God's Three Questions

And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, " Where are You?' So he said I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked and hid myself (Genesis 3:9-10)

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.( Genesis 3:11-12)

And the Lord God said to the Woman,"What is this you have done?" And the woman said,"The serpent deceived me and, I ate" (Genesis 3:13)

The above tells us that the First human pair had the privilege of enjoying God's Presence and His relationship and by being deceived to an unknown voice were afraid and hid themselves from the Presence of God. But God comes in search of them and not being able to See them in their usual place calls them and asks them Three questions.

What thereafter ? Let us turn to the next post.

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Entrance of Sin and Gods Judgement

God created humans to be in relationship with him, but he honoured them with the freedom to choose whether to love him or live independantly of Him.These Questions are prompted by God's concern, but the Questions are occasioned by human sin. The first human pair were created to live by trust - Trust in God's word, sadly they failed to do that and entered into sin. As under managers of God's estate they were given the tasks and responsibilities for which they were accountable, but they squandered their God given gifts in the service of self rather than God. That too was sin. They sought to find emotional wholeness and well being outside of God's will which was also sin.

God's Judgement and Curse Upon Earth

So the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than the cattle, and more than every beast of the field: on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat the dust all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:14)

The above suggests that at the original creation of God, the serpent could have been in a form similar to that of a cattle or a beast. But since the Devil entered into it and it permitted, God's judgement and curse was pronounced and thus a change of its form to move on its belly.

God's Judgement upon woman

To the woman He said," I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception: in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you. (Genesis 3: 16)

The above is true, that all women from that time on wards go through multiplied sorrow during conception and pain in bringing forth the child. God who designed the marriage declares that husband shall rule the wife.

God's Judgement Upon Man Who Loses His dominion over earth to satan

Then to Adam He said," Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you saying, " You shall not eat of it; cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return. (Genesis 3:17-19)

God's Judgement was pronounced upon man that because he did not trust God's word and he being dust and formed out of the earth, the earth shall remain cursed and shall bring forth thorns and thistles and for eating the produce out of it, he has to toil with sweat on his face. God also ordained physical death and pronounced that the body shall return to the earth. It is true and we see the out working of this judgement and curse upon mankind that almost all of us have to toil everyday for our Livelihood.

Wages of Sin

" Behold, souls are mine:The soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)

" For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)

Consequences of sin is more devastating not merely it breaks God's law, but it breaks God's heart also. According to the above verses, it is not only physical death, but eternal death for the soul created of God which entertains and lives in sin.

Let us Turn to next Post to See How God Dealt and His Action?

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God's Covering for Sin and Mans Expulsion

God's Righteousness and plan revealed

" And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heal."

The above verse tells us that God spoke to the fallen Angel Lucifer, called the Old serpent and tells him, The God given dominion and authority lost by the human pair is not by accident. What they had lost legally to you will be taken back righteously and crushed by the Righteous Son of God. Let the Deceiving Serpent know this would happen.

Mans Self Righteousness

" And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." ( Genesis 3:7)

  As it is written; " There is none righteous no, not one (Romans 3:10)

This verse tells us, because of their physical eyes being opened the first human pair tried to cover their nakedness. At the same time, their spiritual eyes that was earlier open to God also became blind. They who have not felt nakedness and were not clothed till such time by their creator, having disobeyed the voice of God, tried to clothe themselves by their self righteousness. But the Bible declares

But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags.(Isaiah 64:6)

According to the above verse, man's self righteousness cannot be compared to God's Holiness and the clothing made by the human pair to cover up for the sin they have committed is not acceptable at the sight of their creator.

God's Provision of covering sin and declaring His Righteousness

Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.(Genesis 3:21)

God made tunics of skin and clothed them. What does the word skin stand for and signify? If one has to get a skin it has to be either of an animal or of a human being which means blood has to be shed. What skin did God use as a provision to cover the first human pair. Look at the verse below;

Without shedding of blood there is no remission.(Hebrews 9:22)

In the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

Could you notice the words saying Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It is true, that sin committed by man broke God's heart, and by his scrupulous wisdom, and foreknowledge, God had determined a provision in his heart that one of the persons of Godhead had to offer himself as a  sacrifice to redeem mankind if he falls. In remembrance of that God performed a substitutionary sacrifice of a lamb and man's sin was cleansed by the blood in the skin which was clothed thereafter to declare the righteousness of God and his provision.

Mans expulsion from God's Garden

So he drove out the man; and he placed cherubim 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.( Genesis 3:24)

God drove the first human pair who were banished from the Garden (Paradise which was on earth) for ever.God placed another cherubim (Angel of God) with the flaming sword to prevent them from returning and guard the way to tree of life. Why? The first human pair by their act of disobedience to trust God's word and eating the fruit of the forbidden tree being deceived by the voice of the devil displayed their desire to become one like God and live forever.Thus humanity and their way to entering eternity was shut off by God.

What thereafter and How? Let us turn to the next post.

