The Anointed One has come to do the will of his God

In Hebrews chapter 10, the author explains that the coming of Iesus the Anointed One into this world has been prophesied in two parts. Quoting Psalm 39:7 - 9 from the Septuagint (Psalm 40:6 - 8 KJV), in the voice of the Anointed One, these two stages are:

1. God does not desire sacrifices and offerings. Instead, God has prepared a body for His Anointed
2. His Anointed One has come to do the will of his God.

Hebrews 10:5 - 7  WEB  World English Bible

5 Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, 'Sacrifice and offering you didn't desire, But a body did you prepare for me;

6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure.

7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of me) To do your will, God.''

The prophecies mentioned in the Hebrews chapter 10 above are quoted from the Septuagint, Psalm 39 (which corresponds to KJV Psalm 40). Both passages from Septuagint and KJV are shown below for comparison.

Psalm 39:7 - 9  LXX  Septuagint Brenton

7 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin thou didst not require.

8 Then I said, Behold, I *come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me,

9 I desired to do thy will, O my God, and thy law in the midst of mine heart.

Psalm 40:6 - 8  KJV  King James Version

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Hebrews 10:7 also reminds me of the words of our Lord Iesus in reply to his disciples in John chapter 4:

John 4:34  WEB  World English Bible

Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One. Let us ponder over this great sacrifice, the once-for-all giving of the body of our Lord Iesus who has come to do the will of his God — that the world may be saved.

The Magnificent One of the Firmament

Monday 2021.02.01
Reading from Deuteronomy Chapter 33 LXX Brenton

The Magnificent One of the Firmament.

Deuteronomy 33:26 LXX tells us that there is no other god such as the "God of the beloved", that this God "who rides upon the heaven" is our helper, and that He is the "Magnificent One of the Firmament". The title given to God here is similar to the title "Huang Tian Shang Di - The Supreme Lord of the Great Heaven", found in an inscription in the ancient Temple of Heaven of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China, in the Prayer Hall for Good Harvest.(Chan K.T., 2007).

The ancient Chinese have the same understanding about the One God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, whom they call Shang Di (Supreme Lord), and whom they often refer to simply as Tian (Heaven).

Deuteronomy 33:26 LXX
26 There is not any such as the God of the beloved; he who rides upon the heaven is thy helper, and the magnificent One of the firmament.

Reference:
Chan Kei Thong (2007), "Faith of Our Fathers", Campus Crusade Asia Ltd, IMprint Edition, p111, 116, 140.

Face-to-face, yet not His face

Mon 2020.07.13
Reading from Exodus Chapter 33 LXX

This chapter of the book of Exodus is somewhat puzzling from a cursory reading of the expression "face to face" in verse 11, in contrast and apparent contradiction to "Thou shalt not be able to see My Face" in verse 20.

With a little pondering over the passage, however, one can gain a better understanding of how Moses met with the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle.

In verse 9, we notice that the pillar of cloud (the same pillar of cloud that accompanied the children of Israel since they departed Egypt and crossed the Red Sea) stood at the door of the Tabernacle. This means that the presence of God was in that cloud, and it was through that cloud that the Lord spoke to Moses, as it were, "face to face".

In other words, Moses did not see the Face of God literally. Instead God spoke to him, as one speaking to a friend (verse 11), through the pillar of cloud at the door of the Tabernacle.

It was because Moses did not see the face of God literally, that he asked God to reveal Himself to him in verse 13. ". . . that I may evidently see Thee", he said to God, to which God replied in verse 20, "Thou shalt not be able to see my face".

Exodus 33:9 - 11 LXX
9 And when Moses entered into the tabernacle, the pillar of the cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and God talked to Moses.
10 And all the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing by the door of the tabernacle, and all the people stood and worshipped every one at the door of his tent.
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as if one should speak to his friend; and he retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from the tabernacle.

Exodus 33:13 LXX
If then I have found favour in thy sight, reveal thyself to me, that I may evidently see thee; that I may find favour in thy sight, and that I may know that this great nation is thy people.

Exodus 33:18 - 23 LXX
18 And Moses says, Manifest thyself to me.
19 And God said, I will pass by before thee with my glory, and I will call by my name, the Lord, before thee; and ✡ I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have pity on whom I will have pity.
20 And God said, *Thou shalt not be able to see my face*; for no man shall see my face, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me: thou shalt stand upon the rock;
22 and when my glory shall pass by, then I will put thee into a hole of the rock; and I will cover thee over with my hand, until I shall have passed by.
23 And I will remove my hand, and *then shalt thou see my back parts*; but my face shall not appear to thee.

Keeping the Sabbath: a final reminder to Moses

Saturday 2020.07.11
Reading from Exodus Chapters 16, 20 and 31 LXX Brenton.

The Sabbath was first explained by Moses to the people of Israel at the beginning of their wandering in the wilderness of Sinai, when they were gathering manna in Exodus 16:23 - 30. It was then given to Moses as fourth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: 8 - 11.

Later, in Exodus chapter 31, a stern final reminder was given to Moses, before God gave him the two tables of testimony, engraved by the finger of God, that His people must keep the holy Sabbath. This reminder is accompanied by a warning that anyone who does work on the Sabbath "that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people" (Exodus 31:14), and a reiteration that it is a perpetual covenant between God and the children of Israel (Exodus 31:17).

Having received such a stern reminder from God, Moses went on to remind the children of Israel about taking pains to keep the Sabbath, in Exodus 35:1,2, before making announcements to them on taking offerings of raw materials for the construction of the Tabernacle and for the vestment of Aaron the High Priest.

Exodus 16:23 - 30 LXX
23 And Moses said to them, Is not this the word which the Lord spoke? To-morrow is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord: bake that ye will bake, and seethe that ye will seethe, and all that is over leave to be laid by for the morrow.
24 And they left of it till the morning, as Moses commanded them; and it stank not, neither was there a worm in it.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to-day, for to-day is a sabbath to the Lord: it shall not be found in the plain.
26 Six days ye shall gather it, and on the seventh day is a sabbath, for there shall be none on that day.
27 And it came to pass on the seventh day that some of the people went forth to gather, and found none.
28 And the Lord said to Moses, How long are ye unwilling to hearken to my commands and my law?
29 See, for the Lord has given you this day as the sabbath, therefore he has given you on the sixth day the bread of two days: ye shall sit each of you in your houses; let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day.
30 And the people kept sabbath on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:8 - 11 LXX
8 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
9 Six days thou shalt labour, and shalt perform all thy work.
10 But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy servant nor thy maidservant, thine ox nor thine ass, nor any cattle of thine, nor the stranger that sojourns with thee.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all things in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 31:12 - 18 LXX
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
13 Do thou also charge the children of Israel, saying, Take heed and keep my sabbaths; for they are a sign with me and among you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that sanctifies you.
14 And ye shall keep the sabbaths, because this is holy to the Lord for you; he that profanes it shall surely be put to death: every one who shall do a work on it, that soul shall be destroyed from the midst of his people.
15 Six days thou shalt do works, but the seventh day is the sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord; every one who shall do a work on the seventh day shall be put to death.
16 And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbaths, to observe them throughout their generations. 17 It is a perpetual covenant with me and the children of Israel, it is a perpetual sign with me; for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased, and rested.
18 And he gave to Moses when he left off speaking to him in mount Sina the two tables of testimony, tables of stone written upon with the finger of God.

Exodus 35:1, 2 LXX
And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said, These are the words which the Lord has spoken for you to do them.
2 Six days shalt thou perform works, but on the seventh day shall be rest—a holy sabbath—a rest for the Lord: every one that does work on it, let him die. 3 Ye shall not burn a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath-day; I am the Lord.

When God gives understanding

Saturday 2020.07.11
Reading from Exodus Chapters 25, 28, 31 LXX Brenton.

When God gives understanding.

In Exodus 28:3, Moses was commanded by the LORD to speak to those who have understanding, whom God has "filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding" to make holy garments for Aaron to serve as the priest in the sanctuary.

Similarly, in Exodus 31:1 - 6, the LORD called Besalel ben Urias ben Or from the tribe of Juda, and filled him with "a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work" along with Eliab ben Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan, and to "every one understanding in heart I have given understanding" to make all the things that God has commanded Moses.

Subsequently, when making announcements to take offerings of raw materials from the children of Israel for the building of the Tabernacle and the manufacture of the vestments of Aaron the High Priest, Moses told them of this God-given spirit of wisdom in Besalel ben Urias ben Or, and in Eliab ben Ahisamach, in Exodus 35:30 - 35.

