The Creator’s Vision of the Perfect World

In the ancient world there were no Bibles; there were scrolls. In the Jewish culture the most important scroll was called “The Torah.” The Hebrew word “TORAH” means “Instructions” and “Laws.” The first section in the Torah scroll is the book we now call “Genesis,” and it contains “The Stories of the Beginnings.” These stories are primarily sources of instructions, not laws.

As readers follow the flow of the text of the Torah, they move from one story to the next, with each new story adding to the storylines of humanity and the Israelites. One elohim (god) is the central character and He interacts with ADAM #1, ADAM #2, Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in the stories in Genesis. Each of these stories play important roles in Jewish and Christian Biblical Heritages. However, most Christians are unfamiliar with Jewish interpretations of them – including the interpretations of the Jewish Jesus. Another reason is that it is impossible for readers to experience the Hebrew stories beneath their English translations.

I have been thinking about how to resolve that problem for weeks. I have added a new section to the BHC website called “Studying the Sacred Scrolls with Jesus.” In the past, I presented the teachings of Jesus first, and then identified verses in the Hebrew Scriptures linked to the teachings of Jesus. In the future I will provide you with better translations of the Hebrew stories to read first, and then provide Jesus’ interpretations. This requires a lot of time and work, so please don’t expect a new translation and commentary to magically appear online instantly. However, I believe you will benefit from and appreciate the importance of this approach when you begin to read them.

The First Story in the Bible

This story lays the foundation for the Jewish Scriptures that follow, as well as all of the Judaisms that consider the Torah a sacred text. As I pointed in previous emails, in the ancient culture of the scribes that produced and copied the earliest Torah scrolls, knowing which actions had been completed and which had not been completed was important. The title of this email is “The Creators Vision of the Perfect World” -- “a world where everything is functioning as the Creator intended.”

● Light and darkness are functioning together as perpetual cycles of time called “Day and Night.”

● The “Heavens” (solid dome-like structure) is functioning as a barrier to protect the space inside it safe and as a structure that supports heavenly bodies.

● The “Earth” (dry ground called beneath the Heavens) is functioning as a space for grasses, herbs and fruit trees to grow. The body of water called “Seas” is functioning as a space for waters to be gathered beneath the Heavens.

● The sun, moon and stars are functioning as lights that separate the Day from the Night, as signs for seasons, days and years, and as givers of light on the Earth.”

● The Seas are functioning as the source of water-souls for creatures that live in waters and winged creature that fly above the Earth.

● The Earth is functioning as the source of earth-souls for creatures that live on it – animals and humans.

● Humans are functioning as creatures created in the image of God doing acts that measure up to His standard – acts that protect lives, increase the qualities, make lives more functional, increase the quality of life and act as the Creator’s Co-Shepherds over all life.

● Humans are functioning as keepers of the sacred Day Seven on which they retell sacred stories and teach the Creator’s wisdom.

This is what life would be like in Creator’s perfectly functioning creation. It is a vision that requires humans to fulfill their functions to make it a reality – especially as “images of God.” That is the standard that humans will ultimately be judged by on the Great Day of Judgment.

Keep the description of the “perfect humans” handy so you can use it to measure the actions of people in future Bible stories. See if you can spot actions that measure up to it and understand why other actions failed to measure it. Use it learn lessons about how to live better lives, as well as examine beliefs linked to the biblical stories and create transparency in realities.

As you read the sacred stories of the Bible, be on the lookout for new values and morals. Being able to articulate your beliefs and why you hold them, your values and morals, and the standards you use to make decisions. This creates a strong foundation for making new relationships and strengthening established relationships.