Wk. 4: New Understanding

Week Four

What is the Gospel of Peace? Genesis

Week Four: Cultivating New Understanding of God’s Garden

Content of this week’s study:

Note: this week's study is divided into two sections as seen here.

Section One: Ayden

Day One: Tropical Paradise, Wooded Lot or Something More?

Day Two: Location, Location, Location!

Section Two: The Two Trees of Covenant

Day Three: Secret Knowledge?

Day Four: To Obey or Not to Obey

Day Five: Was the TTKGE Necessary?

Day Six: The Choice

We are delving into a discussion this week in which we will explore some, possibly, revolutionary concepts; many of which are hard to track if you are not well acquainted with scripture, but I urge you to not give up! It is amazing how God brings all these details together if we’re faithful and committed to learning.

Section One: Ayden

Day One: Gan Ayden [garden in Eden]
*Gan (gon=garden) Ayden (ay-den=living delightfully).

When you read about God’s garden does your imagination propagate a luscious expanse of tropical greenery interwoven with paths blanketed in tender mosses? Can you almost hear the bird calls and feel the warm caress of breezes laden with the heady fragrance of perfectly ripe guava and plumeria?

Or, does your imagination cultivate a fenced plot brimming with rich, dark, loamy soil; adorned with perfectly spaced rows of red, juicy, vine ripened tomatoes and pole beans running riot on a sturdy framework? Do you long to dig your fingers into the rich Edenic earth and watch the fruit of your labors proliferate?

*In truth, we don’t know exactly what Gan Ayden was like. I always imagined it covered a vast area; partially tropical paradise; interspersed with vegetable plots fenced with rustic white pickets and a rose arbor over the gate; areas of beautifully wooded lot bejeweled with ferns (we know God planted trees in the garden which would produce edible fruits), interwoven with lush meadows dotted with grazing deer; and sweeping vistas of neatly sown, fully bloomed lavender. I have been told, more than a few times, that I have a very fertile imagination.

*Although we don’t know exactly what the garden was like, I don’t think we’re in any danger of overestimating the beauty and shalom [peace that comes from walking in covenant with God] which God designed into the home He created for man to live in.

Though for now, all we can do is speculate on the details of life in Gan Ayden; we can glean a few facts from Moses’ historical account, and that is what we’ll attempt to do in this week’s study.

Genesis 2:7-10 (CJB)

7 Then Adonai, God, formed a person from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being. 8 Adonai, God, planted a garden toward the east, in ‘Eden, and there he put the person whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground Adonai, God, caused to grow every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river went out of ‘Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided into four streams.

Take a few minutes to meditate on the descriptions below, writing your conclusions of how these words are used in our scripture.

From the Strong’s:

Planted 5193H nâta′, naw-tah´; (PR- primary root word); properly- to strike in, i.e. fix; specifically – to plant (*[used] literally or figuratively): --- fastened, plant (-er).

X ___________________________________________________.

Garden 1588H gan, gan; a garden, as fenced: --- garden. From, 1598H gânan, gaw-nan’; (PR); to hedge about, i.e. (generally) protect: --- defend.

X ___________________________________________________.

Eden 5731H ‘Ȇden, Ay’-den; (masculine); Eden, the region of Adam’s home. From 5730H ‘êden, ay’-den; or (feminine) ‘ednâh, ed-naw’; pleasure: --- delicate, delight, pleasure. From 5727H ‘âdan, aw-dan’; (PR); to be soft or pleasant; (figuratively) and (reflectively) to live voluptuously: --- delight self.

X ___________________________________________________.

Q) Regarding the name Eden [Ayden]: note which of the following is revealed in verse eight:

A: The garden was called Ayden. B: God established the garden in the area called Ayden.

Though this may seem like a minor issue; it is a prime example of how we can be misled if we simply follow what others say or if we “read” scripture instead of slowing down to consider the details of what we’re reading.

Journaling:

Write verse eight from today’s scripture (re-added below for reference) in your own words. Consider incorporating your conclusions to the Strong’s definitions above, words from another translation of the Bible or your own relative words.

