasize the special nature must no longer be dependent upon man. That the definition of a family /
of man. A creation that excels over the rest of the animal kingdom in needs to be expanded to allow room for more diverse groups of individuals /
many ways. But now has weaknesses of disease, the mental agony of worry that desire to live together for fulfillment of their needs. But it is /
and aging. A creature that can reach many heights of discovery and inven- interesting that many of them proclaim that they need the right to be /
tions, but can also attain extreme lows of debauchery. How can such a legally "married". There is still the desire for a formalized, permanent /
creature be just an evolution of the animal kingdom? Or must man be a relationship. There are those that have decided to live alone for the /
special creation that only the supreme Creator can fully understand??? entirety of their life time but they are definitely a small minority. /
Man desires companionship, to form small intimate societies. Many current /
"God planted a garden eastward in Eden" surveys have verified that those who have a small loving "family" group /
Did Eden actually exist? Or is it just a mythical tale to emphasize a tend to have a more content life, and actually live longer. /
moral story? Obviously different men will provide different answers dep- It is interesting to note that apparently within the animal kingdom there /
ending upon their theology! There is much archaeological evidence to say were at the very first formed both male and female. But in the case of the /
that Eden did exist. Ancient writing and oral traditions found in many human species there is made special note of the Creator's plans that there /
locations indicate that it did exist. As probably would be expected the should be a union between the male and the female. That the Creator made /
writings on the ancient clay tablets found in the same area where trad- special emphasis of the need for a family. That He created the need for /
ition says the garden was located most closely compare to the Scriptures. a sexual relationship for the multiplying of the species. This is His plan /
"near Eridu was a garden in which was a mysterious sacred tree, a tree and all other substitute plans are poor imitations and most often cause /
of life, planted by the gods, whose roots were deep while its branches very deep problems and concerns, even to the shortening of the life span! /
reached to heaven, protected by two guardian spirits, and that no man /
enters into the midst of it" is a translation from one of the ancient clay "caused a deep sleep" "he took one of his ribs" /
tablets found in the Babylonian area. There are many more examples of Many think that it is unfortunate that this passage has been interpreted /
close comparisons to the scriptures found among such diverse civilizations to say rib, but that "took of his side" would be more appropriate. That /
as the Persians, Hindu, Greek, Chinese, Mongolians, Tibetans and Tutonic. to say rib has caused many silly misconceptions that man should thereby /
Can all these ancient writings and oral stories be just a coincident? It have one less rib. Many who want to discredit the Scriptures have resorted /
would appear not! The miracle is that the Scripture have survived for to many such excesses of microscopic criticisms. When in actuality the maj- /
all these millennia and recent discoveries of ancient scrolls located in ority of the problem is with the languages of man. There are many imperfe- /
the dead sea area have emphasized the accuracy with which these writings ctions in languages, making it difficult to express the same thought in /
have been preserved. The skeptic naturally does not accept the full truth different languages. The same word means one thing to one generation and /
of these writings, but many do, and that is why they have been, and will can express the opposite thought to another generation. The Scriptures go /
always remain so precious to so many scholars. to great lengths in this case to express the thought as Adam said "this is /
now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh". Adam well understood that he /
"the tree of life" and Eve were of the same creation, that they were created for each other to /
Could there have existed one plant that had all the ingredients necessary provide a complete union. A cooperating couple who working together would /
to sustain human life for as long as it was eaten? Skeptics will of course make life much more enjoyable and interesting. It is very unfortunate that /
answer no! But why do doctors and scientists continuously make new discov- in more and more cases the short comings of one of the partners has caused /
eries of the benefits of a vegetable diet? Why are they continuously disc- much sorrow and grief. It is unpopular in many circles to use the word /
overing new "miracle" drugs from extracts from plants. Just recently there sin, but in reality the phrase "short comings" means "sin", the failing of /
was an announcement of a new anti-cancer drug that is extracted from a man to live to the standards of the Creator. /
tree. Scriptures tell us that such a tree did exist and it will again be It is also interesting to note that this thought is further emphasized /
available to man after the earth is returned to the "Eden" like status. when it is stated "there was not found a help meet for him" when Adam was /
inspecting and naming the animals. Special emphasis that Eve was created /
"the tree of knowledge of good and evil" to be the most compatible type for Adam and that no other type would do as /
Here again we have the same theological dilemma as with the "tree of life" well. "they shall be one flesh" By the way, many scholars point out that /
It this reality or a mythological illustration to explain a moral? Could the word translated as "living creatures" is intended to include only the /
there exist a food that will release chemicals within the human body that higher animal life forms that were also created on the sixth day and not /
would allow the perception of good and evil where it before did not exist? to include life forms such as bacteria, insects, reptiles, etc. /
Many men search for a chemical that will provide a constant euphoric state /
of happiness. Many have destroyed their life in search of such a chemical! "they were both naked, ... and were not ashamed" /
Obviously they at the time believed that they could obtain a perpetual Another expression of the "utopia" that Eden represents that man desires. /
state of happiness through chemicals? Or did they? Is it possible that The strong desire for a lasting relationship in which there is no fear, no /
there is a chemical delusion that will remove all notion of good or evil? feeling that one partner is going to take advantage of the other or cause /
Or is the notion of good or evil only a "guilt trip" that religious people pain to the other. No feeling of disappointment or inferiority, that one /
have put on others? Many theories have been advanced by many diverse partner will not be completely satisfied with the other partner. No reason /
people! But still the Scriptures remain the authority to many and still to have internal thoughts that it is necessary to put on pretenses or hide /
the reality of great suffering and pain that is caused by man exists! Many something or some thought from the other partner. No fear of rejection or /
have proposed that man can achieve the state of "eutopia" as "Eden" exempl- ridicule. No fear that one partner is looking for another better partner. /
ifies through his efforts. But after many millennia where is the evidence The existence of mankind in perfect innocent and a fully satisfying exist- /
that man can achieve such a state independent of help from a supreme Being? tance where there is no shame!!!! Perfect harmony between man, female, the /
