Tag: Genesis

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

From sacred to sacrilege: ‘Sons of God,’ ‘daughters of men’ and erosion of God’s words in human traditions (Genesis 5–6; Isaiah 29–30; Matthew 23)

"From sacred to sacrilege Sons of God, 'daughters of men" & erosion of God's words In juman traditions (Genesis 5-6; Isaiah 29-30; Matthew 23)." Adobe Firefly generated palette-knife-style image showing two long-haired bearded men opposing each other, with one on the left with a warmer color tone and the one of the right showing cooler tones.

Unraveling the sacred numbers and differing genealogies in Genesis 5–6, Isaiah 29–30, and Matthew 23 reveals a timeless struggle between flesh and the Spirit. Just as the Messiah exposed the hypocrisy of religious leaders, we too are called to move beyond outward piety and cultivate a genuine relationship with God, aligning our actions with His teachings. This study challenges us to be true “sons of God” (Romans 8:14), walking in the Spirit and resisting the temptations that have ensnared humanity since the “days of Noah” (Isaiah 54:9; Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26; 1Peter 3:20).

Categories
Torah readings

Torah reading for Nov. 16, 2024

Studies in Torah

This week’s reading from the three-year Torah cycle is Genesis 5:1–6:8. It features the genealogy from Adam to Noah, showing the decline in humanity’s morality leading up to the Flood. Contrasted are the godly line of Seth and the increasing corruption in humanity.

Genesis 6:1–8 discusses the “sons of God” and their interactions with human women, which many interpret as leading to widespread evil, prompting God’s judgment. The account stresses God’s grief over human wickedness but also introduces Noah as a righteous figure chosen to preserve humanity through the coming deluge.

Categories
Torah readings

Torah reading for Nov. 9, 2024

Studies in Torah

Themes of Genesis 4 include separation, rebellion and repentance. Cain’s rejection, murder of Abel and subsequent wandering reveals deep human struggles with jealousy, disconnection from God and the consequences of sin. Key lessons include the importance of repentance over sacrifice and the transformative power of choice. The names of Cain’s descendants reflect his ongoing legacy of estrangement from Heaven, illustrating the spiritual consequences of turning from God’s guidance.

Categories
Torah readings

Torah reading for Nov. 2, 2024

Studies in Torah

Genesis 2:4–3:24 focuses on the consequences of humanity’s choice to reject the Tree of Life in favor of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. This separated humanity from the Creator. At the same time, Heaven hatched a plan to restore the relationship via a very special descendant of Eve — the Messiah.

Categories
Discussions Torah

The Messianic fingerprint: Decoding the 7 days of creation

"The Messianic fingerprint: Decoding the 7 days of Creation." Adobe Stock image of two hands holding a globe.

The Hebrew text of Genesis 1:1–2:3 can be read with symbolic significance in each of the seven days of creation. For example, the first Hebrew word of the first sentence (Gen. 1:1) could be a prophecy about the Messiah, based on symbols of the letters. Each day of creation has been seen as paralleling 1,000-year “millennial days” of Earth’s history. And that can point to the Messiah’s return and the establishment of the millennial Sabbath in the seventh 1,000 years, like the Sabbath instituted on the seventh day of creation.

Categories
Torah readings

Torah reading for Oct. 26, 2024

Studies in Torah

The Hebrew language of Genesis 1:1–2:3 encourages a deeper understanding on the active and dynamic nature of God’s creative power and His relationship with humanity.

Categories
Torah readings

Torah reading Vayechi (ויחי): Genesis 47:28–50:26

Studies in Torah

We’ve been mining the account of the life of Yosef in Mitzraim over the past three weeks (see the sections Vayeshev, Miketz and Vayigash) to see foreshadowings of the coming Mashiakh.

These shadows grow even more defined in this week’s Torah portion, וַיְחִי Vayechi (“he lived,” Gen. 47:28–50:26). In it, we see parallels between pharaoh, Yosef and Ya’akov, and the Father, the Son and the people called Yisra’el.