Genesis 2:8 (CJB)

8 Adonai, God, planted a garden toward the east, in ‘Eden, and there he put the person whom he had formed.
Note whether you see a possible 1)duty, 2)life style or 3)both insinuated for mankind in the definition of the words used in this section of scripture.

Day Two: Location, Location, Location!

For today’s study, we’re highlighting another part of verse eight; the scripture we used in yesterday’s study.

Genesis 2:7-10 (CJB)

7 Then Adonai, God, formed a person from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being. 8 Adonai, God, planted a garden toward the east, in ‘Eden, and there he put the person whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground Adonai, God, caused to grow every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river went out of ‘Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided into four streams.

We need to understand an important concept

In the Strong’s:

East (Eastward in the KJV) 6924H qedem, keh’-dem; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively, the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, Eastward): --- aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, x ever (-lasting), forward, old, past. From 6923H qâdam, kaw-dam’; (primary root); to protect (one self), i.e. precede; hence, to anticipate, hasten, meet (usually for help): --- come (go, [flee]) before, + disappoint, meet, prevent.

X ___________________________________________________.

Again, you may wonder why we’re bothering to define the word East or Eastward. This is a pretty clear concept for anyone with an elementary school education, right? I would like to suggest, however, that the word -East- is one of the most intriguing and revolutionary terms used in scripture. “The East” plays a pivotal role in the details of many Biblical accounts. We’ll note a few of the high-profile occurrences here.

1) After they sinned; when God took Adam and Havah from Gan Ayden, they “went out toward the East”:

Genesis 3:24

“So he drove the man out, and he placed at the east of the garden of ‘Eden the *k’ruvim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”

*[Cherubim]

2) When Lot and Abraham, between both their flocks, had too many animals for the land to support; Abraham let Lot choose the area where he wanted to establish himself, and Lot moved to the East:

Genesis 13:11

Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed East. And they separated from each other.

3) After the death of Sarah, Abraham took concubines who also bore him sons, but God had chosen Isaac and told Abraham to send his other sons away; so, Abraham gave Isaac the full inheritance. Then Abraham gave gifts to his other sons and sent them away to the East:
Genesis 25:5-6

5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Note: For this next reference it is vital we remember that after King Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

Quote from Wikipedia article:

“On the succession of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, around 930 BCE, the biblical account reports that the country split into two kingdoms; the Kingdom of Israel (including the cities of Shechem and Samaria) in the north and the Kingdom of Judah (containing Jerusalem) in the south.”

Article – Wikipedia – “Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy):

Link - Wikipedia article: Division of the kingdom of Israel

4) The Northern kingdom of Israel fell into gross idolatry, so God brought the king of Assyria against them. The Assyrians eventually overpowered the Northern kingdom of Israel and led the vast majority of the population of several of the Northern tribes into captivity in Assyria; in the East:

1 Chronicles 5:25-26

25 And they *[the Northern Kingdom of Israel] were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.

Note: Syria is East of Israel. See also, 2 Kings 15:29 and 17:3-6

5) Likewise, when the Southern kingdom also fell into disobedience; God brought the Babylonian king [modern day; part of Syria, Iraq and Jordan] against them. Thus, the Southern kingdom was also taken into captivity; in the East, however, unlike the ---still missing--- people of the Northern tribes who were “divorced” by God because of their infidelity; the people of the Southern kingdom, Judah, remained in covenant with God and were allowed to return to the land.

The account of Judah’s [Southern kingdom] captivity begins in:

1 Daniel 1:1

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

6) It is commonly understood that when Messiah returns, He will come “from” the East (because He'll be leading His people back from "our" exile, and exile is always described as “in the East”.

Two references which give some insight regarding Yeshua's return.

a) Zechariah 14 We'll discuss this during our video discussion.

b) The following linked video discusses some important insight on the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount. You can watch the whole video, however, it is the second half (starting at 13:13) that pertains to this idea.

Link – Youtube video – Lamb and Lion Ministries – “The Eastern Gate in Prophecy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsW6w8u7Vvo

So, in all these instances, the East has played a pivotal role, but, you may be asking, "what does this idea have to do with God's garden or the land of Ayden"?

Traditionally, most Christian scholars have concluded that Ayden was located in Iraq at the head waters of today’s Euphrates and Tigress rivers.

