Although this article was written for the series in the study of the Book of Hebrews, the theme has to begin with the Book of Genesis. The Word of God can not be sliced, and categorized into neat topics, that is one of the reasons that man could not have possibly written this amazing interlocking book drawn together with almost invisible threads.
Hebrews 4:13
The Eyes of the Lord
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. (2 Chronicles 16:9)
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (Job 34:21)
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. (Proverbs 5:21)
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)
For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. (Jeremiah 16:17)
Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: (Jeremiah 32:19)
The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. (Psalm 33:13)
From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. (Psalm 33:14)
He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. (Psalm 33:15)
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:10)
The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. (Psalm 11:4)
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. (Psalm 14:2)
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, (John 2:24)
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:25)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)
The Divine Capabilities of God
We begin this article with the words of the Holy Spirit, and not the words of men. The Scripture references tell a more complete message than any man could deliver or write. There is nothing, I say again — nothing, concealed from the Almighty God. He beholds all things at all times; and there is no way for us to conceive the capabilities of the divine Creator of all things. Man in his fallen state, and for reasons that are not worthy of his motive, has devised an elaborate surveillance system all over the world with listening mechanisms to spy on the inhabitants of earth in every conceivable area of life. If man can circumvent planet earth with such devices that track movements, and can listen to almost every human being, why then, cannot the Creator of heaven and earth do the same, and much more. So why should we think any less of the capabilities of the divine Creator of heaven and earth. Verse 13 of Hebrews, Chapter 4, is a direct statement from the Spirit of God to unveil the divine capabilities of Almighty God. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Man is Naked
At first this verse seems out of place, but when examining it within the full context of the chapter from verse 1 to the close of the chapter, we are revealed openly as the children of God before our divine Creator. The Spirit of God shows forth the nakedness of man, and his inward condition that is enmity against God. God is taking us back through time to a beautiful garden, in fact, a garden paradise, but we see the rolling clouds of darkness falling on this pristine beauty in the form of sin. The man Adam brought sin into the world, and death by sin; thus, began the law of sin and death. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) We cannot see in Genesis, Chapter 3, the full extent of sin and death, for our eyes have become dim, and our hearts numb through centuries of sin.
Throughout the age we have listened to the words of Adam and not the word of God. The result of the sin of Adam was death, a death that we cannot understand, and a death that we cannot see. We only see the result of this death in the lifeless corpse that has ceased to breath the very breathe of life. But this was not the first result; it is the end result. The first thing that happened to Adam was that the Spirit of God departed from the soul of man. The glory of man was gone, and he was naked in soul, spirit, and body. God beheld all of Adam’s actions; there was nothing that God did not see, God saw, and God heard that there was no remorse from either of the transgressors. They (Adam and Eve) did not cry out to God in repentance; instead they attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves. They labored: they sewed fig leaves together to hide their nakedness and transgression against God. But even the fig leaves (a symbol of their self-righteousness) was not enough to remove their guilt; and therefore, they hid themselves from the presence of God; yet, they were still in full view of the eyes of heaven. God knew exactly where they were, not only their hiding place, but their state of soul. God already knew what had come into the world, and what had come into man: for the soul that sinneth shall die. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4) At this exact point of Adam’s transgression, the soul of man changed. The first two witnesses of death in Adam and Eve, and because of one man (Adam) mankind became witnesses of suffering and death. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)
The Fruit or Result of Sin — Guilt and Self-justification
Guilt was now present with Adam, something that he had not experienced before, but he was well aware of it now. He confessed to God that they both hid themselves deliberately from the Lord, but was he really hidden? No, Adam only saw through his own eyes, which were now the eyes of a sinner without grace. The eyes of the Lord knew right where the two sinners were. He also knew that both Adam and Eve had declared themselves by a new name: they were now both sinners under the dreadful shroud of sin. Adam not only destroyed his relationship with God, but brought sin into the world, and death by his sin. God was waiting for the cry for mercy, yet, none came from their lips. Instead, the Holy Spirit of God gives us the record of the first fruit of man’s sin. Man had put himself in Adam as his own justifier. This is self-justification, or in a language we can understand in our age, having an excuse for our sin. Even after all the centuries and millenniums man is still making excuses before a righteous and holy God.
