Adam and the beginnings of sin. Genesis 1-3.

 Let’s begin this study with what I consider “the beginning.”

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This statement opens our look into Genesis, but there are a couple of difficulties, and they are:

If you do a bit of a deep dive into verse one, you will find that the simple word "the" did not exist in the Hebrew. That means that this sentence merely reads, "in beginning." "In beginning" implies a process and an indeterminable amount of time. 

Could God create the entirety of creation with one breath? 

Certainly He could, but we do not see that happening here. 

The second consideration unleashes itself when we get to verse two. It reads like this:

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” 
Genesis 1:2 NKJV

If we operate on the basis that God does everything right, then this shouldn’t make sense. We can back up the premise by looking at what Isaiah tells us.

“For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.” 
Isaiah 45:18 NKJV

Since sin is associated with death and destruction, it is evident that sin existed in the world prior to God putting man on the earth and giving him dominion. 

If this train of thought bothers you, then answer this: 

Why was the big, talking lizard (scripture calls him a serpent here, but later on in Revelation, he is referred to as the dragon) hanging out in the tree, which they were forbidden to eat from? 

(Note: Up until Adam ate from the fruit, Satan did not have control of the earth. Through his destructive acts, he created the illusion of control. Adam, by his actions - disobedience of and disregard for God’s command, caused the dominion of the earth to change hands.)

Adam, having set aside God’s commands, created havoc that may have taken days to realize.

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” 
Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV

So, the command, or “law,” was that you shall NOT eat of the tree, and one effect is that the ground is now cursed because of what Adam did.

But what did Adam do? 

He listened to the woman and disregarded God’s command.

The effect of Adam’s actions was a transaction in which the dominion of the earth was handed over to Satan. (There are always those who doubt this, and so I give you the interaction between Satan and Jesus.) 

“Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me.” 
Matthew 4:8-9 AMP

You cannot legally give away something that is not in your possession; that means that it was in Satan’s possession. Jesus did not argue about who controlled the kingdoms and the glory. (If Satan had stated they are mine to give, he would have been correct, and all because of Adam’s actions.) He merely dismissed Satan with a portion of scripture from Deuteronomy. 

“Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” [Deuteronomy. 6:13.] 
Matthew 4:10 AMP

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury tells us, "Here, the words are varied by addition, for the words' and him only shalt thou serve' are not quoted from Deuteronomy but added by our Lord.”

Having been raised in the church, I heard multiple times that Jesus quoted Deuteronomy in withstanding Satan. Now I see that what He said is pulled from several locations and, as God's son, took some creative license. 

What does that tell me? 

That I don't have to be so precise in my assertions toward Satan and in my prayers. This is a convenient revelation, seeing as my memory worsens as I grow older.

A side note for free.

Many will try to tell you that Genesis 1:26-29 is where God puts man on the earth; it is NOT. Pay attention to the terminology used as He creates man and woman in His image. 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 
Genesis 1:26 NKJV

What is the image of God? 

Jesus explained that God is a spirit, and spirits, like the Holy Spirit, don’t have much of a physical image.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 
John 4:24 NKJV

Spirit should be a familiar term to many of us. It is the Greek word pneuma. It is not only wind-air in motion but also the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit.

God also happens to be energy and light, among other things. Consider the burning bush that Moses encountered. It burned like fire, but it was not consumed. For all we know, God is nuclear energy, but it is under control. 

Perhaps the best way to explain this is to understand that God made the spiritual entities that would eventually become the male and female—the beginnings of humanity. So, our mental representation of humankind, at this point, is no different from God’s, and to think differently is pure conjecture.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that, in time, they would have dominion. Synonyms for this word dominion include ascendancy and control, which would happen over everything on the earth. 

Did God merely ignore the fact that Satan would wrest control of the earth away from Adam and Eve? 

I don’t think so; therefore, I can see that WE, as descendants of Adam and Eve, still, in theory, hold that dominion. Having been deceived, I think it would be rare to find anyone exhibiting this dominion – but there are always exceptions.

We see a physical Adam created in Genesis 2:7, a time frame well beyond the seventh day. 

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” 
Genesis 2:2 NKJV

Pay attention to the details.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7 NKJV

Watch what happens next. 

