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Gardener, Shepherd and Hunter: 5- the Hunter

the hunter

Do you see him?

I strained my eyes to look back beyond the time when I had just witnessed the killing of Abel by Cain. Not only was he not the hunter, but I could no longer see him in the chaotic mist of that place beyond the field of Abel’s blood. In fact, I could no longer see their field at the edge of the garden.

I can’t tell what I see, but I don’t see a hunter.

Did you read what I just showed you from in the beginning Book?

I thought I knew it without having actually read the Scripture to which my Guide had pointed me. With a questioning tone in my uncertain voice I read:

“So it came about in the course of time that Cain…

No, son.. You must look back further in the beginning of the Book to what I showed you. Do you see it again?

My mind wandered aimlessly back to what I almost recalled, but could not see.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep..

and God divided the light from the darkness.. ..the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.. And God created .. every living creature..

(Then my thoughts continued out loud.)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them…

“No,” I replied with the cluelessness of a student caught off-guard by a teacher. “I don’t see it. I don’t see any hunter.

Do you think that you know good and evil from the beginning of the Bible?

I dared not answer from this chaotic recall from my mind. (But I had read this frequently in the past.)

You open your eyes in a place of darkness. And darkness and deception are the place where the hunter hides.

Was this a hint from my Guide?

Please, won’t you just tell me where I can find the hunter?

If you look closely you will find the hunter wherever there is disobedience to God.

I gave his words weighty thought as I listened to my Guide read what I had missed as my Guide then read from the Beginning to me.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I had once memorized this from Genesis 2:16-17 and thought that I knew it well. But when my Guide recited it, NOT for my memorization but with authority, he said it differently.

“The Lord God commanded the man,” my guide had emphasized.

And then, as if to underline what he had just read, my Guide paused.. and looked into my eyes, making sure I was paying attention before he continued with what the Lord God had said.. I mean, what the Lord God had commanded.

I wasn’t really thinking about the Hunter, then, but I knew it was important. He read on about the man being lonely and the woman being made from him.

I tried not to let the naked part distract me (as it often did when I was a boy). So recalling that they were Cain and Abel’s parents helped. But then I couldn’t really see the serpent as a talking snake..

Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made.
Genesis 3:1a NASB20

Why did you stop?

So you could tell me about the serpent you see.

It’s a snake and I don’t really like snakes at all. You know, I can’t really picture a snake talking to Eve either..

You’re not saying that this serpent didn’t talk, are you?

Oh? .. No, I guess not. Moses said that THIS serpent talked to Eve.

I’d just never thought about her being Cain and Abel’s mom.. or how that meant that Cain and his brother would not grow up in Eden. Looking back, I guess I see the serpent talking to Cain’s mom.

Then I recited the next part from some long-ago memory.

“Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

And why does Moses’ story tell us that this serpent was cunning?

Isn’t the serpent asking Eve to tell him something he already knows?

Indeed he is.

Is it a good question?

I thought about it.. A good question? Is it a good question.. good..? good. Why would the serpent ask that?

Isn’t the serpent trying to trick Eve? I don’t think that could be good. It can’t be a good question like the questions God asks.

No it can’t.

And if the serpent’s question is not a good question what kind of question is it?

The serpent is up to no good. So I guess that makes it an evil question.

You have already seen what happened to the man and the woman, before Cain killed Abel. Do you recall what happened to the serpent?

That’s why he has to crawl on his belly?

It’s much more than that.

And I will make enemies
Of you and the woman,
And of your offspring and her Descendant;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
Genesis 3:15 NASB20 – click here for more versions

Finally I asked, “Is the Serpent the Hunter?”

Yes. The Serpent is the Hunter.

But this cunning hunter of souls so willing to question God appears in other forms, clothing himself in unsuspecting ways to wayward men and unsuspecting women.

We will meet up with this hunter again…

the hunter

The hunter hisses at God

Pursues his own passion

Questions glorious Light

Hissing silently

Ruling a pit of darkness

Darkness of stolen light

Devouring his fallen prey

Drawing blood from Adam

DEATH in dry dust

Stung by sin’s ever-damning curse

.. therefore, beware.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
Matthew 10:16 NASB + Caution of the Lord Jesus to his disciples

April 30, 2022
Friends, Romans, Brothers: Lend me your ears
An angel of the Lord summoned Jews from Joppa and Romans from Caesarea to hear Peter preach the Gospel for all.

Acts 10: of Peter and the Romans in Caesarea
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In case you missed it, Peter's Roman Centurion host has just bowed down to him when the Apostle approached the group of believers at his own home.
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Caesar’s Palace East welcomes PETRUS

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.

An angel brought Peter and a group of faithful Jews from Joppa at the invitation of their Roman occupiers. (What an odd scenario, it would seem.)

