Favor

 

Luke chapter 2, vs 10 - 14                                   

… good news of great joy for all people … a Savior is born to you … He is the Christ the Lord … glory to God in the highest … and on earth peace to everyone on whom His favor rests …

 

... in Luke chapter 2 vs 14 the English phrase ... favor rests ... is not quite the literal meaning but we feel that it is a good representation of the meaning ... the Greek noun is ... EUDOKIA ... Strong# Greek 2107 ... the best literal meaning is a collation of the situation in which ... a person or object is receiving the focus of ... good pleasure ... or ... satisfaction ... or ... delight ... or ... good will ...

 

2 Corinthians chapter 6, vs 2                            God speaking                              

… in the time of My favor I heard you … and … in the day of salvation I helped you …

 

... in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 vs 2 the English noun ... favor ... is Greek noun ... EUPROSDEKTOS ... Strong# Greek 2144 ... the best literal meaning is a collation of the situation in which ... a person or object is receiving the focus of ... acceptance ... or ... approval ... within the context of being found favorable ... essentially ... well received ...  

 

Isaiah chapter 49, vs 8                                           God speaking

49:8 כה אמר יהוה בעת רצון עניתיך וביום ישועה עזרתיך ואצרך ואתנך לברית עם להקים ארץ להנחיל נחלות שממות

… the LORD ( YHVH ) says ... in the time of My favor I will answer you … on the day of salvation I will help you … I will keep you … and … I will make you to be a covenant for the people ... to restore the land … to reassign its desolate inheritances …

 

... in Isaiah chapter 49 vs 8 the English noun ... favor ... is the translation of Hebrew noun ... RATSON ... Strong# Hebrew 7522 ... רָצוֹן ... the best literal meanings include ... favor ... acceptance ... good pleasure ... the root of RATSON is Hebrew verb ... RATSAH ... Strong# Hebrew 7521 ... the best literal meanings include ... specifically – to satisfy a debt ... to make or be acceptable ... to be pleased with ...

  

... perhaps a good definition for ... favor ... is an action performed or granted out of good will ... essentially there is no aspect of ... renumeration ... or ... quid pro quo ... rather as a reference for this bible study ... favor ... is a gift from God ... He graciously offers us different types of favor including our salvation ... and ... He allows each individual ... who is an adult with free will ... the personal opportunity of choice to accept His favor ... or ... not to accept it ... the acceptance of God’s favor to each person is their own personal choice ...  

 

Psalm 5, vs 11 - 12

5:11 האשימם אלהים יפלו ממעצותיהם ברב פשעיהם הדיחמו כי-מרו בך

5:12 וישמחו כל-חוסי בך לעולם ירננו ותסך עלימו ויעלצו בך אהבי שמך

... everyone who takes refuge in You will be glad and sing for joy ... for ... the You shelter us ... everyone who receives Your love will exult You ... for ... those whom You bless O LORD ( YHVH ) bless are righteous ... You surround them with favor as with a shield ...

 

Psalm 139, vs 5

139:5 אחור וקדם צרתני ותשת עלי כפכה

... LORD ( YHVH ) ... You go before us and behind us ... You lay Your outstretched right arm and hand upon us ... such knowledge is wonderful ... it is beyond our understanding and cannot be known without You ...

 

... the favor of God to us takes many forms at many different time periods in each person’s life ... the ultimate favor extended by God is the redemption purchased for all humankind by Jesus Christ on the cross and our subsequent salvation which is life forever with God ... in this bible study we will also consider other examples of God’s favor to us though perhaps first we should consider the change which occurred to all of creation following that unfortunate decision made by Adam and Eve in Eden ...

 

… the following selects of scriptures are from Genesis chapters 1 - 3 ...

... though not necessarily in sequence …

  

… this is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created… when the Lord God … made … the earth and the heavens … no shrub had yet appeared on the earth … and … no plant had yet sprung up … for the Lord God had not sent rain onto the earth … and … there was no one to work the ground … God said … let Us make mankind … in Our image … and … in Our likeness … so that they may rule over … the fish in the sea … the birds in the sky … the livestock … all the wild animals… and … all the creatures that move along the ground …  so … the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground … and … breathed into his nostrils the breath of life … the man became a living being … the man’s name was Adam … so … God created mankind in His own image … in the image of God … man was created …

 

… the Lord God … Who formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky … He then brought them to the man to see what he would name them … and … whatever the man called each living creature that was its name … so … the man gave names to all … the livestock … the birds in the sky … and … all the wild animals … however for Adam no EZER was found … so … the LORD ( YHVH ) God said

 