There are two main evidences thought to support this idea.

#1 is Moses' the description of God planting the garden Eastward.

#2 is the description of the garden being in the midst of four rivers; which include the Euphrates and the Tigris.

Scholars are still unsure of the exact identity of the rivers listed as boundary markers of Ayden, but the Nile River in Egypt is increasingly accepted as one. Likewise, the nation of Iraq is East of Israel and the head waters of two rivers called the Tigris and Euphrates (names listed in scripture though not necessarily the same rivers) are located in the Southeastern part of the country; however, would God have exiled people who broke covenant with Him “to” Gan Ayden [the land of covenant]?

It could be concluded, and many now do conclude, that scripture alludes to an area “East” of modern day Israel as where “The Exile” begins, and here is where we begin to consider another, much more exciting prospect of where the Garden was located.

The alternate theory suggests Gan Ayden was actually-centered in the Temple Mount [Mount Moriah] in Jerusalem. This hypothesis proposes that the Most Holy Place in God's Temple is where the Tree of Life was planted at the center of God’s garden.

There are many reasons why the idea of Jerusalem being the true location of Gan Ayden is rapidly becoming the most accepted theory; we’ll highlight just a few more reasons here.

1) To Jews, and, increasingly, many from the church; both the land of Israel and, more importantly, Jerusalem is considered the center of the world and the gateway to the heavenly realm.

2) Both, the tabernacle Moses had constructed in the wilderness and the Temple which Solomon had built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, contained garden symbolism which is believed to link God’s temple to Gan Ayden.

3) Finally, this understanding of Jerusalem being the true location of God's garden could help explain why so many people are fighting for control of Jerusalem today.

Journaling:

1) In describing the area of Ayden, would Moses have necessarily meant “Eastward” as Southeast Iraq as many Christian scholars have suggested historically?

X ___________________________________________________.

2)You may choose to read the following article in its entirety, however, I am focusing on the section titled “Jewish Eschatology”.

~ Link – Article – Wikipedia – “Garden of Eden”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden

Q: According to the article, Jewish eschatology teaches that there are two Gan-Aydens. List how the two Aydens are identified according to this Jewish doctrine:

X ___________________________________________________.

X ___________________________________________________.
If you're confused, not understanding what I'm alluding to, just keep moving forward in your study, and we'll break it down further in our video discussion.

In Jewish theology, the physical world parallel’s the spiritual world. Consider how this idea of an "upper garden" and a "lower garden" might clarify some prophetic references in scripture such as the following;

Revelation 21

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! God’s Sh’khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. ...

Write your thoughts about the following question considering the insight you've gained from today's study:

Q) “Jerusalem” means “the city of shalom” (i.e. “the city of covenant”). When the “New Jerusalem” is brought into the world as prophesied in the book of Revelation – could it be the “Heavenly Temple/Gan-Ayden” which will now be established in the world? Try to explain any details or insight you might have about this idea.

Section Two: The Trees of Covenant

Day Three: Secret Knowledge?

Genesis 2:16,17 (CJB)
16 Adonai, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”

The Eitz Hada’at [TTKGE]:

It is called the tree of “The knowledge of good and evil”. But what message is that name meant to convey to us?

Is this title meant to insinuate that we gained valuable knowledge because we disobeyed God, or that if man had obeyed God from the beginning, that we would lack knowledge?

My friends, please indulge me for a moment.

*In the novel and 1990’s movie “First Knight” the evil character is named Malagant; a rogue knight from king Arthur’s “round table” who refused to serve King Arthur and his egalitarian yet justice-based society where Arthur ruled as a magnanimous king. Malagant chose instead to create his own kingdom through persecution and debauchery; ultimately attacking Arthur’s kingdom; Camelot, in an attempt to usurp Arthur’s throne and advance his own power.

In a moment when Arthur is distracted by Queen Guinevere’s (supposed) romantic betrayal; Malagant and his men invade Camelot. Malagant, convinced his attack has won him Arthur's throne and golden city, tells Arthur “The strong rule the weak, that’s how your God made the world”. Arthur responds, “But God makes us strong only for a while, so we can help each other”.

