Introduction
Humanity is “created in the image of God and elected to represent and resemble their creator in being equally creative, fruitful and relational (1:26-27). This vocation of imaging goes horribly astray when the partners, not satisfied with being merely created in the image and likeness of God, want instead to be the same as God”. (Greene & Robinson, 2008, P120.)
Vocation is to flourish in Gods presence
Created in the image of God (1:27) we live because of the breath of God (2:7) within us, indeed, we were created ‘good’ (1:31) for companionship with God (3:8). We were also created to work the ground (2:15) taking pleasure in our labour.
Male and female were created equal (1:27) to live in companionship with each other (2:18). This principle becomes a new creation in each generation as men and women leave their parents to form new families (2:24-25) which in turn have the opportunity to flourish and be fruitful.
Whilst we derive from the ground like the rest of creation, humankind have been set apart from the animal kingdom (1:26) by God and given responsibility for its care (1:28, 2:19-20). This responsibility to care for creation derives both from Gods command but also from our own need because it is the creation that sustains us (1:29).
Vocation lost
The story of Adam and Eve and the serpent (3:1-6) describes the moment when humankind chooses to try and usurp their place in the creation and become equal to God. This has terrible consequences both for them - banished from God presence (3:23)- and for the creation (3:17-18) which becomes a more hostile place.
Was this a real event which brought sin into the world setting the whole of creation in disarray or is it just a story which represents each persons tendency to disobey God rather than follow him? John Hargreaves argues the latter (Hargreaves, 1999, P31) whilst the argument for a once-for-all fall leading to “original sin” is put by Berkhof (Berkhof, 1949, P244).
Whilst Hargreaves’ argument is persuasive the problem with it is that it fails to explain how the perfect creation of a perfect God came to be undone. Why does every human baby choose to go the way of anger the first time their parent fails to give them what they want?
In Romans 5, Paul argues that the problem of sin and the brokenness of creation came into being because of a single catastrophic decision in history by the ‘first Adam’. The effects of the sin of this ‘one man’ is then undone by the death and resurrection of Jesus. In my own life I can absolutely relate to Paul’s words in Romans 7:21-24: knowing what is right I still -too often- choose to do what is wrong.
At the heart of the human condition is the desire to be on a par with God. The story of the fall starts with the search for knowledge at any cost (3:6). One of the great flaws of humanity; once known, knowledge cannot then be unknown (3:10-11). It ends with the story of the tower of Babel - a stinging critique on the Babylonian Ziggurats (Hargreaves, 1999, P75) which sought to reach into the place of the gods. Pride & independence from God (11:1-9) lead to a self destructive way of life which is driven by selfish rather than selfless desires.
Allied to this desire for the self-destructive is an unwillingness to accept responsibility for our actions (3:12-13). This is demonstrated in the conversation that Cain has with God about his sacrifice; he is angry with his brother (Hargreaves, 1999, P44) for getting it right rather than disappointed with himself for the mistakes that he made (4:4-8). Once Cain has let his anger take its course and his brother is dead he then lies to cover it up (4:9).
Cain murders Abel because he is angry (4:8), and from then on, anger and violence become the way of all peoples (6:11-12). We only have to watch the news or read a newspaper to see the truth of the Bible’s observations on the nature of man. Each of us has the capacity for unexpected levels of anger which often spills over into violence.
There are consequences for Cain following the murder. He has no peace (4:13) and there is the suggestion that his example repeats in later generations of his family with the murder by Lamech of another man (4:23).
When Noah gets drunk he exposes himself and lays himself open to the disrespect of his youngest son Ham (9:20-21). His weakness therefore has consequences both for himself and for Ham whose own sinfulness is drawn out by the episode leading to a family feud lasting generations (9:24-25).
Consequences
As a result of our choices we lose the presence of God (3:23-24) and suffer from his punishment (4:10-12, 6:5-7). That easy companionship with the each other and God for which we are created is replaced by inequality in relationships (3:16) and isolation from the source of our life.
The good and fulfilling life that God intended for us becomes a struggle for survival in which even having children becomes harder (3:16-19).
Civilisation
Genesis 4 explores how people learned to live together and how civilisation brought some stability to an otherwise violent and unstable world.
Civilisation (Hargreaves, 1999, P46) offers the possibility that people can live at peace with each other (20), tame their surroundings (21) and find ways of enjoying life (22). It is not necessarily ‘good’, but instead increases our power to do good or evil. Civilisation can enable people to flourish or destroy them - often the two go hand in hand with one group flourishing at the expense of another (Gooder, 2000, P35).
The importance of punishment: Cain (Kevan, 1962, P78) is concerned less about the murder and more about the consequences. Ironically one of the greatest bringers of peace in the affairs of people is the threat of punishment for those breaking the rules of the society in which they live.
Three Sons and a way back to God
The three sons of Adam represent, as Hargreaves suggests, three different types of people that can be found on the earth (Hargreaves, 1999, P49).
Cain is the violent oppressor (4:8) lashing out and murdering the innocent, lying to hide his crime and showing remorse only for his punishment (4:9-10).
Abel, in his turn, is the good person who suffers unjust oppression (4:5,8); the Bible here explores the troubling fact that the innocent often suffer at the hands of evil people who seem to get away with their crimes. The message here is that God sees what is done and champions the cause of the innocent (4:10).
At the end of Genesis 4 we see the beginnings of the good news of a way back to God. Seth is Gods gift to Adam and Eve: the sign of a new start ‘...call on the name of the Lord’ - 4:25-26. Seth’s family call on the name of the Lord (4:25-26). It is interesting to note that they are not described as good or perfect; in the King James Bible it says that Noah ‘found grace in the eyes of the Lord’ (6:8) not that he was perfect - in 6:9 he is noted as being ‘blameless amongst his generation’ - who were in themselves violent and destructive (6:12-13).
Here we see introduced one of the great themes of the Bible; in all the mess of our disobedience and violence God has not abandoned us but is instead working out his plan of salvation. Our relationship with God comes as a result of Gods initiative and is a gift which is and cannot be earned.
Conclusions
Do the stories in the first 11 chapters of Genesis have their foundations somehow in real events or are they simply ancient and powerful stories reflecting on the nature of humankind and their relationship with God and world? In truth we can't know in this life but either way they put their finger precisely on the problem of the human condition. In the final analysis we damage ourselves, each other and the world around us -often deliberately- because of the sinful desires which rage inside us.
The real power of the stories is in their words of hope. In all of the mess, God is still there offering us a way back to him and inviting us to experience a different way of living. Not based upon actions which earn his favour but rather on a willingness to call on his name and listen to his voice.
Bibliography
Atkinson David, The Message of 1-11, 1990, Inter Varsity Press
Berkhoff, Systematic Theology, 1949, Banner of Truth trust
Davidson, Stubbs and Kevan, The New Bible Commentary, 1962, Inter Varsity Press
Gooder Paula, The Pentateuch A story of beginnings, 2000, Continuum
Greene and Robinson, Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an age of imagination, 2008, Authentic Media,
Hargreaves John, A Guide to , 1999, SPCK
Oesterley & Robinson, An Introduction to the books of the Old Testament, 1953, SPCK
Wenham Gordon, Exploring the Old Testament A Guide to the Pentateuch, 2003, Inter Varsity Press
Wright NT, The New Testament and the people of God, 2004, SPCK
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