Faithful Writers

© Maia Vashti One of the bracelets gifted by Jane Isley It was spoken between tears and whimpers, pain and sorrow. Spoken by a mother to her daughter during times of distress, of hurt. Carved in leather as a reminder around their wrists. It was a phrase that got me through plenty of times, when things were at their worst, uncertain. Pain at its most. A comfort linked with a promise. A thread of faith when the string was fraying. It was a joke when, upon arrival, said: “I won’t last.” While true, it wasn’t the gift's intention, and while corrected, the smile lasts. The steps still filled with laughter. It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone. I had those who fought for me, I still do. Heaven's armies, a mother’s determination, and a friend’s encouragement are still at my side. © Maia Vashti

In the Bible, bloodlines are everything. Connected to this point is the huge misunderstanding that God made a separate covenant for the salvation of the Gentiles. I’m sorry to say this, but NO SUCH covenant exists. Let’s take a look at what the prophet Jeremiah says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah ”. -Jeremiah 31:31 It doesn’t mention anything about a new covenant with the house of Scandinavia or the house of Great Britain or the house of South Korea, does it? For His own good reasons, God has determined that only one group of people will be elected to be saved. That group is the Nation of Israel and all those people who join themselves to Israel ( spiritually immigrate to Israel so to speak ) by accepting His Messiah. This is the clear teaching of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. We see this process of separation occurring in the very first chapter of Genesis when God divided the light away from the darkness. And here in Genesis chapter 4, we witness the division of Cain and his descendants who will become a race of people that will be against God. The evidence for this is that five generations later, one of Cain’s descendants, a wickedly arrogant man named Lamech will appear on the scene. He took for himself two wives and then Scripture recorded the following boast he made. “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;O wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech.I have slain a man for wounding me,And a lad for bruising me.If Cain is avenged sevenfold,then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”-Genesis 4:23–24 Amazing! Here we have a man committing one of the worst sins a man can commit and boasting about it. Within a mere five generations, the human race on Cain’s side had become thoroughly wicked. Fortunately, the story of mankind does not end there. Soon after, Eve begets another son, names him Seth and proclaims “For God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him. ” I want to share an interesting parallel concerning Eve giving birth to Cain and then Seth. Take a look at the following two Scriptures. “…and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord. ” -Genesis 4:1 “…and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “ God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him. ”-Genesis 4:25 In both cases, Eve makes a declaration to the Lord commemorating the occasion. However, the subject, verb, and object are different in both cases in the original Hebrew. In the first instance, Eve is the subject. Eve gets herself a man with the help of the Lord. She names the first son “Cain” which is a wordplay on the Hebrew verb Qanah , meaning “to get” . In the second case, God is the subject and Eve is the indirect object. This time Eve admits that God appointed Seth. The name of the second son Abel is a wordplay on the Hebrew word SHITH meaning “placing” or “appointing." The contrast in the destiny of Cain and Abel’s descendants is expressed in their names. The birth of Cain resulted from Eve’s own fleshly efforts. On the other hand, Seth was God’s provision of an appointed offspring. Eve’s fleshly efforts gave birth to a people of sin and destruction. However, the race that emerged from the God-provided Seth line brought forth life, hope and eventually the messiah. Later in Genesis, we will see a similar pattern emerge with the birth of Ishmael and Isaac. So at this early juncture, we can see that the stage has been set for a battle between God’s holy people and the followers of Satan. This holy war will not reach its final culmination until the Messiah returns. My question to you is, which side will you join? Ethnically speaking, it doesn’t matter whether you are Jew or Gentile. Are you going to join that murderer Cain’s line? Or will you join the Godly Seth line (which will become Israel) ? There is NO COMPROMISE on this foundational Biblical point. CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. ”-Matthew 15:24 © Richoka

