Post by Archangelwolf on Apr 4, 2004 18:59:15 GMT -5
So, how did humanity fall? What is the infamous "fruit" that made humanity unworthy of Eden? Many have debated with answers being simple and complicated. Was it an apple or a pomegranate? Did the fruit represent something else forbidden? Was it sex?
Let us compare Genesis through the eyes of the philosophical Greeks of Jesus time, and the Israelites who completed the book. The Greeks, from whom we get our present day views of natural and supernatural reality, believed that the real world of supernatural perfection was elusive. The natural world was evil, and in fact had been created by an evil god. So, in the eyes of the Greek, Adam and Eve must have fallen from this perfect world into the real physical world of pain and suffering that we experience everyday.
But what about the Hebrews? How did they see the fall? We already discussed in part one about God creating the world "good," but NOT perfect. So if the world was already not perfect, and the universe was still emerging into what God intended it to be, how did Adam and Eve fall? Genesis states how we have been created in God's image. By being in His image, we were made to choose to love, nurture, and create. Yes, create! We are God's helpers in creation. We create technology, and in some cases even life; and these things in themselves are good in God's eyes. So, what is the sin in that? How did humanity fall from creation? What is this nonsense about the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
In scripture, "knowing" actually means "to have intimate or special relations with." Several times throughout the Old Testament, scripture quotes "...and he knew her, and she bare a child." A warning in the New Testament says that there will be those to whom Jesus will say "I do not know you." So, basically, this "tree" in Genesis represents the "intimate relationship between good and evil." To eat of this fruit is to become a part of this relationship, and thus we can use the knowledge and power of God's creation for our own interests rather than the benefit of all of us. We must grasp this, first, to understand our fall from grace.
Adam and Eve were created in God's image. What is meant by this is that they had their own free will to love, nurture, and create the universe along with God. Up until this point, Adam and Eve freely exercised their wills to help God in every way. Then along came a serpent.
First, the serpent had Eve question her Creator's motive in not allowing her this intricate knowledge of good and evil. Thus, trust in the authority of God was destroyed. Next, the serpent fed on this to get Eve to exalt herself. She could experience this wisdom for herself; and thus, use her God-given abilities for her own desires. And, of course, she let her husband in on it. They had disobeyed God. However, after the initial sins had been committed, God was still walking in the Garden. Even in their sin, God was not yet separated from them!
So, how did humanity separate from God? The problem was not in that Adam and Eve had sinned. It was in the way they confessed their sin to God. Adam and/or Eve should have thrown themselves down at His feet confessing their disobedience, and pleading for His mercy. So, what happened? First, He asked Adam about it. Instead of prostrating himself before His Creator begging for forgiveness, Adam blamed Eve. Eve could have done the same thing, but she then blamed the serpent. It was the first recorded incident of the "blame game." Had they just asked, God would have forgiven them. Instead, because of their own pride and lack of humility, the entire history of humanity is suffering.
The same is true of us throughout history. We were created to love, nurture, and create life. But instead, we abuse, exploit, and sometimes destroy it. Then, when convicted of our disobedience, we give God excuses.
This is our evil. This is why we have fallen from grace. This is why God once said that He regretted our creation. But, as always, God is a God of hope. He had a plan.
Arch.
Let us compare Genesis through the eyes of the philosophical Greeks of Jesus time, and the Israelites who completed the book. The Greeks, from whom we get our present day views of natural and supernatural reality, believed that the real world of supernatural perfection was elusive. The natural world was evil, and in fact had been created by an evil god. So, in the eyes of the Greek, Adam and Eve must have fallen from this perfect world into the real physical world of pain and suffering that we experience everyday.
But what about the Hebrews? How did they see the fall? We already discussed in part one about God creating the world "good," but NOT perfect. So if the world was already not perfect, and the universe was still emerging into what God intended it to be, how did Adam and Eve fall? Genesis states how we have been created in God's image. By being in His image, we were made to choose to love, nurture, and create. Yes, create! We are God's helpers in creation. We create technology, and in some cases even life; and these things in themselves are good in God's eyes. So, what is the sin in that? How did humanity fall from creation? What is this nonsense about the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
In scripture, "knowing" actually means "to have intimate or special relations with." Several times throughout the Old Testament, scripture quotes "...and he knew her, and she bare a child." A warning in the New Testament says that there will be those to whom Jesus will say "I do not know you." So, basically, this "tree" in Genesis represents the "intimate relationship between good and evil." To eat of this fruit is to become a part of this relationship, and thus we can use the knowledge and power of God's creation for our own interests rather than the benefit of all of us. We must grasp this, first, to understand our fall from grace.
Adam and Eve were created in God's image. What is meant by this is that they had their own free will to love, nurture, and create the universe along with God. Up until this point, Adam and Eve freely exercised their wills to help God in every way. Then along came a serpent.
First, the serpent had Eve question her Creator's motive in not allowing her this intricate knowledge of good and evil. Thus, trust in the authority of God was destroyed. Next, the serpent fed on this to get Eve to exalt herself. She could experience this wisdom for herself; and thus, use her God-given abilities for her own desires. And, of course, she let her husband in on it. They had disobeyed God. However, after the initial sins had been committed, God was still walking in the Garden. Even in their sin, God was not yet separated from them!
So, how did humanity separate from God? The problem was not in that Adam and Eve had sinned. It was in the way they confessed their sin to God. Adam and/or Eve should have thrown themselves down at His feet confessing their disobedience, and pleading for His mercy. So, what happened? First, He asked Adam about it. Instead of prostrating himself before His Creator begging for forgiveness, Adam blamed Eve. Eve could have done the same thing, but she then blamed the serpent. It was the first recorded incident of the "blame game." Had they just asked, God would have forgiven them. Instead, because of their own pride and lack of humility, the entire history of humanity is suffering.
The same is true of us throughout history. We were created to love, nurture, and create life. But instead, we abuse, exploit, and sometimes destroy it. Then, when convicted of our disobedience, we give God excuses.
This is our evil. This is why we have fallen from grace. This is why God once said that He regretted our creation. But, as always, God is a God of hope. He had a plan.
Arch.
