Here's the link:

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/22b/

Lesson 1 was about The Creation.

Lesson 2 is about The Fall.

Cain and Abel

Two classes of people:
Both were worshipping -- at least in outward appearance.
One, self was the captain of his life
The other, the coming Messiah and Savior was captain of his life.

Noah and the Flood

Still two lines of people merging together into one line of people resulting in the Flood.

If you look up the sacrifices, Abel's sacrifice was the sin offering that said "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner" Cain's offering was a totally acceptable offering, but it was not to be given alone, but with the sin offering. Cain's offering was the thank offering. Giving it alone was saying "Thank you that I'm not like others, such as my brother over there, who's rarely home, does not like to sleep more than a couple of nights in the same place, always wandering the world, and when he does get home his animals run into my garden and run amuck."
God's rejection of Cain's offering was not arbitrary, Jesus recognized that he was simply retelling the story of Cain and Abel only making Cain a Pharisee and Abel a publican.

Also, Cain's offering was simply to live the life of Abel. Cain loved waking up in the same bed every morning. Abel loved exploring the world and traveling with his animals. God just had Cain take over the life he took. (maybe showed him some mercy as we are not told that Cain had to take over caring for Abel's smelly animals as well.)


Same with Saul and Steven. Saul would have loved to live in Jerusalem. Had he carried on the same attitude of Gamliel, God could have blessed him as a Rabbi and Saul could have facilitated better relationships between the synagogue and the followers of Jesus.
Most Christians were under Gamliel's protection for about 14 years until he was either too old or died.

In having the robs at Saul's feet, Saul was saying that Gamliel's protection was only for the good, Hebrew speaking, careful law keeping followers of Jesus, and that the bit liberal, Greek speaking Jews were not under this protection. (This is why we don't see attacks of the apostles until nearly 44 AD). The Hellenistic Jews were the victims of Saul's attacks. They fled, and these lay members would share the gospel where they went, some even to gentiles, 10 years before Cornelius came to Peter.

Saul received Cain's punishment. Just as Cain had to live Abel's life, so Saul had to live Stephen's life. Cain responded with "My Punishment is greater than I can bear" Saul's response was "I can do all things through Christ" (as he lists his woes, which Stephen may have described as adventures with a twinkle in his eye)

The story of Lamech: His telling the story to his wives follows ancient poetry forms... until the end of the poem. Normally, by the rules of ancient poetry he should have ended with "If Cain be avenged 7 fold, then Lamech 8 fold" or it could have been said "If Cain be avenged 7 fold then Lamech 7+1 fold" If he said one of these two lines, it would have been faithful to the poetry form, and it would have also been a prayer asking God to give him the same protection that God promised Cain.

But instead, Lamech ruined the poem by saying "If Cain be avenged 7 fold then Lamech 77 fold" was saying that he did not want God's perfect protection and perfect vengeance. He was saying that his heart is so full of hate that he wanted his enemies to suffer far more than the worst that God could pour out on them. Lamech was so full of hate that he wanted his enemies to suffer.

We find a reference to the story of Lamech in the Gospels. Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive 7 times. No, he was not thinking mathematically. He was asking Jesus if he could forgive perfectly, he was asking Jesus if he should forgive to the same extent that Peter wanted God to forgive him. Peter wanted to show that he was listening when Jesus said "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"
Peter was hoping that Jesus would reply something like "Nay, but I say unto thee to forgive 8 times" or "Nay, but I say unto thee to forgive 7 +1 times" which would have been in agreement to Peter's question. Maybe Peter was hoping Jesus would reply "Sometimes you have been hurt very bad, forgive the best you can and allow God to forgive 7 times. "

Instead Jesus quotes from the ruined poem of Lamech. Jesus shows that he can ruin poetry as well. Jesus sets an impossibly high goal for us to try to reach. Jesus tells us to try to out-forgive God. Jesus tells us that we should forgive to such an extent that God is left scratching his head wondering how we can be so forgiving.

How important was the subject of forgiveness to Jesus for him to set this as the standard?

The Tower of Babel

After the flood Nimrod and his followers wanted to establish a one world government. The tower was their central point to defy the God of heaven and set themselves up as the "gods" to control this world.
God confused their language to thwart their plans to rule the whole world and caused the people to divide into separate independent communities all over the earth.

In our time we can see the ancient tower being built once more, not out of brick and tar this time, but as a so called scientific structure that seems capable of holding its own at the table of "want to be" gods Today, man has finally succeeded in overcoming communication barriers and is rebuilding the tower. And he is once again uniting and merging his scientific and technological genius. and has turned earth into a ?global village.?

Being agitated over the last year or so is a plan to put in place an International Health Treaty which would have the power to dictate and govern the whole world on how to react to a health crises.
No longer would individual countries have the last say on procedures in regard to health regulations, they would be forced to comply and enforce the international mandates, or suffer penalties like financial sanctions etc. etc. The International Health Treaty intends to have "teeth" to enforce it's mandates all over the world.

Can anyone doubt that all this is leading to something we've known is coming ---
International governess on climate change is the next step -- and Sunday is already in the works on that platform.
The world is being conditioned and set up to enforce things like that.

Yes, the world is being conditioned for the final events.

First the Pandemic and now the war by Russia against the Ukraine and the resulting sanctions against Russia.

While I am horrified of what Russia is doing to Ukraine, I am uncomfortable that we are fighting back by developing stronger ways of making it harder for some people to buy and sell. What is being done now for a good and moral purpose will in the future be done for less noble purposes.

Weren't the apostles attacked much earlier?
James the brother of John was beheaded during Herod's reign.
Peter was put in prison to suffer the same fate the next day, but was delivered by an angel. (Acts 12)

Hellenism, as I understand it, was basically accepting Greek culture and language. True the Jews living outside of Jerusalem were generally Greek speaking, but Hellenism was NOT Christian, the term carries heavy connotations of paganism, eroding far more than the legalistic attitude of Pharisees. The Jewish Sadducees were largely Hellenistic while the Pharisees were seen as the law upholding ones before there were any Christians. This was a major issue of contention amongst the Jews.

While there was definitely a conflict between legalism vs righteousness and justification by faith in Jesus, in the early church, I do have a problem with linking those preaching righteousness by faith with Hellenism. Though quite possibly many Pharisees may have viewed it as such. But the Sanhedrin was run by chiefly Sadducees who were also considered Hellenistic?

Stephen was stoned, not because of Hellenism, but because he plainly told the Jews they had rejected Christ their Savior from sin.
Hellenism, or Greek culture and philosophy is what polluted the Christian church and gave rise to papal doctrines.
I guess I'm a little troubled by calling the Christian Jews who believed in righteousness by faith (Hellenistic).

Was Abraham called to come out of cultural influence and to follow God in faith and obedience?