THE OLD TESTAMENT - BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 4

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 4 !!!! 4:1__2 Adam and Eve's Sons. This chapter shows manknid plunging further into sin, with Cain mudering his brother and his descendant Lamech taking indiscriminate revenge. Although they have been expelled from the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are enabled by God to have two sons. With them rests the hope of an offspring who will overcome the serpent. When Cain callously murders his righteous brother Abel, however, evil seems to triumph. Any hope that Cain's descendants will reverse this trend appears remote when Lamech boats of killing a man simply for striking him. Against this background the belief announcement of Seth's birth to replace Abel offers fresh hope.
4:1 _Eve's reference to the Lord's HELP when CAIN is born conveys a sense of optimism. The serpent may yet be overthrown by the offspring of the woman.
4:2__5 _Although Cain and Abel have contrasting occupations and present different types of offerings to God, the present episode is not designed to elevate herdsmen over farmers, or animal offerings over plant offerings. One way to explain why God HAD REGARD FOR ABEL AND HIS OFFERING. but not for Cain, is to posit that Abel's offering, being of the FIRSTBORN OF HIS FLOCK, is a more costly offering, expressing greater devotion. Another way to explain the difference is first to observe that both offerings are recognizable parts of the later Levitical system: for Cain's offering of THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND (VERSE 3), Deuteronomy 26:2 (an offering expressing consecration), and for Abel's offering of the firstborn of his flock, Deuteronomy 15:19__23 (a kind of peace offering, a meal in God's presence).
4:2__5 _But at no point does the Bible suggest that offerings work automatically, as if the worshiper's faith and contrition did not matter; and Cain's fundamentally bad heart can be seen in his resentment toward his brother and in his uncooperative answers to God in the rest of the passage. Several NT texts derive legitimate inferences from this narrative. namely, that Cain demonstrated an evil heart by his evil deeds, while Abel demonstrated a pious heart by his righteous deeds (1 JOHN 3:12); and that Abel offered his sacrifice by faith and was commended as righteous for that reason (HEBREWS 11:4).    
4:6__7 _The Lord's words challenge Cain to do better. He still has the possibility of turning, evidently with God's help, to please God. To succeed in doing this, however, he must overcome the domination of SIN, presented here as a wild beast seeking to devour Cain (Verse 3:16)
4:8 _The brevity of the report of Abel's murder underlines the coldness of Cain's action. Jealousy, probably coupled with anger at God, causes him to slay his own brother without pity. The heinousness of this spiteful murder reveals that sin has mastered Cain.
4:9 _AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? When the Lord confronts Cain with his crime, his coldhearted nature causes him to deny any knowledge about his brother. Cain shows no sign of remorse.
4:10:__12 _Cain's punishment is linked to his crime. He will no longer be able to cultivare the soil (verses 11__12) because his brother's blood cries out to God FROM THE GROUND (verse 10). Cain's sentence adds to the alinenation between man and the ground that has already been introduced in 3:17__18. Underlying these punishment is a principle that recurs throughout Scripture human sin has a bearing on the fertility of the earth. Whereas God intended humanity to enjoy the earth's bounty, sin distances people not only from God himself but also from nature (See 3:17__19). Genesis 4:10 is the likely background for the NT's use the phrase "the blood of Abel" as the paradigm for an innocent victim crying for justice (MATTHEW 23:25; LUKE 11:51; HEBREW 12:24).
4:13__16 _Cain is immediately conscious of the severity of his punishment. He is to be alienated from both the ground and God. While this may seem like a very leniet sentence, it meant that Cain would become A FIGITIVE AND A WANDERER ON THE EARTH (verse 14). Alienated from the rest of human society, Cain fears the others will have such a dread of him that anyone finding him WILL KILL him (verse 14). The leader is not told who those others might be. By way of reassuring Cain, the Lord states that SEVENFOLD vengeance will come on anyone who kills him (verse 15). THE LORD PUT A MARK ON CAIN. In spite of much scholarly speclation, the precise nature of the mark is uncertain. It must have been something visible, but that is all that can be said. Like his parents, who were sent out of the garden, Cain is forced to move away FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD (and Moses seems to be implying that this is true of Cain's offspring as well, since verses 17__24 lack any mention of God). Presumably Cain moves father to the EAST OF EDEN (verse 16). Cain settles in a region that is appropriately known as NOD (location unknown), which in Hebrew means "wandering."
4:17__24 _These verses provide selective information about Cain's descendants, concluding with a description of Lamech (verse 19), who boasts of having taken revenge "seventy-sevenfold" by killing a man who wounded him. Seven generations on from Cain, Lamech resembles his ancestor, but seems to be worse.
4:17 _CAIN KNEW HIS WIFE. No explanation is given as to the origin of Cain's wife. As is often the case in Genesis, the limited and selective nature of the account leaves the reader with unanswered questions. Presumably, Cain married his sister__a reasonable assumption, since the whole human race descends from Adam and Eve (and the laws later forbidding this practice, such as in Leviticus 18:9, would not have been relevant at this stage; Genesis 5:4). HE BUILT A CITY. The precise identity of the city-builder is open to debate. While Cain would appear to be the builder (on the basis that it is named after HIS SON, ENOCH), the Hebrew text could also be taken as indicating that Enoch was the builder. Although the opening two chapters make no specific mention of a "city," the early readers of Genesis would have automatically assumed that the instruction to fill the earth implies that humanity would establish a city or cities around, and then spreading out from, Eden. While this was part of God's design for the earth, Genesis observes that some people engage in city building without any reference to God (See 11:1__9).
4:18__22 _Seven generations after Cain, LAMECH is born (verse 18). His immediate descendants are associated with animal breeding, music, and metalwork, all of which are noteworthy cultural and techological developments (verses 20__22). Whereas Abel islinked to sheep (verse 2), the herds of JABAL also include cattle, donkeys, and possibly camels (verse 20). (Pre-flood genealogies are well attested in the ancient Near East, in particular, in Mesopotamian texts. The Sumerian king List records lists of monarchs who ruled the land before the "Great Deluge." The founding of cities was one of the primary industries of these pre-flood rulers. Such parallels confirm the historicity of the biblical pre-flood account.)
4:23__24 _The new developments of Verses 20__22 are overshadowed by Lamech's boast of having KILLED  A MAN for WOUNDING or STRIKING him (Verse 23). Lamech's response is out of proportion to the injury, showing his inordinate vengefulness. This, like bigamy (verse 19), reveals his depravity. His behavior reveals that the line of Cain is dominated by those who have no regard for the lives of others or respect for the principle of monogamy that 2:23__24 endorses. Later laws in the Pentateuch insist on proportional punishment: in the case of murder, a maximun of life for life (EXODUS 21:23). SEVENFOLD . . . SEVENTY-SEVENFOLD. Lamech is boasting that his vengeful passion makes him safer than Cain (GENESIS 4:15), who had protection only from God. "Seventy-sevenfold" is a picturesque statement for extravagant excess; (MATTHEW 18:22).
4:25__26 _The final verses of this section suddenly jump back to Adam and Eve in order to report the birth of their third son, SETH. Eve's remark, GOD HAS APPOINTED FOR ME ANOTHER OFFSPRING INSTEAD OF ABEL, is clearly an allusion back to the offspring of the woman in 3:15. The potential of Seth's birth is immediately underlined by the observation, AT THAT TIME PEOPLE BEGAN TO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, to seek him in (public) worship. Details are not given, but the implication may be that this calling on the Lord's name began in Adam's own family circle.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 5 - NEW TESTAMENT

MATTHEW 5:4 _THOSE WHO MOURN. The spiritual, emotional, or financial loss resulting from sin should lead to mourning and a longing for God's forgiveness and healing (2 CORINTHIANS 7:10).
5:5 _The MEEK are the "gentle" (11:29), those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength, but who will nonetheless INHERIT THE EARTH because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events (PSALM 37:11).