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” 
Genesis 2:8-9 NKJV

So far, there is only the man, Adam. Once again, God saw fit to restate that He had put the man in the garden. 

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” 
Genesis 2:15 NKJV

No one seems to think that Adam had anything to do but name the animals, but that was not the case. 

The word keep is the Hebrew word shâmar and is also seen as care for, dress, look after, and guard. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions give us options such as: have charge of; protect; to keep (within bounds); restrain; pay heed to. 

The terminology implies that the man was given control of the garden. 

The other word that jumps out at me is “tend.” This word is also translated as cultivate or dress. The Hebrew word ‘âbad’ means to labor and do work.

There is nothing about Adam being unable to touch the tree. You would almost think that touching the tree may have been part of his job description. God gave Adam a single, direct command, and its importance cannot be overstated. 

“But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you must not eat. For when you eat from it, you most assuredly will die!” 
Genesis 2:17 TLV

This command, delivered with such gravity, sets the stage for future events.

The King James Version of verse 17 reads like this. 

“for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The Tree of Life Version does not imply a time frame, while the KJV conveys that death would come almost immediately. 

None of this was expressed to Eve by God directly. 

So, how did Eve understand that she was to NOT eat from “that tree”?

Adam had to tell her. 

This information was given to Adam first and then, over the course of an undefined time, to Eve. I can see why Satan’s ploy worked on Eve. Adam, it may have been a different story, but it still worked.

What would the result be if he ate the fruit? 

It is easy to see that a multifaceted death affected even the earth. 

Is it possible that Adam, who had never witnessed death, may not have understood what death meant? 

The effects of eating that fruit meant an instant death, or it meant a slow, lingering death, with the added feature of losing the ability to communicate with the one who brought you into the world. With over 32 translations, obtaining a clear picture of what death meant to them is difficult. 

I am being facetious when I say this, but at least Adam had a good woman to help him keep that one command.

“Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 
Genesis 2:18 NAS95

You should look up these simple words: “a helper suitable for him.” Here, you will find that the phrase ‘êzer neged can mean one who stands in opposition.

So, again, we lack a direct reference to the time involved until Eve is brought into the picture, and we are introduced to the woman. 

“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.” 
Genesis 2:21-22 NAS95

Genesis chapter two closes by saying they were naked and unashamed.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 
Genesis 3:1 NAS95

Think back to this thesis, where God instructed the man about the fruit he was NOT to eat. The NAS95 is a weak translation. Compare it to a couple of others.

(AFV) "Now, the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it true that God has said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’ “

(AMP) NOW, THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field that the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? [Rev. 12:9-11.]

Was Eve given these instructions by God?

We have nothing to indicate that she was; therefore, it is understood that the instructions came from Adam's mouth.

Satan's ploy at deception was meant to provoke the idea that Adam fabricated this elaborate narrative to dominate Eve. Even if it wasn't true, that does not eliminate the possibility that God was lying. If you can't trust God, this narrative about the fruit may also be a fabrication.

The fruit had the ability to damage and change the DNA (With the advent of the COVID-19 vaccines, we have seen evidence that demonstrates this very thing.) Its effects would be distributed throughout humanity and all generations until an all-encompassing redemption was found. Fortunately, God had a plan the entire time.

“but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Genesis 3:3 NAS95

Satan added an untruth, for God never said not to touch it. Adam may have needed to touch it as part of his maintenance program, but God never said don't touch it. Look at the explicit instructions given to Adam in Genesis 2:17 (BSB).

      "16And the Lord God commanded him, 'You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

Eventually, they ignored God's directive (command) and ate.

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
Genesis 3:6 NAS95

Saw is the Hebrew word râ'âh and means to inspect, perceive, or consider.

She weighed all the things Satan said and shoved that fruit in her mouth.

This next aspect is disturbing, as men I have known from church have said to me, Adam was not there, or he was a long way away. Look at what the Holy Spirit intended for us to see.

“she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

And then.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”
Genesis 3:7 NAS95

Eyes are the Hebrew word 'ayin and refer to the physical eye and mental qualities.

Knew is the Hebrew word yâda‛ and implies that they could perceive, discern, distinguish, and experience (what God had already informed them would happen), and not in the best ways.

In all of this, did we see the terminology sin at any point?

No, and while we consistently put human emotions and tendencies on God, we don't see God displaying those emotions either.