Man (Adam) in his many sermons, and religious acts, fails to mention the word repentance, he fails to mention the state of soul that man is in under the law of sin and death. The many preachers of this world today are mere religionists; they still sew fig leaves to hid their transgressions instead of crying out to God for His mercy and grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Man has developed his own crown of righteousness, although it is false, in all this self righteousness man is still naked before God. His sin and his life cannot be hid from the eyes of God, nor will the penalty for that sin change as long as man tries to justify himself. Man does not realize the extent of his nakedness before God. The beasts of the field have their covering, the birds or fowls of the air have their feathers, yet, man has no covering. He has become like the serpents. He has no glory, and the old serpent lost his glory referred to in Isaiah, Chapter 14. It was in nakedness that the serpent slithered into the garden of God, he came purposely to confound, to deceive, and to bring man into the same rebellious condition as himself. We all understand that the serpent, that old serpent, the Devil, will reach his final judgment in the lake of fire; and so too, all those who put their hopes in Adam’s self-justification will find themselves there with the old serpent. The Devil brought man into this same rebellious condition, for the serpent had rebelled against God previously to his appearance in the garden, and had perverted heaven itself by his rebellion. Not only was he cast down to earth, but a vast number of angels have been bound in chains waiting for their future judgment when the Devil, the false prophet, the beast (or man of sin) will be cast into the lake of fire along side these rebellious angels. Isn’t it interesting that the physical serpent hides himself, most only come out at night, and most slither away from the presence of man, but they do strike out in the darkness; and thus, the Devil, in his deception, strikes out at the darkness; from the age of Eden to our very day (the age of madness). This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
Every day the sun rises to reveal a world of sin, evil, and madness: for the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (1 John 5:19) Even though this whole world is covered by a veil of sin which has brought forth spiritual darkness on every continent, in every country, and in every township; yet, in this darkness we have God’s grace, and the lights of grace are the very souls of the children of God. They burn as lights in this world of sin. They have a surety within themselves, a witness of the Holy Spirit of God that has transfigured them, and changed them into a new creation before the Almighty God.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.(1 John 2:20)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27)
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
The world around us is under the condemnation of God. But we who are born of God are under no condemnation. (Romans 8) And why are they (the world) under condemnation? Because they believe not the testimony of God that God sent His Son into the world to die, to defeat both sin and death, nor does the world believe that the true Christian is born of the Spirit of God. The world cannot understand being born again; for they do not understand the moving and ways of the Spirit of God that we (who love the Lord Jesus Christ) are not born of blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but we are born again by the Spirit of God. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13) We are the children of the promise, we are the children of God, and we have eternal life as the sons of God in Jesus Christ. He has redeemed us by His blood, and given us new life in His resurrection. And nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now back to the eyes of the Lord.
The eyes of the Lord expose all the evils of this world. These same eyes also search into the heart of man, and look for those who are perfect towards Him. He has not left us without His presence for we have the Spirit of Christ. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)
You Cannot Hide
At this point I would remind you that the words of man are only words, if they do not have the witness of Christ in those words then Christ is not within them. Man is either a witness of Christ, or he is a witness of Anti-Christ, and if man does not have the witness of Christ within him, then that man is lost beyond repair. God sees mans nakedness. He has sent His Son into the world, and we, as the children of God, cry out to this ungodly world, Be ye reconciled to God by the blood of His dear Son. Open your eyes, and see this present evil world for what it really is. God sees it, and sees you in your fallen state. He has provided His own righteousness in His dear Son. Call out to God with true repentance, and throw yourself on His mercy and grace, He will forgive you of your sin, and His Spirit will create in you a new man in Christ Jesus. The love of God is beyond our understanding, if we try to reason it out, we will remain in our sins. He requires us to believe by faith, to take Him at His own word that He will shed grace and mercy upon us through the Son of His love, the Lord Jesus Christ. The ungodly world, the world in Adam, will mock the children of God as they have mocked Christ over the centuries. They mock the children of God because we walk in the shadow of the cross. We recognize our death in the cross of Christ, but we also recognize our life by His resurrection; and we are joined to His endless life. The same eyes that beheld the crucifixion of the Son of His love, are the same eyes that are upon you. You cannot hide from His sight.
