• Lecture on Genesis (73)

    [Genesis 3:8-9]
    2011.09.16 | Pastor Emeritus Jaerock Lee
    • Scripture

      Genesis 3:8
      [8] They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.


      This is 73rd Lecture on Genesis.
      In the last lecture, you saw that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
      By eating from the tree, they disobeyed the order of God.
      They committed the sin of disobedience.
      As its result, the work of the soul, which belongs to the flesh, began to take place.
      That is, the fleshly thoughts began to work.
      Due to this fleshly thought, Adam and Eve gradually fell deeper and deeper into the flesh.
      The two were already on distant terms with God and the relationship between the two of them was not like before.
      So, let's take a look at the scripture one verse at a time.
      You can find a description "in the cool of the day in Genesis 3:8.
      It may help you understand the 'time flow in the Garden of Eden.'
      Let's say a Korean says, "Right now the wind is getting quite cool in the evening."
      Then, you can easily guess what season it is now, can't you?
      You can simply guess the late summer is over, and it is close to autumn.
      Likewise, the description "in the cool of the day" helps you understand the weather change in the Garden of Eden.
      First off, something that is 'cool' has a temperature which is lower and moderately cold in a pleasant way, but not too low.
      Being 'cool' in the Garden of Eden is, however, somewhat different.
      It rather refers to the state when you can feel comfortable as gentle and soft breezes blow.
      In the Garden of Eden the change of temperature does exist.
      The temperature goes up and comes down.
      Unlike summer or winter of this earth, however, it doesn't become really hot or very cold.
      The weather in the Garden of Eden is always maintained the most comfortably for man to live in.
      Temperature, humidity, wind, and so on are all conditions are in harmony to make the best weather.
      Within a certain range, temperature goes up or comes down a little bit.
      When the temperature goes up, it feels 'warm,' and when the temperature comes down, it feels 'cool.'
      This change in temperature is periodic; it helps people recognize the time flow.
      There is no night in the Garden of Eden.
      Since it is covered by the light of God the Father, there is only day.
      Therefore, the periodic change of temperature determines the passage of time.
      At certain times, people in the Garden of Eden move actively, and at some other time, they rest.
      It's just as we work during the day, and sleep at night.
      When the sun goes down, and it becomes dark, we know that it is time to take a rest.
      The people in the Garden of Eden know that it is time to take a rest when it becomes cool.
      Therefore, the time background of tonight's scripture is 'evening."
      You now see that the time flow, weather change, and many other things in the Garden of Eden are different from the earth.
      Dear brothers and sisters
      Now, Genesis 3:8 mentions about "the LORD God walking in the garden."
      Does it mean that God the Father Himself came down to the Garden of Eden and walked around at that time?
      No, it doesn't mean that.
      God the Father doesn't like the Second Heaven much.
      It is because there is not only Garden of Eden in the Second Heaven, but there is also the Domain of Darkness.
      And the head of the domain is Lucifer.
      Lucifer used to be loved greatly by God, but later she betrayed God and hurt the heart of God so much.
      For this, God the Father avoids coming down to the Second Heaven.
      Of course, when He manifested the work of 6 Day Creation, He Himself came down to the First Heaven.
      On the 2nd day, the domain of darkness was prepared in the Second Heaven.
      From the day forth, Lucifer and the evil spirits began to stay in the domain of darkness in the Second Heaven.
      From that time on, God the Father Himself hasn't come down to the Second Heaven.
      He has usually stays in the 4th Heaven or in the 3rd Heaven.
      Then, how could God talk to Adam?
      How could it possible for Him to teach Adam the knowledge of the truth?
      There was a spiritual tunnel between the 2nd Heaven and the 4th Heaven where God the Father dwells.
      Even on this earth, wireless technology has been quite extensively developed, right?
      You can even have a live video conference with those who live on the other side of the earth.
      The communication technology in the spiritual realm is so far advanced that the people on this earth cannot imagine or imitate it.
      It is very vivid and live.
      You might be confused thinking you are talking to the other in the same room.
      By the way, there was another way God the Father could be with Adam without God Himself coming down to the 2nd Heaven.
      That is; He divided from Himself a spiritual entity, and sent the entity.
      God the Trinity can accomplish the division of Spirit.
      There is one original body, but He can divide from Himself as many entities as He pleases.
      Regarding the division of Spirit by God the Trinity, I explained it in 8 Genesis Lectures from Lecture 4 to 11.
      Now, the scripture says that Adam and EVE "heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden."
      It was the entity of God the Father that came down to the Garden of Eden at this moment.
