2021…goodbye, farewell, amen…

Well, now. Here we are, a full month into the year that is 2022. I figured, now would be a good time to shake myself out of this ongoing Dark Night of the Soul that I’ve found myself ensconced in for the past year, and let people know what’s been going on in the life of your Uncle NecRo.

This was the first time in a great while that I didn’t publish an Obligatory End-Of-The-Year post. This was because, quite frankly, I did not want to relive the last year, even to summarize the major events that still haunt me, and probaly will continue to do so long after the fact. Let’s just say that, for the entirety of 2021, I took a chance with someone I considered a close friend, and paid the price for it. This nearly destroyed me; I was left shattered, fighting against succumbing to bitterness and letting darkness prevail.¹ I’m not going into detail. What’s done is done. They’ve made their choice.

It would have been far too easy to wallow in self-pity. I’ve been there before; this wasn’t my first tractor pull when it comes to friendships going sour. I don’t think anyone would have blamed me for giving in to resentment and bitterness…

…which is why I chose, almost immediately after this happened, to forgive them and carry on. It was the only thing I could do.

Forgive them. Let God handle it. Chose to say, “I love you, and I wish you well.” Not let bitterness and hatred take root.

In case you’re thinking that I took the weakling’s way out, guess again. To forgive someone is not the same as letting them off the hook; the fool never forgives and never forgets, the naive forgives and forgets, but the wise forgives but never forgets. I am open for reconciliation, as this person is someone I still love dearly, and will always have a place in my heart; but, before that can happen, there needs to be an honest, open discussion to confront the issues. And that’s something I don’t think they’ll ever do.

This kind of forgiveness is something I have to do every day; a choice I have to make, sometimes through gritted teeth and clenched fists, to say “I forgive them,” and give it all to God. Because it’s much easier to want to hold onto this hurt and betrayal, and let the bitterness and hatred spread, thinking this will strengthen me. Fuel me. Blind to the fact that all it’s doing is rotting me from the inside out, killing me slowly and leaving a bitter undead corpse.

Instead, I’ve forced myself into the habit of, whenever what they did comes to mind, I chose to say “I forgive them,” and pray that God goes after them. That one day they will stop running, and finally find the peace through Jesus that they deny they need, but is what they ultimately seek without knowing it. I pray the hounds of Heaven catch them, and my friend will be truly my friend I’ll see again, either here or when we’re Home. Because, if not…well, I don’t want to think about that.

Lord, have mercy on your unworthy servant. Save this poor, wretched soul. You will be done.

::END TRANSMISSION::

¹SOUNDTRACK

“One Way to Worship” (Genesis 4:1-26)

¹Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” ²Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

• Observation #1: The ‘Seed of the Serpent’ fails to believe the required payment for sin is death (cf. Genesis 3:7,21; Romans 6:23)

4:1–The phrase “made love to” is literally “he knew”. Sexual union means oneness and total knowledge of the other person. Sexual intercourse is the most intimate of acts, sealing a social, physical, and spiritual relationship. That is why God has reserved it for marriage alone.^*
4:2–No longer was everything provided for Adam and Eve as it was in the Garden of Eden, where their daily tasks were refreshing and delightful. Now they had to struggle against the elements in order to provide food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and their family. Cain became a farmer, while Abel was a shepherd. In parts of the Middle East today, these ancient occupations are still practiced much as they were in Cain and Abel’s time.^*
4:3-5–The Bible does not say why God did not accept Cain’s sacrifice. Perhaps Cain’s attitude was improper, or perhaps his offering was not up to God’s standards. Proverbs 21:27 says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable–how much more so when brought with evil intent!” God evaluates both our motives and the quality of what we offer him. When we give to God and others, we should have a joyful heart because of what we are able to give. We should not worry about how much we are giving up, for all things are God’s in the first place. Instead, we should joyfully give to God our best in time, money, possessions, and talents.^*

⁶Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” ⁸Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. ¹¹Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹²When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

• Observation #2: The ‘Seed of the Serpent’ fails to believe the way back to God is repentance (cf. 1 John 3:12)

