Week 2: Genesis 3:1-24

Week 2: Genesis 3:1-24

At A Glance:

Author: Moses or "J"

Form: Ancient Origin Story

Themes: Disobedience, disintegration of original unions, curses instead of blessings, contrasts with chapter 2.

Summary:  The first two chapters relate the first covenant and perfect state of holiness of creation, if only chapter two ended with “and they lived happily ever after”.  Instead chapter 3 opens with an adversary who convinces the woman and the man to question and ultimately disobey God.  By disobeying God they put themselves in opposition to God and broke God’s familial covenant.  The curses that follow are a reversal of the covenant blessings in chapter 2.  The story ends with banishment but a small glimmer of hope.     

Commentary

3:1 – There is a play on words here between the “naked” (Hebrew: “’arum-mim”) of 2:25 and “cunning” (Hebrew “’arum).  This word play shows the contrast between the innocent state of holiness of the humans and the foul intentions of the serpent.  Wis 2:24, Rv 12:3, 9, among other verses, attest to the true identity of the serpent as the Satan (in Hebrew literally “accuser”).  This is the one day and night accusing us before God (Rv 12:10). 

3:1-3 – Both the serpent’s question and the woman’s answer are inaccurate interpretations of the original covenant condition in 2:16-17.  God commanded that “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.”  God invited eating of all trees in the garden less one, and did not prohibit touching the fruit of the forbidden tree.  This reminds me of one of the reasons why I want to dive into scripture so exhaustively.  The serpent knew the word of God and twisted it (like he will do again in Matthew and Luke’s Gospels), and the woman knew God’s word, but apparently not very accurately.  To avoid falling into the snares of the devil I need to know God’s word.  By “knowing God’s Word” I mean the words of God in Scripture but most importantly its fullest meaning as the singular and eternal divine Utterance of God: Jesus.

3:5 – The serpent’s attack began with questioning the condition of God’s covenant-bond, and now with an attractive twisting of the truth.  By telling the woman that she shall not die and that she will be like God “knowing” good and evil he instills doubt about God’s goodness.  It sounds like a good thing to live knowing good and evil, but as I mentioned in the reflection on chapter 2 “to know” in Hebrew is experiential.  It is not simply an awareness of what is good and evil, it is what many scholars call a “moral autonomy” in which we have the right to decide what is good and what is evil.  Immediately placing us in competition to our creator who has already declared what is good (1:31).  Ultimate moral autonomy is not a “freedom” that we gain but rather chains that enslave us and prevent us from recognizing true Good and true evil.  If it is ultimately true that something is good, our calling it evil does not change its nature, it changes ours.  Likewise if something is ultimately evil, our calling it good does not change its nature, it changes ours. 

The serpent also claims that the woman shall not die if she eats of the fruit.  Like the twisting of the truth mentioned above, the serpent only relays part of the truth.  It is true that once she eats of it she does not die physically, but physical death is not the only kind of death we can experience. 

3:6 – After questioning God’s covenant and instilling doubt by twisting God’s words the woman opens her eyes to the fruit and experiences the ultimate threefold temptation.  Seeing that the fruit is “good for food” she is tempted by the pleasures of the flesh, seeing fruit as “pleasing to the eyes” is the temptation of possession, and finally “desirable for gaining wisdom” is the temptation of pretentiousness.  This threefold category of sin is sometimes called the threefold lust of the flesh and is found again succinctly in 1 Jn 2:16: “For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.”  Although the woman falls to this threefold temptation, Jesus will later conquer all three when he faces the devil at the end of his 40 days in the desert.

3:7 – It appears that the serpent is right and upon eating of the fruit of the tree they did not die and their eyes were opened.   It is clear that they did not experience a physical death, but there was an immediate change and it is linked to their experience of their nakedness when their eyes are opened.  Their original nakedness without shame (2:25) is lost, now they hide their nakedness in their shame.  They have fallen from their state of original holiness and can no longer perfectly love one another.  They do not see each other as they once did, beautiful, perfect, and good, these things opened them up to be free, total, faithful, and fruitful gifts to one another.  Their moral autonomy makes them question the goodness of the other putting a barrier (in this case fig leaves) between their ability to make a perfect self-gift to one another. 