      The Spirit that is divided from the original body can go anywhere, and the entity can become one again with the original body when returns.
      What the entity sees or feels is transferred to the original body as it is.
      The divided Spirit as an entity speaks and works the same way the original entity does.
      Therefore, even though Adam heard the voice of God's divided entity, he felt it was the voice of original God.
      By the way, it was also even a rare case for the divided entity of God to come down to the Garden of Eden.
      God the Father accomplishes this 'Division of Spirit' only on very special occasions.
      Therefore, if the divided entity of God the Father comes, it is almost the same as His original entity coming down.
      The case of tonight's scripture was rather exceptional.
      Adam and Eve could hear the voice of God who came down to the Garden of Eden as a divided entity.
      The Garden of Eden and the 3rd Heaven are all part of the spiritual realm, but their levels are different.
      As the Garden of Eden is an imperfect spiritual realm, the 3rd and 4th Heavens are perfect realms.
      Neverthless, the people in the Garden of Eden could see the image of God's divided entity, and angels and cherubim.
      On the earth, only those whose spiritual eyes are opened can see the spiritual beings. But in the Garden of Eden, everyone can see them.
      However, God the Father allowed for the original light of God to be seen by our members whose spiritual eyes are not opened.
      He doesn't show it simply as bright and beautiful light, but He puts various shapes and images on it so that you can feel Heaven.
      So, how thankful you should be!
      I hope that you will come much closer to God in this work of God.
      Now, when God came to the Garden of Eden, how did Adam and Eve react?
      They used to welcome God with joy and happiness.
      But now, Genesis 3:8 says, "the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."
      Why did they hide themselves?
      They were no longer confident before God.
      It was the evidence that they themselves recognized that they broke the order of God by committing the sin of disobedience.
      (They must have thought,) "We broke the order of God. God told us not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but we disobeyed it."
      Once they realized what they did like this, darkness came upon their hearts.
      "...What if God knows about it?"
      They became worried and felt fear.
      That's why they hid themselves when they heard the sound of God.
      Jonah the prophet also disobeyed and broke the order God, and it is written in the bible.
      God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and declare to its people that the judgment would come upon them.
      Jonah didn't want to obey this word.
      So, he fled in a different direction.
      And so, Jonah 1:3 says, "But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."
      No matter how good a man is at hiding, can God not find him?
      God clearly even saw when "Jonah went below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep." (Jonah 1:5)
      Likewise, those who believe in God try to avoid the face of God when they disobey the word of God.
      It is just as the darkness is driven away when the light comes.
      The darkness hates the light.
      If someone disobeys the word of God, he surely was incited by Satan.
      He was incited by the enemy devil and Satan, and obeyed them.
      To the extent he does the work of darkness, spiritual darkness becomes cast over his heart.
      Such a man like this cannot but hide himself before God who is light itself.
      As you stay in the dark place and go outside where the sunlight is bright, you cannot easily open your eyes.
      By the same token, the more darkness people have in their hearts, the more they avoid God and the more depart from God.
      On the other hand, those who live by the word of God, who is light itself, are confident coming before God.
      Regarding this, our Jesus said in John 3:20-21, "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
      In addition, Psalm 11:7 says, "For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face."
      And Jesus also said in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
      The children of God should always seek and look for the face of God.
      You should walk in the light all the time and every place, so that you will always be able to communicate with God.
      Psalm 27:8 says, "When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.""
      And Psalm 105:4 says, "Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually."
      Our members will now seek God the Father's grace and His strength with confidence.
      There must not be anyone who does the works that will cause God to turn His face away not to see the works.
      Is here anyone who tries to avoid the face of God like Adam, stays away from the church and the shepherd, and dislikes meeting with the brothers in faith?
      Then, you should look back how much you disobeyed the word of God.
      Those who live by the word of God always want to go to church which is the temple of God.
      They also love the shepherd who delivers the word of God, and they want to stay together with the brothers in faith.
      I hope that all of you will seek the face of God with confidence.
      I do hope that you will communicate with God just as Adam did before he committed sin, and that you will enjoy overflowing grace and blessing.




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