They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [Genesis 3:8-10].
I’d wager that no text in all of Holy Scripture has been used—and misused—more than the OT lesson assigned for this upcoming Sunday, Genesis 3:8-15 [Third Sunday after Pentecost, RCL, Year B]. We know the story so well.
The LORD God, a/k/a “the Gardener,” has entrusted Eden to the world’s first couple, Adam and Eve. They have broad discretion. They may consume fresh peaches, apples, pears, oranges, grapes—any fresh and delectable fruit they like. They may not, however, eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil [Genesis 2:17].
From the serpent, they hear a different perspective. The serpent tells them that if they eat the forbidden fruit, they will not die. Instead, their eyes will be opened. They will then be like God [3:5]. The two human beings face a dilemma: Do they trust the LORD God or do they trust the serpent? We know their decision. We know the consequences of their choice. We know so much about this story.
For example, everyone knows that the Adam-Eve-serpent-forbidden fruit story is the Biblical account of “the fall.” And yet, the Genesis text itself never makes such a claim. We all know that the text is an explanation as to how evil came into the world. Yet, as many noted OT experts, particularly Dr. Walter Brueggemann argue, the narrative gives no explanation for evil at all [Genesis: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, John Knox Press 1982].
We know that the serpent is the embodiment of “evil.” And yet, both the NIV and the NRSV describe the serpent as “crafty” [3:1]. The original KJV describes him as “subtle.” The Common English Bible, a relatively new translation, says the serpent was the “most intelligent” of the animals. Robert Alter, in his preeminent translation, The Hebrew Bible, describes the serpent as the most “cunning of all the beasts of the field that the LORD God had made.” Alter also notes that in the original Hebrew, the author makes use of a delightful pun in which arum (cunning) plays against arumim (naked), a description of the human beings found both in the last verse of Chapter 2 and 3:7, the verse that precedes this week’s Lectionary lesson. None of the texts call the serpent evil.
Finally, many of us know that the Genesis text is an account of the origin of death in the world. One must acknowledge, however, that despite the LORD God’s warning in Genesis 2:17, that if Adam and/or Eve ate fruit from the tree that was forbidden to them, they would die that very day, no one dies in the story. It seems that rather than death, the text’s focus instead is on life, albeit life ridden with anxiety.
My point in the foregoing paragraphs is that if one is to pull “original sin,” “the fall,” the origins of evil, and the origin of human death from this week’s text, the text itself won’t supply it. Help, of course, is amply provided by the apostle Paul, Augustine, and/or other Christian apologists and theologians over the centuries. In the case of Paul, particularly on the connection between the Genesis story and sin/death, his views are normative for much of the church. But many others have added to the commentary over the centuries. As I joke with my Wednesday Bible Study, over the past two thousand years, many barrels of ink have been spilled on this passage of Genesis.
We should not, of course, disregard what Paul and others have said about this Holy text. Still might we look beyond what we know to examine the text itself? In the manner of Lectio Divina, might we read this week’s lesson to ourselves repetitively? Might we ponder it quietly? Might we pray over it? Might we seek the Holy Spirit? What is this text saying to us? Having done all that, might we then leave room for the text to move us to think and act differently?
Of course, I’ve had a head start. I’ve enjoyed/endured three separate Lectio Divina “sittings” with this week’s Genesis text. But you can join in. To get you started, I’d like to share some thoughts.
At the heart of this week’s Genesis passage is the issue of sovereignty. The LORD God had made a pronouncement. What earlier seemed a clear prohibition from the LORD God, that they avoid the fruit of one tree, is now—at least after talking to the serpent—a mere option. Moreover, in the serpent-human conversation, the LORD God has suddenly become a third person. Their talk is not with God; it’s about God. In their conversation, God has become objectified. Faithfulness has become subject to analysis. The “givenness” of the LORD God’s rule no longer defines what is and what is not safe.
Adam and Eve face the question that is put to every human being: Do we trust the sovereign God? The original couple had a choice between trust and knowledge and they chose the latter. Understand that I’m not arguing that the world would be better off with more ignorance. I am arguing, however, that there are some things—e.g., some bits of knowledge—that are beyond our pay grade?
As Walter Brueggemann has so eloquently put it, “The Genesis author/narrator intends to pose a vital question, ‘How are we to live in God’s world on God’s terms?’” The LORD God is sovereign. Yet, much of modern humanity desires to live on its own terms. We all too often fight for human autonomy. The Genesis story teaches us that such autonomy generally leads to alienation and death—for self and for others.
Of course, we aren’t sovereign. That is the central message of the Genesis text. This beginning scriptural narrative teaches us that there is something about life that always is shrouded in mystery. Why did the LORD God place a single tree in the center of the Garden and then declare it off limits? What if the answer is, “We are not to know!” Do we begrudge the LORD God’s private thoughts? Must God justify all His actions to us?
How are we to live in God’s world on God’s terms? It seems the LORD God entwines some of His most precious gifts in mysteries retained by God only for himself. God keeps some secrets that must be observed and honored. They may not be exposed.
There are no securities apart from God. The German OT scholar, Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932), offered a powerful perspective on this week’s text. He said that the man and the woman sought to have “reason without pathos” [Genesis (Mercer University Press, English translation, 1979). This week’s text teaches us that when we embrace reason, we must also live with its pathos. The only protection we have from pathos is the love and grace of the LORD God.
Be First to Comment