5:6 _THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS recognize that God is the ultimate source of real righteousness, so they long for his righteous character to be evident in people's lives on earth. They SHALL BE SATISFIED by resopnding to his invitation to be in relationship with him.
5:7 _The kindness and forgiveness that the MERCIFUL show to others will also be shown to them.
5:8 _THE PURE IN HEART are those whose pursuit of purity and uprightness affects every area of life THEY SHALL SEE GOD. Note the ultimate fulfillment in REVELATION 22:4 note on JOHN 1:18. In constrast to Jewish traditions that over-emphasized external ritual purity, Jesus taught that purity of heart was most important (See MATTHEW 5:28).
5:9 _PEACEMAKERS. Those who promote God's messianic peace (Hebrew shalom, total well-being both personally and communally) will receive the ultimate reward of being called SON OF GOD (GALATIANS 3:26) as they reflect the character of their heavenly Father. 5:10 _THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED are those who have been wrongly treated because of their faith. God is pleased when his people show that they value him above everything in the world, and this happens when they courageously remain faithful amid opposition FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE.
5:11:__12 _BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN OTHERS REVILE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU . . . ON MY ACCOUNT. Just as Jesus experienced opposition and persecution, his disciples can expect the same. Their reward may not come on earth, but it surely will be theirs IN HEAVEN SO THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS. Throughout history, beginning with Cain's murder of Abel (GENESIS 4:8; 1 JOHN 3:12), there have been those who oppose God's people.
5:13 _As SALT is beneficial in a number of ways (as a preservative, seasoning, etc.), so are disciples of Jesus who influence the world for good.
5:14 _LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Jesus disciples have the kingdom life within them as a living testimony to those in the world who do not yet have the light.
5:15 _The typical LAMP in a Jewish home was fairly small and was placed on a STAND to give maximum illumination.
5:16 _The world will see the LIGHT of the kingdom through the GOOD WORKS done by Jesus disciples (and believers today), with the result that the FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN will be glorified.
5:17__48 _THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM IN RELATION TO THE LAW. Verses 17__20 explain how Jesus and the kingdom fulfill the law of Moses; this is the key to interpreting the Sermon on the Mount and indeed the whole of Jesus ministry. Jesus then offers six antitheses (verses 21__48) that contrast proper and false interpretation and application of the OT. 
5:17 _ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS. The "Law" or "Torah" refers to the first five books of the OT, while the "Prophets" includes the rest of the OT, all of which was held to have been written by prophets (MATTHEW 13:35, which cites PSALM 78:2; on "Law[and the] prophets," MATTHEW 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; ROMANS 3:21). BUT TO FULFILL THEM.
5:17 _Jesus "fulfills" all of the OT in that it all points to him, not only in its specific predictions of a Messiah but also in its sacrificial system, which looked forward to his great sacrifice of himself, in many events in the history of Israel which foreshadowed his life as God's true Son, in the laws which only he perfectly obeyed, and in the Wisdom Literature, which sets forth a behavioral pattern that his life exemplified (MATTHEW 2:15; 11:13;  12:3__6, 39__41, 42; also LUKE 24:27). Jesus gospel of the kingdom does not replace the OT but rather fulfills it as Jesus life and ministry, coupled with his interpretation, complete and clarify God's intent and meaning in the entire OT. 
5:18 _UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY. Jesus confirms the full authority of the OT as Scripture for all time (2 TIMOTHY 3:15__16), even down to the smallest components of the written text: the IOTA is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet (or the yod of the Hebrew alphanet) and the DOT likely refers to a tiny stroke or a part of a letter used to differentiate between Hebrew letters. PASS FROM THE LAW. The OT remains an authoritative compendium of divine testimony and teaching, within which some elements (such as sacrificesand other ceremonial laws) predicted or foreshadowed events that would be accomplished in Jesus ministry (See GALATIANS 4:10; 5:1) and so are now models for Christian behavior. UNTIL ALL IS ACCOMPLISHED points to Jesus fulfillment of specific OT hopes, partly through his earthly life, death, and resurrection, and then more fully after his second coming.
5:19 _THESE COMMANDMENTS refers to all the commands in the OT (although many will be applied differently once their purpose has been "fulfilled" in Christ, verse 17). The rabbis recognized a distinction between "light" commandments (such as tithing garden produce) and "weighty" commandments (such as those concerning idolatry, murder, etc). RELAXES ONE OF THE LEAST, Jesus demands a commitment to both the least and the greatest commandments yet condemns those who confuse the two (23:23__24). The entire OT is the expression of God's will but is now to be taught according to Jesus interpretation of its intent and meaning.      
5:20 _Jesus calls his disciples to a different kind and quality of RIGHTEOUSNESS than that of THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. They took pride in outward conformity to many extrabiblical regulations but still had impure hearts (See 23:5, 23, 27__28). But KINGDOM righteousness works from the inside out because it first produces changed hearts and new motivations (ROMAN 6:17; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17; GALATIANS 5:22__23; PHILIPPIANS 2:12; HEBREW 8:10), so that the actual conduct of Jesus followers does in fact" [exceed] the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees."
5:21__48 _These verses demonstrate that Jesus interpretation of the OT is the antithesis of faulty interpretations and applications by the religious leaders. Repeatedly introducing his comments with "You have heard that it was said" (verses 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus corrects not the OT (See verse 43) but the misunderstandings of the OT that were prevalent at the time.
5:21 _Premeditated MURDER is prohibited by the sixth commandment (EXODUS 20:13) and under OT law carried the death penalty (NUMBERS 35:31). The prohibition is grounded in the fact that humans are created in the image of God (GENESIS 1:26__27; 9:6). Concerning unpremeditated murder (manslaughter), see on DEUTERONOMY 19:4__6 and 19:8__10.
5:22 _ANGRY. The dangerous and destructive effect of human anger is likewise stressed throughout Scripture (PROVEBS 20:2; 22:3; 29:22; 2 CORINTHINAS 12:20; GALATIANS 5:20; EPHEISANS 4:31; COLOSSIANS 3:8; JAMES 1:20). Anger typically entails a desire to damage or destroy the other person, either in some personal way or literally in the form of murder (MATTHEW 5:21 and JAMES 4:1__2). Calling someone a FOOL is closely related to anger, in that it represents a destructive attack on one's character and identity. Thus Jesus warns that the person who violates another person in this grievous way is LIABLE TO THE HELL OF FIRE.
5:23__24 _FIRST BE RECONCILED. Reconciliation with the person who has SOMETHING AGAINST YOU must take precedence even over OFFERIG one's GIFT in worship. The one who intiates the reconciliation here is the one who has wronged the other person.
5:25__26 _COME TO TERMS QUICKLY. The importance of reconciliation is illustrated by the example of the person who is about to be judged in COURT Not to be reconciled will have disastrous consequences on a human level but much more so if one is not reconciled to God. (Regarding the question of Christians and lawsuits, See 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1).
5:27 _ADULTERY was considered an extremely serious offense (EXODUS 20:14) because, in addition to violating another person, it broke the marriage covenant (MALACHI 2:14) that was a reflection of the relationship between God and his people.
5:28 _WITH LUSTFUL INTENT (Greek pros to epithymesai auten, lit, "for the purpose of lusting for her"). Lust begins in the HEART, the center of a person's identity and will. It is not enough to maintain physical purity alone; one must also guard against engaging mentally in an act of unfaithfulness. Jesus is not adding to OT law but correctly interpreting it, for even in the TenCommandments God had required purity of heart (EXODUS 20:17; 1 SAMUEL 16:7; PSALM 19:14; 24:4).
5:29__30 _RIGHT EYE . . . RIGHT HAND. The right side often stood for the more powerful or important. The eye is the medium through which one is tempted to lust, and the hand represents the physical actions that result from lusting. CUT IT OFF. Jesus uses deliberate overstatement to emphasize the importance of maintaining exclusive devotion to one's spouse. Even things of great value should be given up if they are leading a person to sin. (See MARK 9:43__48).
5:31__32 _A CERTIFICATE OF DEVORCE in the ancient world gave a woman the right to remarry (Mishnah, Gittin 9:3 "The essential formula in the bill of devorce is 'Lo, thou art free to marry any man' ") and reflects the fact that divorce and remarriage were widely accepted and practiced in the first century world. BUT I SAY TO YOU indicates that Jesus does not accept the practice of easy divorce represented in verse 31. Because divorce waswidespread in ancient times, God had instituted a regulation through Moses that was intended to uphold the sanctity of marriage and to protect women from being divorced for no reason. (See DEUTERONOMY 24:1__4; MATTHEW 19:8). Here and in 19:3__9, Jesus bases his teaching in God's original intention that marriage should be a permanent union of a man and woman as "one flesh" (MARK 10:8). Divorce breaks that union. SEXUAL IMMORALITY (Greek porneia) can refer to adultery (JEREMIAH 3:9; see also the use of the term in Sir. 23:23), prostitution (NAHUM 3:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:13, 18), incest (1 CORTHIANS 5:1), fornication (GENESIS 38:24; JOHN 8:41). Scripture prohibits any kind of sexual intercourse outside of marriage (thus forbidding the practice of homosexuality and bestiality as well). EXCEPT ON THE GROUND of sexual immorality. This implies that when a divorce is obtained (by the injured party) because of the sexual immoralityof one's spouse, then such a divorce is not morally wrong. But when a man divorces his wife wrongly (when his wife has not been sexually immoral), the husband thus MAKES HER COMMIT ADULTERY.
5:31__32 _Even though some female Jewish divorcees would have gone back to live with their parents in shame, many would have sought to remarry (which seems to be the typical situation that Jesus is addressing here). Jesus is thus indicating that such second marriges begin with committing adultery, since the divorce would not have been valid in God's eyes. (On whether the adultery is onetime or continual, See MATTHEW 19:9) But Jesus places primary blame on the husband who has wrongly divorced his wife, by stating that he (the husband) "makes her commit adultery. WHOEVER MARRIES A DIVORCED WOMAN is not an isolated statement that applies to all divorced woman, or it would contradictthe "except" clause that Jesus had just given (as well as the further exception in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:15). The statement rather continues the same subject that Jesus had mentioned earlier in the sentence, and thus means, "whoever marries such a wrongly divorced woman commits adultery." SEE MATTHEW 19:3__9; MARK 10:2__12; LUKE 16:18; 1 CORINTHIANS 7:15.
5:33__37 _An OATH involved invoking God's name, or substitutes for it, to guarantee the truth of one's statement (NUMBERS 30:2). Jesus disciples are not to swear AT ALL. Instead, their character should be of such integrity that their words can be believed without an oath.
5:38 _EYE FOR AN EYE. This "law of retaliation" (Latin lex talionis) was God's means of maintaining justice and purging evil from among his people (See DEUTERONOMY 19:20__21). It was intended to pervent inappropriate punishment (the punishment should fit the crime) and was imposed by civil authorities rather than individuals.
5:39 _DO NOT RESIST THE ONE WHO IS EVIL. Jesus is not prohibiting the use of force by governments, police, or soldiers when combating evil (See LUKE 3:12__14; ROMANS 13:1__4; 1 PETER 2:13__14). Rather, Jesus focus here is on individual conduct, as indicated by the contrast with MATTHEW 5:38, which shows that he is prohibiting the universal human tendency to seek personal revenge (See ROMANS 12:19). IF ANYONE SLAPS YOU ON THE RIGHT CHEEK picture a backhanded slap given as an insult (a right-handed person would use the back of the hand to slap someone on the right cheek; cf. Mishnah, Baba Kamma 8:6). The word "slaps" translates Greek rhapizo, "to slap, to strike with the open hand."
5:39 _TURN TO HIM THE OTHER ALSO. One should not return an insulying slap, which would lead to escalating violence. In the case of a more serious assault, Jesus words should not be taken to prohibit self-defense (See LUKE 12:11; 22:36__38; ACTS 22:1; JOHN 8:59; 10:39; 2 CORINTHINAS 11:32__33), for often a failure to resist a violent attack leads to even more serious abuse. Acting in love toward an attacker (MATTHEW 5:44; 22:39) will often include taking steps to prevent him from attempting further attacks. Jesus teaching must be applied with wisdom in the light of related Scriptures that address similiar situations. (See 5:42).
5::42 _GIVE TO THE ONE WHO BEGS FROM YOU. Christians should help those who are truly needy (and therefore forced to beg), but they are not required to give foolishly (7:6) or to a lazy person who is not in need (2 THESSALONIANS 3:10), or where giving would bring harm rather than benefit.
5:43 _YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID . . . HATE YOUR ENEMY. The OT never says that anyone should hate his or her enemy. This shows that, in his "you have heard" statements (verses 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus is correcting not the OT itself but only misinterpertations of the OT. God's hatredof evil was a central theme in the OT (PSALM 5:4__5). Consequently, those who embodied evil were understood to be God's enemies, and it was natural to hate them (PSALM 26:4__5; 139:21__22), but such hatred is never commanded by God.
5:44 _LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. God hates evil, but he still brings many blessings in this life even to his enemies (verse 45) by means of "common grace" (the favor that he gives to all people and not just to believers). These blessings are intended to lead unbelievers to repentance (ACTS 14:17; ROMANS 2:4). Of course there is a sense in which God hates those who are resolutely and impenitently wicked (PSALM 5:5; 11:5; EPHESIANS 2:30), but God's blessings of common grace constitute his primary providential action toward mankind here and now.
5:45 _SONS. The children of the heavenly FATHER are those who respond to his will as expressed in the ministry of Jesus (12:48__50). (Regarding "sons" [Greek huiol], ) SUN . . . RAIN God shows grace and care for all of his creatures; therefore Jesus disciples are to imitate God and love both neighbor and enemy.
5:46__47 _In Palestine, TAX COLLECTORS were representatives of the Roman governing authorities. Their tendency to resort to extorition made them despised and hated by their own people (LUKE 19:8). Christians should not merely DO THE SAME as unbelievers; their transformed lives should result in behavior that shows significantly greater love.
5:48 _BE PERFECT, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT. Scripture is a reflection of God himself as he has made his will and character known to his people. As Christians seek to live in conformity to Scripture, they are in fact pursuing the very perfection of God. This verse provides the conclusion and summary to the antithesis section (Verses 21:__28), showing that all of the Law and the Prophets find their perfect (Greek teleios) fulfillment in the perfection of the Father, which is what all Jesus disciples are called to pursue.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 4 - THE NEW TESTAMENT

MATTHEW 4:1__25 _Jesus the Messiah Begins to Advance the Messianic kingdom, Jesus triumphs over the devil in the wilderness (Verses 1:11), proclaims the kingdom of God (Verses 12__17), and calls disciples to follow him (Verses 18__22).

MATTHEW 4:1__11 _TEMPTATIONS OF THE MESSIAH. The temptations are a disabolical attempt to subvert God's plan for human redemption by causing Jesus to fall into sin and disobedience, thus disqualifying him as the sinless Savior.

MATTHEW 4:1 _JESUS WAS LED UP BY THE SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit guided Jesus in his earthly life, providing a pattern for Jesus followers to be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit (See GALATIANS 5:16; 5:17; 5:18). The Greek for TEMPTED (pelizazo) can also mean "test" While God clearly never tempts anyone to do evil (See JAMES 1:13), he does use circumstances to test a person's charater (HEBREW 11:17). BY THE DEVIL. Diabolos (Greek"slanderer, accuser") is here preceded by the definite article to indicate that this one who tempts Jesus is uniquely "the devil" (See MATTHEW 4:5; 8, 11; 13:29; 25:41). Although the devil intends to thwart God's plan and purposes, the Father uses his evil intention for the good purpose of strengthening Jesus in his messianic role.
