Genesis 3&4 • The Ministry of Death

"For you are dust, and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19b

This week we dove into Genesis 3 &4 and some of our group's takeaways included:

Toil, Curse, & Birth Pains

When God distributed the consequence for disobedience in the garden, we are told that man would now toil to eat as the ground was now cursed and that women would bring forth children in pain. A question raised was how relevant can that be in our modern society when many are born into privilege without even a sense of hardship to provide sustenance. This took us on a discussion and discovery that the Hebrew word for "Toil" in our English translations has a meaning that includes "worry." This made a lot more sense, that the abundant security that was previously known in the boundaries of the garden would no longer be the same now that the knowledge which was forbidden had been accessed. We are also told that women would now have both sorrow and conception increased and that children would be brought forth in pain.

When I think deeply about these words, I notice that a result of the eating of the fruit was increased worry, sorrow, conception, and bringing forth children in pain.

Again, what is the fruit? Knowledge was not yet meant for man; knowledge man had not yet been taught and matured into. So now, having eaten of that knowledge, Adam and Hava (Eve) had become accountable for that knowledge. They had gained the knowledge of how far the nature of man was from the nature of God, which leads immediately to worry and sorrow, and God increases her conception, and yet the knowledge that she now possesses will cause bringing forth children to be pain. For when you know the vast distance between the two natures, that will cause pain as we raise our children. Solomon writes:

"For in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" Ecclesiastes 1:18

This cannot mean that the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is bad because God declared all of creation "good." So where does the sorrow come from?

There are a few verses that come to mind to unearth this mystery.

"In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." Acts 17:30

With the revelation of the resurrection now to go forth into the world, God reveals that He will no longer overlook ignorance, as He has revealed Himself to the world.

Peter warns those who seek to gain knowledge without having the ability to see it through:

For if—after escaping the world’s pollutions through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah—they again become entangled in these things and are overcome, the end for them has become worse than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after learning about it, to turn back from the holy commandment passed on to them.  What has happened to them confirms the truth of the proverb, “A dog returns to its vomit,” and “A scrubbed pig heads right back into the mud.” 2 Peter 2:20-22

This is reminiscent of the great philosopher who once said:

"With great power comes great responsibility." Which is often attributed to either Voltaire of the 18th century or Uncle Ben from Spiderman

So is the case with knowledge. With increased knowledge comes increased accountability. Without the maturity that comes through trusting in the Lord and testing, knowledge will most certainly bring sorrow, worry, and pain. This answers so many questions about why the world is the way it is today. We have been increasing in knowledge of all sorts of things, and yet lacking in our trust and reliance on God.

Sin alone has no Power, only God's Word.

The time spent revisiting the events of Eden this time around and the realization that eating of a tree which was declared to be "good" by the Creator, a tree I believe embodies the Torah, God's instructions and result of either following them or not is what Paul is explaining in his second letter to the Corinthians:

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory—although it was passing away— how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious. 2 Corinthians 3:7

Paul is trying to explain the nature of something so profound, it is incredibly difficult to hold onto it in one's mind. I admit I can only really sift it into clarity for a fleeting moment or two and words completely fail me, but I will still try to gain the ability to clarify it each time.

I believe that Paul is attempting to explain that sin, a transgression of the Law (Torah) does not have the power to corrupt, condemn, or cause an impact over God's creation due to the nature of the act itself. That what gives Sin the ability to cause any result is due to the Word spoken by God. So eating of the tree of Knowledge is not what caused death to come into creation, God's authority over reality and what God speaks is what gives that act power. Therefore, if God is making a decree that something leads to death, that alone is what makes the thing lead to death. That these standards are not able to be discerned as 'good' or 'bad' by our human minds, that they are only 'good' or 'bad' because God has declared them to be so, and when He gives a consequence for violating His standard, it is the declaration, the decree, that allows the act to cause any result. That is why Paul is referring to the Torah as "The Ministry of Death."

When Paul states that the "Ministry of Death" was passing away, while the "Ministry of the Ruach" will be even more glorious than the former, Paul is not disparaging or tossing aside the former. In fact, Paul calls it glorious as well!

