BIBLE IN TEN

0018 - The line of Cain

While we’re pondering the life of Cain and his generations that were swept away in the flood, we should take to heart that God remembers those who meditate on His name.
Throughout the Bible, when a name is mentioned, it’s because it’s relevant to the story.
Genesis 4:17-26
17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe. 22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice.    You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech,for I have slain a man for wounding me,    a young man for bruising me.24 If Cain will be avenged seven times,    truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25 Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.

0017 - Cains lack of faith

Genesis 4:11-16
17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe. 22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice.    You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech,for I have slain a man for wounding me,    a young man for bruising me.24 If Cain will be avenged seven times,    truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25 Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
 
Cain was given a mark to protect his earthly life, but for those who call on Jesus, the last chapter of the Bible says we too will have a mark. This mark will be on our foreheads and it will be the very name of God – an eternal reminder that we have been purchased by the most precious substance in the universe – the blood of Jesus Christ.

0016 - No salvation can be earned

The disappointment in realizing that we have any part to play in our salvation apart from simply trusting in God without boasting is expounded from the understanding given in this episode about the meaning of the Hebrew names, Cain and Abel. 
Genesis 4:1-10
Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[a] Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given birth to a man.” 2 After that, Eve gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain became a farmer.
3 Later, Cain brought a gift to God. He brought some food from the ground. 4 Abel brought the best parts of his best sheep. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. 5 But God did not accept Cain and his gift. Cain became very angry and looked unhappy.
6 The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? 7 If you do good, I will accept you. But if you do not do good, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you. But you must rule over it.”
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out into the field.” So Cain and Abel went into the field. Then Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”
10 Then the Lord said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is on the ground. That blood is like a voice that tells me what happened. 

0015 - To know good and evil

God didn’t kill Adam or the woman, but rather chose an innocent animal in their place. In essence, He transferred their guilt to the animal and the animal suffered for their misdeeds.
This symbolizes God’s choice of the only sacrifice which is truly acceptable to Him, the death of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God. Later in the Bible we see in the book of Hebrews that an animal cannot take away sins, but only temporarily cover them until the final Sacrifice – the Lord Jesus, who died in place of fallen man.
Genesis 3:21:25
21 Yahweh God made garments of animal skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—” 23 Therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed cherubim[a] at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
 
God knew that if they were to live forever in the fallen state they were in with clothing that only symbolically covered their shame, they would become infinitely bent on wickedness and evil. And so in a demonstration of both mercy and grace, He took away their access to eternal life.
 
 

0014 - The end of the garden of God

Even though they had come to the end of the Garden of God, they had hope of a better day ahead and they exhibited faith that what the Lord promised would come about.
Genesis 3:16-20
16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth.    You will bear children in pain.Your desire will be for your husband,    and he will rule over you.”
17 To Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to your wife’s voice,    and have eaten from the tree,    about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’    the ground is cursed for your sake.You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.18     It will yield thorns and thistles to you;    and you will eat the herb of the field.19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground,    for you were taken out of it.For you are dust,    and you shall return to dust.”
20 The man called his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.

0013 - The Promised One

Genesis 3 verse 14 and 15
In this episode the first gospel is presented in the Bible.  The proto evangelium.
The bruising of the Promise One is described in graphic detail in Psalm 22, which is surely an account by the Lord Jesus from the first person perspective describing the agony of the cross.
Psalm 22 
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?2 My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer;    in the night season, and am not silent.3 But you are holy,    you who inhabit the praises of Israel.4 Our fathers trusted in you.    They trusted, and you delivered them.5 They cried to you, and were delivered.    They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.6 But I am a worm, and no man;    a reproach of men, and despised by the people.7 All those who see me mock me.    They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,8     “He trusts in Yahweh.    Let him deliver him.    Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”9 But you brought me out of the womb.    You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts.10 I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb.    You are my God since my mother bore me.11 Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near.    For there is no one to help.12 Many bulls have surrounded me.    Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.13 They open their mouths wide against me,    lions tearing prey and roaring.14 I am poured out like water.    All my bones are out of joint.My heart is like wax.    It is melted within me.15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd.    My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.You have brought me into the dust of death.16 For dogs have surrounded me.    A company of evildoers have enclosed me.    They have pierced my hands and feet.[a]17 I can count all of my bones.They look and stare at me.18 They divide my garments among them.    They cast lots for my clothing.
19 But don’t be far off, Yahweh.    You are my help. Hurry to help me!20 Deliver my soul from the sword,    my precious life from the power of the dog.21 Save me from the lion’s mouth!    Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers.    Among the assembly, I will praise you.23 You who fear Yahweh, praise him!    All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him!    Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,    Neither has he hidden his face from him;    but when he cried to him, he heard.
25 My praise of you comes in the great assembly.    I will pay my vows before those who fear him.26 The humble shall eat and be satisfied.    They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him.    Let your hearts live forever.27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh.    All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s.    He is the ruler over the nations.29 All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship.    All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,    even he who can’t keep his soul alive.30 Posterity shall serve him.    Future generations shall be told about the Lord.31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born,    for he has done it.

0012 - Naked and exposed

Genesis 3:7-13
 7 Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves. 8 They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
9 Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
 
An early lesson about the futility in attempting to overcome our deficiencies with works without faith.

0011 - Who is this liar?

Genesis 3:1-6
3 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die, 5 for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 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 some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too

0010 - Beauty from a rib

Adam was being used as a symbol of Christ to come. Just as God took a rib from the side of Adam while He slept, God formed His church through the death of His Son – His moment of deepest sleep. The soldier pierced His precious side and out came blood mixed with water. Two men with similar scars 4000 years apart – one received a bride of flesh and the other a bride of the Spirit. If God was willing to do that for us, we should respond in kind by calling on His name!
 
Genesis 2:18-25
18 Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to[c] him.” 19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 Yahweh God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Yahweh God made a woman from the rib which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.

0009 - Free will or not to free will

Genesis 2:16-17
16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
 
The Bible also says that "Whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord Jesus will be saved" in Romans chapter 10.   Does this really mean whosoever?  Do we have freedom to make this choice?  In this episode we will explain how by giving Adam a free choice, we too can appreciate our own free choice.
 

0008 - To worship and to serve

Genesis 2:10-15
God is complete in and of Himself. He lacks nothing and therefore anything that He has created is a demonstration of His own goodness and should reflect His infinite worth.  Man pursuing works doesn’t fit this particular picture very well and so what we need to do is look deeper into God’s intent for man in Genesis chapter 2, in the Garden of Eden – the spot where God dwelt and fellow-shipped with him.   Chapters 2 and 3 are finer details inserted into the larger overview of Chapter 1.  Details that give us specific insights into something that must be rather important for us to know…

0007 - Formed out of the dust

Genesis 2:4:9
4 This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh[a] God made the earth and the heavens. 5 No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, 6 but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.   (WEB)
 
God knew that we would start in a garden and then be removed from that garden because of our interaction with, believe it or not, a tree. But God’s plan is that we are to be restored to the garden because of our interaction with another tree. The plan is so intricately woven and presented in the Bible that it’s almost beyond imagination. Everything fits so beautifully.