בְּרֵאשִית Genesis Chpt. 1 part one

“Yeshua responded, ‘You are in error, gone astray, seducing and deceiving, knowing neither ha-ketuvim the Scriptures or the power, the miraculous abundance and strength of God.’”
 
–Mattisiyahu /Matthew 22:29 [Author’s translation]

Introduction:
 
The two primary reasons for the misinterpretation of the Biblical texts are summed up by Yeshua the Messiah in His response to a question posed by some of the צדוקים Tzadukiym (Righteous ones) Sadducees, concerning the resurrection of the dead:
 
“Yeshua responded, ‘You are in error, gone astray, seducing and deceiving, knowing neither ha-ketuvim the Scriptures or the power, the miraculous abundance and strength of God.’”
 
–Mattisiyahu /Matthew 22:29 [Author’s translation]
 
When we rely on our education alone, on empirical data, scientific theory, personal experience or even just plain old common sense, we often find ourselves at odds with the Author of the text of Scripture.
 
Yeshua’s words make it clear to us that the written Scripture must be “known”, and not merely studied or theorized about, and that the miraculous and present power (denoting the work of Ruach Ha-kodesh, the Holy Spirit) must be “known”, and not merely experienced in some temporal way.
 
Moreover, our ability to know is reliant on both the Scripture and the Power (Holy Spirit) of God, Who has first known us.
 
Yeshua Himself is the ultimate convergence of Word and Power.
 
When we bring our intellectual and emotional baggage into our examination of Scripture, we fail to grasp its true meaning. Scripture has an agenda, one that we fail to comprehend when looking through the lens of our pretentious objectivity.
 
To demand that the Scripture submit to science, is best described as the fallible seeking to subdue the infallible. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it” (John 1:5). Am I waging war on science? No! But I resist any mechanism that seeks to manipulate the holy text in order to validate its own agenda.
 
Our greatest hope is not found in our enlightened critique of the text but in the Author of it. No one seeks to learn the true meaning of a book from its readership or from some expert critic of the genre, to the contrary, the true meaning can only be understood in relationship to the Author. In the end, only the Author is qualified to reveal His work.
 
Therefore, it’s in humility that we come to this text. We ask the Author of creation, the Living Word of truth, the Spirit and power of God, to unite what is written with the practice of it. We ask that God purge our hearts and minds of false premises, human pride and the lies of the satanic agenda; cleansing us instead with the washing of His Word (Ha-Davar Ha-Emet) and the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
 
This is not a new hope, but an ancient one. For every beginning has a goal, and the goal of the Beginning is Salvation Himself.
 
Dating and Penmanship of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis:
 
As explained in the previous week’s introduction to בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis, the Author is God Himself and the penman is Moshe, aided by Joshua, who annotated, collated and completed the works written by Moses according to the inspiration of the Ruach Ha-kodesh the Holy Spirit.
 
The scholarship dating of the writing of the text of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis, is as varied as the many (fallible) methods of its calculation. I believe the best educated guess based on Scripture, archaeological evidence and qualifying secular historical record, is that Bereishit was written in approximately 1400 BCE.
 
Is Genesis a Myth?
 
From ancient times the leaders of Israel, both political and spiritual, have understood the text of the Scriptures to be a trifold collection of documents arranged sequentially as Historical, Prophetic and Poetic books. Within these three categories there are sub-categories which allow for the different types of writing amidst the base genre.
 
While it is true to say that Rabbinical Judaism later developed its own pseudo-canonical texts and added a variety of mythological, even esoteric writings, these have never been accepted by the whole Jewish community as inspired Scripture. The Hebrew Cannon known as the TaNaKh remains in structure and form devoid of myth.
 
