Genesis 1-3

The creation account of Genesis 1 is, in my opinion, the greatest poem ever written. I think it should be aloud to really sink into the language and power of the text. For instance: "Let there be light [pause] and there was [1/2 pause] light".

But if it is poem, how literal should we take it? Does it reflect an historical record or a metaphor, describe events on a spiritual level, or was intended to contrast the Enuma Elish and show God's might over the Sumerian gods? I must admit that I just don't know. If anything, I'm leaning towards - Yes! - all of the above.

I'm actually confounded by the mystery of the questions raised by the answers. Particularly, why is light created on day 1, yet the sources of light and the sources for measuring the intervals of time are created later.






As I was beating my brain for an answer to these paradoxes, I was reminded of the beauty, harmony, and rhythm of the language of Genesis 1 itself. It feels like a soft and gentle breeze.




A new thought while reading it this time around - the separation of the "light" and "water" describe events that happened on a spiritual level, interwoven with the description of the natural world, with "water" being symbolic of evil. Thus it describes a spiritual war in the heavens which God has already won. The vanquished were sent from Heaven down to earth, for humans to "subdue". In Genesis 3, we find that the man failed at that objective.





Genesis 2


This chapter provides the lynchpin to me that there is a lot more details that are not being told. Man is told to "subdue" the earth. What in the Garden of Eden needs to be subdued? We find a glimpse of that with the snake of Chapter 3.






Lately, I'm starting to think that there was a literal Adam and he lived alongside the remnants of the Neanderthal population.






Genesis 3


An interesting analogy that came to mind about evolution and the lying serpent of Genesis 3. So, I won't say one way or the other whether evolution happened or not. I was not there and reasonable Christians disagree. I think evolution is unnecessary with a creating God.






However, evolution is necessary from an atheistic perspective. It is this "spirit" behind evolution that is a lie, the one of the agenda of atheism. So, Genesis 3 provides a warning for those make it this far and have not dismissed the book after reading Genesis 1-2 - there are snakes that tell lies.






Short thoughts - it's all a mystery to me. Human prehistory from an anthological perspective seems pretty mysterious as well.