Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People.
Speaker 2: Let there be light.
Speaker 1: It was like a song, an anthem from his voice.
Speaker 1: Light broke through the noiseless void. At last, it was time.
Speaker 1: One thing remained for the Creator. It was time to
Speaker 1: stamp creation with his image, bearers of his likeness to
Speaker 1: steward the world. God yello him consulted with himself about
Speaker 1: the nature of his next masterpiece.
Speaker 2: Let us craft creatures in our image, imbued with our essence.
Speaker 2: Let us make man as an image of God, to
Speaker 2: steward the fish of the sea, birds of the air,
Speaker 2: and creatures of the earth.
Speaker 3: In the garden, Adam and Eve were united by God,
Speaker 3: our Creator, and their bond became the foundation for ongoing
Speaker 3: human saga of love, unity, and the quest for deeper meaning. Sello,
Speaker 3: my friends, I'm ya l Extein here in Israel, and
Speaker 3: you're tuned into the Chosen People. In each episode, we
Speaker 3: explore the rich tapestry of the Hebrew Bible to uncover
Speaker 3: lessons that still resonate with us as people of faith today.
Speaker 3: If you're inspired by today's episode, please share it and subscribe. Together,
Speaker 3: let's explore our shared heritage and the stories that shape
Speaker 3: our faith. Now imagine this the world is fresh and new,
Speaker 3: a masterpiece straight from God's imagination in the garden of Eden.
Speaker 3: Every creature has a counterpart, a companion. They exist in
Speaker 3: perfect harmony, a symphony of life, orchestrated by God's divine inspiration.
Speaker 3: Except for Adam. Here he is the first man, shaked
Speaker 3: from the dust of this newly formed world, given life
Speaker 3: by the very breath of his creator, and made in
Speaker 3: the image of God himself. But Adam stands alone amidst
Speaker 3: the wonder of creation, aching from a solitude that not
Speaker 3: even the most magnificent surroundings Consuthe God, all seeing and
Speaker 3: all knowing, watches Adam with tender, loving care. He sees
Speaker 3: that it is not good for man to be alone,
Speaker 3: as it says in Hebrew and the scriptures lottv Le,
Speaker 3: Adame Le Hillotte Levade. The stage is set and the
Speaker 3: anticipation builds. A divine solution is at hand. Stay tuned
Speaker 3: for the story of Adam and Eve is about to
Speaker 3: transform a deep solitude into a union destined to echo
Speaker 3: through the ages to the tale of the First Man
Speaker 3: and Woman. Adam and Eve were in Hebrew, as we say,
Speaker 3: Adamb and haav It's beautiful and is also deeply symbolic
Speaker 3: of our need to belong and of our relationship with God.
Speaker 3: Welcome to the beauty of God's perfect design. Welcome to Eden.
Speaker 1: The light of dawn bounced off the morning mist. The
Speaker 1: rays kissed the earth, awakening the flowers and creatures below.
Speaker 1: Leaves dripped mourning dew, falling gently onto the soft dirt.
Speaker 1: It was from the dirt that God would craft his masterpiece.
Speaker 1: His voice rustled the leaves as he spoke. He spoke
Speaker 1: in plurality, representing the essence of the heavenly hosts and
Speaker 1: a divine identity yet to be fully understood.
Speaker 2: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.
Speaker 1: His words were an expression of his intention and a
Speaker 1: command to the earth. It obeyed. The dirt began to stir,
Speaker 1: and the animals scurried and watched from their buyers, waiting
Speaker 1: to see what would happen. A figure began to take
Speaker 1: shape from the earthy claim, like a potter's vessel, slowly
Speaker 1: forming on the wheel. The earth spun to the sound
Speaker 1: of music. The creator's hands moved, precisely, crafting each detail
Speaker 1: with love and care. From the ground, the first man emerged,
Speaker 1: a lifeless being of dust and stone. He stood there, lifeless,
Speaker 1: an unoccupied body in of her soul. The wind whistled
Speaker 1: through the garden and danced around the lifeless figure God's
Speaker 1: life giving power. The ruach blew into his nostrils. The
Speaker 1: man's chest rose, and then he exhaled his first breath.