3:8-10 – God reenters the scene at the “breezy time of the day” the man and woman hide, but their sin is not hidden from God.  The 2^nd chapter of Genesis reads with a certain joy but this chapter that joyful union with God is gone and now the man expresses that he is “afraid”. 

3:11-13 – God does not question his children because he is unaware of their actions, but rather he questions his children to invoke the opportunity to repent and beg forgiveness for the offense made.  Instead Adam blames the woman (and indirectly God), and the woman blames the serpent.  We are so often incapable of confessing our sin, it is humiliating for us.  It reminds us that we are not what we want to be so we try to find others to blame. I believe this is why Jesus established the sacrament of reconciliation in John 20 as the normal means of absolution from sin, so that we can name our faults and failings, be humbled, and become what we are made to be. 

3:14-19 – The curses begin with the serpent and met their climax with Adam.  The original state of holiness and justice is disintegrated; the covenant-bond has been broken.  Adam and the woman have ended their relationship with God and God delineates what life will be like without him.

3:15 – This is one of three subtle but significant gestures showing that separation from God will not be the last word.  This verse is sometimes called the “protoevangelium”.  God speaks of the offspring of both the serpent and the woman, declaring that although the serpent will strike the offspring of the woman will ultimately triumph.  The verse point to Jesus, the seed par excellence of the woman, who will ultimate destroy the seed of the serpent which is the devil. 

3:16 – What is meant to be the joy of the woman – namely childbearing – now will only come through great suffering.   The original union as partner with her husband has been disintegrated as well; because of sin he will now lord over her.  

3:17-19 – The man’s punishment is the climax of this scene.  He is the one with whom the covenant was made and the breaking of it is ultimately his failure.  His work of cultivation and care in the Temple Garden as high priest is gone, now he toils and sweats among thorns and thistles.  Man is cursed to live a hard life on ground apart from God until he returns to the ground with which he was made.

3:20-21 – Here are the last two subtle but significant gestures that indicate that separation from God will not be the end of the story.  Adam names his wife “Eve” (“Hawwa” in Hebrew) which is related to the Hebrew word for “living” (“hay” in Hebrew) indicating that this separation will not alter God’s original plan to make them fruitful.  Secondly God makes them more proper clothing for the hard lives which they will live out.  This gesture serves as a reminder of where they came from and that although they are separated from their union with God he still loves them. 

3:22-24 – The banishment from Eden is the close of this very sad scene.  God, not willing that they sin further by eating of the Tree of Life while in their current fallen state and being forever separated from him, banished them from the Garden.  It is in this separated fallen state in which the rest of humanity will be born, a state called by the Church “original sin”. 

Final Thoughts

            It is hard to read this chapter and not think of my own faults and failures.  The first two chapters of Genesis reveal that I was made for perfect union with God, with my neighbors, and with God’s creation, but this chapter reminds me how I’ve failed in each one of these areas.  We are all culpable of the sin of Adam and Eve, both individually and communally.  We sin against God, one another, and his creation in our private lives, as well as through the communal systems we put in place to govern us: “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 53). 

            I also have a sense of hope, because I know that sin does not have the last word.  There will be another threefold temptation, and another Garden where a new Adam will accept God’s will over human desire.  Where Adam and Eve ate and did not die a physical death but a spiritual one, the new Adam will drink of the cup of suffering, die a physical death but never a spiritual one.  His perfect obedience and love for God, and for who he calls his brothers and sisters, and for all of creation will conquer death and he will rise to give us new life in him.  We will no longer yearn for the Garden which has passed away, but rather for the Kingdom which is given to us through a person so perfectly so “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Rm 8:38-39)

This is only the beginning of sin.  The rest of the Sacred Scriptures will be a roller sin and covenantal communion until a perfect covenant is made. 