Both the Way of Life and Death are found in the written word of the Torah:

“I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life so that you and your descendants may live, by loving Adonai your God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell on the land that Adonai swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give them. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

The Ministry of death is the power that God's decrees give over us, the Word is what gives it the power of death. The Ministry of the Spirit gives us the power to overcome the Ministry of Death. God cannot reverse His Word, He can, however, use His Word to give us the power to Overcome the decree of the former. When Paul says "is passing away" Paul knows that with the power to overcome the Ministry of the 1st, by the power of the Ministry of the 2nd, that the result (the power of sin and death) are slowly and will finally pass away.

We see this exemplified in the story of Esther: The King cannot reverse the decree that sentences the Jews to death. However, Esther gives a decree that provides the ability for them to defend and overcome the condemnation of the first decree.

Self preservation begats violence.

The Gospel is born out of this moment, our blessed hope, and the first covenant promise between God and Man is made.

I will put animosity between you and the woman—between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. Genesis 3:15

From here, we are introduced to the next generation, the first generation to be brought forth from the womb, out of the Garden, which is now guarded by a Kerubim, a warrior angel and a flaming sword.

This brought to mind that the only way for us to return to Eden is that one must do so by way of the Sword (Word of God) and by being refined in Fire.

Now the man had relations with Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I produced a man with Adonai.” Then she gave birth again, to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of flocks while Cain became a worker of the ground. Genesis 4:1-2

Something I never noticed before is that in the record of the births of Cain & Abel, there is not a second conception recorded for Abel. This goes against the pattern of the way births are recorded in the Bible. So here we are with the first set of Twins, two seeds and two outcomes. However, we also are presented with the concept that that which appears to be reality here in this world, in this age, is always the exact opposite of the reality of Heaven.

Cain, who keeps the best of his possession, the fruits of his labor for himself appears to walk away with his life, he gets married, has kids, builds a city even. Meanwhile, Abel, the one who obediently offered the very best he had to God loses his life and seemingly the hope of the promise which would have obviously been sitting upon his shoulders in the hearts and eyes of his parents along with it.

God Declares the End from the Beginning.

Upon the birth of Seth we are given a foreshadowing of things to come and the nature of God's reality in the names of the three sons:

Cain or Qayin in Hebrew means to possess or to acquire.

Abel or Hevel in Hebrew means to be empty, or vapor.

Seth or Sheth in Hebrew means Appointed.

And so here is the hidden message: The one who possesses slays the one who empties himself and each is appointed. What do Yeshua & Paul reveal to us about this dichotomy?

"He who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it forever." - John 12:25

"For God did not destine us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9

The promise of the seed is partially confirmed through Cain & Abel. We see the first of the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent displayed. The seed of the Woman, which ultimately will be fulfilled in Messiah, and then even more fulfilled in those who identify with Him as the obedient remnant, The Bride of God. The seed of the serpent is that of the adversary, of rebellion, who opposes the commands and trust in God.

Cain, the seed of the serpent, the one who works to acquire in this life, though he has the appearance of possessing blessing, is appointed to wrath. Abel, the one who empties himself and gives everything asked of Him to God, though he has the appearance of having been slain, of having lost everything, is appointed to Eternal Life.

But Adonai said to him, “In that case, anyone who kills Cain is to be avenged seven times over.” So Adonai put a mark on Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down. Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden. Genesis 4:15-16

In this passage is another foreshadowing of the fate of the seed of the serpent. Cain is given a mark of protection under the threat of being avenged by God. He left the presence of God and wandered. We know that Israel wandered in the desert due to their disobedience, they were marked for wrath after not entering the Land of Promise, and yet their offspring were spared to enter the land with Joshua and Caleb instead.

In Revelation 7, a remnant is marked with a seal, 12,000 of each of 12 tribes during the tribulation, who are referred to as Servants of our God. As with all of the rebellions in Genesis, there does appear to be a reversal of a greater magnitude for each of these instances.

The fate of those who follow in "The Way of Cain" is given as a stark warning to the reader in the book of Jude.

Woe to them! For they went the way of Cain; they were consumed for pay in Balaam’s error; and in Korah’s rebellion, they have been destroyed. Jude 1:11

I have spent much time trying to connect the similarities in the three examples listed by Jude, and only now, after studying the names of Cain, Abel, and Seth, does it resonate clearly. They all desired to possess or acquire carnal things of this age. Cain kept the choice fruit of the work of his hands, Balaam betrayed Israel for pay, and Korah desired to possess authority not given by God over the assembly. They all were destroyed due to rebellious hearts, all three of them, of the seed of the serpent.

