The Fall of Man
So, we have a smashed and trashed
heavens and earth, God puts it all back together again, and everything
is wonderful. Adam and Eve are living in paradise, it is all sunshine
and laughter, birds twittering away and happy days. Okay, what happened?
Without understanding the
differences between body, soul, and spirit, nothing in the bible will
ever make much sense so we will look at that now. Thessalonians weaves
these three parts together, and tells us they make up the whole man.
1
Thessalonians 5:23
And the
very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and
I
pray God
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If something is whole, then there is
nothing missing. If something is missing, then it is not whole. Body,
soul and spirit make up a whole man. If man were missing any of these
three parts, he would not be whole. Now, are body, soul and spirit
synonymous? Do they mean the same thing? No, they do not. Apples are not
oranges, monkeys are not cows, bodies are not souls. Easy to understand?
Of course it is. Now use that same logic regarding soul and spirit -
they are not the same thing. Consider this from Isaiah:
Isaiah 43:7
Even
every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my
glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
With reference to
man, God says in Isaiah that he created man, he formed him, and he made
him. Formed, made, and created are all translated from different Hebrew
words. Are these words synonymous? Not if language has any rules. These
words do not
mean the same thing. God uses these words in Isaiah with accuracy and
precision.
Formed
is the Hebrew word
yatsar,
which means
to fashion.
This word is used in the bible to describe how a potter fashions or
forms a pot from a lump of clay.
Made
is the Hebrew word
asah,
which is a very general term for
to do
or to make.
You make
dinner, you do
your work, you make
a noise - that's this very general word, asah, to do or to make
something.
Created
is the Hebrew word
barah,
which means to bring into existence something that does not exist in
any state or form. Contrary to most dictionaries, man has never
created anything. Man can invent, fashion, produce, and manufacture
all sorts of things, but only God can create, only God can bring
into existence something that does not exist in any state or form.
Everyone can easily understand that
body is not soul, but spirit is not soul either, and it is this
confusion regarding soul and spirit which has muddied the clarity of
God's word in the holy spirit field. Which part of man was formed? Which
part of man was made? Which part of man was created? Let's deal with the
easy option first:
Genesis 2:7
And the
LORD God formed [yatsar] man
of the
dust of the ground . . .
Formed
is our Hebrew word
yatsar.
Which part of man did God form? The body, obviously. The dust of the
earth refers to everything in our bodies. We all developed from
ingredients that originated from the earth, the dust of the ground. Our
bodies do not just magic out of nothing, they come from the earth.
The same is true
of the plant kingdom. If you plant a tree in a bucket of earth, when the
tree is grown, the bucket still has the same amount of earth in it. So
where did the tree come from? It came from water in the ground and
carbon in the atmosphere. Water and carbon dioxide are broken down
through photosynthesis into oxygen and carbohydrates. It all comes from
the earth. When we were developing in the womb, what did our bodies grow
from? From the food our mothers ate which came from the earth.
Therefore, biblically, we can tie
formed
and
body
together. Now what about soul?
Genesis 2:7
And the
LORD God formed man
of the
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became [asah - was made] a living soul.
Living soul
in Hebrew is
nephesh chai,
nephesh
being the word for soul,
chai
the word for life.
It was in breathing that man became, or was made,
asah,
a living soul. Our soul is who we are - our character, our emotions, our
heart, our ambitions, our inner being, that which is housed within our
bodies, that which gives life to our bodies. Again, this isn't so hard
to understand. It is in breathing that we have soul, and it is in
breathing, in having soul, that our bodies have life. When we eat,
nutrients are transported around our bodies in our blood streams to the
cells where they are needed. As we breathe, our blood circulates and
gives life to our bodies. It's beautiful how they work together. Without
breath, we have no life, no soul.
Now, what about spirit?
Genesis 1:27
So God
created man in his
own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created
he them.
Created
is the Hebrew word
barah,
to bring into existence something which does not exist in any state or
form. To see the astonishing accuracy of God's word regarding these
words, check out the usage of
create
in verse 21 regarding soul.
