GENESIS LESSON 7

     In our last lesson we talked about the Tree of Life (symbolic of
Jesus).

     Genesis 2:10 "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and 
from thence it was parted, and became into four heads."

     You know, in all of these lessons we have been trying to see the
spiritual, as well as the literal word. The Word of God in many
instances is spoken of as a river of water. It could be symbolic of
the Word of God represented in the four gospels (four heads). Four
also means universal, so this message was for the whole world. Are we
part of that stream of truth that flows from person to person carrying
the salvation message?

     This river spoken of here is in Revelation as well.  In
Revelation 22:1 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear
as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

     You see, there is a physical river, and there is a spiritual
river.

     Genesis 2:11 "The name of the first [is] Pison: that [is] it
which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold;"
Genesis 2:12 "And the gold of that land [is] good: there [is] bdellium
and the onyx stone." Genesis 2:13 "And the name of the second river
[is] Gihon: the same [is] it that compasseth the whole land of
Ethiopia."

     There is very little known about Havilah except that it was near
Eden and that there was good gold there. It is interesting to note
that the first mention of gold in the Bible said that it is good.

     Genesis 2:14 "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."

     The Euphrates is a river still known today, and many people try
to locate the Garden of Eden by these few locations mentioned above.
No one has ever decided for sure where Eden was located. Of course,
this happened before the continents broke apart in the days of Peleg,
so the locations have probably moved somewhat. It really doesn't
matter where the garden was, or even is today. The garden that should
concern us is in heaven.

     Genesis 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

     The literal translation of "took the man" in the Scripture above
is made him to rest in the garden. We are led into a life of happiness
through the liberty we receive through Jesus. Not liberty to do
evil, but liberty to do good. In the garden of Eden, (we have been
reading about), there was a Tree of Life and a tree of death. In
Heaven the tree of death has been left out; completely conquered by
Jesus.

     Genesis 2:16 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:"  Genesis 2:17 "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."

     So many false religions base their belief on the few words above.
Adam truly brought physical death upon all of mankind when he ate of
this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam's peace died, Adam's
hopes died, and Adam's innocency died. His mind was troubled because
he now knew that his body would return to the dust. The error is in
believing that the spirit of Adam died. The spirit never died. The
spirit never dies. It is eternal. It will live either in heaven or
hell. It is eternal. It did not mean that our bodies in their present
condition will live forever. It meant Jesus had purchased our eternity
for us.

     This day, then, that you shall surely die just means that Adam
brought physical death to all mankind, and Jesus brought life eternal.
The wages of sin is death. Jesus paid the wages and bought everlasting
life for each of us if we believe. Read 1 Corinthians chapter 15 from 
verse 44 on.

     Some people do not believe that God ever threatens punishment,
but that is exactly what He did in the Scripture above.

     With God, a day is not necessarily 24 hours. It could mean 1000
years or anytime between the two as a lifetime.

     Genesis 2:18  "And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the
man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

     Notice why God made the woman, as an help mate for the man. The 
wedding vows say, they two shall become one flesh.

     You see, they (husband and wife) are one. They are to be in one
accord. Notice they are not one spirit; they are one flesh. This order
of man and woman is pertaining to the flesh. Woman's flesh was flesh
made for man; her spirit is for God, if she wills it.

     Genesis 2:19 " 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."

     You see, Adam was to rule over all the animals, and he named them
for what their usefulness to him would be.

     Genesis 2:20 "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."

     Man can not communicate with animals. Animals are not on the same
level as man. They do not have souls or reasoning power as man does.
The man was lonesome.

     Genesis 2:21 "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;"

     God operated on Adam under God's anesthetic and removed one of
his ribs.

     Genesis 2:22 "And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man,
made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."  Genesis 2:23 "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."

     You see, again the flesh and bones of woman are of man, not the
spirit. God took the woman from man's side next to his heart, not from
his heel bone for him to walk on, not from his head to rule over man,
but from his side to walk with him. A man and woman should walk
together side by side, not divided. They two against the whole world,
if necessary. Her name was woman (taken from man).

     Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Genesis 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were
not ashamed."

     So many problems in young marriages today are caused by
interference from parents who are not willing to cut the apron strings
and let their children form families of their own. I believe this
happened a lot because the parents are disappointed in the lives they
have made for themselves, and are trying to live again in their
children. The order we should put our lives in is: God first, husband
or wife next, and then other members of the family.

     This "nakedness" spoken of here was probably literal and
figurative. Adam and Eve were bathed in innocence. They were not aware
that they were naked, because they had not eaten of the fruit of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. Husbands and wives even today
should be so close that there will be no secrets. We should truly try
to walk without deceit.

     Next week read chapter 3 of Genesis 6 times.

                                 Notes








                             Questions 7

1.  In verse 10, the river that went out of Eden was to do what?
2.  It parted into how many heads?
3.  The Word of God is sometimes spoken of as what?
4.  Four heads could be symbolic of what?
5.  What does the number four mean?
6.  Name the four rivers?
7.  Where is the first mention of gold?
8.  What was said of the gold?
9.  When did the continents break apart?
10. Where is the garden we should be interested in locating?
11. Our liberty, that we have in Jesus, is?
12. In heaven, which tree has been left out?
13. What would happen to man if he ate of the tree of knowledge of
    good and evil?
14. What kind of death did Adam bring?
15. Does the spirit ever die?
16. Is a day with God always 24 hours?
17. For what purpose did God make woman?
18. Woman's flesh was made for man. Is her spirit the man's also?
19. Who named the animals?
20. Why were the animals not enough company for man?
21. What was the state of man when God removed his rib?
22. What was the woman made of?
23. Why was she called woman?
24. How were the woman and man dressed at the beginning?
25. What order should be in our lives?

                                 Notes