10/18 reading actually done on 10/30

Basic Plot:

God realizes that Adam and Eve know right from wrong.
God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden
God places a cherub to guard the garden.
Adam and Eve procreate and Eve becomes pregnant with twins.
Cain was born first and then Abel.
Abel tended to the animals while Cain worked the soil.
Cain brought a bad sacrifice of fruits to God.  Cain was angry.
Abel brought a sacrifice of his firstborns, and got favor from God
God tries to encourage Cain to do the right thing.
Cain and Abel go out into the field together, and Cain kills Abel.
God rebukes Cain and punishes him by cursing all the ground that he trys to grow crops on.
God puts a mark on Cain so that others would not kill him.
Cain went East to Nod with his wife.

Geneology:
Cain ---- Enoch
Enoch----- Irad
Irad------- Methushael
Methushael ------Lamech

Thoughts:

This was an interesting breakup of the passages that the Rabbi's gave us.  We go from the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve learning about right and wrong right into the set of brothers that were total opposites....one good....one evil....the total ipidomy of good and evil! 

No really interesting things to say about this passage, except you get the first glimpse of God's forgiveness for Cain.  Cain was evil from the beginning of his life.  Starting with the faulty sacrific Cain gave God.....but God sees a glimmer of good in Cain.  You see God's anger in 4:6, but you also see how much God cares for Cain.  God rebukes Cain, but then walks beside him, and tries to encourage him, and show him that there is a right path to walk along.  Cain probably too hurt to see the truth ignores God, and turns away.  What a shame....But how do you go from offering bad sacrifices to killing your own brother.  Was his jealousy so horrible that he needed to rid his life from his brother.

What is the purpose of the geneology in this case?  I guess we'll have to wait until the next reading to find out what exactly is being alluded to here.

Entry for 10/17 written on 10/30

 Basic Plot:

Adam gave names to all of the animals, but found no suitable helper.
God put Adam to sleep and made Eve out of his Left rib.
Adam and Eve were naked and had no shame in the garden.
The Serpant spoke to Eve and questioned her about whether God really restricted them from eatting from the tree of knowledge.
The Serpant puts doubt in Eve's head about whether eatting from the ToK would result in death.
Eve ate the apple and gave the apple to Adam.
Their eyes were opened, and they sewed figs to cover their privates.
Adam and Eve hid from God.
God confronts Adam and Eve about eatting from the ToK.
God curses the serpant and curses all snakes to crawl on the floor.
God creates emnity between woman and serpant
God creates childbirth pain for woman
etc

Thoughts:

Vs 3:15-And I will put enmity
       between you and the woman,
       and between your offspring ^[e] and hers;
       he will crush ^[f] your head,
       and you will strike his heel

This is one of the first foreshadowing to Yeshua.  That Yeshua will be from the offspring of woman, and the offspring of the serpant will be Satan and Satan's followers.  This tells .   We see foreshadowing of a battle between Satan and Yeshua where Satan will strike Yeshua's heal (and cause little harm) while Yeshua will "crush Satan's head" and destroy him.

Another theme that I need to discuss is the fall itself.  Where is Adam when the Serpant is trying to convince Eve that she should eat the fruit, and why didn't Adam partake in the conversation, or protest at all, when Eve ate from the ToK?  Why didn't he question Eve about it when He took part in the sin?  And why didn't he remind Eve that God told them not to eat from the tree?  Afterall God specifically told Adam.....Men.....lol.

Entry from 10/16, really written on 10/29

Basic Plot:


God created a river which watered the Garden.
God created man (Adam) out of the dust of the ground.
God created the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
God placed Adam into the Garden to work in it and rule over the Garden
God placed Adam in charge of the animals.
God told Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
God told Adam that it was not good for him to be alone
God created the animals and Adam named them.

Thoughts:

This chapter is an important chapter.  It discusses many interesting occurances.  First and foremost.  God created Adam, and this was the first time that God didn't say; "Hey everything is good."  Instead God says the total opposite.  God realizes that Adam's existance is not complete alone.  That Adam needs some sort of companionship, so God creates all of the animals for Adam to rule over.  Wonderful, but still it's not "good" in God's eyes.  This speaks great lengths for marriage.  Here I am in a committed marital relationship with Jason, and I can tell you first hand it is a GOOD situation.  We both look out for each other.  We both work in different ways, and we compliment each other in many ways...It is the perfection of marriage, of us becoming one and completing one another in our differences.....