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (Job 34:21)
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. (Job 34:22)
The darkness of the heart of man is exposed to God’s sight and light. The helix of sin in mans DNA is bringing forth, and working towards, the death of every man. Man is not only a sinner, but because of his vain imagination God places him in the category of the wicked; and God is angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:11) God knows what is in man, and that has been exposed by God’s light. When the Lord Jesus was on the earth it’s recorded that the Son of God supernaturally knew what was in every man.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, (John 2:24)
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:25)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)
The Doctrine of Adam
There’s a doctrine of man that is not presented in its fullness in Scripture, and the reason is that it stretches from the garden to the present day. It is the doctrine of Adam; therefore, let’s examine the man called Adam. He was created from the dust of the earth. He was brought forth by the power of God, and God breathed life into him. He was brought forth in the image of his Creator, which was, the Son of God. In fact, in the Gospel of Luke, we find in the genealogy section that is given to us that Adam, before the fall, was called the son of God. Adam was called the son of God prior to the fall for (as I mentioned previously) after the fall Adam lost his glory. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, we read that the Lord Jesus was the Creator of all things as the Son of God, and there was not anything that was made that was not made by Him. This would include Adams’ race; and so, the Son of God gave Adam His image. In the Old Testament we have several appearances of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God in the form of a man. This is called a theophany; when God reveals or manifests Himself to man in the image of a man. Adam received the image of His Creator, and Adam was given a glory of his own like the image of God. This did not make man greater than, or equal, to his creator. Man only resembled the image of Christ.
In Hebrews, Chapter 1, the ‘express image’ of the Person of God, and ‘the brightness’ of God’s glory is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God expresses this so that we will understand that Jesus Christ was not of Adam, but of God and heaven. Christ was not of the earth (earthy), He was the heavenly man (the man of heaven, and the man from heaven). The Apostle Paul in referring to the image of Christ in the book of Corinthians, said that the Rock that followed the children of Israel through the desert with life giving water was, in fact, the Person of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)
The Law of Sin and Death
When Adam sinned he lost his glory, and God’s glory departed from them. Their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked and had been changed. They had been changed by sin, and had lost their entire estate before God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they partook of was forbidden by God. It was not fruit that brought sin into the world, it was the disobedient heart of Adam that brought the horrors of sin into the world. What the fruit did for man was to lay him bare with the knowledge of good and evil without a supernatural defense against evil. They had known good through the goodness of their Creator, what they had not known was evil. Adam was changed, now there was a distance between him and God caused by sin. God did not judge the fruit, nor did He judge the tree, but it was Adam who was judged by the Judge of the world. It was in the very day that Adam partook of the fruit, at that exact moment, sin came into the world. This immediately brought forth spiritual death, and created a seed of enmity in mankind against God. Both Adam and Eve had lost their glory, both were naked before God, they now had lost their standing before God, and the law of sin and death began to work in them. (Romans 5) Death reigned from Adam to Moses until the law of God not only exposed sin, but exposed all the facets of the evil heart of man.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5 :14)
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20)
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21)
The Difference Between the First Man and the Second Man
We are getting ahead of ourselves, let’s return and spend some more time in the garden with the two trespassers and their Creator God. The Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul tells us that Adam was a figure of Him who was to come in Romans 5:14. This Being was the Lord Jesus Christ, the second man from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:47) We should see the difference of Adam being from the dust of the earth (earthy), and then lay hold of the second man from heaven who was the Lord from glory with all the power of an endless life. Think of it, Adam from the dust of the ground gave us sin and death; the second man (from heaven) Jesus Christ with the power of endless life has brought to us both life and righteousness. There was no Adam in Christ.