Genesis 1:21
And God
created [barah] great whales, and every living creature [nephesh -
soul] that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after
their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that
it was
good.
It says God
created
every living creature [nephesh - soul] in the seas, like whales and
dolphins. Why did the translators not translate
nephesh
as
soul
here instead of creature?
I don't know, but the point is, soul life did not exist anywhere in the
universe at this time, so God had to create it out of nothing. If it
existed, God would not have had to create it. Therefore, we can safely
conclude that at the time of Adam and Eve, just a few thousand years
ago, there was no breath life anywhere in the universe. In other words,
less than 10,000 years ago there were no breathing aliens on any
planets, in any solar system, in any galaxy anywhere. Soul life, breath
life, just did not exist. If it did, God would not have had to create it
in Genesis. When God breathed soul life into man later, soul life
already existed in animals, which is why he did not have to create it
again. Soul life already existed, so he just had to make it, to do it,
and that is what he did and man became or was made,
asah,
a living soul, nephesh chai.
The bible is astonishingly accurate and precise in its usage of words.
Now for spirit.
Genesis 1:27
So God
created man in his
own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created
he them.
What is God's image? Well, he does
not have a body and soul like us, that's for sure. And another thing, we
don't have to guess either, God's word tells us.
John 4:24
God
is a
Spirit: and they that worship him must worship
him in
spirit and in truth.
God is spirit. That is what he is,
that is his image. So what part of man did God create? Body? No, that
was formed. Soul? No, that was made. Spirit? Yes! God's image is spirit,
and man was created in God's image. God has neither body nor soul, so it
was spirit that God created at this point. Man was now a three part
being - body, soul, and spirit, he was a whole man. This basic
understanding of what man was made of is rather important, as we shall
see.
God formed, made, and created Adam,
he was a three-part being of body, soul, and spirit. He lived in perfect
harmony with God in a perfect world. Man was given dominion over the
earth. Man was Lord of the earth as God intended him to be.
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Although man was the Lord of the
Earth, a position bestowed on him by God, there were conditions to his
continuing in that position of authority.
Genesis 2:16,17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die.
The knowledge of good and evil here is better understood from the Greek
word translated
knowledge
from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the old testament. It is
from the Greek word
ginōskō,
which means to know experientially, to
know by experience.
Man had no experiential
knowledge of the difference between good and evil. However, that does
not mean man was ignorant of evil. Quite the contrary, Adam and Eve were
fully instructed on what was good and what was evil. Genesis 2:16 and 17
clearly document that God instructed Adam and his wife not to eat of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were educated in what was
right and what was wrong. They were also fully conscious of the
consequences for disobedience. They knew the word, they were fully
educated in that category of life.
To eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, in this context,
was to
do
evil, to
experience
it. It is one thing to know what evil is because you have been taught
about it, and quite another to know what it is because you have done it.
At this point, Adam and Eve had not done anything wrong, they had not
committed any evil, and, therefore, had no concept of guilt or any of
the other consequences that result from it. To them, evil was something
on the other side of the fence, something they knew existed, but it was
not something they had ever experienced. That was all about to change.
Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle 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
serpent is a figurative reference to the devil, who has many names and
titles, such as satan and the god of this world. Why has he many names
and titles? Well, I also have many names and titles. For example, I have
my family name. To my parents I am a son. I am also an author and
photographer. These names and titles describe specific aspects of my
life. I may be a son, but I am not a son to anyone but my parents. That
particular title describes a specific relationship between my parents
and me, no one else. Similarly, all the names and titles of the devil
describe differing aspects and functions in how he operates and relates
to others.
Here in Genesis, the devil is referred to as the serpent, which is
a term emphasising his extraordinary craftiness and seductive slyness.
Note that the word also tells us that he was more subtle than any beast
of the field which God had made. That includes Gabriel, Michael and the
rest of the angels. The only way we can live safe from the devil is to
put all our trust in God. Adam and Eve were taught the word and they
knew the consequences for disobedience. Once we know the word, we are to
live it if we are to live lives which are more than abundant with God's
hedge of protection around us.