Week 2: Genesis 2:4-2:25

 

 Week 2: Genesis 2:4-2:25

At A Glance:

Author: Moses or "J"

Form: Ancient Origin Story

Themes: Focus is on the people, Sexuality as gift from God, Intimate relationship between God and Humanity, Temple imagery

Summary:  In the first account of creation God creates the universe and everything in it the paricope culminates in the creation of humanity.  A somewhat reverse order happens in this second account of creation.  God creates humanity then creates everything else for him.  After creating Adam he prepares the Garden of Eden for him to "cultivate and care for it" (v15), God then declares that it is not good that man is alone, and proceeds to create all of the other animals, ending with the creation of woman through the use of Adam's rib.  Adam's declaration "This one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (v23) is the climax of this story as the two share unity with God in the Garden of Eden.   

Commentary:

2:4 - This is the introduction to the next section ending at 4:26 informing the reader that these sections are intended to be viewed together.  This section is sometimes called the Creation of Man and Woman and the Pre-flood Generations.

2:4b - "Lord God" literally: Yahweh Elohim The double divine title is used multiple times here, but less frequently in subsequent chapters.

2:5-6 - The paricope opens up with a desolate land mass without grass, or planted seed.  The focus is quickly turned from the land to the coming humanity when the author gives the reason why there is no grass or plants: "for there was no man to till the soil". 

2:7 - In the Hebrew there is a play on words that is lost in English.  God formed man (adam) from ground (adamah) Adam will be reminded of this origin and limit because of sin in chapter 3.  In modern philosophy there is a prevailing adherence to dualism, the idea that the spirit is something separate, different, and often opposed to the flesh.  It became popular through Rene Descartes, the philosopher who famously coined the phrase "I think therefore I am" relegating existence to the mind/consciousness rather than to the unity of spirit and body.  Dualism has been the source of many problems.  The dichotomy of body and spirit leads to a reduction of one and exultation of the other, but "in the beginning it was not so" (Mt 19:8).  Humanity was inanimate dust until God breaths the "breath of life" and we did not just become a hunk of living flesh, but a living "being" (literally: living "soul").  We are soul and body made for unity and eternity with God. 

2:8-14 - God creates the Garden of Eden and places it in the east.  The name Eden could be derived from a Sumerian word meaning "fertile plain" or perhaps a similar sounding Hebrew word that means "delight" the Garden is therefore fertile paradise full of life where God dwells.  Later in scripture both prophets and apostles use the Garden of Paradise as an image of our ultimate destiny with God in heaven.  The Garden itself is an image of the temple, the dwelling place of God.  Temple imagery surrounds the description of the Garden's location.  Scott Hahn in his Catholic Bible Dictionary does a comprehensive job of pointing out all the temple allusions coming from the garden:

"God is present in the Garden as in a temple....cherubim guard the Garden...they are seen later in the Temple...The Tree of Life stands at the Center of the Garden just as the oak, and later carved palm trees, decorated the interior of the sanctuary...the Garden was the source of sacred flowing waters much as prophets envision the Temple giving forth streams of living water...the garden was entered from the east, as was the Tabernacle and Temple."

2:15 - God takes man and places him in this "Temple Garden" and emphasizing the priesthood of Adam calls him to "cultivate" and "care" for it the same two Hebrew words are used in the Law when the priests and Levites in the tent of meeting are called to "minister" and "keep" it (Num 8:26 RSV). 

2:16-17 - This "order" from God pronounces the first condition and curse in the Bible and completes the language for the first covenant of 5 major covenants of the Old Testament.  This covenant is called the Adamic Covenant because Adam is the patriarch with whom God made the covenant.  Covenants are relational bonds uniting two parties in a familial way.  This covenant relationship began as God established humanity as his children in his image and likeness (Gn 1:26-27).  Although the word covenant is not used here there is a covenantal structure present: 

1.    There is a blessing (Gn 1:28).

2.    In verse 16-17 we read the condition in the covenant "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and bad." 

3.    The condition is followed by a curse "From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."

4.    There is usually a corresponding sign of the covenant.  Most scholars consider the Sabbath rest (Gn 1:3) as the sign of the Adamic Covenant. 

5.    In the ancient world the two parties entering covenant would often seal the covenants with a sacrificial liturgy where the sacrifice of the animal would effectively show what would happen to the person who broke the covenant bond. 