Whether it is understanding of how to make the holy garments for Aaron and his sons to serve the LORD as priests, comprising
- breast-plate,
- shoulder-piece,
- full-length robe,
- tunic with a fringe,
- tire,
- girdle;

. . .  out of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen (Exodus 28:3 - 5),

Or that of how to make out of gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, and spun scarlet, and stone and wood (Exodus 31:4,5),
- the tabernacle of witness,
- the ark of the covenant,
- the propitiatory that is upon it,
- the furniture of the tabernacle,
- the altars,
- the table and all its furniture,
- the pure candlestick and all its furniture,
- the laver and its base,
- and Aaron's robes of ministry, and the robes of his sons (as written in Exodus 28:4,5 above),
- and the anointing oil and the compound incense of the sanctuary;

. . . "according to all that I have commanded thee shall they make them." (Exodus 31:7 - 11),

all such understanding is given by the LORD. This kind of understanding is described as an understanding "in heart" (Exodus 31:6)

Without such God-given understanding, none of the above can be made according to all that God has commanded Moses, and according to the pattern that God has shown to Moses on the mountain (Exodus 25:9, 40)

Exodus 25:9, 40 LXX
9 And thou shalt make for me according to all things which I shew thee in the mountain; even the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all its furniture: so shalt thou make it.
40  See, thou shalt make them ✡ according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount.

Exodus 28:3 LXX
And speak thou to all those who are wise in understanding, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom and perception; and they shall make the holy apparel of Aaron for the sanctuary, in which apparel he shall minister to me as priest.

Exodus 31:1 - 6 LXX
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Behold, I have called by name Beseleel the son of Urias the son of Or, of the tribe of Juda.
3 And I have filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent in every work,
4 and to frame works, to labour in gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and spun scarlet,
5 and works in stone, and for artificers' work in wood, to work at all works.
6 And I have *appointed him and Eliab the son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan, and to every one understanding in heart I have given understanding; and they shall †make all things as many as I have appointed thee

Exodus 35:30 - 35 LXX
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, Behold, God has called by name Beseleel the son of Urias the son of Or, of the tribe of Juda,
31 and has filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom and understanding, and knowledge of all things,
32 to labour ††skilfully in all works of cunning workmanship, to form the gold and the silver and the brass,
33 and to work in stone, and to fashion the wood, and to work in every work of wisdom.
34 And God gave improvement in understanding both to him, and to Eliab the son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan.
35 And God filled them with wisdom, understanding and perception, to understand to work all the works of the sanctuary, and to weave the woven and embroidered work with scarlet and fine linen, to do all work of curious workmanship and embroidery.

Did you know that Joshua was on the mountain too?

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from Exodus Chapter 24

It is noteworthy that Joshua, who was Moses' attendant, was the only one who accompanied Moses up "into" the mountain of Sinai (v13, 14), although it was Moses alone who entered the midst of the cloud that descended on the mountain, and stayed therein for forty days and forty nights (v18).

It is also significant to note that although Joshua's name wasn't mentioned initially in v1 when the LORD commanded Moses to go up the mountain together with Aaron, Nadab, and Abiud, along with seventy elders of Israel, it was Joshua, and not any other person, who was eventually allowed to accompany Moses up to the cloud-covered mountain.

Likewise, subsequently in Exodus 33:11, when the Lord spoke to Moses at the Tabernacle which was set up outside the camp of the Israelites, it is written that Joshua was also there with Moses, and he did not depart from the Tabernacle.

Exodus 24:1 LXX
And to Moses he said, Go up to the Lord, thou and Aaron and Nadab and Abiud, and seventy of the elders of Israel: . . .

Exodus 24:13, 14 LXX
13 And Moses rose up and *Joshua* his attendant, and they went up into the mount of God.
14 And to the elders they said, Rest there till we return to you; and behold, Aaron and Or are with you: if any man have a cause to be tried, let them go to them. And *Moses and Joshua* went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

Exodus 24:18 LXX
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up to the mountain, and was there in the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 33:11 LXX
And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as if one should speak to his friend; and he retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from the tabernacle.

If you will indeed hear my voice

Saturday 2020.07.04
Reading from Exodus Chapter 23

After charging them to hearken to His Angel, who bears the Name of YHWH, the LORD promised to make the children of Israel a peculiar people above all other nations on earth, and that Israel will be a royal priesthood and a holy nation to the LORD.

Exodus 23:22 LXX
If ye will indeed hear my voice, and if thou wilt do all the things I shall charge thee with, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations, for the whole earth is mine; and ye shall be to me a royal priesthood, and a holy nation: these words shall ye speak to the children of Israel, If ye shall indeed hear my voice, and do all the things I shall tell thee, I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.

Note that the the words, "If ye will indeed hear my voice . . ." at the beginning of verse 22 is equivalent to "hearken to him, and disobey him not . . ." (referring to the Angel of the LORD) earlier in verse 21, another instance showing that the Angel of the LORD is an agent of the LORD himself, such that hearkening to the Angel is equivalent to listening to the voice of the LORD himself.

cf 1 Peter 2:9 JND
But *ye* are a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light;

A peculiar people above all nations

Wednesday 2020.07.01
Reading from Exodus Chapter 19 LXX

Hear the voice of the LORD, keep His covenant, and you shall be to Him
- a special people,
- above all nations (Gentiles)
- a royal priesthood (priests belonging to a King, Messiah)
- a holy nation, set apart from the world.

Exodus 19:5,6 LXX
5 And now if ye will indeed hear my voice, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations; for the whole earth is mine.
6 And ye shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation: these words shalt thou speak to the children of Israel.

This verse is quoted in 1 Peter 2:9 KJV

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Qualities of a Captain

Tuesday 2020.06.30
Reading Exodus Chapter 18 LXX

Jothor (Jethro) father-in-law of Moses, advised Moses in verses 19 - 24 to appoint a hierarchy of captains of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, to delegate to them the responsibility of judging smaller or lighter cases of disputes brought by the large number of people everyday. Only matters that are too burdensome for these captains to handle were to be brought to Moses.

These captains must be carefully selected from men who were
- able
- fearing God
- righteous
- hating pride

Compare with the many qualities required of a bishop, described in 1 Timothy 3:1 - 4 KJV
- blameless
- husband of one wife
- vigilant
- sober
- of good behaviour
- given to hospitality
- apt to teach
- not given to wine
- no striker
- not greedy of filthy lucre
- patient
- not a brawler
- not covetous
- ruleth well his own house

(see also similar qualities required of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8 - 13)

Anyone who is appointed to bear responsibilities of exercising judgment or overseeing the assembly of believers must be carefully examined before being selected.

I AM the Being

Tuesday 2020.06.23
Reading from Exodus Chapter 3 LXX (Brenton)

"I am THE BEING" said the Lord to Moses in the LXX, when Moses asked for His Name.

cf "I am that I AM" in versions translated from the Masoretic texts.

Exodus 3:14 LXX
And God spoke to Moses, saying, I am THE BEING; and he said, Thus shall ye say to the children of Israel, THE BEING has sent me to you.

The Expectation of Nations - a prince from Judah's descendants

Saturday 2020.06.20
Reading from Genesis Chapter 49 LXX

Jacob's prophecy, uttered in his last words to each of his sons in Genesis chapter 49, that a prince shall be from Judah's descendants. This prince shall be the "expectation of nations" (Nations mean gentiles?), who will wash his garment in wine, the blood of the grape (as symbolised the Last Supper, where the wine is the Blood of the New Covenant).

Genesis 49:10 - 12 LXX
10 A ruler shall not fail from Juda, nor a prince from his loins,
until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the
expectation of nations.
11 Binding his foal to the vine, and the foal of his ass to the branch of it,
he shall wash his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.
12 His eyes shall be more cheering than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

The wages of Jacob

Saturday, 2020.06.13
Reading Genesis Chapter 31, from the LXX Septuagint (Brenton)

In the LXX, Laban changed the wages of Jacob for "the ten lambs", rather than ten times as is commonly translated in the Masoretic texts.

But what ten lambs was Jacob referring to?

Genesis 31:7, 41 LXX
7  But your father deceived me, and changed my wages for the ten lambs, yet God gave him not power to hurt me.
41 These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years among thy sheep, and thou didst falsely rate my wages for ten lambs.

The silent prayer of Abraham's servant

Sunday, 2020.06.07
Reading from Genesis Chapter 24, LXX Septuagint (Brenton)

The prayer of Abraham's servant by the well in the city of Nahor, asking the Lord God to prosper his way. This is a pattern for us to follow, on how we should go about our endeavours in life.

Genesis 24:12 LXX
And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraam, prosper my way before me to day, and deal
mercifully with my master Abraam.

Note that Abraham's servant prayed silently in his heart. He was "speaking" in his mind.

