The first chapter of Genesis ...God creates.

Chapter two ...God 'forms', with more specificity.

Chapter three ...Adam and Eve sin, and are sent from the garden.

Chapter four ...Cain and Abel are born.  Cain kills Abel, then as a fugitive and vagabond, fears that whoever finds him will kill him.

Here it gets interesting, as many say that since people lived over 900 years back then, that it was future generations that he feared.  Now, he would have been way different than those with the tendency of most people I know today, who don't look much beyond the present ...which I kind of think he was like, seeing that he didn't think much beyond killing his brother.  I think he feared what was present then. The Bible says that Cain went out to dwell in the land of Nod.  It then says, "And Cain knew his wife."


There is much emphasis on all sin coming through Adam, and I believe there has been great emphasis (& correctly so) put on the 'line Of Christ', which ultimately goes through Noah and his family, the line of survivors ...so everyone living today are descendants of them.

So, those who point to all this as inconsistencies, actually miss the true beauty of what was intended to be handed down to us through His Word.  

I see the angels singing at Creation (Job 38:7), after a huge rebellion, a third going against God, and after that ...if restoration and peace is seen, there is reason to sing.

"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

Then the light clicked on ...and the gifts were brought out. Sort of like a birthday party (or a baby shower).

Now, I grew up thinking the fruit in the garden, on that forbidden tree, was an apple ...which the Bible doesn't really say it was.  So, I wanted to re-read it, and try to wipe away the pre-conceived ideas, or any traditional pre-formed images.

But, images of our imagination can be dangerous, and we would not want the emergence of any dreary camp followers who try to read into something that is not there ---and what may be far from what God has for us, or wants for us. Yes, I do believe our imaginations gift us with many wonderful things, but we must also be aware that our imaginations can so often be ...so distorted, and so untrue.   Let's stick to what the Bible says.  Our minds do wander, but let's not cross that line where we may be led to wander away from Him ...and His truth.   And we should avoid the temptations of twisted truths ...looking first to see if our adherence to any bits of belief may lessen the significance of our sole (& soul) commitment to our Lord Jesus for our salvation.

With today's ever increasing institutions of doubt, I do think it's significant enough for those who don't believe ...to not be further convinced by us of faith to prefer falsehoods over our lack of stylish presentation of the truth.

And one of those questions of doubt ...having been brought to my attention, brought me to re-read the accounts that I do not doubt are true.  I've explained how I view Creation ...sort of like parents preparing a room for the birth of a baby (http://genesisandnow.blogspot.com/), ...and how the Scriptures are God revealing Himself to us, and how important it is for us to see Him for who He is, and our standing within His plan for us (http://wantingtostartover.blogspot.com/) ...while we make our choice to accept Him, or not.

So, my thoughts took their course, and I tried to be careful, that I not read my own thoughts within God's Word ...as the Holy Spirit is to draw me to God, not myself.  I must always be careful NOT to assert that which enters my imagination without careful consideration---as my thoughts, in no way, have the pleasure of claiming the authority of truth ---though I do claim God's Word to be true.

I'm just saying, my reading of His Word enhances my view of the beauty of His Word.  I do also realize that the standard of beauty alone can also be rather risky, & often not at all coinciding with true beauty  (http://songofstephen.blogspot.com/).  But I see beauty in the truth of the full picture, of the love God had for us ...and has for us.

I am writing this mostly for the beauty I see in it, for me to reflect back on the study my wife and I had ...and the intimate time spent on reading His Word ...which I enjoy immensely.

I believe we should read ...to prepare ourselves.  And I am prepared to accept truth, not by my design, but however God chose it to be: Whether He took us from the wild, then domesticated us with setting forth good healthy living standards; or whether He set forth the highest standard, then let our sin taint it, bringing about the necessity of restoration.

I prefer to believe the latter version.  And I can read of God creating many men and women ...however many, outside the garden; while setting only two in the garden.  The kingdoms of the world are that which Satan attempted to offer to Jesus, in attempting to tempt Him.  God's Kingdom is different ...to which many of them who rejected Him misunderstood.