MATTHEW 4:2 _FASTING FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. Jesus experience of 40 days of fasting in the wilderness corresponds to Israel's experience of 40 years of testing in the wilderness (DEUTERONOMY 8:2__3). Jesus endured his testing victoriously and obediently. Moses also fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights on two occasions (EXODUS 24:18; 34:28; DEUTRONOMY 9:9, 11, 18, 25; 10:10; Elijah 1 KINGS 19:8). Fasting was a means of focusing intently on prayer. Forty days is about the longest a human can fast without permanent bodily harm.
4:3 _IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD. Jesus, of course, was (and is) the Son of God, but he refused to be tricked by the devil into using his divine prerogatives to make the trial any easier for himself. Jesus obeyed as a man, as the representative for all who believe, so as to "fulfill all righteousness" (3:15) on behalf of his people.
4:4 _IT IS WRITTEN. Jesus responds to each temptation by quoting from Deuteronomy, linking his experience to Israel's in the desert. In DEUTERONOMY 8:2 Moses reminds the Israelites of God's testing through hunger and his miraculous provision of manna.
4::5 _THE HOLY CITY is Jerusalem, and the PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE is probably the southeast coner of the temple area, the top of which was some 300 feet above the floor the Kinron Valley (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 15:4__11; 4:12).
4:6__7 _FOR IT IS WRITTEN. The devil's quotation of Psalm 91 is a blatant misuse of Scripture in an effort to manipulate Jesus. Such a spectaclar display as jumping from this great height unharmed would have gained him an enthusiatic following, but it would not have followed the Father's messianic and redemptive plan of suffering and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.
4:9 _FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP ME. The devil offers a shortcut to Jesus future reign in God's kingdom__a shortcut that side-steps Jesus redemptive work on the cross and comes at the cost of exchanging the love of the Father for the worship of Satan. ALL THESE I WILL GIVE YOU was a lie (See LUKE 4:5__8; JOHN 8:44).

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 3 __OLD TESTAMENT

GENESIS - CHAPTER # 3
3:1__24 _THE COUPLE REBELS AGAINST GOD. The sudden and unexplained arrival of a cunning serpent presents a challenge of immense importance to the human couple. Their choice is to disregard God's instructions, an act of willful rebellion that has terrible consequences for the whole of creation. As a result, God's creation is thrown into disorder, with chaotic effects that result from the disruption of all the harmonious relatioships that God had previously established.
3:1 _The speaking SERPENT is suddenly introduced into te story with minimum detail. Nothing is mentioned about its origin, other than it is one of the beasts OF THE FIELD. Although the serpent is eventually portrayed as God's enemy, the initial introduction is full of ambiguity regarding its true nature. While the brief comment that it is the craftiest of the beasts possibly indicates potential danger, the Hebrew term 'arum does not carry the negative moral connotations of the English words "crafty" and "cunning." Similarly, the sepent's initial question may have sounded quite innocent, although it deliberately misquotes God as saying that the couple must NOT EAT OF ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN. Did the serpent merely misunderstand what God had said? In these ways the subtlety of the serpent's approach to the woman is captured by the narrator. It is notworthy that the serpent also deliberately avoids using God's personal name "Yahweh" ("Lord") when he addresses the woman. Here is another hint that his presence in the garden presents a threat. Although his initial words appears deceptively innocent, his subsequent contradiction of God leaves no doubt about the serpent's motive and purpose. The text does not indicate when or how the serpent became evil. As the narrative proceeds, it becomes clear that more than a simple snake is at work here; an evil power is using the snake (See verse 15). As indicated by God's declaration that "everything he had made . . .was very good" (1:31), clearly evil entered the created world at some unkown point after God's work of creation was completed. Likewise, nothing in the Bible suggests the enternal existence of evil (See ISAIAH 14:12___15; EZEKIAL 28:11__19).
 3:2__3 _The woman's response largely echoes the divine instruction given in 2:16__17 regarding the tree of knowledge, although she fails to indentify the tree clearly as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and adds the comment NEITHER SHALL YOU TOUCH IT. These minor variations are possibly meant to convey, even at this stage, that the woman views God's instructions as open to human modification.
3:4__5 _The serpent not only directly contradicts what God has said but goes on to present the fruit of the tree as something worth obtaining: by eating it, the couple will be LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL. The ironry of the serpent's remarks should not be overlooked. The couple, unlike the serpent, has been made in the image of God (1:26__27). In this way they are already like God. Moreover, being in the image of God, they are expected to exercise authority over all the beasts of the field, which includes the serpent. By obeying the serpent, however, they betray the trust placed in them by God. This is not merely an act of disobedience; it is an act of teachery. Those who were meant to govern the earth on God's behalf instead rebel against their divine King and obey one of his creatures. YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE. It is sometimes claimed that the serpent is correct when he says these things to the couple, for they do not "die"; Adam lives to be 930 years old (5:5). Further, their eyes are opened (3:7) and God acknowledge in verse 22 that "the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil." yet the serpent speaks half-truths, promising much but delivering little. Their eyes are ineed opened, and they come to know something, but it is only that they are naked. They know good and evil by experience, but their sense of guilt makes them afraid to meet God; they have become slaves to evil. And while they do not cease to exist physically, they are expelled from the garden-sanctuary and God's presence. Cut off from the source of life and the tree of life, they are in the realm of the dead. What they experience outside of Eden is not life as God intended, but spiritual death.
GENESIS  3:6 _WHEN THE WOMAN SAW. Like all the other trees in the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was "pleasant to the sight and good for food" (2:9). The irony is that somehow thye serpent has made the woman discontent with the premitted trees, forusing her desire on this one. Its deadly appeal to her, apparenntly, is its ability TO MAKE ONE WISE (See verse 2:17)__wise, however, not according to the "fear of the Lord" (PROVERBS 1:7; 9:10). SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND WHO WAS WITH HER. The fact that Adam was "with her" and thyat he knowingly ATE what God had forbidden indicates that Adam's sin was both an act of coscious rebellion against God and a failure to carry out his divinely ordained responsibility to guard or "keep" (GENESIS 2:15) both the garden and the woman that God had created as "a helper fit for him" (2:18, 20). The disatrous consequences of Adam's sin cannot be overemphasized, resulting in the fall of mankind, the beginning of every kind of sin, suffering, and pain, as well as physical and spiritual death for the human race.
3:7__13 _Eating the fruit transforms the couple, but not the better. Now ashamed of their nakedness (2:25), they attempt to clothe themselves. Conscious of the Lord God's presence, they hide. When confronted by God regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the man blames the woman, who in turn blames the serpent.
3:9 _THE LORD GOD CALLED TO THE MAN . . . , "WHERE ARE YOU?" Both "man" and "you" are singular in Hebrew. God thus confronts Adam first, holding him primarily resonpsible for what happened, as the one who is the represntative (or "head") of the husband-and-wife relationship, established before the fall (See 2:15__16).
3:14__15 _God addresses the serpent first. Verse 1 declared the serpent "more crafy" (Hebrew 'arum); now God declares it more CURSED (Hebrew 'arur). Indicted for its part in tempting the woman, the serpent will be viewed with contempt from now on. This is conveyed both literally and figuratively by the serpent's going on its BELLY and eating DUST. Having deceived the woman, the serpent will have ongoing hostility with woman, which will be prepetuated by their respective OFFSPRING.  
