The land of Canaan played a crucial role in the evolvement of monotheism and in the role Abraham’s descendants would play in the world. It was not a light matter for an Israelite writer to admit that it was Sarah and not God that excluded Ishmael from the covenant. Before there was an Israel, there was a Canaan. And before the Canaanites there were the Anakims or the giants or the Nephilims. The Philistines, descendants of Mizraim brother to Canaan had also settled in Canaan. Then there was the mysterious king–priest of “God Most High,” Melchizedeck. His tribal origin is uncertain. Abraham arrived in Canaan when many wandering tribes were relocating and the location of Canaan was ideally suited for trafficking in business and expansion between the North and the South. The fact that Abraham, a nomad, had a stronger army than the city kings does indicate that the area was in its early development. His offering of ten percent to the king of Salem may have been a political necessity to Canaan’s growth rather than a religious act and so was his purchase of a burial place for himself and his offspring. By the time of Moses’ first attempt to invade Canaan, the region had become too strong for an ill-organized Hebrew army. Forty years later, the picture had changed and the cities’ power and union had declined.

Noah began on his right foot and ended on his left. He promised to obey God’s laws and then turned around, became drunk and cursed his grandson for exposing his shame. Noah was a continuation of the sons of God that began with Adam and like Adam he too lost his place with God and ended losing his identity among the worldly people. It is interesting that both Adam and Noah were naked. It also suggests some form of illegal use of lovemaking. Who were their lovers, certainly not their wives? What form did the serpent take this time? It does not take second guessing what sin plagued mankind the most. The desire of the flesh has yet to be tamed. The remarkable evolvement or material progress came at the hands of the people Noah had cursed. Ham’s descendants proved that a human curse could challenge the cursed one to succeed in spite of a bad omen. It was Nimrod, grandson of Ham and great grandson of Noah who became a mighty warrior and the first power hungry king that build a tower to reach heaven. He was also “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” In other words, he was divinely endowed to be the leader. That idea led to the belief that kings, leaders and priests were descendants of the gods. The tower was not intended to reach God, but elevate a person into a god and to keep the people from scattering. An enormously huge earthquake had driven the fear of God back into their hearts.

There were three Israel kingdoms with three distinct governments, theocratic, monarchical and priestly. The theocratic government of Israel was one of the best and simplest systems the world has ever know. It was based and guided by ten principles rather than by clever and cunning humans. Each tribe was self-governing with the Levites, for a tenth, were providing the necessary services. Joshua led the tribes into Canaan as conquerors and plunderers. There was nothing humane about the invaders. In the name of Yahweh, Joshua’s army mowed down the resisting inhabitants as if they were weeds. Two and one half tribes settled East of the river Jordan and the others in Canaan. Joshua was a Yahweh loyalist. He served under Moses for forty years and was committed to carry out his teacher’s orders to the letter. His most difficult task was to remind the people regarding the law of cause and effect; namely, obedience to theocratic laws will yield blessings and disobedience curses (Deut. 11:26-32). He firmly believed that God had kept every promise and that it was up to the new settlers to claim it. To do so, they had to remove the conquered people from Canaan so they would not be enticed by them and end up being destroyed. Joshua warned them not to let any one or anything come between Yahweh and His Laws and themselves (Jos. 23-24). Joshua’s challenge was similar to what Benjamin Franklin said, “We gave you a Republic; we hope you can keep it.”

Nephilim were a new people in an old country. It was still a union between Eden and Nod, but with the addition of a third class of people that became the high and mighty known as the “Nephilim.” It was not an overnight takeover, but a gradual development over many generations. It began when the sons of God decided to marry lustfully the beautiful daughters of men that God was completely left out (Gen. 6). These were the Sethites that married Nod-Canite women. Luxury and pleasure had replaced morals. Human achievements were praised above human decency and justice. These Children of mixed marriages became heroes and acclaimed geniuses in the world. Their names appeared in Canaan (Num. 13:33) and in their skills in Egypt and among the Incas in South America. They took the royal places in the world as descendants of the gods. They became gods themselves in direct opposition to the Creator God. They set up images and idols to have their subjects bow to them. They built unto themselves monuments like hanging gardens, Pyramids, towers and temples.

East of Eden there was a land called Nod. In modern geography, Nod may have been India and Pakistan. The Nods were already present when Adam appeared. They are one of the mysteries with regard to how many humans God had actually created. This is also true of the animals. When Noah sacrificed the only two birds, how was he able to sustain their breed? The Nephilim died in the Flood. How then did they reappear in Canaan? In our inability to comprehend God, we keep on limiting His creativity. That is why the Nods have been a puzzle. Nevertheless, they were a beautiful and prosperous nomadic people. They lived more or less like the animals and the birds. Nature became both, their friend and their enemy. When things went well, these humans were happy and they gave thanks to nature for their successful labors. And when things went badly they felt that certain beings, they called “gods,” were against them. Man ended up spending much time in rendering many sacrifices to please these unreasonable beings that could not be questioned.

The Biblical concept of creation is based on faith in a God (Elohim) that was and is the only one capable of creating and running a world that is beyond human grasp. The Biblical names of God are human attempts to glorify the Creator for certain parts of His handwork. In fact, man himself must have faith that he too can fit into God’s design here on earth (Heb. 11: 3,6). The heavens only can declare the glory of God and man remains astounded why God makes such a fuss about him (Ps. 19:1; 8:1-9). God, most definitely, regarded man as His main and special creative handiwork. Man was intended to perpetuate the image of God on earth. There was a belief that man existed in the mind of God before the world was created and that the world was created for man, and not man for the world (Eph. 1:4; Gen. 1:26-28). Man has come to believe in revelation – that is God has disclosed His intentions from time to time (Heb. 1:1-3). His disclosures are conditions and warnings regarding cause and effect. It is what man does, with his life that affects everything around him. The Creator has given man a free hand because He made him good. Adam and Eve consented to disobey God’s command by choice that resulted in their descendant’s endless fall.

The clock of history is ticking toward a time for harvesting the Northwest of Eden or the U.S.A. Jesus’ prediction was: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all” (Lk. 17:26-27). “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mt. 24:32-35). The fig tree is Israel. In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the nation of Israel (Mt. 24:1-2). In A.D. 666, the man that will form a system that will be mortal to Jews and Christians began to trample on Jerusalem for 1290 years (Dan. 12”11). Israel was reborn in A.D. 1948 and is no longer being trampled on. A world organization called “Babylon” is in place and it assists the forming of the ten nations that will become strong enough to destroy Babylon and attempt to wipe out Israel and Christianity. One third of humanity will be killed before Christ’s return and his allies will destroy the forces of Antichrist (Rev. 17-19). It will be incomprehensible that the “Land of the Eagle” or the “Free and the Brave” will be fated along with Babylon (Rev. 17:17). The same cause and effect of sin that began in Adam has had its impact on Noah’s generation and on every generation into our time. Biblical prophecy was and still is a warning of the consequences of moral decay. Humans have attempted to soften the consequence of sin with grace and unconditional love that Christ could provide have had the contrary effect on human behavior. In fact, it has become a license to perpetuate sin and turn it into a normal form of a human condition and behavior. Christ, Himself, did not believe that humans would change much (Lk. 18:8).

Prophecy was and still is being regarded as a message from heaven when in reality it is a product of cause and effect. I have come to believe that God does not want us to stumble about in uncertainty. Jesus had this advice, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Mt. 16:3). Biblical prophecy to us is mostly hindsight based on cause and effect. In the same way, cause and effect aid us in projecting the future. Human actions and decisions have and still are the cause of success or failure. Thanks to Adam, failure or evil has outdistanced the good or what is right. The Creator attached His promises to conditions and to human behavior and work. God has endowed man with a conscience that can discern between good and evil (Ro. 2:14-15). Adam knew that he had done wrong before the voice from heaven questioned him and so did Cain regarding the slaying of his brother Abel. When man makes a mistake, he does not need someone to remind him. He should, by now, have learned that his mistake would escalate and become unmanageable. There is nothing in this world that can be concealed or remain hidden (Mt. 10:26). The slightest transgression will result in tragic consequences. The same rule applies to doing what is right. Cause and effect produces either curses or blessings (Deut. 27:12 –28:68). Moses had based his prediction of his people’s demise on disobeying their God’s precepts as much as Adam did his. The laws designed by God, and even by godly individuals, were made to protect us and not to hurt us. But they must be used for man and not against man (Mk. 2:27). Man-made laws both religious and secular that have protected certain interests have caused most of the turmoil in the world. Jews for Jews, Greeks for Greeks, Romans for Romans, Christians for Christians, Muslims for Muslims, Americans for Americans, Democrats for Democrats, Republicans for Republicans and the list goes on. Their protective regulations have divided, splintered and ended nations and religions and the U.S.A. is on course of self-destruction.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16).

How great do we want God to be? How about this, “He is too great to fit in the universe; yet, He is small enough to fit in a human heart.” It is not a mystery, for, “all things are possible with God” (Mk. 10:27). There is no limit to God’s enormity or to His ability to live within a child of God. Jesus said this, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn. 14:23). God is Spirit and He can blend with the human spirit any time the human heart opens to faith in Christ (Jn. 4:24). For Paul, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are One and the Same; therefore, They lived as One in the believer (Ro. 8:9-17).