March 4th Bible Reading

March 4th Bible Reading:

Génesis

CHAPTER 4
(4003 B.C.)
CAIN AND ABEL

And Adam knew Eve his wife (is the Bib-
lical connotation of the union of husband and wife in respect to the sex act); and she conceived, and bore Cain (the first child born to this union, and would conclude exactly as the Lord said it would, with “sorrow”), and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD (by Eve using the title “LORD,” which means “Covenant God,” and which refers to the “Seed of the woman,” [Gen. 3:15], she thought Cain was the Promised One; she evidently didn’t realize that it was impossible for fallen man to bring forth the Promised Redeemer).
2 And she again bore his brother Abel (“Abel” means “vanity;” Cain being the oldest, this shows that Eve by now had become disillusioned with her firstborn, undoubtedly seeing traits in him which she knew could not be of the Promised Seed; she was losing faith in God). And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground (both were honorable professions).
3 And in process of time it came to pass (the phrase used here refers to a long indefinite period), that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (This was probably the first offering that he brought, even though the Lord had explained to the First Family the necessity of the Sacrificial System, that is, if they were to have any type of communion with God and forgiveness of sins. There is evidence that Adam, at least for a while, offered up sacrifices. Cain knew the type of Sacrifice that the Lord would accept, but he rebelled against that admonition, demanding that God accept the labor of his hands, which, in fact, God could not accept. So we have, in the persons of Cain and Abel, the first examples of a religious man of the world and a genuine man of Faith.)
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof (this is what God demanded; it was a blood sacrifice of an innocent victim, a lamb, which proclaimed the fact that Abel recognized his need of a Redeemer, and that One was coming Who would redeem lost humanity; the Offering of Abel was a Type of Christ and the price that He would pay on the Cross of Calvary in order for man to be redeemed). And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (As stated, this was a Type of Christ and the Cross, the only Offering which God will respect. Abel’s Altar is beautiful to God’s Eye and repulsive to man’s. Cain’s altar is beautiful to man’s eye and repulsive to God’s. These “altars” exist today; around the one that is Christ and His atoning work, few are gathered, around the other, many. God accepts the slain lamb and rejects the offered fruit; and the offering being rejected, so of necessity is the offerer.)
5 But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect (let us say it again, God has no respect for any proposed way of Salvation, other than “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” [I Cor. 1:23; 2:2]). And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell (that which filled Abel with peace filled Cain with wrath; the carnal mind displays its enmity against all this Truth which so gladdens and satisfies the heart of the Believer).
6 And the LORD said unto Cain (God loves Cain, just as He did Abel, and wishes to bless him also), Why are you angry (Abel’s Altar speaks of Repentance, of Faith, and of the Precious Blood of Christ, the Lamb of God without blemish; Cain’s altar tells of pride, unbelief, and self-righteousness, which always elicits anger)? and why is your countenance fallen (anger, in one form or the other, accompanies self-righteousness, for that is what plagued Cain; God’s Righteousness can only come by the Cross, while self-righteousness is by dependence on works)?
7 If you do well, shall you not be accepted (if you bring the correct sacrifice, and thereby place your faith)? and if you do not well, sin (a Sin-Offering) lies at the door (a lamb was at the door of the Tabernacle). And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him (the Lord promised Cain dominion over the Earth of that day, if he would only offer up, and place his trust in, the right sacrifice; He promises the same presently to all who trust Christ [Mat. 5:5]).

Cain murders abel

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him (the first murder; Cain’s religion was too refined to kill a lamb, but not too cultured to murder his brother; God’s way of Salvation fills the heart with love; man’s way of salvation enflames it with hatred; “Religion” has ever been the greatest cause of bloodshed).
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel your brother? (Adam sins against God and Cain sins against man. In their united conduct, we have sin in all its forms, and that on the first page of human history.) And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper (He showed himself a “liar” in saying, “I know not”; “wicked and profane” in thinking he could hide his sin from God; “unjust” in denying himself to be his brother’s keeper; “obstinate and desperate” in not confessing his sin)?
10 And He (God) said, What have you done (this concerns man’s sins, the fruit of his sinful nature)? The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto Me from the ground. (There is some Scriptural evidence that Cain cut his brother’s throat. Thus, with the first shedding of human blood, that ominous thought sprang up, divinely bestowed, that the Earth will grant no peace to the one who has wantonly stained her fair face with the life-stream of man.)
11 And now are you cursed from the Earth (Cain repudiated the Cross, murdered his brother, and is now cursed by God; this is the first curse leveled by God against a human being), which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand (was the beginning of what has proven to be a saturation; from then until now, the Earth has been soaked with the blood of innocent victims);
12 When you till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto you her strength (presents the fact that Cain had polluted man’s habitation, and now, when he tilled the soil, it would resist him as an enemy); a fugitive and a vagabond shall you be in the Earth (presents the search, not of a better lot, but under the compulsion of an evil conscience).
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear (Cain did not see the enormity of his sin, but the severity of his punishment; in other words, there was no repentance).
14 Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the Earth (Adam’s sin brought expulsion from the inner circle, Cain’s from the outer); and from Your face shall I be hid (to be hidden from the Face of God is to be not regarded by God, and not protected by His Guardian care); and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the Earth (a wanderer); and it shall come to pass, that every one who finds me shall (seek to) kill me. (The reference by Cain to other individuals proves that in the some 100 plus years since Adam and Eve were created, the first parents had other children. By this time, there could very well have been several thousands of people on the Earth, and no doubt were.)
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold (Cain was allowed to live in order that he might be a perpetual warning to others that the blood of their fellowman must not be spilled; however, very few heeded, as few presently heed). And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him (we aren’t told what the mark was, but evidently, all knew).

