The First Adam

The name is supposed to be derived from Adamah, "earth, or red earth," agreeing with the fact that "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground." Gen. 2:7. He differed from all other creatures, because God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life by which he became a living soul. He differed also in being made after the image and likeness of God; he was God's representative on earth, and to him was given dominion over all other living things, and he gave them names. He was placed in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it, showing that occupation was a good thing for man even in innocence. God said that it was not good for man to be alone, so He caused him to sleep, took from him a rib, and of this "builded" a woman. Adam called her Isha for she was taken out of Ish (man), the two being a type of Christ and the Church, in the closest union. (Eph. 5:31, 32.)
Adam and Eve were permitted to eat of all the trees of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they ate of that tree, God said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2:17. Eve, beguiled by Satan, ate of that tree, and at her suggestion, though not deceived as Eve was, Adam also took of it. Their eyes were at once opened. They knew they were naked, and hid themselves from God. They were transgressors, had fallen from their state of innocence, and acquired a conscience, and with it the sense of their own evil and guilt. When questioned by God, Adam laid the blame on Eve, ungratefully saying, "the woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." The ground was then cursed for Adam's sake. In sorrow he would eat of it all his life; thorns and thistles would be produced, and in the sweat of his face he would eat bread.
God made for Adam and Eve coats of skins and clothed them, foreshadowing the need for a vicarious sacrifice, and the righteousness that could only come to them through death. They were driven from the garden, and cherubim with a flaming sword prevented them reentering, lest they should eat of the tree of life and live forever in their sin. Adam did not beget a son until after his fall; hence all mankind are alike fallen creatures. (Acts 17:26; Rom. 5:18,19; 1 Cor. 15:22.) Adam lived 930 years and begat sons and daughters. We have no details of the life of Adam as a fallen man. Viewed typically as head of a race, he stands in marked contrast to Christ, the last Adam.
In contrast to the first man, Adam, who was made a living soul, the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, was a life-giving Spirit. The first was natural, the second spiritual. The first man was of the earth, earthy; the second Man was out of heaven. (1 Cor. 15:45-47.) Everything committed to man having failed in Adam, Christ as the last Adam becomes the head of a new and redeemed race. He is the last Adam because there will be no other. Every man must come under one of these two headships: the first Adam, man, or the last Adam, Christ. (see 1 Cor. 15:22; Psa. 8:3-9; Heb. 2:6-9.)
Concise Bible Dictionary
Editorial
Both Syria and Iraq claim to have the Garden of Eden in their territory. The Syrians say it was a few miles outside of Damascus and the Iraqis say it was at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Surely both claims are wrong. Eden is not only lost as a paradise, but its geographic location is lost as well.
The sin that drove man out from the Garden of Eden has increased to mass slaughter in the killing fields only a few miles from the Iraqis' Eden. The Syrians, too, are engaged in warfare and terrorism not far from Damascus.
For six years the bloody Iran-Iraq conflict in which thousands upon thousands have died, has raged on and still continues. It began in a quarrel over control of the Shatt-al-Arab waterway which is formed by the meeting of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The prophet Ezekiel writes of a land that "is become like the garden of Eden." Ezek. 36:35. Certainly no one will dispute the undeniable fact that this prophecy has not been fulfilled yet. Instead, the whole world has seen the results of sin in sorrow, pain, hatred, envy, slavery, drudgery and death. Another result of sin is that it takes hard work to produce food, clothing and shelter in order to live on this earth. When shall the prophecy of Ezek. 36 be fulfilled? The chapter begins with:
“Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people.... Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up Mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it... I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord." Ezek. 36:1-11.
The Lord's statement in the same chapter, verse 22, is, "I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake." Then the Lord promises:
“I will sanctify My great name.”
“I will take you from among the heathen.”
“I will sprinkle clean water upon you."
"I will cleanse you.”
“A new heart also will I give you."
"A new spirit will I put within you."
"I will put My Spirit within you.”
“I will be your God.”
In verse 33 we learn when these prophecies will be fulfilled. It is when the Lord has cleansed them and brought Israel again into the land. Then it says in verse 35, "This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden.”
The current warfare, in the area where Eden is claimed to have been, clearly manifests the wretched results of sin. Only the Lord can and will cleanse and restore a garden of "Delights" or Eden. Concerning Israel He says, "I will do better unto you than at your beginnings." Ed.
Questions and Answers
Ques. Can you explain 1 Sam. 2:12-17? I don't understand the custom in verse 13. I don't know what a flesh hook is. I don't understand what they did wrong which grieved the Lord in this passage in verse 17.
Ans. The office of the high priest in Israel was to bear the government and the judgment of all the tribes of Israel. He was to instruct them according to the Urim and Thummim—lights and perfections. (Ex. 28:30; Deut. 33:8.) He was to draw near to the Lord for them in all their ignorance and weakness. The home of Eli, the high priest of the Lord of hosts, should have been the fairest spot in the whole earth a home that in a special way witnessed to Jehovah's name and glory. Instead of this it had become a place notable in Israel for foul sins. Eli is charged by the man of God (v. 29) with the guilt of his sons. "Wherefore kick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honourest thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel My people?" v. 29. (Eli himself was heavy, 1 Sam. 4:18.) "Yourselves" the Lord said. "The priest's custom" (v. 13), doubtless, was this unholy gain the Lord strongly condemns in verse 17. "The sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.”
By the ordinance of the Lord, the peace offering had a special and precious significance clearly set forth (Lev. 3). In it the Lord brought the worshipers into communion with Himself. A selected portion was called "the food of the offering," and was to be consumed on the burnt offering and with the meat offering, before they or the priests partook of what was reserved for them. Eli's sons openly set aside the revealed will of God and put their own customs in its place. (1 Sam. 2:13-17.) Even the people knew that the fat must be burnt and was for God. (v. 16.) Eli's sons cared nothing for God's word.
The flesh hook is here described as having three teeth. Its use, perhaps, was like a barbed fork which they jabbed into the meat and pulled out the choicest part which Eli's sons then greedily ate. Their own lusts were, in effect, their god. Besides their very great sins in verses 13-17, more are exposed in verses 22-25.
Surely there is a practical and important lesson for us Christians to learn from this. We know that today every believer is a priest. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood." 1 Peter 2:5. In Heb. 10:22, we are invited to draw near, but it must be according to God. There are four requisites: a true heart, full assurance of faith, hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. We have no right to change, add to, or diminish from what God has prescribed. Along with the true heart of faith, the blood must be applied and there must be the washing of the water by the Word. Let us be careful not to depart from the teaching of the Holy Scriptures in seeking to draw near to God. To despise God's word as Eli's sons did, is dangerous. If we come according to God's word, we enjoy the most happy and sweet fellowship and worship and can offer the sacrifice of praise to God. (Heb. 13:15.) Ed.