Enoch - Genesis 5:9-11

Genesis 5:9-11 ESV 

When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.

Seth's son was Enosh(or Enos in KJV) and his name means "man". The word denotes mortality and the frailty of the human condition. Eve conceived man that would be less than the man Mary would later conceive through the Holy Spirit. That man was mortal and frail, but more and completely alive. He was the only man that could die for us because He was the only man truly alive. The rest of us were dead in sin. 

Every Tree - Matthew 3:8-10

Matthew 3:8-10 ESV 

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Genesis 2:8-9

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Scripture often uses trees as representing people. The Tree of Life symbolizes Jesus, the source of life. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the devil, the source of sin and death. One seed or the other will take root and flourish in the soil of a man. The fruit of the resulting tree will reveal the truth of every tree. 

The fruit sought by God is the fruit of the Spirit. That is the good fruit and it flows from the life of God. All other fruit is nourished from the damp grave of death. 

 

Seth - Genesis 5:3-5

Genesis 5:3-5 ESV 

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

Adam was created in the likeness of God. He then fathered his son Seth in his own likeness, which was different from the way he began life. He had fallen from his intimate relationship with God and had assumed a life further from God and a little closer to the life of a beast of the field. 

Seth means "compensation". He took the place of Abel who was killed by his brother Cain. 

Thus begins the genealogical tree to the birth of Noah. 

Man - Genesis 5:1-2

Genesis 5:1-2 ESV 

​This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

The word man is often used in the collective sense which includes male and female, man and woman. 

An example of it being used in the collective sense is the phrase, "man does not live by bread alone". It is not confined to one sex. 

The inclusion of male and female is the fundamental element of the definition of man. It implies and supports the natural and God-ordained life of man. It includes the idea of procreation and contains the essence of creation. 

God is our Creator, yet He comes to us as the Son of Man to make us sons of God. 

What is man?

Began To Call - Genesis 4:25-26

Genesis 4:25-26 ESV 

Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Another son is born: Seth. This name carries the meanings of "compensation" and "seat of the body, or foundation". Seth would become the foundation of the lineage from which the Christ would come. Christ would be the foundation of the church, taking our place before the throne of judgment. He would become the compensation on our behalf for the penalty of sin. 

Enosh means "man", with all the frailty implied that plagues a mortal man. It is understandable that men began to call upon the name of the Lord at this time. 

Cain Went Away - Genesis 4:13-16

Genesis 4:13-16 ESV 

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Could this be the first mark of beast? 

Cain is as spiritually dead as one could be, as any beast of the field. As the darkness preceded the light in creation, could the mark of beast precede the mark of Christ, the Holy Spirit? 

Cain left the presence of the Lord, took the mark to enter the darkness of his father. His kind would embrace and thrive in the world, full of pride and self satisfaction. The separation of darkness and light continues. 

Humbled Himself - Philippians 2:5-8

Philippians 2:5-8 ESV 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Following Christ means we do not hold onto the form of man, but empty ourselves to be reborn in the likeness of God. We begin evolving into the form of God, into the full measure of Christ. This is the mind of Christ, giving and obedient in love for others. 

We humble ourselves to the glory of God. Jesus died on the cross and it is at that cross we die to self. Therefore God will highly exalt the one who believes in Him and they will be called sons of God. 

That cross allows us to cross over into the divine. 

A Wanderer - Genesis 4:10-12

Genesis 4:10-12 ESV 

And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Now a man is cursed. Cain spilt the blood of his brother. This might be viewed as a foreshadowing of the death of Christ. Christ was slain by His brothers and His blood was spilled on the ground. The earth would again open its mouth to receive the dead, only this time death would not have its way. Jesus would cross the lips of that mouth again and return, having defeated the sting of death. Like Jonah, He would escape the sea of death and bring the word of good news to the city of man. 

Cain would become the opposite of Abraham. Rather than a fugitive and wanderer on the earth, Abraham was blessed of God and led by God. He was not a wanderer, but was traveling to a promised land at the direction of the Lord. 

A man like Cain is lost and without hope and cursed from the ground. 

Worker Of The Ground - Genesis 4:2-7

Genesis 4:2-7 ESV 

And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

The fruit of the ground was an unacceptable offering to God. The ground had been cursed due to disobedience of Adam. Cain knew this, yet brought that fruit anyway. 