… it is not good for the man to be alone ... I will make an EZER suitable for him … so … the LORD ( YHVH ) God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep … and … while he was sleeping … He took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh … then … the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man … so … the woman became a living being … then … God brought her to the man … and … the man said … this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh … she will be called woman … for … she was taken out of man … the woman’s name was Eve … this is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife … and … they become one flesh … so … Eve became Adan’s wife … they were both naked and they felt no shame ... Eve became the mother of humankind … all living people come from Adam and Eve …

 

... Hebrew noun ... EZER ... עֵזֶר  ... Strong# Hebrew 5828 ... often in Genesis chapter 2 translated as ... helper ... as a literal meaning is much closer to something or someone providing protection for someone by surrounding them ... a good definition for the creation of ... woman ... by God and also note in both Psalm 5 vs 11 - 12 and Psalm 139 vs 5 that this concept of providing protection for an individual by surrounding them is an attribute God establishes in His relationship with His children ... for a better understanding the literal meaning of the Hebrew noun EZER follow its root Hebrew verb AZAR Strong# Hebrew 5826 ...

 

… the migration of Adam and Eve’s habitation … from within Eden … to … outside of Eden … begins in Eden … and ... since that fateful event … Adam and Eve’s habitation was outside of Eden … which is also the habitation for all of mankind today ...

 

… we continue in Eden …

 

… God blessed Adam and Eve and said to them … be fruitful and increase in number fill the earth and subdue it … rule over … the fish in the sea … the birds in the sky … and … over every living creature that moves on the ground …

 

... God said to Adam and Eve … I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it … they will be yours for food … I give you ... all the beasts of the earth … all the birds in the sky … all the creatures that move along the ground … everything that has the breath of life in it … I give you every green plant for food … and … it was so ...

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God planted a garden in the East in Eden … and ... there He put … Adam and Eve … whom He had formed … there in Eden … the LORD ( YHVH ) God … made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground … trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food … also ... in the middle of the garden were … the tree of life … and … the tree of the knowledge of good and evil … the LORD ( YHVH ) God took Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it … the LORD ( YHVH ) God taught Adam that he and Eve may freely eat from any tree in the garden … except … they must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil … for if you eat from that tree you will certainly die …

 

Psalm 104, vs 2

104:2 עטה-אור כשלמה נוטה שמים כיריעה

… the Lord wraps Himself in light as with a garment … He stretches out the heavens like a tent …

 

note … Adam and Eve … while in Eden … were made in the likeness of God … and … God is clothed in light … perhaps … Adam and Eve were also clothed in light … prior to their unfortunate decision …

 

… so … there in Eden …

... Adam and Eve … were …  

- clothed in light

- food was every where

- they had dominion over every living creature of the earth

- they had access to God … to … walk with Him and to talk with Him

- they had free access to the … tree of life … to live forever with God

 

… now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals that the LORD ( YHVH ) God had made … the serpent came said to EVE … did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden …

 

... Eve replied to the serpent … we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden … but … God did say … you must not eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that is in the middle of the garden … God taught us that we must not touch it or we will die …

 

… the serpent again spoke to Eve … certainly you will not die for God knows that when you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil your eyes will be opened … and … you will be like God … knowing both good and evil …

 

… Eve saw that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was good for food pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom … so … she took some of the fruit and ate it ... she also gave some to Adam her husband who was with her and he ate it … then … the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves …

 

note … Adam and Eve while in Eden were made in the likeness of God and God is clothed in light … perhaps … Adam and Eve were also clothed in light prior to this unfortunate decision …

 

… we continue in Eden …

 

… sometime later … Adam and Eve heard the sound of the LORD ( YHVH ) God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day … Adam and Eve hid from the LORD ( YHVH ) God among the trees of the garden of Eden …  and ... the LORD ( YHVH ) God called to Adam … where are you …

 

… sampling the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was an unfortunate decision as it effected the rest of Adam and Eve’s life … and consequently … because they are the first two individuals of humankind … this unfortunate decision also effected every other person of humankind  … we are all conceived and born with a spiritual capacity for the knowledge of both good and evil … consequently … we are influenced by evil … and therefore … we all have the capacity to make this same unfortunate decision in our own lives … God came to us as Jesus Christ to rescue those who choose to believe that He came to rescue us from this bondage to evil …

 

… Adam and Eve had heard the sound of the LORD ( YHVH ) God as He was walking in the garden during the cool of the day and they hid from the LORD ( YHVH ) God among the trees in the garden of Eden …  the LORD ( YHVH ) God called to Adam … where are you …

 

... Adam answered the LORD ( YHVH ) … I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked … so … I hid …

 

… God said to Adam … who told you that you were naked … have you eaten from the tree that I taught you not to eat from …

 

… Adam answered God and said … the woman you put here with me … she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it …

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God said to Eve … what is this that you have done …

 

… Eve answered God and said … the serpent deceived me and I ate …

 