6.    Finally we often find a communion meal where both parties share a meal as family through their new covenant bond (usually on the meat of the animal that was sacrificed). 

Here we see the blessing, the condition, and curse, as well as the sign, it could be argued that the "deep sleep" in v21 is the sacrifice of Adam for his bride and their marriage was the sign of the covenant rather than (or in addition to) the Sabbath rest.  There are many elements revealing the covenantal relationship between man and God.  In addition to the structure there is evidence from later writings that attest to the covenantal nature of this bond.  Later in Gn 6:18 God makes a covenant with Noah but the Hebrew word for covenant used there is "heqim" which is a word indicating maintenance or renewal of an existing covenant, rather than the typical Hebrew "karat" for the establishment of a covenant.  Hosea also attests to the Adamic covenant in 6:7 of his book: "Like Adam they transgressed the covenant."

2:18-20 - The first thing that God says is "not good" is the fact that man is alone.  He proceeds in a somewhat humors task of creating various animals and bringing them to the man but that the man finds all of them unfit as a partner.  On the surface it looks like God tries and fails to create someone good enough for the man, but if we look deeper we can find some profound realizations.  In light of modern human evolutionary theory there is the tendency to reduce humanity to a race of intelligent animals.  Here God shows Adam that he is not a mere animal, by bring all the animals to him God helps Adam come to the realization that he is something different than these. 

2:23 – The search for a “suitable partner” for the man has lead through the animal kingdom to this final pronouncement.  The first recorded words of man in all the scriptures: 

“The one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken”

There were no other words that could express the initial beauty Adam recognized in the bride God created for him.  Her identity as “suitable partner” was written in her body: “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”.  It is this realization that ushered in the second word play in this story she is called “woman” (“issa” in Hebrew) for out of her “man” (“male” or “is” in Hebrew).  This is the first use of male in the narrative indicating that it is only through the creation of the female where the sexuality of male and female exist.  The origin defines the reality. 

2:24 – The previous verses institution of male and female point to a communion of persons male and female that is explicit in this verse.  The author emphasizes that the sexual union between male and female is willed by God.

2:25 – Shame is a feeling that tells us that we are bad.  It is a tool of the devil to convince us that we are not worth love of another or love of God.  This is not to be confused with guilt for something done wrong.  Guilt tells us we did something bad, shame tries to convince us that we are bad.  Here the two are naked and unashamed they have the full realization of the worth and beauty of one another.  This original state of holiness is manifest in their bodily marital union established in the previous verse.  They are able to become free, total, faithful, and fruitful gifts to one another. They share a perfect love for each other in union with God who is love.

Final Thoughts:

            Upon writing this commentary I find myself merely scratching the surface of what these foundational verses of Scripture have to offer.  Much more could have been written and perhaps more should have been written, but by someone more qualified than I.  Reflecting on my own limitations in these verses fills me with a profound sense of awe.  How did the author create such a multifaceted, inexhaustible, yet concise story of creation that has led scholars throughout the ages to continually return to these verses to plunge their depths?  In only 22 verses the ancient author has me feeling like a baby struggling to learn his first words.  Before the birth of philosophy and long before the birth of psychology the author is able to express to me the meaning and purpose of my life.  It is as if the author holds the users-manual for life.  These few verses are a great example of the truth that Scripture has a human author who was inspired by a divine author and together they co-authored this rich tapestry. 

            The theme that strikes me as I read these verses anew is the theme of purpose.  God creates humanity in a state that the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls “Original Holiness” and “Original Justice” (CCC 375).  In the original state of our creation we can see the ultimate purpose of our lives, we are made for union with God, with each other, and with creation.  

            I have seen window stickers on cars that read simply “GF” which stands for “God first”.  I understand the sentiment, but according to the Scripture I think it’s lacking in a complete understanding.  God created humanity for union with him, we are living souls meant for eternity, immediately after creating us God places us in his holy temple paradise for communion (which is worship) and work.  God did not create us then ask us to remember to keep him as our first priority.  Rather he created us and enshrouded us in his divine life and from this place is where we begin our relationship with one another and creation.  Placing God as simply our first priority sets our relationship with God as something we do, when in reality it is something we are made to enter into and that relationship diffuses into our other relationships.  We are not made to merely put God first, we are made to live in the center of the divine life, in the fullness of love, and from that place order the rest of our lives.

