There are a lot of discrepancies between Bible scholars and religions today as to the story of creation. Most religions acknowledge the second chapter in Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve, as the story of creation. However, Bible scholars have come to find that there are two different depictions in the first and second chapter of Genesis.
I heard an interesting lecture by a chaplain from Boston University in which the speaker stated the story of Adam and Eve was basically a rip-off. This story came from what was popular Egyptian folklore at the time explaining the nature of sin. This would mean that the story of Adam and Eve is not a creation story but instead is describes how sin operates.
This makes sense to me since in the first chapter in the book of Genesis, the creation story has already been told.
“1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
This story of creation goes on for 6 days in the first chapter. And in it includes the creation of man and woman:
“26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
So God’s great and beautiful creation is complete on the 6th day.
Well then what happens? A mist comes up from the ground, Adam dreams, and God forbids the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tricks Eve and she eats the forbidden fruit.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept:
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
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.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
What does this story symbolize? How is it relevant to today?
Now God’s creation isn’t just good as it once was, or atleast to the sinful perspective of Adam and Eve. Has God’s creation changed or has the perspective of mortals changed? From this sinful perspective they are now able to see shame, violence, judgment, etc.
What is the serpent in our thought? Are we being beguiled? What are we seeing and manifesting in our experience based on our perspective? Is this perspective based on God’s perspective or a sinful perspective?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I have been thinking about this story a lot lately, and i think that story is meant as symbolism. I think the snake might represent the coiling progression of sinful thought - a snake would be the best way to picture those voices of selfishness and doubt, especially before there were words to describe this process. the fruit I think maybe represents physical desire or gratification. some bible scholars acknowledge that not all of the old testament is meant to be taken literally.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas Dave, thanks for sharing! I agree that there are tons of ideas hidden in the Bible and it becomes a much more interesting book when we aren't taking it literally. It was, of course, written and chosen by men, so I feel that we should find those spiritual treasures that are in it and not be guided and dictated by things that had to do with the culture and age in which it was written.
ReplyDelete