The Paths of Life & Death are not obvious.

The pattern of twins is also key to pay attention to in the rest of the Bible. I noticed we have these twins, we have multiple sets of twins recorded in the lineage of the story of Israel, and this week I also noticed again the two(2) Lamechs and the two(2) Enochs. One in the line of the seed of the serpent, and the other in the line of the seed of the woman.

The path to destruction and the path to eternal life will feel very similar to the untested heart. We are only in the 4th chapter of The Treasure of God's Word, and there is a whisper to us that we must keep ourselves guarded from this deception. It will not be obvious to an untrained eye. It will always look nearly identical to the truth.

This is why we are commanded to study and talk about it all along our way in our night and in our day, and to train up our children in God's Torah!

The Greatest Love Story Never Preached

When it comes to the subject of divorce, religions and denominations seem to be all over the place. Even within denominations, you can find yourself receiving mixed messages from one congregation to the next. I have heard so many justifications given for why "God wouldn't want this," or "That was for another time," etc. But what does the whole of scripture have to say about marriage and divorce, and does God ever change or alter the way He expects us to live up to His commandments and standards?

When God gave the covenant and Torah to Moses He issued the following statutes around divorce:

“Suppose a man takes a wife and marries her. Now if she doesn’t find favor in his eyes because he has found something indecent in her, he is to write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her and send her out from his house. When she leaves his house, she may go and become another man’s wife. Now suppose the second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, and he hands it to her and she leaves his house—or suppose the second husband who took her to be his wife dies. Then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled—for that would be detestable before Adonai. You are not to bring guilt on the land that Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Pretty Straightforward. There is no ordinance permitting a wife to issue a decree of divorce, only the husband, and only if something "indecent" is found in her. Now this has been interpreted many ways by Sages and Rabbis and even Christian commentators, but we have the ultimate commentary by the lawgiver Himself, Yeshua:

 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31-32

So Yeshua is clearing up the "finding something indecent in her" and defining that as sexual immorality. Sexual immorality is only defined in the Torah. So Yeshua is once again, never altering Torah, in fact, He uses it repeatedly as His authority and witness as He expounds on what His meaning always was when He gave it to Moses at Sinai.

He further opens the eyes and hearts of those who would hear Him :

Now when Yeshua had finished these words, He moved on from the Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Pharisees came up to Yeshua, testing Him and saying, “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” “Haven’t you read?” He answered. “He who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.”They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to ‘give her a certificate of divorce and put her away?’ ”Yeshua said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Now I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Matthew 19:1-8

So we come to the uncomfortable and typically combative understanding that God Divorced Israel and is now moved on to the New Covenant with the gentiles. This is the unfortunate conclusion to be found in many churches, denominations, and individual minds, polluting their hearts with arrogance against "The Apple of God's Eye."

Yes, God did divorce Israel:

Then Adonai said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel did? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she committed adultery. Yet I thought that after she had done all this she would return to Me. But she did not return. Even her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I noted that when backsliding Israel committed adultery I sent her away and gave her a certificate of divorce. Yet, unfaithful Judah, her sister, did not fear. Instead, she also went and committed adultery. It happened that through her frivolous prostitution, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and with wood. Yet after all this her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only insincerely,” It is a declaration of Adonai. Jeremiah 3:6-10

Contend with your mother, contend! For she is not My wife nor I her husband. Let her put away her fornications from her face and her adulteries from between her breasts. Hosea 2:4

So if God issued a certificate of divorce from the house of Israel, and God's word is binding and unchanging, and Yeshua, our Messiah, confirms its continued authority, then how could God possibly take back this wayward and adulterous bride? Does this in and of itself prove that the statutes and ordinances no longer have authority or relevance today? It is not lost on me the irony that the very same people who often cite this law as their reasons for believing God is done with Israel are the same who also deny its continued authority in the New Covenant. Nevertheless, let's follow this logic, as flawed as it is.

"A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wishes—only in the Lord." I Corinthians 7:39

Here is our first incredible clue. A wife is bound to her husband and considered an adulteress, with the exception of the death of the husband. If the woman takes another husband or had been divorced for sexual immorality, and is not to be taken back.

“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to be with another man, will he return to her again?   Would not such a land be totally polluted? You are a prostitute with many lovers.  Now, are you returning to Me?” It is a declaration of Adonai. Jeremiah 3:1

And yet we see that God declares that He would take back this wayward bride and restore and redeem her and betroth her forever. How is this possible without God going back on His word?

“Return, O backsliding children,” declares Adonai.  “For I am your Husband. I will choose you — one from a city and two from a clan — and will bring you to Zion. Jeremiah 3:14

Paul gives us the answer, as He not only understood Torah to the letter, He also was given the fulfillment as walked out by Yeshua the fullest expression and Spiritual Breadth of that Torah in order to equip us with the ability to see, to hear and to walk in that depth:

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I speak to those who know law), that the law is master over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law—so she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. Romans 7:1-3

Let's first note that Paul is speaking to "Those who know the law", meaning He is speaking to greater Israel (both Judah & the scattered). This is important, as it isn't relevant to gentiles not yet grafted into the promises or covenants. Paul explains that once her husband, who she was first pledged to, dies, she is free from the condemnation of the law that makes her an adulteress. No longer an adulteress, would then remove the stain that prohibited her from being rejoined to her first husband!

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were made dead to the Torah through the body of Messiah, so that you might be joined to another—the One who was raised from the dead—in order that we might bear fruit for God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions that came through the Torah were working in our body parts to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, having died to what confined us, so that we serve in the new way of the Ruach and not in the old way of the letter. Romans 7:4-6

Paul isn't saying that "being dead to Torah" dissolves Torah as a covenantal responsibility that we are still to uphold within our relationship with God. Paul is expressing that some had turned obedience to the Torah alone into their husband rather than out of love, devotion, and faith in God and His promises. They had made a 'husband' out of being obedient to the letter of the law without it being attached to the devotion and reverence for God. This had become the "husband" of many in the Kingdom of Judah and the majority of the religious leaders in Jerusalem in the first century.

What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the Torah. For I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, taking an opportunity, worked in me through the commandment all kinds of coveting. For apart from the Torah, sin is dead. Romans 7:7-8

Paul is not ever attempting to express that by being "dead to the law" or "no longer under the law" that somehow the Law has been done away with. Paul is using phrases understood by his audience. His readers were Jewish believers in Messiah who were being pastored in Paul's writings to handle things in their communities. Paul is explaining a deep truth here that is far above the minds of most people. That sin in and of itself contains no power to thwart God. The only reason Sin has any power at all is because God gives it power with His Word. God stating that something leads to death is what makes it lead to death, not the thing in and of itself.

Once I was alive apart from the Torah; but when the commandment came, sin came to life and I died. The commandment meant for life was found to cause death. Sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. Romans 7:9-11

Paul doesn't need to rail on and on about obedience to Torah to this audience, it is established and foundational to the faith, it is the very essence of their entire Bible! Paul is revealing deeper things to his community leaders. He is helping them understand the true and intended Spirit of Torah, which is described as The Way, the Truth, and The Life in Psalm 119, and is why Messiah embodies that as Himself - Because He, our true husband, is the Torah Made Flesh. We obey Him because He is our Husband, and we follow Him by walking as He did.

So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 7:12

When Paul speaks about freedom from "the law" his readers understood that to mean freed, by repentance and faith in Messiah and His atonement, from the condemnation of the Law. Repentance, and "Circumcision of the Heart" by definition is to "return to the commandments of God" to Walk in Spirit and Truth. Paul states that "The Law is Spiritual" and David writes "Your Torah is Truth!"

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wishes—only in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:39

For the scattered tribes of Israel, it was a very different form of adultery. They were condemned By the Torah for their disobedience, taking on lovers, and committing adultery with other gods and practices. We know that there was deep division between Judah and Samaritans, and yet we see that based on the testimony of the woman at the well, she still considered herself to be one who worshipped The God of Israel.

Yet, they are worshipping "in their own understanding" and therefore condemned by the Torah of Sexual Immorality. Paul's explanation here is also freeing Israel from her title as adulterer because her first Husband's death has also released her from that condemnation!