Malagant turns to the citizens of Camelot and shouts with angry defiance, “My god makes me strong --- so I can live my life. Arthur says to you, ‘serve one another’, well, when are you going to start living for yourselves”?

Malagant then lays down the compact and statutes of his dark reign; “Now, this is the freedom I bring you; freedom from Arthur’s tyrannical dream; freedom from Arthur’s tyrannical law; freedom from Arthur’s tyrannical God”.

Note: Malagant cleverly brushes over any statement of what the people can actually expect living under “king Malagant”. His speech focuses only on putting a negative spin on Arthur and his righteous and equitable standards. Malagant is, merely, promising to “free” the happy and contented citizens of Camelot from Arthur; their wise, concerned and gracious king.

In the movie; the citizens of Camelot, apparently knowing how blessed they are to live in Arthur’s kingdom, immediately revolt against power hungry Malagant and his horde of violent mercenaries to defend their King’s throne.

The people, many who would have some knowledge of life away from their generous monarch, don’t even take time to think. Though Arthur does die in the end, the brave citizens risk everything to put Malagant and his pillaging coup to an end.

There are those in the world today who believe the lie that God’s plan was to keep us in bondage, away from the “blessings” which they presume to result from eating the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge”.

These people, being ignorant of scripture and God's nature, misunderstand the knowledge we gained with Adam and Havah's act of disobedience. They allow themselves to be deluded into believing that God created mankind to keep us devoid of knowledge, denying us the true happiness of living according to our own will. Some even suggest that the enemy liberated mankind from God’s dominion.

You tell me, is the world liberated or in bondage now, and is mankind, as a whole, contented and at peace? Though we all know God is ultimately in control, is the state of the world good or are sickness, death, corruption, tragedy, people enslaving other people, manipulating and harming one another just symptoms of a deeper issue? So, who is the tyrant?

People often ask "how can God allow such pain and anguish as we witness in the news daily", but is it really fair to blame God for the results of man's corruption?

I suppose the better question is, why do people blame God for the present state of the world when scripture clearly states that He created everything to be good and right for us.

Again, does the reference to ‘good’ in the name of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil necessarily mean that we know a greater level of good because we disobeyed God and partook of it, or is it, possibly, as has been suggested, that “we now know the LACK of all the ‘good’ which was all around us in Ayden”?

In the Strong’s:

Knowledge1847H “daˊath, dah´-ath; cunning, [ig-]norantly, know (-ledge), [un-] awares (wittingly)”.

X___________________________________________________.

Strong’s doesn’t define the word “good” as interpreted here in English, but it does give definitions of three other words which I want us to consider and compare to the definition of “evil” below to try to comprehend the meaning of the name of this tree. I’m adding just a portion of each definition here; We'll continue this discussion .

I am putting only one answer line here, and it is after the last of the words interpreted as “good” (below) as we are only trying to consider a possible meaning of the word “good” (which is not defined in the concordance we’re using for this study)

Goodliness 2617H kheh´-sed; kindness; by implication- (toward God) piety; rarely- (by opposition) reproof, or (subjectively-) beauty: --- favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness)…

*Jews interpret this first word as; loving-kindness, and use it most often in reference to God's "loving-kindness" toward His people.

Goodlier (goodliest) 2896H tobe; … (good things, good men or women)…: --- beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful…pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ([-favoured]).

Goodness 2898H toob; good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially- goodness (superlative- concrete- “the best”), beauty, gladness, welfare: --- fair, gladness, good (-ness, thing, -s), joy, go well with.

X__________________________________________________.

Evil 7451H “ra`, rah; bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally): --- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil ([-favoredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, x great, grief (-vous), harm, heavy, hurt (-full), ill (favored), + mark, mischief (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st), wretchedness, wrong, [including feminine râ`âh; as adjective or noun]”.

X___________________________________________________.

Compare your overall conclusion as to the meaning of the words interpreted “good (goodness, etc.)” against your conclusion of the meaning of the word “evil” and write your new definition of the name of the tree with the forbidden fruit here or in your journal.

X____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________.

*The trouble and pain we experience are the natural outcome of the sin of eating the “fruit” of the forbidden tree. The name of this forbidden tree assures us that we were not supposed to know calamity (pain, hunger, suffering, shame, everything going wrong and failing).

