This will be the fourth and last installment of this series. If you missed the earlier ones, I recommend you read them first . . . they are fairly short and their insight will help with the narrative of this one.
So far I have concluded (and I hope you have, too) that:
- The “forbidden fruit” was not an apple;
- The “forbidden fruit” was probably not even a piece of food;
- The ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ was not a literal tree.
- The “snake” was not a snake; and
- An angelic being (the tree) taught Eve some forbidden knowledge (the forbidden fruit) and her using that knowledge (eating the fruit) caused her heart to change towards Yahweh.
The story appears to suggest that Adam and Eve’s actions were the cause of their fall from grace . . . thereby insinuating a ‘works-based’ salvation. This has never been the path to a relationship with Yahweh and I want to show the definition and the purpose of “good works” (good fruit) so we can understand how our behavior absolutely identifies the status of our relationship.
If you have a relationship with someone that you say that you ‘love’, but you are having an affair, then your thoughts and your words are belied by your actions.
When our children obey the rules we have instituted for them (to protect and instruct them), it is their way of telling us they love and honor us.
The serpent found that it could tempt the humans into disobedience giving it a fleeting sense of being more desirable than Yahweh. It also was able to appropriate the dominion of the Earth from Adam I have no idea how this transfer took place, but Elohim gave it to Adam and Eve . . .
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (emphasis added)
Genesis 1:26-28
. . . and later, Satan offered it to Yeshua if he would serve him.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Luke 4:5-8
If Satan had been lying about having dominion, Yeshua would have called him on it.
Elohim freely gave Adam the dominion and taking it back would have been a contradiction of His gift. We know from the Word that Yahweh cannot contradict himself:
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Deuteronomy 23:19; see also, Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18
A lie is a contradiction (this answers George Carlin’s question about whether ‘God could make a rock so big they even He could not lift it’?). The dominion will need to be taken – as it was when Satan took it.
When Yeshua returns, he will take back the dominion from the one destined to swim in the fiery lake. Until that time, Satan uses that dominion as a means to tempt mankind into worshipping him.
Turning from Yahweh and His Instructions is idolatry and this is no-no numbers 1 and 2 on His Top-Ten list:
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:3-6
Satan, also, is a jealous god and he, as well as his minions, want the glory and honor rightly belonging to Yahweh. Whenever they distract you with one of their ‘tricks’, you are choosing them over the Creator.
Two Hundred angels convinced themselves that if they came to Earth, and co-mingled with the humans, they could awe them into worshiping them instead of Yahweh.
This is the incursion that is nearly hidden in Genesis 6. The Book of Enoch (Chapters 6 – 8) gives more detail into what these angels were teaching men that impressed them so greatly. The women, also, found the angels to be impressive and appealing. The unions between the angels and the human women created a race of giants upon the Earth that consumed more than could be produced, so they started to feast upon humans.
Men were so enamored with the new knowledge and/or fearful of the giants, that they completely turned away from Yahweh:
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Genesis 6:4-7
Not only were all men corrupted, but the beasts of the field were, also. All mankind was destined to perish and the redeemer may never have been born if Yahweh did not take drastic action to preserve Abraham’s lineage.
You know of Noah’s Flood (why was it named after him? He didn’t make the flood) and how only eight souls survived plus two of every animal (seven pairs of each of the clean animals). The corruption returned amongst some of Noah’s grandchildren (Doug Hamp explains how this was able to survive – Corrupting the Image)
Mankind quickly descended into corruption, again, but a faithful man (Abraham) looked to Yahweh for guidance in his life and became the symbol for all believers forever more.
Even when the tribes of Israel sinned, they were always able to come back to Yahweh’s favor by recognizing and following Abraham’s example.
Abraham was not chosen because he did good works. He was chosen because he believed as was evidenced by his works.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:8-10
After Abraham’s descendants came out of bondage in Egypt, they walked between walls of water to cross the Red Sea – believing that Yahweh would protect them. They believed and then they crossed.
In the wilderness, Yahweh gave them a written set of rules (the rules existed before this, but now they had something they could refer to). In effect, He told them (as well as the “strangers” who left Egypt with them), ‘if you love Me, do these things’.
When they did, they were blessed – when they didn’t, calamity often followed:
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
When did Yahweh’s Torah (“Instructions” – the first five Books of the Bible) become obsolete? When did what Yahweh declared was “perfect” and “right” . . .
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11 – see also, Psalm 18:30
. . . become less perfect and less “right”?
Christians often claim that, ‘Paul teaches that the Law is done away with in Christ’ and will quote verses in Romans 8. This is the subject for a wholly different book, but if Paul is teaching other than the Torah, why are the Jews making false complaints “which they could not prove” (Acts 25:7)?
Shouldn’t the Jews have accused him of what he was actually teaching if he was teaching other than the Law of Moses? Remember that Peter says that all the letters of Paul are “hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:15-16).
Wasn’t Yeshua the ‘Word made flesh’?
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:14-17
When did Yeshua become the ‘less-than-perfect sacrifice’?
Jesus kept the entire Law, as did the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, Stephen, et-al. We are also instructed to keep the Law:
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1John 5:1-3
We are not known by what we believe – we are known by how we act because of what we believe.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 7:16-20
If you are a believer, how do you know what to do in order to produce good fruit? Christians tell you to do good works, but the definition of what is good is left up to the believer.
Why not use what your Creator said was “perfect” instead of making up your own (flawed) guide? Even Paul tells us that the Law is vital to know what is right and what is wrong:
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
Romans 7:7
As a Christian you have been told that the Law is a heavy burden, but have you ever investigated what it would mean to keep the Law? This is why I wrote my book Grafted: Embracing Torah. I didn’t know what it would mean either and since I could not find a simple guide for new believers . . . I wrote one.
Yahweh poured His Heart into His Word. I poured my heart into my book to help me (and you, if you are curious) understand Yahweh’s Heart.
Not a shameless plug . . . an earnest desire to have His people (members of our family) return to His Word the way He desired, not the way 33,000 different denominations have interpreted it differently.
I’m not a ‘church’ or the leader of one. I don’t travel the country and speak in churches for a fee. I am a voice in the wilderness calling out while there is still some time.
If you are a Christian who was told that ‘the Law is for the Jew’ and that you have something ‘better’, I beg you to go to the Word and re-examine what Yahweh says is “perfect”. If you need it, I hope Grafted can help.
