BREATH OF LIFE

[sami]

BREATH OF LIFE

 

"nismath" (from neshamah chaiyim)

 

Genesis 2:7 "And Jehovah God went on to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life,(nishmath) and the man BECAME a living person." (living soul, "breathing creature") (Hebrew, lenephesh chai yah); (Greek, psykhen zosan) ; (Latin, animam viventem)

 

According to scripture, Jehovah God animated the formed dust by the blowing of breath into its nostrils. At that point man became/came to be, a living/animated creature.

 

Was the man/human creature the only form of life created and animated by the breath of life? NO, Genesis 7:22 tells us "Everything on dry land that had the BREATH OF LIFE in its nostrils died."

 

Therefore, everything that needed breath and was outside the ark died and everything inside the ark that needed continued animation by the act of breathing lived.

 

It is interesting to note that in the first chapter of Genesis animals are also referred to as "living souls" nephesh chai yah. Genesis 1:30 " And to every wild animal of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving on the earth in which there is life,(Or “life as a soul; a living soul.”) I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it was so."

 

King Solomon gives this insight "18 I also said in my heart about the sons of men that the true God will test them and show them that they are like animals,

19 for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile.

20 All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust." Ecclesiastes 3:18-20

 

So in the grand scheme of things, man is not superior to animals in the matter of created beings. They all have been formed of dust and have the same breath of life ...when they die there is nothing that lives on. Solomon said: 10 All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheʹol, the place to which you are going." Ecclesiastes 6:10

 

But the yearning of mankind is to live, we all plan for tomorrow ... there never seems to be enough time to do what we want to do, see what we want to see, enjoy family and friends. Time passes so quickly and we are gone.

 

Our yearning for all the happy and pleasant things of life have been put in our hearts by Jehovah God - so says Solomon: "10 I have seen the occupation that God has given to the sons of men to keep them occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. HE HAS EVEN PUT ETERNITY IN THEIR HEART....." Ecclesiastes 3:10,11

 

Ahhh! There it is, this is why we yearn for life, all the pleasures of family, friends and seeing and experiencing all the wonders of creation. Being with loved ones without the fear of sickness or death hanging over us like a cloud.

 

Yes, Jehovah has put eternity in our hearts, mankind was supposed to live not die. Death, as explained to Adam, would be as a consequence of disobedience to their Sovereign which is an act of treason. ( lese majesté, from Latin laesa majestas, literally, injured) "a crime committed against a sovereign power."

 

Genesis 2:16 "Jehovah God also gave this COMMAND to the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, YOU MUST NOT eat from it, FOR IN THE DAY YOU EAT FROM IT YOU WILL CERTAINLY DIE."

 

The longing for eternity is still within our hearts and like Adam, obedience is the requirement for life everlasting on a paradise earth.

 

If we die before the earth is cleansed, we will wait in our grave until we hear the voice of Jesus Christ calling ", for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out,..." John 5:28b,29a

 

Amen