The talk

The Talk

Introduction

"The Talk" is the "Hello World" of theology. Before we we get into religious discussions, The Talk sets an ontological (nature of reality) framework, some theological expectations, answers some of the impossible questions, and often sets hearers free.

Before the beginning

Only God

Before the universe sprang into existence at the sound of God's voice, there was only God.

There was nothing outside of God, because there was nothing bigger than God; no void, no vacuum of space.

In darkness

He dwelt in darkness. The word 'darkness' khaw-sak חשך means 'restrained, reserved, hide, obscure, conceal'. It is a symbol of love. If you are in sin, and not getting hit by lightning, you are receiving the grace, love, patience, long-suffering of God. He is restraining himself from destroying you. Jesus said to stop presuming upon the grace of God and be Holy.

His unspeakable name

His name was something like 'ee-oo-ee'. Spelled yod-vav-yod. It is hidden in the aleph א. It is the name of God which cannot be pronounced (this is a riddle). The aleph is a silent letter, so his hidden name is also silent. His name is hidden because no one can have dominion over him. The name Yaweh יהוה is not a name that he has forbidden us to speak. It is the name he gave Moses and told him to use it. The two names sound similar.

God created language

Before God could say, "Let there be light" he had to have an alphabet and words. He made a language unlike any other. Words get their meaning from the meaning of the letters, and letters get their meaning from the strokes within the letters, and the revelation of Christ 4000 years later.

The Hebrew alphabet is a message of Christ created 4000 years before Christ. Each jot (yod י) and tittle or horn (vav ו) speaks of Christ. Many mock the idea without having examined it. This alone is a proof of God.

If a book purported to be written in 2000 B.C. and it said that a man had "met his Waterloo", it would be discarded as a fraud. The phase had no meaning until it became a metaphor for Napolean's great loss many years later. Yet the defining events for the metaphor of the letters happened 4000 years after the language was invented.

Wicked men observe that God expressed his power in words, but attribute the power to the words rather than to God. They claim that if you learn the word with it's power, you can control the thing. In novels concerning magic, the wizard learns the ancient word for fire in order to control fire. The Rabbis teach that by learning the words of creation one can nullify the works of God. The words do not have power. God does. The enemies of God would deceive many with the promise of power which they can never have.

Creation

Hidden light

His name 'Elohim' has a pun 'alo khoom' meaning 'not dark', so John says he was the Light. Light is a symbol of holiness, which is expressed by separation. God is Holy. He is different from us. He is separate. Before creation, there was no one to be separate from. The Trinity was in in perfect harmony. As soon as he created, he was separate from his creation. He declared "Let there be light" as a way in symbol to say "I am holy!".

God was not understood

His name, Elohim אלהים , means 'God אל separated from man by ignorance ה'. In contrast, Israel ‏ישראל means 'man יש joined to God אל by revelation ר. How could he know God? he was just created.

The lesson of holiness

For t he first lesson of who God is, one tree was set aside in the garden as a symbol of holiness. Adam was told not to eat of it simply because it was a symbol of holiness. Since eating is a metaphor for learning, God was saying that you cannot learn holiness in your own ability. God must show it to you.

The deception

James says that when you are tempted, you are tempted by your own heart. The serpent was not the first to tempt Eve. It says that the serpent was more 'subtle' or clever than the other animals. The other animals were tempting her too, but they were not very subtle about it. Perhaps they ate the fruit and did not die. She thinks to herself, "They must not have died because they are animals, and I am not an animal."

Now the snake came along. Imagine watching a snake eat a fruit. His jaw unhinges in order to swallow it whole. You are sure it must die. Then the shape of the fruit travels down it's body. You are sure it will suffocate. But it doesn't die. Oh surely you won't die, Eve. You have blood and breath like animals. God made them. When they think something looks good to eat, they eat, and they glorify God in doing so since he made them that way. Doesn't it look good and smell good. It must be good to eat; all the animals do. Surely you won't die.

She was tempted by her own heart. The serpent could only present circumstances for her to observe. It was different for Adam. He was not deceived.

Eve chose to live instinctively like an animal; allowing the flesh to define good and evil for iteself, and Adam chose to make his own rules; to choose good and evil for himself. He had usurped God's position in defining good and evil. He violated the lesson of holiness. What was the penalty?

HE WAS NOT CURSED!

He was given another symbol of holiness;separation from God, by being placed outside the garden. The ground was cursed. Not Adam.

When Jesus hung on the cross he said, "Forgive them. they know not what they do." He was not just speaking about the Romans who were executing him, but of his bride, the church, which was represented by Eve, and was deceived by the flesh to define their own good and evil.

Focus

References