Doing well is following the will of God. Not doing well is doing something else. 

Am I My Brother's Keeper? - Genesis 4:8-9

Genesis 4:8-9 ESV 

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?”

Cain killed Abel. Abel's crime? He was accepted by God. Murder and sin are the attributes of the world. It is the way of Cain. The world is hostile to the things of God. 

Jesus would answer to Cain's question with a YES! Love your brother and do unto him as yourself. In this way we show our love for God. Connecting with our brother connects us with God. We connect with our true self. 

Cain would not know that. 

The Help Of The Lord - Genesis 4:1

Genesis 4:1 ESV 

​Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

In the sixth day of creation man and woman were created with the charge of being fruitful and multiplying to fill the earth, to subdue it. Adam and Eve were not created on that day. They were given the command to work the ground. They were not created male and female like the other men and living creatures in the world. Adam was formed alone. Eve was formed from Adam and they became one. Other men and women were two. 

Thrown out of the garden, they were given the garments of humanity, facing death like every other creature in animal skins. 

Now Eve would know Adam in a different way and from that union children would be born. The Israelites would descend from these two and so would come the Savior of the world, the Son of Man. 

All this would be the will God. It is with the help of the Lord we can at last stand in His presence. 

Let Us Wipe Them Out - Psalms 83:1-4

Psalms 83:1-4 ESV 

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.​ O God, do not keep silence;

do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

For behold, your enemies make an uproar;

those who hate you have raised their heads.

They lay crafty plans against your people;

they consult together against your treasured ones.

They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;

let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

An ancient hatred grows stronger with each passing day. The snake in the Garden continues to strike God's people with the sting of death. Cain still seeks the death of Abel. 

"They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;

let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Who are these people? The Psalm identifies them. Like Cain, they seek to slay their brothers. As it was with the children of Adam, so it is with the children of Abraham. 

The day will come and they will be put to shame. They will then know. 

 

At The Boundary - Job 26:10

Job 26:10 ESV 

He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters

at the boundary between light and darkness.

The earth found its form by the finger of God. There at the murky waters of man light meets the darkness and the darkness gives way to that light. We are the boundary in view. It is inside our hearts that the light of the world has risen. It meets the receding darkness of a mind and heart under transformation. The law written by the finger of God was another boundary to discern between light and darkness, to bring understanding to the hearts of man and to make way for the light. 

Reach Out His Hand - Genesis 3:22-24

Genesis 3:22-24 ESV 

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Choosing and taking the fruit of the tree of life was equally within reach. If Adam and Eve's attention had not been drawn to forbidden tree, the garden story might have ended differently. But God knows what lies in the heart of man. God knew that another tree of life would be necessary. The Son of Man was already anointed as the tree of life that has appeared in our wilderness. The timeless fruit is now available for the picking. The kingdom of heaven has drawn near. 

Just reach out...

And Clothed Them - Genesis 3:20-21

Genesis 3:20-21 ESV 

The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Eve means life giver. It is through her body that the living would come. It is through Christ's body that the living would finally arrive. 

Adam and Eve were clothed in garments of skin. This points to the sacrifices to come that would help to cover their sins. The skins did cover their nakedness in addition to speaking to what God was doing. 

Later, He would clothe them in garments of righteousness, the righteousness that comes only from God. 

You Have Listened - Genesis 3:17-19

Genesis 3:17-19 ESV 

And to Adam he said, 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

Adam listened to his wife rather than God. He did what she said instead of what God said. The ground he was to work is cursed, which is the work of disobedience. Pain and sweat will now be added to his effort, just as childbirth became painful for Eve. Disobedience brings a compromised life, where obeying God leads to life in it's fullness and best. 

Instead of blessings of obedient cultivation, the ground will sprout thorns and thistles. Adam will eat what he grows, rather than the fruit of the garden. The fruit of the Spirit is withdrawn. 

Adam, and all of us, will now experience the pain of living that comes with his choice of disobedience. No longer will the bread of heaven feed and comfort man. His bread is now confined to his own efforts. 

Their choice was really between heaven and earth. They did not see that until it was too late, when their eyes were opened. Trusting God rather than self has always been the issue and question posed to man. 