The first civilization

16 And Cain went out from the Presence of the LORD (those in rebellion against God do not at all desire His Presence, and for all the obvious reasons), and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden (“Nod” means “wandering;” the majority of the human race “wander,” because they don’t know God and, therefore, have no peace).
17 And Cain knew his wife (Biblical terminology for conception); and she conceived, and bore Enoch: and he built a city (actually means “was building” or “began to build;” the idea is, it was not finished; and so it has been, and is, with the human race; nothing is ever quite finished with the unredeemed, simply because what is built doesn’t satisfy), and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch (carries the idea, due to the meaning of the name Enoch, that this city would be a place of education and learning — but it was education and learning without God).
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat (fathered) Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech (all of this was three hundred or more years after the creation of Adam and Eve).
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah (the first instance of polygamy recorded in the Bible).
20 And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ (it seems that Jubal was the originator of musical instruments; man’s ear is now filled with other sounds than those which issue from Calvary, and his eye is filled with other objects than a Crucified Christ).
22 And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah (Tubal-cain was the first one to begin to work with metals; the name of “Cain” was probably added to show that these were “Cainites;” “Naamah” means “beautiful”).
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. (This is the first recorded poem in human history. Like so much poetry ever since, it glorifies immorality and murder, and denies coming wrath. Man has attempted to deny judgment ever since; nevertheless, judgment one day is coming [Rev. 20:11-15].)

The spiritual seed renewed

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth (after dealing with Cain’s line in the beginnings of corruption of violence, Moses goes back some years to the birth of “Seth;” the Holy Spirit will single out “Seth,” because he was in the lineage of Christ; the name “Seth” means “appointed substitute”): For God, said she, has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. (When “Cain” was born, Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD,” indicating that she believed in the Covenant of Genesis 3:15. Now she uses the term “God,” in effect stating that she has lost faith in the Covenant. As stated, this “seed” would be the one through whom Christ would come, but because of faithlessness, Eve did not know or believe this.)
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos (the name “Enos” means “sickly, mortal, decaying man;” the awful results of the Fall are now beginning to sink in): then began men to call upon the Name of the LORD (probably refers to contempt; quite possibly the family of Cain, knowing that Seth had now taken the place of Abel, as it regards the “firstborn” or “appointed one,” contemptuously refers to them as the “God people,” or the “Lord people”).

February 26: Daily Bible Reading

February 26: Daily Bible Reading
Genesis
CHAPTER 3
(4004 B.C.)
THE FALL OF MAN

NOW the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made (the word “subtle,” as used here, is not negative, but rather positive; everything that God made before the Fall was positive; it describes qualities such as quickness of sight, swiftness of motion, activity of self-preservation, and seemingly intelligent adaptation to its surroundings). And he said unto the woman (not a fable; the serpent before the Fall had the ability of limited speech; Eve did not seem surprised when he spoke to her!), Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? (The serpent evidently lent its faculties to Satan, even though the Evil One is not mentioned. That being the case, Satan spoke through the serpent, and questioned the Word of God.)
2 And the woman said unto the serpent (proclaims Satan leveling his attack against Eve, instead of Adam; his use of Eve was only a means to get to Adam), We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the Garden (the trial of our first parents was ordained by God, because probation was essential to their spiritual development and self-determination; but as He did not desire that they should be tempted to their Fall, He would not suffer Satan to tempt them in a way that would surpass their human capacity; the tempted might, therefore, have resisted the tempter):
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the Garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die (Eve quoted what the Lord had said about the prohibition, but then added, “neither shall you touch it”).
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die (proclaims an outright denial of the Word of God; as God had preached to Adam, Satan now preaches to Eve; Jesus called Satan a liar, which probably refers to this very moment [Jn. 8:44]):
5 For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened (suggests the attainment of higher wisdom), and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (In effect says, “You shall be Elohim.” It was a promise of Divinity. God is Omniscient, meaning that His knowledge of evil is thorough, but not by personal experience. By His very Nature, He is totally separate from all that is evil. The knowledge of evil that Adam and Eve would learn would be by moral degradation, which would bring wreckage. While it was proper to desire to be like God, it is proper only if done in the right way, and that is through Faith in Christ and what He has done for us at the Cross.)
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (presents the lust of the eyes), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the flesh), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat (constitutes the Fall), and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (refers to the fact that evidently Adam was an observer to all these proceedings; some claim that he ate of the forbidden fruit which she offered him out of love for her; however, no one ever sins out of love; Eve submitted to the temptation out of deception, but “Adam was not deceived” [I Tim. 2:14]; he fell because of unbelief; he simply didn’t believe what God had said about the situation; contrast Verse 6 with Luke 4:1-13; both present the three temptations, “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride of life”; the first man falls, the Second Man conquers).
7 And the eyes of them both were opened (refers to the consciousness of guilt as a result of their sin), and they knew that they were naked (refers to the fact that they had lost the enswathing light of purity, which previously had clothed their bodies); and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons (sinners clothe themselves with morality, sacraments, and religious ceremonies; they are as worthless as Adam’s apron of fig leaves).
8 And they heard the Voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day (the “Voice” of the Lord had once been a welcome sound; it is now a dreaded sound, because of their sin; it is not that the Voice of the Lord had changed, for it hadn’t; it was the same Voice that they had heard since creation; He hadn’t changed, but they had): and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the Garden (here is the dawn of a new era in the history of humanity; the eye of a guilt conscience is now opened for the first time, and God and the universe appear in new and terrible forms).
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are you? (This is the first question in the Old Testament. “Where is he?” is the first question in the New Testament [Mat. 2:2]. The Old Testament, God seeking the sinner; the New Testament, the sinner seeking God.)
10 And he (Adam) said, I heard Your Voice in the Garden, and I was afraid (fear is the first reaction of fallen man; Adam’s consciousness of the effects of sin was keener than his sense of the sin itself), because I was naked; and I hid myself (he was naked to the Judgment of God, because of sin, which must be judged; he tried to hide himself from God, even as untold millions have, but never with any success; God wanted Adam to know that he who hides himself from Him is never hidden from Him, and that he who runs away from Him can never escape Him).
11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked (carries Adam’s mind from the effect to the sin that had caused it; as long as a man feels sorrow only for the results of his action, there is no Repentance, and no wish to return to the Divine Presence)? Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? (The way the question is framed removes the pretext of ignorance, and also points to the fact that the sin had been carried out in direct violation of the Divine prohibition [Calvin].)
12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat (Adam first of all blamed God, and then blamed Eve; he recapitulates the history, as if, in his view, it was a matter of course that he should act as he had done; man has been doing this ever since).
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that you have done? (The two questions, “Where are you?” and “What is this that you have done?” comprise the human problem.) And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat (presents Eve blaming the serpent; in a sense, she was blaming God as well, simply because God had made the serpent).