The Plan is Implemented
The plan of redemption that had been conceived by the determinant counsels of God before the foundation of the earth is now implemented. Immediately after the fall of Adam, and while Adam and Eve were sewing fig leaves to cover themselves, God was actively preparing, setting the stage, and building what was to become the crux or core of His plan of redemption: the shedding of blood. I presume that God, acting as the High Priest in Christ Jesus after the order of Melchizedek (a priest for ever, Psalm 110:4), began building an altar, and selecting two lambs (out of His precious creation) without blemish (both without and within) as a prefigure of the Son of God who would lay down His life, and take the sin of the whole world upon Him on Calvary’s cross. If we place the Son of God in this picture of divine redemption, we see the two lambs being used to cover both Adam and Eve. Their glory was gone, and inwardly they had lost their souls to sin, and now, as the Bible teaches, man became a slave to sin. These two lambs that were taken from the flock had to be pure as He is pure. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21) The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] the price of the field. (Proverbs 27:26) For with their blood the pains of death would be stayed for both Adam and Eve. This was grace given to them for both spiritual and physical death should have been immediate, but God in grace, even though He drove them from His presence, gave them life for a season. In the two skins we have coverings that concealed what had happened to both Adam and Eve. These two innocent lambs were a figure of the Son of God, which John the Baptist would show us the fullest meaning when he said of Jesus Christ, And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:36) The skins were not consumed with the rest of the sacrifice of the altar in Eden. The God of creation, acting in the full power of His priesthood, clothed the offenders with the covering of another who had not sinned: the innocent was offered for the guilty. The sinless bore the sin of the guilty. This is the first death recorded in Scripture, and it was by the hand of God. There is no way that we would know, or even conceive, what went through the heart and mind of the God of creation at that time. We can only imagine the depth when we read the horrific words of the Lord Jesus while He was on the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Death Comes to Planet Earth by the Hand of God
In the garden God beheld for the first time — death in His creation — and it was at the work of His own hand, but not because of His hand. This is the work of the determinate counsels of God in action for the redemption of man has now begun. The image of the sacrifice is only an image of what is to come. The sacrifice to come is much greater, and much dearer to the heart of God. The sacrifice to come would be in the fullness of time, the very Son of His love; thus, we see from the onset of the fall, God working in grace. Although they were both driven out of the garden, they were allowed life, and Adam’s life lasted nine hundred and thirty years (930). (Genesis 5:5) After this recorded time there is not another word by or of Adam. The only voice that we have related to Adam is in Genesis 5:3 in the birth of Seth, in which God, had restored the divine seed because of the murder of Abel. The only confession that we have concerning the guilt of Adam is when Adam tried to pass on his failure to God by saying, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. This is a very weak identification of guilt, and it is surely not repentance towards God.
For lack of repentance this lost man, Adam, was now covered with death, not his own, but the death of another. He was driven out of the garden into a world of thorns and thistles, and there Adam died, and returned to the dust after nine hundred and thirty years. The man from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, laid down His life on the cross of Calvary, and after three days (the man from heaven) took His life again in His resurrection, and in His ascension returned to heaven at the right hand of God. Adam was never mentioned as a worshiper of God, nor it is recorded that he ever presented an offering to God. Jesus Christ, the second man, the holy man, gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin, and offered Himself to God as a holy, and righteous sacrifice that God may redeem man by the sacrifice and shed blood of His Son. As sin stripped Adam of all he was, Christ took sin upon Himself to destroy both sin and death. Christ, as the Lamb of God, stripped Himself, and voluntarily became the perfect servant, humble, and without a place to rest His head; and herein glorified Himself as the Eternal Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
The Crown is Fallen
Adam was the head of the woman, he was the administrator of God, and the earthly ruler over all creation. He enjoyed fellowship with the Almighty, they talked in the cool of the day as they walked through the garden paradise. Now, Adam was estranged from God for the remainder of his life. The Son of God was estranged from God on the cross of Calvary to bring forth for us eternal life, and is now sat down on the right hand of God. There would be no glorious inheritance for the children of Adam. The only thing that Adam passed on to all his descendants was sin and death. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! (Lamentations 5:16) In contrast, the Lord Jesus, by His death passed on to us life and peace with God.