“I will be a fugitive wandering the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Adonai answered him, “Therefore, whoever kills Kayin will receive vengeance sevenfold,” and Adonai put a mark on Cain , so that whoever found him would not slay him. -Genesis 4:15 The Scriptures explain that “the Lord set a mark upon Cain, so that WHOEVER found him would not slay him.” Let’s take a look at the Hebrew word for “whoever." In Hebrew, the word is KOL and this word actually has the double meaning of “whoever” and “whatever." In other words, it could be referring to other human beings or it could be referring to animals. One theory is that since the human population was very small at this time, rather than other human beings, Cain was in danger from wild animals. However, this is unlikely. When Adam and Eve came into being, they were created as fully mature adults capable of procreating from day one and most likely did. A lot of people jump to the conclusion that Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s first children. The Scriptures do not say this and this is obviously not true since Cain ventured into another town that already had a substantial population where he found a wife and started his own family. Although we will go quite some time before there is mention of another female besides Eve, this is simply because of the patriarchal nature of the Bible. It is male-oriented. All genealogy and family ties were according to their relationship to the father, the listing of generations only rarely includes a female name. Another idea is that Cain himself was a mark serving as a warning to others of the dire consequences that murder carried. However, I think the Professor of Hebrew at Berkeley University, Robert Alter’s assessment is the correct one, which is that it was a mark of protection and not a stigma. Cain, in fear, says, “ Whoever finds me will kill me, ” and the Scripture reports that the Lord in His compassion responded by putting a sign on Cain “ so that no one who found him would kill him .” So clearly, it was a mark of protection. © Richoka What does this story teach you about God’s character?

Soon after Cain murders his younger brother Abel, G-d confronts him and then, as a punishment, sentences Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth. He will be banished from G-d’s presence and be considered an outlaw wherever he goes. Genesis 4:16 goes on to state the following; “So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod , east of Eden.” The Hebrew word “Nod” literally means “ to wander ” or “ wandering ." However, it doesn’t just mean wandering in the physical sense of moving from one place to another with no clear objective. There is a strong sense of restlessness or a lack of peace if life has no meaning or purpose. This connotation can also be seen in our English phrase “to nod off,” which means to become dozy due to an intense lack of interest or severe boredom. Fellow believers, isn’t this what we were like before coming to Hashem? Weren’t we just wanderers? Weren’t we just simply passing the time? We had no clear-cut goals or direction. We had no reason to live. Life was boring and dreary. No wonder a Godless world turns to money, drugs, alcohol, and sex to fill that void inside that never seems to go away. Isn’t it also true that there is no one more miserable than a believer who has backslid away from G-d and has again become embroiled in the cares and worries of this world? I can vouch from personal experience that there is nothing more depressing than that dark, lonely feeling that occurs after one deliberately disobeys God. ChatGPT It is during such times that I feel so lonely and begin to worry that maybe G-d has forever abandoned me. On the other hand, when you are in obedient to G-d, there is nothing greater than the peaceful reassurance that results. CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous .-1 John 3:12 © Richoka

In Genesis 3:15 we come to our first messianic prophecy. God is speaking to the serpent in the garden after he successfully tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree. ChatGPT This is what He said: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman , and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise my head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” A quick word about Bible prophecy. First, prophecy is rarely recognized as prophecy when it is first pronounced. It is only AFTER the fact that people realize that a given prophecy has just been fulfilled right before their eyes. Let’s face it, the above prophecy is actually pretty vague. I once heard a preacher point out that if that is all he had to go on during Moses’ or King David’s time, he probably never would have even remotely seen Genesis 3:15 as a Messianic prophecy of deliverance. And I would have to agree with him. The above statement is vague as all hell. It is only because the Messiah has come and gone that we can now recognize the prophetic nature of these and other verses in Scripture. We tend to look down on the early Hebrews for being ignorant and not recognizing or paying heed to God’s prophetic statements. However, I tell you the modern church has done the same thing and I think in a very real way have overlooked one of the greatest Bible prophecies of them all concerning the rebirth of Israel as a nation. The Scriptures tell us that when Israel is reborn as a nation and when Jerusalem is retaken from the Gentiles ( events that have recently occurred ), this is the one sign assuring us that we are living in the last days. We have been forewarned that the Land of Israel will become a “cup of trembling” for the whole world. When else in history has Israel been in a position where the events that occurred in their land could destabilize global peace? Sure the Jews had their skirmishes with the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Romans and the Greeks. But never before in history did they occupy such a pivotal position in world history. What I find amazing is that in spite of our generation having had the opportunity to witness these events unfold before our very eyes, many have turned a blind eye to the amazing times we are living in today. Our disinterest is just like those ancient Israelites who God forewarned disaster was on the way if they didn’t wake up and heed his Word. Unfortunately, they decided to go about their lives as usual and the results were devastating for millions of them. Genesis 3:15 refers to the fact that in the future there will be two races of people who will war against each other. The children of God and the children of Satan. Later on in Scripture, we will see this division expressed as Gentiles ( or in Hebrew “goyim” ) and the nation of Israel. In fact, as far as the Bible is concerned, there are only two races of people, the Jews and the Gentiles. © Richoka