Speaker 1: He opened his eyes to see the radiant garden glowing
Speaker 1: with color and life. He looked around and beheld the
Speaker 1: trees and every creature looking down on him from a bath,
Speaker 1: He turned, feeling the dirt underneath his toes. The sensation
Speaker 1: of mud, leaves and moss electrified him. He drew another breath,
Speaker 1: feeling the muscles in his chest expanded, then retreat. He
Speaker 1: smelt the air crisp and fragrant from the mist and
Speaker 1: blooming flowers. The man considered his own body, looking at
Speaker 1: his hands, then scanning downward to his bare chest and
Speaker 1: naked legs. His tongue rolled and slid over the roof
Speaker 1: of his mouth. Then, mirroring the Creator, he spoke, who
Speaker 1: am I you are?
Speaker 2: Adam?
Speaker 1: It was his name and his identity. He was the Man,
Speaker 1: the image bearer of the Creator, stamped with something divine
Speaker 1: and filled with the breath of life. Hearing his name
Speaker 1: made his eyes wide. He was aware of himself and
Speaker 1: could discern his identity as separate from the voice that
Speaker 1: spoke to him and the animals observed from a distance.
Speaker 4: Where am I?
Speaker 2: This is Eden? Go explore, survey the splendor of creation,
Speaker 2: and see what I have given you. This land will
Speaker 2: be yours to cultivate and fill as my steward, as
Speaker 2: my image bearer.
Speaker 1: Adam took a step forward, feeling every sensation of existence simultaneously.
Speaker 1: He felt the earth underneath him, the excitement of what
Speaker 1: was before him, and the owe of what was above him.
Speaker 1: He walked between the trees, exploring the boundaries of his
Speaker 1: new home. It was a garden set upon a high place,
Speaker 1: teeming with vibrant life and vibrating with possibilities. Cascading falls
Speaker 1: fell majestically, splitting the earth and flowing downward into great rivers.
Speaker 1: Adam followed the water upward until something caught his eye.
Speaker 1: He was drawn to a light emanating from the peak
Speaker 1: of the falls. He grabbed onto the mossy stones next
Speaker 1: to the falls and climbed up. The waterfall was powerful,
Speaker 1: nearly blowing Adam off the rocks, but he persisted, hair
Speaker 1: dripping with water and determination. He finally summited the falls
Speaker 1: and looked at the source of light. At the top
Speaker 1: of Eden was a tree, towering above all the rest.
Speaker 1: Its branches stretched beyond the clouds, and its roots spread
Speaker 1: throughout the forest. It pulsed with power. The entire garden
Speaker 1: seemed to hum to its heartbeat. Its fruit hung elegantly
Speaker 1: from its branches. Light and sound circled it, then left
Speaker 1: in the breeze to adorn the rest of the garden
Speaker 1: in splendor. What is this?
Speaker 2: This is the tree of life. Its fruit is a gift,
Speaker 2: a gift to be cherished forever. It is the life
Speaker 2: I are for you, a life of unity with me.
Speaker 4: Ah, It's beautiful.
Speaker 2: Look around you, Adam, Everything here is yours to enjoy.
Speaker 2: You may eat of every fruit in this garden, be
Speaker 2: filled to your heart's content.
Speaker 1: The tree of Life pulsed with the sound of God's voice.
Speaker 1: Adam surveyed the garden. He saw birds flying above the
Speaker 1: tree tops and heard the sounds of creatures crying from below.
Speaker 1: Adam's eyes were aglow with possibilities. He saw the fruit
Speaker 1: of the trees and the soil's potential to grow new things.
Speaker 1: He plucked a berry, rolled it between his fingers, and
Speaker 1: pressed it enough to squeeze the juice out. He examined it,
Speaker 1: then held it to his mouth to taste. The sweetness
Speaker 1: lit up his brain and he could feel his body
Speaker 1: receiving it with gladness. He scaled the slope leading to
Speaker 1: another section of the garden. He pressed his hand agains
Speaker 1: against the damp moss and held his nose to the
Speaker 1: blooming flowers. Adam measured through the brush, then paused when
Speaker 1: he heard something. A rustling in the bushes startled at him.
Speaker 1: He stepped back, poised to run. Then from the tall
Speaker 1: ferns emerged a stag. Its antlers stood proudly atop his
Speaker 1: head like a crown. Adam laughed at the sight of him.
Speaker 4: Ha ha, hello there, who are you?
Speaker 1: The two circled each other curiously. The stag bowed its head,
Speaker 1: stamped its hoofs, and then pranced away into the forest.