Listen to how God speaks with love and unwavering commitment about His bride:

“So then, I Myself will entice her, I will bring her into the wilderness and speak to her heart. I will give her back her vineyards from there and make the valley of Achor a door of hope. She will respond there — as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of the land of Egypt. In that day—it is a declaration of Adonai—you will proclaim, ‘My husband,’ and never again call Me, ‘My Baal.’ Then I will remove the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, no longer to be mentioned by their name. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the flying creatures in the sky, and the creeping things on the ground.I will break into pieces the bow and sword and warfare from the land, and I will cause them to lie down securely. Then I will betroth you to Me forever—yes, I will betroth you to Me with righteousness, justice, covenant loyalty and compassion. I will betroth you to Me with faithfulness, and you will know YHWH. Hosea 2:16-22

Yeshua, the lawgiver, the covenant keeper, and God Himself in the form of Man, humbled Himself and offered Himself to be mocked, scorned, hated, and crushed.

He gave up His life willingly and died not only to conquer the sting of death but also to atone for the sins of the world and merit favor that could be offered as a gracious gift to all who will covenant and remain in Him.

Now if you are reading this and say to yourself, "But I am divorced now, where does this leave me standing with God?" you must never forget that His atonement and sacrifice covers all sins, as long as we repent and confess them to Him. There is no condemnation left when we take our unknowing sins, as we are being refined and restored and we place them on the perfect Lamb of God. If you were divorced before you originally repented and gave your life to Messiah, you were given a clean slate on that day! If you are reading through His Scriptures and feeling convicted of a sin you were previously unaware of, then you are to turn, and bring yourself right to the alter of His sacrifice and lay it on Him and "Sin No More" as Yeshua commanded every person He forgave and restored while on earth. For His Grace is sufficient , however, if we continue in willful unrepentant sin there is no longer a sacrifice in Messiah for us.

He did all of that in a manner that would free His Bride, Israel, the Apple of His Eye, from the condemnation she was under all while still keeping Himself restricted to the obedience of His own Law. He had to die to release her from her status as an adulterer so that He could receive her back and remain in the ordinance of His Word.

How dare we ever attempt to live above a standard that God placed Himself under!

This is exactly how we know we can trust this God, The Most High, Worthy, and Faithful, because He remains perfectly aligned with His Word, without exception.

Forever and Ever, Amen!

Unity in the Body of Messiah

As with almost every dive into a particular theme or idea being presented in Scripture, I always want to be sure to first understand what words mean according to God. This is a crucial part of the "renewing of our Minds." We have to come to a place of humility where we can accept that before we had begun to walk with Messiah - before the Spirit of Truth is given to us, we had our own ideas and understanding that the world has shaped.

My experience has so far been, that nearly every concept, idea and word used in Scripture is defined in Scripture and that definition is almost always different if not in direct opposition to how we have understood the meaning of the word to be.

So as the Spirit of Truth reveals Truth, it will show us every day how our understanding, and the definitions and ideas of what words mean, are much different than their meanings and definitions as used when written in Scripture. This is the "renewing of our mind" that Paul speaks about in Romans 12.

First, let's dig into the word Unity and see what Scripture can teach us.

Unity • ἑνότης in the Greek, from the root εἷς meaning "One".

How do we define God's intention of the meaning of this word? We go and seek it out and see where the word is first used, and then how it is primarily (most often) used in Scripture. The first place we see this used is Genesis 1:9 “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place (εἷς), and let the dry land appear.”

The first time this root word is used is to describe joining something together in one place. Another interesting place we find the Greek Word Unity/One εἷς is in Genesis 1:14 where it mentions how the lights in the heavens (Sun, Moon, Stars) are there to mark Times, Days, and Years. The Greek word One/Unity is used instead of For -

"These will be One Times, One Days and One Years" doesn't make much sense, however, "These will be the Unity of Times, Unity of Days and Unity of Years" is a much better and more direct use of that Greek in the Septuagint.