In yesterday’s post, I pointed out that there are only two religions in the world. One religion teaches that man is god or can become a god… And the other teaches that there is an impenetrable line of demarcation drawn between man and god and never shall the twain meet. Well, in Genesis chapter 3, we can see a fleshing out of this concept. After Adam and Eve eat of the fruit of the tree, they both realize they are naked. So to cover up their nakedness, they made themselves a covering made out of fig leaves. Note that this is the equivalent of man attempting to cover up his sin through his efforts independent from God. However, this wasn’t good enough for God. So God took it upon Himself to clothe Adam and Eve with animal skin clothing. God had to kill an animal to provide Adam and Eve with a suitable covering for their nakedness. Two very important principles are established here. First, man of his own devisings cannot save himself. Second, the only suitable payment for sin is the shedding of innocent blood. God had to kill one of His own created and innocent creatures to pay for Adam and Eve’s rebellion. Finally, note that Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden. Because of their sin, they were now separated from God, physically and spiritually. Another powerful principle is established here. God cannot permit uncleanness and sin anywhere near His perfect holiness. © Richoka

In yesterday’s post, I pointed out how the traditional teaching that Adam and Eve became infected with sin AFTER partaking of the fruit of the tree just doesn’t make any darn sense. The reason is that if Adam and Eve hadn’t been infected with sin, they wouldn’t have had the capability to sin in the first place. Just like a computer can’t implement a command it hasn’t been programmed to do. Are you getting this, homies? So I believe the Hebrew sages offer the best explanation: When God created humankind, from the very beginning, He programmed them with the capacity to choose to do BOTH good and evil . And here’s something else a lot of folks overlook. Before Eve ever took her first bite from the fruit of the forbidden tree, she had already committed one sin! Have any idea what it might be? Take a look at God’s original command. “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”- Genesis 2:16–17 Now take a close look at Eve’s response to Satan in relating God’s command. “But the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall you TOUCH IT, lest you die.”- Come again? God never said they couldn’t touch the tree. They just couldn’t eat from it. So where did Eve get the idea to add to God’s command? Unfortunately, we aren’t given much detail. When Adam related to his wife, Eve, what God had said, maybe he decided it best to embellish upon God’s original command, thinking it would serve as an extra measure of protection. Or maybe Eve, feeling threatened by the serpent, just let loose a few too many words that she shouldn’t have. Who the heck knows? However, what we do know for sure is that it wasn’t a good thing to add to God’s Words. Proverbs 30:6 says, “ Do not add to His words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. ” Possibly after that, Eve may have touched the tree and, when nothing happened, assumed that moving to the next step and eating from the tree would NOT result in the disastrous consequences that followed. This is one reason why I’m not sure if the Rabbinical principle of putting a fence around God’s Word as an extra measure of protection is a good thing or not. There is a real danger in tampering with God’s word, even just a little bit. CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT “I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.”-Revelations 22:18–19 © Richoka

