Day One: Genesis 1-3

Today we are beginning a journey through the Bible following the Hebrew order of the Old Testament. You will notice, if you haven't already, that there doesn't seem to be much difference between the Hebrew order, and what we find in our English versions of the Bible. For some time, that will hold true. In fact it won't be until after we have finished the book of Judges that we will encounter our first small difference. But the goal isn't to be widely different, but simply to follow the traditional Hebrew order of books which are divided into three sections: Law, Prophets, and Writings (or Torah, Naviim, and Ketuviim as they would say in Hebrew).

Section one is the Law, which is the five books of Moses with which you are likely quite familiar. So we begin our journey in Genesis, and I would like to share some of my own reflections each day as we make our way through these chapters. As I read, my personal goal is to focus, as far as possible, on what God is doing throughout the narrative. I want to understand better how God is working to influence the lives of those written about, and to consider how these things speak to the circumstances of today. I want to know God better, but I also want to be better aware of His present-day activity, especially in my own life.

Having read the early chapters of Genesis more times than I could count, it seems nearly impossible that I might find something new to consider in their words, but the Bible never fails to surprise me. Genesis 1 is the beginning of the story—the beginning of every story, really—and we find in it a descriptive account of the Creation of life here on our planet (life which exists elsewhere in the universe is not part of the conversation, though I'm convinced there are other worlds far beyond our own which were designed and built in much the same way as ours). And here is what I found fascinating this time, as I read through the description of Creation again: Notice all of the care and effort and skill God invested into this planet; and He did it all to prepare it as a place of life for someone other than Himself. It was truly a gift, especially for the human race, whom God appointed as rulers of earth. The act of Creation (which was really a series of actions carried out over a period of six days) was a thoughtful, deeply self-less act, conducted every step of the way with the intention of "handing over the keys" to a species of beings that would be created to be like God (as far as humanly possible). How awesome is that!

In Chapter 2 we come to what is essentially the conclusion of the first Creation description (I say first, because Chapter 2 adds some details to what seems to be day 6 of Chapter One's creation). Within this conclusion come some of the most frequently overlooked words in all of the Bible.

"So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy."

I don't want to get ahead of the narrative and go into Bible study mode, but think about the significance of this statement, especially as it is given on the heels of the declaration in Genesis 1:31—

"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

Having looked at His perfectly-created world, earth's seventh day becomes a rest day. God rested from Creation, but He didn't just rest, He declared the seventh day the first ever holiday (literally, a "holy-day").

As I enter the New Year, my goal is to seek after holiness. I want to experience greater holiness in my own life, to pay better attention to those things that God deems holy, and to forsake anything which might diminish the holiness which God has established in and around me. So when I encounter this statement, that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, it gives me reason to pause (hey, isn't that a synonym for "rest"?). Rather than rushing by and hurrying on to the next scene in the narrative, I am compelled to stop (another synonym), and to acknowledge the weight of what I have just been told: here is holiness.

Chapter 3 introduces the first conflict in the story, and it centers around a tree that was introduced in Chapter 2: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I find the full description to be interesting. (We sometimes abbreviate it to "the tree of knowledge", but it is not just knowledge that the tree gives, but the knowledge of good and evil.) I can see how this tree can be a conflict in my own life. I am the type of person who likes to know things. I don't make up my mind until I know things, and how else can a person know things unless they investigate and even experience them? There is value to this approach to learning, but it also has its dangers. Every experience is not healthy or enriching. Some experiences can bring harm, destruction, devastation. This is why God did not want us to taste that particular fruit—because some knowledge brings pain. Some knowledge brings death.

Oh! But knowledge can be so enticing (i.e., tempting). It's one thing to believe that something is harmful because someone else told you so. It's another thing entirely to have tested the theory, and to have come away with a personal conclusion (you never know; maybe the one who told me it would hurt was wrong!) As you might figure, I was the type of child who touches the hot stove, even though (and probably because) mom says that it is hot, and it will hurt. Because I need to know from my own experience. How foolish that is!

And I guess, here's my takeaway: God has provided an abundance of "trees" that are both "pleasant to the eyes and good for food" (drawing on the words of Genesis 2:9). If I can learn to be content with the things that God has made readily available for my enjoyment and benefit, my life will be full of joy and peace and delight. Exploring other "trees"—simply for the experience and knowledge—can lead to pain, harm and destruction. I want to learn to rely more on God's wisdom, and trust less in my own foolishness.

Did you have any insights that you'd be willing to share with me? I'd be happy to hear them!

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Bonus Material: Did you know that The Book of Mormon seems to suggest that God wanted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and that we are better off, and have greater freedom and a greater capacity for happiness because they did. Here is what it says in 2 Nephi 2:22-25:

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

What do you think:

Are we better off having experienced sin than if we had obeyed God?

Is it plausible that God gave Adam a commandment which would produce a more desirable outcome if it were disobeyed?