Reading Scripture
I’m taking a class this semester on the first half of the Old Testament. From time to time I might reflect here on what I’m reading. So far I’ve only read Genesis 1-4, but here are a few thoughts.
I’ve been quite struck by the humanness of God in these early chapters of Genesis. Of course chapter one is about the all powerful creator God, but starting in chapter two we are introduced to a very different picture of God as creator, certainly a different picture than most Christians are used to. This is a God who “formed man from the dust of the ground,” “formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air,” and “made” a woman from the man’s rib. Rather than creating out of nothing, here God appears to be like a potter molding the clay, an artist shaping the materials in front him.
In chapter three we find God “walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze” (sounds like a good time to take a regular walk in the garden) and making clothes for the first couple. God also seems like an experimenter of sorts. He decides the man needs a partner and starts making all kinds of crazy animals. The man checks them out and doesn’t find a partner. Finally God figures it out and creates a woman. If at first you don’t succeed…
I think this is beautiful imagery. A wonderful story. A story we too often miss because we are arguing about whether or not these things actually happened – is this history or myth, fact or fiction? Personally, I don’t care. I find that conversation quite boring. I’d rather enter this beautiful story and let it stir my imagination. And when I do that I find myself hearing the blessing God continues to speaks over creation – “good, good, very good.” Even though chapters three and four reveal a profound break in our relationship with God and one another, God does not give up on his project. God doesn’t kill Adam and Eve for their disobedience, even though he said he would. And remarkably, instead of killing Cain for his murder of Abel, he places a mark of protection on Cain, so that no one can harm him.
“Good, good, very good.”