THE ADAMIC COVENANT
AND CURSES

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent (as we shall see, presents no question or interrogation being posed toward the serpent at all; God judges him, and it is in listening to this judgment that the guilty pair hear the first great Promise respecting Christ), Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field (refers to this animal being reduced from possibly the highest place and position in the animal kingdom to the lowest); upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life (if in fact the serpent was an unwitting tool in the hand of Satan, then I think that the Lord would not have placed a curse upon this animal):
15 And I will put enmity (animosity) between you and the woman (presents the Lord now actually speaking to Satan, who had used the serpent; in effect, the Lord is saying to Satan, “You used the woman to bring down the human race, and I will use the woman as an instrument to bring the Redeemer into the world, Who will save the human race”), and between your seed (mankind which follows Satan) and her Seed (the Lord Jesus Christ); it (Christ) shall bruise your head (the victory that Jesus won at the Cross [Col. 2;14-15]), and you shall bruise His Heel (the sufferings of the Cross).
16 Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception (the original Plan of God was that husband and wife would bring sons and daughters of God into the world; due to the Fall, they can only bring sons and daughters into the world in the “likeness of Adam” [Gen. 5:3]); in sorrow you shall bring forth children (as a result of the Fall, children would be born into a world of sorrow); and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you (her husband, instead of God, would now rule over her).
17 And unto Adam He said, Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife (Adam hearkened unto his wife instead of God), and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it (the tree itself contained no evil properties in the fruit; the Fall, as stated, was caused rather by disobedience to the Word of God): cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life (Earth was originally intended to be a paradise, but now it will give up its largesse reluctantly; as well, the phrase, “all the days of your life,” proclaims the death sentence, which means that life is now terminal, all as a result of “spiritual death,” which was, and is, separation from God);
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you (thorns and thistles were not originally in the creation of God, this being a result of the curse, which is a result of the sin of man); and you shall eat the herb of the field (this would not now grow freely, as originally intended, but only now with great care and great labor);
19 In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread (food will be obtained by hard labor), till you return unto the ground (the life-source, which was formerly in God, is now in food, and which is woefully insufficient); for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return (the Power of God alone could keep the dust alive; that being gone, to dust man returns).
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. (God named the man, and called him Adam, which means “red earth.” Adam named the woman, and called her Eve, which means “life.” Adam bears the name of the dying body, Eve of the living soul.)
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them (in the making of coats of skins, God, in effect, was telling Adam and Eve that their fig leaves were insufficient; as well, He was teaching them that without the shedding of blood, which pertained to the animals that gave their lives, which were Types of Christ, is no remission of sin; in this first sacrifice was laid the foundation of the entirety of the Plan of God as it regards Redemption; also, it must be noticed that it is the “LORD God” Who furnished these coats, and not man himself; this tells us that Salvation is altogether of God and not at all of man; the Life of Christ given on the Cross, and given as our Substitute, provides the only covering for sin; everything else must be rejected).

EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil (the Lord knew evil, not by personal experience, but rather through Omniscience; man now knows evil by becoming evil, which is the fountainhead of all sorrow in the world; the pronoun “Us” signifies the Godhead, “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit”): and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever (this would have been the worst thing of all, to have an Adolf Hitler to live forever, etc.):
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden (in effect this was an act of mercy; man is expelled from the Garden, lest by eating the Tree of Life he should perpetuate his misery; but God’s Love for him, though fallen and guilty, is so strong that He accompanies him into exile; as well, through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, Who will be given in Sacrifice, the Lord will show Adam, and all who would follow him, how to come back into Paradise; regrettably, there is no record that Adam and Eve placed any faith in the Lord; unfortunately, untold billions have followed suit), to till the ground from whence he was taken (refers to a place of toil, not to a place of torment).
24 So He (God) drove out the man (implies the idea of force and displeasure); and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubims (these Cherubims signified the Holiness of God, which man had now forfeited), and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life (the “flaming sword” was emblematic of the Divine Glory in its attitude towards sin).

PSALM 3

A PSALM OF DAVID: A PRAYER OF CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD

LORD, how are they increased who trouble Me! many are they who rise up against Me. (The Holy Spirit put these words into David’s mouth the morning after his flight from Jerusalem because of Absalom’s unnatural rebellion. David is seen here as a Type of the Messiah rejected by His Own people. Though surrounded by enemies, he slept in confidence upon the mountainside beneath Jehovah’s sheltering wing, and in the assurance of faith declared that God would lift up his head and destroy his foes. So, even though many of these Psalms speak of David, they more so speak of our Greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, David was a Type of Christ.)
2 Many there be which say of My soul, There is no help for Him in God. Selah. (As Israel said this of David, likewise, they said it of the Lord Jesus Christ [Mat. 27:43].)
3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head (the latter phrase proclaims the fact that it is the Lord Who put David on the throne, and the Lord will keep him on the throne).
4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. Selah. (David believed in prayer, and so should we!)
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me (even though in the midst of a terrible problem, with Absalom trying to kill him, David knew that the Lord was in control).
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, who have set themselves against me round about (the Lord, with one man who believes in Him, is a majority [Rom. 8:31]).
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for You have smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly (a euphemism or allegory portraying the Lord discomfiting our enemies; the idea is, if we are truly right with God, the enemies of the Lord are also our enemies!).
8 Salvation belongs unto the LORD (He Alone can save): Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah. (The blessings surely aren’t on God’s enemies.)

