Seder 2: Lessons from Genesis 2-3

 In Genesis 2:7 God forms a man from the ground, a human from humus.  Commentator Dru Johnson refers to him as the "dirtling."  God places the dirtling in Eden. With the geographical references in vv 10-14, the text emphasizes that this is a real place in the world.

The garden is wonderful, with lots of fruit available. But things are not yet optimal, God explains.  "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him" (Ge 2:!8).  Genesis 2:!8 stands in contrast with chapter 1, where various aspects of creation are described as "good" or "very good."Here we learn that a "just me and God" situation is not ideal.  Humans are meant to be in community.  

Through the exercise of naming other dirt-formed creatures, Adam learns that none of them is the companion that God intends for him.  But God has a solution to this problem.  He creates Adam's companion from his side.  

Genesis 2 ends with the observation that "the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed" (verse 25).  Johnson notes that later in the Bible, nakedness connotes  a lack of resources or protection---for example, it is the state of captives being taken into exile (Eze 23:29)---while "shame" means outward public shame rather than an inner sense of embarrassment.  There may be an implied "yet" at the end of verse 25.

The beginning of chapter 3 describes the serpent's efforts to deceive the man and the woman.  To the woman he asks a question implying that God is deliberately depriving them of things that are good.  That draws her into the conversation, as she clarifies what God had actually said.

Her reply in vv 2-3 includes a bit of new information not mentioned in Genesis 2:16-17.  God had not only instructed them not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree; he had also told them not to touch the fruit.  Biblical scholar Jeffrey Niehaus has argued convincingly that the best inference from the biblical data is that Eve here did not add to what God had originally said---otherwise, she would already have been sinning before the serpent deceived her.  

The serpent tells Eve that if she eats the forbidden fruit, 

• she will not die.
• her eyes will be opened.
• she will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Technically speaking, Johnson observes, all of these statements are true (sse verses 7, 22).  He highlights a lesson from Genesis 3:  Just because someone has authoritative knowledge, that does not mean that we should listen to that person.  

The man and woman learn this lesson the hard way.  Genesis 3:6 states that "she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."  The language "took and gave" is repeated at other points in the Bible, generally with negative connotations---see Genesis 16:3; 27:14-17; 1 Samuel 8:14-15.

After the man and woman ate the fruit, "the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (verse 7).  The wording in this verse is also referenced later, in a kind of reversal in Luke 24:31.  When the disciples on the road to Emmaus broke bread with Jesus, "their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."  

In addressing what had happened, God first deals with the serpent, who has no more to say in the narrative.  There would be ongoing conflict between the offspring of the woman and that of the serpent---verse 15.  This verse is traditionally seen as the Bible's first presentation of the Gospel.  The Messiah, a descendant of Eve, ultimately would crush the serpent and all forces of evil.

God tells the woman that the pain and danger of childbirth will increase---verse 16.  He adds, "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you" (NIV).  Johnson points out that another possible translation of this sentence is that "it"---the woman's desire"---would rule over her, rather than her husband ruling over her.  This possibility is suggested by the parallel language in Gen 4:7, where God tells Cain that sin "desires to have you, but you must rule over it."  There are certainly examples in Genesis where a woman's desires lead her to questionable actions---think of Sarai in Genesis 16, Rebekah in Genesis 27, and Rachel in Genesis 29-30.  

One major biblical theme originating in Genesis 3 is the question, "To whom are you listening?"  Instead of listening to God, who had commanded Adam to steer clear of one tree in the garden, he listened to Eve who had listened to the serpent.  Outside the garden, Adam would experience pain in producing food.

Instead of listening to the serpent, we should listen to the trustworthy voice of God (Dt 28:1; John 10).

Recommended resource:  Logos Mobile Ed Course OT304:  Human Discovery in Genesis 2-3.  

At Church of the Messiah on October 21, 2023, Kyle Kettering spoke on the effects of sin on the world and the coming of the Second Adam to solve the problem of human sin (Rom 5:12-21).