The Free Thinkers guide to the Bible

Part 4 #1 - In the Beginning

The establishment of the Priesthood

Welcome back to the Free Thinkers guide to the bible. I created this series so that ‘anyone’ can explore and understand the bible. You don’t need to be a biblical scholar; all you need is a desire to see what is written. I will present to you several biblical examples and demonstrate the process of sifting the accounts to reveal the hidden. This process is very similar to archeology, where the layers are excavated and analyzed. Just not the dirty part, though you will be digging up some dirt along the way.

Warning:

The series unfolds like a story in a book. Please study the content in the order it is presented in order to have the best experience. (The study series begins with Part 1 #1 – The Flood)

Preface

Welcome to the fourth portion of the study. In this portion we will build upon the knowledge we acquired in the first three studies. We have found that there are at least two distinct authors and superb redactor(s) that created edited and merged accounts and stories in the books of Genesis, Exodus and Numbers. In the second study we highlighted accounts that diminished or promoted Moses and Aaron. In the third study we highlighted accounts that revealed that the “A” account writer(s) focused on Aaron and priestly matters. The “B” account writer(s) focused on telling stories and made no mention of priestly matters, Aaron was revealed to be a leader of the people and he and Hur were in charge when Moses went up to the Mount.

In this portion of the study we will focus on the creation/establishment of the priesthood of Israel in the first five scrolls of the bible. We have seen in our studies thus far that the “B” account writer makes no mention of priestly matters and Aaron is shown to be a leader in Israel and not a priest of Israel. The “A” account writer(s) primary focus is on promoting the Aaronid priesthood and priestly subjects. We have seen many examples of intentional insertions and whole accounts that the “A” writers have skillfully woven into the “B” writer(s) stories framework. We will highlight several of these accounts in this part of the study.

The Creation of the World (Genesis 1) “A”

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God (אלהים) (Elohim) created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God (אלהים) (Elohim) moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw the light, that it was good: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw that it was good. 11 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said; Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw that it was good. 22 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) blessed them, saying, be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said; Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw that it was good. 26 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God (אלהים) (Elohim) created man in his own image, in the image of God (אלהים) (Elohim) created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) blessed them, and God (אלהים) (Elohim) said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God (אלהים) (Elohim) ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) blessed the seventh day, and sanctified (קדשׁ - qâdash) it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God (אלהים) (Elohim) created and made.

Summary

The Genesis “A” account is structured like a formula or sermon. The formula is a repetition of: God (אלהים) (Elohim) said “let there be” or “Let the xxxx” it became, and “it was good” and “evening and morning were the xxxx day”. The seven-day pattern is emphasized, along with resting on the seventh day. The account refers to the Creator by the Hebrew word Elohim which translates as mighty one. The focus is on the Creator and the creation. The creation sequence is: Plants, animals, man and woman.

We know that one of the most effective teaching tools is repetition. This imprints the information in the learners’ long term memory. The writer(s) of this “A” account of creation want you to remember the six days of work and rest on the seventh. Its position as the first account in the bible and as “old as creation” lends it great authority. It also establishes the seventh day Sabbath before any commands are given.

The “A” account writer(s) based their version of the Sabbath command in Exodus twenty on the “A” creation account. This gives the creation account legitimacy and vice versa...

The Ten Commandments “A”

Exo 20:1 And God (אלהים) (Elohim) spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God (אלהים) (Elohim), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (קדשׁ - qâdash). 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed (קדשׁ - qâdash) it.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Summary

The Sabbath command begins with “REMEMBER”! You are to remember that the Creator worked six days and rested (The priestly "A" Creation account)… So you are to set the day apart “keep it holy” as well.

Let's compare this to the "D"/"B" Ten Commands...

The Ten Commandments “D” and likely “B”

Deu 5:6 I am the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה), which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me. 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) am a jealous God (אל), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, 10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) hath commanded thee. 13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה): in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God (אלהיך יהוה) giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour's.

Summary

The “B” creation account has no mention of the Sabbath. It is a creation account with no apparent ulterior motives.

The “D”/“B” Sabbath accounts command states that the Sabbath was given so that they/you remember that the people of Israel were brought out of servitude from Egypt. Note: that this is the only command that specifically tells the reader that the Creator “commanded” it to be observed.

The “A” Ten commands account tells the reader that they should remember to keep the seventh day holy and remember that the Creator made the heavens and earth in six days and “blessed” and “hallowed” the Sabbath. Referring to the "A" writers Creation account as it's basis.

Conclusion

Based on the information we gained in the first three studies we can see the patterns of evidence lead us to one logical conclusion. The “A” account writer(s) purposefully created a creation account that highlighted the Sabbath command. This was skillfully placed as the first chapter of the first five scrolls by the writer(s)/redactor(s) thus granting it prominence, authority and historical precedence.

Author: Hoyt Allen Spiker - 2024

We will continue to solidify our foundation with more evidence. Please join us in our next study…

Part 4 #2 – The Flood