Speaker 1: Adam ran after it, feeling the muscles in his legs
Speaker 1: extend and contract. He felt the resistance of the earth
Speaker 1: below and the rising of his heartbeat. It was all
Speaker 1: new and exciting. Adam leaped over a stream and dodged
Speaker 1: some low hanging branches. He slid through dirt and water,
Speaker 1: rounded the corner of the path, and then stopped immediately
Speaker 1: when he reached the shadow of another large tree. Its
Speaker 1: trunk was thick and braided, like serpents coiling around each other.
Speaker 1: The branches shot outward and down, making its fruit low
Speaker 1: for picking. The fruit was a deep crimson and perfect
Speaker 1: for one's palm. Adam was drawn to it, but terrified
Speaker 1: by it. At the same time. His body tensed with
Speaker 1: every step as he inched closer to it.
Speaker 4: Every food of every tree is good to eat.
Speaker 1: Right, Adam reached out his hand to touch the fruit,
Speaker 1: but before he could, God interrupted. His voice rushed through
Speaker 1: the forest like the evening wind. Adam recoiled and listened.
Speaker 2: This is the tree of knowledge, the knowledge of good
Speaker 2: and evil. You may eat of every tree in this garden,
Speaker 2: But the tree of knowledge of good and evil you
Speaker 2: shall not eat.
Speaker 1: What will happen if I do knowledge.
Speaker 2: Of good and evil, which leads to evil itself. While
Speaker 2: the tree of life brings eternal life, the knowledge of
Speaker 2: evil brings death.
Speaker 1: Death.
Speaker 2: A choice is before you, Adam. You can freely take
Speaker 2: of the tree of life, nourishing yourself in my abiding love.
Speaker 2: You could live under the comforting canopy of your creator,
Speaker 2: obeying me and partnering with me to cultivate the earth.
Speaker 2: Or you can reach for the tree of knowledge. You
Speaker 2: can awaken your mind to the possibility of evil, seize autonomy,
Speaker 2: and live apart from my place.
Speaker 1: The choice was his. God wouldn't force him to climb
Speaker 1: the hill and access eternal life, nor would he stop
Speaker 1: him from grasping at sin, even if it meant separation
Speaker 1: from all things good. Life was new to Adam, so
Speaker 1: the concept of death was strange. Yet, if God was
Speaker 1: the creator of life and all the beauty displayed before him,
Speaker 1: Adam trusted that God's word was true. Adam looked back
Speaker 1: at the tree. Something caught the corner of his eye.
Speaker 1: He peered closer, but saw nothing He could have sworn.
Speaker 1: He saw a part of the trunk moving. He took
Speaker 1: God at his word and stepped away. Behind him, Tucked
Speaker 1: in the shadow of the tree, two eyes watched Adam leave.
Speaker 1: Adam followed the stap tracts to a clearing in the trees.
Speaker 1: The stag was drinking from the stream just as Adam
Speaker 1: was about to approach it. He saw another deer approach,
Speaker 1: a doe with glistening eyes and a playful wag of
Speaker 1: its tail. The stag perked at her presence and approached.
Speaker 1: They circled each other playfully, then dipped their heads to touch.
Speaker 1: They drank side by side, then pranced around each other
Speaker 1: and back into the forest. Adam smiled, then frowned in confusion.
Speaker 1: He felt a lack an ache in his heart. The
Speaker 1: Creator saw Adam's face. For all the goodness he had
Speaker 1: imbued in creation, one thing wasn't good.
Speaker 2: It is not good for man to be alone. I
Speaker 2: will find a companion suitable for him, one to contend with,
Speaker 2: grow with, and multiply with, one to help love and
Speaker 2: be loved in return.
Speaker 1: Adam ran through meadows and under trees, prancing with deer
Speaker 1: and rolling around with wolf cubs. He studied each bird
Speaker 1: by its song and feather. He understood why some fish
Speaker 1: swam upstream while others remained at the banks of the ponds.
Speaker 1: All the creatures had companions, those to multiply with and
Speaker 1: sing the song of Creation. Although he was in paradise,
Speaker 1: Adam's heart continued to ache. He yearned for someone like
Speaker 1: him that night, Adam rested on a grassy hill underneath
Speaker 1: the stars. The garden mist hovered below, weaving through the
Speaker 1: trees like wandering ghosts. Adam looked up, pondering his future,
Speaker 1: the purpose he had been crafted for. A warm breeze
Speaker 1: enveloped the valley, causing the to sway. God put Adam's
Speaker 1: mind at ease and cradled him to sleep with a
Speaker 1: warm breeze and soothing lullaby of swaying grass and crickets.