3:15 _While many modern commentators interpret this part of the curse as merely describing the natural hosstility that exists between men and snakes, it hs traditionally been understood as pointing forward to the defeat of the serpent by a future descendant of the woman, and this interpretation fits well with the words and the context. This defeat is implied by the serpent's being bruised in the g=head, which is more serious than the offspring of Eve being bruised in the heel. For this reason, verse 15 has been labeled the "Protoevangelium," the first announcement of the gospel. This interpretation requires that the serpent be viewed as more than a mere snake, something which the narrative itself implies, given the serpent's ability to speak and the vile things he says. While the present chapter does not explicitly identify the serpent with Satan, such an identification is a legitimate inference and is clearly what the apostle John has in view in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. The motif of the OFFSPRING of the woman is picked up in Genesis 4:25 with the birth of Seth; subsequently, the rest of Genesis traces a single line of Seth's descendants, observing that it will eventually produce a king through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed. HE SHALL BRUISE YOUR HEAD, AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL. Some interpreters have suggested that by saying "he and his," the intended meaning is that one particular offspring is in view. Within the larger biblical framework, this hope comes to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is clearly presented in the NT as overcoming Satan (HEBREWS 2:14; 1 JOHN 3:8; MATTHEW 12:29; MARK 1:24; LUKE 10:18; JOHN 12:31; 16:11; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:24; COLOSSIANS 2:150, while at the same time being bruised.
3:16 _By way of punishing the woman for her sin of diobedience, God pronounces that she will suffer PAIN (Hebrew 'itsabon) in the bearing of children. This strikes at the very heart of the woman's distinctiveness, for she is the "mother of the living" (Verse 20). YOUR DESIRE SHALL BE FOR YOUR HUSBAND, AND HE SHALL RULE OVER YOU. These words from the Lord indicate that there will be an ongoing struggle between the woman and the man for leardership in the marriage relationship. The leardership role of the husband and the complementary relationship between husband and wife that were ordained by God before the fall have now been deeply damaged and distorted by sin. This epecially takes the form of inordinate desire (on the part of the wife) and domineering rule (on part of the huband). The Hebrew term here translated "desire" (teshuqah) is rarely found in the OT. But it appears again in 4:7, in a statement that closely parallels 3:16__that is, where the Lord says to Cain, just before Cain's murder of his brother, that sin's "desire is for you" (to master Cain), and that Cain must "rule over it" (which he immediately fails to do, by murdering his brother, as seen in 4:48).
3:16 _Similarly, the ongoing result of Adam and Eve's original sin of rebellion against God will have disastrous consequences for their relationship: (1) _Eve have the sinful "desire" to oppose Adam and to assert leadership over him, reversing God's plan for Adam's leadership in marriage. But (2) _Adam will also abandon his God-giving, pre-fall role of leading, guarding, and caring for his wife, replacing this with his own sinful, distorted desire to "rule" over Eve. Thus one of the most tragic results of Adam and Eve's rebellion against God is an ongoing, damaging conflect between husband and wife in marriage, driven by the sinful behavior of both in rebellion against their respective God-given roles and responsibilites in marriage. (See EPHESIANS 5:21__32) for the NT pattern for marriage founded on the redemptive work of Christ).
3:17__19 _God's punishment of the involves his relatioship with the very ground from whch he was formed (See 2:5__7). Because he has eaten that which was prohibited to him, he will have to struggle to eat in the future. Given the abundance of food that God provided in the garden, this judgement reflicts God's disfavor. Adam will no longer enjoy the garden's abuandance but will have to work the ground from which he was taken (3:23; see 2:8__9). The punishment is not work itself (2:15), but rather the hardship and frustration ("pain," itstsabon; 3:16) that will accompany the man's labor. To say that the GROUND is CURSED (Hebrew 'arar, verse 17) and will bring forth THORNS AND THISTLES (Verse 18) indicates that the abundant productivity that was seen in Eden will no longer be the case. Underlying this judgment is a disruption of the hamonious relatioship that originally existed between humans and nature.    
3:19 _Further, the man's body will RETURN TO THE GROUND (verse 19), it will die (which was not true of the original created order; ROMAN 5:12). For this reason, the Bible looks forward to a time when nature will be set free from the consequences of human sin; nature will no longer be the arena of punishment, and it will finally have glorified human beings to manage it and bring out its full potential (ROMAN 8:19__22).
3:20__21 _God's words of judgment on the serpent, woman, and man are immediately followed by two obervations that possibly convey a sense of hope. First, the man names his wife EVE (verse 20), which means "life-giver." Second, God clothes the couple (verse 21). While this final action recognizes that the human couple is now ashamed of their nakedness in God's presence, as a gesture it suggests that God still cares for these, his creatures. Because God provides GARMENTS to clothe Adam and Eve, thus requiring the death of an animal to cover their nakedness, may see a parallel here related to (1) _the system of animal sacrifices to atone for sin later instituted by God through the leadership of Moses in Israel, and (2) _the eventual sacrificial death of Christ as an atonement for sin.
3:22__24 _Thecouple is expelled FROM THE GARDEN. God begins a sentence in verse 22 and breaks off without finishing it__for the man to LIVE FOREVER (in his sinful condition) is an unbearable thought, and God must waste no time in preventing it ("therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden"). The TREE OF LIFE, then, probably served in some way to confirm a person in his or her moral condition (PROVERBS 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; REVELATION 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19). According to Genesis 2:15, the man was put in the garden to work it and keep or guard it. Outside the garden the man will have to work the ground, but the task of keeping or guarding the garden is given to the CHERUBIM (3:24). By allowing themselves to be manipulated by the serpent, the couple failed to fulfill their priestly duty of guarding the garden. Consequently, their priestly status is removed from them as they are put out of the sanctuary. The placing if cherubim to the EAST OF THE GARDEN is reflected in the tabernacle and temple, where cherubim were an important component in the structure and furnishing (The Ark of the Covenant).

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 3

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW CHAPTER # 3
3:1__17 _JOHN the BAPTIST Prepares for the Appearance of the Messianic kingdom, John now arrears, preaching in the Judean desert. It is more than 25 years since Joseph and his family moved back to Nazareth. The focus of Matthew's Gospel now shifts to Jesus public ministry.
3:1 _JOHN THE BAPTIST was born around 6 B. C. to devout parents who were both of the priestly line and well advanced in age (LUKE 1:5__25, 39__80). John will play an important historical role in linking God's saving activity in the OT and his saving activity in the person and work of Jesus.
3:2 _To REPENT, or "change one's mind," in the OT called for a change in a person's attitude toward God that impacted one's actions and life choices; it involved the idea of "turning," that is, from one way of thinking and living to a different way. Common external signs of repentance included prayers of remorse and confession and renouncing of sin. The term KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is found only in Matthew's Gospel but is interchangeable with "kingdom of God," found in the other Gospels (Matthew 19:14 and Mark 10:14). IS AT HAND. The kingdom of heaven has come near to people in the person of Jesus (the Messiah), and who himself was soon to begin proclaming that message of repentance, because "the kingdom of heaven is at hand"  (See on 4:17). Here John calls for the people to remove the obstacles from their lives that might hinder their reception of the Messiah and his kingdom.
3:3 _John the Baptist fulfills ISAIAH 40:3 and also the prophecies in MALACHI about the messenger who prepares the way before the Lord (MALACHI 3:1; MATTHEW 11:10) and about Klijah (MALACHI 4:5__6;  MATTHEW 11:14; 17:10__13; LUKE 1:17).
3:4 _A GARMENT OF CAML'E HAIR. John's appearance would have evoked images of prophecies about "Elijah," who was to return to prepare the way for God's wrathful appearance (2 KINGS 1:18; MALACHI 3:1; 4:5__6). John's garments were common to nomadic desert dwellers and thus were associated with poorer people. LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY were not an unusual source of food for people living in the desert (on locusts). The desert locusts (Greek akris) is a large grasshopper, still eaten today by poorer people in the Middle East and Africa. 
3:5__6 _GOING OUT TO HIM. John's startling declaration of the nearness of God's kingdom draws even city dwellers out into the wilderness."Baptize" (Greek baptizo) means "to plunge, dip, immerse," and John was immersing people IN THE RIVER JORDAN. When people WERE BAPTIZED BY HIM, going under the water symbolized both the cleansing away of sin and a passing saftely through the waters of judgment and death (GENESIS 7:6__24; EXODUS 14:26__29; JONAH 1:7__16; See ROMANS 6:4; 1 PETER 3:21). Christians today differ over whether full bodily immersion is required for the symbolism of baptism. Having made the difficult journey from Jerusalem, the people demonstrate their repentance by CONFESSING THEIR SINS.
