From the Garden to the City

From the Garden to the City First Three Chapters of Genesis

Goals and Assumptions • The goal of this course is to give you a framework and methodology to help you understand the Bible. • Assumptions • The Bible is one book written by one author, the Holy Spirit. • The Bible is written such that with enough study and meditation it can be understood by most Christians. • The New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament (Mat.5:17). It is all things new not all new things (Rev. 21:5). • The Holy Spirit does not waste its breath and does not mislead the reader.

Introduction- Septuagint (70) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, Galatians 4:4 • God chose the ideal time to send His Son into the world. • One strong government for the civilized world (Rome) • One language spoken (Greek) • Time of peace • Connected by good roads • Result: The Gospel could be spread with relative ease. • One Problem: • The Bible (Old Testament) was written in the Hebrew language which no one, including most Jews, could speak or read.

Introduction- Septuagint (70) • Problem solved: • In 250 BC, Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, had the Old Testament translated into Greek. • For history of this event see: Josephus’ The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 2 Philo’s On the Life of Moses, Book II, 25 • Differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew text. .Septuagint had additional books (400 BC-100 AD) .Some books of Septuagint have additional chapters.

Books of the Septuagint • Genesis Tobit* Baruch* • Exodus Judith* Jezekiel (Ezekiel) • Leviticus Esther Daniel • Numbers I Maccabees* Osee (Hosea) • Deuteronomy II Maccabees* Joel • Joshua III Maccabees Amos • Judges IV Maccabees Obdias (Obadiah) • Ruth Job Jonas (Jonah) • Kings I (I Samuel) Psalms Michaeas (Micah) • Kings II (II Samuel) Proverbs Naum (Nahum) • Kings III (I Kings) Ecclesiastes Ambacum (Habakkuk) • Kings IV (II Kings) Song of Songs Sophonias (Zephaniah) • Chronicles IWisdom* Aggaeus (Haggai) • Chronicles IISirach* Zacharias (Zechariah) • Ezra Esaias Malachias (Malachi) • I Esdras*^ Jeremias • Nehemiah Lamentations • The Song of the Three Children* is between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24 • The History of Susanna* is chapter 13 of Daniel • Bel and the Dragon* is chapter 14 of Daniel • The letter of Jeremias* is chapter 6 of Baruch • The Prayer of Manasses* is Psalm 152

Introduction-Septuagint (70) • Since Greek was the common language of the civilized world even among the Jews, the Septuagint became the Jewish Old Testament. • Once the Christian Church was established, the Septuagint became the Christian Old Testament and Jews began to reject it as a valid version of the Old Testament. • The early Church Fathers tended to believe that the Septuagint was a divinely inspired translation and that the Jews had tampered with the Hebrew Old Testament. • The Masoretic text, which is the Hebrew text that most Old Testament translations are derived from today, was completed in the tenth century AD. Thus the Septuagint is a much older text. • Also, based on comparing Old Testament passages quoted in the New Testament, it appears that the Septuagint was the preferred Old Testament of the Apostles.

Introduction-Septuagint (70) • Sometimes a particular word or phrase is used in the Greek New Testament that had a particular meaning in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint). It is helpful in understanding the New Testament meaning to know how the word was used in the Greek Old Testament. • Example: “paradeisos” • King James New Testament: The Greek word “paradeisos” is translated “paradise” in the three occurrences. • Septuagint: “Paradeisos” refers to the garden that God planted in the east part of the land of Eden. And the LORD God planted a paradise eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8 • Other Septuagint passages: “Paradeisos” is used to refer to the garden or paradise that God planted in Eden. • Conclusion: Thus the use of the word “paradeisos” in the exchange between Christ and thief on the cross would be of special significance to the early Christians who would be very familiar with the Greek Old Testament.

Introduction-Septuagint (70) • Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. • Someone familiar with the Septuagint would have immediately thought of the thief being restored to the “paradise in Eden” which had been lost by Adam. • A modern day reader would not necessarily associate “paradise” with the Garden of Eden. • This Greek word “paradeisos” occurs in Revelation: • Rev. 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. • When this passage was read by an early Christian the image of the Garden of Eden would be strong, but then when Revelation 22:1,2 was read a different image of paradise would begin to develop.

Introduction-Septuagint (70) • And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1, 2 • The association would have been made between the City of the New Jerusalem and Garden of Eden. • The City is a glorified version of the original paradise, planted by God Eastward in Eden. • In this case the association is clearer to someone familiar with the Septuagint. • From time to time during this study references will be made regarding how the Septuagint presents certain texts.

