Petra
Puritan Board Freshman
Preface: (I realize the overlap between the Babylon/the state/the beast/the antichrist in the church (gay bishop)/Satan. I’m not a deist. I truly believe there are demonic things going on in the world.)
This is long, sorry.
It's funny that there are like ten views on what Yom or day means in Genesis 1, which is much older than Genesis two, for instance. We kind of get off topic by dating and such. We are consequently forgetting what it is to be male and female (Sinclair Ferguson/Tim Keller).
The way I now see the Adam and Eve narrative was borrowed from a 2nd Temple Judaism scholar. Peter Enns borrowed it from the rabbinic tradition.
The idea is that the narrative is poetic in nature. The narrative is a summary of what it is to be male and female, and how Israel is to respond as a covenant people. Israel was to eat from the tree of life, so to speak, by not living by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Jesus responded correctly by not adding to or taking away from the commands when the serpent tempts him in his 40 days in the desert or wildDerness. Satan exaggerates God's word and tempts Christ with it. "Will he not give his angels charge over thee?" " Just cast yourself down over this cliff."
Israel was to be a people of the Torah like Christ. Jesus' response was verbatim from the mouth of God. He didn't exaggerate or overemphasize.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil was Israel wanting to be their own God by doing things their own way. They often were corrected by the prophets for trying to do things their own way. Generally speaking, knowledge of good and evil is not a bad thing. It's a bad thing when Israel wants to be like God and do things her own way.
In Genesis 3:2, the serpent overemphasizes or exaggerates the command of God that none of the trees are good to eat from. The serpent, in this summary approach, represents culture. Eve responded in verse 3 with an exaggeration of her own. Eve adds that they are forbidden to not even touch the tree. Let alone eat from it. That's not what the original command was in chapter two from the mouth of Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 4:2
"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."
Revelation 28:18-19
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."
Matthew 15:9 (Jesus)
"In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
Colossians 2:21-23 (Paul)
21
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22
Which all are to perish with the using
after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
So the Pharisees with their 613 commandments created a hedge around the law in hopes to better obey the original 10 commandments.
On Eve's response in Genesis 3:3:
Keil and Delietzhe Commentary
"She was aware of the prohibition, therefore, and fully understood its meaning; but she added, "neither shall ye touch it," and proved by this very exaggeration that it appeared too stringent even to her, and therefore that her love and confidence towards God were already beginning to waver."
Matthew Henry on Genesis 3:3:
"He quoted the command wrong. He spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it. Has God said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk, &c.? Yes, I am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will abide by it."
Cambridge Bible Commentary on 3:3:
Cambridge Bible for schools commentary
" The woman speaks of only one tree, and that one is in the midst of the garden. She does not mention it by name. In
Genesis 2:9
, where two trees are mentioned, the one which is described as "in the midst of the garden" is the tree of life. Here the woman speaks of the tree, which is "in the midst of the garden," as the tree of knowledge.
neither shall ye touch it
] This is an addition to the prohibition contained in
Genesis 2:17
, either an element omitted in the previous chapter, or an exaggeration expressive of the woman's eagerness."
Lastly, Adam and Eve were exiled or excommunicated from the garden when they ate of the tree of doing things their own way. That is the worst thing for a Jew to be placed outside of the covenant community. You see that as well throughout the entire Old Testament.
Also, the curse follows in Chapter 3 for the consequences of sin. It is written that cursed is everyone who is hung by a tree. Jesus is the tree of life to us. We look back to the way things ought to be in the garden and we look forward to our return without that silly talking serpent in the garden again, so to speak. Jesus has crushed the head of the serpent.
It is an already and not yet.
Godspeed!
This is long, sorry.
It's funny that there are like ten views on what Yom or day means in Genesis 1, which is much older than Genesis two, for instance. We kind of get off topic by dating and such. We are consequently forgetting what it is to be male and female (Sinclair Ferguson/Tim Keller).
The way I now see the Adam and Eve narrative was borrowed from a 2nd Temple Judaism scholar. Peter Enns borrowed it from the rabbinic tradition.
The idea is that the narrative is poetic in nature. The narrative is a summary of what it is to be male and female, and how Israel is to respond as a covenant people. Israel was to eat from the tree of life, so to speak, by not living by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Jesus responded correctly by not adding to or taking away from the commands when the serpent tempts him in his 40 days in the desert or wildDerness. Satan exaggerates God's word and tempts Christ with it. "Will he not give his angels charge over thee?" " Just cast yourself down over this cliff."
Israel was to be a people of the Torah like Christ. Jesus' response was verbatim from the mouth of God. He didn't exaggerate or overemphasize.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil was Israel wanting to be their own God by doing things their own way. They often were corrected by the prophets for trying to do things their own way. Generally speaking, knowledge of good and evil is not a bad thing. It's a bad thing when Israel wants to be like God and do things her own way.
In Genesis 3:2, the serpent overemphasizes or exaggerates the command of God that none of the trees are good to eat from. The serpent, in this summary approach, represents culture. Eve responded in verse 3 with an exaggeration of her own. Eve adds that they are forbidden to not even touch the tree. Let alone eat from it. That's not what the original command was in chapter two from the mouth of Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 4:2
"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."
Revelation 28:18-19
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."
Matthew 15:9 (Jesus)
"In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
Colossians 2:21-23 (Paul)
21
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22
Which all are to perish with the using
23
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
So the Pharisees with their 613 commandments created a hedge around the law in hopes to better obey the original 10 commandments.
On Eve's response in Genesis 3:3:
Keil and Delietzhe Commentary
"She was aware of the prohibition, therefore, and fully understood its meaning; but she added, "neither shall ye touch it," and proved by this very exaggeration that it appeared too stringent even to her, and therefore that her love and confidence towards God were already beginning to waver."
Matthew Henry on Genesis 3:3:
"He quoted the command wrong. He spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it. Has God said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk, &c.? Yes, I am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will abide by it."
Cambridge Bible Commentary on 3:3:
Cambridge Bible for schools commentary
" The woman speaks of only one tree, and that one is in the midst of the garden. She does not mention it by name. In
Genesis 2:9
, where two trees are mentioned, the one which is described as "in the midst of the garden" is the tree of life. Here the woman speaks of the tree, which is "in the midst of the garden," as the tree of knowledge.
neither shall ye touch it
] This is an addition to the prohibition contained in
Genesis 2:17
, either an element omitted in the previous chapter, or an exaggeration expressive of the woman's eagerness."
Lastly, Adam and Eve were exiled or excommunicated from the garden when they ate of the tree of doing things their own way. That is the worst thing for a Jew to be placed outside of the covenant community. You see that as well throughout the entire Old Testament.
Also, the curse follows in Chapter 3 for the consequences of sin. It is written that cursed is everyone who is hung by a tree. Jesus is the tree of life to us. We look back to the way things ought to be in the garden and we look forward to our return without that silly talking serpent in the garden again, so to speak. Jesus has crushed the head of the serpent.
It is an already and not yet.
Godspeed!