3:7 _PHARISEES. A laymen's fellowship, popular with the common people and connected to local synagogues, chiefly characterized by adherence to extensive extrabiblical traditions, which they rigorously obeyed as a means to applying the law to daily life. SADDUCEES. A small group who derived their authority from the activities of the temple. They were removed from the common people by aristocratic and pirestly influerence as well as by their cooperation with Rome's rule. BROOD OF VIPERS. Vipers were well known for their subtle movements and lethal strikes. THE WRATH TO COME. The coming Messiah will bring punishment for those who do not repent.
3:11 _HE WHO IS COMING AFTER ME expresses strong messianic expectation. IS MIGHTIER THAN I. John announces the nearness of the kingdom, but the Coming One will arrive with the power of God to inaugurate messianic rule. BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE. John's water baptism will be superseded by the baptism associated with the Coming One (See 1 CORINTHIANS 12:13). Those who repent and trust in him will receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit (JOEL 2:28__29; ACTS 2:16__21), while the unrepentant will receive the judgment of eternal fire, and even the repentant mau undergo a purifying fire.
3:12 _winnowing fork (RUTH 3:2) is used figuratively for the separation of the repentant from the unrepentant. The harvest has begun.
3:13 _The precise location of Jesus baptism is disputed, and today competing venues vie for visitors. The traditinoal baptism site is Qasr el-Yahud, on the western bank of the Jordan River. However, the scene might instead be identified with "Bethany across [on the eastern side of] the Jordan" as noted in John 1:28 (though this text may imply that John had baptized Jesus earlier and perhaps in a different locale). It is likely that John baptized people in more than one location (LUKE 3:3; JOHN 3:23; 10:40).
3:14 _Jesus goes to the desert to be baptized by John, but JOHN WOULD HAVE PREVENTED HIM, because he knows Jesus identity as the mightier one who brings messianic baptism.
3:15 _FOR US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jesus baptism inaugurates his ministry and fulfills God's saving activity prophesied throughout the OT, culminating with his death on the cross (JOHN 1:31__34). In so doing, Jesus also endorses John's ministry and message and links his mission to John's. Although he needed no repentance or cleansing, Jesus identifies with the sinful people he came to save though his substitutionary life and death (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21).
3:16 _The SPIRIT OF GOD anoints Jesus as Israel's King and Messiah and commissions him as God's righteous "Servant" (ISAIAH 42:1).
3:17 _The VOICE FROM HEAVEN confirms the eternally existing relationship of divine love that the Son and Father share as well as Jesus identity as the messianic Son of God (PSALM 2:7) This BELOVED SON is the triumphant messianic King, yet he is also the humble "servant" into whose hands the Father is WELL PLEASED to place the mission to bring salvation to the nations (ISAIAH 42:1__4).
  

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 2

THE BOOK OF GENESIS      CHAPTER # 2
2:1__3 _These verses bring to a conclusion the opening section of Genesis by emphasizing that God has completed the process of ordering creation. The repeated comment that God RESTED does not imply that he was weary from labor. The effortless ease with which everything is done in Chapter 1 suggests otherwise. Rather, the motif of God's resting hints at the purpose of creation. As reflected in various anncient Near East accounts, divine rest is associated with temple building. God's purpose for the earth is that it should become his dwelling place; it is not simply made to house his creatures. God's "activities" on this day (he FINSHED, "rested," "blessed," "made it holy") all fit this delightful pattern. The concept of the earth as a divine sanctuary, which is developed further in 2:4__25, runs throughout the whole Bible, coming to a climax in the future reality that the apostle John sees in his vision of a "new heaven" and a new earth"in Revelation 21:1__22:5.
GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY AND MADE IT HOLY (GENESIS 2:3). These words provide the basis for the obligation that God placed on the Israelites to rest from their normal labor on the Sabbath day (See EXODUS 20:8__11). There is no evening-followed-by-morning refrain for this day, prompting many to conclude that the seventh day still continues (which seems to underline John 5:17; Hebrews 4:3__11).
2:4__4:26 _EARTH'S FIRST PEOPLE. Centered initially on the garden of Eden, the episodes that make up this part of Genesis recount how God's ordered creation is thrown into chaos by the human couple's disobedience. The subsequent story of Cain  and Abel and the Lamech (chapter 4) shows the world spiraling downward into violence, which precipitarted the flood (6:11, 13). These events are very significant for understanding not only the whole of Genesis but all of the Bible. 
2:4__25 _THE MAN AND WOMAN IN THE SANCTUARY OF EDEN. The panoramic view of creation in chapter 1 is immediately followed by a complementary account of the sixth day that zooms in on the creation of the human couple, who are placed in the garden  of Eden. In style and content this section differs significantly from the previous one; it does not contradict anything in chapter 1, but as a literary flashback it supplies more detail about what was recorded in 1:27. The picture of a sovereign, transcendent deity is complemented by that of a God who is both immanent and personal. The two portrayals of God balance each other, together providing a truer and richer description of his nature than either does on its own. In a similar way, whereas chapter 1 emphasizes the regal character of human beings, chapter 2 highlights their priestly status.
2:4 _THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF. This is the first of 11 such headings that give structure to the book of Genesis 5:1, which varies slightly; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1; 36:9; 37:2; see introduction: Arrangement of the Book). Each heading concentrates on what comes forth from the object or person named. The earliest translators of Genesis into Greek (in the Septuagint) used the word genesis to render the Hebrew word for "generations" (Hebrew toledot); from this is derived the title "Genesis." The rest of the verse is aritfully arranged in a mirror (or chiastic) form, the parts of the two poetic lines corresponding to each other in reverse order: HEAVENS (A), EARTH (B), WHEN THEY WERE CREATED (C), IN THE DAY THAT the Lord God MADE (C), EARTH (B), HEAVENS (A).
2:4 _This form unifies the two parts of the chiasmus, hereby inviting the reader to harmonize 2:5__25 with 1:1__2:3. LORD GOD. Throughout 1:1__2:3 the generic word "God" was used to denote the deity as the transecdent Creator. The leader is now introduced to God's personal name, "Yahweh" (translatedas "Lord" because of the ancient Jweish tradition of substituting in Hebrew the term that means "Lord" [Adonay] for "Yahweh" when reading the biblical text). The use of "Yahweh" throughout this passage underlines the personal and relational nature of God. The precedent for translating this as "Lord" and not "Yahweh" in English is found in the Septuagints customary translation (Greek Kyrios, "Lord"). That translation was the quoted many times by the NT authors, who also used the Greek term Kyrios, "Lord" rather than "Yahweh" for God's name.
2:5__7 _These verses concentrate on God's creation  of a human male, amplifying 1:26__31 in particular. The main action here is God's "forming" of the man (2:7); verses 5__6 describe the conditions as the action took place. The term LAND (Hebrews 'erets) can refer to the whole earth, to dry land (1:10) or to a specific region (2:11__13). To show the continuity with chapter 1 (See 2:4), and in view of the mentionof RAIN, the ESV rendering ("land") is best. The location of this land is some unnamed place, just as the rainy season was about to begin, and thus when the ground was still dry, and without any BUSH OF THE FIELD. These conditions prevailed before the creation of man, suggesting that the lack of growth was related to the absence of a man or irrigate the land (which would be the normal way in dry conditions to bring about growth).