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. -Genesis 3:6–7 Christians commonly refer to this event as The Fall. They claim that Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit was what caused sin to somehow enter into their natures. However, is this logical? Seriously, think about this for a sec. If before eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, there was no sin in the world and Adam and Eve did not have sin natures, how did Eve have the potential to sin in the first place by eating from the tree ? Ya feel me? Well, here’s the thing. The Hebrews have a different notion of how man received what Christians call the sin nature. They believe that when God created Adam and Eve, He created them in the very beginning with both a “ good inclination ” and an “ evil inclination ." In Hebrew, the “ good inclination ” is called the Yetser Tov, and the “ evil inclination ” is called the Yetser Harah . So from the outset, humankind already had the capacity to both sin and do good and was given a free will to choose which inclination to go with when confronted with a moral decision. We will explore this in much more depth in a later lesson. However, just know for now that there is a huge difference between how Jews and Christians perceive this event. For the modern church, this event resulted in humankind’s relationship with God being severed and man’s very being becoming infected with what Christians call a “ sin nature ”. Thus, the conclusion reached is that we need a Savior who will restore us to mankind’s “pre-fall” condition. The Jewish people on the other hand view the fall in a somewhat positive light. What happened when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the tree is that they became liberated in a sense. They now had the capacity (and responsibility) to make choices. However, before the rebellion, they were like robots because there was no other choice . Before God’s command that forbade them from eating from the tree, there was only a single pathway laid out by God with no alternative. Kind of like voting in an election where there is only one candidate to choose from. However, through their act of rebellion, Adam and Eve acquired a kind of freedom and could now choose for themselves whether to love and obey God. Of course, God had to give them this choice because forced love is not love at all. I know this might be a little difficult to comprehend, but understand that because of this fundamental difference in perspectives, for the Jewish people, a savior has not been about having a person’s relationship restored with God. Rather, it has always been about making the Hebrews the dominant culture all over the world. Salvation was always seen as national issue. The “Savior” or in Hebrew speak “The Messiah” would be the mightiest warrior-king Israel ever had born from the offspring of King David. From this perspective, it is easy to see why many Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah when he first came to earth. He just didn’t match their expectations that the messiah would be a great “warrior-king,” and He did not establish global peace. Although believers understand that when Jesus returns, He will come back as a warrior-king, this is important information to have to understand the mindset of your Jewish neighbor. © Richoka

Today, we begin Genesis Chapter 3. For the Complete Jewish Bible, click here . If you’re a King James diehard, click here . “Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Adonai, God, had made.”-Genesis 3:1 The ancient rabbis have pointed out something interesting. When most people read this verse, we tend to read it like this: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any OTHER beast in the field.” In the English language with our Western mindset, we have a tendency to mentally insert the word “other” into the text. But it’s actually not there in the original text. Do you see the difference? The serpent was NOT another animal of the many animals in the garden. The serpent was not even classified as an animal. It was a totally different and distinct being altogether. First, of all this being could talk and apparently unlike the serpents we know today, this being could walk. What’s going on here? Did the spirit of satan take over some random snake slithering around ( actually at this stage still walking ) in the garden. The ancient sages have something to say about this as well. Satan is the great counterfeiter. In order to keep the world in darkness and fool mankind, Satan will imitate the miracles of God. So the rabbis suggest that the serpent in the garden was actually satan’s attempt to mimic God by creating counterfeit life. Notice also, that this serpent was INSIDE THE GARDEN but that he would later be thrown out. Now, do you remember the “AS-IN-HEAVEN-SO-ON-EARTH Principle” I discussed? Here’s a quick recap. The “AS-IN-HEAVEN-SO-ON-EARTH-PRINCIPLE” is the idea that events and physical objects depicted in the Scriptures mirror spiritual truths or events that occur or have already occurred in the heavens. So we have this serpent who was the embodiment of the devil inside God’s sacred garden but was later thrown out. This is an exact physical mirror of the story of how satan, who dwelled with God in the heavens, was kicked out due to his rebellion. © Richoka

“So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable help-meet was found. So 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. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” -Genesis 2:20–22 I think this is a post that wives, actually all women, whether married or not, are going to enjoy. In Genesis verses 20–22, we have the famous story of how God took a rib from Adam and formed Eve. The word for man in Hebrew is “Ish” and the word for woman is “Ish-ah." The “ah” part of “Ish-ah” means literally “from” or “out of." So God created the first woman from a man because God decided that man needed a “help-meet” . Now to be honest with you, “help-meet” is a crappy translation from the original Hebrew. The Hebrew word for help-meet is EZER KENEGDO. KENEGDO means “opposite him” , “alongside him” or “a counterpart to him." However, using the word “help” for EZER gives off the idea that the woman is essentially subservient to the man. What should be noted is that when this word is used in other parts of Scripture, it is usually used in a strong military context and refers to a situation of strong intervention on behalf of someone. So you can throw out this idea of a Godly woman being some servile person meekly responding to every beck and call of her husband. © Richoka