MERE MORTALS
by
Othoniel Ortiz
Editing and formatting: Brian Bakos
Artwork by: Othoniel Ortiz
Copyright 2014, Othoniel Ortiz
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter One: In the Beginning
Chapter Two: In His Image
Chapter Three: Eviction
Chapter Four: The Prophetic Link
Chapter Five: Blood Covenant
Epilogue
Connect with the Author
Preface
“But, God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise,
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong”
(1 Corinthians 1:27 RSV)
I wish to share some thoughts on God’s Grace, love and purpose for His creation. This narrative is a brief study on redemption, forgiveness, and restoration. Likewise, I wanted to take into account the meticulous care our Heavenly Father took to fashion the perfect garden for His most precious creation, only to, regrettably, witness their failure and loss of everything.
Though his wonderful creation bungled everything God did for them, God gave them a word of hope, of redemption and restoration. He kept the promise alive by selecting one ‘Mere Mortal’ after another as courier of that message of hope.
The promise spanned centuries yet kept its uniqueness. The chosen were unsure of what the calling meant, but prophesized and wrote everything down. Heaven’s plan was to evolve little by little (Isaiah 28: 10 AKJV) ‘...for precept must be upon precept…line upon line….’
All, in due season, would come together with the manifestation of the Son of God. All prophesies had to be fulfilled. His divineness, His ministry, His purpose were described in detail.
In the gospel of Luke 24:25, Jesus, after He had risen from the dead, joined two of his disciples as they walked away from Jerusalem. They were unaware that it was He. They had acquiesced to defeat and despair and said so.
Jesus rebuked them for ‘not believing what was SPOKEN by the prophets …’ (verse 27) and ‘…beginning with Moses …and all the prophets…’ Jesus instructed them to search and study the prophetic writings and see for themselves how ALL came to fruition in Him.
Chapter One: In the Beginning
God’s Incredible, Amazing Creation
It was the most marvelous and breathtaking preparation of God’s plan for his creation – constructing the most delightful and enchanting environment into which He would eventually consign His man and woman.
With each day another important step followed in sequence with its development, thought out to its minutest atom. It all began with the words, ‘Let there be light!’ then proceeded to speak every aspect of His finely tuned design into existence. Until it came to man and woman. Their creation would be very personal.
Day one: Light, through which all life is sustained by its energy-photosynthesis
Day two: Earth and water. Light (energy-photosynthesis) was needed for them to function.
Day three: Vegetation, plants and fruit bearing trees. Needed energy-photosynthesis, water, and soil to survive.
Day four: Sun, moon, planets and stars. For times and seasons. Their movements finely tuned.
Day five: Living creatures in the waters and living creatures to fill the air.
Day six: Beasts, domestic and wild. All living off the previous creation.
An extraordinarily complex process was put in place which culminated in the God’s most excellent design. Each step was thought out in microscopic detail. The foundation required that each part be in place and functioning flawlessly before moving on to the next.
Notice the process, such as plants and vegetation needing light energy (photosynthesis) to grow and thrive. The animals needed plants to eat, and the all the winged creatures needed nourishment. Everything needed to be functioning in perfect harmony before His most cherished achievement would come on the scene. Everything had to operate to its maximum potential.
The garden, excellent and untarnished, was crowned with glory and magnificence. It was an environment with splendid and varied food sources. It was exquisite in both design and finish, with eye pleasing hue and texture. God knew that His creation would relish everything He so meticulously put together. The Lord made available to them whatever they needed for their happiness.
The freshness, the fragrance, the golden glory of the sun, everything vibrated with harmony that only heaven could produce. Permeating the entire spectrum of this wonderful design.
Chapter Two: In His Image
“Let us MAKE MAN…”
Once all was in order, God proceeded to fashion man and woman. Much thought and love went into this undertaking. The marvelous manner in which He fashioned them was completed when God breathed into them His very spirit (his genetic code) to give them life. They were no ordinary creatures, they were not fashioned like angels. They had God’s DNA, His genes. All heaven contemplated the magnificence of the creatures with the glory of the very creator in them.
It was not a haphazard and unplanned dream God had for his creation. Everything needed to be in place before the creation of Adam and Eve.
God – the architect creator and sustainer, the almighty – His Spirit would be residing inside this tiny vessel called man. It was an astonishing moment when their eyes opened and they found themselves looking into the eyes of their maker, love itself. I use the plural ‘them’ because Eve was in Adam sharing the experience. (Gen.1:27 ‘…in His own image…the image of God He created THEM, male and female…’)
Immediately embracing their creator, they were enthralled by the majesty of all exquisiteness surrounding them. The ebb and flow of God’s spirit was tangible and moved ever so subtlety and freely.
The garden where God placed Adam and Eve was known as Eden, and they were to work it and care for it. The pair exuded dominance and poise. All was theirs to rule as they saw fit. They were comfortable and relaxed when speaking with God and could look into the very eyes of their master and not flinch. The pair was neither intimidated nor anxious during such encounters, for a peaceful exchange flowed freely between Creator and the created.