Speaker 1: That night, God opened Adam's side, as if making an
Speaker 1: incision with an invisible blade. Carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly, God removed
Speaker 1: a rib from Adam. He didn't take a bone from
Speaker 1: his foot or a piece of his head. He took
Speaker 1: a rib, desiring to craft a companion to walk beside him,
Speaker 1: not under him or above him, but beside. God closed
Speaker 1: up Adam and used the rib to create a new life.
Speaker 1: Flesh sprouted forth from bone like vines around branches. God's
Speaker 1: glorious light danced around it as bone begat bone and
Speaker 1: flesh grew on flesh elegantly. Masterfully, God fashioned a woman
Speaker 1: and placed her gently beside Adam. She lay peacefully and
Speaker 1: still in the tall grass the breeze lifted her hair
Speaker 1: over her face gently, silently, God breathed life into her
Speaker 1: as well. Her chest rose and she exhaled.
Speaker 2: She was alive.
Speaker 1: In the morning, the garden had a symphony of sounds
Speaker 1: and colors. Verdant light delicately touched flower buds. They stretched out,
Speaker 1: receiving its life giving nourishment. Song Birds awakened the rest
Speaker 1: of the forest. Foxes emerged from their burrows, and deer
Speaker 1: drew water from the morning dew. Adam lay there in
Speaker 1: the grass. The light touched his cheek, gently, waking him up.
Speaker 1: His eyes opened slightly, then closed again. He opened them
Speaker 1: again in shock and sprang back. Another creature lay beside him,
Speaker 1: sleeping soundly on the soft earth. What are you? The
Speaker 1: woman opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes were
Speaker 1: filled with awe and curiosity. She wasn't startled or apprehensive.
Speaker 1: She was filled with innocent amazement at the grass below
Speaker 1: and the skies above. Adam stared at her closely. She
Speaker 1: wasn't like the fawn or the birds of the air.
Speaker 1: She was like him. Adam approached slowly. She propped herself
Speaker 1: up and stood across from him. They circled each other
Speaker 1: mirroring each other's movements. Adam stepped to the side. Quickly,
Speaker 1: she stepped to the side. Adam smiled, then spun around.
Speaker 1: She mimicked his movement, returning his smile, but with far
Speaker 1: more grace. Ha, you're like me. Eve tilted her head
Speaker 1: to the side. She smiled with her eyes. It sent
Speaker 1: a pleasant shiver through Adam's body. Feeling jittery, Adam jumped
Speaker 1: up and rolled down the grassy hill. Flower pethals sprang
Speaker 1: up behind him. The woman laughed and leaped after him.
Speaker 1: Adam watched her hips and legs move. He watched her
Speaker 1: chest rise and fall with each breath. She enraptured him.
Speaker 1: They danced around each other, bodies inching closer and closer
Speaker 1: with each spin. Finally, they stood face to face beside
Speaker 1: the waterfall, the sound of rushing waters mixing with their breath.
Speaker 1: The woman tilted her head at Adam and raised her
Speaker 1: hand to his. He did the same. The two touched
Speaker 1: fingers intertwined in perfect connection. She looked at their hands,
Speaker 1: then down at the water. She saw her reflection. She
Speaker 1: was becoming aware of herself.
Speaker 2: Who am I?
Speaker 1: Ah?
Speaker 4: I'm not sure?
Speaker 1: Adam was certain she was like him, but unsure who
Speaker 1: she was. He held a hand to his side and
Speaker 1: touched the scar where God had taken his rib. He
Speaker 1: scanned her up and down. He remembered the stag and
Speaker 1: doe in the forest. He knew she was a mate
Speaker 1: for him, but he sensed she was something more. Adam
Speaker 1: took her hand and brought it to the scar on
Speaker 1: his side.
Speaker 4: You're from me, but who are you? I'm Adam, I
Speaker 4: am Man Adam.
Speaker 1: Knowing his name brought familiarity and intimacy. The woman pondered long,
Speaker 1: repeating his name under her breath.
