Sin and Death

God made everything, including animals.
Then, he made Man and put him in charge of the animals to take care of.
God gave Man one rule, and he broke it.

Suddenly, Man was aware of his nakedness, so he covered himself with fig leaves.

But, God made clothes for Man out of leather instead.

Leather.

One of Man's animals had to die, and the skin of that animal was draped on Man both to hide his nakedness and for him to wear his shame.

Thus, was the first sacrifice to atone for sins.  The wages of sin is death.


The people of Israel were enslaved by the Egyptians when Moses came to lead them out of captivity.  A series of plagues befell the Egyptians to convince Pharoah to let the Israelites go to worship their God.  In the final plague, the Angel of Death went throughout Egypt to kill the firstborn.  The people of Israel had prepared for this plague by sacrificing a lamb and painting its blood on their doors.  When the Angel of Death came, he saw that death had already happened there, and moved on.

The Basics - a Work in Progress

 

Jesus is the creative power of God

Creation – light and dark, stars and planets, seas and land, plants and animals – was spoken into existence through Jesus, the creative power of God – the Word of God.  They, God and Jesus, were pleased with this creation.

The ingredient for Man – clay – was spoken into existence through the creative power of God, whom we would later call Jesus.

But, God formed man with his hands from the ingredients of creation – clay, and breathed divine life into Man, thus distinguishing Man – making him Holy – from all creation.  We are literally clay vessels containing the divine breath of God , our souls – the Holy Spirit of God breathed into the first of us.

The Word of God, the creative power of God, came to Earth in a clay vessel called, among other names, Jesus.  He allowed his clay vessel to be broken, and it remained broken while he went to the dead.   He returned to his broken vessel, repaired it, reentered it, and walked among us, continuing to preach.  He was taken up to heaven – still in his clay vessel – after reminding us that within us – our clay vessels – the divine breath of God, the Holy Spirit, remains to guide us, counsel us, and comfort until we join him in the heavenly realm.