Introduction-Septuagint • An example of the Apostle Paul using the Septuagint is Hebrews 10:4-9 • In Hebrews 10 the writer of Hebrews (the Apostle Paul) is making a point about the fulfillment of the Old Covenant by the New Covenant through the sacrifice of the “body of Christ.” • “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:4 • In this passage in Hebrews most commentators state that the writer is quoting Psalms 40:6-8

Introduction-Septuagint • Hebrews 10:5 “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” • Psalm 40:6 “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Masoretic Text) • Psalm 40:6 “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt offering and sacrifice for sin thou didst not require. 7 Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, 8 I desired to do thy will, O my God, and thy law in the midst of mine heart.” (Septuagint Text)

Flavious Josephus • Flavious Josephus was a Jewish historian who lived from 37 AD-100 AD. • He wrote two important historical works: • .THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS • .THE WARS OF THE JEWS • (Both of these works are currently available.) • THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS covers the history of the Jewish nation from creation until the time of Nero (65 AD). Although it follows the Old Testament, it has significant additional historical information. • THE WARS OF THE JEWS covers the period surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Josephus was an eye witness to this event and so the information presented by him is very important. • The writings of Josephus will be an important reference in this study.

The Garden, Paradise • All of God’s creative work was finished on the sixth day and He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3). • Everything that God made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). • My view is that Chapter two gives detail of what God did in the afternoon of day six in chapter one. • God planted a special place, a paradise, eastward in the land of Eden. In the paradise he made to grow every tree good for food, the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:8,9). • He placed man in this paradise to cultivate it and keep it (guard it).

The Garden, Paradise • This paradise is the original sanctuary where man meets with God and receives eternal life. • A river flowed out of the land of Eden and watered paradise and then broke into four rivers and watered the lands around Eden (Genesis 2:10-14). • This picture of water flowing out of the sanctuary to bless the world appears several times in scripture (Ezekiel 47; Revelation 22:1-4) • These four rivers also emphasized Adam charge to subdue the world for the glory of God, in that he and his descendants would travel to the “four corners of the earth” by way of these rivers.

Gold and God’s Glory • Genesis 2:11 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. • God gives gold special recognition as being good. As the image of God, man has always imputed special value to gold. (An important economic principle.) • Also in the Bible, gold represents the “glory of God.” The tabernacle and temple were both lined with gold and many of the articles in these sanctuaries were made of gold. • The Hebrew word for “glory” literally means “heavy” and gold is one of the heaviest minerals that God created. • God’s glory appears as a “flaming fire and a burning furnace” (JJ) and gold has these same characteristics.

Two Trees • God planted two special trees in paradise: • The Tree of Life • The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil • By eating of the Tree of Life a person received eternal life (3:22) and by eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil a person received the ability to discern Good and Evil (3:22). • At least one, if not both, of these two trees was the first sacrament in the Bible. • A sacrament is “a sacred act which under a visible aspect communicates to the believer the invisible grace of God.” • The Greek word used in the New Testament for these acts is “mysteria” or mystery. • Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Corinthians 4:1

Sacrament • The word “sacrament” comes from the Latin word “sacramenta” which means mystery. • In the Old Testament there are a number of ceremonies or events associated with the various covenants which point to or are types of the New Testament “sacraments.” • There seems to be two types of these Old Covenant “sacraments”: boundary and memorial. • A “boundary sacrament” is a one-time event that “places” a person in the covenant and usually involves a “cutting off” and/or “new life.” • What would be the boundary sacrament of the New Covenant? • Baptism.

Sacrament • A “memorial sacrament” is an event that occurs periodically and renews the covenant. It typically involves “remembering” and continuing life. • What is the memorial sacrament of the New Covenant? • The Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. • What would be possible fulfillments of the Tree of Life under the New Covenant? • The Cross. • The Eucharist.