Speaker 4: Adam, Adam, Adam.
Speaker 5: You are Adam Man?
Speaker 1: Then what does that make me?
Speaker 5: Who am I?
Speaker 1: What should I be called? Adam held her hand gently, tenderly, knowingly,
Speaker 1: he traced the lines of her palms with his fingertips.
Speaker 1: The wind from the rushing waterfall pushed her hair to
Speaker 1: the side. Even in a paradise of unfathomable and divine beauty,
Speaker 1: she was the most breathtaking thing his young eyes had beheld.
Speaker 1: Adam ran a hand through her hair and touched her cheek.
Speaker 4: You are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.
Speaker 4: You are part of me, from me and me I
Speaker 4: am Man, and you a woman.
Speaker 1: Eve. Eve heard her name and became more aware of herself.
Speaker 1: She was distinct from Adam, separate, but still crafted in
Speaker 1: the image of God. She looked at Adam with knowing
Speaker 1: eyes and leaned closer to him. He mirrored her gesture.
Speaker 1: They embraced each other in the safety of the garden.
Speaker 1: They were naked and unashamed. Nothing separated them, no lies,
Speaker 1: no fear, nothing to be hidden or withheld. Their bodies
Speaker 1: intertwined in the flowers and beside the rushing waters. Adam
Speaker 1: was no longer alone. He had a companion, a friend,
Speaker 1: a helper. The two would walk side by side, filling
Speaker 1: God's creation with more image bearers. All seemed perfect good,
Speaker 1: just as God intended. But deeper in the forest, coiled
Speaker 1: under the shadow of the forbidden tree, an evil presence
Speaker 1: waited for its moment to strike. Wow.
Speaker 3: What an incredible story we have so much to learn
Speaker 3: from these early tales of Eden. We've reached the seventh
Speaker 3: day of creation, a day unlike any other. God, having
Speaker 3: woven the cosmos into bean, chooses to rest, as it
Speaker 3: says in the scriptures in Hebrew Bayom Hushfii Shavat Vaina
Speaker 3: fash on the seventh Day, he rested. Now, let's not
Speaker 3: get mixed up. God doesn't rest because of weakness. He
Speaker 3: doesn't get tired or need a break. God was just
Speaker 3: setting a precedent for us human beings, a precedent of enjoyment, contemplation,
Speaker 3: and rest, and he was creating for us a divine
Speaker 3: rhythm of work and rest. In this cadence of creation,
Speaker 3: there's a profound truth for us. We too need rest,
Speaker 3: not just sleep. Sleep is different than rest. What's rest, well,
Speaker 3: rest is a holy pause, a time to stop working
Speaker 3: and to start enjoying life, a time to worship. What
Speaker 3: we need in order to partake in this holy rest
Speaker 3: is the Sabbath. There's a quote by the nineteenth century
Speaker 3: Jewish writer and early Zionist that I love. He said,
Speaker 3: very famously, more than the Jews have kept the Sabbath,
Speaker 3: the Shabbat, as we say in Hebrew, the Shabbat has
Speaker 3: kept the Jews. That quote reminds me that the Jewish
Speaker 3: Sabbath is an incredible gift, one that has helped the
Speaker 3: Jewish people survive and thrive despite thousands of years of
Speaker 3: exile and persecution. And Shabbat the Sabbath is an anchor
Speaker 3: in my own personal life. I can't imagine my life
Speaker 3: without it. But we can all as people of faith,
Speaker 3: benefit from the lessons of the Sabbath in our marriages,
Speaker 3: our friendships, and our communities. We are called to be
Speaker 3: givers and receivers of rest, to support, to uplift, and
Speaker 3: to renew each other. And we can all Christians and
Speaker 3: Jews alike learn from the divine example to work with
Speaker 3: purpose and for rest with purpose. Let's embrace the rest
Speaker 3: of God shabat ba yina fash, as it says in
Speaker 3: the scriptures, and then let's offer that rest to each other.
Speaker 3: This verse also knows that there were no people, yet,
Speaker 3: something God remedies ten verses later when he and I
Speaker 3: quote took the man and put him in the garden
Speaker 3: of Eden to work it and to take care of it.
