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08
Mar
2021

Why Was The Serpent In The Garden?

Snake

One of the most common questions we ask about the story of the garden of Eden is, “How did an evil being get into God’s perfect garden?” Why was there a snake in paradise? It’s a fair question, but one the Bible never answers.

In fact, the events of Genesis 3 leave us with a lot of unanswered questions. Who was the serpent? Was the serpent a real animal which was used by a spiritual being, or something else? Did Eve not think it odd that an animal could talk? What was the serpent’s motivation? Why did he trick Eve? What was in it for him? Why would the Bible leave us hanging like this without answers?

While these may be questions that seem important, God didn’t think it was important for us to have these answers. God wants to redirect our attention to what He did say. In other words, who the snake was isn’t important, what’s important is what he did. How an animal could speak wasn’t nearly as important as what the animal said, and so forth. These ambiguities should prompt us to recognize that the author wants to focus our attention elsewhere. Where is the author leading us?

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis, Hermeneutics
01
Mar
2021

Dying You Shall Die

Dying You Shall Die

God gave Adam and Eve all the trees of the garden to eat from except for one. He told them they must not eat from one particular tree:

“16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”” (Gen. 2:16–17 ESV)

Of course, they did eat from the forbidden tree, but they did not die the day they ate from it. What’s going on here? Why didn’t they die on the day they ate? Did God say one thing and mean another? If God meant what He said, why did He let them off the hook? Wasn’t God’s penalty for eating from this tree capital punishment? 

There are three common interpretations that attempt to reconcile what God said would happen with what actually transpired. 

  1. Adam and Eve died immediately in the sense that they lost their immortality.
  2. Adam and Eve began the process of aging and dying.
  3. Adam and Eve died spiritually. 

I propose that none of these three explanations are correct and that God did indeed mean that He would enact judgement in the form of death on the very day they ate.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis, Grace, Judgement
22
Feb
2021

It Is Not Good For The Man To Be Alone

Not good

Everything God created functioned as intended – it was good, very good (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). However, God said the man’s situation was not good because, as a solitary human, the man could not function as God intended. There were no others like the man and because of this, for the first time there was dysfunction in God’s creation. God’s solution to the situation was to make the man a counterpart:

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”” (Gen. 2:18 CSB)

The man had been given the task of naming all the animals God created (Gen 2:20). This was God’s way of demonstrating to the man that while all the animals had mates that were similar to one another, there were no beings who corresponded to him.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Creation, Genesis, Marriage
15
Feb
2021

Why Would Immortal People Need A Tree Of Life?

Immortal People Do Not Need A Tree Of Life

There is an almost unquestioned assumption in Christian circles that, in the beginning, mankind was created immortal. For some reason this idea is so ingrained in us that it’s just never questioned. It’s common knowledge that everyone “knows” to be true. It is oft repeated that Adam and Eve’s immortal bodies were changed and corrupted by their sin. Allegedly, Adam and Eve became mortals when they disobeyed. What does the Bible say?

It is true that Adam and Eve forfeited their immortality, but not in the way many people think. You see, God did not create Adam and Eve with immortal bodies! What God did was provide a means of immortality and it was up to Adam and Eve to take advantage of it. This is the very thing they failed to do.

Why would immortal people need a tree of life?

“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Gen. 2:9 NKJV)

The implication is that Adam and Eve were created mortal and eating continuously from the Tree of Life would sustain their bodies in such a way that they would not die. Even after their disobedience, even in their fallen state, this tree would have sustained their bodies which is why they were expelled from the garden.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis, Immortality, Mortality
08
Feb
2021

Are There Two Creation Stories In Genesis?

Two Creation Stories

In Genesis 1 God is called Elohim whereas in Genesis 2 He is called Yahweh. In Genesis 1 the creation order is plants, animals, then man and woman. In Genesis 2 the order is man, plants, then animals. In Genesis 1 God created man and woman at the same time, but in Genesis 2 He created man alone and later made a woman from the man’s side. Genesis 1 is more structured and formulaic while Genesis 2 has a narrative style.

Based on these textual differences some people have concluded that there are two distinct creation stories. Furthermore, it is reasoned that the stories were written by two different authors with two different agendas. Others portray these differences as contradictions arguing this is evidence that the Bible is nothing more than a book of ancient myths and fables. 

The literary structure of Genesis

Each book of the Bible has a literary form. Scholars and textual analysts have observed a structure composed of sequences and recursions in Genesis. The sequences advance the narrative forward in time and the recursions backup in time to focus on a different character or event.  

Most Christians believe that Genesis 2 is a recap of Genesis 1 where Moses goes into more detail about the events of creation. Those who argue in favor of two creation stories say that nowhere else in Genesis is there a narrative which goes into greater detail (recapitulation) about a previously documented event. Therefore, it is reasoned that Genesis 2 is probably not a recapitulation of Genesis 1.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Creation, Genesis