Sacrament • An interesting passage occurs in Jeremiah 11 which ties the cross and the Eucharist together. This connection is especially clear in the Septuagint. • Jeremiah 11:19 But I as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew not: against me they devised an evil device, saying, Come and let us put wood into his bread, and let us utterly destroy him from off the land of the living, and let his name not be remembered any more. (Septuagint) • A number of the early Christian writers (Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Cyril) quoted this verse as describing the placing of the cross on the body of Christ using the word “bread” for body as a reference to the consecrated bread in the Eucharist which is the Body of Christ.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was very good because God pronounced everything He created very good (1:31). • Even though the tree was very good, God commanded Adam not to eat of it or, in other words, to “fast” from it. • Most “fasts” are temporary and are not total “fasts.” Clearly the fast that God gave Adam was not total and probably only temporary. • By far the most important point about this tree is that God commanded Adam not to eat of it. Although Adam may not have understood why he was not eat of it, his lack of understanding was not important. • Where God is concerned “obedience is prevenient to understanding.” Understanding will usually follow obedience. • God gave Adam a clear command and Adam had one responsibility and that was to obey.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • However it is helpful on a number of levels for us to try to understand what all of this means: “knowledge of good and evil,” “nakedness,” and “shame.” • The term “knowledge of good and evil” occurs infrequently in Scripture but when it does it is instructive as to the meaning of this passage in Genesis. • What verses did you find regarding “the knowledge of good and evil?” • Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 but strong meat belongeth to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • Deuteronomy 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. • The ability to “discern good and evil” comes with experience or maturity. • Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee…and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. 2 Samuel 14:17-20 (This verse is speaking of King David.)

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • I Kings 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him,… but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee…15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream.And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. • What follows this text? • Probably one of the most well known narratives of the Old Testament.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him…27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. • The ability to “discern good and evil” also comes with being a Godly king. • What is the implication of Adam and Eve being naked (2:25)? • After the fall, who is naked and not ashamed? • A newborn baby. “Naked I came out of the womb.” (Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15)

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • Part of the explanation for the nakedness was that Adam and Eve where newly created, they were babes, immature, but there was no shame to this nakedness. • The shame came because Adam did not have patience to wait for God to bestow the office on him. Adam seized the office before he was ready to bear the responsibility. • Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.. Psalm 69:6 • Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause Psalm 25:3. • God commanded Adam and Eve to fast from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because they were immature (naked) and their senses were not exercised to discern between good and evil.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil • Probably God would have later bestowed the office of judgment upon them and allowed them to eat of the tree. • The ability to “discern good and evil” was eventually bestowed on King David and King Solomon (the high point of the Old Testament) but it took three thousand years. If Adam had waited on God it probably would have taken no more than forty days or forty years. • “Being clothed,” or having the robe of office, is a reoccurring theme in Scripture to which we need to be sensitive.

The Garden, Paradise • 2:23 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.2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. • At this point everything was in union, at peace. • .man with his wife • .man with God • .nature with God • .nature with nature • .no death, no warring or fighting Man as the head of creation was in communion with God. • Man and nature were distinct from God but not separated from God. • Ah, but there was a “fly in the ointment” or a serpent in the garden!

The Fall • Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? • The Hebrew word for “subtil” is “aruwm” and means “crafty or “prudent.” Eight of the eleven times it is used in the Hebrew Old Testament is in the Book of Proverbs. • Proverbs 14:15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. • Proverbs 14:18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. • The Greek Old Testament uses the Greek word“phronimos” and it is translated as “wise.” • This is the same Greek word as used in Matthew 10:16 • Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

The Fall • 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. • Adam was with Eve while she was being tempted and he did not guard (keep) Paradise. He should have led her away from the serpent to the Tree of life. • I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:14-17

The Fall • 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. • The Hebrew word for walking means in a more general sense “traversing.” This is probably the Glory Cloud coming to meet with Adam. • It must have been a fearful thing for Adam who had disobeyed the one command that God gave him to hear the “voice of the Lord.”

The Fall • 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: • “Licking the dust” becomes symbolical in Scripture of submission or being “triumphed over” (Psalm 72:9; Isaiah 49;23; and Micah 7:17). Something like “biting the dust.” • Even when the curse is beginning to be rolled back, the serpent gets no relief, although the serpent is not allowed to hurt anyone. • Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

The Fall • 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. • Prophecy of Christ crushing the head of Satan while Satan crushes Christ’s heel. • Crushing the head of God’s enemies becomes a theme throughout the Old Testament. • 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. • The woman will have pain and difficulty in childbirth and her husband will rule over her. Because of the problems in childbearing, the task of multiplying and filling the earth becomes more difficult.

The Fall • 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. • Adam’s task of subduing the earth becomes much more difficult becausethe ground will work against him and he is weaken by his dying body.

The Fall • 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. • Why did God replace the fig leaves with skins? • Probably because remission of sin requires the shedding of blood. An animal died because of Adam’s sin. • Lev. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. • This event would have been very instructive to Adam.

The Fall • 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. • Adam failed to guard the garden so God placed Cherubims to guard it. Angels replace man as the guardians under the Old Covenant.

From the Garden to the City