Adam and Eve

I've been working my way, slowly, through some of the stories in the First Testament, and wanted to think with you today about Adam and Eve. The Bible gives two separate accounts of creation, one in Genesis 1, and the other beginning in Genesis 2:4. The first account emphasises the supremacy of God in creation. Even the word used for God in this section emphasises His transcendence. The second account of creation seems to emphasise the relational aspect of God's nature. The word for God used in this section (Yahweh in English characters) is the same word used for God in His relationship with Israel in later portions of the First Testament.

Most scholarly work done on these two chapters attempts to deal with textual problems or rational issues. Were the six days of creation 24 hour days, or should the word translated "day" actually be rendered "era" or "age"? Was creation from nothing, or did God bring order out of chaos? Should this account be taken literally, or is this a mythical composition for the nation of Israel to explain the supremacy of their God?

Most pastoral work in this part of Genesis focuses on the goodness of creation and the horribleness of original sin. Some sermons emphasise the dominion of males over females on the basis of creation order. Some focus on the importance of useful labour and bemoan the advent of toil and tribulation. Little pastoral effort in Genesis focuses on the relationship between God and humans, save for the emphasis on our current deplorable state and the necessity for a remedy.

As I read Genesis 1-3, what stands out to me is the obvious relationship between God and humans. Relationship is evident, as mentioned above, even in the word used for God. Former generations of scholars noted this divergence, and used it as proof that Genesis was not written by one person. Instead, they claim, Genesis is the work of an editor or editors, likely around the time of the Babylonian exile (600-500 BC), compiling the work from four different sources - JEDP. I see the change in terms as an indication of change in focus. Genesis 1 reveals the power, glory, and majesty of God. He speaks, and things happen. God's word is sufficient to bring light from darkness, to bring order from chaos, and to bring a world out of nothing. Even in this account, however, humans are separate. God forms man from the dust, not simply speaking humanity into existence. Chapter 2 picks up on this special relationship and makes it central to the account.

When reading Genesis 2, particularly in a literal or a dynamic translation, one thing that sticks out is the awkwardness of the phrasing. "Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth, ..." (Gen 2:5 NIV) My wife would say this is the way I speak when I am in my "Academic" mode; you really have to pay attention to follow the ellipses, tangents, and rabbit trails. If you have ever had a conversation with someone who has a Thinks/Creates disposition and ADHD, you might recognise the experience. It is as if the author is constantly interrupting himself with other ideas. What the author seems to be making central is the creation of humans and God's care and provision for them. "When all of these things had not happened, God made a man, planted a garden for the man, and put him in the garden." Everything else that is happening in creation is happening for the benefit of the human that God formed from dust. Man is alone, but God has made all these other creatures, so He brings them to the man to name. No companion is found for Adam, so God does something about it, making Eve. Eve is, of course, the perfect companion for Adam, and we expect them to live happily ever after. The ending of this account (Gen 2:25) has them both naked and unashamed.

It seems to me that the focus of chapter 3 remains on relationships: between God and people; between people and people; between people and land; and between 'the woman's seed" and  "the serpent". If this is correct, then there is likely some profit in considering Genesis 2 and 3 as a unit, at least around the idea of relationship between God and people. We know little about the events that occur between the completion of creation in Genesis 2 and the encounter between Eve/Adam and the serpent recounted in Chapter 3. There is some indication that time passes between the events: God's appearance in "the cool of the evening" causes Adam and Eve to hide, not because they were startled, but because they now know they are naked. If they were startled, their most likely response would have been, "You startled us." There is no indication from the text that God showing up in the evening to talk to Adam and Eve was an unusual occurrence. Those who believe and practise an intimate, personal relationship with God know how precious encounters with him are, how much we long for them, even though our nature is scarred by sin. It would be reasonable to expect this to be at least the same for Adam and Eve, if not more so.

If this understanding of the time frame - that God’s walk in the Garden “in the cool of the evening” was a normal occurrence - is correct, we have a glimpse into the background of the encounter between God on one side, and Adam and Eve on the other. God shows up for His regular meeting with His people, and they are not there. In fact, they are hiding from him.

There is a further indication that God’s arrival was not predicated on the choice made by Adam and Eve. After they choose to disobey God, they have time to recognise their nakedness, decide that something should be done to cover themselves, pick leaves, pick apart some kind of plant for thread fibres, fashion something to use as a needle or an awl, sew the leaves together, and fashion a covering for themselves. This activity took time, time during which God, if he truly be God, was aware of the choice the two had made, and chose to not confront them about their disobedience. God did not need this time to decide what He would do about their actions. Revelation, at the other end of the Bible, informs readers that Jesus is the “Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world”. Prior to commencing his creative acts, God knew that Adam and Eve would choose sin over obedience, and so He formulated a plan to restore humankind to His original plan and path for us. It seems as though God establishes a relationship with people, and acts on the basis of good faith on both parties, until we choose to act in violation of the agreement. Then, he puts his contingency plan(s) into action.

We know the effects of the choice made by Adam and Eve. Sin and death enter the world, relationships are affected for the worse, work becomes toil, the joy of obedience is tempered with pain, and we now long for what we lost. In spite of the changes wrought by the choice of our first ancestors, God’s desire for relationship with people is unchanged. He still walks the garden in the cool of the evening, waiting to meet with us. He still acts in good faith in his dealings with us, until we give him reason to change. And when we give him that reason, he acts justly in dealing with our choices, and redemptively in restoring relationship.