Believe it or not, the Bible is Man's Instruction Manual

Exactly. I believe that we must differentiate between the written Word, the Bible, and the Living Word, Jesus. Jesus is the Life, not the words in the Book. Paul calls the OT Law, "The Letter that kills". We need the written word to ensure that we are not going off track. Once we are free from self, Satan and the world (when we get our new bodies) we will no longer need the Bible. We will have direct and unhindered access to the One who gives us life.

I like how the Bible is so full of wisdom. There are so many wise sayings contained in it.

Yes indeed cause it's written Proverbs 1: 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; The words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Amen.

The Bible is not only an instruction manual as in the books of the Law; the wisdom books like Sirach/Ecclesiasticus, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Wisdom; the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels; and the writings of the Apostles in the Epistles, but it is also an amazing history of the world and the people of God. The stories are so interesting to know like the one about the talking ass and other amazing things that happen.

Your starting point is inaccurate. Why? You get it from a secular encyclopedia and your own thinking. Our starting point must be the Bible itself and its assumptions. What are they?

1. God created humans to be his agents tending his creation (Genesis 1 & 2).
2. Humans messed up through their disobedience and became exiled from him (Genesis 3).
3. God promised to send a perfectly-obedient Rescuer to defeat Satan (Genesis 3:15).
4. Even God's own people (Israel) failed to trust only in him except for a faithful remnant (the rest of the Old Testament).
5. Jesus came as the God-man to live a perfect life we couldn't, die to take away believers' guilt, and rise again to give them new life (Gospels).
6. When we trust in him, not ourselves, to rescue us, he gives us eternal life so that we can begin on the life of obedience (Paul, especially Ephesians 2:8-10).
7. The Christian life is one of fighting our old natures and putting on God's gift of the new nature (Colossians 3--following from Jesus' resurrection, verse one).

Numbers six and seven are my answers to you.

I can tell you still a babe in the word of God, but let's look at the first thing God instructed or commanded man not to do. In (Gen. 2:7-8) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (v.8)And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Here's where the Lord God gave man one simple commandment. (Gen. 2:16-17) (v.16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (v.17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Now that's not so hard to comprehend. After the Lord made man, then he brought forth the woman. (Gen. 2:21-22) (v.21) And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (v.22) And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Here's where the deception started. (Gen. 3:1-4) (v.1)

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (v.2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (v.3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (v.4) And the serpent said unto the woman, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE: Adam and Eve didn't listen to God, instead they choose to talk to Satan. But yea they ate fruit all right, the fruit of lies. (Hosea 10:14) Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. And man has been dying ever since. So what if Adam and Eve hadn't listened to Satan and obeyed God? Man would have eaten from the tree of life (Jesus) and learned how to live forever. Can we understand the significance of that, do we know how far man has fallen.

Still till this day, man continue to not follow God's instruction!

That was a rash statement. So what are you going to do with this? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)

And what are you going to do with this? For the Word of God is quick* [alive or full of energy], and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

*Strong's Concordance
energés: at work, active
Original Word: ἐνεργής, ές
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: energés
Phonetic Spelling: (en-er-gace')
Definition: at work, active
Usage: effective, productive of due result, at work.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 1756 energḗs (an adjective) – properly, energized, full-of-energy (operative). See 1754 (energeō).

Most if not all o the real gender heavy theorists I run into make a big deal of the fact that the creation story is told twice in Genesis. It used to be that the real male oriented churches focused on the ribcage factor, and it sometimes got a bit glossed over that Adam had been the one who asked for Eve, and that God had agreed, going so far as to say that it is not good for man to be alone. I don't think that's why there are two versions of the story though, logic is about both first things and last things being put in chronological order for the sake of cause and effect,

a.k.a.

Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

where does it say that?

Now let's look at some other instructions that are in the Bible that we are to live our daily lives by.

The Circumcision: "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him saying, "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised.

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:1-5, 7, & 10-14)

The Sabbath Day: and the LORD spake unto Moses, saying "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:12-17)

Let’s take a look and see what Jesus did when he came in the flesh, And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luke 4:14-16)

The Dietary Law: Read the whole 11th chapter of Leviticus. I'll only put up a few verses. "And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, these are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth." Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” (Leviticus 11:1-10, & 46-47)

Manners and Righteousness: and the LORD spake unto Moses saying, "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy." Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field; neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger:

I am the LORD your God. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. Ye shall not round the corners of your heads; neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18, & 26-32)

"Spirit and Life". Yes, Jesus is the Living Word, the Bible is the written word. "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word coming out of the mouth of God" (Berean literal Matthew 4:4)

God has not stopped speaking. If Christians did not have the self to contend with, minds that have preconceived notions and satanic influences to lead them astray, we would not need the written word. However, we are subject to all those hindrances. The many of the words that Jesus spoke were foreign to the Jews. They had only the Old Testament. The church also had only the Old Testament to begin with.

The written word did not prevent the church from sinking into great error and drifting far from God's pattern for the church. The Holy Spirit was given to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). If the Bible was an instruction manual, we would not need the Holy Spirit to teach us. The Bible is more like a treasure map that leads us to Jesus.

Yesterday, I replace the fan in my computer. It was a little complicated as it was not the same as the original fan. However, I followed the instructions and all was well. Otherwise, I would not be typing this. Doing the same with the Bible is a recipe for disaster. Jesus told the rich ruler to sell everything and follow Him. Does that apply to all Christians? According to the incident with Ananias, no. Should I sell everything? How am I supposed to know? Is it ok to marry or should Christians stay single? The New Testament is clear as mud. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth.

The entire Bible, all 66 books, I view only from the Covenant (marriage contract) understanding. Covenant is how I know and understand YHWH and Leviticus 23 and 25 is all of our dates during courtship which reveals His timing. Yes, it does seem like one needs a key to open their understanding to ALL of the Bible and understanding Covenant does that. I'm still learning, but I have learned so much. Yeshua/Jesus is the foundation to our marriage. He is our salvation and everything else is our fruit of that salvation. Trusting and obeying comes easily when you KNOW the one you are trusting.

More Instruction according to the Word of God.



God's Holy Days: "And the LORD spake unto Moses saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts." Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye numberfifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel saying, in the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a Day of Atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD." On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day.” (Leviticus 23:1-7, 9-11, 15-16, 21, & 23-37)


Women not permitted to teach in the Pulpit: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety". (1Timothy 2:11-15) "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” (1Corinthians 14:33-35)

Work out your own Salvation: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling". (Philippians 2:12) Study to show thyself approved: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15)

In conclusion, the Word of God contained in the Bible is the only truth that can get man salvation. This is our instruction manual. Please read it so that you can become a vessel of Honor in the house of the Lord. "The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10, & 13-14)