Echad • אֶחָ֔ד is the Hebrew Equivalent based on the Septuagint translation. This is how we use Scripture to define scripture. Our Messiah and His apostles used the Greek Septuagint often, this is a translated Greek text of what Christians refer to as "The Old Testament", the Hebrew Bible. This is an incredible tool God provided for us to take the Greek terms used in the writings of the Apostles and seek out how God defines these terms and phrases. God's language, the language of Angels that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians, is Hebrew. This is where we go to seek out a definitive understanding of God's language and His worldview.

How do we define the term Unity used by Paul in Romans?

We seek the definition given by God in the context and usage of His Word.

Genesis 1:5 Evening and Morning being put together is how God created and defined One or Echad or Unity of a Day.

Genesis 2:24 Echad is used to describe how man and woman will become One Flesh.

Deuteronomy 6 In the Shema "The Lord our God is One (Echad)."

When mankind wants to define One (אֶחָ֔ד) or be in Unity (ἑνότης) in their own way, destruction, violence, and rescinding of God's favor is what occurs.

Genesis 11:16 - Mankind had become Echad or (In Unity) in rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel, the very act that caused God to scatter man all over the earth and remove Himself from all with the exception of a man named Abram and ultimately his descendants.

Genesis 34:22 - The sons of Sheckem propose to intermarry with the sons of Jacob and become Echad (united/one) as a people, against the instruction to remain Set Apart from foreign people with foreign gods and customs. The result of this interaction is bloody and forfeits the inheritance of the sons who used that proposition for violence.

Whenever I hear non-believers or Christians utilize Ephesians 4:3 as an appeal to not discuss the critical truth of repentance, obedience, and God's perfect instructions, it is like nails on a chalkboard. It is the exact opposite of what Paul is exhorting in this letter.

Let's look at the entire phrase "Bond of Peace" -

Bond • συνδέσμῳ appears in the Greek Septuagint in Daniel 5:12 this word Things Bonded Together or Enigmas קְטַר (Kehtar) is the Aramaic equivalent of this word found in the book of Daniel. This word is translated in Old Testament English to Joint or Difficulties or Problems. This word is derived from the Hebrew word קָטַר (Qatar), which translates directly to "Offer a Sacrifice or Burn Incense."

Peace • εἰρήνης or the Hebrew שָׁל֑וֹם is a word that has such deep meaning I don't believe we will ever fully grasp it until we are in the fullness of the presence of Our God. What we can glean from its vast usage in Scripture is that it embodies completeness, it is what it means to be whole, as God intended.

So what can we piece together in this word study in an attempt to better understand Paul's instruction to the believing body in Messiah?

That "Unity" does not mean to shrink back, go along, or tolerate a denominational or even and individual's statement of faith, belief system, or a modern interpretation of the gospel message. It does not mean to encourage support or quietly allow those among us to claim we can walk out how we feel "led" by the Spirit unless that "leading" can be confirmed and tested against ALL of scripture.

Scripture is written in context, and defined by that context and that language. We don't get to place our own understanding on the Word of God. His Word is meant to Transform Us out of our Understanding and into His. The Renewing of Our Minds is just that, to birth and grow in us a New Creation.

My takeaway on how to interpret this verse using Scripture and Spirit is below :

Make Every Effort to Keep the Oneness of The Spirit of Truth, which is the fullness of God's Word exemplified by Messiah in full submission and obedience to the Will of God written in His instructions to us, through the sacrifice and prayers of completeness which is trusting His promises. Therefore we should walk together in the oneness of the Covenants & Commandments, which bond us together in that oneness under Messiah and His leadership as the Head.

How is it possible for mankind to be United as One if we all walk around with our own definitions for words and concepts? We toss our definitions and we adopt His.

Genesis 1:14 uses the word UNITY to describe the appointed times marked in the heavens is a major revelation of how we are meant to unify around God's calendar, not man's.

Christmas & Easter & Sundays have become so mixed with worldly culture that believers, atheists, and pagans alike are all to be found around a table, a tree, sitting in a pew for tradition's sake and sharing a meal of unclean foods and pagan rituals sprinkled in for "fun." That is becoming Echad or One with the World.

Meeting together with those who are firm in the faith of Messiah, devoted to obedience, and Set Apart from the World on the days given by God: Sabbath, Rosh Chodesh, HIS Biblical Feasts, and Festivals that ALL Point to Yeshua's death, resurrection, and His coming - That is how we become Unified or Echad with each other in Him.