SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS -- LESSON 4

THE SINISTER SHADOW

A MARKED MAN

From Genesis 4

Eve gave birth to a son and named him Cain, saying: I have brought forth a man with Adonai’s help. Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a shepherd and Cain became a farmer. One day Cain brought some of his crops to Adonai as an offering. Abel also brought an offering to Adonai; the best and fattest of his flocks. Adonai accepted Abel and his offering but not Cain and his offering. So, Cain’s face clouded with anger and hate. [Why are you angry and hateful?] Adonai asked. [If you please Me, your face will be radiant again. If you do not, sin crouches at the door, waiting to conquer you. But you can have victory over it.] Then Cain spoke with his brother Abel. [Let’s go to the fields,] he urged. When they arrived, Cain attacked Abel and murdered him. But Adonai said to Cain, [Where is your brother Abel?] [I don’t know,] Cain answered. [Must I take care of my brother?] [What have you done?] Adonai persisted. [Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. You must leave the ground where you murdered your brother, for it is defiled by his blood and you are cursed by it. You will never harvest crops on this land again no matter how hard you work to farm it. You will always remain a fugitive, wandering about on the earth.] [How can I bear such great punishment?] Cain cried out. [You have driven me from my land, to hide from Your face. I will remain a fugitive to wander about on the earth. Whoever finds me will try to kill me.] [No, that will not happen,] Adonai answered. [Whoever tries to kill you will receive seven times your punishment.] Then Adonai put a mark on Cain so that anyone who found him would not kill him. Cain left his land and Adonai’s presence to live in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. When Cain founded a city, he named it Enoch, after his son. Enoch became the father of Irad, Irad became the father of Mehujael, Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. Lamech married two wives, named Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to a son named Jabal. He became the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise cattle. His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of those who play the harp and flute. Zillah had a son named Tubal-cain, who forged instruments of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives one day: [Adah and Zillah listen to me; you, my wives, hear what I say: I have killed a man who wounded me a young man who attacked me. If the punishment for killing Cain is seven times greater than his own, the punishment for killing me is seventy-seven times greater than mine.] Adam and Eve had another son and named him Seth, for Eve said, [YHVH has given me a child in Abel’s place, for Cain murdered him.] Seth later had a son and named him Enosh. While Enosh was alive people began to call upon the Name of Adonai.

COMMENTARY

FAMILIES OF NATIONS

YHVH had warned Adam and Eve. The day you eat of the forbidden tree you shall surely die. The proof that death did come is seen in following generations. Cain murdered his own brother. Lamech broke YHVH’s pattern for marriage, and took murderous revenge. Through the ages hatred, anger, crimes and wars show the unmistakable mark. The sinister shadow of sin and death can still be seen. Cain and Abel were the oldest sons of Adam and Eve, but they were not the only children born to the first couple. Seth, born after Abel’s murder, was followed by many brothers and sisters. The Bible does not give their names, but it is known that these children married and had children of their own. As generation followed generation, the family multiplied and formed small groups called clans. Many clans joined together to become tribes, and the tribes eventually grew into nations. The Bible does not trace all of Adam’s descendants. Only the families of Cain and Seth are included in the Book of Genesis. Even those histories have been shortened by leaving out the names of many family members. Several generations may be omitted between each step in the family tree. The word -- begat, -- which means [to become the father of,] can also mean [to be the ancestor of.] Cain was the founder of the first city in history and the ancestor of the earliest musicians and metalworkers. Although he was originally a farmer, his descendants included the early herdsmen who lived in tents. Cain’s descendants perished in the Great Flood, but Seth’s line was preserved through Noah. Shem, Noah’s oldest son, became the ancestor of Abraham. From Abraham the line of Seth stretched to David. Eventually it reached its climax many centuries later in the birth of Yeshua Moshiach.

Those nations which host Israel are blessed by God. So long as they recognize the source of their blessing, it will continue. If they forget and mistreat Israel, they will forfeit their blessing to Israel. Like Laban and Egypt. Israel walked away from both with great wealth, while their former oppressors lost their wealth, gods, and children.

Patterns, patterns, and patterns.

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Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money."
Genesis 31:14-15

When Laban finally understood that his daughters had become Hebrews, he began to treat them as foreigners. Later (v28) he gave up trying to assimilate Jacob and tried to claim the children instead.

Rachel and Leah are like gentiles grafted into Israel. We have lost the corrupt, transient inheritance of our fathers, but we have gained an eternal inheritance in the Messiah and King of Israel. Good bye, Laban, and good riddance. Don't let him claim your children!