The second note that I have for this passage is that God told Adam and just Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.  Now it's well known that Eve was the one who believed the serpant and was the first to cause sin.  Well God didn't directly tell Eve Don't eat the apple, God told Adam, and Adam alone.  The text leads us to believe that Adam is the head of his marriage with Eve and Adam is to take charge and shoe Eve the ropes of the garden per say. 

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but lets talk more about God's actual instructions to Adam.  God tells Adam:  "you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Death is meantioned here.  Adam is living in the paradise of Eden, and God is talking about death.  Did Adam know what death was?  There was no death in paradise I thought.  Did Adam understand what was the real consequence was for disobeying?

Talking about Adam, I just realized today that Adam was not created in paradise.  Adam was created OUTSIDE of the garden, and then placed there by God.  Did God have the foreshadowing in the very beginning to say you are not perfect, and I created you in non-perfection, but I am going to give you a chance to live in paradise?  Almost like how our lives are.  We are created and born as sinners, but then we accept Yeshua into our lives to be our sacrifice, and our savior, and we are freed and are allowed to enter heaven (when that day comes).  Interesting...ya learn something every day!

Basic Plot:

God created light and darkness (day and night) Day 1
God created water and sky Day 2
God created land, seas and vegetation Day 3
God created the sun and the moon Day 4
God created sea creatures and birds Day 5
God created animals, and Adam, and God put Adam the leader of all the animals Day 6
God rested on the 7th day and made the 7th day holy

Thoughts:

Todays passage recounts the miracle of creation. In six days God created our entire universe, and all of the creatures from within. It's also apparant that God had humans set aside in the beginning to be the heads of the earth. To rule and to reign over everything that he has provided. God had a purpose for man from the very first day of his existance, and if there was a purpose for Adam on the first day, then there has to be a purpose for all of us today. Everything that God did and provided was done for a reason, as part of His master plan.

This first passage also displays God's authority over us and all of the creatures of the earth. God was able to just speak everything into existance with what seems like little effort on His part. He sets up His heirarchy on earth and then relaxs.

Another heavily missed point is that God actually set forth a day of rest. Most of us look at the Sabbath as a day to get things done around the house, but that's not how God intended us to use our weekend. He intended for us to rest, because rest is important for us. Even He the creator of the unverse was able to take time out of His busy schedule to rest, We too must be like God, and put the laundry asside for a day and enjoy the good works of our week. Relax and wind down, and get ready to start the grind all over on Monday.

The last point I have to comment on about this passage is the nature of God. The creation passage sets us up for seeing God's nature. How God does everything right, and everything He makes is good. We must remember always that God is omnipotent, and is our supreme ruler and guider. He can do no wrong, and is always doing good works in our lives and in the lives of those around us, whether we see it as a 'good' thing at the time it occurs or not. (One interesting sidebar fact.....Has anyone ever noticed that God declares each major thing he created Good, but when it comes to creating man, the specific declaration that the creation of Man is good is missing.....hmmm...Food for thought today)

I have a purpose with this Journal. It's going to be my Bible Reading Journal. If you don't like that then Don't read it! LOL. I'll be posting about a specific passage of scripture a day based on a reading chart that I'm following. We're starting with the 5 books of Moses (aka: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and we'll see where we go from there. I have to admit this reading plan started 2 weeks ago, and I'm going to have to play catch up big time, but I'm dedicated to giving this a fair shot, and not letting my circumstances of the past 2 weeks keep dragging me down to the ground.

Beresheet

10/15 Gen 1-2:3
16 Gen 2:4-19
17 Gen 2:20-3:21
18 Gen 3:22-4:18
19 Gen 4:19-22
20 Gen 4:23-5:24 Is 42:5-43:10
21 Gen 5:25-6:8 2 Cor 5:11-21

Nosch

10/22 Gen 6:9-22
23 Gen 7:1-7:16
24 Gen 7:17-8:14
25 Gen 8:15-9:7
26 Gen 9:8-9:17
27 Gen 9:18-10:32 Is 54:1-55:5
28 Gen 11:1-11:32 Matt 24:36-46

Lech Lecha

10/29 Gen 12:1-12:13
30 Gen 12:14-13:4
31 Gen 13:5-13:18
11/1 Gen 14:1-14:20
2 Gen 14:21-15:6
3 Gen 15:7-17:6 Is 20:27-41:16
4 Gen 17:7-17:27 Rom 4:1-25