Genesis
Quick Synopsis: God creates the heavens and the earth (see list of days below). Adam is created on the 6th day....On the 7th day God rests. Everything is good except Adam is lonely. God creates Eve out of Adams rib. Adam and Eve walk with God in the garden, they name things (intellectualize ect,) The only thing they cannot do is eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve is tempted to eat the fruit by the snake, Adam has some as well. God gets angry and banishes them from the Garden They are cursed to have painful child-birth and hard work. Humanity is separated from God and they are banished from Paradise.
Notes: God's name is YHWH which means, I will be who I will be. God's name forewarns us of trying to comprehend predict of calculate god's presence. The proper name of God is not to be spoken. No human can see God in his full Glory but his ethical intentions can be known . We can't see his face or essence but we can know him by his ways. We discover God's way in the created whole. Human reason has an elevated position. It is by rational observations that we come to know God in our finite ways.
Things to keep in mind:
-God's unpredictability
-God's Grace
-Account 1 = something commanded
2= something restricted
Account 1:
God creates the world. In the beginning he is talking to himself not about himself. "Let there be light" is not a command it is said and it is.
1st day Light
2nd day Heaven
3rd day Dry Land and seas
4th day Sun Moon and Stars
5th day Water Sea Life and birds
6th day land animals and man
The story of creation moves in ascending order from lesser to higher. Only men can change his ways. We are the pinnacle of creation
Man is created in the image of God. Our rational intellect gives us the image of God.
Second Creation Account (not rival but sequel):
In paradise Adam and Eve rationalized (perhaps Adam was the first philospher?). Adam and Eve existed above the distinction of good and bad.
Fruit is forbidden snake tempts them Adam and Eve eat fruit. They are taken away from truth and given to passions. Instead of good and bad there is good and evil.
When God finds out he goes into a rage! But then he gives them clothes - he cannot be predicted. It is wrong to single out single episodes. We must live with the co-existence of all his ways.
Characters:
YHWH: Transcendent God (utterly outside of and other than and before world)
Adam: generic term for person or earth bound human
Eve: Was made out of Adams rib
Serpent: Is a liar
Notes: The Hebrew bible was understood to have divine origins. The torah (the five books of moses) was communicated through Moses to the People
Terms:
Image: (is not a shape of configuration) it is the true reality of a thing
Eloyhim: is earthly ruler or "god"