            The second purpose is the climax of our reading: man’s union with woman.  The author stresses this union is participation the love that diffuses of itself.  Man is in the center of the divine love and seeks a “suitable partner” with which he can share the love that engulfs him.  I’m reminded of the desire of the newly married couple, whose love for one another is so great that they desire to share it with another life one that come from their flesh and bone, from their image and likeness.  This is why God says it is not good for man to be alone, we are made for love and by love yes, but we are also made to love.  Love does is communion.  Without that communion love is selfish and ceases being love.  God then creates the perfect union for man the woman in whom he is able to recognize his sexuality and ability to enter even more perfectly into the divine activity through reproduction.  In this capacity we offer the love of God from within us to our spouse in a bodily union for the purpose of diffusing our love with bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. 

            Finally our union with creation is an echo from the first chapter of Genesis where God calls humanity to have dominion over all creation. This dominion is defined in the second chapter as cultivation and care.   Our cultivation and care for creation is “the collaboration of man and woman with God in perfecting the visible creation” (CCC 378).  Sharing the fullness of God’s love is not limited to love with him and one another alone, but it is an unlimited love that spills into everything that God loves including the whole of creation that God says is “very good” (Gn 1:31). 

            This is the original covenant bond God made with us, it is a covenant made in love, for love, and to love.  It has one prohibition: refrain from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In the ancient Hebrew world “to know” is experiential, and our knowing good and evil is an experience in both good and evil.  We are made for the experience of good, but as we shall see the experience of evil will kill us and break out covenant bond with God. 

Genesis 3:1-24 will see the end of this covenant and the downward spiral in the loss of love…

Week 1: Genesis 1:1-2:3

Week 1: Genesis 1:1-2:3

At A Glance:

Author: Moses or "P"

Form: Ancient Origin Story

Themes: Goodness of Creation, Order of Creation, Power of God, Sacredness of the Seventh Day

Summary: God creates and orders all creation from chaos into goodness.  The pinnacle of his creation is in vs 26-27 where he creates humankind in his image and likeness.  The story culminates at the resting of God on the 7th day, the only day that he both blessed and made holy.  There is a recognizable pattern to creation: The Opening (then God said), God's Command (Let there be light!), Fulfillment of Command (and there was light), Judgment (God saw how good it was), and Naming (God called the light "day"...).  The first three days of creation correspond to the last three, with the third and sixth days having 2 parts of creation.  If this were a building of a theater you could say the stage and scenery are created on the first three days, then the props and actors fill those stages on the corresponding following three days.  Pictured it looks like this:

1:1 - The first verse of creation is marked with God's words and show of power.   God speaks and out of nothing things are created.

1:2 - The word "wind" is the Hebrew word "ruah" meaning spirit or breath proceeding forth from God revealing that even the chaos of the waters prior to their ordering is not out of God's control.  He allows the chaos only to show his presence, power, and glory in the midst of it.

1:3-5 - There is an argument in meta-ethics called Divine Command Theory. It claims that if what God says is "good" is what classifies something as "good" then goodness is arbitrary and God could just as well change his mind making something else good or bad.  On the other hand if God simply recognizes something's goodness because it is good of itself then "goodness" is beyond God's control and thus God is must submit to something above him.  The author here points out that "God saw how good it was" yet maintains the claim that it came from God and in vs 3 God names it showing his mastery over his creation.  This revelation shows the false dilemma in the Divine Command Theory.  It reveals that God is goodness and that all things that are created share in his goodness (to a less or greater degree as we shall see in chapter 3) and the summation of all God's creations is "very good" (vs 31).

1:20-22 - God creates birds and fish and in vs 22 he "blessed" them pointing to their blessing to reproduce and fill the waters.  This is the first time God blesses anything and it anticipates his blessing of humankind.