*It was sin (disobedience) which distorted God’s creation; remember how we concluded in the study which we titled “The Symphony of Creation”, that "God saw everything that He had made, and behold, 'it was very good'" Genesis 1:31.

The Tree of Life [TOL]:

There are a few words interpreted as life in the Tanakh [Old Testament]. We’re going to compare two here.

This word interpreted as life is used in scriptures such as, Genesis 9:4,

1 kings 19:3, Esther 7:3 and many more.

1) Nephesh, neh´-fesh; 5315H (properly) a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstract) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mentally): --- any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, x dead (-ly), desire, x [dis-] contented, x fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart (-y), (hath, x jeopardy) life, (x in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mine, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (x she) will, x would have it. From 5314H nâphash, naw-fash´; (primary root word); to breath; (passively), to be breathed upon, i.e. (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air): --- (be) refresh selves (-ed).

X___________________________________________________.

Compare this word to the following. This is the word used in the “Tree of ‘Life’”. It is the same word, “life”, that Elohim (the plural God) breathed into Adam. It is also found in scriptures such as, Genesis 7:11, Genesis 42:15,

1 Samuel 18:18 and many others.

2) chay, khah´-ee; 2416H … from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively: --- + age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life (-time), live (-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop. 2421H khaw-yaw´; (primary root word); to live whether literal or figurative; cause to revive: --- keep (leave, make) alive, x certainly, give promise life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (x God) save (alive, life, lives), x surely, be whole.

X___________________________________________________.

Journaling: Write a brief conclusion on any differences you see between the two words translated as “life” in the above definitions and then outline a short comparison of your conclusion of the meaning of the names “tree of the knowledge...” and the “tree of Life”. We’ll continue to dig into this topic in our video discussion and as we continue through this week’s study.

Day Four: No Shakespeare, To Obey or Not to Obey; that is the question.

*”Two paths” typically represent a choice.

*In the case of Gan Ayden and the two trees of covenant; two clearly demanded a choice between obedience and disobedience.

In the Strong’s:

In the Old Testament [Tanakh in Hebrew]:

Most often-

Obey 8085H shâma′, shaw-mah´; (PR); to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively-to tell, etc.): --- x attentively, call (gather) together, x carefully, x certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, x diligently, discern, give ear, … Deuteronomy 6:3-4, 9:1 and 18:15

X___________________________________________________.

In the Greek New Testament [Brit Hadasha]:

1. 5219G hoop-ak-oo´-o; to hear under (as a subordinate), from 191G [primary verb] “to hear” and 5259G [primary preposition] “under” (place), *perhaps; listen and obey authority. Romans 6:16, Thessalonians 1:8

X___________________________________________________.

2. 3980G pi-tharkh-eh´-o; … to be persuaded by a ruler… Acts 5:29,32

X___________________________________________________.

Disobey [disobedient]-

In the Tanakh [Old Testament]:

4784H mârâh, maw-raw´; (PR); to be (causatively-make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively-) to rebel (or resist: causatively - to provoke): --- bitter, change, disobedient… 1 Kings 13:21,26; Nehemiah 9:26

X___________________________________________________.

In the Brit Hadashah [New Testament]:

3876G par-ak-o-ay´; inattention, i.e. (by implication-) disobedience, from 3878G …disobey: --- neglect to hear… Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 10:6

X___________________________________________________.

543G ap-i´-thi-ah; disbelief (obstinate and rebellious) … Colossians 3:6

544G ap-i-theh´-o; to disbelieve (willfully and perversely) … Romans 10:21

Both 543G and 544G come from 545G unpersuadable, i.e. contumacious: --- disobedient, from 1G (as a negative particle) and 3982G (primary verb); to convince (by argument, true or false)…: --- agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield. 545G Luke 1:17, Titus 3:3

X___________________________________________________.

Contrary to much of the teaching out there, the enemy did not create anything, nor does he own anything.

Some believe that What the enemy got when he tricked Adam and Eve [Havah] was mankind’s right to have "dominion” (domination was the result of the distortion after man sinned) over creation for the duration of man’s designated time to rule the earth.
Note, this is just one of many possible interpretations of what happened during the fall of mankind.