But, freedom demands responsibility; hence, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. A commandment that was to be kept through love was issued, ‘Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…for death will follow…’
Upon hearing these words, they wondered, ‘What is this thing called death?’
Regrettably, they would find out.
Chapter Three: Eviction
After satan (I do not use capital ‘S’ purposefully) the fallen angel, and his rebellion failed (Isaiah 14: 4-17) God cast him out of heaven.
This despicable creature was privy to the creation of man and woman. What the devil saw maddened him. This man and woman had the extraordinary glory of God upon them. And the pair held such an honorable station in God’s kingdom, that he was incensed to no end.
What the devil perceived was that these creatures had ‘free’ choice. This was an ability he never had the privilege of enjoying. With jealousy festering in his corrupted heart, he proceeded to visit these two extraordinary beings.
The devil needed a body to communicate with them and he choose the serpent. With no power or real influence over them, he lied and questioned the reason God made such a strange demand concerning the two trees. ‘…did God really say that…?’ a cleverly disguised question.
This was the only ability he had going for him and he used it quite effectively. Satan managed to acquire authority over them and the planet when they yielded to his lie.
To this day, the wicked one still uses
the same pretexts, what might called a ‘red herring,’ on humanity to achieve the same results. He’s tenacious in his endeavor.
Sadly, the freedom to choose triggered Adam and Eve’s dreadful downfall. As mentioned previously, freedom demands accountability and discipline. God gave his lovely creation the ability to love Him freely and of their own volition.
After the fall, the devil proceeded to plant fear to achieve control over human lives. For fear and uncertainty will make people withdraw from God. Immediately, Adam and Eve lost their ability to trust God. The perfect unity ceased, replaced with conflict, rivalry, and a measuring of themselves against each other.
The free-for-all between the sexes began. Man blamed the woman and began to enforce control over her. The woman fought back with subtle manipulations and a resistance of her own. The moment Adam and Eve yielded to the devil’s lie, the glory of God, which had clothed them, was removed. The genetic code became corrupted and began to decompose, death set in. Henceforth, they found themselves naked. The glory garment of the majestic God was removed.
Once, communicating with God came naturally and dialogue flowed easily. Now they felt threatened and intimidated. They avoided their loving Father-God visited them. When He called them out of their hiding place, they hesitated then fidgeted and attempted to sidestep His questions.
An indefinite and irrational emotion cropped up – a loss of control, regret, sorrow, a vague sense of despair and fear. It dawned on them that they had been severed from the most excellent glory and pleasure.
As the two walked away lamenting, guilt ridden, the transition of stepping from a soft, pleasing turf and into an unwelcoming, harsh, dark environment overwhelmed their senses. As they trudged into this unknown and undesirable future, the ground beneath their feet became coarse and brittle, the sky lost its luster and an unknown danger loomed where none had existed. All the beauty and magnificence of their lost home was now a fading memory.
The Creator’s present dilemma was how could He, the Righteous God, deal with the sinful, fallen nature of man and woman, still love this wonderful couple? How could He redeem them and, in the process, not provide the devil with any loopholes or claims?
A payment was required; that was clear and indisputable. Disobeying God’s commandment unequivocally produced dire penalties. The eviction was to protect them and keep satan (no capital) from moving into the garden proper.
Sin was foisted on humanity, and among its dark consequences came a series of miscalculations and death for all who followed its path. Adam and Eve knew in their hearts that there was no way humanly possible to return to such a perfect and unspoiled place, Eden. They were cursed.
Grief is the price we pay for love. God’s heart was broken when Adam and Eve defied the almighty and freely gave away the realm to a fallen angel. Nevertheless, there is a blueprint to this universe. A high intelligence is behind its purpose, but its purpose is revealed on the installment plan.
Chapter Four: The Prophetic Link
God had, at that moment, the daunting task of dealing with sin that had become an integral part of the human race in its fallen and deathly nature (their spirits were now dead to God) and restoring his beloved creation to Himself. Sin’s consequences had to be dealt with while, in the process, not destroying His beloved. God put the word out. (Isaiah 6: 8) ‘…who shall I send…?’
An unblemished and perfect sacrifice was needed to carry out such an exacting demand. The human race could not avail itself of such a person. The foundations for the sacrifice needed to be put in place. Meticulous preparation would go into its development. There was no room for error.
Angels were not allowed to be the carriers of such prophetic responsibilities. Men, who were given the power of attorney over the planet, needed to give ‘Voice’ to the promise of God.
On practically every occasion when God called somebody into the service, they all had to come ‘scared.’ Once confronted by God, it became paramount to everything else in their lives. They were launched from the ordinary, predictable lifestyle into the extraordinary.