MATHEW
CHAPTER 3
(A.D. 29)
THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

IN those days (immediately preceding the introduction of Christ) came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea (the area near Jericho);
2 And saying, Repent you (recognize one’s wrong direction): for the Kingdom of Heaven (Kingdom from the Heavens, headed up by Jesus Christ) is at hand (was being offered to Israel).
3 For this is he (John the Baptist) who was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the Way of the LORD, make His paths straight (Isa. 40:3).
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan (the Jordan River),
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan (dipped completely under), confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees (two sects of self-righteous and zealous Jews) come to his baptism (Water Baptism), he said unto them, O generation of vipers (snakes), who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits (evidence) meet for (befitting) Repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father (pride): for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham (the Lord has raised up the Gentiles as children unto Abraham [Gal. 3:7, 14]).
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Israel was cut down because of unbelief [Rom. 11:20]).
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto Repentance (Water Baptism was an outward act of an inward work already carried out): but He (Christ) Who comes after me is mightier than I, Whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall Baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire (to burn out the sinful dross [Acts 2:2-4]):
12 Whose fan is in His Hand (the ancient method for winnowing grain), and He will thoroughly purge His Floor (“purging it, that it may bring forth more fruit” [Jn. 15:2]), and gather His Wheat into the garner (the end product as developed by the Spirit); but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (the wheat is symbolic of the Work of the Spirit, while the chaff is symbolic of the work of the flesh).

JOHN’S BAPTISM OF JESUS

13 Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him (signifying the greatest moment in human history thus far; the earthly Ministry of Christ would now begin).
14 But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be Baptized of You, and come You to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now (permit Me to be baptized): for thus it becomes us to fulfill all Righteousness (Water Baptism is a type of the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ [Rom. 6:3-5]). Then he suffered Him.
16 And Jesus, when He was baptized (this was the beginning of His earthly Ministry), went up straightway (immediately) out of the water (refers to Baptism by immersion and not by sprinkling): and, lo, the Heavens were opened unto Him (the only One, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom the Heavens would be opened), and he saw the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him (John saw a visible form that reminded him of a dove):
17 And lo a Voice from Heaven, saying (the Voice of God the Father), This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased (the Trinity appears here: the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and the Son prays [Lk. 3:21]).

I CORINTHIANS
CHAPTER 13
(A.D. 59)
LOVE

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels (actually says in the Greek, “If it were possible to speak with the tongues of men and of Angels”; as well, Paul is not denigrating speaking with Tongues, as some have claimed [I Cor. 14:18]), and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (does not refer to our modern musical instrument which we call by that name, but that which made no more than a clattering sound).
2 And though I have the Gift of Prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all Faith, so that I could remove mountains (tells us that the Gifts of the Spirit can be had by less than perfect people, as should be obvious), and have not charity (love), I am nothing. (We now see the basis on which everything must be built — it is love. If not, we are nothing!)
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned (shifts from Gifts to “Works”), and have not charity (love), it profits me nothing. (As commendable as the acts may be, they bring a grade of zero unless God’s Love motivates them.)

CHARACTERISTICS

4 Charity (love) suffers long (refers to patience), and is kind (represents the second side of the Divine attitude toward human kind); charity (the God kind of Love) envies not (does not want that which belongs to others); Love vaunts not itself (is never a braggart), is not puffed up (is not prideful),
5 Does not behave itself unseemly (is forgetful of self and thoughtful of others), seeks not her own (is unselfish), is not easily provoked (is not embittered by abuse, insult, or injury), thinks no evil (takes no account of evil);
6 Rejoices not in iniquity (never gossips about the misdeeds of others), but rejoices in the Truth (proclaims that which the Word of God identifies as Truth);
7 Bears all things (never complains), believes all things (takes the kindest views of all men), hopes all things (keeps believing for the best), endures all things (puts up with everything).

ETERNAL

8 Love never fails (because love cannot fail): but whether there be Prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be Tongues, they shall cease; whether there be Knowledge, it shall vanish away. (This refers to the fact that the Gifts of the Spirit will not be needed in the coming Resurrection, as well as many other things we could name.)
9 For we know in part (pertains to the “Word of Knowledge,” which is just part Knowledge), and we Prophesy in part (falls into the same category).
10 But when that which is perfect is come (refers to the Rapture of the Church, i.e., the Resurrection), then that which is in part shall be done away (as should be obvious).
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (The Apostle is comparing our present state, “as a child,” to that which is coming, symbolized by a mature adult. That is the difference between the present state and the coming Resurrection.)
12 For now (before the Resurrection) we see through a glass, darkly (can only see the dim outline); but then (after the Resurrection) face to face (we can look and see openly and clearly): now I know in part (have some knowledge); but then shall I know even as also I am known (then everything will be perfect and complete).
13 And now (before the Resurrection) abides Faith, Hope, Love, these three (all three will abide forever); but the greatest of these is Love (it is the greatest because Love alone makes us like God [I Jn. 4:7]).

February 25: Daily Bible Study

February 25: Daily Bible Reading

Genesis

CHAPTER 2

(4004 B.C.)

