Genesis 1 to 3

[pebbles]

I'm trying to read the Bible again...but I'm not in a hurry this time.  And I'm trying to find new things that I didn't seem to "see" when I first (or the second) time I read it.  I'm reading a Catholic bible called Christian Community Bible (CCB) and sometimes cross reference it with the Jerusalem Bible (JB) and then the New International Version (NIV) just to see if Protestants are reading the same thing. 

And so I'll be sharing my Catholic thoughts (hopefully) and at times commentaries from the 2 Catholic bibles ... any comments are welcome

From Genesis 1 to 3, here are my thoughts...

1.   When I first read the bible, I don’t think I “noticed” these 4 Rivers: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates being mentioned.  I didn’t think there was this sort of “location” of Eden.   Now, (I wonder if one can find the main river from these 4 rivers and then one would find Eden? Can you imagine yourself like Indiana Jones trying to find Eden?  And how would you know you’ve found the entrance to Eden? Answer: Genesis 3:24   )  Now, why would one try to find Eden? To try and get a bite out of the fruit of the tree of life! Genesis 3:22)

2.   I don’t know about you guys, but, only now (after I’ve considered I’ve read the bible a couple of times already) that I found out There are 2 trees in the garden.  The tree of Life and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. My mind was only stuck with the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I guess it’s because it’s the “forbidden tree”.  Is the reason why Adam and Eve didn’t die (or maybe didn’t even get old) was because they were eating of the fruit of the tree of Life?  So when they were thrown out of Eden, they can no longer eat the fruit and thus, they got old and died.

3.   My own thought is: God did not accept man's (Adam’s) excuse that the reason why he ate the forbidden fruit is because his wife gave it to him to eat.  Like Eve, Adam has “free will”.  He could have “chosen” not to eat the forbidden fruit.

4.   The “fear of God” is the consequence of the sin (original sin).  I say this because before they disobeyed God, they did not “fear” God.  They can easily and comfortably interact with God (they are like innocent babies).  I think Adam and Eve have come to know “shame” because of their nakedness but this “shame” is liken to “guilt”...since they know they've disobeyed God.

(disclaimer: the writer’s thoughts and not necessarily a teaching of the Catholic Church )

[Patricia]

I think Adam and Eve have come to know “shame” because of their nakedness but this “shame” is liken to “guilt”...since they know they've disobeyed God.

I find that thought very interesting . 

They can easily and comfortably interact with God (they are like innocent babies).

I have been browsing through 'The book of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich's vision of the life of Christ' and this is what part of it says  ' When Adam and Eve returned to the region of shining light, a radiant Figure like a majestic man with glittering white hair stood before them. He pointed around, and in few words appeared  to be giving all things over to them and to be commanding them
something. They did not look intimidated, but listened to him naturally. When he vanished, they appeared more satisfied, more happy.'

[pebbles]

The reason why I thought they were freely interacting with God is because in the bible passage it said something like "they heard God (you know, like footsteps ... God meandering through Eden ) and then they hid themselves."  We interact with God spiritually, but for them (Adam and Eve), God was physically there.  Well, he is their Dad, ... checking up on his kids 

[Shin]

Ah, I want to say more when I can sit down and look in my books.

It would be good to open up the Golden Chain and Cornelius a Lapide's commentaries.

I remember when I read about those rivers pebbles, and thought about people trying to locate Eden. I read a little about the search for it, and I recall, for what it's worth, one of the ideas expressed about the search was this that the Flood had so changed the geography of the world, the rivers were now not as they were in the past, which made it more difficult to locate.

There are a number of specific sins that Adam and Eve committed in the original sin, and these men and women, differently, have ever since been specifically vulnerable to. I do not however, recall all of what they are, I know I heard at least some of them in a sermon once, either on Sensus Traditionis or Audio Sancto, or both.

[odhiambo]

My understanding is that we lost Eden forever when we sinned.
God placed a Cherubim at the entrance to guard it against us ever reentering.
It is out of our reach, in this world anyhow.

[pebbles]

My understanding is that we lost Eden forever when we sinned.

I think we lost Eden only "temporarily".  Jesus redeemed us from our sin.  Jesus knows the way (He is the Way), if we are to follow Him, we'll get there.  And since He is "the" King, He can tell the Cherubim who guards the gate, "He's with me."   

[odhiambo]

My understanding is that we lost Eden forever when we sinned.

I think we lost Eden only "temporarily".  Jesus redeemed us from our sin.  Jesus knows the way (He is the Way), if we are to follow Him, we'll get there.  And since He is "the" King, He can tell the Cherubim who guards the gate, "He's with me."   