While man was in the garden, the outcome or realization of his fall was not yet complete. Only when Adam was driven out did he realize the extent of his sin when he looked back to see that the entrance of paradise was blocked by a flaming sword, and Cherubims. The fall of man was so complete that only God could intervene. In the darkness of the soul of man only God could give light and life. But, why not redeem man now in the garden, or destroy man and start over again. No, God was going to fully expose man for what he is, and how far he had fallen.
Every step that man would take throughout history would be under the eyes of God, man would be tried by the Almighty. All waiting for the fullness of time when God would send forth His beloved Son. Man would swear by God to do the very words of God that God had spoken; and yet, while the words of God echoed, man would disobey these very words. God was looking for good in man, He was looking for any righteousness and truth; and yet, the only thing revealed was that man was a sinner, and could not raise himself above sin and death. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) Darkness was part of man, and all his works were works of darkness. He would be a proven sinner, and only the mercy of God would prolong his days upon the earth. The eyes of the Lord watched through the millenniums as mankind sewed fig leaves of self-righteousness. Man would create his own gods by the work of his own hands; and in his enmity and hateful heart against God, man was determined to show God what little power God had, and believe me, God watched as Adam did all he could to find new ways to sin, and to degrade his hopeless state.
The Intervention
The call of Abel, as the professed seed of God, was the first intervention of God with man since Adam was driven out of the garden; although Abel was the second son, in him was the seed of promise. God had chosen a man for Himself, and had interacted with man imputing faith to Abel. The first work of faith is recorded in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:4; this is the Holy Spirit describing the faith of Abel. Thousands of years had past, but the God of eternity remembered His first faithful servant. Abel is the first one mentioned in Chapter 11 of the Book of Hebrews who was called by the faith of God. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4) This testimony of Abel echo’s and resounds through the history of mankind. He was the victim of the ungodly, and God distinguished him as a faithful and obedient follower of Almighty God.
In Hebrews, Chapter 11, verse 4, we have a reference of the excellent sacrifice that Abel offered to God. All the sacrifices ordained of God in the Old Testament were shadows of the sacrifice of the Son of His love, who came from heaven’s glory to this earth in the fullness of time to surrender His life for the sin of the world. No other sacrifice could ever be given to remove or annul sin. Christ was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices of the Old Testament, He was the sinless victim on the cross of Calvary, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes Christians fail to see the connection between events, people, and actions, of divine intelligence and understanding that was given to noted patriarchs in the Old Testament. For instance, which one of us can say that we have seen heaven open, and angels ascending and descending. (Genesis 28:12) This was what Jacob, the patriarch, beheld when he was at Bethel (the house of God).
The Firsts of the First Man
As we muse on the life of Abel, we see many ‘firsts.’ He was the first man chosen of God, he was the first man who walked by faith, he was the first man who offered a blood sacrifice, this is proven by the word ‘excellent’ in Hebrews 11:4. For only a blood sacrifice would be mentioned by God when God through the Book of Hebrews is bringing before us a more excellent sacrifice in His Son, Jesus Christ. Although Abel’s sacrifice was the pre-figure of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, Abel was the first man to completely understand by faith the path of redemption through the sacrifice of the promised seed. Abel was the first man to shed innocent blood, for the sacrifices that he offered would be of the firstling of the flock, without blemish, without spot within and without, as type of the sinless victim of Calvary’s cross. God showed His grace in complete assurance to His faithful servant Abel. Abel was the first man to believe God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Abel was the first man who gave all for his testimony of God. Abel was the first man to die in faith, not receiving the promise, but looking forward to a better resurrection. Abel was the first man to be killed by the hand of man, and that hand was the hand of his brother Cain. Abel was the first man to be buried in an unmarked grave. Abel was the first man who God acknowledged that though he was dead, yet, liveth. Through the record of Hebrews, Chapter 11, verse 4, we believe that Abel was the first man to believe in eternal life, and this eternal life was in God, His Savior. Abel was the first promised seed given to the woman.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (Genesis 3:16)
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.(Genesis 4:25)
Abel was the first fulfillment of the prophecy of Genesis 3. Abel was the first gift from God as the promised seed, and Abel was inserted into the history of man as a follower of God.
