The Bible and what it is

What is the Bible?

The Bible is loved by Christians as the word of God, but it is also hated by those to whom it brings conviction of their sin. The importance of what the Bible is can not be understated. It is the most well preserved piece of  ancient literature there is, but since the Bible is the word of God it it the most important piece of  literature in existence, and it is ignored at the peril of your soul.

The Bible tells the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden and about God's plan to bring about the redemption for mankind by the death, burial and resurrection Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23 says that all men have sinned and deserve the penalty for their sin of  spiritual death in hell. As a result every one of us needs redemption and Jesus has payment of the penalty for all our sins by of His death on cross means that God can offer us eternal life with Him as a the free gift. (Romans 6:23) Accepting God's free gift of salvation is by believing on Jesus and His redemptive work of dying on the cross and raising from the dead (Romans 10:9,10) and repenting of your sins. (Acts 20:21)  After this, it is simply a matter of asking the Lord to come into your heart and save you. (Romans 10:13)  Accept God's gift of salvation by believing the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

Mitochondrial Eve and Human Migration

Mitochondrial Eve and Human Migration
 
Despite the fact that Evolutionists interpret Mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA based on Evolution and have actually used the data to attack creationists, the data actually provides dramatic support for Biblical creation. Furthermore it supports the Biblical dispersion from Babel because when you start in Iraq where .Babel was located you find a nice three way split of  Mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA just as predicted by the Biblical account.

Genesis 2:18-20

Genesis 2:18-20

When these events occurred Eve had not yet been created. God creates some additional animals in front of Adam so he could see God do it. God then has Adam name each kind of animal. This naturally raises the question of “Could Adam have named all these animals in one day?”


It has been estimated that Adam would probably have only needed to name some 2,500 kinds of animals. However to allow for some unknown kinds lets make it 3,000 kinds of animals so at one every five seconds Adam could have finished the task in 4 hours and 10 minutes.

Genesis 2:17

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil mentioned is first mentioned in Genesis 2:17. Note that name of the tree is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not the the knowledge as some have claimed.

The Expulsion from Eden

Genesis 3:22-24
22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Commentary

The fruit of this tree apparently had such healing propertied that it could actually help the body and repair genetic damage of a life time that eventually leads to death.

Ambrosia, the food of the gods in Greek mythology seems to be a result of combining the fruit of the Tree of Life and that of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since Ambrosia is alleged to convey eternal life and god hood to the eater. The Tree of Life is the eternal life part and the Satan possessed serpent told Eve the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would make her as a god.  

The Origin of Clothing

Genesis 3:20-21
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Commentary

This is likely the first place where a death actually occurred because the skins here probably came from one or more animals.

The need to labor

Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Commentary
This verse includes the need to labor for food and the fact that after death the body will eventually decay to dust and dirt.

Thorns and thistles

Genesis 3:17-18
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Commentary
This shows that the harmful and defensive features of living things like thorns were added after Man's fall. Thus they were not part of the original creation but add ons resulting from the curse caused by man's fall.  

Pain of child birth

Genesis 3:16
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Commentary

Here, is reference and origin of the pain of child birth.

The First Prophesy Crucifixion of Christ

Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Commentary

This is a prophesy that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ’s Death on the Cross. The serpent her was under the influence of Satan and when Christ’s heel way wounded in crucifixion, He dealt Satan a fatal blow.

The Curse on the Serpent

Genesis 3:14

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Commentary

This suggests that snakes originally had legs and lost them as part of the curse related to Man’s fall.  Indeed a fossil snake with small hind legs had been found. The most likely explanation for this fossil is that at the fall God turned off the genes in a snake for making legs and in some cases before the Genesis Flood a mutation turn it back on enough to produce legs in an unless, or reduced function form.



There is also a documented cased of a snake that grew a leg as shown above. This consistent with this verse where snakes still have the gene to make legs but they are normally turned off as part of this curse.

The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-13
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Commentary
There is scientific insight here other that the description of this sadly historical event. It should be noted though that the keys to understanding fall are:

1. The desire to be as gods. In many religions man still seeks this. This true even of atheism as it elevates man to supreme position of authority.
2. The desire to know  Evil. In the garden Adam and Eve only knew good, so they were really seeking to know evil. And as one of the consequences of the fall God is letting us know evil.