The TaNaKh, is arranged as follows:

• TORAH: Creation explanation and Historical record, also known as The five books of Moses
• NEVI’IM: Prophetic, The Books of the Prophets (Historical persons writing in a range of styles)
• KETUVIM: Writings, Psalms, Proverbs etc. (Reflections of Historical events and observations of God and His creation)

 
Although there are some intersecting points in the various genres. There is one unifying factor, that of the Historical nature of the events that are recorded and expounded upon.
It’s interesting to note that the Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT) is arranged in the same order as the TaNaKh:

• The four Gospels and the book of Acts are the New Testament equivalent to TORAH: (Telling of the New Creation and the Historical record of the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth)
• Prophetic, The Letters to the Community of Faith are equivalent to the NEVI’IM (Historical prophetic works attributed in the case of the New Testament, to the prophetic voices of Yaakov, Kefa, Shaul, Yochanan, Y’hudah, Bar-navi. Men one might rightly identify as “Prophets” representing God’s will in Yeshua)
• Finally, the book of the Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan is equivalent to KETUVIM, the Writings. Being a book that combines literal, literary, metaphorical, and allegorical styles of writing.

 
Rav Shaul Ha-Shaliach (Paul the Apostle) was aware of the destructive nature of mythos as it began to seep in to the post Hellenistic Jewish culture of the first century C.E. He thus thought it necessary to make a clear distinction between the inspired truths of God’s Word and the mythology of humanity. This is why he wrote to Timothy and Titus regarding mythos.
 
“As I urged you when I departed for Macedonia, that you should remain on at Ephesus so that you might instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation, vain conjecture rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.”
 
–1 Timothy 1:3-4 [Author’s translation]
 
Rav Shaul goes on to say:
 
“But have nothing to do with worldly myths fit only for old women (spoken as wives’ tales). On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”
 
–1 Timothy 4:7 [Author’s translation]
 
And again he writes:
 
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers who enable their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
 
–2 Timothy 4:3-4 [Author’s translation]
 
Finally Paul passes on a warning through Titus:
 
“For this reason rebuke them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and the commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”
 
–Titus 1:14 [Author’s translation]
 
What is abundantly clear from these letters is that Shaul, a devote Perush Pharisee and a Jew of Jews, accepted the teaching of Scripture as factual information and regarded mythos, both that of the Greeks and of the Jews, as a contrary impediment to godliness and the understanding of the true nature of the Gospel of Yeshua.
 
Yeshua Himself testifies to the fact that He accepts the writings of Moshe as factual information which accurately describes Him:
 
““Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moshe, in whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed, were convinced by, trusted in Moshe, you would believe, be convinced by, trust in Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe, trust in his Ketuvim writings, how will you believe, trust in My words?”
 
–Yochanan/John 5:45-47 [Author’s translation]
 
Based on this succinct statement concerning the integrity and historical accuracy of the Scriptures it is true to say that anyone who calls the Scriptures myth is also calling the Messiah a liar. This is of course blasphemy, which stems from the spirit of antiChrist.
 
Conclusion:
 
The Scriptures have been transmitted to us as history, prophecy and poetry; all of which convey a factual account of the physical and spiritual history of humanity as the glory of God’s created order.
 
The Hebrew Writing Genre of Genesis:
 
The text of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis has an authentic literary continuity. This makes it impossible for a sound minded student to accept the lie of redaction theory.
 
The genealogies and events read as historical fact rather than legend or parable. The characters of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis are affirmed as individuals by the wider body of Scripture and even the Messiah Himself is likened to the individual Adam, the first human being [1 Corinthians 15:35].
 
The consistency of the two accounts of creation recorded in בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis chapters 1 through 3, and the subsequent genealogies stemming from the first created human being Adam, show that the intention of the Author was to convey a literal historical account using pictorial language in order to explain the complexity of both the overview of creation (Genesis 1) and the detail of humanity as the glory of creation (Genesis 2-3).
 
As stated previously, the book of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis is part of the Torah, a grouping of historical books upon which the very existence and history of the ethnic people Israel is established. בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis was not included in the Nevi’im (Prophets) or the Ketuvim (Poetic books) because it was not considered to be of the same genre as the works compiled in either of these two categories.
 
It’s true to say that the Torah (including בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis) is the historical starting point for all that proceeds from it. While it uses pictorial language (something you and I use on a daily basis when conveying factual information), it is neither poetic nor allegorical. This places בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis in stark contrast to the New Testament book of Revelation for example, which is in the category of Ketuvim (Poetry, Allegory). Although Revelation draws on the imagery of the factual history of the בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis account, it is nonetheless a book that uses an entirely different means of transmission. We are thus able to draw parallels and make correlations but we are not able to use the book of Revelation as evidence for an allegorical, poetic or metaphorical interpretation of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis.
 