The serpent uses cunning and stealth to lure us away from God's
protection, hiding his devices within
that which looks appealing, like hooks within bait. Bait is real food.
The devil offers real food, but it has hooks stuck in it designed to
take your life. For example, emotions make excellent bait. There is
nothing wrong with emotion, but the devil can certainly stick hooks in
them to catch you.
The
way of life, the way of holiness, God's way on earth, can be likened to
a river.
Psalm 46:4,5
There is
a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the
holy
place
of the tabernacles of the most High.
God
is
in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her,
and that
right early.
Psalm 36:7,8
How excellent
is
thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their
trust under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Psalm 65:9
Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it
with the river of God,
which
is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so
provided for it.
The river of God teems with
abundance, and is fresh and alive. However, it flows through the
spiritual wilderness of the world, and the devil stalks its banks armed
with a dazzling array of baits and lures, seeking whom he may catch and
devour. The word makes us wise, and teaches us how to recognise the
devil's methods. Adam and Eve had been taught all this, very clearly and
succinctly. They were taught the word.
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
devil first approached Eve with a question. This is remarkable and gives
us information on how the enemy operates. Any general in any army knows
how valuable good intelligence is. The devil instils questions and
doubts regarding the word we have been taught. Fascinating stuff. The
devil knew Eve had been taught the word, and he approached her with what
appeared to be an appealing question regarding it. He probed her
defences. If we are not clear on the word, these approaches soon grow
into far more serious problems.
Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden:
Wait a
minute! Is that what God said?
Genesis 2:16
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat:
Eve quoted her scripture retemory, but unfortunately she wasn't
accurate. She omitted the word
freely.
If we omit a word from the word, do we have the word left? No, we do
not. What we have is private interpretation. Eve thought she knew the word, but she was wrong. When it
comes to rightly dividing God's word, it is imperative that we take
great care with every word or we will have nothing but problems. Eve
continued:
Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree which
is
in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it,
neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Wait a
minute! Is that what God said?
Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die.
God
said nothing about not touching the tree. Quite the contrary:
Genesis 2:15
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden
to dress it and to keep it.
God told man to dress and to keep the garden, and you cannot dress and
keep gardens unless you touch the things growing in them. Not only did
Eve omit a word from the word, now she has added
words to the word. Eve thinks
she knows the word, but she is hazy on the details. What we think the
word says is of little value unless we are accurate on the details.
Eve finished with
lest ye die.
God said
thou shalt surely die.
Eve turned an absolute into a possibility. She omitted a word, added
words, and finally changed the word. Eve was sincere, but sincerity is
no guarantee of anything. Now watch what happens.
Genesis 3:4
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
The
devil lied and contradicted God's word. That is his nature. He is the antithesis
of everything the true God is. God is light, the devil is darkness. God
tells us the truth through his word, the devil is a liar. God provides a
more abundant life, the devil steals, kills, and destroys.
God
told Adam and Eve they would surely die, while the devil told Eve she
would not surely die. Whose words are you going to believe? The words of
God or the words of the devil? If Eve had the slightest inkling of what
was in the devil's heart, she would not have been having that
conversation. She was seduced by the approach, the gentle, appealing
nature of the words, and the manner in which they were presented. The
devil has an extensive library of seductive arguments. Just look at this
one.
Genesis 3:5
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
To be
as gods? Knowing what the gods know? Secret knowledge from the gods?
That's some bait. Eve swallowed it, and her husband went right along
with her.
Genesis 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.
The
consequences for man's disobedience were catastrophic. Man died, that very day, just as God
had warned them. At first glance, Genesis 5:5 would appear to contradict
this, but this is entirely due to misunderstanding body,
soul, and spirit.
Genesis 5:5
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years:
and he died.
God said that on the day, that
very
day, they would surely die.
Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die.
Why did Adam live so long then? Is this a contradiction? Some say
so, but there is no contradiction. Man was a three part being of body,
soul, and spirit. Which part of man died that day? Not his body or soul,
that's for sure. So which part died? Man died spiritually, he lost his
spirit, he lost his connection with God. With only body and soul, man
became no better than an animal. He was no longer whole. That wasn't the
only consequence either. Man lost his job, and the earth found itself
under new management, under a new lord. It was at this point that the
devil became the god of this world.
Interestingly, there are only two records in the bible where the devil
confronted human beings personally
face to face. Eve was one, Jesus Christ was the other. We have seen how
the devil took Eve down because she didn't keep the word clear in her
mind. Let's see how Jesus Christ fared.
Luke 4:1-3
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was
led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Being forty days tempted of the
devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were
ended, he afterward hungered.
And the devil said unto him, If
thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Do you remember how the devil first approached Eve? That's right, he
tried to instil a doubt in her mind regarding what the word said. Here
he goes again, using the same tactic thousands of years later, only this
time he is trying it with Jesus Christ.
If
thou be the Son of God!
Luke 4:3
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this
stone that it be made bread.
His approach was designed to instil questions regarding the word and who
Jesus Christ was as the son of God. In that regards it mirrored the
approach made to Eve. Jesus Christ
was
the son of God. The devil approached with an arrogant
if
you are the son of God. However, unlike Eve, Jesus Christ had a clear,
precise, and accurate understanding of the scriptures. He
knew
who he was.
There is a pattern here and much we can learn from it. If the devil
feels this method of attack so effective that he would employ it with
both Eve and Jesus Christ, do you think he might perhaps try it on us?
Of course
he does. For example, do we always feel worthy to stand before God? If
not, why not? The word says we are holy and without blame before him in
love, and that we are lovely and acceptable. That is what the word says.
Do we hold onto that when the world attempts to make us feel less than
worthy? Or do we cave in to the seductive sweet empty words of the
world? The word in our minds is constantly under attack from the world.
Jesus Christ wasn't fooled though.
Luke 4:4
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Jesus Christ responded by quoting a short scripture, which isn't a
particularly difficult scripture to memorise. In fact, it would only
take a few seconds to learn by heart. However,
consider that
Jesus Christ did not
know beforehand how the devil was going to approach him. He could have
been approached in any one of a thousand different ways, so his having
the right scripture memorised for that particular attack implies that
his depth of knowledge of the scriptures was astonishing. That he had
the right scripture in his mind, and could select it to counter the
attack without having to run home for his bible and his concordance is
testament to the fact that he studied the scriptures and memorised them
to the point he had made the word his own. The more we understand this,
the more we will understand the importance of the renewed mind, and the
more we will comprehend what it takes to stand against the spiritual darkness
of this world and prevail.
Also note Jesus Christ's respect for Lucifer. He didn't bad mouth
him, he didn't tell him to fuck off, he didn't strut around him beating
his chest and bragging about who he was as God's son. Jesus Christ knew
who the devil was and held him in utmost respect, putting all his trust
in God to keep him protected. That's a good example to follow. We must
never get too big for our boots when dealing with devil spirits. We
always put our trust in God and his word.
Luke 4:5-8
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him
all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All
this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is
delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
If thou therefore wilt worship
me, all shall be thine.
And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus Christ again had the right
scripture at the right time to defeat this second attack, and again it
is one short scripture that is easy to memorise. Look at the depth of
his knowledge to be able to have in his mind the right scripture at the
point of attack so he could use it. Unlike Eve, he did not add words,
omit words, or change words, he quoted scripture accurately and
precisely. The spoken word is powerful.
Eve's retemory verses were not very
difficult. She could have kept the word in her mind if she had wanted
to. She had become hazy on the details because she obviously did not
keep her mind clearly in the word. Whenever man loses the word, he loses
everything.
By the way, you would not believe
how much pertinent and relevant 21st Century truth is documented here.
The devil offered Jesus Christ the glory of the world with all its
power, or in other words, he offered him the presidency of a one world
government. The devil was the power behind the governments and kingdoms
of Christ's time, and to whomsoever he willed, he gave it. Do you think
then that perhaps it is feasible that the powers behind one world
governance in the 21st Century could be from the same source?
You know, Jesus Christ's response is amazing. He did not scoff at the
devil or laugh at his claim. He knew the devil was telling the truth -
he does
have control of the systems of the world. Jesus Christ did not argue the
point. In Genesis, Adam and Eve were given dominion of the earth.
