I just read the first
three chapters of Genesis again. It started really good by demonstrating the power of God. God creates
the heaven and earth, the sun, moon, and the Stars. All the livestock, wild
animals and birds. Then he separated the waters, and made one side of dry land
so all the animals can live, and another side of sea for all the sea creatures
to live. He saw all that he has done and he liked it very much.
There was
nothing that God created that he did not say and see that it was good. From the
beginning of His mind processing the architectural design of how he wanted his
creation to look like to the finishing process of his divine work, he love them
all. The idea pleased him, and so was the reality that came out of it.
Then
something happened. Now that he had begun to enjoy His baby, he thought others
of his likeness should be around too to enjoy such beauty as much as he was. So,
he created Adam and Eve. Side note here (just me thinking, nothing to discuss
or argue about): I wonder sometimes, when did God feel this was umh not such a
good idea? - before or after he had already collected the mud (again it is me
thinking out loud).
So He
created Adam first, to feast in this marvelous I wish I was there creative
work. Adam started to work from day one, he named all the animals and birds of
the air and the sea. He was the COO of the Garden of Eden. God allowed him to
work and play as he pleased, sounds like Google to me. However, God told him of
anything he can get away with, one thing in the garden he should not even think
about (my interpretation of course) is Verse
16-17“You are free
to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Pretty
simple right, and Adam was cool
with that.
Yet, unsatisfied,
God felt that Adam was an amazing worker but a lousy conversationalist. The
garden was still too quiet. So he thought he would give him Eve. Eve could be a
helper to Adam- keep him company and such, but she would be God’s amuser, she
would engage in all type of conversations with Him (my version of course).
Here is what
I observe during my reading and to copy Oprah, my ah ah moment. Before God
created Eve, he had a conversation with Adam, a one on one, bro to bro talk
about the garden and concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then
God said, it is not good for man to be alone, so he made Eve out of Adam. Eve
came and she just messed up Adam’s mind, even making him forget about his
conversation with God. For when the serpent came to challenge what God said, it
was Eve who argued the case with the serpent, (since some of us women just don’t
know when to keep it shut). Notice that the serpent did not approach Adam
first, why didn’t Adam stop the woman right there, and said: “unh correction
woman, God said to me what to eat and what not to eat” and just sent the
serpent away with his nonsense? To make matter worse or to prove a point, Eve
took the fruit, ate and gave some to Adam, which took it from her and ate some
too. What’s going on here? What happened to this Adam who told God: “don’t
worry man, I got you, I’ll manage your garden” (my take on the conversation he
must have had with God). Where was his mind then? Was he so drunk in love that
he completely forgot that he wasn’t supposed to disobey God?
Here is my
other thought process, there were two trees in the Garden, a tree of life, and
a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why couldn’t they go for the tree of
life instead? Then they would have had eternity. Longevity of life would have offered
increased knowledge of good and evil (just my 10 cents).
Consequently,
with the new found knowledge of good and evil, they were suddenly aware of
their nakedness and their differences. When God saw what happened, he quickly
led them out of the garden so they would not even think about eating the fruit
of life too (smart move).
Here is the
part I don’t know if I like, God drew the lines with them (that’s fair), I think
most parents understand when their kids do something bad; they have to do
something to make them understand their wrong. So He told Adam, he will be
working harder than he had been, anything he has will come from his hard work,
his sweat; nothing will be as easy for him anymore. As for the serpent, he told
it that it will crawl on his belly and eat dust. For Eve, she would have severe
childbearing. Obviously, God’s disappointment is an understatement, but I
cannot wrap my head around with the harshness of the punishment? Some of us
might even ask why added such powerful trees in a garden if God did not want
anyone to eat them?
What I learned
from my reading is this, God will give us heaven and earth, but one thing he
does not tolerate is a disobedient heart. It does not matter who did what and
why, God disciplines is always fair. I remember in primary school, when one
student did something bad, all the students in class would suffer the same form
of punishment if the student did not confess his or her wrong to the director. We
may not understand all the whys and all the buts, God does not want us to be
like robots. He confided in Adam because he did not want to keep any secret
from Adam. He wants us to make willful choice to serve and obey him. You might
say why not punish only Adam and not Eve or the serpent? why not punish them
all? They all had sinned against God in their level of relationship with God. My
thing is did the punishment fit the crime? Because of this, we will never know
what it was like back in Eden time – Adam and Eve were the first and last ones
to experience God’s first mind blowing, unreserved, unlimited design and
architectural process of how he would have really wanted the universe to be and
look like. Nevertheless, God’s punishment was fair, his heart was broken too.
However,
because he is still amazingly in love with us, His creation, he just cannot
help it but giving us chances after chances. He offered his one and only son to
be defeated for us, as an expression of his undying love for us. Somehow, I
feel that we should get it, and yet, I know for some of us, we have yet to understand
such love. It is so great, it cannot be understood fully in this lifetime.
© November 2014 Natacha Michel