4:6-7–How do you react when someone suggests you have done something wrong? Do you move to correct the mistake or deny that you need to correct it? After Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, God gave him the chance to right his wrong and try again. God even encouraged him to do this! But Cain refused, nd the rest of his life is a startling example of what happens to those who refuse to admit their mistakes. The next time someone suggests you are wrong, take an honest look at yourself and choose God’s way instead of Cain’s.^*
4:7–For Cain to master the sin that was crouching at the door, he would have to give up his jealous anger so that sin would not find a foothold in his life. Sin is still crouching at our doors today. Like Cain, we will be victims of sin if we do not master it. But we cannot master sin in our own strength. Instead, we must turn to God to receive faith for ourselves and turn to other believers to receive encouragement and strength. The Holy Spirit will help us master sin. This will be a life-long battle that will not be over until we are face-to-face with Christ.^*
4:8-10–This is the first murder–taking a life by shedding human blood. Blood represents life (cf. Leviticus 17:10-14). If blood is removed from a living creature, it will die. Because God created life, only God should take life away.
Ibid–Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin into the human race. They may have thought their sin–eating a piece of fruit–wasn’t very bad, but notice how quickly their sinful nature developed in their children. Simple disobedience quickly degenerated into outright murder. Adam and Eve acted only against God, but Cain acted against both God and another person. A small sin has a way of growing out of control. Let God help you with your “little” sins before they turn into tragedies.^*
4:11-15–Cain was severely punished for this murder. God judges all sins and punishes appropriately, not our of vengeance, but because he desires to correct us and restore our fellowship with him. When you’re corrected, don’t resist it. Instead, renew your fellowship with God.^*

¹³Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. ¹⁷Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. ¹⁸To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. ¹⁹Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. ²⁰Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ²¹His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. ²²Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah. ²³Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. ²⁴If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

• Observation #3: The ‘Seed of the Serpent’ fails to believe God will be gracious (cf. Matthew 25:24)

4:14–We have heard about only four people so far: Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. Two questions arise–why was Cain worried about being killed by others, and where did he get his wife? Adam and Eve had numerous children they had been told to “fill the earth” (cf. Genesis 1:28). Cain’s guilt and fear over killing his brother were heavy, and he probably feared repercussions from his family. If he was capable of killing, so were they. The wife Cain chose may have been one of his sisters or a niece. The human race was still genetically pure, and there was no fear of side effects from marrying relatives.^*
4:15–The expression “will suffer vengeance seven times over” means that the person’s punishment would be complete, thorough, and much worse than that received by Cain for his sin.^*

²⁵Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” ²⁶Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

• Observation #4: The ‘Seed of the Woman’ believes in Yahweh’s proper worship (cf. John 6:27)

4:19-26–Unfortunately, when left to themselves, people tend to get worse instead of better. This short summary of Lamech’s family shows us the variety of talent and ability God gives humans. It also presents the continuous development of sin as time passes. Another killing occurred, presumably in self-defense. Violence was on the rise. Two distinct groups were emerging: 1) those who showed indifference to sin and evil, and 2) those who called on the name of the Lord (the descendants of Seth). Seth would take Abel’s place as leader of a line of God’s faithful people.^*

• Application: Recognize sin’s deadly requirement, by repenting of self-reliance to trust in Jesus’ sacrifice only.

^*Life Application Bible study notes

“The Plummet & The Promise” (Genesis 2:4-3:24)

^2:4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. ⁵Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. ⁸Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.¹⁰A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹²(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) ¹³The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. ¹⁴The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. ¹⁵The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ¹⁸The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ¹⁹Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²²Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. ²³The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” ²⁴That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Observation #1: Yahweh proves Himself to mankind as the Creator-Blesser

