The Story Repeats Itself
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever -“ Genesis 3:22 NASB
Might – In Hebrew, you notice that one particular word is repeated, a word that plays an important role in another verse, Genesis 3:3, the verse about God’s single commandment in the Garden. The repeated word, pen, is a conjunction that negates dependent clauses. It serves to express a precaution, something that requires attention in order to prevent it from happening. In Genesis 3:3, this word is glossed in the NASB as “or” in the phrase “or you will die.” But it doesn’t mean “or” just like it doesn’t mean “might” in Genesis 3:22. It means “lest,” the conditional alarm for a particular disaster. This verse should read “and now, lest he stretch out his hand.” It is not an acknowledgement of potential action. It is a warning of consequent choice. Why the NASB translators decided to gloss the word in both occurrences isn’t clear, but what is clear is this: the gloss removes our ability to see the connection between this verse and the original commandment.
This connection raises all kinds of questions. If Adam is able to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (and he is, of course), doesn’t God’s warning indicate that this action results in death? Yes, it does. But Adam eats and he doesn’t die. Of course, theologians claim that he dies spiritually, and subsequently physically (some 900 years later). But doesn’t that diminish the intensity of the warning? Doesn’t it seem odd to you that God doesn’t spell out the consequences more accurately?
And then there is this very strange verse, Genesis 3:22. If Adam is now a fallen sinner, what could it possibly mean to suggest that he may still eat of the Tree of Life and live forever? I thought living forever was the exclusive privilege of the righteous. Doesn’t this verse sound more like magic than theology? Can a sinful man actually eat from some tree and enable himself to live eternally? Where is God’s sovereignty over life and death in this suggestion? Is Man in the Garden after the Fall able to circumvent the consequence of the first commandment? If this verse really reports the potential of eternal existence independent of God, then why did God leave this tree in the Garden in the first place? Is there really a way to live eternally in rebellion against God through my own action? If the warning is real in verse 3, doesn’t it have to be real in verse 22?
This is a story we have read so many times that we no longer question its implications. But we should. Frankly, on the surface it doesn’t seem to make any sense. How can God be God and still be worried about a man fallen from grace finding some nearly magical way of acquiring eternal existence? The plot is so thick as to be undecipherable. Maybe Ellul is right. “[T]he Bible is a book that is full of questions but never gives any answers.”[1] Can you live with that? Or does your Greek mind rebel and demand resolution even if it requires glossing the text and inventing the theology?
Topical Index: lest, pen, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 3:3, Tree of Life, eternal life
Ellul’s pessimism is showing. The Bible <never answers any questions? That’s an enormous claim. Why read it? Sometimes it may necessary to ask yourself if you’re actually asking the right questions. And then follow it with another question: Am I actually “listening” to the answer YHVH is actually providing, or am I rejecting his answer then conclude ‘there is no answer’?
Yes, it is an enormous claim, but I suspect it is hyperbole on purpose. I suspect that it is meant to shock us into realizing that we provide answers when we don’t know the questions and that we ignore the big questions in order to have lots of tiny answers. Furthermore, I suspect that if Scripture is history, it is unique and therefore doesn’t lend itself to pat answers from preconceived patterns. All this to say that most of the time we don’t actually READ what the text says. We add or subtract in order to get the text to fit what we want it to say or what we think it says before we read it.
Somewhere in our thinking, people have to deal with Immanuel Kant: Should we conform our knowledge to external objects or, since that didn’t appear to give certainty of knowledge, instead conform external objects to our knowledge? If we accept Kant’s proposition that the latter option is now the way forward, then READing Scripture is only necessary to have it conform to our minds, which are already made up. In which case we wouldn’t recognize an answer even if it was staring us in the face.
“We add or subtract in order to get the text to fit what we want it to say or what we think it says before we read it.”
This is a really important and valuable point you make here. The worst “invention” in the study of the Scriptures was the addition of chapter and verse. It so easily allows us to take things out of context (abstract), and “proof-text” our position.
It also allows the exaltation of ‘preaching’ to quasi-sacramental status. How much better off we’d be if the preacher just read the Scriptures and let the congregation mull over what they hear, than hearing the preacher’s ‘interpretation’ thereof. The practice of reading Scripture, I understand, was the style of preaching of the early Syrian church.
I read an article this morning and the following extract from the article made me think about the conversations that has taken place here on Skip’s Internet Community. It might not be so applicable to today’s “Today’s Word”, but it is applicable to the conversations that has taken place over the past few days:
“The argument is about just how deeply the human state can affect our environment.
No, I’m not talking about dumping noxious chemicals into the oceans and pumping carbon into the atmosphere. I’m talking about acting unjustly, obeying our hormones rather than our brains, the dollar rather than our souls, and generally abandoning our purpose and role as human beings. That, too, pollutes the air we breathe and the food that nurtures us—with greater toxicity than any other poison.
Words affect the environment. The walls of a home where there is anger reverberate with angry words. Money gained by illicit means is tainted and deleterious to the one that holds it. The air of an office where gossip and slander is spread becomes putrid and suffocating.
