A Woman Before Eve?

I've always been told and raised to believe that Eve was the first woman created by God. This may still be true. But I can't help but bring up the possibility based on the some of the verses of there being someone before Eve. I'm not saying this is the case, I'm only asking what you think.

These verses come from Genesis (KJV).

For your reference:
Genesis Chapter 1
Genesis Chapter 2

1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Okay. Here in chapter 1, God has created humans (both male and female are created on day 6). Boom. There they are. Both existing.

Now lets go further into Chapter 2 where Eve is created.

2:21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

2:22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

So if Eve is created at the end of Chapter 2, who was the first woman created in Chapter 1?

But it also sounds like on day 6, a man and a woman were both created in the same day. Maybe Adam named all of the animals in that same day when he was by himself and it only took the same day to realize he was lonely and needed a companion so God gave him one (Eve) but that's a lot for one day. But on day 6 male and female were created, that's scripture.

So what do you think? Was there a woman before Eve created at the time of Adam on day 6? Was Adam created, explored Eden and named all of the animals, etc... fell asleep, had a rib removed and Eve created all in a single day (day 6)?

It was just interesting to me that man and woman were created in the same day from what sounded like the same time. Then in the next chapter we hear that Eve was created to keep Adam company. There's a lot of things going on in a single day.

My thoughts?
I think it's probable that the Bible is going back and discussing in detail how it actually happened. Maybe Chapter 1 was a summary as a whole and Chapter 2 is more of a detailed look as to how it actually took place.

What do you think about this topic?

Was Satan's Crime Telling the Truth (even though it hurts)?

We all know that Satan (serpent) was in the garden of Eden with Eve when he convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit. In a way, after reading it, it seems like all the serpent did was offer the truth to Eve (even though the truth would hurt mankind in the long run).

For your reference (KJV):
Genesis Chapter 2
Genesis Chapter 3

God says:
2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Eve and the Serpent speak:
3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

God speaks to someone (see my previous post):
3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:



Summary
God said if they eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they will die.

Satan tells Eve that they will not die if they eat it. That God doesn't want her to eat because her eyes will be opened and she will become like Him and have knowledge of good and evil.

They ate the fruit. Their eyes were opened. They then had knowledge of good and evil just at the serpent said.

God says Adam and Eve has become like Him and have knowledge of good and evil. Then he goes further to say that they can't let the humans eat from the Tree of Life because they will live forever (basically like a God). So he banished them from the garden so they couldn't eat from the Tree of Life.

Conclusion
So, it seems like all the serpent did in this situation was tell Eve the truth. He told her they wouldn't die and they didn't (God said they'd die that day in Gen 2:17). He said their eyes would be opened and they were (Gen 3:7). He said that they would be like God and have knowledge of good and evil, and they gained that knowledge just like God (according to God in Gen 3:22).

Yes, Adam and Eve disobeyed God... a BIG no-no. Did the serpent tempt her by telling this truth, of course this tempted her. But did the serpent actually deceive anyone or was he simply telling a truth the whole time that she didn't need to hear?

What do you think?

Who Was With God Before Man?

Being that it's a new year now (2013), I have decided to start fresh again and read through the Bible on a 1-year schedule. To begin, I was reading Genesis chapters 1-3 last night and its amazing how no matter how many times you read something, there always seems to be new things to pop up. I have had multiple questions already in just these 3 chapters alone that I would love to hear feedback on.

To walk on neutral grounds, I will refer to the KJV of the Bible. In this first post, I'd like to ask Who God Is Talking To?

• Who is God Talking To?
• 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
• 3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:
• At first I thought that maybe he is talking to Angels. However, the Angels were not created in God's image therefore God would not say "our image" because they themselves do not share the same image.
• I then thought maybe it's the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). However, does the Holy Spirit look like a man or is it simply a spirit (was our image created after the Holy Spirit and God's image)? God clearly states "our image" meaning someone else is with God that had his same form just as we do.

It's clear here that God is talking to someone. Who do you think it was? Do we ever know? Was it Jesus before he was born? Was the Holy Spirit? What do you think and why?