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Noah, The Flood & Call of Abraham

Adams Lineage

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore cain, and said, " I have gotten a man from the Lord."(Gen 4:!)

The days of Adam were eight hundred years and he begot sons and daughters.(Genesis 5:4)

After this God expected Godly offspring from them, Children were born to them as we see in the above verses but unfortunately due to their fall, they produced sinful off spring and they multiplied. The resulting chaos and desecration that developed on the earth forced God to destroy the population of the earth. God's plan for mankind could not be fulfilled through these rebellious people that had developed in masses on the earth.

Destruction of the population on Earth by flood

So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground, both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.( Gen 7:23)

As the above verse states, God chose and spared the family of Noah. Noah was not a perfect man, but found Grace in the sight of the Lord because of his obedience. After this Noah was commanded by God to build an Ark and take his sons, his wife, and his sons wives, along with the clean beasts, unclean beasts, of birds, and of everything that creeps on earth two by two male and female into the ark.Then God shut the door in and commanded the floods to come and it was on the earth for forty days.Thus God destroyed the population on earth by floods and spared Noah and his family to repopulate the earth. God blesses Noah and his family and says be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. thus the earth eventually became re populated. 

From One of Noah's Son's lineage God calls Abram.

Now the Lord had said to Abram;" Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your fathers house, to a land that I will show you. " I will make you a great nation: I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."(Genesis 12:1-3)

God tells Abram that he would make him father of many nations.The Bible tells us that Abram obeyed the voice of the Lord and left his nation and headed to the land which God had shown him. Abram inherits the land and again God tells Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands of the sea.

Then He said to Abram;" Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve them and they will afflict them four hundred years. " And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.(Gen 15:13-14)

In the above verse, God also tells Abram about the slavery and bondage of his descendants in another nation and their deliverance. Abram whose name was later changed by God to Abraham (For God having made him the father of many nations). Abraham's wife who was earlier called Sarai was later changed by God to be called Sarah (Mother of Nations and Kings shall be born of her). The scriptures show that God did not reveal his name to Abram and Abram did not ask God what his name was. Abraham was one hundred years old when his wife Sarah gave birth to a son by name Isaac. When Isaac was married he begot Jacob. Isaac and Jacob the sons of Abraham called God, the God of Abraham. In the beginning God allowed men to build altars for sacrifices to Him. Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob built an altar to God. Jacob on having a vision of God standing at the door and angels ascending and descending from Heaven, took a stone and put it as a pillar and poured oil over it and called it Bethel (Place of God or Temple of God). God allowed it because He wanted to make men understand how they should worship Him. God calls Jacob  "Israel" after he wrestles the whole night with God for a blessing. Jacob asks for the name of the Lord. But God did not reveal his name but blessed him and went away.The children of Jacob called the Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The name of God was not yet revealed to them. As God had foretold, the newly named Israelites entered Egypt as Seventy people and then multiplied until they became a huge presence there. The new King who does not remember the past involvement of Israelites in the nation or has any regard for their descendants fearing that they might prove to be an internal threat in the event of war, makes them slaves and they served in Egypt for four hundred thirty years.

Let us turn to the next post to see What happened Thereafter?

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Moses -The Deliverer

Partner in God's Purpose

Moses Concerned with Justice first by intervening when he witnessed one of His fellow country men being beaten, and later by coming to the aid of Midianite girls by taking matters into His own hands was pre-empting God's initiative.  But God dealt with the egyptian in His time and in His ways. The Israelites groaned and God heard their groaning. God's compassion evokes within him the memory of His covenant promises made first to Abraham, and repeated to Isaac and Jacob that Abraham's descendants would be the means of Bringing blessing and salvation to all the nations of the earth. God does not wait until we are perfect before He uses us. He does not delight in our imperfections of course, but He does not disregard us because of them either. God can transform the most unlikely material into partners in His purpose. Look at the word of God as to what it has to say;

God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses!" (Exodus 3:4)

We come to a thrilling moment, where God called Moses and makes himself known to Moses. Moses becomes curious because the bush is not consumed while it is burning. Having gained Moses attention, God reminds him of his covenant with his forefathers and his determination to become involved in the suffering of his people and intervene and rescue them. God also tells Moses " So now, I am sending you to pharaoh. Moses asks God, 'Who are you? "What is your name?"  In other words who is authorising me to do this? See Gods Reply.

" God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM." (Exodus 3:14).

This means I will be what I will be. Here we see, God reveals about himself and his nature. Accepting Gods Commission Moses Goes and confronts with the Pharaoh with God's demand "Let my people Go". Paharaoh does not permit the demand and asks who is the Lord that I should obey and let the Israelites go? This shows a sinful human stubbornness clashing with divine purposes. Pharaoh's heart was unyeilding and refuses to let the people go. Then God commands through Moses a series of plagues. These events were unique and purposefully brought about and demonstrated for all time God's powerful creative supremacy over the forces of nature. 

