Devotional - 98-10-10 - In The Beginning

The Genesis Series, Part 6

Last week we covered a small fraction of the Messianic hope God left Adam and Eve with when He banished them from the garden He planted Eastward in Eden.

Genesis 3:15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

We know where this gardens geographic location was. The rivers some of which are still in existence today kind of pinpoint on a map its wherabouts. Modern day Iraq.

Genesis 2:10-14 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads. The name of the first is Pishon: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth in front of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Mankind began in the area we would call Iraq today. It is interesting to note, there are some prophecies regarding this piece of real estate that play a very large role in the not too distant future. Some of you are probably familiar with the historical aspect of a city by the name of Babylon which again is located in modern day Iraq. These chapters too long to copy and paste below are highly prophetic.

Isaiah chapter 13 and 14, Jeremiah chapter 50 and 51, Revelation chapter 18 Along with these chapters about Babylon throughout the Bible, there are references to the geographic location sprinkled here and there that reveal the most interesting and minute details.Many of you may be unfamiliar with the fact that reconstruction of this ancient city is well underway in our day and age. In fact one of the links we have on CF Devotionals website is a site called Prophecy Central that can give you some pretty interesting information regarding this city and many other prophetic things.

Modern Babylon (Iraq) - Prophecy Central

According to many unfulfilled prophecies, Babylon will certainly become more significant as we edge closer to the day when Israel (and the other nations) truly know peace through the salvation God the Father made possible through His son Jesus Christ.

Keeping in step with the Messianic revelation beginning with Genesis 3:15 I'd like to point out some interesting things. It appears that Eve believed she had given birth to this child of promise with Cain. Literaly the Hebrew says she proclaimed

Genesis 4:1b ... I have gotten a man even Jehovah.

Certainly Cain was not the Messiah and certainly "if" this was her belief she was one hundred percent wrong. We know that a demon of jealousy and rage overtook Cain and he drew up a jaw bone and slew his brother. Cain never asked for forgiveness and he did his part to populate the earth with a race of people who sadly disappointed the Lord God Almighty. Adam and Eve had another son (Seth) who if we trace the lineage of Mary and Joseph (Jesus' Mom and His Stepdad) we trace the bloodline back to Seth or as some look forward from Seth.

Please see Matthew 1:1-17 see also Luke 3:21-32. When Seth was born it was said he was born in the image of his dad - this was much different than being created in the image of God. He had inherited the sinful nature from Adam.

Genesis 5:1-3 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth

The people of the earth eventually became so grievous that God by the time he spoke with Noah (who found favor in Gods eyes) decided to bring a flood upon the earth and put an end to this civilization.

Genesis 6:5-8 And Jehovah 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. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah

and

Genesis 6:11-13 And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth

Afterwards God made a covenenant with Noah that formed the basis for the establishment of civil governments on the earth. One can trace the origin of nations back to this everlasting covenant. Most folks are familiar with the provisions of Genesis chapter 9 and that it was an everlasting covenant which is what the rainbow in the sky should remind us of.

Genesis 9:1-7 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; With all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; As the green herb have I given you all. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; At the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: For in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Genesis 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

On the same hand many are not familiar with Isaiah chapter 24. This chapter calls our attention to the Everlasting covenant again and how the earth's population has disregarded the provisions. This chapter and the next two graphically depict the things that God decrees will happen on earth when we reach that point in history.

Isaiah 24:5 The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

Some may ask why am I writing this? I guess I would like to draw attention to certain things in the book of Genesis that are the basic seeds or fundamental roots of truth that the Lord God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit builds upon throughout the Bible. In fact the book of Genesis has been said to be the seedplot for all the basic fundamental root forms of truth that are expanded upon throughout the Bible. If we grasp portions out of context we will fail to properly understand much of what God wants to say to us in the one quarter to the one third of the Bible which is prophetic. Certainly one can and should live a holy life to the best of ones ability. Yet one should also study the scriptures to show thyself approved a workman who need not be ashamed unto God.

Also we are encouraged to increase our faith which is done by getting a truthful and factual knowledge of the Bible. One can read the Bible take it out of context avoid the prophetic parts and continue to do this to the cheers of great masses that may not even know better. Someone asks how can I say such a thing? Well there are churches that deny the virgin birth and deity of Jesus, read and teach the Bible every week out of context and avoid the "hard" parts and add things along with subtracting things. From such we are to turn away.

II Corinthians 6:14-18 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

You see without faith it is impossible to please God. Yet what if we decide to stick with the limited amount we have? What if we do not grow to understand cover to cover as I am sure God intended for us by giving us the entire book to study? What kind of impact would we have on others? I encourage you today to open a book or a chapter or even a few verses in the Bible that you do not understand and to begin to pray for the Lord to open your eyes to behold wondrous things and make it your goal to truly find out what God meant. Here at CF Devotionals we have an ever increasing knowledge base of excellent resource for you to do just that. Please take notice of our links and other great study materials we have - We all need to grow in grace my friends and that starts with a determined choice. And what better place to start then in Genesis.

In His Service,
liv4yeshua@cfdevotionals.org