Genesis 1-3, Psalm 1, Matthew 1
Alright, folks, here we go.
The first thing I learned today is that my annotated Bible is VERY annotated. I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm a big old nerd, and I find it amazing that there's cross-references and alternate translations and historical backgrounds and even notes that basically say, "huh?". It's fascinating and time consuming! I started by reading the introduction to the Old Testament, then dutifully read the introduction to the Pentateuch, and, of course the introduction to Genesis. Then I had to read the introduction to the Psalms, and was far too tired to read the lengthy introduction to the New Testament, but when the introduction to Matthew referenced the section on Genre in the introduction to the Gospels, I had to backtrack. Whew! This is intense. Good news: I only have to read the introductions when I get to a new book.
Enough complaining. (Aw, who am I kidding? I loved the scholarly stuff.) Into the meat of the text:
I have to admit that I really love the first account of creation beginning in Genesis 1. I say first because the story of creation with the adam or man is clearly a different story altogether. If we read the book straight through, God creates everything, rests, then there's no vegetation. Hmmm. Must be two stories mushed together. Lesson one of the Bible challenge: the Bible isn't a literal history. Good. Got that out of the way.
I really love that the first creation story, besides conveying some beautiful poetic images, places everything in its right place. Order out of chaos. As someone who's working the equivalent of three jobs plus some extra activities, my life often sits in a state of chaos. How comforting to know that God has a place and plan for everything. The darkness fills with light, the seas are separated (again, we can't be literal. I know that the blue sky isn't water above a firmament), animals are placed in the waters, skies, and land. Everything in its place. The great news, though, comes from the gift God gives us of being autonomous. There's much debate and talk in religious classes about this pesky free will, but it's what makes life exciting. We aren't puppets of God. We can choose to stray and listen to the serpent and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Even the animals and the earth have some life of their own outside of God. I had never noticed before the exact wording when God says, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind." (Gen. 1.24) As the footnote in my Oxford Annotated NRSV points out, "God's command for the earth to bring forth (a maternal verb...) suggests that the animals are immediately bound to the ground and only indirectly related to God, in contrast to human beings." This has two implications. One, God has created a special and intimate relationship between himself and man. Two, God allows creation to move and grow on its own accord. In other words, God has set things in motion. To go back to my Greek educational roots, God is the unmoved mover. The first mover. I'm not a deist, though. I see God continually acting in creation. There are consequences to our actions.
The adam and his wife learn this the hard way. Even though God punishes them rather severely for disobeying, God still shows them great love. Again, something I had never noticed before was God creating new clothes for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3. 14-19 notice the text changes from prose to verse. I can't help but smile when I think that God doles out punishment in the form of poetry. Here we get all that awful stuff about snakes crawling, child-bearing hurting, and, in anticipation of this coming Wednesday, returning to dust. But immediately after God presents the awful news, he approaches the two sad, naked humans, "and the LORD God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife." That's an incredibly kind thing to do! Makes me think of my mother. She would give me a spanking, tell me I couldn't watch TV for a week, and then give me a big hug and tell me she loves me. Tough love. That's God's style.
So, there are my thoughts on part of the readings from today. What do you think? Did you see anything I didn't? Anyone want to comment on the Psalm or the genealogy of Jesus or on how Joseph is pretty amazing to agree to dismiss Mary privately only to change his mind because of a trippy dream? Go for it!
I'm struck by the way that these creation narratives play with or touch on the ambiguity between humans and the rest of the creation. We're at once adam, of the earth, and simultaneously other, placing ourselves above the creation in order to name, differentiate and distinguish things into an order "this, this and this are 'cats', that and that are 'dogs'." The oldest profession is... scientist?
ReplyDeleteAnd the one thing the human is not permitted to explore or try to know, of course, is the nature -- the knowledge -- of good and evil. Once evil is known, named, it is unleashed on the world....
Re: Matthew 1: It always makes me happy to remember that Our Lord's genealogy is written to include both kings and prostitutes. Also, I agree that Joseph never gets the cred he deserves for sticking by his woman.
"A day late & a dollar short", here. I'm keeping up with the reading, but am just now commenting on Challenge Day 1. I like the commentary already shared.
ReplyDeleteI read this alongside a Hebrew translation...just a couple comments to add: 1) the word for 'create' in Hebrew translates as 'organize'. I find it interested that we were not created ex nihilo, but were some kind of unorganized light that God saw as 'good'. KInda like a musical prodigy taking various notes and triads and making a symphony. And, if this is true, creation is not something that God did, it is something that God does. We're still in Day 6!!! In ancient Hebrew, as a matter of fact, SEVEN is the symbol for 'completion'. I suppose everything was created spiritually, then the physical creation follows...and is still occurring. 2) God told Adam to dress & keep the garden. Wow. So THAT's our purpose on this earth. Where have we gone wrong? 3) "male & female created he them....a man shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh". Makes me ponder the nature of God. Is God a true hermaphrodite? Or is there a separate mother and father? They were created in God's express image, and together are one flesh. 3)Eve gets a BAD, bad wrap. Satan goes to her to tempt her, not Adam. She is God's last creation. Satan really doesn't lie to her; he tells her - basically - how to have knowledge. God commanded her to have knowledge and to do things that would require knowledge (like, having sex, for one). She sees no other way to keep the commandment. God also doesn't say that eating from the tree of knowledge is a sin, per se. He only says, "in the day that you eat it, thou shalt surely die'. Which is not a bad thing! That launched this learning and testing ground called mortality. She provided great opportunity for us all. If not, Adam & Eve would still be in the garden, really not doing anything, and creation would cease. 4) why do you think God accepted Abel's sacrifice, but not Cain's? Abel was a shepherd and had flocks - he gave the firstborn of the flock. Cain was a farmer and probably only had produce, which he gave. Makes me think 'the law of sacrifice' was already given. The firstborn of the flock is a foreshadowing of the Lamb of God, the firstborn who would be slain to save the world. Cain apparently didn't much care about that, and just kept the commandment 'to be seen'. Abel was truly sacrificing from his heart.
Matthew - the apostles, as we know, went to different nations to declare the gospel. Matthew must have been sent to the Jews, as the first thing he opens up with is a family tree, linking Jesus to king David, whom hte Jews revered and believed the Messiah would be another David. Interesting to note that if Judea was a sovereign nation, Jesus really would have been King of the Jews. 2) A lot of Christians believe Mary remained a virgin. It is insinuated that she did not, in the verse that says "joseph knew not his wife UNTIL AFTER she gave birth to Jesus". And why not? Of course, they would have had a family.
I had many more notes, but I've been verbose enough. I won't comment on every reading, but will keep up and look forward to other commentary.
Thanks, Mary. You bring up some interesting points. I really like what you said about God constantly creating. I think that's very true. A friend of mine once said a fundamentalist Christian asked her if she was saved. She replied, "I was saved, I am saved, I am being saved." The idea is that God's work is continual.
ReplyDeleteI also don't really get why Cain's sacrifice wasn't acceptable.
When I read "ex nihilo" I couldn't help but giggle. Ex nihilo nihil fit.
Charles - per your last sentence, that's exactly what i was thinking when i wrote that. I even almost wrote nihil fit in parentheses after ex nihilo.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanx for this forum. Most people are really bothered by Christ-speak. It feels good to share ideas and talk about the gospel.