Side note: speaking of seeds: this spring I learned an important lesson. When I prepared my garden, and planted my seeds in the garden, they all came forth except the bell peppers; and so, I purchased more seeds and tried again. Still not one seed germinated. I changed brands, and these seeds also did not germinate. All my other peppers came forth, the sweet banana peppers, the jalapeno peppers, the cayenne peppers, but no bell peppers. So what was the lesson I learned? The earth was the same from the previous years, the sun was as bright, as best as I can tell they had the correct amount of moisture, but what was missing? The only way that I can explain it, they were missing the power of God. Yes, I said, the power of God! Is God concerned with such small things? After all, did He not bring forth the first plant with seed within itself.
The Power of God — he being dead yet speaketh.
Abel was given by the power of God. He grew, and matured in the nurture of God, Abel brought forth fruit for God, all these were the first in mankind. Cain, who was the first born, refused to obey God, refused to be a follower of God, refused to believe God, and brought forth no fruit, no germination, his spiritual seed was barren, and his life reflected this; for he was a murderer, and throughout Scripture, even in the New Testament, the testimony of the work of Cain is that he was a murderer. What a contrast to a man of faith called Abel, he being dead yet speaketh.
The world can talk about faith all they want to, but unless God plants the seed of faith, and it is brought forth by His power then all the talk of faith is but idle words, and there is no life within. There can be no life without the power of God. From Abel on it is God’s seed, we continually read in Hebrews 11 of men and women who walked by faith. The eyes of the Lord follows these spiritual descendants of Abel, although he being dead yet speaketh.
The End?
Of Cain and his descendants the Lord never refers to the word ‘faith,’ In fact, in the brief genealogy that we have of the line of Cain, it is a downward path away from God. It seems to be a path of both sin and misery. There is no record of the descendants of Cain crying out for mercy and grace. And if we follow the history of mankind, we find that this history was almost terminated in the days of Noah, a man described by God as a man who walked by faith. In the day of Noah, the world was very populated, all the systems of man, economically, politically, and most likely even religion were all in place. Yet, man was determined to worship his own gods, and not the true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Well, where is that written? Try Genesis 6:5, And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Society Before the Flood and Its End
The eyes of the Lord saw the continuing evil of man, his imagination had been completely given over to the dark side of sin. All the things that were present were continually evil. Mans heart had continually betrayed him. He was hiding his evil heart in his own wicked imagination. To see the beginning, the development, and end result of the heart of man turn to Romans, Chapter 1, verse 17 through 32.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18)
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (Romans 1:19)
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:22)
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:23)
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (Romans 1:24)
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 1:25)　
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (Romans 1:26)
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (Romans 1:27)
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (Romans 1:28)
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (Romans 1:29)
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (Romans 1:30)
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (Romans 1:31)
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:32)
God looked down and saw the total depravity of the populace of the earth. Would this be the end of all flesh?
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Genesis 6:6)
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis 6:7)
The race of mankind, as a whole, had come to the end of wickedness. For God was quite ready to destroy all the peoples of the world. They, to a man and woman, had denied God, and were consumed with their own abominations in every form, and manner. Mankind delighted in all their wicked imagination. The whole world had filled up the cup of sin, and drank from this cup until there was no reason, nor wisdom, but only the madness of their sin was evident. One could see that the end was nigh.