1:26-28 - Before speaking the creation of humankind God reflects saying "Let us make" indicating that this coming creation is something different than what has already been created.  Some Christian scholars interpret the "Let us" as foreshadow or proof of the Trinity.  Others point to God as discussing with the heavenly host assembled around him sharing his plans of creation for us.  It is as if God cannot contain his excitement amidst the creation of humanity.  He has to share his thoughts and plans with the heavenly hosts gathered giving him praise.  Could this be the theorized moment when God revealed his ultimate plan for humanity and 1/3 of the angels abandoned him along with Lucifer? 

God creates humanity in his image and likeness then proceeds to expand on how we participate in his image and likeness with blessing and dominion.  God blesses us like he did the birds and fish and commands "be fertile and multiply.”  When Man and Women enter as lover and beloved in the marital union they become the sign of the image of God on earth (Eph 5:31-32).  God is a communion of love.  He is Lover (Father), Beloved (Son), and the Fire of Love between them is so real it is the third person of the Trinity (Holy Spirit).  In God’s perfect communion of love he creates the universe and all living things.  Through creating Man and Woman in his image God uses our union as husband and wife as a sacred sign point to his perfect love.  Our human communion of love participates in God's primary action in this pericope: the creation of life.  God makes human sexuality a sacred sign revealing and fulfilling our purpose as man and woman, which is to reflect God’s image and that image is love (1 John 4:8)

The word "dominion" is the Hebrew word "ra-dah", it is used most often in the Old Testament to refer to a king's rule or reign over their kingdom.  In the ancient Near East there was a tradition in which the King was called the image of the deity and had the deity's authority.  The emphasis here is not simply authority.  The author does not intend a domination like that of today’s cultural context, rather the word "ra-dah" implies kingly care, protection, governance, etc.   The emphasis is responsibility.   We share in God's likeness by our kingly care for his creation.  The image and likeness together make us the pinnacle of God's creation and the completion of his creative activity.

1:31-2:3 - God looking at the summation of his creation saw that it was "very good".  This is the 7th mention of the word good and on the 7th day.  The number 7 is now forever tied to the idea of completion and perfection.  Since the work of creation was 7 times good and completed the 7th day will now be a holy day of rest.  Creation is completely good and wholly completed, there is no need for God to change what has been completed so he rests and asks his creation to rest with him.  That rest is the Hebrew word "shabat" or sabbath a time of an intimate but active "doing nothing with God". 

Final Thoughts:

            Reading this account of creation my attention is drawn to the larger picture of Scripture.  In this reading God creates everything in 6 days, and it is the creation of us on the 6^th day that is the climax and ultimately the focus of his work, but his work was not complete until he rested on the 7^th day.  In the Old Testament there are 5 major covenants (we will discuss each covenant as they appear), but all of Scripture surrounds the revelation of a 6^th covenant, a perfect covenant through Jesus.  We currently live in that covenant in Christ, but God’s work is not yet completed.  Just as on the 7^th day of creation God rests, there is a promise of rest for each of us in Christ’s covenant.  A day where God will “wipe every tear” a day of rest and “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain” (Rv 21:4).  These first verses of Scripture that remind me of the last verses of Scripture, where we will have our eternal shabat with God. 

            I am encouraged in my reflection by the fact that God has control over what appears to be chaos.  So many things in my life and in society at large can appear to be out of control.  I’ve heard it said that our culture is in a downward spiral, that we (Christians) have already lost.  I often forget that even in the midst of chaos God is in control just as his ruah (vs 2) hovers over the chaotic waters.  God does not lose.  Truth be told he has already won, but it is only through the chaos where we are molded into his image and likeness.  We are given opportunities to reveal his presence through our love for one another and through our kingly care of the creation that he has entrusted to us. 

I find this thought both inspiring and challenging.  Challenging because in my self-centeredness I can doubt God’s hand on the chaos in my life, but in my heart I know that this chaos is an opportunity to reveal his image to the world.  He has made it my responsibility to do that.  He has invited me to participate in his work of revelation to all people.  Our existence as creatures in his image and likeness demands that we all take this responsibility, in the midst of own chaos.  A great challenge indeed. 