He Shall Rule - Genesis 3:16

Genesis 3:16 ESV 

To the woman he said, 

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be for your husband,

and he shall rule over you.”

The woman's punishment involves a more painful existence in bearing children and in the subjugation to her husband. She will be the mother of all living, yet the child bearing pains will be played out on a personal level and in the birth pains of the new creation to come. 

She loses something in her relationship with Adam. God seems to redirect her access to Himself to Adam instead. Adam becomes her lord. She has lost her status of co-ruler with Adam and is now ruled by him. 

Dust You Shall Eat - Genesis 3:14

Genesis 3:14 ESV 

The Lord God said to the serpent, 

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:19

By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

The serpent is cursed to eat dust all the days of its life. Adam is cursed to return to dust, which is food for the serpent. 

Both fall to the ground for their transgression. Adam to work the ground instead of the garden and the serpent to slither on its belly on that ground as an enemy of man. 

Later Jesus would provide the way for man to rise from that dust to the the kingdom of heaven as a new creature. The dust is left behind, but there is plenty left for the serpent. 

They Knew - Genesis 3:2-7

Genesis 3:2-7 ESV 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The prospect of being like God is too much for Eve and she succumbs to the temptation. Not only is the tree pleasing to the eye and good for food, but provides a wisdom apart from God. It sounds too good to be true and it is. She and Adam trade the wisdom of God for wisdom of their own. Their eyes are opened, but they see something different than expected. 

She ate for the wisdom it would bring, but only their knowledge was increased and they knew they were naked, having lost the garment of right standing with God. 

Did He Actually Say - Genesis 3:1

Genesis 3:1 ESV 

​Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. 

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

The serpent is near the forbidden tree and is filled with the darkness of Satan. Satan was in heaven until he was cast out. To be present in the garden along with the tree of temptation explains why he, the embodiment of temptation and rebellion, would be found in this sacred place. He is there to allow the man to choose God.

The snake is part of God's plan just as the forbidden tree. We are placed on this earth that we might choose God, that we would enter that light which would separate from the darkness. Satan seeks to undermine the very word of God which brought forth creation. That strategy has proved very successful through the ages. 

"Did God actually say..."

With Flesh - Genesis 2:21-22

Genesis 2:21-22 ESV 

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Contained in this account which leads to the fall of man is a foreshadowing of the rise of man. The bride of Christ would be taken from His side and become His body, one with Him. We will meet Christ when He returns. 

Adam falls into a deep sleep. Jesus would fall into the sleep of death on behalf of every man.

From Adam's side a rib is taken and made into a woman. Flesh is added to close the place on his side. Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to believers and in their flesh they become the hands and feet of the risen Lord, the body of Christ. 

Jesus enters our flesh through the Holy Spirit bringing the "rib" of divinity to our flesh. We become one with Him as flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. 

Make Him A Helper - Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 ESV 

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

On the sixth day of creation man was created, male and female. Adam was not created male and female. A suitable helper was not found as a companion in the world. From his side a woman would be taken from him and became his bride. 

When Jesus came into the world there was not a suitable companion for Him. The Father would give the church as His bride. 

But Of The Tree - Genesis 2:16-17

Genesis 2:16-17 ESV 

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.”

There is one way out of the garden and that is to disobey God. 

There is one way into the garden and that is to obey God. He says we must believe the Son. The Son says I am the way, the door to the Father and no one comes to the Father except by me. If we obey we shall surely live. 

There is one tree of death and one tree of life. We can choose either tree, but forever is a very, very long time. 

Work And Keep It - Genesis 2:15

Genesis 2:15 ESV

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Adam was placed in the garden with a unique task. He was taken out of the world and placed in the garden of Eden with the charge of working and keeping it. He is the only man there, with no companion. 

Jesus would arrive in the world alone to work the earth planting the seed of the word in the garden of the hearts of man. He comes to work the earth and keep it, to save it. He was sent into creation by His Father God. 

Pleasant And Good - Genesis 2:9

Genesis 2:9 ESV 

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Every tree that is pleasant to the eye and good for food comes up out the ground, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Both it and the tree of life were in the midst or middle of the garden. 

To Adam and Eve that tree appeared as good as the tree of life, except the Lord told them not to eat of it lest they die. Often a way will seem good to a man, though the Lord may say something else. He has a different perspective, the complete view and understanding of everything that's been, is, and going to be, yet it is often hard to let go and let God and trust God. Maybe we are plagued with a little dust in our eyes. 