Some believe even Adam and Eve knew and followed God's Torah in the Garden [gan]; still others suggest the only command Adam and Eve had to follow was to not eat of the TTKGE. What we can be sure of, however, is that the two trees in Gan Ayden both belonged to God. God told the man and woman they could eat the fruit of every tree except the “tree of the knowledge”.

God is the creator and king, and He is the rightful owner of everything that exists --- including the flesh we reside in and the breath in our lungs. If God says we are not to do or consume something, we need to remember --- it belongs to Him; He has every right to reserve it.

The choice that was presented to Adam and Havah in the garden was not merely a test but an opportunity. The two trees provided mankind the chance to prove their determination to “shema” [hear and obey] our creator and king.

Believe it or not, the choice faced by Adam and Havah in the garden has been presented repeatedly throughout the Bible; and, as I noted before, all our lives God has confronted every one of us with this same decision to hear and obey Him.

Journaling:

Write your thoughts on if, and how, the two trees in God’s garden represented a choice between obedience and disobedience for Adam and Havah. What do you think we can learn from Adam and Eve's disobedience?

Day Five: Was the TTKGE necessary, Why?

In today’s study we’ll continue building on the idea that the choice between the tree of “life” and the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” has been confronting every person who has ever walked the face of the earth; then tomorrow we’ll begin to examine the way the ultimate example of this choice is manifesting for God's “end time” People.

The two paths:

I used to wonder if God planted --- or just allowed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden.

*The truth is, that until the enemy is gone for good; wherever God is working the enemy is going to show up to attack, distract and distort.

*Given this truth we could assume the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the natural result of the Tree of Life being in the garden, however, there is nothing that exists that was not created by and for God; including the Tree of the Knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:6 (CJB)

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.

Colossians 1:16

because in connection with him were created all things — in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities — they have all been created through him and for him.

The two trees in Gan Ayden have also been described as two tables. Many people have chosen, and will choose, to dine at the wrong table because they don’t understand that there are, in reality, only two choices;

1) to seek to learn and follow the commands and statutes of the one who created and owns everything that exists, or

2) to ignore and defy the King’s decrees.

Although there seems to be a smorgasbord of religious choices for us to choose from; as Yeshua warned (see scriptures below), there is one way to God, but many roads will lead the unwitting to destruction.

Matthew 7:13 (TLV)

13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.

John 14:6 (CJB)

6 Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me".

We will all choose; either we will believe and follow God’s commands, or we will choose to eat from the “forbidden” table.

Every path outside of God’s eternal Covenant is forbidden and actually leads to separation from our Creator. God wants all people to choose to obey and live in His Kingdom, but if we refuse to follow the path God laid out at the beginning of time; we will miss the mark He established.

Tragically, many people still unknowingly choose to dine at the “Jesus ended God’s commands” table. If you have believed this, and like me and many others, have now realized that you are in the “lawless camp”, it is not too late. We’ll spend much time in these studies beginning to learn what God considers obedience.

For now, I assure you, we cannot pick what we want from both tables. If you have believed that you can continue to live in disobedience and still eat from the tree of life; you have committed the self-willed sin of Adam, and haven't we all been guilty of this?

Note: we’ll begin examining some of the details of the sin of Adam and Havah next week.

Many of you may now have concluded that God allowed the TTKGE in His garden because He wanted to give Adam and Havah the opportunity to choose to lovingly obey Him as His subjects.

This makes sense because if Adam and Havah didn’t have another option available, God would be all they knew, and they would have served Him by default. This is clearly not the relationship God wants to have with us.

God graciously warned Adam and Havah of the dangers of disobedience; just as a parent cautions their child to not play in a busy street.

*God is God, He knew they would make the wrong choice, however, as a loving parent will leave a tiny window of opportunity to stray so they can, over time, prove to their child that they really do know best and have their safety and long-term happiness at heart; God chose to put the opportunity to trespass within Adam and Havah's reach.

God also had a plan to redeem fallen mankind. God’s long-term goal has always been to teach His people to follow Him as a lamb follows its own shepherd for safety and provision.

