Let's Start With the Beginning, Shall We?

First thing I should let you in on is that I'm following the 365 days a year reading plan in my Bible. It's an easy way to stay on track.

Second thing is that since I'm Messianic, I tend to use the Hebrew names for things. I'll include a section of vocab which explains what I'm saying, but I figured I should let you know what's up.

Third thing is that when I list a reading, like today's Genesis 1-3, I mean to read until the end of the chapter three, not end at the beginning of chapter three.

Let's get started!

Some quick vocab first:

Genesis = Beresheet = "In the beginning"
God = Elohim, El, or Yah
The Lord = Yahuah

Here's what I'm going to be doing here, I'm going to be pulling some interesting verses out and asking what you think of them. You can write answers in the comments box if you like, or you can just ponder them. Either way, as long as I get you thinking, that's all that really matters.

Beresheet 1:1 "In the beginning Yah created the heavens and the earth."

Wouldn't you say that means He made everything? Even the "man-made materials" in your clothes? I'm pretty sure He's the only one who has ever made something out of nothing. He made you. He made your best friend. He made your parents, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your pet, everything. And that which he did not make, he made the materials for and created the inspiration within the artists and inventors for it. Musical instruments, hair stuff, jewelry, everything you have ever touched, everything you have ever seen, everyone you have ever met, was made by Him. It's really quite something when you think about it.

He made light and darkness. He made the sky and the sea and the land. He made the plants and the animals. He made the moon, stars, and sun in the sky. And he made man.

Beresheet 1:26 "Then Yah said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"

He made a wonderful, beautiful planet out of nothing, and then gave it to men to take care of. I could get all into a frenzied rant about how we've messed up that job a long time ago, but I don't plan on it. Instead, I'd rather go in a different direction and discuss how He made us. He made us in His image. Basically, we look vaguely like Him. Maybe a lot like Him. Either way, there's probably a family resemblance. Can you believe it? Somehow, you look like the King of the Universe. Maybe it's physically looking like Him; maybe it's in your heart. But from the very beginning of time, we've got something in common with Him other than being His creation.

Beresheet 2:2-3 "And on the seventh day Yah ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then Yah blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which Yah had created and made."

Think about it... What day is known best as the day of rest? Sunday, right? Take a look at any calendar. Is Sunday the seventh day of the week? No? Which one is? What should you be doing on the seventh day?

Beresheet 2:16-17 "And Yahuah Elohim commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 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."

As far as I know, Adam and Eve were given one rule. That was it. What's one recurring theme in the Bible? Actually, what's one recurring theme in life? People like breaking rules. Not really sure why; maybe it's the thrill of getting away with it, but can you really break a rule like that without consequences?

Beresheet 2:18 "And Yahuah Elohim said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

By that, he means he'll make Eve. But wait, does this mean that Eve is doomed to be a second-class citizen? A mere helper? That's a wonderful start for being a girl, right? Hang on a sec, before you get caught up in womens' rights and feminism and all that, think about the last three words of that sentence. Eve (and women) was created to be comparable to Adam (and men). Essentially, that means we're equals in Yah's eyes. But hang on, what about the whole "helper" thing? I got a copy of The Dictionary from the same people who made my Bible, and they have a definition of this sort of helper under "woman." "Man is incomplete without woman. Because she is called a 'helper' does not imply that she is inferior to man. The same Hebrew word translated as helper is used of God in His relationship to Israel (Ps. 33:20; 70:5)." (pg 414) Come on girls, we're not inferior to guys, we're equal. Not only that, they need us! But we need them too. It's kinda one of those symbiotic relationship things you learn about in science or biology or whatever.

We pretty much know about how the serpent tempted Eve and she and Adam ate some of the forbidden fruit, but what kind of serpent do you think he was? I'm guessing some sort of lizard, since it says on 3:14b "On your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life." That implies that the serpent wasn't originally a leg-less creature.

Beresheet 3:24 "So he drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."

Wait a second, didn't Yahuah say, not two chapters ago, that he would kill whoever ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Why aren't Adam and Eve pushing up daisies already? As you'll learn in future Bible stories, not to mention life, Yah is very merciful. He's willing to give us all a second chance. Also, Adam and Eve were practically his children. It's hard to imagine a father killing his children because they broke a rule, even a really important one like that. Instead, like a good father, he disciplined them by kicking them out of the garden and making sure they're not allowed in again by having angels and a flaming sword guard the entrance and the tree of life. Can you imagine? Swords weren't even invented yet, let alone flaming ones that turn in all directions! That kinda blows Excalibur right out of the water, doesn't it? But hey, it's better than instantaneous death! In the end though, they did die. They weren't allowed to gain immortality via munching on the fruit from the tree of life. In a way, Yah did kill them for eating from the tree of knowledge, but it didn't happen as immediately as He said it would. He gave them both full, long lives (you'll find out soon that Adam lived to be over 900!) and a long life is definitely better than instant death.

Anyways, that's all I've got in the reading for today. As for other stuff though...

Music for you to check out:

• "Everything is Glorious" -David Crowder Band
• "More" -Matthew West

Tomorrow we'll be reading Genesis (Beresheet) 4-5