More on Creation & Adam and Eve

More on Creation & Adam and Eve

Sabbath Covenant With Creation • In creating the world – God is swearing covenant with the universe • More than master and slaves; more than creator and creatures • “So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation” • God invites us into that rest • REST – represents covenant relationship w/ creation

Time and Creation • What was God doing before he created? • “Nothing he didn’t have the time” –St. Augustine • Time and space are different for God • Exist for creatures • God fills all of time

“Omnipresent” • We speak of God as “omnipresent” • Omnipresent – God is everywhere – He cannot move • Why not? There is no place that he is not • God fills space to overflowing • Space cannot contain the infinite glory of God

Time • Time is an experience of limited creatures like humans • We move forward in time • God fills all of time • For God – past, present and the future are one simultaneous moment • One eternal present

Creation is Good • Some say the soul is good but the body is a necessary evil we need to get through this world • Genesis contradicts this • After each thing God creates we read “God saw that it was good” • Body and soul – both good • God uses these instruments to redeem us • If we sin with out bodies – God uses Christ’s body to redeem and restore us • We are material things for spiritual ends

Human Beings in the Image of God • Human beings were the very last thing that God creates: • ““Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

What does it mean to be created in the Image of God and after his Likeness? • God is our Father • “We are created with the ability to have a loving relationship with God, our father. We were given ‘the inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman’ from the moment out existence began” (CCC 376) • We are like God • We have intelligence, free will and the capacity to love • We have physical bodies and rational souls • Human life possesses great sacredness • We are all sacred because every person is created in God’s image • No human is beyond redemption • Our work has special value • Our dignity comes not from what we do, but our work has dignity because we bear the image of God

What does it mean to be created in the Image of God and after his Likeness? • “Being in the image of God the human individual possess the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.” (CCC 357)

The Marriage Covenant • God created us male and female • “God created man and woman as equal but complementary persons meant to join in a family relationship” • Marriage was not created by man, but by God the moment He created man and woman • “What God has joined together, let no man asunder” • Marriage was created to be fruitful • God created human family in his own image and likeness • We are called to be fruitful and multiply in the image of God – in love and virtue

The Marriage Covenant Man and woman were made “for each other” – not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be “helpmate” to the other, for they are equal as persons (“bone of my bones…”) and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming “one flesh”, they can transmit human life: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gn 1:28). By transmitting human life to their descendants, man and woman as spouses and parents cooperate in a unique way in the Creator’s work. (CCC 372)

The Fall (Genesis 3) • Adam and Eve both disobey God • Hebrew word for “serpent” is nahash which goes beyond referring to a snake, but rather a powerful evil creature • Deadly, a liar, and a murderer • “the day you eat of the tree of knowledge you shall die” -God • “you shall not die” –serpent • Who was right? • Adam and Eve do not die a physical death, rather they die a spiritual death • They lost original holiness and original justice • Chose to love themselves more than God • They run and hide from their Father after being disobedient

The Fall – Spiritual Death • Read beginning of Genesis Chapter 3 • Element of truth in Satan’s lie • You will not die a physical death • Lost much more than natural life – lost supernatural life • This is true death worse than losing natural/bodily lives • Choice – preserve that natural life or preserve supernatural life in their souls • Adam and Eve – original sin – “transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted” • Adam and Eve’s sin – opened to shame of their own nakedness and sin • Ashamed they run and hide from their Father

Adam and Eve Run and Hide • “Where are you?” (Gn 3:8) • “Who told you that you were naked?” (Gn 3:11) • “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Gn 3:11) • “What is this that you have done?” (Gn 3:13) • Why does God ask these questions? Doesn’t he already know all?

Adam and Eve Run and Hide • “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I ate” (Gn 3:12) • “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate” (Gn 3:13)

God Curses Serpent • God promises to send one who will conquer the serpent • “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gn 3:15) • The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the “New Adam” who, because he “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross”, makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience of Adam. Furthermore, the woman announced in this passage as Mary, the mother of Christ, the “new Eve”; Mary benefitted first of all and uniquely from Christ’s victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life (CCC 411)

The Curse • Adam and Eve bring suffering into the world • Sin is reason for suffering • All good things God planned tainted by suffering • Because of their sin God warns: • Carrying out “fruitful” – childbirth will be painful • Family life still in image of God – but relationships marred by sin • Work –designed to be joyful – will be toil and carried out with difficulty • Life itself will end in suffering – physical death is inevitable

The Curse • Curse is not revenge by God! • Do not confuse God’s wrath as the opposite of God’s love • God’s wrath is a manifestation of his love • When we disobey God be refuse his love • We cannot escape his love • Opening back up to his love is repentance • Wrath is supposed to lead us to repentance • Repentance • Involves a change of thinking and living • Suffering isn’t evil in itself any longer • Suffering • Part of God’s plan to teach us love • Embrace suffering as a needed remedy for sin • Curse is not revenge by God! • It is the cure for their illness!

Evil in the World • Once evil entered the world it took firm root • Adam and Eve • Two sons – Cain and Abel • Cain kills able • Ex. of evil entering the world to stay • Why does Cain kill Abel? • Angry b/c Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God and his was not • Cain didn’t give from his best • Cain becomes resentful of Abel • Envy – one of the 7 deadly sins • Thought he was being persecuted and treated unfairly • 7 deadly sins (cardinal sins): • Pride, lust, greed, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth

Evil Line of Cain • Not abandoned by God, but is punished and banished to be a wanderer • “my punishment is too much to bear” - Cain • Land of Nod meaning “wandering” • Descendants of Cain – • With his wife has son Enoch • End of Chapter 4 lists the rest of this line • Lamech – seven generations down from Cain • Note importance of number 7 as symbol for perfection in the Bible • Lamech has first record of polygamy

Evil Line of Cain • Lamech – has two wives – polygamy • Breaks the marriage covenant • Women treated as objects to be possessed instead of with dignity and respect • Treats men as objects too – killing whenever he wants • People aren’t treated as images of God • We see how much evil has been brought into the world

Seth • Adam and Eve have another son Seth • Seth’s family line are considered followers of God • Very different from Cain’s line • Seth’s line does things not for their glory like Cain’s line, but for the glory of God • City of God begins and God’s covenant family finally progressing • Seth was Adam’s son in the same way that Adam was God’s son. God isn’t just our creator. God is our Father as well

Caininites and Sethites • Two very different families living together on earth • Caninites • Saw war and personal glory • “daughters of men” – descendants of Cain • Sethites • Worshipped God, but still sin in world • “Sons of God” – God’s image and likeness • Line of Seth isn’t perfect though • Still tempted by sin

Caininites and Sethites • Lines began to intermarry • Sin is taking over • We see evil throughout the world • Descendants of Lamech are • Unjust, violent men building a culture of evil • God grieves over the wickedness of man • Only one righteous blameless man left: noah, his wife, and 3 sons

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