During the ninth plague, creation in Egypt is plunged back to darkness and the Egyptian Sun God is discredited and as the sun goes down over Egypt, so Pharaoh's power is eclipsed. 

But the Bible tells us "The Israelites had light in their places where they lived".(Exodus 10:23).

The Bible tells us "But God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 10:27).Why? "But indeed for the purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.(Exodus 9:16).

This tells us God always intended to make an example of Pharaoh in the interest not just of Israel, but of his larger plan of bringing salvation to all nations including Egypt.

" When I see the blood I will pass over you.(Exodus 12:13). 

The israelites are instructed to prepare for their miraculous protection by applying on their doorposts with the blood of the lamb they were to sacrifice, so that when the Lord on his mission of judgement sees the blood, He will " Pass over" their houses. Why this?

" For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and I will strike all the first born and beast, and against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute judgement; I am the Lord."

The final devastating divine judgement to fall on Egypt is the death of all its firstborns. As there was light when darkness prevailed, the Lord God, however promises to preserve the Israelites. By doing so God identifies them uniquely as his people.God's controversy is not with the Egyptians or with Pharaoh but with the God's of Egypt. Pharaoh was a front for the false Gods and tragically the people he represented suffered with him and because of Him. Pharaoh's defeat is complete and the Israelites leave Egypt to the promised land.

Let us turn to the next post to see what happened thereafter?

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God's Covenant and Desire to Dwell With Israel

To keep his people moving God assures them of His continuing presence and goes before them in a pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day.On their journey to the promised land through the wilderness Unbelief sets in the heart of the Israelites when they were stuck with Water and Food. But God hears the plea of Moses and supernaturally provides them.

" Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant You will be my treasured possession above all people; for all the earth is Mine (Exodus 19:5)

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).

God enters into a covenant with Israel to take things a stage further. He calls them His treasured possession and is His personal property. But in case Israel should ever misconstrue this special place in God's heart as being an exclusive, self centred or nationalistic relationship, the text adds like this " The whole earth is mine". God even at the precise time when he chooses one nation in the world to serve Him has his eyes firmly fixed on all the nations of the earth. 

God tells them " You will be for me a Kingdom of priests and a Holy nation (Exodus 19:6). As a priestly kingdom Israel is entrusted with God's message so that other nations might come to know of the one Creator God and pass on the Blessings of God. A nation devoted to God, His glory and His praise. Israel was to be a shop window through which other nations could look in and see what God could do with those who were obedient to His commands. " And God spoke all these words..." (Exodus 20:1). 

God gives to Israel His Ten Commandments. God tells them it is just me and no one else! No other God can do for you what I can do." The first four commandments set forth the principles for Israel's relationship to God and the last six commandments set forth the principles guiding Israel's relationship with the covenant community and more broadly with the human family. In other words the Ten commandments of God reveal both the will and the Character of God.Israel is entrusted with the sacred task of manifesting that Godliness to the rest of the world. 

Then God tells them"...have them make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8). 

God wanted to dwell among his people.and God invites Moses to come to Mount Sinai and stay for forty days and nights. Why?"According to the plan shown to him on the mountain (Exodus 26:30)

                                            The Tabernacle (Pattern of Moses days)

                               

   

So, From stone worship they moved forward to tent worship.The tabernacle which God meant was to be a portable place of worship that they had to make which will be an earthly structure, but symbolic of a heavenly reality. This they would carry wherever they go till they reached the promised land such that God can accompany them on their wilderness and wanderings. God also through Moses gave other laws and commandments, worship pattern inside the Holy of Holy place and the sacrifices that are to be followed by Him and his people. Moses and the people of Israel made the tabernacle according to the plan given. God ordained them to keep the two boards on which were written the Ten commandments in  a Box (The Ark of the Covenant) and keep it in the Holy of Holy place (Moolasthanam) inside the tabernacle. Over the Covenant Box was the Throne. Over this the presence of God used to appear as Light. In the room prior to it, there were seven lamps, Table for shew bread, and altar of incense. It used to be called the Holy Place. The veil separated the Most Holy place in the tabernacle from the Holy place. There used to be inner court yards around the Holy place. On its front side were the sacrificial altar, wash basin etc. According to the laws given by God they used to sacrifice goats and bulls every morning and evening and conduct worship. Only the High priest could go into the Most Holy place and then only once in a year to stand in God's presence and make atonement for the sins of the nation once.

                                            The High Priest and His Garments

                             

God's Instructions for Census and establishment of Judges

During Israel wandering in the wilderness on their way to the promised land God instructs for census and two censuses are taken. They spend forty long years wandering around and learn that they can make progress as they trust and obey God. After this God took them into the promised land " Canaan" and divided the inheritance to the twelve tribes of Israel according to their order through Joshua the leader appointed after Moses death. Six times the prospering Israelites forget God, they are oppressed. God establishes judges to make them repent and then delivers them.

Let us turn to the next post to see what happened thereafter?

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