TRUE DETECTIVE : The Genesis Murders
-------------------------------------------------
The Genesis account of Adam & Eve has always been controversial ( to say the least ) and downright confusing ( if you take the time to study it.. ), bringing up more questions than it solves!
Why would God create humankind just to see them fail? Why would He allow a serpent to tempt a person that (as yet) couldn't tell Right from Wrong? Why would this error in judgment impact the whole human race for millenia ?
Detractors and atheists use these questions to cast doubt and aspersions on (a) the story/account itself (its fiction, its all made up) , the details in the account (questions of the type we have asked) , and the ultimate lack of MOTIVE.... WHY?
Seems like this very COLD case could merit a second look..... so let us start at the very beginning.....
WHAT DO WE -KNOW- ?
[[ The core assumption we are going to make is that the Bible is an accurate account of what actually happened ... you may not agree with that, but this is the only documentary (approved) evidence that we have to go on... lets see what the evidence says...
a. LIFE is defined in Genesis, and is a GIFT from the Creator.
Murder is taking a life, and the Genesis account says quite clearly, that creatures in the SEA, in the LAND, and in the AIR are ALIVE, Trees and plants are ALIVE (their function is to provide food for the living creatures). Humankind is also ALIVE, made of the same earth/materials, but different in ONE crucial aspect.
b. Man is created a LIVING SOUL... (different from all the creatures we have seen till now)
" So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. " - Gen 1:27
Gender does not make you any less or more an IMAGE of God. The text above clearly says that both MEN & WOMEN are equally the image of God, save for Gender. They are PERSONS!
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." - Gen 2:7
We are living spirits, just like GOD, who is a SPIRIT.
c. Turning to the Garden (the Murder scene) we observe....
"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is ----pleasant to the sight, and -----good for food; the ---tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the ---tree of knowledge of good and evil. " - Gen 2;8,9
The garden contained a ---SUBSET--- of every plant and tree created, and we are told that the garden contained -----only---- trees that were pleasant to the eye, ---and--- produced HUMAN-EDIBLE fruit- including two very special trees.
Very important to note, as Ishshah ( Woman's name before Eve ) would have factored that into her decision...
d. The prohibition and consequences
" And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. " - Gen 2:15-17
We are getting warm.
The MAN was given VERY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS summarized as:
1. You can eat of any tree in the Garden, EXCEPT ONE.
2. If you eat of that tree, THAT VERY MOMENT, is when you begin to, and eventually die.
We know from the facts of the case, that when the Man ate, his eyes were opened, and he realized that he was naked, that it was not good, and he was ASHAMED of bringing his nakedness in front of God. Eating the fruit did have an IMMEDIATE EFFECT as God said it would.
The Snake told a truth... knowing Good & Evil would DEFINITELY make you WISE like God (who weighs every action He takes), but --choosing EVIL over GOOD (disobeying Gods command)-- would EVENTUALLY bring death as a consequence ... if not immediately.
Oh so clever....... and so jealous... but God knew...
e. The Murder Suspects - Was it...
(A) The Woman who killed mankind by exercising her FREE WILL to DISOBEY GOD's ONE COMMAND? ( This was Adam's argument...)
(B) The Snake that did it, by egging her on to commit SUICIDE ? ( The Womans argument... )
(C) God, because He set up the whole thing to accomplish HIS Agenda.... (the snake didnt say anything)
Before we answer this question, another important question needs to be asked....
--- SHOULD A CREATOR ENDOW HIS CREATURES WITH THE CAPABILITY TO DISOBEY HIM? --
We assume YES, because that is the situation we are USED TO, but it DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!!!
Exhibit A is the animal kingdom. They DO NOT REBEL against the natural order, but are content with their place in the ecosystem. They have no ambitions to transcend their limitations or (like Eve or Satan) to become LIKE GOD, or REPLACE HIM!
So we can logically assume that both the Snake, and Mankind, were operating under their own influence (in a captive environment to be sure) and were INDEPENDENT MORAL AGENTS (and hence ACCOUNTABLE for their CHOICES) to God Almighty.
Why would God permit that?
The SHORT answer is (Logically) that a Universe in which FREE WILL exists, is SUPERIOR to a Universe in which it doesn't, EVEN WHEN the existence of CHOICE also brings into existence the concept of SIN ( sinning == disobeying Gods commands) , and GRACE & MERCY (Dealing with the CONSEQUENCES of SIN -- Pain, suffering, Forgiveness, Patience with humanity).
Does this mean that there was SIN in Heaven? (if Heaven is always composed of free moral agents, then sin is always a possibility?)
