Genesis and the Law

[Esaias]

Genesis is the first of the five books of the Law. The word Law being "Torah", which literally means instruction or guidance. Most of the Torah (Pentateuch) is found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which are heavily occupied with moral, ethical, civil, and ritual instructions.

Genesis, however, is entirely historical narrative. While it is certainly possible to derive guidance and instruction from historical examples, the inclusion of Genesis as part of "The Torah" implies a bit more than that. Or at least, it implies the histories contained therein are specifically designed to provide instruction (torah) in the same sense the rest of the Pentateuch does, though obviously not using the same mechanism (direct commands).

So how then is Genesis to be used to discover instruction? Without falling into the trap of "mere personal opinion" concerning the lessons and "law" found therein? In what way is Genesis part of the TORAH?

[Esaias]

In looking at this subject, a few things come into focus.

1. Genesis provides a back story that culminates in the Exodus. Not merely a bare historical narrative, but it establishes the Covenantal (and thus the "legal") basis for the Sinaitic Covenant. In other words, the Sinaitic Covenant is shown to be a fulfillment of the Covenantal obligations between Abraham and God, established in Genesis. So that Genesis is to the rest of the Law what the Magna Charta, English Common Law, and colonial Declaration of Independence are to the Constitution and federal and state law. Genesis provides the legal foundation upon which the Sinaitic Covenant rests.

2. Genesis shows via historical narrative numerous examples of moral and ethical decisions and consequences. This demonstrates a universal moral code of conduct was known and in place prior to Sinai. This code governed man's relationship to God as well as to his fellow man.

3. All ten of the Ten Commandments are referenced in Genesis.

4. Numerous other laws and legal concepts are found in Genesis as well: clean vs unclean animals, levirate marriage, laws governing warfare, tithing, parental authority, prostitution (including the penalty), and so forth.

5. Considering the Law with its commandments, statutes, judgments, ordinances, etc were given to Israel as an example other nations were to follow (Deut 4:6-8), Genesis provides further support in that it shows pre-Israelites of varied backgrounds recognizing and following the same basic moral-ethical-religious code that was later codified as "The Law" given to Israel.

[Apostolic1ness]

Good Thought.

[votivesoul]

Very briefly, I think Genesis first shows the creative actions of God, and by showing us these things, show us how, as his representative agents, humans are to embody that creativity by being fruitful and multiplying, adding to the already created order of things that God originally gave. Therefore, the examples of God as Creator are also instructive on how we are to be creative beings.

Additionally, the pre-fall Eden and what God gave Adam and Eve to do there in terms of responsibility is very instructive for any man and woman today and even yesterday, if they want to dwell in the paradise of heaven on earth, such as Eden was.

That, to me, is the most Torah specific area of Genesis. Look at how life was before the Fall and there is much to learn on how to live an overcoming life of faith as a believer.

[votivesoul]

I am reading through Genesis again, in Dr. Friedman's New English Translation with Commentary. Genesis is, without doubt, my favorite portion of the Holy Scriptures. I have read it again and again and it never loses its luster. As such, I am bumping this thread because I think it deserves more attention. Hopefully, more people will take a look at it and add their comments.

[coksiw]

Let's see how Jesus and the Apostles used it:

[Mat 19:7-8 NKJV] 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Paul referring to the beginning also to teach principles: moral or of order:

[Rom 1:26-27 NKJV] 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

[1Co 11:14-15 NKJV] 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for [her] hair is given to her for a covering.

[1Ti 2:12-14 NKJV] 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.


By looking at Genesis creation story to see God's perfect will, I can come to the conclusion that polygamy is not the perfect will of God. He gave Adam one woman. Genesis even records probably the first man to have more than one wife, and it is portrayed negatively as a violent person (Gen 4:19-24). It was probably allowed because of how many males used to die in battle, though.

Likewise, if you study the way the apostles used the law to teach righteousness, you can see that they used the law directly as in "honor your parents", or the principles behind a commandment as in:

"You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." 1Co 9:9, 1Ti 5:18

or as in "And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" 2Co 6:15 and keep reading to see the connection with Deut 7:3-4.

[TGBTG]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

Very briefly, I think Genesis first shows the creative actions of God, and by showing us these things, show us how, as his representative agents, humans are to embody that creativity by being fruitful and multiplying, adding to the already created order of things that God originally gave. Therefore, the examples of God as Creator are also instructive on how we are to be creative beings.

Additionally, the pre-fall Eden and what God gave Adam and Eve to do there in terms of responsibility is very instructive for any man and woman today and even yesterday, if they want to dwell in the paradise of heaven on earth, such as Eden was.

That, to me, is the most Torah specific area of Genesis. Look at how life was before the Fall and there is much to learn on how to live an overcoming life of faith as a believer.

Based on this, would it be fair to say that the vegetarian diet is the best fo us?

Gen 1
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.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Man was not given the permission to eat meat until after the fall.

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by TGBTG

Based on this, would it be fair to say that the vegetarian diet is the best fo us?

Gen 1
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.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Man was not given the permission to eat meat until after the fall.

I don't read those verses as permission, so much as instruction. And if that's the case, since eating of animal flesh is not actually proscribed by God prior to the Fall, then I don't think we can make a claim, either way about what diet is better or best. What we can do, however, is see that after the Fall, humans ate animal flesh, and it was never condemned by God, in general, except for the commandments in the Law regarding clean and unclean foods, while at the same time, the eating of certain animal flesh, was actually commanded by the LORD in the Law.