Thoughts please...

Coexist - Contradict

Definition: Contradict - to be inconsistent with (a proposition, theory, etc.)

We've all seen these bumper stickers:


There is nothing more contradicting to promote. Here is what the symbols stand for:

The first symbol (moon and star) is an Islam symbol. Second is a Peace symbol. Third is some sort of male/female symbol (maybe homosexuality). Fourth is a Judaism symbol. Fifth (the "i" in the word) is a Wicca/Pagan symbol. Sixth looks like Taoism. Last is Christianity.

FIRST OFF!!!
If you claim to be a Christian and have this sticker, PLEEEEEEEASE comment and express WHY?

Lets begin...

If an Atheist has this on their car, they are contradicting themselves because they aren't supposed to believe in anything. So why promote ALL religions in this statement?

If a religious person has this on their car, they are contradicting themselves because they are suppose to believe in ONE thing. By promoting other religions should be accepted, you are denying your own, falsifying it by even acknowledging other religions are legit.

You are religious or not religious. Don't know that there is an in-between place.

Believer or unbeliever, you are a contradiction to any statement you could be making by having this on your car (Read the above statements again. They are simple to understand). Take it off. Its just ridiculous. This offends Atheists and Religious figures. Its not supporting anyone. If you have this on your car... what are "you" besides out of your mind? You protest that you know nothing.

Plain and simple, who does this support? Why does the "Coexist" bumper sticker "exist"?

Comments please...

Prayer. Good or Bad?

I was reading a book today called "Crazy Love." In the first two chapters alone, it describes how insignificant we really are. Our existance alone is so quick that we are barely even a blip on the timeline. The book also goes further to tell us that we should put faith in God that He will take control over our lives and to ask Him for help if we need aid in life.

This got me thinking.

If I am so insignificant, which in reality I am, then who am I to come to God and ask for anything? Ever. So this proposed a question for me.

Am I worthy enough to ask God of anything?

We are taught to come to Him with our problems. That He will provide. In a way, I feel like coming to Him may be insulting. For example, think about Kings in past. How serious and fearful Kings used to be. If one of the servants/peasants approached the King and asked him if he would handle all their issues for him, I'm pretty sure the King would be insulted. The King would probably be like "Who do you think you are?" But he wouldn't say this in a joking matter. In fact, you can almost bet that if a servant asked a King to do "him" a favor, the King would probably put the servant in his place. The servant almost doesn't even have the right to speak.

With God, He is MUCH more important than a King of any sort. And in comparison, we are even less than a servant as we are merely a "vapor" in existance on the timeline. On the scale of God, we do not even exist. His glory is so unbelievable that we are nothing.

So I wonder (or even fear sometimes)... when I ask God to do silly things in my life; like blessing me with more money, let my team win the game... or wait... here's one.... forgive me of my sins... am I insulting him by even pretending my life and/or problems even matter in His divine plan of the Earth?

My place is at the feet of God (if I'm worthy enough). That can't be argued. That being said, do I really have the right to lift my head and ask Him to do me a quick favor? Who am I to dare ask God to serve me?

We are told its okay to pray and ask for His help, but to honor and respect Him... should we?

Thoughts?

(FYI: No, I am not going to stop praying. I believe our God is a fair God and allows us these perks in following Him, unlike earthly Kings whom are just barbarians. So, yes... keep praying in my opinion. I just posted this because I thought it would be interesting to think about).

Abortion

I've often wondered how some Christians out there think its okay to have abortions. I know there are many different perspectives to this discussion but I honestly just can't find any real evidence (Biblically) that supports abortion. Again, these blogs are based on Biblical studies.

I'll start with something simple and a very straight forward thought from the Bible.

Exodus 21:22-25 (NIV)
22 If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

The KJV version states the same thing (for those of you whom prefer to hear other versions).

This clearly states that if a man kill a baby, he is to be killed. The ol' "eye for an eye" lesson. We're talking here about a man that is angry at a woman and hits her... "accidentally" killing the baby. Even he, according to verse, deserves to die.

