Day 2- Genesis 2-6

I have always found this part of the Bible particularly intriguing. I'm not sure what it is exactly. I've probably read through it dozens of times. There are so many questions that I can't seem to answer, and so many interesting tidbits of information to eat up.

I've always wondered what it must feel like to be feel no shame. 2:25 "The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame." I'm not saying that I wonder what it would be like to live in a nudist colony, although I do wonder if we have any in Saskatchewan. If so, kudos to them.

This verse is referring more to their moral innocence; having no shame because at that point there was no sin. These people are the only people besides Jesus in the history of the world to not have anything to be ashamed of. Well at least for a short while that is.

In chapter 2, we are told about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. Did God honestly make trees that granted instant knowledge and eternal life? Adam and Eve are banished from Eden because God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

It's so easy to blame others when things go wrong. We watch as Adam and Eve both push the fault onto each other, the serpent and even on God! "the woman YOU PUT here with me." It’s even easy for us to blame Adam and Eve for our present day sins and mistakes. “We would be in Eden if it wasn’t for them.” But, I think we have to realise that we are all human. If not Adam and Eve, then it would have been you or me.

This passage also leads me to the long standing question, is Eden on earth? Where is it? This also brings me back once again to the question of the Tree of Life. If it was metaphorical, is this passage with the cherubim guarding the entrance also metaphorical? It seems to point to the fact that there truly is some physical tree, somewhere. I wish I knew more about the archeological, scientific, historical aspects of the Bible.

If you want to start a good debate, open up to Genesis 6. "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they married any of them they chose."

Some people believe that this actually refers to fallen angels who came to earth and children were conceived from their relationships with human women. While I think this idea seems too greek-mythological, if this is indeed what happened, it supplies somewhat of an explanation for the flood for me. If there were creatures on earth walking around as half man-half fallen angel (Supposed Nephilim), that would be cause to start over again. Beyond the fact that God promised that it would never happen again, I always wondered what was so incredibly evil about the world then that wouldn't be the same for now.

On the other hand, I am more inclined to go with the idea that the 'sons of God' are godly men from the line of Seth who chose women from the wicked people from the line of Cain. ('women of men'). The Nephilim show up later in the Bible (Numbers 13:31), so the idea that the flood was to not only rid the earth of wicked people but also the offspring of fallen angels seems to proven false by that. (It is still a very interesting topic.. )

"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all th time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7

I read this passage and it grieves me to the core of my heart, because I hear this and think of our present day world. I wish I could believe that humankind learned from the flood, and that God's promise aside, he hasn't felt inclined to destroy all of mankind again. Looking at our world; the things that we glorify; the people we worship; the things we run after; I can only fall on my knees in shame and cry out for forgiveness. We are so incredibly blessed that our God is good, that He is faithful to his covenants that he has made.

Thank God that He sent His son so that God would not have to destroy all mankind again. I am overwhelmed by the extent of this gift. Sometimes I look at this passage and become overwhelmed with despair and hopelessness because it seems like we are heading down the same path. I look at our world and I think, "this is what God thinks of us now too."

But then I remember His love, Jesus, and the promise that we are not bound to this earth and I am then completely overwhelmed by His love and faithfulness.

Praise God for His love, mercy and faithfulness to us.