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By Bob Vaughn - uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
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Were Adam and Eve the First Persons?

      Were Adam and Eve the first persons? Maybe not! Adam was special. He was probably formed many years after the sixth day creation of mankind. Nowhere do scriptures teach Adam was the first man created. I Cor. 15:45-49 teaches that Adam was the first type of man (nautral, earthly) and the second type man was as the Lord (spiritual).
          Adam was formed. The sixth day man was created.
      There is a difference.
          The sixth day male and female were created after the animals (Gen. 1:23-24). With Adam the order was different. Adam was formed; then the animals in the garden; then Eve (Gen. 2:7, 19, 21-22).
          When Cain was banished for killing Able he was afraid that those finding him  would kill him (Gen. 4:13-15). Who could that be other than descendants of the sixth day man.
          Also, Cain went to the       land of Nod and found a wife. Who could she be other than a decendant of the sixth day man. He then built a city. A city for who? A city probably populated by descendants of the sixth day man.(Gen. 4:16-17).
          The sixth day man was allowed to eat of every tree (Gen. 1:29). Adam was forbidden to eat of one tree (Gen. 2:17).
      Just maybe Adam wasn't the first!



Three Heavens?    

    Sometimes it helps to understand which heaven is being spoken of as we read of the scriptures. I find there are three heavens mentioned.
    Genesis  2:1 speaks of the creation, including the heavens (plural) being finished. This is the first hint of more than one  heaven. The first heaven was created on the second day as related to us in Genesis  1:6-8. It was a space containing our atmosphere with water below (our oceans) and water above (a canopy of water covering the earth). This canopy, I believe, was the source for much of the rain water that flodded the earth in the days of Noah as related in Genesis 7:11-12. The canopy was depleted during the flood.  It very possibly             had served as a filter of the sun's rays, filtering out damaging radiation. Therefore, we notice that after the flood the life-spans in the genealogies are much shorter.
    God placed the stars and the moon, in the expanse outside our atmosphere, the second heaven, as related in Genesis 1:14-18. Not only did they give us the distinction of day and night, but they served for signs and seasons. David in Psalms 19:1 said, "the heavens declare the glory of God."
    In II Corinthians 12:2 Paul speaks of a third heaven. He calls it "Paradise" in verse 4. It seems Paul, not wanting to bring attention to himself, speaks of a man - probably himself - caught up to heaven and given revelation. John said that the throne of God is in Heaven in Revelation 4:2-11. In Psalms 33 David said that the Lord looks from heaven and that He sees all the sons of men from the place of His habitation. Maybe God's throne is in the third heaven spoken of byPaul.
    The atmosphere, space, and Paradise are all heavens it seems. But what's even more exciting is Ephesians2:4-7.        
          But     God, who is rich in mercy, because  of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespassed, made us   alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit  together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in ages to come He might show the exceeding iches of His grace in His kingness toward us in Christ Jesus.



Vegetarians?

  1. Vegetarians? Yes! In Gen. 1:29-30 God said he had given every beast, bird, and creeping thing, every green herb for meat. Mankind, also, was to be a vegetarian eating every green herb bearing seed and the fruit of every tree in which the fruit of the tree yielded seed. After the flood, in Genesis 9:3-4, man was told that he could eat every moving thing as well as the green herb, but to not eat blood. The Israelites were given extensive dietary laws in the covenant they made with God through Moses (Deut. 14:3-20). In our covenant - the new covenant -  we understand all things are to be received with thanksgiving (I Tim. 4:3-5), as long as we eat without offending a fellow believer (Romans 14:20-21).



Is the Ground Cursed?

  1. Is the Ground cursed? It has often been preached that the ground is cursed, but that doesn't make it ture. In Gen. 3:17-19 God did curse the ground. But many years later Noah was to bring relief concerning this curse (Gen. 5:29). After the flood God removed the curse (Gen. 8:21-22).



Did Angels Impregnate Women?

    Did angels impregnate women? It is commonly taught that they did in the account related in Gen. 6:1-3. Consider the passage:
    Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his dats shall be 120 years."
    First    , why would God be upset with man, numbering his days, because of the behavior of angels? Second, angels are of a different essence. They are spiritual. Men are physical.(Hebrews 1:14) Third, even if they were physical, they would be a different species. Fourth, angels do not marry (Matthew 22:30). There is no reason to believe that they pro-create. Having said that, let's consider a line of thought different than "angels impregnating women." We read that the sons of God took wives of the daughters of men and bore children to them. Might the sons of God are the descendants of Seth? Gen. 4:26 teaches that it was in his time that men began to call on the name of the Lord. Might the daughters of men be the descendents of Cain and his wife. At the very least, those who were call on the Lord - the sons of God - took wives of those who were not calling on the Lord -the daughters of men. Throughout the scriptures it's taught that the people of God should not marry those who are not followers of God. it seems to me that the same is true in this situation.