1) Creator-Yahweh is the “Life-Giver” (v.7)
2:7–“From the dust of the ground” implies that there is nothing fancy about the chemical elements making up our bodies. The body is a lifeless shell until God brings it alive with his “breath of life.” When God removes his life-giving breath, our bodies once again return to dust. Our lives and worth, therefore, come from God’s Spirit. Many boast of their achievements and abilities as though they were the originator of their own strengths. Others feel worthless because their abilities do not stand out. In reality, our worth comes not from our achievements but from the God of the universe, who chooses to give us the mysterious and miraculous gift of life. Value lie, as he does.^*

2) Creator-Yahweh is the “Work-Provider” (v.8-15)
2:9–The name of the tree of knowledge of good and evil implies that evil had already occurred, if not in the garden, then at the time of Satan’s fall.^*

3) Creator-Yahweh is the “Life-Protector” (v.16-17)
2:9,16-17–Were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil real trees? Two views are often expressed: 1) The trees were real, but symbolic. Eternal life with God was pictured as eating from the tree of life. 2) The trees were real, possessing special properties. By eating the fruit from the tree of life, Adam and Eve could have had eternal life, enjoying a permanent relationship as God’s children. In either case, Adam and Eve’s sin separated them from the tree of life and thus kept them from obtaining eternal life. Interestingly, the tree of life again appears in a description in Revelation 22 of people enjoying eternal life with God.^{Life Application Bible study notes; Genesis}
2:15-17–God gave Adam responsibility for the garden and told him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Rather than physically preventing him from eating, God gave Adam a choice, and thus the possibility of choosing wrongly. God still gives us choices, and we, too, often choose wrongly. These wrong choices may cause us pain, but they can help us learn and grow and make better choices in the future. Living with the consequences of our choices teaches us to think and choose more carefully.^{Life Application Bible study notes; Genesis}

4) Creator-Yahweh is the “Need-Meeter” (v. 18-25;3:20)
2:18-24–God’s creative work was not complete until he made woman. He could have made her from the dust of the ground, as he made man. God chose, however, to make her from the man’s flesh and bone. In so doing, he illustrated for us that in marriage man and woman symbolically become one flesh. This is a mystical union of the couple’s hearts and lives. Throughout the Bible, God treats this special partnership seriously. If you are married or planning to be married, are you willing to keep the commitment that makes the two of you one? The goal in marriage should be more than friendship; it should be oneness.^*
2:16-17–Why would God place a tree in the garden and then forbid Adam to obey, but God gave Adam the freedom to choose. Without choice, Adam would have been like a prisoner,and his obedience would have been hollow. The two trees provided an exercise in choice, with rewards for choosing to obey and sad consequences for choosing to disobey. When you are faced with the choice, always choose to obey God.^*
2:21-23–God forms and equips men and women for various tasks, but all these tasks lead to the same goal–honoring God. Man gives life to woman; woman gives lie to the world. Each role carries exclusive privileges; there is no room for thinking that one sex is superior to the other.^*
2:24–God gave marriage as a gift to Adam and Eve. They were created perfect for each other. Marriage was not just for convenience, nor was it brought about by any culture. It was instituted by God and has three basic aspects: 1) The man leaves his parents and, in a public act, promises himself to his wife; 2) the man and woman are joined together by taking responsibility for each other’s welfare and by loving the mate above all others; 3) the two become one flesh in the intimacy and commitment of sexual union, which is reserved for marriage. Strong marriages include all three of these aspects.^*
2:25–Have you ever noticed how a little child can run naked through a room full of strangers without embarrassment? He is not aware of his nakedness, just as Adam and Eve were not embarrassed in their innocence. But after Adam and Eve sinned, shame and awkwardness followed, creating barriers between themselves and God. We often experience these same barriers in marriage. Ideally a husband and wife have no barriers, feeling no embarrassment in exposing themselves to each other or to God. But, like Adam and Eve, we put on fig leaves (barriers) because we have areas we don’t want our spouse, or God, to know about. Then we hide, just as Adam and Eve hid from God. In marriage, lack of spiritual, emotional, and intellectual intimacy usually precedes a breakdown of physical intimacy. In the same way, when we fail to expose our secret thoughts to God, we break our lines of communication with him.^*

^3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ²The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Observation #2: Satan presents himself to mankind as the “Greater-Blesser”

1) The Serpent is the vilifier of Submissive Obedient Dependance (v.1)
3:1–Disguised as a crafty serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. At one time, Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is tying to tempt everyone away from God, he will not be the final victor.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Genesis}

2) The Serpent is the prosperity preacher of self-empowered self improvement (v.4-5)
3:1-6–Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up o God’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he’s been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Jesus (cf Matthew 4:11). But Jesus did not sin! How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines we can follow First, we must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. Then, to resist temptation, we must 1) pray for strength to resist, 2) run, sometimes literally, and 3) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted.^*
Ibid–The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and, instead, focus on what God has forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises he has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself over what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God. Then your doubts won’t lead you into sin.^*
3:5–Adam and Eve got what they wanted: an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. But they got it by doing evil, and the results were disastrous. Sometimes we have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want. But God says that true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do. The restrictions he gives us are for our good, helping us avoid evil. We have the freedom to walk i front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize it would be foolish to do so. Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.^*
Ibid–Satan used a sincere motive to tempt Eve, telling her that she would be like God if she ate the fruit. It wasn’t wrong of Eve to want to be like God. To become more like God is humanity’s highest goal. It is what we are supposed to do. But Satan misled Eve concerning the right way to accomplish this goal. He told her that she could become more like God by defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for herself what was best for her life. In effect, he told her to become her own god. But to become like God is not the same as trying to become God. Rather, it is to reflect his characteristics and to recognize his authority over your life. Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way. We act like a political candidate who pays off an election judge to be “voted” into office. When he does this, serving the people is no longer his highest goal. Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above him. This is exactly what Satan wants us to do.^*

⁶When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. ⁸Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ¹⁰He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Observation #3: Mankind projects itself to God and Creation as the self-blesser

1) Mankind is disempowered through independence (v.6)
3:6–Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable. A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves. Our sins do not always appear ugly to us, and the pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. So prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). Use God’s Word and God’s people to help you stand against it.^*
3:6-7–Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You would win over temptation more often if you followed Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (cf. 2 Timothy 2:22)^*
Ibid–One of the realities of sin is that its effects spread. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to God before you are tempted to pollute those around you.^*

2) Mankind is fearful because it is guilty (v.7-10)
3:7-8–After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness. Their guilty feelings made them try to hide it from God. A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside you that goes off when you’ve done wrong. The worst step you could take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease. Be glad those guilty feelings are there. They make you aware of your sin so you can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.^*
3:8–The thought of two humans covered with fig leaves trying to hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing God is humorous. How could they be so silly as to think they could actually hide? Yet we do the same, acting as though God doesn’t know what we’re doing. Have the courage to share all you do and think with him. And don’t try to hide–it can’t be done. Honesty will strengthen your relationship with God.^*
3:8-9–These verses show God’s desire to have fellowship with us. They also show why we are afraid to have fellowship with him. Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard him approaching. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin, they were afraid to show themselves. Sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours. But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with him. God longs to be with us. He actively offers us his unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can’t live up to his standards. But understanding that he loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.^*

¹¹And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” ¹²The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” ¹⁴So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” ¹⁶To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” ¹⁷To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.¹⁸It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” ²⁰Adam named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become the mother of all the living. ²¹The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ²²And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ²³So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Observation #4: Yahweh preserves mankind by privation & prophetic promise
3:11-13–Adam and Eve failed to heed god’s warning recorded in Genesis 2:16-17. They did not understand the reasons for his command, so they chose to act in another way that looked better to them. All of God’s commands are for our own good, but we may not always understand the reasons behind them. People who trust God will obey because God asks them to, whether or not they understand why God commands it.^*
Ibid–When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances. But God knows the truth, and he holds each of us responsible for what we do. Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and apologize to God. Don’t try to get away with sin by blaming someone else.^*