Conclusion:
 
בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis, like the other four books of the Torah, uses pictorial language to convey factual, historical information concerning creation and the journey of humanity and subsequently Israel. Thus building the platform for a spirituality reliant on truth rather than mythological subterfuge.
 
Getting to know the text:
 
The purpose of this first part of our study of Genesis 1:1-2:3 is to simply seek to understand the plain meaning of the Hebrew text devoid of the scientific, philosophical, theological, theoretical and emotional baggage that so often drives our desire to comprehend the depths of Scripture.
 
Therefore, I’ve tried to translate the text as literally as possible in the word order of the Hebrew with qualifying illuminations of the Hebrew and supporting English phrases. My hope is that reading the text this way will help those of you who have no knowledge of Biblical Hebrew, to grasp something of the nature of Hebrew thought.
 
The Text: (Translated from Hebrew by Yaakov ben Yehoshua)
 
בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit, Genesis 1:1-2:3
 
1:1 In the beginning, creating from nothing בָּרָא bara, אֱלֹהִים Elohim made the waters of the sky, and He made the earth הָאָרֶץ ha’aretz:
 
1:2 And the earth came into existence, desolate תֹהוּ tohu and vacant בהוּ bohu, and darkness חֹשֶׁךְ choshekh was over the face of deep, surging, subterranean waters, and רוּחַ Ruach the Spirit, Wind, Breath of אֱלֹהִים Elohim brooded (Like a mother eagle), relaxing, over the face of the waters.
 
1:3 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Be light אוֹר Or”, and light אוֹר Or was:
 
1:4 And saw, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the light האוֹר Or, that it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete, and made a distinction, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, between the light האוֹר Or and the darkness הַחֹשֶׁךְ ha-choshekh:
 
1:5 And proclaimed וַיִּקְרָ֨א Vayikra אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the light, “day” יוֹם yom, and the darkness הַחֹשֶׁךְ choshekh, אֱלֹהִים Elohim proclaimed, “night, spiralling darkness” לָיְלָה laylah and it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom one אֶחָד echad. [אֶחָד echad is a cardinal masculine Hebrew number that is also the Hebrew root meaning,
“complex and intense unity”].
 
1:6 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Be, atmosphere, the visible arch of the sky” by severing the waters and becoming distinct between the waters and from the waters.
 
1:7 And made  וַיַּעַשׂ vaya’as אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the atmosphere, the visible arch of the sky, and distinguished it between the waters that were below the atmosphere and the waters that were above, and the atmosphere came into existence (stood upright).
 
1:8 And proclaimed וַיִּקְרָ֨א Vayikra אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the atmosphere, “Sky waters”, and it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom two שֵׁנִי sheiniy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number].
 
1:9 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “bind together the waters below the sky waters, uniting them in one place, appearing, the dry ground existed, it was so (stood upright).
 
1:10 And proclaimed וַיִּקְרָ֨א Vayikra אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the dry ground, “Earth” אֶרֶץ eretz, and the וּלְמִקְוֵה mikveih (gathering together) of the waters הַמַּיִם ha-mayim, He proclaimed, “Seas” יַמִּים yamiym, and saw אֱלֹהִים Elohim, it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete.
 
1:11 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Sprout forth from the earth הָאָרֶץ ha’aretz vegetation, glistening shoots bearing fertile seed and fruit trees with fruit פְּרִי p’riy, bearing fruit according to their species (kind) on the earth,” existing, it was so (stood upright).
 
1:12 And breaking out of the land, vegetation, glistening shoots, fertile seed and fruit according to their species (kind), and trees bearing fruit with fertile seed according to their species (kind), and seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim perceived that it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete.
 
1:13 And it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom three שְׁלִישִֽׁי shliyshiy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number].
 
1:14 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Exist luminous bodies, in the expanse (space) above the sky waters, distinguishing between the day יוֹם yom and the night לָיְלָה laylah and become signs for the seasons of holy gatherings מוֹעֲדִים moadim, and for days, and years.”
 
1:15 And they came into existence to serve in the expanse (space) above the sky waters, to give the light over the earth, existing, it was so (stood upright).
 