… note … Adam and Eve by this unfortunate decision had immediately lost the light that clothed them … they have experienced the conscience turmoil which accompanies our encounters with evil/sin … that also result in a consequential fear that results from sin ... this fear which can take many forms is not from God but it is actually from evil which originally proposed the sin to them … the intended purposes of evil through the selection of sin by a person is to separate that individual of humankind from God … it is a pernicious process which seems harmless at first and progresses to ever increasing consequences of severity … we will see that … when God blesses a person with favor He is blessing all humankind … as students of the Holy Bible ... when we encounter events labeled as the wrath of  God … that wrath is directed toward evil and the wickedness that results from habitual sin that embraces evil without repentance ... the harm being done to individuals of humankind as a result of God’s wrath are actually done by evil … it is the presence of God and His favor that protects an individual from evil … note again Psalm 5 and Psalm 139 ... if a person moves away from the presence of God in their life … evil makes this a pretty rough world for them … the Holy Bible is God’s communication to mankind … which details … His plan … to rescue us from evil … and … provide a final solution for evil …

 

Matthew chapter 5, vs 37                    Jesus  Christ speaking

… all you need to say is simply … Yes … or … No … anything beyond this comes from the evil one ...

… as … this bible study continues and we consider some aspects of spiritual encounters which involve … us … and … God … and … evil … perhaps it is best to keep in mind … that God and His favor are taking care of us who place our faith in Jesus Christ … it is good to remember that the Holy Bible teaches us that … evil is being actively taken to a final solution … we do not need to participate in the direct confrontation with evil … our Yes should be Yes … our No should be No … these responses should be our reaction to evil as it presents itself in the world … the Yes and No are our response to evil with the testimony of our faith that Jesus Christ is God … and … the truth of God … which has been revealed to us in the Holy Bible … God has our back and He will always be with His people … always …

 

… so … the consequence for Adam and Eve’s unfortunate decision was to be removed from Eden … however … we should not think of this action as either ... a punishment … or … the wrath of God … directed toward them and their future offspring … rather … it is a compassionate consideration to prevent their access to the tree of life in Eden which would ensure that they and all their offspring would have a predisposition to evil forever and consequently qualify only for the final solution for evil … Adam and Eve along with all the rest of us … their offspring … and also evil … are now outside of Eden … however … all Adam Eve and all their descendants of humankind have received redemption ... that is a renewed relationship with God ... by the ... life … death on the cross … and … resurrection from the dead … of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ... our faith in Jesus Christ that the confession of that faith enables the favor to God to grant us salvation which is to live with God forever … that is pretty wonderful … and ... don’t forget that the Holy Bible teaches us that there is also a final solution for evil …

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve and then He clothed them … after this the LORD ( YHVH ) God said … humankind has now become like Us knowing good and evil … humankind must not be allowed to reach out their hand to take and eat from the tree of life ... for then they live like this forever … so … the Lord God banished Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which Adam was taken … and … the Lord God placed on the east side of the Eden a Cherubim Angel with a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life …

 

… evil was also expelled from Eden with Adam and Eve … the Cherubim Angel is not placed to guard Eden from humankind … we can never find it again without Jesus Christ … the Cherubim Angel keeps evil from going back into Eden … and … thus evil is restricted from access to the tree of life … God is our source of redemption from evil/sin and we have life forever through our faith in Jesus Christ … as for evil … the tree of life is needed for life forever though that is no longer available to evil … it is … evil is an unfortunate self-deception which comes to an end with the final solution for evil …

 

… we continue in Eden …

 

… God … has a dialog with the participants in this unfortunate decision … Adam … Eve … and … evil ( the serpent ) … with each God reviews the consequences of the serpent’s deception and the unfortunate consequence for each as a result of the choice made by Adam and Eve … the word … curse … is used in this dialog … like wrath … folks tend to interpret these words as direct actions of God against humankind representing a punishment or divine retribution … in our analyses we note that perhaps … the negativity of these actions is directed only at evil … and … the consequences of these events to Adam Eve and their descendants represents a protective action by Gpd to protect them from the evil which both has and will be done on the creation God made in His image and likeness … us … again in our analyses God seems a simple choice for humankind … however … as we consider the relationship of humankind … in general … to God … across multiple habitations … throughout our history … we see that God’s concern is well justified …

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God said to evil ( the serpent ) ... because you have done this … cursed are you above all livestock … and … all wild animals ... you will crawl on your belly … you will eat dust all the days of your life … and … I will put enmity between you and the woman … between your offspring^[a] and hers … He will crush your head … and … you will strike His heel …

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God said to Eve … I will make your pains in childbearing very severe …     with painful labor you will give birth to children … your desire will be for your husband … and … he will rule over you …

 

… the LORD ( YHVH ) God said to Adam … because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ... a tree about which I taught you not to eat from it … now the ground is cursed because of your decision … and now through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life … it will produce thorns and thistles … you will eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your brow … you will eat this food until you return to the ground from which you were taken … for dust you are and to dust you will return …