Now if even this guy, according to the Bible, deserves to die for this accident, what about doctors and women whom purposely kill children. Have we forgotten about the ol' commandment: Thou shalt not kill?

How is this not murder?

Its simply a woman hiring a man to kill her son. Almost like a hit. Except in this sense, a baby is helpless with no defense. It really doesn't get much sadder than that. People say that the baby hasn't been born yet so it doesn't count. That baby is alive. How does it not count? If it doesn't count because the baby is in a sleep state... then thats agreeing that every person out there in a coma or out cold in a hospital bed should be put to death without exception. Would that be murder?

A baby is actually more "awake" than a person in a coma. They open their eyes and look around (and actually try to swim away from flash lights shining through the belly). They hear with their ears and respond by kicking. They feel because as any doctor can tell you, the baby grasps its umbilical cord with its hand proving that the palm feels it, thus triggering the hand to grasp it.

I could go on and on about this but this about Biblical references.

I honestly think that with the simple verse above with the additional thought of "thou shalt not kill" should be evidence alone to stand against it.

Conclusion?

Abortion is wrong (Biblically). If you absolutely do not want to have a child (in the event of rape or some other misfortune... give it up for adoption. There are plenty of parents out there that are unable to have children that would love to give your child a home. Most are willing to even pay for all of your medical accomidations (appointments, hospital bills, etc...). Some even allow you to still see the child through the years if you wanted to.

Think Biblically. Do the right thing! Save a life instead of taking one (most importantly... not just any life, but your own child's).

What's My Last Name?

So the other day I'm trying to figure out what Mary's (Jesus' mother) last name was. In my research I came to find out that in those days, many people did not have last names. In fact, "most" didn't.

Think about it, many names in the Bible (go through the books of the Bible like Mathew, Mark, Luke and John) do not have last names. I know... you're thinking Simon Paul or Mary Magdaline (if that's spelled right) but maybe those were just considered one whole name... like Mia-Grace or Billy-Joe.

Back to my point. Back in those days, people used references to their city name, their job profession or from whom they decended. For example (these names are fictional for sample purpose):

Mark of Winterville

Timothy the Potter

John, Son of Zebedee

So, with that said... maybe thats how we got some of those last names we have today. Last names like:

Potter

Tailor

Cooke

Smith

Miller

Fisher

Goldman

Booker

Baker, etc.... (tons more)

You get my point. Don't know any of this for a fact. Just something to think about. The more over populated the towns/world became, the use of "last names" became a must.

Thoughts?

Be Thankful!

Many people out there (including many Christians) are not as thankful for the life they have as they should be. Someone may have a job only making minimum wage. They pray every day for a better (higher paying) job but still have yet to get it. They mope around all depressed about they're job that they are unsatisfied with when they should be thankful that they even have a job (especially in today's economy).

I want to express a little scenario to help you understand what I mean.

You come to me and bring a bag of McDonalds food (trying to be nice). I give you a disgusted look and fling the food to the ground saying "I'm not going to eat that! Are you kidding me?" Of course you're shocked and ill at this point that I just disrespectfully trashed the food you presented to me and insulted you.

Now, are you now ready to go out and buy me a steak dinner? I seriously doubt. I think I'd be extremely lucky if you'd ever buy me any food again (even McDonalds).

Heres my point. God may bless you with something small to see how appreciative you are. If you aren't thankful for it and complain... do you really think thats going to make him want to give you a bigger blessing? Based on the scenario above, you most likely wouldn't if you were in His shoes.

Overall point?

Be thankful for EVERYTHING EVERY DAY! No matter what is going on, be thankful. Thank God for the gas in your car. When you drink your bottle of water, give a cheers to heaven and say "Thank you Lord for this delicious water." Have a thankful heart (and be sincere) and you will be amazed at how the blessings will flow and how you'll begin to see life in a beautiful way. You'll truly find happiness in your day.