But – Grace
Then the Holy Spirit speaks out in verse 8 of Genesis 6, and we read these words: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Notice that this verse begins with the word, but. God presents to us, in all this ruin, one man of faith. The word ‘but’ is usually used to explain or emphasis one’s failure, or a contrast, or an exception. And in this failure of man, God inserts the word ‘but,’ to reveal one man named Noah, and this one man found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the first time the word ‘grace’ is mentioned in Scripture. This comes when the whole world is in ruin. Out of the millions of inhabitants there was only one man, and because of this one man who lived by faith, he found grace in the sight of the Lord. It is amazing that the Holy Spirit waits through thousands of years, then in Noah, He pulls this divine word out of His treasure chest, and grace is introduced to man before the flood. But, how can grace overcome such odds? Earth is totally consumed by sin, the creation is reeling and groaning under the heavy weight of the sin of man. God is repentant that He ever made man. He is about to destroy all flesh, and then the glimmer of life. In this darkness, God said, Let there be light, and Noah was the recipient of God’s light. Noah finds grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is more than God just looking on Noah, if we study the eyes of the Lord, we see that His eyes are the very part of His perception of man. His eyes are not like our eyes, for His eyes distinguish between righteousness and unrighteousness, between the holy and the unholy, and between clean and unclean (Ezekiel 44:23). The eyes of the Lord can be a consuming fire, (Revelation 1) and the eyes of the Lord can be the minister of grace. We see both in Genesis, Chapter 6. We have this one man, Noah, living by faith, the recipient of grace in a world that has gone mad with sin. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 (although this verse is recorded much later in the history of mankind) it is truly a reflection of the man called Noah. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. The eyes of the Lord searches this world for those of faith, those whose hearts have believed, and do believe in the Almighty God, and for those who walk by faith, and live in the grace of God. Noah was the only one mentioned who had found this wonderful grace of God. At this monumental time in the history of mankind, Noah was the only recipient of God’s grace. What about his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons? There is no mention of grace, nor faith. Why did God bring them through the flood? They were brought through the flood because of the faith of Noah, and because of the grace that God had given Noah. God honored His servant by prolonging the days of those in his family, and bringing them through the flood. They were preserved by Noah’s faith.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 14:14)
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. (Ezekiel 14:20)
Why The Eighth?
The conclusion (by the Holy Spirit) is that Noah walked by faith and found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and seven others were brought through the flood, saved from death because of Noah who Peter called the eighth person in 2nd Peter 2:5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;. Once again, as was in the life of Abel, so too, in the life of Noah we see much as the Holy Spirit continually reveals this marvelous life of faith in God. In 2nd Peter if this verse was under the jurisdiction of man, and not the Holy Spirit, man would have called Noah the first person, not the eighth person. But God’s ways are not our ways.
The Holy Spirit calls Noah the eighth person, the number eight (8) signifies a new beginning. It also signifies the beginning of a new day; and therefore, in Noah we see the beginning of a new society after the flood. We must remember that God rested on the seventh day, that does not mean that there was not an eighth day. As there was a new beginning in Noah, so in Christ, we have a new beginning in His resurrection on what is called the eighth day, or the first day of the week. The Lord Jesus went into the depth of the flood of mans sin. He took upon Himself the sin and darkness of the whole world. As He lay in the tomb, we have the cry of Isaiah in Isaiah 53:11, and 12.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
In this brief section our Lord’s soul is mentioned twice. First: it is the travail of his soul. Secondly: He poured out His soul unto death. This all took place in the hours of darkness within the tomb. The work of Christ on the cross was finished, but the work of eternity had just begun. Even now, the Lord Jesus is working in His justification of those who come to Him. This glorious realization of our redemption through His blood is shown forth in the burst of life and light of the Lord’s resurrection. He saw the travail of His soul, and He was, and is satisfied. In performing His servitude to God the Father, He is bring many to the eternal state, and rest in God’s eternity. The first day of the week became the eighth day, and in the Lord’s resurrection we have a new beginning for all mankind.
The Number Seven
In the number seven (7) we have God’s completed work. In the number eight (8) we have God’s new beginning. All through Scripture we have this theme till it comes to its grand conclusion in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The seventh day will end with the end of the millennial kingdom. This will be the last rebellion of man against God. This rebellion leads to the destruction of man, and his punishment at the great white throne. After the conclusion of this judgment, we have the ungodly cast into the lake of fire with Satan, the man of sin, and the false prophet.
This seventh day is ended; finally, all of God’s work is finished with the sons of Adam. The eighth day begins with the creation of a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness will dwell among men in the Person of the most holy God, and His glory will be shed upon all.
