In
the ancient world there were no Bibles; there were scrolls. In the Jewish culture
the most important scroll was called “The Torah.” The Hebrew word
“TORAH” means “Instructions” and “Laws.”
The first section in the Torah scroll is the book we now call “Genesis,”
and it contains “The Stories of the Beginnings.” These stories are primarily
sources of instructions, not laws.
As
readers follow the flow of the text of the Torah, they move from one
story to the next, with each new story adding to the storylines of humanity and
the Israelites. One elohim (god) is the central character and He
interacts with ADAM #1, ADAM #2, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph in the stories in Genesis. Each of these stories play
important roles in Jewish and Christian Biblical Heritages. However, most
Christians are unfamiliar with Jewish interpretations of them – including the
interpretations of the Jewish Jesus. Another reason is that it is impossible
for readers to experience the Hebrew stories beneath their English translations.
I
have been thinking about how to resolve that problem for weeks. I have added a
new section to the BHC website
called “Studying the Sacred Scrolls with Jesus.” In the
past, I presented the teachings of Jesus first, and then identified verses in
the Hebrew Scriptures linked to the teachings of Jesus. In the future I
will provide you with better translations of the Hebrew stories to read first,
and then provide Jesus’ interpretations. This requires a lot of time
and work, so please don’t expect a new translation and commentary to
magically appear online instantly. However, I believe you will benefit from
and appreciate the importance of this approach when you begin to read them.
The First Story in the
Bible
This
story lays the foundation for the Jewish Scriptures that follow, as well as all
of the Judaisms that consider the Torah a sacred text. As I pointed in previous
emails, in the ancient culture of the scribes that produced and copied the earliest
Torah scrolls, knowing which actions had been completed and which had not been completed
was important. The title of this email is “The Creators Vision of the Perfect
World” -- “a world where everything is functioning as the Creator
intended.”
●
Light and darkness are functioning together as
perpetual cycles of time called “Day and Night.”
●
The “Heavens” (solid dome-like structure) is functioning as
a barrier to protect the space inside it safe and as a structure
that supports heavenly bodies.
●
The “Earth” (dry ground called beneath the Heavens) is functioning
as a space for grasses, herbs and fruit trees to grow. The body of
water called “Seas” is functioning as a space for waters to
be gathered beneath the Heavens.
●
The sun, moon and stars are functioning
as lights that separate the
Day from the Night, as signs for seasons, days and years, and as givers of light on the Earth.”
●
The Seas are
functioning as the source of water-souls for creatures that live in waters and winged
creature that fly above the Earth.
●
The Earth is
functioning as the source of earth-souls for creatures that live on it – animals
and humans.
●
Humans are
functioning as creatures created in the image of God doing acts that measure up
to His standard – acts that protect lives, increase the qualities, make lives
more functional, increase the quality of life and act as the Creator’s Co-Shepherds over all life.
●
Humans are
functioning as keepers of the sacred Day Seven on which they retell sacred
stories and teach the Creator’s wisdom.
This is what life would be like in Creator’s perfectly functioning creation. It is a vision that requires humans to fulfill their functions to make it
a reality – especially as “images of God.” That is the standard that humans will ultimately be judged by on the
Great Day of Judgment.
Keep the description of
the “perfect humans” handy so you can use it to measure the actions of people in
future Bible stories. See
if you can spot actions that measure up to it and understand why other actions
failed to measure it. Use it learn lessons about how to live better lives, as well as examine beliefs linked to the biblical stories and create transparency in realities.
As you read the sacred
stories of the Bible, be on the lookout for new values and morals. Being able to articulate your beliefs and why you hold them, your values and morals, and the standards you use to make decisions. This creates a strong foundation
for making new relationships and strengthening established relationships.
Think about the information above
and use it to begin writing your story.
Shalom,
Jim
Myers
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