10.9.26 – Introducing the "End Times" Ezer Kenegdo, Part 2

In order to understand the bride of the second man (adam) (1 Cor. 15:47) and the end times (Isa. 46:10), we need to know more about the first man (adam), his role, his wife, and the patterns established in their obedient and disobedient behaviors. The purpose of these short studies is to give us some fruitful food for thought to live by and to long for the "garden" days where ish and ishah are naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25).

In Genesis 3, after ishah and ish eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:6), God points out to adam, on two occasions, that he has eaten from what God commanded him not to eat (Gen. 3:11, 17). He has failed to do what God said, and as a result, all the relationships established in Genesis 1–2 begin to break down. Ugh. On the flip side, in next week's Torah portion, Noah, prior to the flood, did all that God commanded him to do, and his house was saved. This obedience caused him to be the first man to enter the new world (Gen. 8ff; Heb. 11:7).

What happened as a result of eating the flesh of the wrong fruit? I am glad you asked :-). First, there is enmity between the woman's (ishah's) seed and that of the serpent (nachash) (Gen. 3:15). Second, there is the opportunity to have an improper mindset of man (ish) to rule over his wife (ishah) (Gen. 3:16), fragmenting the ish/ishah relationship. The soil (adamah) is cursed (arur) because of man's (adam's) action (Gen. 3:17). For the ishah, there will be pain in birthing and raising up children to maturity (Gen. 3:16), and in like manner, for the man, he would have to labor by the sweat of his brow to plant and raise crops to their maturity (Gen. 3:19).

Quick note for the inquiring mind: There appears to be a play on words when God says, "the ground is cursed for your sake/abur" (Gen. 3:17). Avad (serve) + arur (cursed) = abur (because of).

And though the ground is cursed, Adam is not cursed (arur), but he is the reason (abur) for the curse on the earth (adamah). Instead of being a servant (avad) to the soil (adamah), he is the reason (abur) for its curse. Oh, how our choices affect so much. Double ugh!

Ironically, after the curse, man is still the servant (avad) of the soil (adamah) (v. 23), but Adam loses direct access to the garden fruit, mankind's special food. Instead, they are left with only bread made from the thorns and thistles of the cursed ground (Gen. 3:18–19). More specifically, Adam and his honey bunny lose access to the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22).

WhatsApp call on Shabbat morning at 9:00–11:00 a.m. EST (816) 772-2183.

Identifying the "elephant in the room" in the Garden of Eden—questions most of us have never considered, and unveiling modern-day answers regarding the Tree of Life and the Torah.

As in every good narrative, there is climax and denouement.

Genesis 4 starts with a potential note of optimism: the woman (ishah), now named by Adam—as he did all the animals—begins to call her Eve (Chavah) instead of the functional role that God called her: ishah and ezer kenegdo... too much to share during this study. In the opening verse, we find Eve "ransoming" (qanah) a child from God. Huh?

And, instead of saying, "The Lord has given me a son (ben)," she says, "I have gotten (qanah) a man child (ish) from the Lord." Ishah, which was taken from man (ish), has now, through her negotiation (qanah) with the Lord, given birth to an ish.

The man (ish) born to Eve is named Cain. So named because he was acquired (kayin) from the Lord. Cain became a servant (avad) of the soil (adamah), just like Adam (Gen. 4:2). At an appointed time, Cain tries to bring the fruit (peri) of the soil (adamah) as an offering to the Lord, but it is rejected (Gen. 4:3–5). And like the first Adam, he fails to listen to God's voice. He kills his brother Abel (hevel—vapor). Abel's blood cries from the ground (adamah), and Cain is cursed (arar) (Gen. 4:10–11). Consequently, his relationship to the soil (adamah) breaks down even further than Adam's relationship, and he is no longer able to serve (avad) the adamah (Gen. 4:12). By ignoring the role of his brother's keeper (Gen. 4:9), he becomes like his father... a failed servant (avad) of the soil (adamah).

It is worthy to note that Abel's blood (dam), which is poured out and swallowed by the ground (adamah), cries out to God from the soil (adamah). Cain, no longer a servant of the soil (adamah), becomes a builder of cities... meditate on that for a moment... This is followed by a statement from Lamech, who pronounces a judgment of vengeance in imitation of God's earlier judgment on Cain (Gen. 4:23–24). Lamech, ironically, is the first man to pronounce a judgment in the Bible. Unfortunately, like many of our court rulings today, this judgment came from a corrupt ruler. How do we know? The text tells us that he is an ish-slayer and also an ishah-taker, where he took two wives for himself (Gen. 4:23).

Let us stop here for today :-)

Obviously, these are thumbnail sketches of the original story of ish and ishah. But the details should give us enough foundation to recognize patterns in mankind in preparation for Messiah's return... as it was in the days of Noah!

Happy Preparation Day and Shabbat Shalom!
Alan

www.lightintorah.org

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