How do you define what happened next?

God merely shows up.

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:8-9 NAS95

We do not see violent, angry reactions, nor does the scripture tell us that God went on a rant.

The God of the universe calmly and respectfully called out to the man He created, where are you. He knew precisely where they were, but they were naked, and they knew it. Even amid a treasonous act (which will affect every generation that is to come) God is still showing them respect and allowing for at least Adam to acknowledge his failure/sin.

So, God gave Adam a commandment to live by, just one, and he failed. And Adam didn't have a disposition to sin as we do. He was confronted by the foremost of deceivers.

Try to picture Adam standing there watching, the woman made from his side and brought to Adam as the finest and only woman on the face of the earth, and she just took a big bite out of the only thing on the earth that brings death to them. What goes through your mind?

• Where do I get another woman like this one? This is assuming that there is no replacement. (This opens a massive can of worms I won't go into now.)

• How do I live without her?

• What happens next, because, for all he knows, she may just die in front of me?

The questions could have been endless, and sadly, I can see the human frailty that Adam did not suffer from until after he bit into the fruit, integrated into my every thought. 

Was there a punishment for breaking that command? 

Yes, death, but even though we can see the effects, we do not see God having any conversations describing how the broken fellowship between Adam and God would be the most catastrophic aspect of this death. And all these years later, I still struggle communicating with the Father.

As we know, Adam lived 930 years beyond that moment when he ate the fruit ( and death came). We foolishly make the assumption that this was all that Adam lived. If that is your logic, you would be wrong. The why is entwined in the fact that time was not accounted for until the day that Adam partook of that fruit (there was no reason). What you do not consider is that Adam walked this earth for an untold number of days, during which time he named all the animals on earth.

And yes, many of you think the Earth is only a few thousand years old. You seem to be ignoring information such as: 

• God did not set the sun in the sky until the fourth day. This should have a horrendous effect on your understanding that God functioned within 24-hour periods.

• God did not wear a Timex watch, nor did He concern Himself with time as we know it. Time, as we see in the creation, was relative and defined by associated words. Most of what we see in the creation narrative is described in terms of eons (which happen to be open-ended segments of time).

So, why can we not see that God's moral law ruled over everything? 

Maybe the things I have talked about are some of those “mysteries” that scriptures speak of. I was aware that there was an admonition to not eat from “that” tree, but I never, until I wrote this paper, saw it as a commandment with as much clout as the ten that were to come.

And another thing. I can't ignore how lovingly God treated them even after they sinned, or should I say, broke the law.

Things that puzzle and provoke me. Matthew 3:9-12.

 In the previous post on Matthew 3, we touched on verses 9 – 12, but as I look at these verses again, I see things that provoke and puzzle me. For example:

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
(Matthew 3:9 BSB)

If you are unaware, one of the primary purposes of the seven years of God's wrath is to drive Israel to God and bring about their repentance.

When you read a statement such as “I tell you that out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham,” at the least, it sounds like a threat, as though God is telling the Jewish listener, don't be so sure of yourselves. If you don't know God's capabilities, this thing with the rocks is doable. (Think about it, He -Jesus, created it all and made man from dirt. Dirt is a combination of many things, and one of them is rock.) I cannot begin to imagine what raising up stones as His children would look like, but it would be easy for God to do a substitution. Suddenly, this Gentile, who was graciously adopted into the family, feels very small.

Now look at what Jesus has to say.

“The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
(Matthew 3:10 BSB)

Who is He referring to when He says trees?

The Children of Abraham.

“And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”
(Romans 11:16 NLT)

Many will try to tell you that the Gentile church replaced Israel. NOT by a long shot. The Apostle Paul begins to explain.

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.”
(Romans 11:11-12 NLT)

I can't help but think about the implications where “the axe lies ready at the roots of the trees.”

• If you cut even a single, large root, you will severely damage the tree and possibly kill the tree; death, in this case, is slow. Some of the effects from such damage may have played a role in several tall trees falling due to rain, wind, and who knows what else. Fortunately, no one was struck by the trees.

• Cut all the roots, and you will cut off the water and nutrient supply. Death will come quickly, anywhere from days to weeks.

