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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Heaven in our likeness: Adam & Eve’s revolutionary views on God (Genesis 2–3; Isaiah 42)

God made mankind as the pinnacle of creation. He created us to aspire to do things beyond our reach, to learn about the world beyond our horizons and to change our environment.

Men and women are pre-programmed to seek out our purpose in relation to each other and to the world at large. This gives us the ability to either accomplish great good in the world or great evil.

And that’s where the lessons come in from Adam and Eve’s choice between the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life, recorded in the Torah reading רֵאשִׁ֖ית Beresheet (“in the beginning,” Gen. 1:1–6:8). We can learn from them to choose the path that leads to life, rather than the one that leads to death.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 1:1–6:8: The Creator shows why to ‘have no other gods before [Him]’

Some Bible versions translate Gen. 1:1 as “In the beginning, God created…” or “In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth….” בְּרֵאשִׁית Bereysheet (Genesis) is not a science book. It is not designed to teach you how God created anything. The purpose of the beginning of Bereisheet is to teach us who God is, what He did and how powerful He is, much like Devarim (Deuteronomy) starts with reminding the people who God is and why the Ten Commandments say to have no other gods before Him.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 4:7-25: The way of Cain

Cain’s offering was not rejected because it was the wrong offering. It was rejected because of the condition of Cain’s heart. God warns Cain that he has let sin into his heart and his house. God instructs Cain that he is to rule over sin not to allow the sin to rule over him, but the sin in Cain’s heart was too pleasurable to him.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 1–4 recap

Because of a technical error, only part of the discussion was recorded.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 4:16-26 — Lessons from Cain’s family

Names are very important in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible. The names of Cain’s descendants tell an interesting story about the anguish he and those after him felt about separation from God.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 4:8-15 — ‘Mark of Cain’ is mercy not racism

https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/081101%20Genesis%204vv8-15%20-%20mark%20of%20Cain%20is%20mercy%20not%20racism.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:41 — )Subscribe: RSSMany have thought the "mark of Cain" is dark skin or some other physical trait. Actually, it was a mark of mercy. That mercy claimed the life of Messiah Yeshua.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 4:1–7 — the first murder & the root of rebellion against God

https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/file/081025%20Genesis%204vv1-7%20-%20First%20Murder,%20Root%20of%20Rebellion.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:53 — )Subscribe: RSSIn Gen. 4:1-7 we read about the the first murder. Many readers of the Bible are confused about why God rejected Cain, and some think it was over something "petty." Yet the real reason underlies the downfall of all people.