The world is your resonance chamber.
But how does that work? How can human morals affect the nature of the objects that surround us? What does my warm, personal, inner world have to do with the cold outer world around me?
Everything. Because the entire world outside of you was designed as the stage for the world inside of you. And the world inside of you was designed to transform the world outside of you.”
The best example is the Flood. Human sin so polluted the earth that God had to remove the vegetation as well. We are connected. Where sin pollutes a man, it pollutes his world as well.
Excellent Jace!
Sorry, I left out the best part….
“Today we need only spoken words of Torah and beautiful, shiny mitzvahs. Wherever we go, when we say words of Torah, the sound waves we create clean out the atmosphere; and when we do mitzvahs, we transform the very nature of the things around us. Until, may it be very soon, we will have cleansed and purified the entire world.”
Jaco, you left out the best part… or the worst part? No offense, but it sounds too much like the new age psycho- babble that I long ago renounced. While admittedly our words are powerful we must not relegate them to the place of magic (or Kabbalism) and thereby be found to be practicing sorcery. YHWH will “cleanse and purify the world” (and the heavens) by the blood of His Son-not by OUR “spoken words of Torah and beautiful, shiny mitzvahs”. If we really want our words to affect our environment then let the words of our spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness be the “resonance chamber” you speak of. Let the words of Messiah-“IT IS FINISHED” echo throughout all the ages and worlds. And let us live and share the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua and allow that work to “transform the very nature of things around us”…and let the transformation begin in us! Michael
Hi Michael… none taken. As Skip mentioned to someone a day or two ago, there is no place for being offended when discussing Scripture. Yes, I would agree with you that the language used in the text I quoted does sound very New Age like and much like the language used in Kabbalism (especially the last part). It is however two small quotes from a larger article and in the context of that article the language does fit. The quote was taken from an Orthodox Jewish commentary on why God used the ten plagues in Egypt. I am, however, definitely not a fan of Kabbalism and I definitely wasn’t trying to promote a New Age or Kabbalism approach to what Skip has been talking about the past few days. On the contrary!
For me, this quote speaks about obedience to God’s Word, His Torah. It speaks about obedience that is rooted in a love for God, that comes from within a man and not placed upon him by some external entity. But, more importantly, it also speaks about how our relating to other people is part of our obedience to Torah (my interpretation of “when we say the words of Torah”). It speaks about how our obedience to Him establishes His Kingdom here on earth.
This quote made me think about the discussion three or four days back about why Adam was “sent out”. (Well, my understanding of it anyway.) That his “sending out” was part of God’s redemptive plan to restore this world (and everything in it) to the way that He created it to be. That Adam, through his toiling and working the soil, had an active part to play in God’s redemptive plan. And we, as believers in Yeshua Messiah, have an active part to play in God’s redemptive plan for this world as well. We need to be actively involved in this process while we are walking this earth. We need to establish His Kingdom. The way that we do this is through our obedience (obedience that comes from within, because of a relationship with our Creator) to His Torah. That obedience includes the way we worship, the way we are supposed to work the earth, the way we do our work, the way we look after ourselves, the way we relate to people, etc. It speaks about how our obedience to God’s Torah impacts on the world around us, and on the people around us. It speaks about how every moment of our lives is an opportunity to establish God’s Kingdom on earth though choosing to be obedient to His Word and acting in any given moment in accordance to it.
I definitely did not try to insinuate that Yeshua Messiah’s work on the cross was all for nothing. and all we needed was the mitzvah’s.
amen and amen
No offense meant, Jaco, bit I meant to put this ‘amen’ onto Michael Stanley’s post, to his echo of “IT IS FINISHED!”
amen and amen, I don’t mind repeating it 🙂
MICHAEL, I SO TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU IN REGARD TO YOUR REPLY TO JACO/JACE:
“Jaco, you left out the best part… or the worst part? No offense, but it sounds too much like the new age psycho- babble that I long ago renounced. While admittedly our words are powerful we must not relegate them to the place of magic (or Kabbalism) and thereby be found to be practicing sorcery. YHWH will “cleanse and purify the world” (and the heavens) by the blood of His Son-not by OUR “spoken words of Torah and beautiful, shiny mitzvahs”. If we really want our words to affect our environment then let the words of our spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness be the “resonance chamber” you speak of. Let the words of Messiah-”IT IS FINISHED” echo throughout all the ages and worlds. And let us live and share the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua and allow that work to “transform the very nature of things around us”…and let the transformation begin in us! Michael”
THANK YOU MICHAEL FOR SAYING WHAT I WANTED TO SAY/STATE ALSO… ♥
Yes, that is probably the only way is can play out to end of this age or the one to come according to the Good Book.
The “thought” is in the question, not in the answer. Questions move us to action. Follow Jeshua’s example. Embrace the question; it will take you a great distance. Shalom
“If Adam is now a fallen sinner, what could it possibly mean to suggest that he may still eat of the Tree of Life and live forever? I thought living forever was the exclusive privilege of the righteous.”