Was Abel's Offering Accepted Because it was Blood?

  1. Was Abel's offering accepted because it was blood? No! It makes for a good sermon material, but it is just unfounded speculation. Throughout the scriptures, offerings other than blood offerings were acceptable to God. God did have respect for Abel's offering from his flocks. Also, God did not have respect for Cain's from the fruit of the ground (Gen. 4:3-5) However, the reason was not because Abel's was blood. The scriptures plainly tell us that the reason was not what the offering was, but how it was offered. Abel offered his by faith (Heb. 11:14). Cain did not.  Remember Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 



Did Methuselah Drown?

  1. Did Methuselah drown? Maybe! The oldest man on record, Methuselah, lived to be 969 years old. He was Noah's grandfather. He died the year of the flood (Gen. 5:27-29).



Why did Noah find grace?

  1. Why did Noah find grace? Genesis 6:6-9 gives us three reasons. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations and he walked with God. A just man - one who esteems what is right - I believe gets God's attention. Noah was not only just but walked with God - found his fellowship with God. He also was perfect in his generations - his family history. This may mean that his lineage could be tracked back to Adam through Seth without being touched by the lineage of those created on the sixth day (see the article, Were Adam and Eve the First Persons?) Noah is called a preacher of righteousness in 2 Peter 2:5.



120 Years to Build the Ark?

  1. 120 years to build the ark? No! Gen. 6:3 refers to 120 years, but not in reference to building the ark. God told Noah to build the ark and to include his sons and their wives in the deliverance. It seems Noah had three married sons at that time (Gen. 6:10-18). Shem was 97, possibly 98, when the flood came (Genesis 11:10). Therefore the building time was much less than 120 years.



In the Ark for 40 Days?

  1. In the ark for 40 days. No! It rained for 40 days and 40 nights (Gen. 7:12), but they were in the ark for over a year (Gen. 7:11 & 8:13-14).



A Continental Drift?

  1. A continental drift? Yes! Gen. 10:25 tells of a time when the earth was divided. It happened 101 to 310 years (Gen. 11:16-19) after the flood. Once again science confirms the Bible.



Egyptian Bondage! Why?

  1. Egyptian Bondage! Why? In Gen. 15:8 Abram asks "How shall I know that I shall inherit it". God had promised him a land for inheritance. He seems to be asking for some conformation, so in verse 13 God gives it to him. His heirs would serve and be afflicted 400 years. Then they would inherit the land (Gen. 15:16).



Abraham Sacrafice Issac?

  1. Abraham sacrifice Isaac? Yes! Our life is not a blueprint. We have "freewill", and every choice changes things. Abraham was being proven - put to the test - by God in Gen. 22:1-14. A test is to prove you. A temptation is to make you fall. God temps no one (James 1:13). Abraham passed the test, showing that he was a man of faith (James 2:21-24). Knowing that because of God's promise (Gen. 16:19), God would even raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19).



The Promised Seed?

  1. The promised seed?  God made a promise to Abram. It was a manifold promise. We can read it in Genesis 12:1-3. Now the Lord said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, and 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 that bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. It's the last line of this promise that we will consider. This promise is repeated in Genises 18:18 and 22:18 and in other places. In Abraham all the familes of the earth were to be blessed. How? This part of the promise is eluding to the Messiah who was to come and redeem mankind from it's sinful condition. We can be sure of this because of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to your seeds," as of many but as of one, "And to your seed," who is Christ. This blessing to families of the earth came through Christ the promised seed. He brought redemption to all. I Galatians 3:29 we read: If you are Christ's, them you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. If we belong to Christ - if we are in Him - then we too are Abraham's seed and we are to bless all the families of the earth. We, the church; the body of Christ; Abraham's seed; are called to be a blessing to all the world. Some have thought that the fleshy descendants of Abraham - Israel the nation - were to fulfill this promise. Paul makes it very clear that it's the Christ who fulfills the promise, not Israel the nation.



The Most Meek?

  1. The most meek? Moses! Numbers 12:3 says Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. Could this be why he had such a difficult time accepting Gods commission to bring deliverance to the Israelites (Gen. 3:11-4:17)?



Wrath or Tribulation?

  1. Wrath or tribulation? Gods wrath fell on Egypt, but his people, Israel, didn't suffer his wrath (Exodus 8:20-23, 9:1-6, 9:22-26, 10:21-23, 11:4-7). Gods wrath is never towards his children. Psalms 91:8 says "only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked". I Thessalonians 5:9 says "God has not appointed us to wrath". What about Tribulation? Yes, Gods people do experience Tribulations-troubles- in this world. Jesus said, "In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33)." Troubles from the world, or wrath from God, the choice is ours.



