The Breath of Life

[TIOTM]

What separates the living from the dead?

Breath.

Breathing is something that we all do without even having to think about doing it, yet the most vital part of life is our ability to breathe. When we are no longer breathing.

There are some that may believe that life comes from our own bodies, but that is not true.

In the Bible (Genesis 2:7 specifically), God forms Adam from the ground, and breathes the breath of life into him:

Genesis 2:7
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.


God formed Adam's body from the dust from the ground, then afterwards breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Notice how Adam is not referred to as 'living;' until after God have breathed the breath of life into him, so Adam was dead prior to this. Therefore, when there is no breath in the body, there is no life, and the body is dead.


This is still true today.

A dead body is a body that is absent of breath, and a dead body lacks the ability to do anything living people have the ability to do-walk, talk, move, etc. This not only shows us that the essence of our life is not even something that we can see, but it also shows something far less evident than what we may have noticed: That breath alone contains life, which makes breath a life form all on its' own.

 

[Ps82]

What separates the living from the dead?

Breath.

Hi TIOTM. Welcome to TOL. Hope you will find many members interested in your topic.

Love the topic you are considering. I have some ideas which you may or may not enjoy, but I happen to think I have something to add to what you have begun; so, here goes.

In Genesis 2:7, God forms Adam from the ground, and breathes the breath of life into him:

First, you need to know that I've concluded that Genesis 2 is not just a replay of Genesis 1. I believe that were two separate events with perhaps some over lapping toward the end of Gen. 1
Second, I accept the truth that "God is LIFE." therefore life comes from him.
Third, I read these next verses and realized something which added insight to Genesis 1 and two and to how God imparted life.

John 3:34
For he [Jesus] whom God hath sent speaks the words of God: for God giveth not the SPIRIT by MEASURE unto him [Jesus].
I concluded that since God is LIFE and life came from him into his creation, then now I've learned that he can measure it out according to his will. Jesus received life from God which allowed him to die physically as a mortal and then another measure of life where he arose from that physical death.

I also read where Jesus talked about that additional measure of death and he used the symbolism of water. Just like mortals need H20 to be replenished in order to stay alive ... saved souls also need an additional measure of "water" which will not need to be replenished. I suggest that this "water" is the gift of eternal life.

After considering these ideas I began to see that God actually created mankind male/female as a first step. They had no body at first; yet, God began to establish purposes for them. He even commanded that they should reproduce and multiply. I believe that already had a first measure of life at that time. After all God was moving upon the "waters" as he began to create.

Yet, male/female had no bodily form for accomplishing the things being established.

Genesis 2:7
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.

Take a second look at verse Gen. 2 and add verse 5b-6: ... God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

What is a mist?
It is a measure of water from God and in this case God soon there after formed a body for male/female after adding that measure.

Now, look again at 7a And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground.
At this point there was still no man on earth who have dominion, could till the land, or even reproduce.

It took the LORD to literally impart a breath of life. I suggest that this was the point the LORD God joined the living spiritual male/female into the body he had formed for them.

This helps us understand that mankind is at least a living spirit with a body which was given only a mist of life waters. Jesus told the Woman at the Well, that she need an additional measure of life [Water] from which she would never thirst again.

Notice how Adam is not referred to as 'living;' until after God have breathed life into him, so Adam was not even living until

I suggest male/female were alive in God, but they were not yet a "living soul" on Earth. That happened when male/female was imparted into the body formed for them out of the ground of the Earth. Then mankind was a walking talking functioning earth dweller.

A person (and animal for that matter) is considered lifeless and/or dead when they are no longer breathing, and once they are no longer breathing, they are not able to do anything.

Consider this: When it comes to humanity and death ... their bodies are now dust with no life, but their spirit goes somewhere where God places them. Those who have received the gift of eternal life goes to a place where they are given robes of white and where they wait until God is ready to return and/or make all things new. The lost wait in Hell until the Lake of Fire.

This is why I believe God could say he knew his prophets before they were born and he knows them as they are being knit together in the womb. He also knows them after their bodies have returned to dust.
My definition of "dust" has become - ground without even a mist [measure of life] in it. As in a body without physical life.

When someone dies, we too see that a person is incapable of doing anything once they are no longer breathing, which proves that the breath of life is what gives us life.

Jesus liked to refer to dead people he was about to raise from the dead - as he/she is only asleep. I think he knew their spirit was still alive and he was going to impart it back into the body to which he would also give a measure of life.

Well, I guess I disagree with some of you conclusions, but I do not mean to be disrespectful ... it is just that I see nuances which leave me seeing things differently.

I will enjoy hearing the explanations of others in this great topic you have initiated.
Thank you.