If you are a farmer and your life is dependent upon the crops you produce, you only buy the best. A tree represented as top quality should not produce bad fruit; if it does, then you have insect damage or soil nutrient issues, which you should have checked. 

But what does Jesus say?

Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I think about my life, where I was raised in the church. Whether I understood what I was doing or not seems irrelevant because I have been able to look back upon these detrimental events and know that God has always been a part of my life. Undoubtedly, I turned my back on God several times as I soaked in my shame, but God NEVER turned His back on me.

This would be an excellent place to throw in my two cents.

First, many have said God cannot look upon sin. Most recently, in my hearing, Pastor Greg Laurie once again made this assertion. The implications are that God must turn His back on you, effectively cutting you off from His active grace and mercy.

Is that true?

No, How can it be? 

Adam and Eve did not only sin (they missed the mark and blew it up for all of us) in the garden, but some feel it is appropriate to say that Adam committed high treason. 

So what did God do in response to their actions?

Turn His back on them?

No, He comes down, as usual, and walks in the cool of the garden, as He always did. Yes, He spelled out what the sin had done and what would continue to happen. But have hope, as Eve's seed would eventually crush the Serpent's head.

And while a rant like this could go on for volumes, let me repeat what the Apostle John told us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
(John 3:16-17 BSB)

Not only did He NOT turn His back on us, but He put Himself on the cross for us. Just the opposite of turning His back.

Did God cut me down and throw me into the fire?

This statement certainly sounds permanent, much like Gehenna/hell, and in a recent conversation with my wife, I think I realized that God had brought the fire into my life to purge and purify me. The circumstances drove me into the Word, where, as one dear lady puts it, it made me a Bible Nerd.
Look at what John the Baptizer has to say in the very next verse,

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
(Matthew 3:11 NLT)

There is that word fire again.

I understand baptism with the Holy Spirit because of statements that Jesus made to explain it. Still, there were the cloven tongues that appeared like fire upon the disciples, equaling about 120 persons. There was obvious evidence of speaking with other tongues and power, which for many equated to boldness.

Jesus had to go so that the Holy Spirit – the comforter, could come, and He did, but along with comfort comes boldness.

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”
(John 16:7 NLT)

People are always willing to fight over terminology, especially if you did not say the correct word by their standards. So let me show you the Amplified translation, as they give more than enough supplementary words to define.

However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
(John 16:7 AMP)

The Holy Spirit, acting on God's behalf and doing only what the Father says, as Jesus did, strengthens our hearts about Jesus.

“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”
(John 15:26 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will abide with you forever. Doesn't this speak of a God that will not let you go?

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”
(John 14:16 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

If you live under a rock and put your faith in Him, the comforter will teach you what you need to know and help you understand. Now, mind you, Jesus was referring to the things the disciples had been told at a time when there were no Bibles, and absorbing the Word of God could only come through repeated hearing from the Torah scrolls - typically kept in the synagogues.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
(John 14:26 NLT)

I tried to run this past the wife, where John the baptist says, “ He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,” and she had to ask me what the fire is supposed to be in our lives. Well, to be honest, I don't know, in spite of the fact that many have tried to explain what they think this is.

Elijah called fire down from heaven upon troops that would take him, prisoner. And when you consider the two witnesses that show up on the streets of Jerusalem after the church has been removed, they are adeptly spewing literal fire upon anyone who tries to harm them.

Here is the drawback to thinking regarding the physical spewing of fire.

James and John exclaimed at one point,

“Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” (Luke 9:54 NLT)

They had no lack of faith that this could be done, but you won't see their potential motivation if you use one of the simplistic translations. So instead, the Amplified expands the verse appropriately and gives you the backreference.

“But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did ?” [II Kings 1:9-16.] (Luke 9:53-54 AMP)

Some things to notice here in this narrative about Elijah. It's an amazing narrative; perhaps you should read it.

• Because at least these two disciples had paid attention that day in synagogue school, James and John had a strong faith that they, too, could call fire down. Paying attention and having Jesus perform miracles on many levels could have built their confidence to the point where they felt they could call down fire on people. It's a fantastic narrative; perhaps you should read it. 

  The context begins in 2 Kings 1:2.

  “One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.” (2 Kings 1:2 NLT)

• So instead of turning to the Lord, he turns to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. On their way to the temple of Baalzebub, the king's messenger meet Elijah.