Have you ever said "Thank You" sincerely with a angry look? How about a sad expression? I sure hope you havn't. Most likely you find yourself feeling really good about yourself and letting out a slight (sometimes big) smile everytime you say "Thank You" to someone.

Say it all day to the Lord. You'll be smiling all day!!!

Jesus: Lord or Stranger?

Here's a little something I've always told people about how they should look at their relationship with Jesus.

Lets look at a sample scenario.

Theres a guy named John that works at a computer office 8 hours a day, every single day of the year. He shares a room with a guy named Larry. John and Larry are the only two in this room, all day, every day. For the 10 years that John has worked there, he very rarely speaks to Larry. Every now and then if John has a question about his work, he'll turn around and ask Larry for help, but other than those occasionaly moments, they never speak.

John goes out every weekend and holiday and never invites Larry to come along. John has his own friends and his own social life that does not ever include Larry.

Would you say John and Larry are close? Although they know each other, would you really even say they were friends?

Well instead of "John," put your name there. Instead of "Larry," put Jesus there. As far as the scenario goes, fill in your lifestyle. Do you ever include Jesus in your life. Do you ever even talk to Him? Many Christians claim to be faithful but yet they do not ever even talk with Jesus unless they occasionally need something from Him. So, for someone that you rarely ever talk to or introduce to your friends or bring with you when you go places... would you consider yourself to be close with Jesus? Think about it!

I find the best place to have a conversation with Jesus is in my car. No one around. Just me and an empty passenger seat. I pretend He is sitting right there and I talk. Not just about "needs" but about things I'm thankful for or just to simply talk about my day. If you are a Christian, you should believe that Jesus is with you at all times. With that in mind, act like He is there. Treat Him like a friend (at least). Talk to Him.

Reincarnation

I know this topic is not biblically related, but it is religion based and this situation came up recently for me to want to express my thoughts. Another reason why you should just believe in Christianity.

First off, so I don't put off the wrong idea, I'm blogging on this because I want to pose my questions/comments out there to how reincarnation makes no sense. But lets start off explaining what it is.

This is a religious-belief believed by many cultures, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. The term "reincarnation" literally means "to be made flesh again." According to doctrine or metaphysical beliefs, it means that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. This part being the "spirit" or "soul." They call this the "higher" or "true" self, the "divine spark." They believe that a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, but some part of the self remains constnt throughout the successive lives. This religion believes in "Karma" which is an action, doing or even a thought that you have. Supposedly if you have negative Karma, you will have negative feedback from life and vice versa. But back to reincarnation. Reincarnation in a gerneral sense means that when you die, depending on how good your life was, you come back as another human (if you lived a good life), an ant (obviously lived a bad life) or anything in between based on your Karma.

Here's where I have a problem with reincarnation. First of all, as an insect (an ant or spider)... how would you live a "good life" to work your way up the chain of command? What's considered a good ant? What can you eat? If you eat anything besides a vegetarian diet... wouldn't you be eating past relatives? I can see it now... eating a chicken leg while having the thought in the back of your mind that its your grandmother.

If you kill and eat an animal, would you be downgraded in death for the murder of a life? Is it alright for an animal to kill and eat a human? How about the fact that there are way more animals/insects/humans dying than human babies being born.

And finally, if you really believed in reincarnation, wouldn't you be sad. Being a human is actually a sad life. There's pain physically, pain emotionally, heartbreak, poverty, perversion, addictions... all the sinful ways of a human being... wouldn't it be sad to look at this life as your "heaven?" Some people are so depressed in this life that they purposely take their own... but at the same time its supposed to be our heaven... as good as it gets. So, if someone believed in reincarnation, you would think they would be sad all the time (which in Karma might downgrade them to a lower being for living a sad life).

I know this was off topic today and I appologize but this is why a Christian should feel blessed. We have a God (the one and only God) that gives us a real heaven and something to look forward to in death. Even for those who are debating on religion, why not a religion that at least makes you feel happy in life. A religion that teaches you morals and promises a perfect life in death.

Why not choose... Christianity?