1) Creator-Yahweh is the perfect judge (v.14;16-19)
3:14-24–Adam and Eve chose their course of action (disobedience), and then God chose his. As a holy God, he could respond only in a way consistent with his perfect moral nature. He could not allow sin to go unchecked; he had to punish it. If the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin seem extreme, remember that their sin set in motion the world’s tendency toward disobeying God. That is why we sin today: Every human being ever born, with the exception of Jesus, has inherited the sinful nature of Adam and Eve (cf. Romans 5:12-21). Adam and Eve’s punishment reflects how seriously God views sin of any kind.^*
3:14-19–Adam and Eve learned by painful experience that because God is holy and hates sin, he must punish sinners. The rest of the book of Genesis recounts painful stories of lives ruined as a result of the Fall. Disobedience is sin, and it breaks our fellowship with God. But, fortunately, when we disobey, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with him.^*
3:17-19–Adam and Eve’s disobedience and fall from God’s gracious presence affected all creation, including the environment. Years ago people thought nothing of polluting streams with chemical wastes and garbage. This seems so insignificant, so small. Now we know that just two or three parts per million of certain chemicals can damage human health. Sin in our lives is similar to pollution in streams. Even small amounts are deadly.^*

2) Creator-Yahweh is the future Redeemer (v.15)
3:15–Satan is our enemy. He will do anything he can to get us to follow his evil, deadly path. The phrase “you will strike is heel” refers to Satan’s repeated attempts to defeat Christ during his life on earth. “He will crush your head” foreshadows Satan’s defeat when Christ rose from the dead. A stike on the heel is not deadly, but a blow to the head is. Already God was revealing his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the world through his Son, Jesus Christ.^*

3) Creator-Yahweh is the sin outsmarter (v.21-24)
3:22-24–Life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven. Everything was perfect, and if Adam and Eve had obeyed God, they could have lived there forever. But after disobeying, Adam and Eve no longer deserved paradise, and God told them to leave. If they had continued to live in the garden and had eaten from the tree of life, they would have lived forever. But eternal life in a state of sin would mean forever trying to hide from God. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have sinned and are separated from fellowship with God. We do not have to stay separated, however. God is preparing a new earth is an eternal paradise for his people (cf. Revelation 21-22)^*
3:24–This is how Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God: 1)They became convinced their way was better than God’s; 2)they became self-conscious and hid; 3)they tried to excuse and defend themselves. To build a relationship with God we must reverse those steps: 1)We must drop our excuses and self-defenses; 2)we must stop trying to hide from God; 3)we must become convinced that God’s way is better than our way.^*

Application: Recognize Yahweh as Creator-Blesser by forsaking independence through obedient submissive dependence.

^*Life Application Bible study notes

“The Divine Pause…” (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

NOTES*
1:1-31 The creation story teaches us much about God and ourselves. First, we learn about God: 1) He is creative; 2) as the Creator, he is distinct from his creation; 3) he is eternal and in control of the world. We also learn about ourselves: 1) Since God chose to create us, we are valuable in his eyes; 2) we are more important than the animals.
—Just how did God create the earth? This is still a subject of great debate. Some say that with a sudden explosion, the universe appeared. Others say God started the process, and the universe evolved over billions of years. Almost every ancient religion has its own story to explain how the earth came to be. And almost every scientist has an opinion on the origin of the universe. But only the Bible shows one supreme God creating the earth out of his great love and giving all people a special place in it. We will never know all the answers to how God created the earth, but the Bible tells us God did create it. That fact alone gives worth and dignity to all people.

^1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ²Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ³And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. ⁶And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. ⁹And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹²The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. ¹⁴And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. ²⁰And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²²God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. ²⁴And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

• Observation #1: God creates everything from nothing by speaking, revealing His absolute supremacy.

NOTES*
1:1 The simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting he modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles an hour. But even at this breakneck speed, our galaxy still 200 million years to make one rotation. And there are hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the universe. It has been said that the number of stars in creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on all the beaches of the world. Yet this complex sea of spinning stars functions with remarkable order and efficiency. To say that the universe “just happened” or “evolved” requires more faith than to believe that God is behind these amazing statistics. God truly did created a wonderful universe. God did not need to create the universe, he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else–so God created the world and people as an expression of his love. We should avoid reducing God’s creation to merely scientific terms. Remember that God created the universe because he loves us.
1:2 Who created God? To ask that question is to assume there was another creator before God. At some time, however, we are forced to stop asking that question and realize that there had to be something that has always existed. God is that infinite Being who has always been and who was created by no one.This is difficult to understand because finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite. For example, we can try to think of the highest number, but we can’t do it. Likewise, we must not limit the infinite God by our finite understanding.
—The statement “the earth was formless and empty” provides the setting for the creation narrative that follows. During the second and third days of creation, God gave form to the universe; during the next three days, God filled the earth with living beings. The “darkness” was dispelled on the first day, when God created light.
—The image of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters is similar to a mother bird caring for the protecting its young (cf. Deuteronomy 32:11-12; Isaiah 31:5). God’s Spirit was actively involved in the creation of the world (cf. Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30). God’s care and protection are still active.
1:6 The “vault between the waters” was a separation between the sea and the mists of the skies.
1:25 God saw that his work was good. People sometimes feel guilty for having a good time or for feeling good about an accomplishment. This need not be so. Just as God felt good about his work, we can be pleased with our. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that please both you and God?

²⁶Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ²⁷So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ²⁸God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” ²⁹Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

• Observation #2: God creates ruling representatives by gifting them His own image.

NOTES*
1:26 Why does God use the plural form, “Let us make mankind in our image”? One view says this is a reference to the Trinity–God the Father, Jesus Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit–all of whom are God. Another view is that the plural wording is used to denote majesty. Kings traditionally use the plural form in speaking of themselves. From Job 33:4 and Psalm 104:30, we do know that God’s Spirit was present in the Creation. From Colossians 1:16 we know that Christ, God’s Son, was at work in the Creation.
—In what ways are we made in God’s image? God obviously did not create us exactly like himself because God has no physical body. Instead, we are reflections of God’s glory. Some feel that our reason, creativity, speech, or self-determination is the image of God. More likely, it is our entire self that reflects the image of God. We will never be totally like God because he is our supreme Creator. But we do have the ability to reflect his character in our love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness. Knowing that we are made in God’s image and thus share many of his characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. Human worth is not based on possessions, achievements, physical attractiveness, or public acclaim. Instead, it is based on being made in God’s image. Because we bear God’s image, we can feel positive about ourselves. Criticizing or downgrading ourselves is criticizing what God has made and the abilities he has given us. Knowing that you are a person of worth helps you love God, know him personally, and make a valuable contribution to those around you.
1:27 Go made both man and woman in his image. Neither man nor woman is made more in the image of God than the other. From the beginning the Bible places both man and woman at the pinnacle of God’s creation. Neither sex is exalted, and neither is depreciated.
1:28 To “rule over” something is to have absolute authority and control over it. God has ultimate rule over the earth, and he exercises his authority with loving care. When God delegated some of his authority to the human race, he expected us to take responsibility for the environment and the other creatures that share our planet. We must not be careless and wasteful as we fulfill this charge. God was careful how he made this earth. We must not be careless about how we take care of it.
1:31 God saw that all he had created was very good. You are part of God’s creation, and he is pleased with how he made you. If at times you feel worthless or of little value, remember that God made you for a good reason. You are valuable to him.

^2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ²By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

• Observation #3: God commences reigning over Creation by pausing to preside over His perfect work.

NOTES*
1:3-2:7 How long did it take God to create the world? There are two basic views about the days of creation: 1) Each day was a literal 24-hour period; 2) each day represents an indefinite period of time (even millions of years). The Bible does not say how long these time periods were. The real question, however, is not how long God took, but how he did it. God created the earth in an orderly fashion (he did not make plants before light), and he created men and women as unique beings capable of communication with him. No other part of creation can claim that remarkable privilege. It is not important how long it took God to create the world, whether a few days or a few billion years, but that he created it just the way he wanted it.
2:2-3 We live in an action-oriented world! There always seems to be something to do and no time to rest. Yet God demonstrated that rest is appropriate and right. If God himself rested from his work, we should not be surprised that we also need rest. Jesus demonstrated this principle when he and his disciples left in a boat to get away from the crowds (cf. Mark 6:31-32). Our times of rest refresh us for times of service.
2:3 That God blessed the seventh day means that he set it apart for holy use. The Ten Commandments emphasize this distinction by commanding the observance of the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 20:1-17).