SEVENTH DAY

THUS the heavens and the Earth were finished, and all the host of them (proclaims the fact that when the heavens and the Earth were completed, they were a brilliant array). 2 And on the seventh day God ended His Work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His Work which He had made (it doesn’t mean that God was tired, for He cannot be such [Isa. 40:28]; it simply means that He had finished the work). 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His Work which God created and made (the Sabbath, or seventh day, or Saturday, the last day of the week, is meant by God to be a Type of the Salvation Rest which one finds in Christ; that’s the reason it was a part of the Ten Commandments).
SUMMARY
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the Earth when they were created (“generations” here refer to “Divine divisions;” it refers to the manner in which all were created, as outlined in Chapter 1), in the day that the LORD God made the Earth and the heavens (presents the new name of God as “Jehovah Elohim”; this Chapter reveals Christ as Jehovah Elohim, man’s Redeemer; the First Chapter reveals Him as Elohim, man’s Creator), 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew (the second day of creation is addressed here, which obviously preceded day three, when plant life was developed): for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the Earth (it seems that rain came to the Earth on day three, which caused the Earth to “bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind”), and there was not a man to till the ground (all of this was before man was created, showing that he had nothing to do with the creation, that being altogether of God). 6 But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground (this pertains to day two of Creation; at that time, day two, there went up a mist from the Earth, which prepared the Earth for the seed which God evidently planted on the beginning of day three, and which rain on day three then brought forth). 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (proclaims the physical body made of clay), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (the “breath of life,” which comes from God, pertains to the soul and spirit of man; this was done with the first man, Adam, God breathing the soul and the spirit into man, and thereafter it comes automatically at conception); and man became a living soul (man is a soul, has a spirit, both which reside in the physical body; the soul addresses the body; the spirit addresses God; the physical body addresses the world).
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
8 And the LORD God planted a Garden eastward in Eden (it was actually planted before Adam was created; the area is believed by some Scholars to be the site where the city of Babylon would ultimately be built); and there He put the man whom He had formed (the Garden of Eden was to be the home place of man). 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight (beautiful trees), and good for food (every fruit tree imaginable, even those which bear nuts); the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden (evidently contained a type of fruit; 3:22 says as much! the Tree of Life had the power of so renewing man’s physical energies that his body, though formed of the dust of the ground and, therefore, naturally mortal, would, by its continual use, live on forever; Christ is now to us the “Tree of Life” [Rev. 2:7; 22:2]; and the “Bread of Life” [Jn. 6:48, 51]), and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (presents the tree of death). 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the Garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads (four rivers). 11 The name of the first is Pison (is believed to be the “Ganges”): that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold (believed to be India); 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone (Verses 11 and 12 present the first mention in the Bible of the precious metal, gold; it is mentioned last in the Bible as it refers to the main thoroughfare of the New Jerusalem, in which we are told is “pure gold” [Rev. 21:21]). 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon (is believed to be the Nile): the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel (is believed to be the Tigris): that is it which goes toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. (These rivers at the present time have their sources far apart. The explanation, no doubt, lies in the flood, which altered the topography of the Earth. The headwaters of the first two were drastically changed, while the last two remain basically the same. In fact, it is believed that the Garden of Eden may have been located, as stated, at the joining of the Tigris and Euphrates, which is the site of ancient Babylon.) 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the Garden you may freely eat (as stated, before the Fall, man was vegetarian): 17 But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it (as for the “evil,” that was obvious; however, it is the “good” on this tree that deceives much of the world; the “good” speaks of religion; the definition of religion pertains to a system devised by men in order to bring about Salvation, to reach God, or to better oneself in some way; because it is devised by man, it is unacceptable to God; God’s answer to the dilemma of the human race is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” [I Cor. 1:23]): for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die (speaks of spiritual death, which is separation from God; let it be understood that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not the cause of Adam’s Fall; it was a failure to heed and obey the Word of God, which is the cause of every single failure; spiritual death ultimately brought on physical death, and has, in fact, filled the world with death, all because of the Fall).
GOD’S FORESIGHT FOR MAN
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone (doesn’t mean that the idea of a companion for Adam suddenly presented itself to the Lord; God never intended that man should be alone); I will make him an help meet for him (this is not meant to infer that the creation of woman was an afterthought; there is no Plan of God that is incomplete!).
ADAM AND THE ANIMAL WORLD
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air (the animals and the fowls were created out of dust, exactly as man); and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof (carried within the name that Adam gave to each one of these creatures are the characteristics of that particular animal or fowl; so we are speaking here of a man who had amazing intelligence; to do all of this, Adam had to have a distinct knowledge of speech, the meaning of all words, and the capacity of attaching words to ideas; why not? Adam had the greatest Teacher that man has ever had, “the LORD God”). 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him (we learn from this that the animal creation was of far greater magnitude and intelligence than at the present; it was the Fall which changed that creation [Rom. 8:19-23]).
THE CREATION OF WOMAN
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept (records the first anesthesia): and He took one of his ribs (the word “rib” here actually means “side”), and closed up the flesh instead thereof (the woman is not merely of a rib, but actually of one side of man); 22 And the rib (side), which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman (the Hebrew says, “built He a woman”; Horton says, “When God created the man, the word ‘form’ was used, which is the same word used of a potter forming a clay jar; but the word ‘build’ here seems to mean God paid even more attention to the creation of the woman”), and brought her unto the man (presents a formal presentation, with God, in essence, performing the first wedding; thus He instituted the bonds of the Marriage Covenant, which is actually called the Covenant of God [Prov. 2:17], indicating that God is the Author of this sacred institution; this is the marriage model, and was instituted by God; any other model, such as the homosexual marriages, so-called, can be constituted as none other than an abomination in the Eyes of God [Rom. 1:24-28]).
THE FIRST MARRIAGE UNION
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh (that is, she is man’s counterpart, not merely in feeling and sense — his flesh — but in his solid qualities): she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man (God did not take the woman out of man’s feet to be stepped on as an inferior; nor out of his head to be put on a pedestal as a superior; but from his side, close to his heart as an equal). 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife (this Passage must be viewed as an inspired declaration of the law of marriage): and they shall be one flesh (points to a unity of persons, not simply to a conjunction of bodies, or a community of interests, or even a reciprocity of affections).
THE STATE OF INNOCENCE
25 And they were both naked (refers to an absence of clothing, at least as we understand such; they were actually enswathed in ethereal and transfiguring light), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (were not asham-ed, because there was nothing of which to be ashamed).

