In The Beginning…Grace

Message Audio

NOTES

Introduction

We are beginning a journey through the Torah (The Five Books of Moses), a yearly reading schedule that Jews have been doing for centuries, and a reading plan that Yeshua (Jesus) and His disciples participated in every year. When we read that it was Yeshua’s custom to go to the Synagogue, and He taught, He taught from a portion of the Torah and Prophets assigned that week.

As we will see this week, there is no way to teach the depth of the entire portion, so we study it verse by verse throughout the week. For generations, the Jewish people have studied through the yearly cycle. With volumes of commentaries and discourses on the text of Scripture, the Jewish people repeat this process every year because they understand there is no end to the depth of God’s teaching.

Torah Portion

This weekend’s portion is Genesis 1:1-6:8 and 1 Samuel 20:18-42 (for a New Testament reading, Matthew 24:29-36). It begins with the words, “In the beginning,” and ends with, “But Noach found grace in the eyes of God.” It is no coincidence that the portion ends with grace because, in reality, it also begins with grace (mercy).

Rashi Chumash (Gen. 1:1) “In the beginning of the creation by G-d [Elokim, the attribute of justice,] of the heavens and the earth, [G-d first intending to create the world with the attribute of justice but then granting precedence to the attribute of mercy (Yod-Key-Vav-Key), seeing that the world could not otherwise endure],”

God called everything good in the beginning; He gave woman to man so that He wouldn’t be lonely, and He blessed woman with the gift of children. The world was full of goodness in the beginning.

Genesis 3:1-13

• the lie of the serpent tested belief in that goodness.
• Adam put a fence around God’s instruction (don’t touch it) for Eve’s benefit. 
• God’s call to Adam was an invitation to Teshuvah (return/repent).
• Adam blamed Eve instead, who passed the blame to the serpent. 

The promise of the Messiah (3:15).

Genesis 4:1-8 (and following)

• Cain gave the last, and Abel offered the first.
• Giving as an afterthought (Mal. 3).
• Our attitude in giving is our connection with God.
• If our attitude isn’t right, other sins are at the door (4:7).
• In verse twenty-six, we see grace begin to turn things.

Noach and Grace

• Genesis 6:5-8 CJB “Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. 6 Adonai regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart. 7 Adonai said, “I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the whole earth; and not only human beings, but animals, creeping things and birds in the air; for I regret that I ever made them.” 8 But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai.”
• Matthew 24:32-26
• Like Noach, we can choose if we follow our generation or God’s ways.
• Just like Adam and Eve, we can obey or disobey.
• The grace to rule over temptation.
• The grace of rest (Shabbat).
• The grace to obey.