2:5__7 _THEN THE LORD GOD FORMED THE MAN OF DUST FROM THE GROUND (verse 7). The verb "formed" (Hebrew yatsar) conveys the picture of a potter's fashioning clay into a particular shape. The close relationship between the man and the ground is reflected in the Hebrew words used to denote them, 'adam and 'adamah, respectively. BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE (verse 7). Here God breathes life__physical, mental, and spiritual__into the one created to bear his image. LIVING CREATURE. The same term in Hebrew is used in 1:20, 24 to denote sea and land creatures. While human beings have much in common with other living beings, God gives humans alone a royal and priestly status and makes them alone "in his own image" (1:27). (See PAUL'S quotation of this passage in 1 CORINTHIANS 15:45).
2:8__9 _God provides a suitable environment for the man by planting a GARDEN IN EDEN, IN THE EAST. The name "Eden," which would have conveyed the sense of "luxury, pleasure," probably denotes a region much greater than the garden itself. God formed the man in the "land"  (See Verses 5__7), and then PUT him in the garden (Verse 15). The earliest translation into Greek (the Septuagint) used the word paradeisos (from which comes the English term "paradise";  See LUKE 23:39__43) to translate the Hebrew term for "garden," on the understanding that it resembled a royal park. The abundance of the garden is conveyed by the observation that it contained EVERY TREE THAT IS PLEASANT TO THE SIGHT AND GOOD FOR FOOD (GENSIS 2:9), which is an ironic forshadowing of 3:6. Two trees, however, are picked out for special mention: THE TREE OF LIFE and THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (2:9). Since relatively little is said about these trees, any understanding of them must be derived from the role that they play within the account of Genesis 2__3, especially chapter 3. On "treeof lofe," See 3:22__24; on "tree of knowledge," See 2:17.
2:10__14 _The general description of the RIVER that FLOWED OUT OF EDEN dividing into FOUR RIVERS (Verse 10) implies that Eden had a central location. In spite of the very specific details provided, however, Eden's location remains a mystery. While the names TIRGIS and EUPHRATES (Verse 140) are associated with the two rivers that surround Mesopotamia, the rivers PISHON and GIHON, as well as the regions of HAVILAH and CUSH (Verses 11, 13), have not been satisfactorily identified. The reference to GOLD and ONYX (Verses 11, 12) suggests that the land is rich in resources; these materials are later associated with the making of the tabernacle and temple.
# 2:15__16 _The overall picture of Eden presented in the preceding verses suggests that the park-like garden is part of a divine sanctuary. THE MAN is PUT in the garden TO WORK IT AND KEEP IT. The term "work" (Hebrew 'abad; Verse 5; 3:23; 4:2, 12; Proverbs 12:11; 28:19) denotes preparing and tending, and "keep" (Hebrew shamar) adds to that idea. Since this command comes before Adam sinned, work sid not come as a result of sin, nor is it something to be avoided. Productive work is part of God's good purpose for man in creation. Later, the same two verbs are used together of the work undertaken by the priests and Levites in the tabernacle ("minister" or "serve" [Hebrew 'abad] and "guad" [Hebrew shamar]; NUMBER 3:7__8; 18:7). The man's role is to be not only a gardener but also a guardian. As a priest, he is to maintain the sanctity of the garden as part of a temple complex. AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN. The fact that command was given to Adam implies that God gave "the man" a leadership role, including the resonsibility to guard and care for ('keep") all of creation (GENESIS 2:15)__a role that is also related to the leadership responsibility of Adam for Eve as his wife (VERSE 18, "a helper fit for him"). On the NT understanding of the relationship between husband and wife, EPHEIANS 5:22--33.)

2:17 _While God generously permitted the man to eat from every tree of the garden, God prohibited him from eating from THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (Verse 17). The fruit of this tree has been variously understood as giving (1) _sexual awareness, (2) _moral discrimination, (3) _moral responsibility, and (4) _moral experience. Of these possibilities, the last is the most likely: by their obedience or disobedience the human couple will come to know good and evil by experience. Experience gained by "fearing the Lord" (PROVERBS 1:17) is wisdom, while that gained by disobeying God is slavery. IN THE DAY implies fixed certainty rather than absolute immediacy (1 KINGS 2:42),  See GENESIS 3:4__5. YOU SHALL SURELY DIE (2:17). What kind of "death" does this threaten: physical, spiritual, or some combination? The Hebrew would can be used for any of these ideas, and the only way to find out is by reading to see what happens as the story unfolds.Theologians have discussed whether the instructions in 2:16__17, together with the instructions in 1:28__30, should be called God's "covenant" with Adam. Some have denied it, observing that the Hebrew word for "covenant" (berit) is not used until 6:18; others have added to this the insistence that covenants have to do with redemption. In reply, it can be pointed out that the thing itself can be present, even if the ordinary word indentifying it is not:2:17 _2 SAMUEL 7:4__7 says nothing about a covenant, but PSALM 89:3, 28, 34, 39 all use the term to describe God's promise to David. The same happens with HOSEA 6:7, which refers to a covenant with Adam. Also GENESIS 9:1__17 describes Noah in terms that clearlyecho 1:28__30, explicitly using the word "covenant": Noah is a kind of new Adam, a covenant representative. Finally, there is no evidence that biblical covenants are limited to the sphere of redemption: the term simply describes the formal binding together of two parties in a relationship, on the basis of mutual personal commitment, with consequences for keeping or breaking the commitment. The man (Adam) receives this covenant on behalf of the rest of mankind: YOU is singular in 2:16__17, which provides the basis for Paul's use of Adam as a representative head of the human race, parallel to Christ, in 1 CORTHINANS 15:22; ROMANS 5:12__19. the word "you" is plural in GENESIS 3:1__5, where the woman's statement shows that she has appropriated the command for herself. Also, by virtue of Adam's disobedience, his offspring receive the penalty: they cannot return to the garden any more that he can, and they descend into sin and misery.2:18__25 _These verses describe how God provides a suitable companion for the man.
2:18 _NOT GOOD is a jarring contrast to 1:31; clearly, the situation here has not yet arrived to "very good." I WILL MAKE HIM can also be translated "I will make for him," which explains Paul's statement in 1 CORINTHIANS 11:9. In order to find the man a HELPER FIT FOR HIM, God brings to him all the livestock, birds, and beasts of the field. None of these, however, proves to be "fit for" the man. "Helper" (Hebrew 'ezer) is one who supplies strength in the area that is lacking in "the helped." The term does not imply that the helper is eitherstronger or weaker than the one helped. "Fit for him" or "matching him" is not the same as "like him": a wife is not her husband's done but complements him.
2:20 _THE MAN GAVE  NAMES. By namingthe animals, the man demonstrates his authority over all the other creatures.
2:23__24 _When no suitable companion is found among all the living beings. God fashions a woman from the man's own flesh. The text highlights the sense of oneness that exists between the man and the woman. Adam joyfully proclaims, "THIS AT LAST IS BONE OF MY BONES AND FLESH OF MY FLESH." This terminology is used elsewhere of blood relatives (29:14). This sentence and the story of Eve's creation both make the point that marriage creates the closet of all human relationships. It is also important to observe that God creates only one Eve for Adam, not several Eves or another Adam. This points to heterosexual monogamy as the divine pattern for marriage that God established at creation. Moreover, the kinship between husband and wife creates obligations that override even duty to one's parents (THEREFORE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND HOLD FAST TO HIS WIFE, 2:24). In ancient Israel, sons did not move away when they married, but lived near their parents and inherited their father's land. They "left" their parents in the sense of putting their wife's welfare before that of their parents. The term "holdfast" is used elsewhere for practicing covenant faithfulness (DEUTERONOMY 10:20; See how Paul brings these texts together in 1CORINTHIANS 6:16__17); thus, other Bibles texts can call marriage a "covenant" (PROVERBS 2:17; MALACHI 2:14). Paul's teaching on marriage in EPHESIANS 5:25__32 is founded on this text. The sense of being made for each other is further reflected in a wordplay involving the terms "man" and"woman"; in Hebrew these are, respectively, 'ish and 'ishshah. As a result of this special affiliation, GENSIS 2:24 observes that when a man leaves his parents and takes a wife, THEY SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH, one unit (a union of man and woman, consummated in sexual intercourse). Jesus appeals to this verse and 1:27 in setting out his view of marriage (MATTHEW 19:4__5).