PSALM 2
A PSALM OF DAVID: MESSIAH’S KINGSHIP AND KINGDOM
WHY do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (This is the great gathering of the mighty armies of the Antichrist against Christ in Rev., Chpt. 17.) 2 The kings of the Earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed (the Lord Jesus Christ; this is the Battle of Armageddon), saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (man has ever tried to disassociate himself from God; the first organized effort was the building of the Tower of Babel [Gen., Chpt. 11]; this last great organized effort will be the Antichrist, who will seek to overcome Christ once and for all; as the first failed, so will the last). 4 He who sits in the Heavens shall laugh (man’s great efforts against Christ only produce a “laugh” on the part of the Creator): the LORD shall have them in derision (holds them in contempt). 5 Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure (this pertains to the Second Coming). 6 Yet have I set My king upon My Holy Hill of Zion (which will take place immediately after the Second Coming; the “Blessed Man” of Psalm 1, and the “Crowned King” of Psalm 2 are the One and Same Divine Person, the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God; in both Psalms, He stands in contrast to the first Adam as Man and King in the Earth and over the Earth). 7 I will declare the decree (the Father gives the Son sovereign power over the Universe): the LORD has said unto Me, You are My Son (the Lord Jesus Christ); this day have I begotten You. (What day? The day this was decreed in Heaven, even before the foundation of the world. It speaks of the Plan of God to redeem humanity, by God becoming Man, and going to the Cross [I Pet. 1:18-20.) 8 Ask of Me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance (speaks of two things: the defeat of the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon, and the evangelization of the world), and the uttermost parts of the Earth for Your possession (Christ will rule the entirety of the world in the Kingdom Age, and not the Antichrist). 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel (meaning that the Kingdom Age will come in with great violence; it pertains to the Second Coming, when the Lord will smite the nations [Ezek., Chpts. 38-39; Dan. 2:34-35]). 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, you judges of the Earth (in other words, let this be a warning to you; don’t side with the Antichrist). 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling (the idea is, the Lord is going to win out). 12 Kiss the Son (the Lord Jesus, meaning to embrace Him), lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little (once again, it speaks of the coming Battle of Armageddon). Blessed are all they who put their trust in Him (which holds for all people for all time).

MATHEW

CHAPTER 2

(A.D. 1)

THE VISIT OF THE MAGI FROM THE EAST

NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea (Mic. 5:2) in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is He Who is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His Star in the east, and are come to worship Him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the Chief Priests and Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the Prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the Land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a Governor, Who shall rule My people Israel (Mic. 5:2). 7 Then Herod, when he had privily (privately) called the Wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was (not Bethlehem, but some other place, maybe Nazareth). 10 When they saw the star (where the star stopped), they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house (not the stable where He was born in Bethlehem), they saw the young Child with Mary His Mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
13 And when they were departed, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His Mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son (Hos. 11:1).
SLAUGHTER OF THE CHILDRENIN BETHLEHEM
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise men (they ignored his demand that when they found the Child, they were to come back and report to him), was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and killed all the children who were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the Wise men (these words decide that two years, or nearly so, had elapsed since Herod had seen the Wise men). 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not (Jer. 31:15).
THE RETURN FROM EGYPTTO NAZARETH
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt (this is the third of four dreams given to Joseph by the Lord), 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and go into the Land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young Child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young Child and His Mother, and came into the Land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee (the fourth and final dream recorded as given by the Lord to Joseph): 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene (the word “Nazarene” is meant to portray the action instead of the location; He would be despised, as Nazareth was despised [Jn. 1:46]).

I CORINTHIANS

CHAPTER 13

(A.D. 59)

LOVE

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels (actually says in the Greek, “If it were possible to speak with the tongues of men and of Angels”; as well, Paul is not denigrating speaking with Tongues, as some have claimed [I Cor. 14:18]), and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (does not refer to our modern musical instrument which we call by that name, but that which made no more than a clattering sound). 2 And though I have the Gift of Prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all Faith, so that I could remove mountains (tells us that the Gifts of the Spirit can be had by less than perfect people, as should be obvious), and have not charity (love), I am nothing. (We now see the basis on which everything must be built — it is love. If not, we are nothing!) 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned (shifts from Gifts to “Works”), and have not charity (love), it profits me nothing. (As commendable as the acts may be, they bring a grade of zero unless God’s Love motivates them.)
CHARACTERISTICS
4 Charity (love) suffers long (refers to patience), and is kind (represents the second side of the Divine attitude toward human kind); charity (the God kind of Love) envies not (does not want that which belongs to others); Love vaunts not itself (is never a braggart), is not puffed up (is not prideful), 5 Does not behave itself unseemly (is forgetful of self and thoughtful of others), seeks not her own (is unselfish), is not easily provoked (is not embittered by abuse, insult, or injury), thinks no evil (takes no account of evil); 6 Rejoices not in iniquity (never gossips about the misdeeds of others), but rejoices in the Truth (proclaims that which the Word of God identifies as Truth); 7 Bears all things (never complains), believes all things (takes the kindest views of all men), hopes all things (keeps believing for the best), endures all things (puts up with everything).
ETERNAL
8 Love never fails (because love cannot fail): but whether there be Prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be Tongues, they shall cease; whether there be Knowledge, it shall vanish away. (This refers to the fact that the Gifts of the Spirit will not be needed in the coming Resurrection, as well as many other things we could name.) 9 For we know in part (pertains to the “Word of Knowledge,” which is just part Knowledge), and we Prophesy in part (falls into the same category). 10 But when that which is perfect is come (refers to the Rapture of the Church, i.e., the Resurrection), then that which is in part shall be done away (as should be obvious). 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (The Apostle is comparing our present state, “as a child,” to that which is coming, symbolized by a mature adult. That is the difference between the present state and the coming Resurrection.) 12 For now (before the Resurrection) we see through a glass, darkly (can only see the dim outline); but then (after the Resurrection) face to face (we can look and see openly and clearly): now I know in part (have some knowledge); but then shall I know even as also I am known (then everything will be perfect and complete). 13 And now (before the Resurrection) abides Faith, Hope, Love, these three (all three will abide forever); but the greatest of these is Love (it is the greatest because Love alone makes us like God [I Jn. 4:7]).

February 23: Daily Bible Reading

February 23: Daily Bible Reading from The Expositor´s Study Bible
by Jimmy Swaggart

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS
CHAPTER 1
(4004 B.C.)
THE ORIGINAL CREATION

IN the beginning (refers to the beginning of creation, or at least the creation as it refers to this universe; God, unformed, unmade, uncreated, had no beginning; He always was, always is, and always shall be) God (the phrase, “In the beginning God,” explains the first cause of all things as it regards creation) created the heaven and the Earth (could be translated “the heavens and the Earth” because God created the entirety of the universe).
CHAOS
2 And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep (God did not originally create the Earth without form and void; it became this way after a cataclysmic happening; this happening was the revolt of Lucifer against God, which took place some time in the dateless past). And the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) moved upon the face of the waters (the moving of the Holy Spirit signified and signifies the beginning of life).
FIRST DAY
3 And God said (presents the manner in which creation or re-creation was carried out; some ten times this phrase is used, and in the exact manner, with the exception of the last time, where it says, “And the LORD God said” [Gen. 2:18]), Let there be light: and there was light (God is the essence of light [Jn. 1:4-9]; God’s Word is of such magnitude that light continues to expand in the universe at the rate of 186,000 miles a second). 4 And God saw the light, that it was good (it did what it was designed to do): and God divided the light from the darkness (simply refers to the fact that there were now periods of light and darkness; darkness is simply the absence of light). 5 And God called the light Day (a character description), and the darkness He called Night (has to do with the revolution of the Earth). And the evening and the morning were the first day (literal 24-hour days).
SECOND DAY
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters (refers to an expanse between the waters, so to speak, called “the atmosphere”), and let it divide the waters from the waters (water in the rain clouds and water on the Earth). 7 And God made the firmament (there is a difference in “made” and “created”; “made” refers to something already created, but brought back to a useful existence), and divided the waters which were under the firmament (oceans, seas, rivers, etc.) from the waters which were above the firmament (water in the clouds, which comes down upon the Earth): and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament heaven (the word as used here pertains to the atmosphere around the Earth). And the evening and the morning were the second day (a 24-hour time frame).
THIRD DAY
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place (refers to the places designed for the waters on the Earth, seas, oceans, rivers, etc.), and let the dry land appear: and it was so (refers to the continents being formed, which necessitated great convulsions on the Earth). 10 And God called the dry land Earth (refers to the Supreme Being naming what He had created); and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good (Divine approval). 11 And God said, Let the Earth bring forth grass (a carpet), the herb yielding seed (vegetables), and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind (indicates that the different species of plants are already fixed), whose seed is in itself, upon the Earth: and it was so (the modern dogma of the origin of species by development is unbiblical). 12 And the Earth brought forth grass (at the Word of God), and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind (the first creation of plant life did not come from seed, but that it came into being through the power of the Word): and God saw that it was good (pertains not only to the fact of creation, but as well the order of creation). 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day (on this day was the first creation of life, i.e., “the plants, etc.”).
FOURTH DAY
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night (God is not here creating the sun, moon, and stars, that having already been done “in the beginning”); and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years (refers in essence to “time”): 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the Earth: and it was so (proclaims the fact that God said it, and His glorious Word contained such power that these planetary bodies will ever carry out their prescribed function). 16 And God made two great lights (the sun and the moon); the greater light to rule the day (the sun), and the lesser light to rule the night (in fact, the moon has no light within itself; it is a reflection of the sun, hence much lesser, exactly as the Scripture says): He made the stars also (God “created” the sun, moon, and stars at some unknown period of time “in the beginning,” and afterwards, when preparing the Earth for man, He “made,” i.e., “pointed them in relation to the Earth [regulated them] as light-holders, as measurers of time, and as vehicles of revelation” [Ps. 19]). 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the Earth (refers to their function), 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good (everything is now set for animate life, i.e., “animal life as opposed to plant life”). 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
FIFTH DAY
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the Earth in the open firmament of heaven (here the creatures of the sea are distinguished from all previous creations, and in particular from vegetation, as being possessed of a vital principle; this does not, of course, contradict the well-known Truth that plants are living organisms; only that the life principle of the animal kingdom is different from that of the vegetable kingdom). 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good (some ten times in the First Chapter of Genesis, the phrase, “after his kind,” or similar is used; this completely shoots down the theory of evolution; Science has never been able to cross that barrier and, in fact, will never be able; in other words, there is no such thing as an animal that is half fish and half land animal; as well, there is no such thing as a fish that is half whale and half shark; the barrier regarding the different “kinds” remains, and ever shall remain). 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the Earth (it may be asked as why God did not bless the plant life? of them Moses simply says that God saw that it was good, but He did not bless them; but here, God begins a new way of propagation, namely, that from living bodies come forth other similar living bodies, which is not true of trees and plants; the pear tree, for example, does not bring forth another pear tree, but only a pear, while a bird produces a bird and a fish a fish, etc.; here, then, is a new creative work, for a living body propagates others out of itself; in fact, the Blessing of God means propagation; His Blessing is just as powerful to propagate as His curse is to cut off). 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
THE SIXTH DAY
24 And God said, Let the Earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the Earth after his kind: and it was so (proclaims the fact that God leaves nothing empty that He has made, but furnishes all with His store and riches). 25 And God made the beast of the Earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps upon the Earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good (tells us unequivocally that God designed each species of the animal kingdom in such a way that it cannot be crossed). 26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness (the creation of man was preceded by a Divine consultation; as well, the pronouns “Us” and “Our” proclaim the consultation held by the Three Persons of the Divine Trinity, Who were One in the creative work; “image” and “likeness” enable us to have fellowship with God; however, it does not mean we are gods, or can become gods; “in Our Image after Our Likeness” actually refers to true Righteousness and Holiness [Eph. 4:24]): and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the Earth (this dominion was given by God to man, and is always subject to God; the relationship of man to the balance of creation is now defined to be one of rule and supremacy; the sphere of His lordship is from the lowest to the highest of the subjects placed beneath his sway). 27 So God created man in His Own Image (the word “man” should have the definite article, and should read “the man,” that is, Adam — the same man Adam spoken of in 2:7; these are not, therefore, two accounts of the creation of man, but one Divine statement), in the Image of God created He him (the Image of God was lost at the Fall; however, the restoration of the Image was carried out at the Cross, but the completion of that restoration will not take place until the First Resurrection); male and female created He them (represents, at least as far as we know, the first time that God has created the female gender, at least as it regards intelligent beings; there is no record of any female Angels). 28 And God blessed them (again, speaks of the ability to reproduce), and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth (the word “replenish” carries the idea of a former creation on the Earth before Adam and Eve; according to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, Lucifer ruled this world for an undetermined period of time, and did so in Righteousness and Holiness as a beautiful Angel created by God; if, in fact, he did rule the world at that time, it would stand to reason that there had to be some type of creation on the Earth for him to rule; the word “replenish” refers to that creation), and subdue it (and that man has done; however, he would have done it much sooner, but for the Fall): and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the Earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (refers to the fact that both animals and mankind were vegetarians before the Fall; incidentally, this was changed after the flood [Gen. 9:3]). 30 And to every beast of the Earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the Earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so (this tells us that animals were not originally created as predators; in other words, all animals were then vegetarian as well, which means that all, and not just some, were docile). 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good (means that it was not simply good, but good exceedingly; it is not man alone whom God surveys, but the completed cosmos, with man as its crown and glory). And the evening and the morning were the sixth day (the word “evening” signified the fact that the new day began at sunset, instead of 12 midnight as it presently does in our reckoning of time).

THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PSALM 1
THE GENESIS BOOK: THE BLESSEDNESS OF CHRIST

BLESSED (happy) is the Man (Christ Jesus, Who is our Representative Man [I Cor. 15:47]) Who walks (orders His lifestyle) not in the counsel of the ungodly (but according to the Word of God), nor stands in the way of sinners (doesn’t trod the evil path of sin), nor sits in the seat of the scornful (but rather evidences Faith in God. All 150 Psalms point to Christ, with the exception of the parts that point to the Evil One and his followers. As the Gospels proclaim the acts of Christ, the Psalms portray His Heart, in either His Atoning, Mediatorial, or Intercessory Work). 2 But His (our Lord’s) delight is in the Law of the LORD (God’s Word [119:97-108]); and in His Law does He meditate day and night (this was the manner of Christ as our Representative Man in His Earthly sojourn; as our example, it is meant to be our practice as well). 3 And He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water (symbol of the Holy Spirit [Jn. 7:37-39]), that brings forth His fruit in His season (Jn. 15:1-8); his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever He does shall prosper (“His Leaf” corresponds with the “Tree of Life”; everything that man does dies; everything Jesus does lives forever and is blessed).
THE MISERY OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS
4 The ungodly are not so (speaks primarily of the Antichrist; however, it includes all who follow Satan): but are like the chaff which the wind drives away (no matter how rich, famous, or powerful the ungodly might be, the Lord refers to them as “chaff”). 5 Therefore the ungodly (the Antichrist) shall not stand in the judgment (will not be able to pass muster, so to speak), nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (only those who follow the “Blessed Man,” Who is Christ, are judged as righteous). 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous (Christ and all who follow Him): but the way of the ungodly (the Antichrist) shall perish (it’s either Christ or the Antichrist!).

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

MATTHEW
CHAPTER 1

(A.D. 1)

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST

THE Book (account) of the generation (lineage) of Jesus Christ (Saviour, Messiah), the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (the Incarnation, God becoming man [Isa. 7:14; II Sam. 7:16, 19; Gen. 12:1-3; 17:7; Gal. 3:16]). 2 Abraham begat (fathered) Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab (Rahab was not the actual mother of Boaz, but his mother several times removed); and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her who had been the wife of Uriah; 7 And Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon (about 593 B.C.): 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zerubbabel; 13 And Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus (Saviour), Who is called Christ (the Anointed, the Messiah). 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
18 Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His Mother Mary was espoused (engaged) to Joseph, before they came together (before they were married), she was found with Child of the Holy Spirit (by decree of the Holy Spirit). 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily (to quietly break the engagement). 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name JESUS (Saviour): for He shall save His people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a Virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Isa. 7:14). 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife (immediately went ahead with the wedding ceremony): 25 And knew her not (had no sexual relations with her) till she had brought forth her Firstborn Son: and he called His Name JESUS (meaning Saviour; after the Birth of Christ, Joseph did have relations with Mary, with four other boys being born, and several sisters [Mat. 13:55-56]).