Speaker 3: Here we'll look at the Hebrew word that was originally
Speaker 3: used in this verse, and that word is shmurrah, which
Speaker 3: means to keep or to observe. He wanted them to
Speaker 3: keep or to observe the garden of Eden. What does
Speaker 3: that mean? The rabbis taught that it wasn't just the
Speaker 3: land that the humans were meant to keep and observe.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 3: Once God gave his people the gift of his word,
Speaker 3: the Torah, the scriptures, we were meant to work it
Speaker 3: through active Bible study, but we were also meant to
Speaker 3: keep and observe its laws, something that the Jewish people
Speaker 3: continue to do all of these thousands of years later.
Speaker 3: It's what keeps the tradition and the scriptures alive. But
Speaker 3: this story doesn't end there. It also gives us the
Speaker 3: first marriage, the first union of man and woman, of
Speaker 3: Adam and Eve. The phrase from the scriptures bone of
Speaker 3: my bones and flesh of my flesh resonates with the
Speaker 3: profound significance deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. When Adam first
Speaker 3: sees Eve, he recognizes her not as a mere companion,
Speaker 3: but as an integral part of himself, an expression of
Speaker 3: his being. Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.
Speaker 3: This recognition is not just poetic, it's actually theological. Bone
Speaker 3: symbolizes strength, the structure and support of our bodies. Flesh,
Speaker 3: on the other hand, denotes vulnerability, a softness that requires protection.
Speaker 3: When Adam declares Eve to be bone of my bones,
Speaker 3: flesh of my flesh, he is acknowledging more than just
Speaker 3: her role as his counterpart. He's expressing a divine truth
Speaker 3: about unity and identity. Eve is not an outsider, she
Speaker 3: is an inseparable part of him, sharing in the same
Speaker 3: essence and existence. This biblical insight extends far beyond the
Speaker 3: marital relationship. Rather, it informs our communities as well. In
Speaker 3: our faith communities, we're often reminded that we are one.
Speaker 3: Each of us is a part of the other, interconnected
Speaker 3: to our shared humanity. This decl in Genesis invites us
Speaker 3: to view each other with dignity and respect, to care
Speaker 3: for each other as we would for our own bodies.
Speaker 3: In our relationships, whether there are romantic relationships, our extended families,
Speaker 3: our communities, or our friends, we are called to recognize
Speaker 3: the same connection. As we all come from Adam and Eve.
Speaker 3: We are all bone of bone and flesh of flesh.
Speaker 4: We are all.
Speaker 3: Made in the image and likeness of God, and we
Speaker 3: are all worthy of dignity and honor. In the ancient world,
Speaker 3: only pharaohs and kings were believed to be made in
Speaker 3: the image of God. So when the Hebrew Bible introduced
Speaker 3: the idea of every human, whether slave or free, rich
Speaker 3: or poor, male or female being made in the image
Speaker 3: of God. It was a new and unique concept. What
Speaker 3: the Bible is telling us, which was once a radical concept,
Speaker 3: is that every life matters. This acknowledgment drives us to
Speaker 3: act justly and love mercy, to bury each other's burdens,
Speaker 3: and to live in such harmony that we truly reflect
Speaker 3: the image of God, who created us to be together,
Speaker 3: to be one. In this unity, we find the fullest
Speaker 3: expression of our humanity and a glimpse of the divine
Speaker 3: purpose for which we were created. As we reflect on
Speaker 3: the union of Adam and Eve and its significance for
Speaker 3: the Christian tradition, let's hear from my dear friend, Bishop
Speaker 3: Paul Lanier.
Speaker 5: Oh thank you so much. Well, you know I've sitten
Speaker 5: here now is listening some time ago to your first
Speaker 5: podcast of the Chosen People, and it was just blowing
Speaker 5: my mind at the profound revelation God is flowing through you.
Speaker 5: So beautiful. Now we're sitting here thinking about that scripture,
Speaker 5: and for yourself or myself, for all of us who
Speaker 5: are a part of this moment. If we can accept
Speaker 5: and believe in the first four words of the Bible,
Speaker 5: in the Beginning gone. If we can believe the first
Speaker 5: five words in the beginning God created, Well, if we
Speaker 5: can go there, we can believe anything. It's extraordinary. And
Speaker 5: that glorious first book of the Hebrew Scriptures tells us
Speaker 5: that he is the beginning. He's extraordinary, he's magnificent, he's glorious,
Speaker 5: and he sits upon that throne, and he has no peers.