Because of Yeshua's sacrifice, we have the opportunity to re-take the test, but it is our responsibility to be prepared and committed.

Journaling:

Answer the following question noted in today's title; "Was the TTKGE necessary?

Also, having now done this study, in your opinion were the two paths - represented by the two trees planted in the garden, intended to present Adam and Eve with the choice of whether or not they would obey their covenant with God?

For your enjoyment:

Link - Youtube video - P J Stephen Paul - "My Sheep Hear My Voice"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIn2CnTUCb0

Just remember, it is actually not just to "hear or know" His voice, but to "Shema" (hear, know and do).

Day Six: The Choice Will Manifest for the World Again

Exodus 25:8

“They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them."

Living among His creation is still God's heart today.

In 1917 the Balfour Declaration was signed in England, declaring Britain’s support for establishing a Jewish nation in the Jew’s ancestral homeland, Israel.

Though there have always been Jews In Israel, Jewish refugees began returning home after the signing of the Balfour Declaration. Later, the return of Jewish people to their homeland greatly accelerated during and immediately after the Holocaust.

In May 1948, after years of waiting. Israel became a nation.

In 1967, during the six-day war, Israelis finally re-captured Jerusalem [the city of covenant aka the seat of God's power upon the earth].

Almost immediately, religious Jews began talking about rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash [the Temple of God] as God had commanded; so He could dwell [tabernacle] among His people.

There was a problem with rebuilding the Temple, however.

Beginning before the year 700 CE, the Al Aqsa Mosque --- and in 671 CE the Dome of the Rock Mosque (the gold dome on the Temple Mt.) --- had been built on top of Mount Moriah. In the case of the Dome of the Rock [Mosque of Omar]; right where the Most holy portion of God’s Temple once stood.

~Link – Article and Pictures – Wikipedia – “The Temple Mount”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

Throughout the ensuing decades the, approximate, 36 acres which make up the top of the Temple Mount (after Herod's modifications) has been the most hotly contested property on earth.

Note: The nation of Israel holds the deed to Jerusalem and all Israel; the details are recorded in scripture. God gave the land to the descendants of Jacob [Ya’akov] to take care of and keep it; it is not the world’s business to bestow or parcel Israel in any way.

Today, after nearly two thousand years, descendants of Israel are back in their ancient homeland; building a strong infrastructure; contending with the hate of some of their neighbors (and the world); preparing for the rebuilding of God's Temple on Mount Moriah.

The most baffling hindrance to rebuilding God’s Temple, however, remains the presence of the two mosques which were built in the area where God’s Temple stood.

Several years ago there was a plan proposed to build the Temple next to the Dome of the Rock mosque and link the two buildings to create a unified belief for the entire world (sound like end times prophecy?).

Because of further research and objections from numerous factions, this plan has since been scrapped.

*I am noting the idea in our study, however, because understanding the solutions from the past is valuable to understanding the future and the big-picture.

Steven Denoon did an informative report on this issue several years ago which laid out the proposal mentioned above. I am including a link to Steven’s video (below) to provide easy access for those who wish to watch his discussion on the topic.

If you are Catholic or Muslim, please do not be offended at the discussion. The issues discussed on the video are aimed at certain powerful people who seem to be fulfilling Bible prophecy and are not meant to censure anyone who is simply seeking God's truth.

The newspaper reports of the proposed unifying of the planned Jewish temple and the Muslim Mosque[s] is discussed from about 35 seconds to 6:05 minutes.

Link – Youtube video from 2016 – Steven Ben Denoon, Israeli News Live – “[Chief] Rabbi Lau Calls for Third Temple Next to Dome of the Rock”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmLO9txPTe8

The world seems obsessed with the land where God chose to place His name; just as Bible prophecy says they will be.

*Today, besides continuing to face the personal choice of obedience or disobedience on a daily basis, you and I may at some time in the near future be presented with a manifestation of this choice in a way that is absolutely unexpected yet obvious to anyone who knows Bible prophecy.

Journaling:

Note God's reason for giving the command to "build His temple" in Exodus 25:8 from the beginning of today's study.

Our Week Four Study is Now Complete. Be Strong and Courageous Friends!

Week Four

What is the Gospel of Peace? Genesis

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