On this date in history, 11/29/1972: Atari releases their first video game, Pong. #otd #tdih #techhistory

Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary Of The English Language defines “faith” this way — . Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence. Be wise with what you believe.

Better understanding of Paul's letters

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SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS -- LESSON 3

TWO TREES

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

From Genesis 3

Of all the creatures YHVH made, the serpent was the most cunning. [Did YHVH Command you not to eat any of the fruit in the garden?] he asked the woman one day. [Oh, no,] the woman answered. [Only the fruit from the tree in the centre of the garden is forbidden. YHVH warned us not to eat that fruit or even touch it, for if we do, we will die.] [YHVH knows that is not true,] said the serpent. [He knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat that fruit, and then you will have His power to know good from evil.] The fruit looked beautiful. The woman was sure that it would be delicious, and convinced by the serpent that it would make her wise, she picked some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate it, too. But as soon as the man and woman had eaten the fruit, they realized that they were naked, and they were ashamed. So, they sewed fig leaves together to make clothing to cover themselves. In the cool of the day the man and woman heard the sound of Adonai walking in the garden, and they were afraid. They quickly hid themselves among the trees of the garden. [Where are you?] Adonai called to the man. [When I heard You coming, I hid, because I was ashamed for You to find me naked,] the man answered. [Who told you that you were naked?] Adonai asked. [Have you eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree that I warned you not to eat?] [It was the woman You gave me who brought the fruit to me,] the man argued. [Then I ate it.] [Why did you do that?] Adonai asked the woman. [The serpent deceived me,] the woman answered. Then Adonai spoke to the serpent and told him of the punishment He was sending: [Because of what you have done, You are cursed more than all animals, Both the wild and tame animals of the earth. As long as you live You will crawl on the ground, Making your way through the dust. I will cause you and the woman and your offspring and hers to be enemies. While you strike at his heel, He will crush your head.] Adonai also spoke this punishment to the woman: [I will bring great pain to you when you give birth to children. Yet you will still desire your husband and he will rule over you.] To Adam YHVH gave this punishment: [Because you listened to your wife and ate the forbidden fruit the fruit which I warned you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; you will labour and struggle to earn a living from it as long as you live. While you sweat and toil to grow plants to eat, the soil will also grow thorns and thistles for you. Until the day you die you will sweat and toil to earn your daily bread. Then you will return to the ground from which you were taken; for you were made of dust, and to dust your body will return.] The man named his wife Eve, which meant [The One Who Gives Life,] for she became the mother of all people who were born on earth. Adonai made clothing from animal skins for Adam and Eve to wear. [The man has become like one of us,] Adonai said, [because he knows good from evil. Now he must not eat from the tree of life and live forever in this condition.] Therefore, Adonai drove the man out of the Garden of Eden and made him cultivate the soil from which he was made. At the eastern entrance to the Garden of Eden Adonai stationed cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction, guarding the path to the tree of life.

COMMENTARY

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

The Bible tells the story of human failure as well as of YHVH’s Love. Frequently, a tree plays an important part. Here we read of a forbidden tree, and of the disobedience which brought sin and death into our world. Later in the Bible we will read of a tree called [the cross,] where YHVH gave the gift of eternal life. Even in this tragic first story of sin, we catch a glimpse of a tree of life. Almost anyone who reads the account of Adam and Eve wonders about the Garden of Eden. What was it like? What kind of plants grew there? How large was it? Where was it located? What has become of it? The Bible is the only guidebook to Eden, and it gives only a few clues. The Genesis account says the river that flowed out of the garden divided into four branches that became the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Pishon and the Gihon. Two of these rivers are known today. The Tigris and Euphrates flow through the modern countries of Iraq, Syria and Turkey. But the Pishon and the Gihon remain a mystery. Some have suggested that they are branches of the Nile River in Egypt. Others say that they are smaller branches of the Tigris and Euphrates. The exact location remains a secret. What has happened to this marvellous garden? Nobody knows. Some believe it withered and died when YHVH expelled Adam and Eve. Others say it was destroyed by the waters of the Great Flood in Noah’s time. Some think the garden may still exist, hidden from men’s eyes. Many have searched for Eden, but no one has found the exact location. However, it would seem that the juncture of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers may be close. For modern man, the importance of Eden does not lie in its foliage or its location, but in the events that happened there and the lessons to be learned from them.