 

[Shin]

In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
And the earth was void & vacant, and darkness was upon the face of the depth: and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.
And God said: Be light made. And light was made.
And God saw the light that it was good: & he divided the light from the darkness.
And he called the light, Day, and the darkness, Night: and there was evening & morning, that made one day.
God also said: Be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide between waters & waters.
And God made a firmament, and divided the waters, that were under the firmament, from those, that were above the firmament. And it was so done.
And God called the firmament, Heaven: and there was evening & morning that made the second day.
God also said: Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done.
And God called the dry land, Earth: and the gathering of waters together, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:1-10

And in the Latin:

In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.
Terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.
Dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux.
Et vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona et divisit lucem ac tenebras.
Appellavitque lucem diem et tenebras noctem factumque est vespere et mane dies unus.
Dixit quoque Deus fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum et dividat aquas ab aquis.
Et fecit Deus firmamentum divisitque aquas quae erant sub firmamento ab his quae erant super firmamentum et factum est ita.
Vocavitque Deus firmamentum caelum et factum est vespere et mane dies secundus.
Dixit vero Deus congregentur aquae quae sub caelo sunt in locum unum et appareat arida factumque est ita.
Et vocavit Deus aridam terram congregationesque aquarum appellavit maria et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.

There is the word 'firmament' --  one can see that it is in the Latin as well as the original Douay-Rheims. Firmamentum.

The Haydock commentary:

'As St. Matthew begins his Gospel with the same title as this work, the Book of the Generation, or Genesis, so St. John adopts the first words of Moses, in the beginning; but he considers a much higher order of things, even the consubstantial Son of God, the same with God from all eternity, forming the universe, in the beginning of time, in conjunction with the other two Divine Persons, by the word of his power; for all things were made by Him, the Undivided Deity.'

So we see the link between Genesis and St. John.

'The first cause of all things must be God, who, in a moment, spoke, and heaven and earth were made, heaven with all the Angels; and the whole mass of the elements, in a state of confusion, and blended together, out of which the beautiful order, which was afterwards so admirable, arose in the space of six days: thus God was pleased to manifest his free choice in opposition to those Pagans who attributed all to blind chance or fate. Heaven is here placed first, and is not declared empty and dark like the earth; that we may learn to raise our minds and hearts above this land of trial, to that our true country, where we may enjoy God for ever.'

'Spirit of God, giving life, vigour, and motion to things, and preparing the waters for the sacred office of baptism, in which, by the institution of Jesus Christ, we must be born again; and, like spiritual fishes, swim amid the tempestuous billows of this world.'

'While our hemisphere enjoys the day, the other half of the world  is involved in darkness. St. Augustine supposes the fall and punishment of the apostate angels are here insinuated.'

'A firmament. By this name is here understood the whole space between the earth and the highest stars. The lower part of which divideth the waters that are upon the earth, from those that are above in the clouds.'

'The Hebrew Rokia is translated stereoma, solidity by the Septuagint., and expansion by most of the moderns. The heavens are often represented as a tent spread out, Psalm. ciii. 3.'

The commentary mentions Psalm 103, let's go look at it.

My soul bless thou our Lord: O Lord my God thou art magnified exceedingly.
Thou hast put on confession and beauty: being clothed with light as with a garment:
Stretching out the heaven as a skin:
which coverest the higher parts thereof with waters.
Which makest the cloud for thee to ascend on: which walkest upon the wings of winds.
Which makest spirits thine Angels: and thy ministers a burning fire.
Which hast founded the earth upon the stability thereof: it shall not be inclined for ever and ever:
The depth, as a garment, is his clothing: upon the mountains shall waters stand.
At thy reprehension they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear.
The mountains ascend: and the plain fields descend into the place, which thou hast founded for them.
Thou hast set a bound, which they shall not pass over: neither shall they return to cover the earth.
Which sendest forth fountains in the vales: between the middest of mountains shall waters passe.
All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.
Over them shall the fowls of the air inhabit: out of the midst of rocks they shall go forth voices.
Watering the mountains from his higher places: of the fruit of thy work shall the earth be filled:
Bringing forth grass for beasts, and herb for the service of men.
That thou mayst bring forth bread out of the earth:
and wine may make the heart of man joyful:
That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and bread may confirm the heart of man.

Psalm 103:1-11

It's a passage that also you can feel the link to Genesis. And it is a good idea to read the rest of it.

And John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.
This was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing. That which was made,
in him was life, and the life was the light of men:
and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

...

I will note that while the psalm speaks of material creation, all of the material has a spiritual meaning. Finding the spiritual meaning is simplest if you read the saints for they will often bring it out.

The image of the sky spread out like a skin or a tent, is particularly striking, no?