I can imagine, in trying to understand or visualize, but of course I'm just drifting in thought:   Satan walking to and fro throughout the earth, God perhaps telling him that he may influence the world ...but he has to leave Adam alone.  Of course, God doesn't leave Adam all alone ...so Satan, if forbidden to influence Adam directly, can influence him through Eve.  (It sort of depicts ---not factual, but still imagining how it could have been ---a parallel between a forbiddenness that we know of, with man & woman told they could not eat one of the fruits, and Satan perhaps told that he is not to consume one man's thoughts.)

And when Adam & Eve eat the fruit, and are sent from the garden ...were they then to contend with the fact that they'd have to contend with others?  

I imagine it sort of like them being the first missionaries, with the very important mission of having to convert women ...for a very important role, as wives for their sons. There would be some women who would believe in the truths of what they were taught.

And I see Cain not being in agreement with God's ways, as son's of missionaries are not excluded from striving for independence ...and he ends up taking a different nod, missing the initial nod, and ending up in the land of Nod.

So, from one simple choice of obedience, in the garden of Eden, where there existed all the comforts and beauty of God's Creation ...we come to Noah's family, having been influenced by a world filled with the progressive nature of sin, in full embodiment, some of which could not be forgotten, having been ingrained in their minds ...as alternative choices.

Yes, Noah's family could start over, though they had the sin of Adam and Eve, thrust out of the garden to experience the full rotten fruition of sin abound.

It is a fully contrasting choice.  God wants us to see the full ugliness of sin.  But He also wants us to see the full beauty of His ways ...not forgetting the troubles associated with separating from God, but by experiencing the forgiveness in coming back to Him ...on His terms.

In God's righteousness, He wants us to judge what we want to do ...but to hold that to light against what we should do, what He calls us to do ...as He calls us to Him, for who He is.  God doesn't want to judge us for the sake of judging us ...He must judge us.  But He wants the choice to be clear ...to be loving and fair to us.

Why must He judge us?   Well, in God's righteousness, I believe that whatever He does or allows, it is in His righteousness.  But I believe His righteousness is something we will never understand the way we may want to ...yet, it includes His fairness, and His love ...which included sending us His Son, to make a way when no way previously existed, and Jesus cleared up any confusion any of us should have.

That ...is what we continually cannot miss.  And it is what we have to be clear on.  

God's way is for conversion ...for all of our individual benefit.  If evil is allowed to exist, unchecked, it seeks to eliminate that which is good.  We see the evidence of that around us ...we hear it spoken of, and at the core of some beliefs.   So, evil can co-exist for a time with the goodness put forth by God, but though either good or evil may at times seem to rule, neither is allowed to stand alone ...as it would not provide for us a choice.  

And God will not permit deception to be the only choice. God allows us to choose, the freedom of choice we all hold in high esteem, but that also brings about separation ...declared by our own choice. We may think judgment is sometimes an undesirable term, but it includes salvation for many who thirst for it ...and I hope that includes salvation for you.



Back to Creation ---Other blogs I've written to address thoughts on these issues are: (http://genesisandnow.blogspot.com/) & (http://wantingtostartover.blogspot.com/) ...with one more point I'd like to make here.  When darkness was upon the face of the deep ...if I had been one of the angels who had stood with God, there would still be nervous anticipation on my part wondering what would come next. And when God says, "Let there be Light!" ...that certainly would be cause for angelic singing.  Of course, I'm kind of the imaginative sort.  Yet, I will never want to take anything too far, to imagine beyond what the Word of God says.

http://putmorethoughtintoitwiththanks.blogspot.com/

https://whodecidesrightactionsandwrongactions.blogspot.com/

https://andhowusefulandtowhatextent.blogspot.com/

So, what am I left with?  God didn't leave us ...He provided us with the beauty, as only beauty can be truly defined.  And before I see the light of day shine forth each morning, I hear the joyful announcement of the birds in melodic song.  I am thankful for each day ...and mindful of the One who gives me the breath to enjoy it..