• Application: Recognize God’s supremacy over competitors, representing Him in conduct, and pausing to praise His perfection.

FOOTNOTES
^*from the Life Application Study Bible notes

Book Review: MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN

Jonathan Lethem
Doubleday
1999

I’m tightly wound. I’m a loose cannon. Both–I’m a tightly wound loose cannot, a tight loose.

Lionel Essrog is Brooklyn’s very own self-appointed Human Freakshow, an orphan whose Touretic impulses drive him to bark, count, and rip apart our language in the most startling and original ways. Together with three veterans of the St. Vincent’s Home for Boys, he works for small-time mobster Frank Minna’s limo service cum detective agency. Life without Frank Minna, the charismatic King of Brooklyn, would be unimaginable,, so who cares if the tasks he sets them are, well, not exactly legal. But when Frank is fatally stabbed, one of Lionel’s colleagues lands in jail, the other two vie for his position, and the victim’s widow skips town. Lionel’s world is suddenly topsy-turvy, and this outcast who has trouble even conversing attempts to untangle the threads of the case while trying to keep the words straight in his head.

The hardboiled detective noir genre isn’t one that I’ve read a lot of. As to why…I couldn’t tell you. It’s a tried-and-true style in the pulp tradition. Mind you, I’ve read my fair share of novels and stories that are horror/dark fantasy that utilizes the Noir style as the narrative framing device–the Anita Baker series and John Constantine: Hellblazer comics immediately come to mind–but never really dug right into a straight-up gritty detective mystery thriller and lose myself in it.

Motherless Brooklyn is a novel that was recommended highly by a close friend and fellow bookworm, someone whose opinion of things I respect greatly, so I went ahead and purchased a copy for my well-used Kindle to read. That was just this past year (2021); for the record, I wasn’t aware there was a movie adaptation that was released back in 2019 at the time I got this, and it’s up in the air as to whether I’m going to even look into watching it. Although, the prospect of watching Edward Norton play the main protagonist is intriguing, to say the very least.

Before I go any further, it’s confession time: I was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome when I was 12 years old, and have lived with it most of my life. This is not something I am open about, mainly due to the typical way that Hollywood and other pop media portrays anyone that has it as the wacky “swearing disease”. And don’t worry, I’m not going to use this book review as a platform to talk about it; I wanted to mention this because one of the selling points when my friend was telling me about this book was that the story was told from the viewpoint of someone with Tourette’s in the first person, and I was morbidly curious as to how the author tackled that, understanding the subtle nuances that I had to struggle with personally. And as far as that goes…I think that Jonathan Lethem did a fantastic job with that aspect, really getting into the mind of someone that actually struggles with this kind of thing. And that’s all I really have to say about that.

Moving on to the story itself, I have to say that this was something of a totally engrossing, completely engaging read from beginning to end. It tells the tale of Lionel Essrog and three other orphan boys–the titular “Motherless Brooklyn”–who grew up together in an orphanage in Brooklyn, and find themselves taken under the wing of a small-time hustler at a young age, who grow up to work for him full-time for his seedy and makeshift detective agency. When this employer/father figure of theirs is murdered, the main character takes it upon himself to find out who it was responsible for his death. This takes him to some very dark and seedy places, with enough twists and turns to make a normal person’s head spin, let alone someone who has to deal with his particular quirk.

Overall, I was rather glad I gave this book a look-see. This is something that I would probably go about re-reading some time in the future, something I very rarely do. If you’re a fan of classic detective noir stories, gritty crime mysteries, or just well-told yarns from a different perspective, I would highly recommend checking out Motherless Brooklyn for yourself.