 

[ttruscott]

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,

Good morning,
This verse tells us that man was formed from the dust, ie, the verse refers to the physical thing the soul of man inhabits...it does not refer to a living spirit but to a dead body...

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Please consider:
The lifeless physical body came alive when it received the living soul of Adam, the living spirit of man, when GOD sowed by HIS breath, (not created), the already created spirit of Adam and Eve into their bodies as per Matt 13:36-39.

To sow is to move from storage into the field, a place of growth...it doesn't mean to create or the devil creates also.

Are not angels 'alive'? They exist but they are not said to be living perhaps because they do not need physical bodies.

 

[Ps82]

Good morning,
This verse tells us that man was formed from the dust, ie, the verse refers to the physical thing the soul of man inhabits...it does not refer to a living spirit but to a dead body...

QUESTIONS FOR YOU: Do our human bodies at this time have life in them? After a person dies and his spiritual nature leaves the body does the body continue to have life in it for a time? Are their still cells and such going through the process of dying? If you were to answer yes to any of those questions then the body has life of its own... It just has a measure of life ... one give to it when God formed the body out of dust with a mist sent from God upon it. This was part of the point Jesus was making with the Woman at the well. He had that extra measure and type of life that would giver her eternal life not life which had to be continually replenished.

Please consider:
The lifeless physical body came alive when it received the living soul of Adam, the living spirit of man, when GOD sowed by HIS breath, (not created), the already created spirit of Adam and Eve into their bodies as per Matt 13:36-39.

It seems from what you wrote above we agree that the spirit of male/female was already created [I'll add: and given purposed]
QUESTION: What is the composition of a breath?

My rendition is:
It is made up of gases and has a measure of water in it. That's why we can see the condensation of water when we breath out on a cold day ... This very possibly shows that God imparted into the body he had formed for mankind, at least, had a dual component [wind and water] Both of these terms are used to talk about spiritual things from God ... such as measures of life and God's spiritual powers and so forth.

I read KJV and it says at the time the breath of life is added to what I consider a body with a measure of life ... then mankind/male/female became a [one] living soul. For me the definition of a living soul ... is body plus a sentient being. In this case male and female were one.

Genesis 2:6,7
But there [first] went up a mist [small measure of water/life from God] from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground [the elements from which God formed worldly things]. And the LORD God formed man [man's body NLT] of the dust of the ground [which had been watered], and breathed into his [man's created body part] nostrils the breath of life; and [THEN] man became a living soul.

Matthew 13:36-39

To sow is to move from storage into the field, a place of growth...it doesn't mean to create or the devil creates also.

I agree with your definition of sow ... for God did place mankind into the world by sowing the seed into the ground. IOW, sowing the spirit being into the body. Our disagreement seems only to be where that original body had a measure of life in it which had to be continually replenished before he added the seed of a sentient human.

I don't get the part about the devil creates also. Would like to know what you have found on that. He sows ideas and does have power in the world, but I don't think he can create sentient being or even animals. There are things I know about him but it would take us off topic about where life comes from. I think we can both agree God is LIFE and the giver of life.

Are not angels 'alive'? They exist but they are not said to be living perhaps because they do not need physical bodies.

I believe angels do have bodies and are alive. They are sentient spiritual visible super-natural beings created by God.
They were seen by Jacob in a heavenly vision ascending and descending the stairway toward God's Kingdom.
QUESTION:
Tell me why you think they are not alive?

BTW, do you know that angels were set to guard the gate through which mankind was kicked out of the Garden? Man was not to have access to that gate in order to re-enter... but angels were never told they could not come and go? Ooops another topic.

I knew we disagreed about when life was given, but just thought you would enjoy reading another view.

My opinions come from the use of water and wind to symbolically discuss spiritual actions, life and truth and they give deeper nuances to what may have occurred. I don't think our different opinions harm us from our salvation through Christ, but I do enjoy going deep for meanings.

QUESTION: Do you know that God claims he has a soul? For me this means God formed a visible bodily form and associated his living spirit with it. An Emmanuel so to speak. Appearing as The Angel of the LORD. The God which 74 men saw as the body of heaven and safely ate a meal in his presence? Off topic but read: Exodus 24:9-11 and Lev. 26:11 for yourself.

Last comment unless you have a question. Enjoyed talking with you.

 

[ttruscott]

QUESTION:
Tell me why you think they (ed: angels) are not alive?

I do think angels are alive but they do not have physical bodies so I interpret GOD breathing life into the body of dust as HIM filling the body of dust with the already living spirits of Adam and Eve by HIS breath, not just magicing a dead substance into a living substance. It is the already created eternally living spirit that is sown into the body at conception that brings the human body to life and, as Matt 13:36-39 tells us, every person is sown into this world this same way...ie, we are NOT created here but are moved here from the spiritual realms in HIS time for HIS purpose.

