In Genesis 3:5, evil is part of creation all along. The idea that creation is a perfect world doesn’t come from the creation story. This truth stops so much false teaching concerning God. Creation is the best possible world where people can exist and choose to reject God. This brings nasty consequences, yes, but evil is always possible even before the “Fall.”
How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk
Faith in real life
Category Archives: words for the day
not
The crafty serpent is a manifestation of Satan. A created servant of God, Satan couldn’t stand hearing the word, “No,” from God and this is his fall. Now Satan is trying to take everyone else down with him.
Except, the man and the woman bear God’s imprint upon themselves. They are wired like God. Surely they will not be tempted to go in a different direction…
crafty
In Genesis 3:1, we are told the snake is more “crafty” than other living animals God makes. Literally, “It became more crafty…” Well, we know other animals are more intelligent. The serpent is not created “crafty,” but becomes that way. I sense something else is going on with this snake…
ﾠ
ashamed
“ashamed,” in Genesis 2:25, is in ongoing tense. It ought to read,
“…and were not shaming themselves.”
Well, they will, and it has nothing to do with their bodies…
naked
When you see the name, “naked,” obviously the first thought is body. Less obvious is Adam and Eve are completely open and exposed to each other and God. “Bare” is another meaning of the root. “Bare-naked” could connect both meanings. That’s what I’ll go with.
ﾠ
“…and they were both bare-naked….”
My friend Eric is author of Buck-naked Faith. Now, that is some faith…
flesh
Genesis 2:24 tells of husbands and wives being of one”flesh,” meaning, “body.” In an American culture that thrives on individualism, what does this word have to say?
united
In Genesis 2:24, for the “reason” of bringing together a man and a woman,it is God who “pushes” or “attracts” them together.
God is the matchmaker!
opposite
In Genesis 2:22, God doesn’t start fresh with the ground, but forms “woman” out of the man’s side. The word “woman” is literally, “opposite of man.” That explains a lot.
side
In Genesis 2:21, when God takes out the “rib,” the literal meaning is, “side.” God “splits” the man. What is God going to do with this half? Make another man?
name
Adam is involved in the creation story now. He is working with God by naming the birds and animals. It must have freaked him out when the aardvark came along. Strange animal/ strange name. One look and he could have chosen “ponkey,” as in “pig-donkey.”
ponkey?
“Aardvark” sums it up.