Speaker 5: And we begin to pull back some of the layers
Speaker 5: of his magnificence, and we are in awe of him.
Speaker 5: That he's omnipotent, which means he can do all things.
Speaker 5: Scripture asks a rhetorical question, is anything too difficult for God?
Speaker 5: And of course the answer is no. We learn that
Speaker 5: he is omniscient, which means he knows all things you
Speaker 5: can't teach. God he can't learn, because he's the personification
Speaker 5: and the wisdom of all things. He's glorious, he's powerful,
Speaker 5: he is omni present, which means he exists in rules
Speaker 5: and reigns from all space, in all time. And I
Speaker 5: could just go on and on, because I'm like you,
Speaker 5: so in awe of him and just love to declare
Speaker 5: his goodness and his greatness. But we come to this
Speaker 5: part about Adam and Eve. The Bible uses marriage to
Speaker 5: help us understand the intimacy and that covenant relationship between
Speaker 5: God and his chosen people. The prophets of old speak
Speaker 5: of Israel as the wife of God. And then for
Speaker 5: some of us we move to the Christian scriptures and
Speaker 5: we find that intimacy continuing through the person and passion
Speaker 5: of Jesus. You know, throughout his ministry recorded in the
Speaker 5: Christian scriptures, Jesus taught us some of the hard truths
Speaker 5: through stories or what we would call parables, And actually
Speaker 5: from the Christian scriptures we read that jesus first miracle
Speaker 5: ever performed was turning water into wine at a wedding
Speaker 5: of all places. From that genesis we learned that it
Speaker 5: was from Adam's side that came his bride Eve. From
Speaker 5: the Christian scriptures, likewise, we read from the wounded side
Speaker 5: of Jesus upon the chross of Roman crucifixion, came jesus bride,
Speaker 5: who we later recognized as the Church, from the wound
Speaker 5: inflicted by the Roman soldier, and from Jesus' side came
Speaker 5: blood and water. In fact, throughout the Christian scriptures we
Speaker 5: find the Church referred to as the bride of Christ.
Speaker 5: The apostle Paul, as we refer to him, was a
Speaker 5: profound teacher, and he admonished some of the believers in
Speaker 5: the city of Ephesus that husbands should love their wives
Speaker 5: as Jesus loves his church and gave himself up or
Speaker 5: sacrificed himself for his church. And from that same letter
Speaker 5: to the Visions starts talking about apostles and prophets and
Speaker 5: pastors and teachers and evangelists, and who are they and
Speaker 5: what are they about? Well, he says they are responsible
Speaker 5: together to help mature the people of God. So we
Speaker 5: are not tossed here and there believing every kind of doctrine.
Speaker 5: We will not be the baby of Christ, but the
Speaker 5: bride of Christ, and we become corporately who Jesus is personally.
Speaker 5: That's wow, that's so huge. The whole extraordinary conversation would
Speaker 5: surely fit in the category of mystery. I'd have to
Speaker 5: say that word that we find so often in the
Speaker 5: Christian scriptures. Christians would look back to the story of
Speaker 5: Eden and refer to the first Adam. That's what the
Speaker 5: apostle Paul referred to that atom as the first Atom,
Speaker 5: who declared his wife Eve was bone of his bone
Speaker 5: and flesh of his flesh. Well, Christians read from the
Speaker 5: Letter to the Corinthians that every believer is part of
Speaker 5: the body of Christ. Each believer is a member of
Speaker 5: that body, so that some believers are the eyes or
Speaker 5: the ears or the hands extended. But this is important.
Speaker 5: Eyes don't see, and ears don't hear, and hands aren't reaching,
Speaker 5: and feet aren't walking. People here people see. So no
Speaker 5: matter how special my own gift or contribution might be,
Speaker 5: it only gets validated and makes sense and works and
Speaker 5: functions when I'm inseparably, gloriously, supernaturally connected to the rest
Speaker 5: of the Body of Christ.
Speaker 3: I want to leave you with a final blessing in
Speaker 3: English and then in Hebrew. May the Lord bless you
Speaker 3: and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine
Speaker 3: upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord
Speaker 3: turn his face towards you and give you peace yvoresa
Speaker 3: hashen vichmerecha ye hear chempavi le ye saempavile le shaloon
Speaker 3: with blessings from here in the Holy Land Shalloon.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with isl Exstein
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Speaker 1: Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made
Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellavaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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