Reflections on Eden: Pondering our beginnings (Part 1)

The story of Eden is quite an intricate one, laden with details that are easily overlooked. As I began to consider what I should put as my second entry for this month, it just hit me how much I've been wanting to share some of these details I've been looking at. As this is quite the lengthy topic, I've decided to break it down into parts. So, I submit to you, the reader, installment numero uno.

Let's start with a brief review of the story prior to the tempting of our common ancestors. God creates the sun, moon, stars, sky, earth, plant vegetation, aquatic life, and birds in 5 days (Gen. 1:1-23). On the sixth day, God starts by creating land-based animal life (Gen. 1:24-25). He goes on to create man (Gen. 1:26-30) before calling it a day (v. 30) and a week, at that (Gen. 2:1-3). Now before I say anything else, notice how much attention is given to one aspect of one day of the process. Five verses talk about the creation of man. That's nearly 1/6 of the entire chapter! If that weren't enough, He goes on to spend the first 6 verses of chapter 2 talking about how He rested on the seventh day and making a few comments on His creation before spending the rest of the chapter talking once again about man. The chapter closes with a very unusual verse: "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed," - v.25.

Hold that thought. Let's look at the opening of chapter 3: "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made." Let me share something with you. Did you know that the Hebrew word used for "subtil" in the beginning of chapter 3 is very closely related to the word used for "naked" at the end of chapter 2? I'll have to look further into the significance of this, but it seems to me like it's worth taking note of. Let me take this a step further, though. You're likely familiar enough with the story of Eden to know that the serpent tricks Adam and Eve into doing the one thing they were told not to do. Up until this point, Adam and Eve existed in a state of innocence (i.e. they weren't held as being guilty of any sin). Most likely you've also heard that Jesus once told his disciples, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and gentle as doves," - (Mt. 10:16).

Now get this. The Greek word that's used for "wise" is the same word that's used for "subtil" in the passage in Genesis as it's rendered in the Septuagint. The word for "gentle" could also be translated as "innocent". Have you ever noticed that people often associate intelligence with having a sinister nature? It's like the saying I heard once: "Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil." Where in Scripture does it ever tell us that having our wits sharpened is in and of itself outside of God's will? If anything, we're warned about the dangers of foolishness (see Mt. 25:1-13, or Proverbs, the whole thing:o). It seems as though Jesus was reminding us of what it was like to be in Eden, giving us hope that we can maintain our innocence without being foolish (namely about the ways of the enemy).

I hope this really ministered to you like it did to me.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." - James 1:5