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The First and Second Adam
Selfishness or Selflessness


So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam, a life-giving spirit.                                                   

Qorintyah Aleph [1 Corinthians] 15:45

First Corinthians fifteen was written for our instruction and edification.  Therefore, since we wish to be instructed and educated, let us carefully examine each Adam, in order to walk in His Spirit more perfectly.

The First Adam

B’reshit [Genesis] 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Chavah [Eve] underwent temptation when she saw something that she could not (or should not) have.  She desired the forbidden, dwelling upon it, and thus succumbing to the lure of its lust.

... she took from its fruit and ate... v. 6

Chavah [Eve] wanted something.  From this passage, we can see that she was willing to use any means available, including unlawful means, to get what she wanted.  Such was her selfishness that she did not count the cost before she gave in to her lust.

... and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. v. 6

Perhaps Chavah wanted her husband to be involved, in order to justify her actions. When a confrontation occurred, that way she could then pass the blame on to her husband.

B’reshit [Genesis] 3:12-13
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then YHWH Elohim said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Adam was also far from innocent in this matter. Some teachers read this portion of Scripture as saying that he was right there with Chavah as she was being tempted, and he neither did anything nor said anything to keep her from breaking the command that YHWH had given to them.
 
Why did Adam do this?  Let us remember that YHWH (and Adam) had searched the whole of creation for a suitable mate and found none.  Then YHWH caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and YHWH then took one of his ribs and made Chavah just for him.  Perhaps he did not want to lose his mate.  Perhaps he wanted to please his mate.  Whatever the reason was that he stood silently by and allowed this to happen, we know that it was not a just reason!  It was a selfish reason.  We can know this because it ended in sin!  This shows that Adam was willing to do things that were not lawful in order to get that which he wanted.
 
Adam also wanted someone else to blame if things went wrong.  If he was not the initiator of this, then he could point back at Chavah and say it was her fault.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. v.7

...and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of YHWH Elohim. v.8

This passage shows us that after their sin, both Adam and Chavah knew that what they had done was wrong.  However, they were not willing to admit to themselves, much less to YHWH, that they had violated his commandment not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. v.7
I was naked so I hid myself. v. 10

Because they were unwilling to confess this Torah-breaking, they tried to cover up the ugliness of their self-centeredness with the things of this world.  They had stopped walking in the Spirit and were now only walking in the flesh.

... the woman that you gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate ... v. 12

The man was then willing to destroy his relationship with YHWH (and indeed anyone or anything, including his wife) to keep his ill-gotten gain, and to remain alive in the physical sense.  Adam after the flesh, wanted to pass the blame on to his wife, rather than taking responsibility for his own actions.

Adam said, "I heard ..., I was afraid ..., I hid ..." v. 10

Adam did not want to die.  Fleshly physical life was more important to him, than spiritual communion with YHWH.  How sad!

Adam had a helpmeet that was tailor-made for him; and yet he was willing to let her take the fall for his action.  Rather than take responsibility, he was willing to let her die, and say it was her fault that he ate.  He was willing to do anything but stand up and say that he was at fault and he was willing to take on the consequences of his own actions.  In this case, he was under the sentence of death. 

And, we can see that if the first Adam (after the flesh) would do that to the one he loved, then he would certainly do it to anyone who loved him; including the last Adam.

Yochanan (John) 11:49-52
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,
50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."
51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation,
52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of Elohim who were scattered abroad.

This selfish, “me-first” attitude was active in the first Adam’s life.  His own desires took priority over YHWH’s commandment.  It is this natural selfish tendency within all of us that ultimately put our Messiah to death.

In essence, our own carnal, selfish nature killed the last Adam.

To see how wrong this kind of attitude is, let us compare it to the last Adam – Yeshua our Messiah.

The Last Adam

Yochanan [John] 14:31
"That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do."

Notice that Yeshua’s love of the Father was great enough that whatever commandment  the Father gave to Yeshua, He was willing to do it!

Luqa [Luke] 22:42
"Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

As we examine the last Adam to see the contrast with the first Adam, we see that the first Adam was more interested in what he wanted, and the last Adam was more interested in what the Father wanted.  As the first Adam was filled up with selfishness, the last Adam is filled up with selflessness.

The first Adam wanted his own way.  The last Adam, Yeshua, wants what YHWH wants.

Matithyah [Matthew] 26:53
"Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"

Look at the contrast:
The first Adam was willing to use any means available to get what he wanted, including blaming those he loved.  The last Adam was only willing to use righteous means to do YHWH’s will.  The last Adam was even willing to put aside legitimate means in order to accomplish what the heavenly Father’s will was for Him.

Luqa [Luke] 19:10
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

And again;

Romiyah [Romans] 5:8
But YHWH demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Mashiach died for us.

And again,

Kepha Aleph [1st Peter] 2:23
And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

What we see, is that while the first Adam wanted others to be involved so he could shift the blame to others so he would not have to take responsibility for his own sinful actions, the last Adam (Yeshua) wants to help others share in eternal life.

Not only did the last Adam not attempt to blame others, but He also was willing to take upon Himself the punishments for the wrongs (the Torah-breaking sins) of others.

Yochanan [John] 14:6
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

And again,

Yochanan [John] 12:46
"I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness."

The first Adam was not willing to admit his wrongdoing until confronted with it.  And even then, he attempted to pass the blame to his beloved wife.  However, the last Adam not only knows the Truth, but willingly confesses it before YHWH and man so that we do not have to walk in the darkness.

Now look at how sin is dealt with:

Yochanan Moshe [Mark] 3:6
And the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

The man (the first Adam) makes every attempt to hide his sin; even to the point of murder.  The last Adam exposes the ugliness of sin wherever it is found no matter the personal cost.  In this case, men were willing to kill the last Adam because He exposed their sin with His light.

Yochanan [John] 10:18
"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This commandment I received from My Father."

The first Adam did what he could to shift the blame to another, so that he would not die.  Or, so he thought.  The last Adam is willing to put self to death physically, that others might live spiritually.

Mattithyahu [Matthew] 20:28
"the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The first Adam was most interested in serving his own selfish needs.  The last Adam came not to serve Himself, but rather to serve others.

The Offspring of Adam

Yochanan [John] 13:15-17
“For I gave you an example, that you also should do as I did to you.  Amein, amein, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.  If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

From which Adam, the first or the last, do we get life?

Are you more interested in your own physical life?  Or are you more concerned for the spiritual wellbeing of those around you?

In the above passage, the Master/servant relationship is presented as the model for those who would be His talmidim.  This is to be the lifestyle of one who has surrendered himself completely, to do His will.  We are blessed if we do these things!  He does not say we are blessed if we only believe these things.

Do you want His will in your life at any cost?

Yochanan Aleph [1 John] 5:14
And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Do you have this much confidence, that you can ask anything of YHWH and He will hear you?  This is walking and praying in the Set-apart Spirit.

Are we willing to pay the price to do His will?  Or, are we more interested in doing our own will?

Pheleymon [Philemon] 1:18
But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

Do we want others involved in building His Kingdom?  Are we willing to take upon ourselves the wrongs of others, in order to build His Kingdom?  This is what Yeshua would do; in fact, this is what He did do!  Will we?

Ya’aqov [James] 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another.

And again,

Ma’aseh [Acts] 1:8
but you shall receive power when the Set-apart Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses.

A person who is of the offspring of the last Adam knows the Truth and confesses it before YHWH and man. He walks in the fullness of that Power, and obeys YHWH’s voice in all things regardless of the personal cost to him.  He has counted the cost and is willing to pay the price.

Kepha Aleph [1 Peter] 4:14
If you are reviled for the name of Mashiach, you are blessed, because the Set-apart Spirit of glory and of Elohim rests upon you.

The offspring of the last Adam will expose the ugliness of sin wherever it is found no matter the personal cost.

Qorintyah Aleph [1 Corinthians] 15:31
I die daily.

And again,

Galutyah [Galatians] 2:20
I have been crucified with Mashiach; and it is no longer I who live, but Mashiach lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of YHWH

And again,

Phylypsiyah [Philippians] 1:21
For to me, to live is Mashiach, and to die is gain.

The offspring of the Life-giving Spirit will put self to death on a daily basis, realizing that it is Mashiach that lives in him; and that he does not live for himself.

Romiyah [Romans] 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as Elohim has allotted to each a measure of faith.

The person who is an offspring of the last Adam will be a servant of all, for he will put others before himself.
So where are you?  Are you an offspring of the first Adam only?  Or have you been made alive unto YHWH to have Yeshua HaMashiach living in and through you?

It is your choice.

Amein & amein

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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