God most assuredly says it, what is difficult about believing it? Nothing is impossible to God.
They definitely would have lived forever, — anyone is on shakey ground who casts doubt on God’s Word, (that is what satan does).
This living forever in a fallen state is the reason God drove them out of the garden (vs 23). He is Holy and cannot stand sin in any amount. Sin causes seperation from God as it did here, and as it still does this very day in 2012. They HAD to leave His presence, He drove them out! Stationed at the entrance of the garden are the cherubim and the flaming sword. Eve didn’t stand a chance of remaining in the garden in His Holy presence just because it says the ‘man’. I think the other lesson omitted the cherubim at the East of the garden of Eden and pointed out that only the tree had a guard. (We need to always go back to the Word).
For those who love to ask questions, here’s one for you: What would have happened had God NOT driven this couple from the garden and banned their return? I can answer it in one word—HELL.
Hell is spending eternity in sin, separate from God. The action this question should lead us to is this:
to fall on our face before God in thanksgiving for the cross and the Redemption!
“And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (II Thess. 1:9).
God was merciful and gracious in putting Adam and Eve out of the garden. He kept them from eternal punishment. Their salvation would come in the fullness of time. They must trust Him to accomplish it. He has.
All Glory to Him who was slain before the foundation of the world! It was for me, I have believed and trusted Him. We could study about His mercy and grace forever and barely scratch the surface.
Those who are going to roll up their sleeves and prep the world for Jesus’ return, better take a hard look at what you’re facing. Wish you lots of luck.
Read this recent/today post from Joel C. Rosenberg’s blog:
http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/cannibalism-pornography-gay-rights-driving-the-news-what-in-the-world-is-going-on/
DOROTHY – YOU SWEET WARRIOR, THE DOMINIONIST ARE NEVER GOING TO BRING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST [OUR BRIDEGROOM] BACK & YES, BEING BANISHED FROM THE GARDEN WAS/IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN. WHY IS IT THAT THE PLAN IS BEING THWARTED BY MAN [IF POSSIBLE] – THE PLAN WILL NEVER CHANGE NO MATTER HOW MUCH MAN THINKS HE CAN CHANGE IT OR BE THE SAVIOR(S) THAT BRING THE KINGDOM TO THIS EARTH – THAT MY SISTER IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN.
WHAT FUTILITY & WORKS IN THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT/METHODOLOGY/DOCTRINE… “NOT GOINNA’ DO IT” AS THE CHURCH LADY SAID OFTEN ON SNL…
HOW LUDICROUS & TACKY FOR MAN/WOMAN TO THINK THEY ARE gods…
~ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves ~ (Genesis 3.7)
What would it be like to live a world with no shame? No, I’m not saying “destroy your conscience”- I’m pointing out the fact that prior to partaking in this act of disobedience there was no separation or divide between the creature and the Creator. ~ And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden ~ They hid themselves?- Why? Why did they hide themselves? ~ But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ~ The first ever game of “hide and seek.” And who was hiding and who was seeking? ~ The LORD (today) looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God ~ (Psalm 14.2) And yes, it is true..- we love Him because He first loved us and sought out the wandering sheep, when we were yet aliens and strangers from the household of God. and without hope in the world.
So they ran and hid from God, just like Jonah tried to do. Adam, you can run,- but you just can’t hide! Nope. You cannot hide from God, -not behind quickly patched-together fig leaves, not even in the belly of a great fish. – Go ask Jonah!
It was sin that caused this shame and it was sin that separated Adam from the fellowship, companionship, and friendship he had once known with His Creator in the garden, and this “adam” has experienced the shame, separation, scars and sickness caused by sin- all of the above!
By the way, we “feel” guilty- because we are guilty, and if we say we have not sinned we make Him a liar and His truth is not in us. (I John 1.10).
Another question we must ask: -Is eternal life a quantity or a quality? (I’ve asked this before and still waiting for a response! …) And praise God, it is true, we again gain far more in Christ, than we ever lost in Adam.
I would highly recommend reading Guardian Angel in order to examine the part of the story about shame, hiding and guilt. Providing midrashim (interpretive application) is not the same as understanding what the text actually says. We could start by noticing that God is not playing “hide and seek.” If He were, He would have used a different Hebrew word (I wrote about this a long time ago). Let us begin at the beginning: what does the text SAY? Then, if appropriate, we can move to “What does it mean to me?”
Thanks Skip for that direction: Let us begin at the beginning: what does the text SAY? Then, if appropriate, we can move to “What does it mean to me?” That is so helpful in knowing how to approach the text. I have just recently joined the “Today’s Word” family and am learning and enjoying so much! This is taking me to a whole other level in beginning to understand the truth of what God SAID by knowing what the words really mean in Hebrew.
” Is there really a way to live eternally in rebellion against God through my own action? If the warning is real in verse 3, doesn’t it have to be real in verse 22?”
THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE “HELL” TO ME… THAT “WAY” WOULD BE TO NEVER ACCEPT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR…