Scripture Series: Second Creation Narrative.

EXPLORING GENESIS SERIES.

Genesis Chapter 2.

THE BIBLE- EXPLORING GENESIS ICON.

The second creation narrative in chapter 2 of Genesis gives a simple, yet spirited message to us.  Mankind was created by God out of nothing and is called to live in friendship with God, the Creator.  The masterpiece of creation, he dominates all created beings and by his work he must make the world a better place.  

Man and woman share in the same nature; they are made for each other, they fulfill each other.  In the intimacy of marriage the profound unity of the couple is realized. Mankind’s co-operation with God is a divine extension of the work of creation.  Verse 25 is also important for our relationship with God and with each other.  We know what happens to Adam and Eve in chapter 3 with the temptation and the sin and the effect of it for humanity. 

However, Christian psychologists say that humanity is constantly trying to strive to ‘return to the Garden of Eden’. Everything comes from the hands of God that is good; evil does not have its source in Him. Returning to the Garden of Eden implies that we go to the source of this innate goodness within us.  How we define the Garden of Eden will be different for each person. People want to live blameless lives and to be able to stand with clear conscious (naked) before God who created them, and in front of other people.  

The challenge is to reflect on what are the mechanisms we use to hide, to cover ourselves, to protect ourselves.  We might also consider that although ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, this does not mean co-dependency or an enmeshed relationship with a spouse or family.  Reading Ecclesiasticus chapter 17 and reflecting on it with chapter 2 of Genesis may be worthwhile food for thought. 

In light of the whole of the Salvation story,  (eg when the shepherds went to explore what the angels had told them or the wise men  who knew the source of their light and placed Christ first in their hearts or the disciples who left everything and followed Him and finally met their death through martyrdom)  we need to allow  God’s light to  continue to shine forth on each of us during 2010.