Marriage

Genesis 2:24-25

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Commentary

This is the Bible's first reference to marriage. Note that God ordained marriage between a man and a woman so the Biblical definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman, referring to them as “one flesh.”

Eve

Genesis 2:21-23

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Commentary

This is the creation of the first woman; Eve. What is interesting about God using a rib is if that if it is removed while leaving the periosteum; a membrane around the rib, it will grow back.

This strongly supports the historical nature of this account since it is unlikely that a 1^st or 2^nd millennium B.C. writer would know this fact or make the right choice by chance.

Reference: The Amazing Regenerating Rib - Answers in Genesis

Adam Names the Animals

Genesis 2:19-20

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Commentary

Here God created some additional animals in front of Adam so he could see God do it. God then has Adam name each kind of animal. This naturally raises the question of  “Could Adam have named all these animals in one day?”

Before this question can be answered it is necessary to know the number of different kinds of animals Adam had to count.  First of all Adam did not have to name millions of species of animals, since “kind” in these verses does not equate to specie, but ether genus or family. Second these were land animals so Adam did not have to name fish and other aquatic animals.

It has been estimated that  Adam would probably have only needed to name some 2,500 kinds of animals. However to allow for some unknown kinds lets make it 3,000 kinds of animals. At one every five seconds Adam could have finished the task in 4 hours and 10 minutes.

It is not good that the man should be alone

Genesis 2:18

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him

Commentary

At this point Eve had not yet been created.

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

Genesis 2:17

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Commentary
The one exception was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There was probably nothing special about the fruit of this that would bring death other than that eating from it would be disobeying God. God was not being cruel but rather was giving man a test, and he was even making it as simple as possible. It was one tree among many and the command was extremely simple. The reason for the test was God did not create robots but wanted man to obey Him of his own free will.

The implications of this verse when seen in the light of chapter 3 are that man would start to die the day he eats of that tree. God had made Adam so well that the process of dieing took more than 900 years.

Note it was called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and “the tree of the knowledge” as some have claimed it’s an important difference.

Food in the Garden of Eden

Genesis 2:15-16

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Commentary

Man is place in the garden to tend it. This indicates that work proceeds man's fall. He is told the he may freely eat of threes of the garden as payment. This is also further support earlier indications of man originally vegetarian.

Pre Flood Rivers

Genesis 2:10-14

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Commentary

This is the only description of pre-Flood geology given in the Bible.

What we have here is a river come four rivers parting from a single river that went through Eden. The first two of these rivers are called the Pison and Gihon. Despite the decryptions of their locations they do not match any post Flood rivers. The third is called the Hiddekel, which is another name for the Tigris. The forth is called Euphrates, but no location is given.

The decryption of these four pre Flood rivers having parted from a single river does both match the present world. This consistent with the considerable geologic change thought to have occurred during the Genesis Flood.

As a result these pre Flood rivers can not be the same as any post Flood rives.  It is common in history that when people move into a new area, that they name the new locations after old. So Noah's descendants probably named the post Flood Tigris and Euphrates for pre Flood Tigris and Euphrates.

This view is consistent with the tablet theory since Adam would have written this account early in the pre Flood period.

An interesting additional fact is that under the modern Euphrates exists a depression in the rock down to the pre-Cambrian which is considered by creationists to be pre-Flood. While not definitive it could be the river valley of pre-Flood Euphrates Flowed?

The Garden of Eden

Genesis 2:8-9

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Commentary

What seems to have happened here is that God rapidly grew a garden while Adam watched. The reason why it had to be rapid is the fact that Genesis 1:26 indicates that both Adam and Eve were created on day six and since Eve had not been created yet, these events too place on day six of the creation week. This is not to be confused with God creating plants on day three, but rather God created some extra pants so Adam could see it happen.

Two specific trees are mentioned here the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil both of which are involved in later events. Note it is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” and not “the tree of knowledge” as some have claimed it to be.