2:25 _NAKED AND. . .NOT ASHAMED. This final description in verses 18__25 offers a picture of innocent delight and anticipates further developments in the story. The subject of the couple's nakedness is picked up in 3:7__11, and a play on the similar sounds of the words "naked" (Hebrew 'arummin) and "crafty" (3:1, Hebrew 'arum) links the end of this episode with the start of the next.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 2 - NEW TESTAMENT !!!!!!!!!

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW  CHAPTER # 2 !!!!!!!
2:1__12 _Magi Report the star-sign of the Birth of "the King of Jews." As much as two years have passed since the events of chapter 1. Matthew highlights God's sovereign care in this infancy account of Jesus the King.
2:1 _Jesus birth in BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA, about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Jerusalem, marks him as being from the tribe of Judah and from the city that produced the Davidic kings (RUTH 1:1, 19; 2:4;
1 SAMUEL 17:12, 15; See LUKE 2:4). HEROD THE KING (also commonly Herod 1 or Herod the Great) ruled Israel and Judah 37__4
B. C. He was an idumean, appointed king of the Jews under the authority of Rome. He ruled firmly and at times ruthlessly, murdering his own wife, serveral sons, and other relatives. He was a master builder who restored the temple in Jerusalem and built many theaters, cities, palaces, and fortresses. Herod's building programs included his palace at Jericho, the fortresses of Herodium, Machaeus, Sebaste, and Masada, the harbor and city of Caesarea Maritima (See ACTS 8:40)
2:1 _And especially the Jerusalem temple (JOHN 2:14). He also financed structures (including pagan temples) throughout the Roman Empire__at Antioch (ACTS 11:19), Nicopolis (TITUS 3:12), and Athens (ACTS 17:16). Herod ravaged by disease, died in his palace at Jericho (LUKE 19:1) and was buried at Herodium (Josephus, Jewish Antiquties 6:168__181). Excavations at Herodium since the 1960s have revealed the circular palace-fortress built atop its mountain, as well as the monumental building and huge pool below; in 2007 the excavator announced the discovery of Herod's mausoleum and sarcophagus. In earlier times, WISE MEN (Greek magoi, plural of magos) referred to priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon (Septuagint of DANIEL 1:20; 2:2, 10, 27; etc), but by this time it applied to a wide range of people whose practices included astrology, dream interpretation, study of sacred writings, the pursuit of wisdom, and magic. 
2:2 _WE SAW HIS STAR WHEN IT ROSE. The wise men would likely have been familiar with OT prophecy through interaction with Jews in Babylon, and they may have remembered Balaam's prophecy that "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (NUMBERS 24:17). This was understood by Jews to point to a messianic deliverer (Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 7. 18__21; Testimonia 9::13). The movement of the star (MATTHEW 2:9) suggests that it is not a natural phenomenon (a comet, supernova, or conjunction of planets) but was supernatural, perhaps a guiding angel that appeared as a star, or perhaps some specially created heavenly phenomenon that had the brightness of a star. HAVE COME TO WORSHIP HIM. The wise men likely traveled with a large number of attendants and guards for the long journey, which would have taken serveral weeks. For example, if they had come from Babylon by the main trade route of about 800 miles (1, 288 km), averaging 20 miles (32 km) per day, the trip would have taken about 40 days.
2:3 _HE WAS TROUBLED, AND ALL JERUSALEM WITH HIM.
The arrival of this true King of the Jews presents a threat to Herod the Great's throne and to Israel's corrupt religious and political leardership in Jerusalem (21:10).
2:4 _The CHIEF PRIESTS gave oversight to temple activities; SCRIBES were the official interpreters of the OT (See 8:19). The concept of "King of the Jews" had become associated with THE CHRIST, the Messiah.
2:5__6 _BETHLEHEM was BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE RULERS OF JUDAH, because it would be the birthplace of the future ruler, the Messiah (MICAH 5:2). The quotation also alludes to a shepherding theme cited at David's coronationas king over Israel (2 SAMUEL 5:2).
2:9 _THE STAR . . . WENT BEFORE THEM. Bethlehem was only 6 miles (9.7 km) from Jerusalem, almost directly south, so this implies very specific, localized guidance from the traveling star, which CAME TO REST over the young Jesus specific location.
2:11 _The wise men did not arrive at the time of Jesus birth in a manger, but up to two years later, when Jesus was living in a HOUSE (See verse 16). WORSHIPED HIM it is doubtful that these quasi-pagan religious men understood Jesus divine nature, but their actions were unknowingly appropiate and wonderfully foreshadowed the worship of Jesus by all the Gentile nations  28:19; ROMANS 1:5; PHILIPPIANS 2:9__11; REVELATION 7:9__10; 21:24), GOLD AND FRANKINCENSEAND MYRRH. The number of gifts contributed to the tradition that there were three men, but the actual number is unknown. Frankincense is resin used ceremonially for the only incense permitted on the alter (EXODUS 30:9, 34__38). Myrrh is sap used in incense and perfume and as a stimulant tonic. The gifts were likely used providentially to support the family in their flight to Eygpt. (MATTHEW 2:13__15),
2:13__23 _OT prophecies Are fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah. Matthew explains how Jesus personal history repeats certain aspects of Israel's national history.
2:13 _FLEE TO EGYPT. The Egyptian border lay approximately 90 miles (146 km) from Bethlehem. Jesus and his family would be safe from Herod the Great  in Egypt, since it was outside his jurisdiction.
2:15 _FULLFILL. The prophet Hosea recounted how God had faithfully brought Israel out of Egypt in the exodus (HOSEA 2:15), which Matthew cites in comparing Israel, God's "son," being rescued and delivered, to Jesus, the One who will be revealed as God's true son.
2:16 _ALL THE MALE CHILDREN IN BETHLEHEM . . . TWO YEARS OLD OR UNDER. The small village may have had 10 to 30 boys of that age. Herod the Great's earlier query to the wise men about the time of the appearing of the star (Verse 7) gave him an estimated time of birth for his potential challenger.
2:17__18 _Jeremaih used personification to describe the mothers of Israel (RACHEL) mourning for their CHILDREN who had been removed from the land and carried off into exile, leaving Israel no longer a nation and considered dead (JEREMAIH 31:15). Like the exile, the attempt on Jesus life was intended to wipe out the chosen one of God.
2:22 _ARCHELAUS, one of Herod the Great's sons, succeeded Herod's throne over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea and ruled 4 B.C.__A.D. 6. He was hated by the Jews and displayed the same kind of cruelty that had characterized his father's reign. Ceasar Augustus, fearing a revolution from the people, deposed and banished him to Gaul.
2:23 _NAZARETH, in the lower Galilean hills halfway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee, was a relatively small village (population estimates vary from 200 to 1,600). Luke 1:26__27 and 2:39 indicate that Joseph and Mary had earlier come from Nazareth. HE WOULD BE CALLED A NAZARENE. Matthew is not quoting any soecific OT prophecy but is referring to a general theme in the OT PROPHETS (plural). Thus Matthew is saying that the OT prophets foretold that the Mesiah would be despoised (See PSALM 22:6; ISAIAH 49:7; 53:3; Danuel 9:26), comparable to the way in which the town of Nazareth was despised in the time of Jesus (JOHN 1:46; 7:41, 52). Matthew may also have intended a wordplay connecting the word "Nazareth" to the OT messianic prophecy in Isaiah 11:1, Since "Nazareth" sounds like the word for "branch" in Hebrew, which was a designation for the Messiah "Nazarene" has no evident connection with the OT "Nazirite" vow (NUMBERS 6:2; JUDGES 13:5), which is spelled differently, has no messianic significance, and has no connection with the town of Nazareth.