Originally posted July 20, 2009 on another blog (doing some rearranging):
It's been suggested that we read the Bible through the eyes of God's love for man. I think this is an excellent idea. The drawback might be that I'm not so sure the OT was written from that perspective because I'm not sure that's how people in those times viewed God - so it takes a little work.
I'm trying to read the Bible with new eyes so I've started at the beginning and I'm going to work my way through. I'm reading "The Books of the Bible" which I think might make it a little easier to make this journey with fresh insight.
Observations:
- It would appear that all living creatures were vegetarians. "Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food."
- It is not specified that God said "don't eat from the tree of life", only "don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil". In fact, it says that God said they could eat from any tree from the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Perhaps God didn't want them to eat from the tree of life after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so that their bodies could die and they would not be forever 'stuck' here on earth. (God's love?)
- It is odd that being naked caused them to feel shame. No other creature had clothing.
- People communicated with God (in the form of Jesus?) whether physically face to face or otherwise - even people who displeased God. There was two-way, question-answer communication going on -AFTER the fall of man.
- Even though Cain was under a curse, God had mercy on him. "anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Assumptions:
- This was a "perfect world" environment.
- Death was not part of life. "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die". This was not an immediate death.
- There was no death until the fruit was eaten, then God might have killed an animal in order to get its skin. "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
- The animals could communicate with man and vice versa: "the serpent ...said to the woman".
- Animals were intelligent and could reason: "the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made"
- There was at that time childbirth but it was not painful: "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with pain you will give birth to children"
Curiosities:
- What would have happened if Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of life first?
- Why was this a punishment: "Your desire will be for your husband". Could they have desired anyone before that? Seems wrong, but then again, they didn't know they were naked and it was not an issue.
- It would seem that there may have been others in the garden as indicated by the statement about childbirth. Did the others stay?
Major Questions:
- What happened that would cause offerings to be made? Why would God require them - DID He require them or were they just offered?
- What made Abel's offering better? Cain worked hard for his offering. Abel killed a lamb. Humanly speaking it would seem that Cain's was the better offering. It would seem as that required something from him - his efforts, his labor. Abel killed a creation of God's. But Abel took care of the sheep - possibly more of a heart thing?? Cain's was from his labors. What does this say to me about what God desires? Full of symbolism.
- The Lord said to Cain "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." What was wrong with Cain's offering? Had God told them that He required an offering and what it should consist of?
- The Lord said, "Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground... When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." From this Cain got: "Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence." HOW did he get "I will be hidden from your presence"? Was it the curse, being a wanderer, being driven from the land? It wasn't that God would be hidden from Cain, it was Cain that would be hidden from God's presence. Is there something to this or is it just the terminology of the times, the writer's interpretation of events? "Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."