Genesis 24:45 LXX
And it came to pass before I had done speaking in my mind, straightway Rebecca came forth,

Lay up treasure for thyself against the day of necessity

Thursday, 2020.06.04
Reading from the apocrypha, the Book of Tobit:

On giving alms, whether from abundance or from little, to lay up treasure for future times of need.

1 Tobit 4:7 - 11 LXX
"Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee. If thou hast abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little: For thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity. Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness. For alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the most High."

This is similar to the teaching in 2 Corinthians 9:6 - 8 YLT
6 And this: He who is sowing sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who is sowing in blessings, in blessings also shall reap;
7 each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love,
8 and God is able all grace to cause to abound to you, that in every thing always all sufficiency having, ye may abound to every good work,

Abraham spoke to The Lord in the plains of Mamre

Wednesday, 2020.06.03
Continuation of observations from Genesis Chapter 18, LXX Septuagint (Brenton)

About "The Lord":

Abraham was visited by three men Genesis 18:1
But he spoke to only one of them, whom he called Lord Genesis 18:3
That man, Lord, conversed with Abraham about Sarah. Genesis 18:9 - 15

see Genesis 18:13 LXX
"And the Lord said to Abraam, Why is it that Sarrha has laughed in herself, saying, Shall I then indeed bear? but I am grown old."

However, after two* of men had departed for Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was still
standing before the Lord (YHWH?). Genesis 18:22
And he proceeded to plead with the Lord not to destroy the righteous along with
the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 18:22 - 33

*this can be seen in Genesis 19:1, where it is written,
"And the two angels came to Sodom at evening. . . ."

Conclusion:

Of the three men who visited Abraham's household in Genesis 18, one of them was the Angel of Adonai, the LORD, YHWH, (His agency). He was the one whom Abraham addressed as Lord. And he was the one who stayed behind with Abraham, when the two other angels went on to visit Lot's family in Sodom.

In Abraham shall all nations be blest

Tuesday, 2020.06.02
Reading from Genesis Chapter 18, LXX Septuagint (Brenton)

The Angel of the LORD, one of the three men who visited Abraham's home in the plains of Mamre, in pronouncing that Sarah will have a son in her old age, prophesied that Abraham will command his children to keep the way of the LORD, "to do justice and judgment", and thus the LORD will bring upon Abraham what He had spoken.

Genesis 18:18,19 LXX
But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest. For I know that he will order his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all things whatsoever he has spoken to him.

A Chronology of Noah and the Flood

Reading from the Septuagint,

Genesis chapters 7 and 8.

(A) Genesis 7: 6-10 appears to be an overview, or an introduction of the account of the Flood.

(1) Noe (Noah) was 600 years old when the flood occurred.

(2) Noah and his family went into the ark. (Gen 7:6-7).

(3) After seven days, the flood began. (Gen 7:10)

(B) The chronological details of the Flood begins from Genesis 7: 11 onwards.

(4) In the 600th year of Noe, 2nd month, 27th day (Gen 7:11) "all the fountains of the abyss were broken up, and the flood-gates of heaven were opened",

(5) "on that day" Noe and his family entered the ark (Gen 7:13)

(6) It rained 40 days and 40 nights. (Gen 7:12)

(7) The flood was upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights (Gen7:17). This verse may refer to 40 days of flood subsequent to 40 days of rain, or it may be a reiteration of Gen. 7:12 above.

(C) The end of the Flood is chronicled in Genesis chapter 8.

(8) After 150 days, the water "was diminished", and on 600th year, 7th month, 27th day, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. (Gen 8:3)

Question: How do we reconcile this 150 days of flood water with the 40 days of rain (Gen 7:12) and / or 40 days of flood (Gen 7:17)?

(9) On the 600th year, 10th month, 1st day, the mountain tops were seen. (Gen 8:5)

(10) After 40 days, a raven was sent out, followed by a dove the first time (Gen 8:7).

(11) After another 7 days, the dove was sent out a second time (Gen 8:10).

(12) After yet another 7 days, the dove was sent out for the third time (Gen 8:12).

(D) The opening of the ark and the return to dry land is accounted from Genesis 8:13 onwards.

(13) On the 601st year, 1st month, 1st day, the covering of the ark was opened (Gen 8:13).

(14) Finally, on the 601st year, 2nd month, 27th day, the earth was dried (Gen 8:14).

Altogether, from the 27/2/600 year of Noe until the 27/2/601 year, Noe and his wife, and his three sons and daughters-in-law, and all the chosen animals, spent an entire year in the ark.

