The Egyptian god Apis was a highly revered ancient god of fertility, death, and the underworld. The name Apis, however, is Greek; he was called Hap, Hep, or Hapi in Egypt. Apis was typically depicted as a large, black, horned bull with white body marking and a menat collar, which was the sacred necklace of the goddess Hather. He also wore a radiate sun crown bearing the uraeus, a serpent representative of powerful kings.

 

Genesis 17:1-14
“multiply” and “fruitful” – looking                back to Eden
“I will be their God” – looking forward to eternity
                          
   
          Was Abraham counted righteous before or after he was circumcised? What does that tell us about the relationship between faith and works?

Questions to consider to help you apply this:

When you are most tempted to make you own name great, what are the things you do?

What are the things you think?

What changes can you make to reduce your prideful tendencies?



When, with God’s help, you manage to walk in humility, what are the things you do?

What are the things you think?

What changes can you make to find more success like this?

Behold, I establish my covenant with you…

Isaiah 54:9-10
“This is like the days of Noah to me: 
as I swore that the waters of Noah 
should no more go over the earth, 
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, 
and will not rebuke you. 
For the mountains may depart 
and the hills be removed, 
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, 
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” 
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Hebrews 10:10
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

Genesis 4:7-8
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 6:5-8
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 

Gen 3:21-24
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.  Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever-” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Romans 3:25
Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Hebrews 2:17
 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.


1 John 2:2
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.


1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

What leads to original sin? (Genesis 3:1-6)

1. The failure to ‘Shamar’

2. Editing God’s command

1.  Making God’s prohibition ________

2.  Making God’s prohibition ________

3.  Diminishing God’s ________

3. Taking the place of God’s ________

Adam and Eve as the Priestly Archetype

Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work [eved] it and keep [shamar] it. 

Numbers 3:7-8 (Duties of the Levites)
They shall keep [shamar] guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister [eved] at the tabernacle. They shall guard [shamar] all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister [eved] at the tabernacle.

Numbers 8:26 (Retirement of Levites)
They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard [shamar], but they shall do no service [eved]. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.

Numbers 18:4-5 (More duties of the Levites following the rebellion of Korah)
They shall join you and keep [shamar] guard over the tent of meeting for all the service [eved] of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. And you shall keep [shamar] guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel.





Book rec: The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God by David S. Schrock

Eden as the Temple Archetype 
(Why 7 days of creation)

Leviticus 8:33-35 
And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.

1 Kings 8:65-66
So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days. On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people. 

Ezekiel 43:25-27
For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it. And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.




Book rec: God Dwells Among Us: A Biblical Theology of the Temple by G.K. Beale and Mitchell Kim