1:16 And making וַיַּעַשׂ vaya’as אֱלֹהִים Elohim, the two luminous bodies which were large, He made the light that was greater to govern the day, and the light that was smaller to govern the night and the stars, rolling, round, pin pricks, blazing, shining.
 
1:17 And gave them, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, to be the light in the expanse, visible arch of the sky, above the sky waters, to be light over the earth.
 
1:18 And to govern in the day and in the night, and to distinguish between the light and the darkness, seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, that it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete.
 
1:19 And it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom four רְבִיעִי reviy’iy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number].
 
1:20 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Breed in the waters small creatures, with souls נֶפֶשׁ nefesh that are living, and let birds that fly be over the earth on the face of the expanse in the sky waters.
 
1:21 And creating from nothing בָּרָא bara, אֱלֹהִים Elohim made sea creatures that were large, and all soul life כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַחַיָּה kol-nefesh ha-chayah that glides, which wriggles and breeds in the waters, according to their species (kinds), and all birds with wings according to their species (kinds), and seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, perceived that it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete.
 
1:22 And blessing them, אֱלֹהִים Elohim said, “Bear fruit, increase, fill the waters of the sea and birds increase in the earth.
 
1:23 And it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom five חֲמִישִׁי cha’mishiy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number].
 
1:24 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Break out on the earth, souls living according to species (kind) as non-speaking beasts and reptiles and strong beasts of the earth according to their species (kind), existing, it was so (stood upright).
 
1:25 And made וַיַּעַשׂ vaya’as אֱלֹהִים Elohim, alive on the earth, according to their species (kind) animals; הַבְּהֵמָה habehemah (strong mammals) according to their species (kind),  and all reptiles and things that creep on the land הָאֲדָמָה ha-adamah according to their species (kind),  and seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim perceived it was טוֹב tov good, whole, complete.
 
1:26 And commanded וַיֹּאמֶר vayomer אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Let us make humanity אָדָם adam in our image (to resemble us), shaped, modelled on us, having authority to rule, (subjugate, tread down) over the fish in the sea and the bird life of the sky waters and over all of the dumb, mute, non-speaking creatures without higher intellect, of the earth הָאָרֶץ ha’aretz, and all the reptiles and creeping, gliding, creatures on the earth.
 
1:27 And creating from nothing בָּרָא bara, אֱלֹהִים Elohim made the specific singular human אֶת־הָאָדָם et ha’adam in His image (to resemble him), in the image of אֱלֹהִים Elohim He created from nothing, him (humanity); male and female, He created from nothing, them.
 
1:28 And blessing them, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, said to them אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Be fruitful, increase, and fill the earth and rule, (subjugate, tread down) over the fish in the sea and the bird life of the sky waters and over all of the non-speaking creatures of the earth הָאָרֶץ ha’aretz, and all the reptiles and creeping, gliding, creatures on the earth.
 
1:29 And said אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Behold הִנֵּה hineih now, listen, pay attention, be prepared, I give you every glistening shoot, seed bearing plant and vegetable which is on the face of all the earth, all the trees that bear fruit and the plants that produce seed are yours, to be food (eating) for you.
 
1:30 And all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the sky waters, and all the creatures that glide, creep and crawl on the earth, and soul life, all of it, to them I give the glistening shoots and young grassy vegetation to devour as food, existing, it was so (stood upright).
 
1:31 And seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, that all which He had made עָשָׂה asah was וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹד v’hineih tov meod behold, now, exceedingly good, whole, complete, and it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom the sixth השִּׁשִּי hashiyhiy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number with the definite article].
 
2:1 And all the sky waters and the earth, everything was completed and vast.
 
2:2 And everything אֱלֹהִים Elohim, in the day seven, finished, from the work He had been making עָשָׂה asah, and He ceased His work in the day seven, from all the works which He had made עָשָׂה asah.
 
2:3 And blessing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, made it, the specific day the seventh אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י et yom hashviyiy, a holy day  וַיְקַדֵּשׁ vakadeish, because on the Shabbat שָׁבַת He ceased from all the works created from nothing בָּרָא bara which אֱלֹהִים Elohim had made לַעֲשׂוֹת la’asot.
 
©2023 Yaakov (Brown) Ben Yehoshua