You know the answer.
The Angels rebelled, following Satan, whose pride pushed him to try to prove that he was more righteous than God, and a better creature than those that God created in HIS IMAGE.
Post that Fall, we are told of ---another heavenly rebellion--- (Angels cohabiting with humans) that caused the LORD to destroy the affected population, and cleanse the earth.
Humans have a great history of sinning as well (ignoring the plain SIMPLE COMMON SENSE directive of LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN, to do all kinds of silly and stupid things).... even in the Millenium (approaching closer every day) Mankind STILL rebels against God to be finally subdued once and for all, and this Earth consumed, and burnt up with Fire.
How will Sin disappear in the future then?
Will God take away our FREE WILL so we will become like animals that dont disobey? What about the heavenly creatures? Will the SIN of the devil and his angels ever be pardoned? What about the sin of Man?
The answer lies in the question : Why would God attribute the sins of ONE MAN (Adam, as HE was the one accountable) to ----ALL of mankind ?
Drum roll please .... : SO THAT GOD could LEGALLY & RIGHTEOUSLY atttribute the SINS OF ALL MANKIND onto --ONE MAN--- in turn, and LEGALLY CLEAR MANKIND OF THEIR GUILT !!!!!
Now that is ---COOL--- .... and LOGICAL !!
---- But it still doesn't answer the question about Sin eternally existing does it? ----
Well, we hope it is obvious by now.
--FREE WILL does not disappear ... EVER !........
However............ We (as mankind) through our experiences,--- learn to make --wise choices that are ---ALWAYS ALIGNED with the GOOD & PERFECT will of the LORD. -- THAT ladies & gentlemen, is what Heaven actually looks like.
In our lives down here, our WILL, is not truly FREE, but influenced by many factors. When we make a decision, whether it is to buy a car, respond to a comment someone just made, or touch a hot stove... our actions & reactions are driven by one or more of the following:
1. Facts -- Analysis, Synthesis of all available information (e.g. buying a car -- our needs, market options, prices, features, surveys, user feedback)
2. Our Personal feelings and opinions -- emotional responses (e.g. car color, style)
3. The opinions of others - Friends, Family, Experts, Society ( e.g. Fashion dictates what you choose to wear)
4. Legal and Moral concerns - Is it right... will it hurt someone... or who cares?!!!
5. Gut instinct -- Instinctive reactions (touching a hot stove), Conscience
6. Let probability decide!!!! -- When all else fails, pray and flip a coin!!!
So your will may be free, but it is heavily influenced by MANY factors!
In the Garden, Mankinds' decision was VOLUNTARY, hence they were held ACCOUNTABLE for it, but the CIRCUMSTANCES were so arranged that the ---outcome--- was what God desired.
Here is the exact parallel with Christ's work...(Delivered by the HOLY SPIRIT through PETER at PENTECOST)
" Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a --man-- --approved of God-- among you by ---miracles and wonders and signs---, which --God did-- --by him-- in the -midst of you, -----as ye yourselves also know:
Him, being delivered --by the ------determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God-----[[ V. IMPORTANT ]] , ---ye have taken, and by ----wicked hands have crucified and slain [[ of your OWN free will! ]] : Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was ----not possible--- that he should be holden of it. " - Acts 2:22-24
There is the whole package.
The DETERMINATE COUNSEL & FOREKNOWLEDGE of God, that can COEXIST happily with Mans FREE WILL ( the wicked ones that crucified Christ ) without doing violence to it, and accomplishing what He set out to do in the Garden, because it was NOT POSSIBLE that God would leave mankind to rot in Hell!
God has ALWAYS given His creation the choice to disobey Him, while lovingly educating them that it is not wise!
Man is still accountable for his actions & choices (eating the apple, crucifying the Christ) and has to pay the penalty, but through these horrific actions, God has been able to SHOW .. Heaven and Earth, the CORRECTNESS of His Judgments & Statutes.
The Holy Spirit, continues His exposition in Acts, quoting the PSALMS (which we have been speaking of in the context of Music in the Word)...
" For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
--- Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to ---------all that are afar off, ------even as many as the Lord our God shall ---call. " - Acts 2:25-39
That wraps up the case... and closing arguments, but there WILL be a trial, and the murderers --will-- receive their JUST punishment. This is a most strange and unusual Murder, and one which we have been laboring to understand for decades.
We thank God for His Spirit, His revelation --- and give --Him ---ALL THE GLORY --- for His wisdom, patience, grace and favor!!!
Hallelujah!