Adam was a son of God

In Luke 3: 36b - 38 YLT an account of the ten generations of descendants from Adam is written as follows:

"the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel,
38 the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God."

Adam is called the son of God in Luke 3:38.

Today, reading from the Septuagint:

When we look back into Genesis 5: 1-5, we read that the name Adam was given by God Himself. In like manner, Adam went on to give a name, Seth, to his own son.

Adam was the son of God, just as Seth was the son of Adam. Thus began the use of the term "ben", meaning "son of". In other words we call the first man Adam ben Elohim, and his son, Seth ben Adam.

Genesis 5:1-5 LXX
"This is the genealogy of men in the day in which God made Adam; in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them, and blessed them; and he called his name Adam, in the day in which he made them. And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his own form, and after his own image, and he called his name Seth. And the days of Adam, which he lived after his begetting Seth, were seven hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died."

Note from the passage above:

(1) Adam was made by God in the image of God, male and female were they made. The making of Adam included Eve, for Eve was made out of the body of Adam.

(2) Adam was the name given by God, on the day he was made by God, in the image of God Himself.

(3) Seth was the name called by Adam, he bore the form and image of Adam

Lamech prophesied about Noah

Reading from the LXX Septuagint (Brenton).

Did Lamech know something about his son Noe, that few of us were told?

Genesis 5: 28-30 LXX
"And Lamech lived an hundred and eighty and eight years, and begot a son. And he called his name Noe, saying, This one will cause us to cease from our works, and from the toils of our hands, and from the earth, which the Lord God has cursed. And Lamech lived after his begetting Noe, five hundred and sixty and five years, and begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and fifty-three years, and he died."

Notes :

(1) Noe was a name called by Lamech, who said that Noe will cause us to "cease from our works, and from the toils of our hands, and from the earth, which the Lord God has cursed".

(2) Question: Does this mean that the Curse upon Adam, pronounced by the Lord God in Genesis 3:18b - 20, was to cease in the generation of Noe, the tenth generation of Adam?

see Genesis 8:21 lxx

"I will not any more curse the earth, because of the works of men, because the imagination of man is intently bent upon evil things from his youth, I will not therefore any more smite all living flesh as I have done. All the days of the earth, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, shall not cease by day or night."

(3) If so, was this brought about by the new covenant established by God after the Great Flood, in Genesis 9: 1 - 17, when God commanded Man to "increase, fill the earth and have dominion over it" (Gen 9:1) a second time? (The first time was in Gen 1: 28, when God commanded Adam to "Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, . . .")

cf the Curse upon Adam in Genesis 3: 18b-20:

"cursed is the ground in thy labours, in pain shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread until thou return to the earth out of which thou wast taken, for earth thou art and to earth thou shalt return."

The ten generations of Adam

Reading from the Septuagint.
Genesis 5: 6-27 LXX

These are the ten generations of Adam's descendants, with years starting from the first year of Adam:

G1  Y001 to Y930  Adam (230 + 700 = 930)
G2  Y230 to Y1142 Seth (205 + 707 = 912)
G3  Y435 to Y1340 Enos (190 + 715 = 905)
G4  Y625 to Y1535 Cainan (170 + 740 = 910)
G5  Y795 to Y1690 Maleleel (165 + 730 = 895)
     (Adam died in the year Maleleel was 135 yr old)
G6  Y960 to Y1922 Jared (162 + 800 = 962)
G7  Y1022 to Y1387 Enoch (165 + 200 = 365)
     (Well pleasing to God, was not found, translated)
G8  Y1187 to Y2156 Mathusala (167 + 802 = 969)
     (longest life of all)
G9  Y1354 to Y2107 Lamech (188 + 565 = 753)
G10 Y1542 to Y2492 Noe (500 sons + 100 flood + after flood 350 = 950)

Notes :

(1) Adam lived until his great great grandson Maleleel was 135 years old.

(2) This means that the account of Genesis was most probably carried and preserved by word-of-mouth "story-telling", (like the Red Indians of North America), for five generations in the presence of the first man, Adam the son of God. (Luke 3:38)

(3) Similarly, Seth ben Adam lived until his great great great grandson Enoch was eighty years old. And it would have been easy for the story telling of the Genesis account to continue to be passed on for these next six generations.

(4) Besides seeing the death of Adam, Maleleel, the fifth generation from Adam, also saw the birth of Noe, the tenth generation, in the year 1542 when Maleleel was 747 years old.