I knew we disagreed about when life was given, but just thought you would enjoy reading another view.

Indeed,

I agree with your definition of sow ... for God did place mankind into the world by sowing the seed into the ground.

Ahh, but the parable says the seeds are people and the ground is the world of mankind...

If we take Job 38:7 at face value we then accept that ALL the sons of GOD,* including me and thee, were there and saw HIM create the physical universe and sang HIS praises which implies that the sowing of people into this world in Matt 13:36-39 is the ongoing life cycle of mankind, eternal spirits coming and going into human life by the will of GOD.

*In an eisegetical attempt to hide or deny our pre-conception existence, the writers of the kjv chose to translate the words ALL the sons of GOD as 'all the angels', a crass intrusion of dogma into the word of GOD sigh.

 

[Right Divider]

@TIOTM You seem to have a problem because you do not understand FIGURES OF SPEECH.

The "breath of life" is NOT about breathing air! It is a FIGURE OF SPEECH.

It simply refers to bringing Adam's material body to life.

 

[Derf]

What separates the living from the dead?

Breath.

In Genesis 2:7, God forms Adam from the ground, and breathes the breath of life into him:

Genesis 2:7
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.

Notice how Adam is not referred to as 'living;' until after God have breathed life into him, so Adam was not even living until

A person (and animal for that matter) is considered lifeless and/or dead when they are no longer breathing, and once they are no longer breathing, they are not able to do anything.

When someone dies, we too see that a person is incapable of doing anything once they are no longer breathing, which proves that the breath of life is what gives us life.

Ok, then how does that change what we understand about scripture and our place in the world?

And welcome to TOL, TIOTM.

 

[TIOTM]

@TIOTM You seem to have a problem because you do not understand FIGURES OF SPEECH.

The "breath of life" is NOT about breathing air! It is a FIGURE OF SPEECH.

It simply refers to bringing Adam's material body to life.

I can see it as being both metaphorical and literal. Is it a ''figure of speech' to say that a dead person no longer breathes?

 

[Ps82]

I do think angels are alive but they do not have physical bodies

I agree in this way: Angels do not have a body like humanity, but they do have a physical form. It is angelic/super-natural where man's is a natural one. I have concluded that God made man's body and gave it only a measure/mist of life. One which would need to be sustained. I think angels were given a measure of life that people say is immortal ...??? IOW, they don't die a physical death and go to the grave as we are accustomed. The sort of death planned for them will not occur until the Lake of Fire.

so I interpret GOD breathing life into the body of dust as HIM filling the body of dust with the already living spirits of Adam and Eve by HIS breath,

I soooo agree with this with one additional detail: I believe the addition of a mist to the dust of the ground is symbolic to adding a measure of life. There is life in the blood. Abel's blood cried out from the ground when he was killed. Part of God's plan for our salvation to make us immortal involves the blood of Christ. These two details point to life being in a body of humans.

not just magicing a dead substance into a living substance. It is the already created eternally living spirit that is sown into the body at conception that brings the human body to life

Of course this is the point of our disagreement:
I see the LORD imparting the created pre-existing spiritual essence of male/female into a formed living body. When the two came together THEN man became [something called] a living soul.

If I were to put scripture into my symbolic interpretation I would write it this way:
6 But there went up a small measure of life added by God from the earth, and covered the whole face of the elements from which God created the earth. [Verse 5 says there were no plants or anything at that time ... for he had not sent rain ... there wasn't even a human to care for such things.]
7 [After adding a mist of life to the ground] ... the LORD God formed man out of the dust [elements of creation without life] of the ground [elements with a measure of life added] breathed into his [bodily] nostrils the breath of life; and [after this joining] man became a living soul.
I'm not asking you to believe the way I do, but you might like testing my theory on other scripture to see if it continues to play out and make sense.

and, as Matt 13:36-39 tells us, every person is sown into this world this same way...ie, we are NOT created here but are moved here from the spiritual realms in HIS time for HIS purpose.

Let me try it out and see if it applies to Matt.13:36-39
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
3 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the en of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

The important things to first know are:

1. What are the seeds? The actual parable is found in Matt. 13:3-9 It is Luke 8;1 and Mark 4:15 which give us insight:

• Mark 4:15 says that one of the seeds sown is THE WORD of God. IOW, God calls to people with the truth and they hear the word and they begin to grow [accept it]. but it is Satan, who comes to interfere and steal that truth which has touched the hearts of men.
• Luke 8:1, which restates the parable of the sowers and the seeds in verses 5-8 tells us in verse 1 that Jesus went through every city etc., preaching of the good news of the kingdom of God

Who sows these seeds? There are two types of seeds. One that is good and one that is bad and there are the two sowers: Satan and God.
Well, Jesus, has sent the Holy Spirit to witness of him in the world. This is how God sows THE WORD/the truth of salvation.
Satan is the Prince of the Power of the air and he certainly has ways to sow his seeds/lies which produce the rebellious tares/lost people.