I would love to hear your thoughts and insights on this passage too.  Please comment so that all may gain from your experience in God’s word.

Week 1: A Brief Genesis Introduction

Week 1: A Brief Genesis Introduction

          The book of Genesis like most books of the Bible, began as an oral tradition of many stories.  The purpose of this books is to lay the foundation of God's chosen people.  Who they are, where they come from, and how God chose them from among all the peoples of the world.  Although the name Genesis means "genealogical origins" the intent of the author is not to describe the scientific development of the creation of the world and evolution of the species.  As St John Paul II said in his Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1981

"The Bible itself speaks to us of the origin of the universe and its makeup, not in order to provide us with a scientific treatise but in order to state the correct relationship of humanity with God and the universe. Sacred Scripture wishes simply to declare that the world was created by God." 

As Catholics we are still free to look interpret Genesis as a literal completely historically and scientifically literal book (six 24 hour day creation, and humans living for over 900 years, etc) but we are not obligated to do so since the book was not written as a science book. As such I approach the creation narratives as revealing information about God and not so much information about science. The two are complimentary, not opposed.  

Structure:

         The literary structure of Genesis can be separated into 9 parts and I will study these 9 parts over the next 9 weeks as follows:

Authorship: 

          Some believe that Moses wrote down these traditions in the first five books of the Bible called the Pentateuch.  Others believe that the early books of the bible came from four main sources (J, E, P, D) and may have been written down separately prior to the Babylonian exile in 586, but a master redactor from the "P" (priestly) source combined them in the post-exilic period.  I tend to side with the four source theory because each source uses a different form of literature and has a different theology.  This does not mean that Moses could not have written the books using these distinct styles and emphasizing distinct theology within the given paricope (fancy short word referring to short story or section from scripture).  I find it easier to grasp the overall message of the author when I attempt to see the text from their theological point of view.  The four source theory makes it simple to do that.  Whoever the historical author really was this books is still divinely inspired and it reveals much about who God is, his profound love for us, and the great lengths he went through to win our love. 

          The "J" or Yahwistic source is likely the earliest source (some say 10th or 9th century BC).  The Yahwists prefers to use the tetragrammaton (mean "the four letters") YHWH (from "I am that am" Ex 3:14 you may have seen it as Yahweh for pronunciation) when referring to God.  God is anthropomorphic for the Yahwist.  This author stress the experience of a very intimate and personal God. 

          The "E" or Elohist source (probably after the J source sometime around 9th century BC) is much like the Yahwist source but this source overwhelmingly prefers to use the name Elohim (means "God") for God.  For the Elohist God appears in dreams and prophecy is of great concern.  Great stress on morality and emphasizes role of Jacob and covenant over kingship. 

          The "D" or Deuteronomic (likely written around 8th or 7th century BC) source is found primarily in the book of Deuteronomy.  The experience of revelation for this source is the covenant of love with God, the emphasis on family, and the centralization of sacrifice and worship.

          The "P" or Priestly source was probably the last contributing source and is the easiest to recognize (some say as late as 6th century BC or as early as 8th century).  The author had a very dry and formulaic style emphasizing ritual observance, dates, numerology, ritual purity and holiness.  The revelation to this author seems to be the supremacy of God and the utter unworthiness of humanity.  Often God can seem less intimate and even distant in the priestly source.  Some think that it was a priest who acted as the redactor for the four sources combining them in a beautiful single narrative.   

          If it helps better understand the passage I will attempt to cite the source as we come across it by using the letter associated with the source.  If you believe that Moses wrote it at different times in his life then later redacted it into a single narrative himself then simply consider the labeled source letters as reflecting that particular emphasis that he was attempting to make.

Themes in the Book

          Genesis is a fairly long book and follows the stories of many different people, but there are some central themes in the book that stick out.  There is an emphasis that God is creator of a good creation, but it was that creation (particularly humans) who constantly break relationship with him.  But God does not break his relationship with us, rather he pursues us through covenants he makes with those who were open to encountering his presence.  

The Commentary on Genesis 1:1-2:3 will follow before Friday.