Genesis 1:27,28
So God created man in his
own
image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created
he them.
And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon
the earth.
Here in Luke, the devil told Jesus
that all that authority, that dominion over the earth, had been
delivered, or handed to him. That's exactly what happened back in
Genesis when man fell.
Luke 4:6
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and
the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever
I will I give it.
The devil tricked Adam and Eve out
of what was theirs and took it from them. Adam and Eve gave that
authority to the devil when they disobeyed God. In Genesis, man had the
authority and dominion of the world - he was Lord of the earth - but
when man fell, that authority was transferred to the devil. In this
regards it is interesting to note that the bible talks of two gods - the
true God, the Creator, and another god, the god of this world.
2 Corinthians 4:3,4
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them.
Any guesses who the god of this
world is? That's right, the devil. He became the god of this world when
man fell, when the world was delivered to him. Man had been the Lord of
the earth, and when man lost everything, the devil took control. That is
who runs the world today, that is who the god of this world is.
Jesus Christ recognised this, but
he was not seduced by it. Think about it. It isn't everyday you are
offered the presidency of a one world government. Rather than dream
about palaces, fleets of Mercedes chariots, and pretty girls pandering
to his every whim as be pranced around the world as its leader, Jesus
Christ went to the scriptures and rejected that paltry bribe. Jesus Christ
turned down the same bribe that turns men like Al Gore, Tony Blair, and
Bill Clinton into traitors, men who sell out their own countries and
their own countrymen for promises of power and authority in the new
world order. Men like them see themselves as that president of a one
world government, and they sell us out in their lust for it. Thankfully,
Jesus Christ turned it down. The devil was not quite finished yet
though.
Luke 4:9-11
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the
temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down from hence:
For it is written, He shall give
his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
And in
their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot
against a stone.
Wow, look at this! The devil quoted
scripture at Jesus Christ. Accurate scripture too. It's from Psalms.
Psalm 91:11,12
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in
their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
The devil knows the bible
inside out. He has the whole thing memorised from start to finish. Every
word. The only problem is, when he quotes it, it is out of context, and
it is used to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Oh yes, the bible can be
used to steal from people, kill them, and destroy them. Happens in
churches all the time. Jesus Christ wasn't taken in by this deception.
The bible does indeed say that God will protect our backs, that he is our
protection, that is true.
Mark 16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover.
There is a record in the book of
Acts that illustrates this point, when a deadly snake bit the apostle
Paul.
Acts 28:3-6
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid
them
on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his
hand.
And when the barbarians saw the
venomous
beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this
man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet
vengeance suffereth not to live.
And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
Howbeit they looked when he
should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they
had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed
their minds, and said that he was a god.
Psalm 91 and Mark 16:18 are true. However, the key to understanding the
subtle slyness and seductive nature of this temptation is the word
if.
Mark 16:18 uses if in the context of if it is accidental. We don't dash our feet against
stones deliberately, do we? Paul did not see the snake coming, did he?
He didn't stick his hand out there and deliberately let the snake bite
him just to see if the word was true, did he? That would be like jumping
off a cliff (or the pinnacle of a temple) to see if God will protect you
when you hit the bottom. No, he will not. If you are going to be that
stupid, you are not going to live for very long. If you accidentally
stumble, yes, God can be there for you, but not if you are going to
deliberately harm yourself just to see if he is going to save you. That
would be tempting God. Again, Jesus Christ was not deceived, and he had
the right scripture to counter the attack.
Luke 4:12,13
And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God.
And when the devil had ended all
the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
During this intense face-to-face
confrontation, three short memorised scriptures were sufficient for
Jesus Christ to defeat the devil. The word really is that powerful. The
only thing that can defeat the devil is the power of God through his word. If we have the word
and apply it, we will live powerful and abundant lives. Eve went down
and man lost everything because she did not keep the word clear in her
mind. Consequently, man fell and the devil became the god of this world.
Thankfully, that is not the end of the story.
http://walkingbythespirit.com/walkingbythespirit/life13.html