I just can't make these facts above connect to Genesis 2:6-7 and the creation of the finish soul called mankind. The symbolism of 'the seed/seeds" is not used there. Now, God did sow a special seed ... but it was to be the promised son of Woman/Son of God... who was THE WORD of God, Jesus the truth way and the life for us to enter the expanding kingdom. And that does fit the parable about the sower of the WORD of the kingdom.

Indeed,



Ahh, but the parable says the seeds are people and the ground is the world of mankind...

Yes.

If we take Job 38:7 at face value we then accept that ALL the sons of GOD,* including me and thee, were there and saw HIM create the physical universe and sang HIS praises which implies that the sowing of people into this world in Matt 13:36-39 is the ongoing life cycle of mankind, eternal spirits coming and going into human life by the will of GOD.

Power packed sentence! Whew, let me take a look. Can't just use one verse to know what was going on. I will paraphrase to try and shorten things.
37:14... God tells Job to stop and listen to HIS questions for him. The conversation just proves that Job/humanity in general is without reason because we are clueless to who God really is. Men should fear HIM, for HE has no respect for man's wisdom for he is greater than men.
38:1... God asks Job, who are you to speak of things when you don't understand/in darkness/clueless? Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? [IOW, Job as a man was NOT THERE.] But there were other son's of God who were there to see it happen. WOW!

Now for verse 7: Who were those sons of God whom he called stars????
Well, not mankind, but rather super-natural/out of this world/ sentient angelic beings.

What helped me know this?
Ps 82: where God Almighty spoke to one of those out of this world sons of God and reference the other clueless sons of God. I wish you would read my thread on Ps82 Another Look. You will see the two sets of sons of God. The angelic stars were there to see God created the world we know... but the humans were not there for they were not a soul yet to observe with their eyes the wonders of God's creativeness.

Now, let me check out your last point.

*In an eisegetical attempt to hide or deny our pre-conception existence, the writers of the kjv chose to translate the words ALL the sons of GOD as 'all the angels', a crass intrusion of dogma into the word of GOD sigh.

I so agree! Yet angels and men were not created at the same time. Angels/stars/super-natural sentient beings already existed before the world was. They probably had already rebelled ???? To me this discussion with Job does not show whether or not there was life in the body before before the pre-existing living male/female was imparted into that body.

Now, what that life looked like for that living pre-existant individual called man/male female I don't know.

But I think we have been given a hint. When we read how through the act of Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek all his descendants had actually tithed. That leads me to think that in male/female even before being bodily manifested were all the genetic codes for any and all human being ever to be born. Perhaps God knew us all before we were conceived and formed ... like reading our genetic books.

You, ttruscott, have made some great points and we do agree on a number of things and have lots of things to think about. Love taking a look at the scripture you are sharing.
Thanks

 

[Ps82]

I can see it as being both metaphorical and literal. Is it a ''figure of speech' to say that a dead person no longer breathes?

Physical death was made to be a process occurring over time, which is they way we understand it. Yet there is a physical death and a spiritual death. It is obvious what physical death of our bodies is, but lots of disagreement over what spiritual death can entail.

My thoughts: To say someone is dead who is walking around and living life on earth is saying that their soul/spirit being is already destined for hell and the Lake of Fire.

For Jesus, who was God and LORD [Is. 43:11] to have said something like this in the NT: "Let the dead bury their dead," probably meant that the people around the corpse of a lost soul were just as lost. They do not have nor will receive the gift of salvation.

 

[ttruscott]

The important things to first know are:

1. What are the seeds? The actual parable is found in Matt. 13:3-9 It is Luke 8;1 and Mark 4:15 which give us insight:

You are using other parables to define this one...ano-no when the answer to what the word seeds refers to is explained right here: the good seeds are the sons of, the people of the kingdom (ie, the elect?) and the tares are the sons of, the people of the evil one. No need to go elsewhere, Christ's explanation tells it the way it is to be interpreted.

 

[ttruscott]

Now for verse 7: Who were those sons of God whom he called stars????
Well, not mankind, but rather super-natural/out of this world/ sentient angelic beings.

Yes...
These stars are named as all the sons of GOD... if your definition does not agree with this then something is wrong, neh? Are you a son of GOD? Then you are probably within this meaning as defined by this verse, an angelic spirit person who is later sown into the world of mankind.