The Roman Legion of the Italian Cohort, a highly regarded army of Caesar, has invited not only Peter to his home, but also many friends and family. This scene might look somewhat like a large home church and our host, Cornelius, recounts for all as witness what has recently taken place:

So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”

Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining clothing, and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God. Therefore send some men to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
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How else would a Roman Legion know where to find a Jew from Galilee traveling in Judea?
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33 So I sent men to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come.

Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Let’s just set this amazing scene in context: A Roman leader of men who God has drawn to the salvation that comes from the Jews invited Simon Peter to preach! WE ARE ALL HERE PRESENT BEFORE GOD… It’s an expression of worship. Tell us what the Lord has commanded you.

Peter’s previous witness of Roman faith

Gospel of Luke 7:

[Jesus in Capernaum] Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave..

..when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof; for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

Simon Peter, a fisherman of Capernaum, certainly would have been with the Lord Jesus. And the humility of this centurion mirrors the faithful believer, Cornelius, who now bows down to Peter and then invites him to preach.
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Do YOU, my fellow 21st century believer, have trouble with Authority such as this? Listen to this and the Lord's response.
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“For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
Gospel of Luke 7:8 NASB20

Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him,
“I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
Gospel of Luke 7:9 – the Messiah Jesus to Jews on the faith of these romans

THE GOD of Every Nation

Acts 10: of Peter preaching to the Romans at Caesarea

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
Acts 10:34-35 – Proclamation of Peter of the Gospel for Gentiles

Two Acceptable Conditions to God

Peter now speaks to ‘every nation’ – ethnos – not just Romans (who now rule the land). AND now certainly (according to Peter), not exclusively Jews.

Jesus also uses this word frequently, sometimes translated, ‘gentiles,’ a very hebrew concept of unclean men separated from those circumcised by blood as holy to the Lord God.
- the man who FEARS HIM [God]
  - φοβέω – phobeō
    Do YOU FEAR GOD, my fellow follower of Christ Jesus?
[Cornelius, a centurion was] a devout man and one who feared^G5399 God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
Acts of the Apostles 10:2 NASB20
- and does what is right..
  - ἐργάζομαι – ergazomai
  - δικαιοσύνη – dikaiosynē
    “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness G1343, for they will be satisfied.
    δικαιοσύνη dikaiosýnē, dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay; from G1342; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification:—righteousness.
θεός

Peter uses a universal word from the greek for God: θεός – theos
- God: θεός – theos is written over 1300 times in the NEW Testament
- All of the Gospel writers use ‘God’ to describe the Lord God to gentiles
  - The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God^G2316 – Mark 1:1
- JESUS uses God: θεός – theos many many times.
  - “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God^G2316 remains on him.” – John 3:36
- ACTS of the Apostles speaks of God: θεός more than any book of the Bible θεός – theh’-os 168x
  - “It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. – Acts 2:32 – Peter
- The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) use several words for ‘God,’ this similar to ēl – אֵל
A Gospel History for Roman Brothers and Sisters

36 The word [logos] which He sent [apostellō] to the sons of Israel [Ἰσραήλ “he shall be a prince of God”], preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord [κύριος – From kuros (supremacy)]of all)—
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Peter points out first to these Jewish proselytes that GOD anointed Jesus as Lord of all. 
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you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
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The Apostle Simon Peter then confirms what many have already seen and heard in Jerusalem over these past months.
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“We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the countryside of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Acts of the Apostles 10:39 NASB20

“God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He [become visible] be revealed, not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

“And He ordered us to [proclaim] preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 10:42 NASB20 of the Apostle Peter
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Again, Peter preaches to these Romans who are jewish proselytes with some understanding of Scripture. 
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“All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 10:43 NASB20

Romans – (gentiles) BAPTIZED! (another sign)

Atti 10:44-48 Il battesimo dei primi pagani (The baptism of the first pagans)

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.
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Sound familiar? 
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Pentecost – a narrative of the fifty days fulfilled

—we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” – Acts 2:11b

Leadership: Responding to the Spirit of God

Then Peter responded,

47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

What a few days it must have been in Caesarea.. as Peter led these first Romans from baptism to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ the risen Lord!
April 27, 2022
Gardener, Shepherd and Hunter: 4- Tragic Death of a shepherd

I had opened my eyes (just for a moment) and thought that I saw a sunrise from long long ago.. Watching for a long time (it seemed) or maybe for just an instant (I could not tell). I then observed the sun waning beneath the surface of this paradise.

Tragic DEATH!

This instant of time quickly reverted into a darkness.. and my eyes (I thought) were not even closed again. I quivered and held my breath (I thought), as an eerie sense of a chaotic scene drew me down beneath the place where I thought I had just stood above the once magnificent paradise.

So I was no longer filled with any breath of joy at what I had already seen.

Then a scene planted my mind into a still and horrific place which pierced the ash-like fog into which I had fallen. I knew that this place emerging into the strain of my blinded eyes was not only beyond the garden, but it is beyond the fields where I had just witnessed a contentious conversation between two brothers.

I looked deeper into the darkness.. and then, I now realize, — beneath it.

Just then, I remembered my Guide, who I guessed had not only led me to the garden east of Paradise but also to this place. And I remembered straining to hear what the two brothers were saying: Kahyin, the gardener, and Heḇel, the shepherd whose offering had pleased the LORD.

.. It was only then that a dark and joyless truth wounded my briefly revived heart.

HE KILLED HIM!

So it came about in the course of time that Cain [qayin] [Smith {like Moses’ father-in-law}] brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.
Bereishit (Genesis) 4:3 :: קַיִן The same as קַיִן (H7013) The KJV translates Strong’s H7013 in the following manner: spear

Once again I wanted more knowledge from my Guide about what I had just seen.

So CAIN, a disgruntled gardener, KILLED his brother, a shepherd?

You have just witnessed its result, my Guide confirmed.

So Cain was ALSO the Hunter, wasn’t he?

No.

I was wrong already..

Who then, I wondered as my Guide continued His response.

He murdered Abel, just as later in your timeline you know that Moses would murder a Hebrew brother.

WHY? Why did the Lord allow it?

I plead for the bloodied body I had just seen of the shepherd brother of Cain not even thinking (in my response) of the man Moses had killed.

I reasoned with my Guide:

This shepherd, Abel, was a righteous man. AND the LORD even accepted his offering at the same time He rejected what Cain brought Him.

And logically I added:

HE could have stopped Abel’s murder.

Yes, of course the LORD could have prevented Cain from killing Abel.

AND The Almighty could have prevented the guilty man to whom HE gave this story, Moses, from killing a Hebrew slave when he lived as a prince in Egypt.

I had no answer..

You asked why the LORD allowed these things to happen to Cain who mostly lived as a good man trying to please God.

I thought of Moses (this time)..

and Joseph in Egypt before their slavery..

THEN I remembered what my Guide had just asked me an instant ago, “Why would it make any difference to you if one brother’s offering is better than the other’s OR if either brother knows about the offering of the other?”

And I even remembered that David was also a later shepherd, just like Abel, yet like Moses and Cain King David had murdered a man.

Do you think it would be better for these men to have NO choice in what they do and just have God lead them here and there to do as the Lord their God pleases?

I began thinking about Cain and Able BOTH being FREE to choose their own actions and reactions in the paradise of God.

Each of them Slaves!!? — I thought. IF we are NOT FREE to choose wrong, it would make us like slaves of GOD..

I’m thankful that I am free from slavery, even to GOD.

I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud.

Of course you are free to say whatever you would like to me.. and to God.

And even though you may say anything to any other man you encounter on the earth the LORD does not restrain you, think of those words you cannot hear. You just witnessed the consequences of only one such encounter.

Now look ahead to right judgment of the LORD when we freely choose to accept His Word.

IN THE BEGINNING…

For an instant I looked back.. further to the west of the endless line..

I thought I heard sobbing.. and “I’m so sorry I didn’t raise you right” and “We didn’t want you to know the mistakes we made..” ..and yet more wailing the way I felt over the death of Abel. Adam and Eve loudly lamented all of this.. and the separation of a father and mother from one sinful son: Cain, who had just killed the other son they loved..

I could only imagine my own father or mother IF I had actually killed any of my siblings.. (or anyone, for that matter).

“Not only is this tragic death of their son Abel new to them,” my guide pointed out to me, “the impact of DEATH itself has just gripped Adam and Eve — two parents who the LORD had told many years before,

‘You shall surely die.’”

I thought of those times one of my brothers had been MAD at ME… What if it were my blood in that field?

Then the LORD said to Cain,
“Where is Abel your brother?”
And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Genesis 4:9 NASB20

Then He said, “What have you done?

The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.

“Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

“When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you;
you will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth.”
Genesis 4:12 NASB20

4:16 וַיֵּצֵא קַיִן מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־נוֹד קִדְמַת־עֵֽדֶן׃

קַיִן [

Once upon a time there was a man named Kahyin.. who brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

I heard the Voice of my Guide in Hebrew, yet somehow I understood every word.

I have told you about qayin and heḇel his brother for good reason.

Now it’s time for me to introduce you to the hunter.

3:1 וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּֽי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹֽאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּֽן׃
Genesis 3:1 – Masoretic Text [Click this link to meet the Hunter, the first character Moses mentions here]

The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter

Roger Harned, Christian Author

April 23, 2022