Planted A Garden - Genesis 2:8

Genesis 2:8 ESV

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

The earth had received form and substance, but God had something other in mind for creation. From the dust of the ground He formed a man and placed Adam in a special place, a place where the Lord would meet and commune with man. 

Adam is described as the first man and the son of God. Later Jesus would come as the first man and the Son of God. There were other men present when Christ appeared, but there was none like Him. 

The Lord had begun working the ground. He planted a garden and continued the separation that began with the separation of light and darkness. The garden would be the focal point of the light of the Lord on earth. There man could walk with the Lord in His presence. 

We are able to return to that garden of His presence if we receive the Holy Spirit. It is there the seed of His word has taken root and a new garden is planted. From the dust we come and are transferred into this garden when we believe. We are the ground of a new harvest. 

Adam was put in the place of choosing between that light and darkness. Jesus chose to bring the light. 

No Man To Work The Ground - Genesis 2:5-6

Genesis 2:5-6 ESV

When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—

God had not yet sent the rain from heaven, the living water that is able to provide true life, onto the earth. Instead the land was watering itself. Unlike the creation of man, God was about to provide a man to work the ground, to grow a harvest of men filled with the life of God. 

Have Dominion - Genesis 1:28

Genesis 1:28 ESV

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Man, male and female, is given dominion over the earth. They are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. This is a different mission from the one given to Adam and Eve. They are made in His image and are given life, but don't receive the breath of God. 

Man is created, male and female, as other living creatures. They are given dominion over the earth and charged to be fruitful and fill the earth, made in God's image, but without the breath of God. They breath the same air and have the same life force in them as every other creature on earth. Their life is in the blood, in the flesh, and not alive in Spirit. God would begin that creation in the man Adam, the first son of God. 

They were blessed by their Creator. He would send His Son in the fullness of time to do what Adam could not do. The way to God would be provided. The ground would be worked as intended. 

Are Gathered - Genesis 1:9-10

Genesis 1:9-10 ESV 

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

The separation continues in the waters below. The dry land appears and waters are gathered in one place. Jesus tells us the sheep will be separated from the goats and the wheat from the chaff. The dry land is where the seed of the word will be planted. 

The dry land appears out of the seas. Later Moses would lead the Israelites through the Red Sea. Jesus would rise from His baptism in the water and begin the wilderness journey similar to the wilderness journey of the Israelites after leaving the Red Sea. The Israelites would fail and die in the wilderness, but Jesus would and will prevail in the day to come. We will be gathered by the Lord and it will be good. 

Be Light - Genesis 1:1-5

Genesis 1:1-5 ESV 

​In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

In the beginning refers to our beginning. God has no beginning or end. 

There are two things mentioned as above the empty earth. "Darkness was over the deep". The Hebrew word for deep has connotations that includes abyss and grave. "The Spirit of God was hovering" and was in action over the waters. The dividing and separating is about to begin. 

God created the heavens and earth. The earth was concealed by the waters and darkness held sway. Waters symbolize mankind in other places in Scripture. It is through the waters we come and a new earth will be visible when the sons of God are revealed. 

The purpose of creation is contained in the command, "Let there be light." Without light the earth is without form and void. It is the same with a man without the light of God. Light brings form and makes things visible. 

The Spirit hovers over the face of the waters. The Spirit is part of the light and brings the light into the heart of every man that receives it. He has drawn near. 

The rest of the Bible recounts the past and future of how that light rises and fills creation to the perfection of God's will. 

Separate The Waters - Genesis 1:6-8

Genesis 1:6-8 ESV

And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

There are two realms in creation. They are the heavenly places that may be seen as the spiritual realm and earth, the material realm below. There is life above and below the expanse separating them. 

A recurring theme of Scripture is the fulfillment of God's purpose by the younger of two. Consider Adam and Jesus, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, and the Old and New Covenants. The blessing falls not on the first, but the one after. 

It is the body of Christ that receives the ultimate blessing of God. Even the angels long to see what He is doing. His power is perfected in our weakness. 

In Revelation we see that the waters are dried up and the sea is no more. The earth is cleansed of all wickedness and like Noah, we step off the ark into a new creation.