God’s Final Call to Mankind and to the Church
The first mention of grace saved the known world in Noah’s day, for God brought a remnant through the flood to establish a new world. The last mention of grace is in Revelation 22:21, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Why is this last verse in the Book of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ so important to man? It is God’s final call of grace to all mankind. It is the Amen, or the conclusion of all that has been written before by the Holy Spirit of God; this grace is offered to all mankind. Grace is mentioned only twice in the Book of Revelation. The first mention is in Revelation 1:4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;. In Revelation 1:4, we have the message of the Spirit of God to the seven Churches of history. These Churches could not exist without the grace of God that binds them unto Him. It is grace that established the Church, and it is grace that will remove the Church from this evil world when Christ calls us home. The first Chapter of Revelation presents to us the grace of God from the One that was, and is, and is to come: the Eternal God with eyes of eternity. In the last mention of grace in Chapter 22, we have seen through this book of Revelation a long history of judgment upon the descendants of Adam. But, once again, God calls out His grace from His treasure chest in heaven, and cries out to man that they should repent and find grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we have the number of completion in Chapter 1, we have the seven Churches, but we also have the seven Spirits which are before the throne of grace. In fact, in the New Testament, God declares the Spirit of grace, these same seven Spirits are a witness for, and a witness against these seven Churches of history. Each address begins with a declaration from the Lord Jesus Himself. He is trying and proving each Church. He is bringing the dross to the top that they might see their own failure which began in the first Church, Ephesus. Once again, I mention the doctrine of Adam. The Church has failed because Adam (the flesh) has been allowed in among the saints, and Adam has disobeyed God and perverted the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. On the cross of Calvary, in the Lord’s death, we have the end of Adam. In the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the new man, the resurrected man, the new federal head of all mankind, For now, all powers, and principalities both seen and unseen are under His direct control and power. Christ has become the heir of all things, this includes things seen and unseen. His eyes, the eyes of the Lord, are still going to and fro throughout the whole earth. He is looking for the Abels and the Noahs, and the Davids, and the Daniels, and the Zechariahs, and the Baptists, and the Pauls to take up the cross and follow Him into eternity. The doctrine of Adam declares that he was the first man. God declared that he was the man who brought sin into the world. The doctrine of the second man is the Lord from heaven. So what are the perimeters of this new man, Jesus Christ who has sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high? When He put away sin by His death on the cross, He not only made a path of redemption for man through Himself, but as Federal Head over creation, He also took back His creation which He will have complete dominion over during His reign in the millennial kingdom. Adam has been put out of the way for the new man. The Lord Jesus signed Adams obituary in His own blood on the cross of Calvary. By faith, we believe that each individual Christian has a man in heaven named Jesus Christ who is the Son of God, and He has purchased us by His blood for all eternity. The very proof that we have such a man is the empty tomb. This body that was prepared of God in Jesus Christ proved itself through all His sufferings, and His death upon the cross completing the perfect will of God the Father. He lives in heaven in resurrection glory; therefore, we understand that Adam was judged and put away at the cross, and of twain, the Lord Jesus made one new man.
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:16)
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (Ephesians 2:17)
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19)
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20)
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21)
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
In these seven verses in Ephesians we have the light of perfection (or the Urim and the Thummim) revealed to us in God’s grace. For Christ has put away the old to create the new. In our position as Christians, He is the foundation of our faith, and the possessor and giver of the grace of God to us. In the eyes of the Lord we see both judgment and grace. As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17:26) But the grace of God continually is marvelous in our eyes.
The Eyes of the Lord and Grace in The Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the last mention of God’s grace is to the nation of Israel. This also is the last testimony of the eyes of the Lord.
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they [are] the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:10)
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.(Zechariah 12:10) God in a coming day will pour out His Spirit of grace upon the nation of Israel. They will, in their hearts, perceive and behold Him who they have pierced and hung upon the cross of Calvary. The nation of Israel will now understand and believe Isaiah 53, which is the Holy Spirit’s report of their Messiah. They will be in bitterness of soul, but grace will find them, and from their lips will come praise, honor, and glory for the Lord of lords, and King of kings, Jesus the Christ. For the eyes of the LORD, . . . run to and fro through the whole earth. Let these eyes into our hearts so that we might find eternal rest, and eternal praise for Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us. Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah. Amen.
© Copyright 2017, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)