Devotion 2
“The Beginning of Man, the Choice, Substance and Shadow” coming out of Gen. 2
Yesterday, we read the macroscopic view of creation in 6 days. Today, we are introduced to day 7 and a microscopic view of creation.
Let’s read:
Genesis 2:1-3 “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Nothing was created on Day 7. God ended His work on this day. The 7th day was set apart as a day of rest. Obviously God did not rest on Day 7 because He was tired, but set Day 7 as a day of break, making the 8th as a day of new beginning.
The sabbath day is a shadow of what was to come. Today, Jesus Christ is our sabbath rest. We rest in Christ. He is the substance of the sabbath. The substance or the body gives the shadow, and not the other way around. Paul expressed it this way in Colossians 2:16-17: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days : [17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Today, you keep the sabbath Holy only by faith in the substance (Christ), not by resting on the 7th day of the week.
Let’s continue reading:
Genesis 2:4-6 “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, [5] And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. [6] But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.”
A more detailed view of the plant life, and the beginning of the rain cycle.
Let’s continue:
Genesis 2:7-17 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [8] And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. [9] And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. [10] And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. [11] The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; [12] And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. [13] And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [14] And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. [15] And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
A detailed view of the creation of man, with total provision and given a choice. A choice between one tree (the tree of death) and everything else.
One important thing man has is choice. You can choose to believe God or not to believe Him. You can choose your destiny as heaven or hell. God has given man a choice and He honors that choice. With the freedom of choice also comes responsibility. Understand that if two things are the same, then it refutes the meaning of choice. The choice is most meaningful only if they are opposites.
For our love to be meaningful, the freedom of choice must be there. Our love for God is meaningful to Him because it’s a free choice.
God respects our capacity to choose our own destiny. If I do not choose God, He will honor my choice. If you choose to go to hell, God will respect and honor your choice. Just don’t blame God for honoring your choice to go to hell, for you can choose not to go to hell today.
The choice is simply ours!
Let’s continue reading:
Genesis 2:18-24 “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. [19] And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. [20] And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. [21] And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; [22] And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [23] And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. [24] Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
God partnered Adam with Eve as one flesh. This is the first marriage. Therefore shall the man leave parents and become one with wife. This is the partnership God respects, and blesses with children.
Let’s conclude our reading:
Genesis 2:25 “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
Not ashamed because there was nothing to be ashamed of. This is God’s establishment of marriage; the two becoming one flesh. It’s only a negative charge that can attract and hold a positive charge in marriage. Two negatives or two positives simply repulses. That’s the shame. The shame of sexual relationship outside of marriage. The shame of same sex relationships. Shame is a triggered conscience by the Spirit of God when we go contrary to His word. It’s not an external, but an internal work. So don’t blame your shame on someone else.
This oneness was so deep that Adam saw his wife as his own flesh. Their conscience were never triggered because it was congruent with the Spirit of God.
Symbolically, we are the bride of Christ waiting for the marriage supper. Revelation 19:7-9 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
Are you among the blessed. Have you accepted His invitation to pardon you of all sins, as you repent to follow Him?
It’s a choice.
Enter in. Believe Him. Confess Him. The two choices are clear and opposites. One is of the knowledge of good and evil, and the other is a tree of life. We choose the tree of life today by faith in the finished work of the cross of Christ for our sin nature. When our sins are taken away, we can rest not just for a day, but eternally, in Christ!
Yesterday, we read the macroscopic view of creation in 6 days. Today, we are introduced to day 7 and a microscopic view of creation.
Let’s read:
Genesis 2:1-3 “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. [3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
Nothing was created on Day 7. God ended His work on this day. The 7th day was set apart as a day of rest. Obviously God did not rest on Day 7 because He was tired, but set Day 7 as a day of break, making the 8th as a day of new beginning.
The sabbath day is a shadow of what was to come. Today, Jesus Christ is our sabbath rest. We rest in Christ. He is the substance of the sabbath. The substance or the body gives the shadow, and not the other way around. Paul expressed it this way in Colossians 2:16-17: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days : [17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Today, you keep the sabbath Holy only by faith in the substance (Christ), not by resting on the 7th day of the week.
Let’s continue reading:
Genesis 2:4-6 “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, [5] And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. [6] But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.”
A more detailed view of the plant life, and the beginning of the rain cycle.
Let’s continue:
Genesis 2:7-17 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [8] And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. [9] And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. [10] And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. [11] The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; [12] And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. [13] And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [14] And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. [15] And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
A detailed view of the creation of man, with total provision and given a choice. A choice between one tree (the tree of death) and everything else.
One important thing man has is choice. You can choose to believe God or not to believe Him. You can choose your destiny as heaven or hell. God has given man a choice and He honors that choice. With the freedom of choice also comes responsibility. Understand that if two things are the same, then it refutes the meaning of choice. The choice is most meaningful only if they are opposites.
For our love to be meaningful, the freedom of choice must be there. Our love for God is meaningful to Him because it’s a free choice.
God respects our capacity to choose our own destiny. If I do not choose God, He will honor my choice. If you choose to go to hell, God will respect and honor your choice. Just don’t blame God for honoring your choice to go to hell, for you can choose not to go to hell today.
The choice is simply ours!
Let’s continue reading:
Genesis 2:18-24 “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. [19] And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. [20] And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. [21] And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; [22] And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [23] And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. [24] Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
God partnered Adam with Eve as one flesh. This is the first marriage. Therefore shall the man leave parents and become one with wife. This is the partnership God respects, and blesses with children.
Let’s conclude our reading:
Genesis 2:25 “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
Not ashamed because there was nothing to be ashamed of. This is God’s establishment of marriage; the two becoming one flesh. It’s only a negative charge that can attract and hold a positive charge in marriage. Two negatives or two positives simply repulses. That’s the shame. The shame of sexual relationship outside of marriage. The shame of same sex relationships. Shame is a triggered conscience by the Spirit of God when we go contrary to His word. It’s not an external, but an internal work. So don’t blame your shame on someone else.
This oneness was so deep that Adam saw his wife as his own flesh. Their conscience were never triggered because it was congruent with the Spirit of God.
Symbolically, we are the bride of Christ waiting for the marriage supper. Revelation 19:7-9 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
Are you among the blessed. Have you accepted His invitation to pardon you of all sins, as you repent to follow Him?
It’s a choice.
Enter in. Believe Him. Confess Him. The two choices are clear and opposites. One is of the knowledge of good and evil, and the other is a tree of life. We choose the tree of life today by faith in the finished work of the cross of Christ for our sin nature. When our sins are taken away, we can rest not just for a day, but eternally, in Christ!
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