Rehearsed excuses were characteristic when the enormity of what was expected dawned on them. But God still used them, even when they were not the ‘sharpest tool in the shed’ and not very inspiring to their contemporaries or family members.
God always used mere, unstable, uninspiring, weak, emotional humans and crafted them into an irresistible force that wreaked havoc on the devil’s kingdom.
Just as an architect begins with a design, all that needs to be done is judiciously put down on paper. Every detail, from the foundation to the trimming, nothing is overlooked. Only then does the architect gather all the necessary materials to build. No design, no structure. No design, no foundation. No design, no realization.
It was not a haphazard and unplanned dream God had for his creation. Everything needed to be in place before the creation of Adam and Eve.
The Word of God functions the same way on every occasion, one word at a time, one prophecy at a time. So, when the CHOSEN ONE manifested Himself, there would be no excuse to deny who He was.
No one in scripture felt worthy of the prophetic calling. They were unaware that each prophetic link needed to be in place before the manifestation of the coming Messiah and the restoration of God’s beloved creation.
As time progressed, God’s purpose crystallized with each prophetic utterance. Its apogee was still in manuscript form, but would be realized in time.
Why would God choose such weak and pitiful creatures who lacked moral backbone to carry out such awesome and demanding tasks?
God had given to his man and woman dominion over the planet. They had the authority to do whatever they wanted with it, and they did. Now, a perfect sacrifice was prerequisite. He could not have the least taint of humanity’s fallen nature if He was to carry out the Father-God’s plan to get it all back.
God gave Adam and Eve a promise by planting a WORD SEED ‘…one shall come…and bruise the serpent’s head…’ Henceforth a courier, chosen by God, would move the WORD SEED forward in each generation. The promise was in its embryonic stage and life was in that seed.
Adam and Eve had lost all sense of direction, and with it their ability to dream. Yet, despite their being severed from the garden, God gave them a glimmer of hope through the promise. Much time and effort would be required to build a solid foundation for the coming Messiah and the redemption of man.
There would always be someone to speak the prophetic word. The details were so exact that only a wise and wonderful God could have put such specifics together.
No other religion or group of people can make this claim. The use of so many people, who did not even know each other, spanned generations, cultures and historical events. Only a Wise and Wonderful God could possibly have orchestrated such a wonderful symphony.
After the ‘fall’ human nature plummeted deeper into a state of total depravity and violence. The devil thought he had accomplished his goal, for sin proliferated and total annihilation was inevitable.
BUT, Noah and his family were chosen, and they unexpectedly became the seed to a new generation. Genesis 6:8 declares, ‘…Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’
Favor can also be used to describe the moment. It’s a well-known story, taught in all Sunday schools. God was not giving up on His precious creation. He made a promise that He intended to keep. Noah was to carry the promise on the ark.
Later we see Abram, subsequently known as Abraham, called to leave his father and relatives. Why did the Lord call Abram?
A hunger for God, unseen in others, resided in his heart. When God called him, he didn’t hesitate, he instantly resolved to follow God. With Abram’s decision to follow the calling, God proceeded to lay the foundation of a nation to arise from his loins.
This man was just part of the underpinning for God’s marvelous purposes. Abraham’s patience and trust made him a hero of faith. He had no idea of how far-reaching his obedi
ence to God would be. The Lord gave him a glance into the future when he had Abraham step outside during a clear night and showed him the stars in heaven. He then proceeded to challenge him to count the stars. ‘Can you…?’
Later, when Abraham was standing by the seashore, God asked again, ‘Can you count the grains of sand…?’
The promise was so far-reaching that Abraham could only accept it by FAITH. Hence the moniker ‘father of faith.’ The man was not perfect in any way. In Genesis 12 through 25 one can read of his victories along with his failures, mistakes, and bad choices; but through it all God called him ‘friend.’ Abraham was a dominant link in the prophetic chain.
Isaac, Abraham’s son, carried the prophetic link within himself. His life was more sedate than that of his father, Abraham, yet he was a required link.
From the two brothers born to Isaac and Rachel, God choose Jacob, who was given the name ‘Israel.’ He was impulsive and indiscreet, yet was still selected. His more down-to-earth brother, Esau, considered the ‘calling’ or the ‘firstborn’ position to be frivolous. This attitude toward the things of God made Esau useless when it came to God’s plans and purposes. It works the same manner with us in God’s kingdom.
Joseph, one of the two youngest sons of Jacob (Israel) played a very important part as a prophetic link to pass the promise. A nation was under construction and needed divine protection.
Egypt was pivotal in keeping them safe until they were ready to set out to their promise. If they were too comfortable, they wouldn’t leave. In due season a little fire was applied. Egypt was not to be their home; it was just a womb for a nation to be birthed.
Enter Moses.
Moses was a man of many abilities – intelligent, strong, inspiring, proud and self-sufficient – a leader in the making. But in the plans God had for his people, Moses could not be used until he was broken. God sent him to the lonely desert of Median. It was lonely and heart breaking, but necessary.