Harden Pharoahs Heart?

  1. Harden Pharaohs Heart? Yes! In Exodus 7:3-5 God said he would harden Pharaohs heart, so that he would not let Israel go, so that HE could show his signs and wonders, showing the Egyptians that HE is Lord. Exodus 7:22, 8:14, 8:19, 3:32, 9:7, 9:12, 9:35, 14:8 all are times God hardened Pharaohs heart. Again, why? Exodus 9:16 says, "I have raised thee up, for to show in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth". What shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God (Rom. 9:14), that He would harden Pharaohs heart. God Forbid! God shows mercy to the people of faith in answer to Romans 9:15-16. God raised Pharaoh up and used him for His purpose. God endured with much longsuffering Pharaoh, a man worthy of wrath from God, readied for destruction (Rom. 9:22). It does seem God manipulates the utterly lost to bring about His purpose. Consider Judas Iscaroit.



Day Old Bread?

  1. Day old bread? Yes! manna was gathered each day six days a week and would spoil if kept till the next day. But there was an exception on the sixth day. Twice as much was gathered and it didn't spoil the next day. None was gathered on the Sabbath, but day old bread was served (Exodus 16:16-26).



Fathers Iniquity on Son?

  1. Fathers iniquity on son? Yes! In Exodus 20:5 we are told that God visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate Him. Are we guilty because our fathers sinned? No. But their sins did effect thier childrens lives in negative ways. Jeremiah 31:29-30 and Ezekiel 18:1-24 teach that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Not the son for he father or the father for the son.



God, a Book Keeper?

  1. God, a book keeper? Yes! God keeps books (Ex. 32:32-33, Rev. 3:5, 20:14). Books of works and a book of life are both mentioned.



Melchizedek?

  1. Melchizedek? Who? In Genesis 14:18-20 Melchizedek, priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him tithes. In Hebrews 7:1-3 Melchizedek is described as king of Righteousness; king of Peace; without father or mother or descent; not having beginning of days or end of life; made like the son of God; a priest continually. Sounds like Jesus to me!



The Finger of God?

  1. The finger of God? Yes! Exodus 31:18 says the tables of testimony (stone tablets) which Moses broke were written with the finger of God (Exodus 32:16). The second time Moses was 40 days and nights without food or water in Gods presence, God again wrote on tables of stone (Deut. 10:3-5).



Utterly Destroy?

  1. Utterly destroy? Yes! All the inhabitants of the promised land were to be destroyed (Deut. 7:1-2, 20:16-17, Joshua 8:24, 9:24). Why? Their iniquity was now full (Gen. 15:16). They would teach their heathen ways to Gods people (Deut. 20:18). Their wickedness drove God to destroy them (Deut. 9:4, Levi. 18:24-25, Deut. 18:9-12).



The Tomb of Moses?

  1. The tomb of Moses? Where? No man knows (Deut. 34:6). God had him buried in a valley in the land of Moab, probably by Michael the arch angel (Jude 9). Maybe God did it this way to avoid his tomb becoming a place of worship.



40 Year Shoes and Cothes?

  1. 40 year shoes and clothes? Probably not! Deut. 8:4 and 29:5 are often said to mean that their clothes and shoes lasted 40 years. I think not. In context those verses are probably applauding Gods provisions. Even if the clothes and shoes didn't wear out, bodies grow, feet grow. Few people remain the same size for 40 years.



Usury (With Interest)?

  1. Usury (with interest)? No! Lend not to a brother for gain but you may lend to others for gain (Deut. 23:19-20). Jesus taught that whatever we do to a brother it's as if we do it to him (Matt. 25:40). Would you charge Him interest?



Freewill?

  1. Freewill? Yes! In Deut. 8:2 God was said to have put Israel to the test to see what was in their heart, whether they would keep hiscommandments or not. In Deut. 13:3 we see that God uses certain trials of our faith to better know us. Your choices determain how God deals with you (Matt. 11:38, 7:13-14).



The Dark Side?

  1. The dark side? Avoid! Deut. 18:10-11 gives us a long list of ministers of darkness that we must avoid. Lev. 20:27 teaches that they shold not be allowed to live. Consider Isaiah 8:19.



The Book of Jashur?

  1. The book of Jashur? Yes! Also called the book of the "upright". Joshua 10:13 and II Samuel 1:18 both mention this book. It's not in our scriptures. Jude verse 14 speaks of a prophesy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. That, also, isn't a part of our scriptures. 
           
     
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Bob Vaughn