  “But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” So Elijah departed.” (2 Kings 1:3-4 BSB)

  Of course, there is a God in Israel, but it is so easy to forget, and secondly, no one wants to hear that they are going to die, and the messengers return to Ahaziah.

  “When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” (2 Kings 1:5-6 BSB)

  If you send someone on a mission knowing how long it should take, and they are back within 30 minutes when it should have taken a couple of hours, you know there is a problem. Having had experiences with Elijah, the King asks:

  “The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” “He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.” (2 Kings 1:7-8 BSB)

  I am the king; go get him.

  “Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” (2 Kings 1:9 BSB)

  The response from Elijah to this command.

  “Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.” (2 Kings 1:10 BSB)

  This happened three times, but the third captain was wiser and could see the results of the previous two attempts.

  “So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.” (2 Kings 1:13-14 BSB)

  This response also pleased the Lord, so God gave Elijah the green light to go with the captain. 

  “Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.” (2 Kings 1:15-17 BSB)

  Setting aside the fire momentarily, God carried out His word, and Ahaziah died. There is an intriguing phrase within this paragraph: "So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken.” Wow, I am sure that Elijah merely said what the Lord had told him to say. Perhaps there is a relationship thing that we are missing when we skim over something like this. 

• Jesus didn't denounce the two disciples. The Bible tells us, depending upon the translation, that He reprimanded them.

  The word that the majority of translations use is rebuked.

I'm not too fond of that word because, as a child, I was rebuked savagely, and let's leave it at that.

The word rebuke is the Greek word epitimaō, and the meanings read like this:

REBU'KED, pp. Reproved; reprehended; checked; restrained; punished for faults.

REPROVED, pp. Blamed; reprehended; convinced of a fault.

CHECKED, pp. Stopped; restrained; repressed; curbed; moderated; controlled; reprimanded.

RESTRAINED, pp. Held back from advancing or wandering; withheld; repressed; suppressed; abridged; confined.

Did Jesus control, hold back, curb, restrain, and convince of a fault, these two disciples?

Most certainly, and He did it without rage. He did NOT tell them that what they were proposing was stupid and impossible because it wasn't, but they were learning that they were living in the age of grace. So the instructions that Jesus had repeatedly given them were to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.

Alright, the last verse for this post.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
(Matthew 3:12 ESV)

The idea behind a fork like this is that the lightweight, unwanted portion gets caught by the breeze and moves away, forming a pile of debris while the wheat falls at your feet. 

Eugene Peterson's The Message tells us that “He (God) is going to clean house" soon. He goes on to say, “He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned.”

The seemingly simplistic word burn is the Greek word katakaiō and means to burn down (to the ground), that is, consume wholly.

The King James Concordance tells us that the word katakaiō was used 13x in the New Testament. Revelation 18 is one of those places where the term katakaiō is used and is used concerning Babylon. Many seem to think that Babylon, the physical place, is to be rebuilt.

How about NOT. About a year ago, a Christian archaeologist went to the site of former Babylon and demonstrated how much it matches the description in Isaiah 13.

“And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.” (Isaiah 13:19-22 NASB)

So Babylon is a demonic spiritual entity; watch what happens to it.

"To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.' "For this reason, in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour, your judgment has come.' "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more --” (Revelation 18:7-11 NASB)

And it goes on.

"The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?' "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'” (Revelation 18:15-19 NASB)

One more passage where the word katakaiō is used.

“The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”
(Revelation 8:7 ESV)

When you start with Revelation chapter six, you see the beginning of God's wrath being poured out upon Israel and the nations in the seals. Then, as the seals end, God moves into the “trumpet” judgments that begin in Revelation eight. Remember that the word katakaiō implies a complete burning where nothing is left.

I began this look at Matthew 3:11, where John the baptizer discussed how Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire. I focused on fire and pointed out what it was not. What fire does is purify, so I cannot exclude God from bringing fire into our lives. If it needs to bring that idol you have set up to the ground, let it, as God is purifying you.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
(2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

We will be tested with fire as part of the judgment seat. This is NOT a trying to see if you pass the admission test, but removing those things NOT allowed into the Holy City.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
(1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)

Fire brings warmth and comfort, so I hope you can see yourselves as someone who brings these aspects into the lives of others.