Two testaments – one message

In the study of Genesis there are two things that caught my attention this time unlike any before:

– the narrow path. Yeshua states in the book of Matthew “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

– the cliche ‘first come, first served’ is not the case. Here again scripture comes to life from the book of Matthew also, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Cain is born first and chooses the wide path and is cursed to be last among his brethren. The same fate befalls Ham with Shem receiving the blessing. Next is Ishmael dismissed and Isaac as the son of promise, of Isaac’s sons, Esau the elder is running headlong to the wide path and Jacob being blessed. The story of Jacob’s sons, the financial part of the blessing is split between the grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh while the leadership blessing is given to Judah thereby passing the first 3 born to Jacob.

YHWH created a people unto himself and called them to be set apart from the nations (gentiles) . That these set apart people were going to protected and cared for by YHWH provided they were obedient to his instructions which will be called the Torah in all of the coming books of Exodus to Revelation.

Salvation by grace through faith is evident in the lives of Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and is not a New Testament invention.

Hebrews Chapter 11 tells us:

“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.”

“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.”

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son”

We can see that faith produces obedience to the commands of YHWH.

These principles are not lost to YHWH, they are still very much the plan for mankind today, as they were in the days of the patriarchs. The faithful (those believing in YHWH / Yeshua) living by the instructions (called Torah in Hebrew, called Law in the Greek).

Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

The evidence of our faith and the fact we are a part of a “peculiar nation” is our observance and dedication to the instructions of YHWH as our expression of our belief in sacrifice of Yeshua.

Ex 19:5, Deut 14:2, Psalm 135:4, Titus 2:4, 1st Peter 2:9

This is the narrow path leading to salvation.