August 1, 2023

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ”gen 1:1 nkjv

For many years I had the privilege of teaching Adult Bible classes… I tried to focus upon reading the text and then discussing it’s relevance to our lives. When I started with a new “class,” I would begin by reading Genesis 1 verse 1… and ask the class, “do you believe this?” I would follow up with, “If you don’t believe this, you probably will not be comfortable in this class.” To me, this is the “take possession” verse that Yahweh gave Moses to get our attention… in the natural sense of normal human limitations, this can be an absurd idea, unless you fail to consider the full content of what this means. Here in verse one, Yahweh gets in your face and tells you who is in charge… and that He alone is the sole owner, “rule maker” and judge of everything. What do you think modern educators think of this?`

First, I have to accept the existence of a “creator,” and thereafter, anything is possible. For example, Yahweh forming us (original man) from dust and breathing His sprit (breath, “sama” in Hebrew #h5397) into us; “sama” also includes inspiration, soul, spirit, and intellect (which is the part of us that is made in Yahweh's image). So we started out as “custom made” living creations. Now some people scoff at such an idea. Actually, to me, no other option makes sense. Only Yahweh can make something out of nothing; so He creates the physical elements and dynamics of life and energy, then from them He “fashions” His creatures and everything else.

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” ps 33:8-9 nkjv

You can read the details of this in gen 1:1-31 Where a number of times it says, “Then God Said,” then whatever Yahweh said, was or became.

These scriptures tells us He “spoke” the universe into existence… you can really loose today’s “students” talking like this, especially younger people. This is important, “because they have been ‘hearing’ a different word… Words mean things, they are seed for further intellectual and ideological convictions and actions. Influence from corrupt educators and fake news prognosticators, that both work for the cabal of darkness, are very dangerous to your spiritual life. Creative power, not afforded to Satan, torments him to no end. Corruption of truth and temptation of man… with lust of the eyes, pride of life, and lust of the flesh, are normally done with words in one form or another.

“ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 jn 2:15-17 nkjv

Lets go back to “words mean things.” And to, people ‘hearing’ a different word. The writer of Hebrews further tells us, He [Yahweh] “upholds all things by the word of His power.” The cosmic struggle of good and evil is a word war, especially the “attractiveness” of the words. Consider, the “did God say” question, that Satan tempted Eve with in the beginning. There were two trees in the Garden of Eden; one Tree of Life (Yeshua’s seed/Torah), and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Satan's seed). Both were defined by words that Yahweh spoke:

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” gen 2:15-17 nkjv Later, after Adam and Eve disobeyed Yahweh and believed the lying words of Satan, and ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree, we see Yahweh banishing them from the Tree of Life, which in their fallen condition, Yahweh blocked them from eating from… lest they be eternally corrupt. Something needed to fix this… long story short, Yeshua comes upon the scene:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” jn 3:16-17 nkjv Now, that which was lost is brought back to man… who, through being born again, could be reinstated in right standing with Yahweh.

Now, here is the significance of this: The “Word” that became flesh (Yeshua, jn 1:14) and its power over evil “words,” is the full circle connecting lost mankind and redeemed mankind. If you keep and tend the garden of your heart and mind with Yahweh’s words… Torah truth, you are sanctified by Yahweh’s truth… incorruptible seed:

“having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” 1 pet 1:23 nkjv

You see, words will destroy you or save you… depending on which words (and who's words) you decide to hear and live by. There is no middle ground. By the way, what Yahweh said in the beginning, He still expects us to hear and obey today… there is only one true word:

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” ps 119:89 nkjv

The Word [Torah] and the living Torah, Yeshua, and the Spirit are all one… never will they disagree; Satan, by his corruptible words, made his shinny and tasty looking (be like God) fruit attractive, but it came against Yahweh’s true word. Choices have consequences.

Yeshua said, “ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” mat 12:37 nkjv When, you are born again, a new man in Yeshua, and you think and say what Yahweh’s Word says, you will be full of the original “sama” breath Yahweh breathed into the man He formed from dust that became alive. For you see, until you are reborn of the “sama” you are still just a lump of clay, offspring of fallen Adam… that lost its life from hearing the wrong words. May we all strive to reclaim our “vocabulary of truth,” and seek the words [Spirit] of life.

Shalom, John