 

Ezekiel chapter 18, vs 20 – 32                           God speaking

18:20 הנפש החטאת היא תמות בן לא-ישא בעון האב ואב לא ישא בעון הבן צדקת הצדיק עליו תהיה ורשעת רשע עליו תהיה

18:21 והרשע כי ישוב מכל-חטאתו אשר עשה ושמר את-כל-חקותי ועשה משפט וצדקה חיה יחיה לא ימות

18:22 כל-פשעיו אשר עשה לא יזכרו לו בצדקתו אשר-עשה יחיה

18:23 החפץ אחפץ מות רשע נאם אדני יהוה הלוא בשובו מדרכיו וחיה

18:24 ובשוב צדיק מצדקתו ועשה עול ככל התועבות אשר-עשה הרשע יעשה וחי כל-צדקתו אשר-עשה לא תזכרנה במעלו אשר-מעל ובחטאתו אשר-חטא בם ימות

18:25 ואמרתם לא יתכן דרך אדני שמעו-נא בית ישראל הדרכי לא יתכן הלא דרכיכם לא יתכנו

18:26 בשוב-צדיק מצדקתו ועשה עול ומת עליהם בעולו אשר-עשה ימות

18:27 ובשוב רשע מרשעתו אשר עשה ויעש משפט וצדקה הוא את-נפשו יחיה

18:28 ויראה וישוב מכל-פשעיו אשר עשה חיו יחיה לא ימות

18:29 ואמרו בית ישראל לא יתכן דרך אדני הדרכי לא יתכנו בית ישראל הלא דרכיכם לא יתכן

18:30 לכן איש כדרכיו אשפט אתכם בית ישראל נאם אדני יהוה שובו והשיבו מכל-פשעיכם ולא-יהיה לכם למכשול עון

18:31 השליכו מעליכם את-כל-פשעיכם אשר פשעתם בם ועשו לכם לב חדש ורוח חדשה ולמה תמתו בית ישראל

18:32 כי לא אחפץ במות המת נאם אדני יהוה והשיבו וחיו

… the righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them … and … the wickedness of the wicked will be credited to them … if … a wicked person turns away from sin … that he/she has committed … and … keeps My teaching … and … does what is just and right … they will surely live … none of their offences … that they committed will be remembered against them because of the righteous things they have done … they will live … do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked ...  No … rather … I AM pleased when they turn from their ways and live … so … turn away from all your offences … then sin will not be your downfall … get for yourselves a new heart … and … a new spirit … for … I take no pleasure in the death of anyone declares the Sovereign LORD ( YHVH ) …

 

John chapter 3, vs 3 - 18                       Jesus Christ speaking

… you must be born again … no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven ( Kingdom of God ) unless that person is born of water and the Spirit … the Spirit gives birth to spirit … no one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven … the Son of Man … just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert … so … the Son of Man must be lifted up … so that … everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life … for … God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son … that … whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life … for … God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world … but … to save the world through Him … whoever believes in Him is not condemned … but … whoever does not believe stands condemned already …

 

Enoch chapter 10, vs 7                          Ancient of Days speaking

I will restore the earth … so … not all the sons of man will be destroyed because of the knowledge which the Watchers made known …

  

Enoch chapter 62, vs 13 - 16

… the righteous … and … the chosen … will be saved on that day … the Lord of Spirits ( Ancient of Days ) will remain over them … and … with the Son of Man they will … dwell … and … eat … and … lie down … and … rise up … forever and ever … the righteous and the chosen will have risen from the earth … and … will have put on the Garment of Life … the … Garment of Life … from … the Lord of Spirits … and … it will not wear out … and … your glory … will not fail in front of the Lord of Spirits …

 

Daniel chapter 7, vs 13 - 14

In my vision … there before me … was one like a son of man … He approached the Ancient of Days … and … was led into His presence … He was given authority … glory … and … sovereign power …  all peoples … nations … and … men of every language worshiped Him … His dominion is an everlasting dominion … that will not pass away … and … His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed …

 

Daniel chapter 9, vs 24

… to put an end to sin …to atone for wickedness … to bring in everlasting righteousness … to seal up vision and prophecy … and … to anoint the most holy …

 

1 Peter chapter 1, vs 18 - 20

… we have been ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ … for which … He was destined before the foundation of the world …

 

John chapter 1, vs 12 - 13

 … to everyone who believes in His Name … He gave the right to become children of God born of God …

 

John chapter 20, vs 31

 … believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God … and … by believing you will have life in His Name …

 

John chapter 6, vs 47                              Jesus Christ speaking

… I tell you the truth … everyone who believes in Me has everlasting life with God forever …