Thursday, February 23, 2012
Scripture Reading: Genesis 3
In yesterday’s reading, we remembered
that it’s all about God and today we look at the metanarrative of
creation’s fall away from God. God creates the heavens and the earth (Ch. 1-2).
After the humans are banished from the Garden of Eden, we have the story of
Cain and Able. The story of Creation and Fall portray the beginning of all
life, all brokenness, and the journey through history that would lead to the
cross event (death and resurrection).
All people share in the consequence
of Original Sin and the condition that bonds us to death and separation from
God; this is what makes redemption necessary. How did this come to be our
reality? In the second creation account (Gen. 2:5-25) we are told that eating
from the tree of knowledge (both good and evil) cuts us off from the tree of
life (2:17). Genesis 3 illustrates the tale of how we became sinners (3:1-7).
The cunning serpent stands in
contrast to naked innocence (Robert Alter, Genesis).
The snake deceives the woman and the man does not try to resist. They are lured
into a lust for knowledge (both good and evil). Once the snake successfully
deceives the humans, they hide from the LORD God (3:7-10). God’s response, “Who
told you that you were naked” (3:11) reveals some intriguing possibilities for
the Genesis metanarrative.
Looking at the story of Genesis
3:1-24, from the perspective of Yahwist writers and redactors, during the Babylonian
Exile (587 BCE) it’s not hard to see the serpent as parallel to the sea dragon Tiamat of the Ancient Babylonian
creation story the Enuma Elish
(Simpson, IBC). What makes this parallel
important? The Primeval and Primary History (Genesis-2 Chronicles) repeatedly
displays the challenge of remaining devoted to Yahweh in a henotheistic culture. The deception of the snake conceives
sin: which brings forth blame, hardship, subordination of women, deviation, and
separation from God (3:12-24). This was not God’s desire for us.
Original Sin causes individual
sins, making it a greater alienation between us and God. In our innocence,
humanity was once free and had an equal share in everlasting life. Now that we
have been infected by Original Sin, our will is bonded and we have equality in
being sinners. Humanity was not meant to have the knowledge of good and evil,
like God (3:22-23). Therefore, the deception of our sin condition is what
separates us from God and only God can restore the connection to life that Original
Sin has broken.
Lord, God, “for dust [we] are and to dust shall [we] return.” “Forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Lord, you are
God and we are broken people because we were deceived to think otherwise. May
we kneel at your cross and repent and may the work of Christ reconcile us
through the grace of a loving God. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment