Sacred Assembly

6.  Genesis 3.  Discuss the roles of the serpent, woman, and man in Genesis 3, noting especially how tradition departs from the text (cite specific texts and differences).  In the remainder of your essay, discuss the consequences which resulted from the humans’ sin in terms of their relationship with God, with each other, and with creation (as evidenced in the text).  Finally, take each judgment in turn and explain your interpretation of their meaning.  In what way does Christ’s coming impact these judgments?   (30 pts)

Traditionally, we think of the serpent as Satan, the symbol of evil.  However, in Genesis 3 there is no connection to evil or sin.  In fact, what the serpent tells Eve is all true; he never lies.  When he tells Eve “you will not die (4),” he speaks truth.  He does deceive her, but the deceit has no motives.  This concludes that the serpent was simply an animal of God’s kingdom that was much more “crafty,” as the Bible says, than all the rest of the animals.  We have modernized the role of the serpent in this passage by adding that he wanted Eve to eat of the fruit as revenge on God, but there is no support for that claim. 

In the same way, we have blown out of proportion the role of the woman, or Eve as she is later named.  Many Christians today will say that Eve manipulated Adam into eating the fruit.  This claim is very wrong.  The text states, “She took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband (6).”  There is no persuasion or deceit in her actions.  Eve saw sense in what the serpent had to say.  Yes, she blatantly ignored what God commanded and we are unable to know her thought process, but by the account the author gave us we can only conclude that she ate the fruit and handed it off to her husband; no words of coaxing.

However, we do not chastise Adam enough for his lack of action.  Adam “was with her” when Eve took of the fruit.  He was watching and did nothing, said nothing! People today blame the fall from God on Eve because she had weak faith, but they disregard the evidence that supports Adam was a part of this lack of faith as well.  Traditionally, Adam is seen as innocent, but the text says otherwise.  There is a modern law about negligence that states if you do nothing to stop the crime you are equally responsible for the consequences.  Adam falls into this category of negligence.  To go further, Adam throws Eve under the bus and blames God for giving him the unfaithful companion.  “The woman whom you gave to be with me (12),” is how Adam tries to persuade God that he is not at fault.  God is just and turns to Eve to get her side of the story.  Eve’s reaction of blaming the serpent is luckily accurate in today’s teachings. 

The discrepancies between text and Sunday school teachings are startling to me.  A lot of the responsibility is pinned on Eve, when she is not the only one at fault.  Similarly, too much credit is given to Satan for tricking them into eating the fruit.  The serpent should not be categorized as Satan because the Hebrews did not believe in Satan, yet. 
            On the subject of consequences, God gives equal punishment to the man and the woman.  He takes away the equality man and woman: “your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you (16).”  I believe that God did this, not as a punishment for Eve, but as a standard so that she cannot be blamed again for inaction of her husband.  The husband is not the official carrier of the family.  Eve receives increased childbirth pangs.  These pangs are not necessarily pain but can mean that along with toil and multiplication of seed.  I see this punishment as a reminder.  Every timel a woman has a child, it is a potential separation from God.  To disobey might result in punishment for that child; it is a warning for the mother.  Eve is separated from her husband but is expected to be the “mother of all living (20),” as Adam names her.  God does not place a specific separation between Him and Eve, but I think that the rift between man and woman creates a wider rift between God and woman.  For Adam, God takes things more physically when talking about provision.  The man must provide for his family, but it is now going to be full of toil and strife.  Man will work the ground until he “returns to the ground, for out of it you were taken (19).”  This is a separation of God and humanity.  God will no longer provide easy access to His creations; Man must work for it.  I believe this punishment also serves as a reminder.  Man will look at the earth and know that God once gave freely until human greed broke the intimacy. 

            At the very end, God “sent forth” Man from the Garden of Eden so that they would be unable to reach the tree of life – the only thing keeping them from becoming equal to God.  This is a direct separation from God.  He is taking away the intimate relationship that they shared while in the garden.  For this reason, some Christians characterize this as the “fall of humanity.”  Fortunately, this is not the fall of humanity because sin has not come to be defined.  A separation from God is a more accurate interpretation.  

12. The ones the Pharaoh should’ve feared.  Discuss the role women play in the first two chapters of Exodus in thwarting Pharaoh’s plans.  Be sure to explain the objectives of the plans, how and why the women thwarted those plans, and the consequences of the women’s actions.  Point out elements of irony and humor in the stories.  Why do you think women play such a prominent role in these chapters?  (20 pts)

You need women to multiply the population; that is a fact.  The women were thwarting Pharaoh’s plans before he even realized it.  The women are what make the nations great, both in size and in morals.  When they were being oppressed is when more babies were being made.  This is the first irony to surround the women of the Israelites.  Why Pharaoh would ask Hebrew women, women of their own nation, to kill off their own nation’s babies, and actually think they would comply is beyond me.  But, he does so anyway.  Shiphrah and Puah use the Egyptian’s grudge against the Israelites to their advantage when asked to kill the babies.  They claim, “the Hebrew women are vigorous” signaling barbarity towards Hebrew women.  This is in favor of the Egyptian’s views, so it successfully tricks them and the midwives do not have to kill a single child.  Hebrew tradition finds humor when the underdog can pull the wool over the superior’s eyes and get away with it.  Because these women risked being revealed as liars and ultimately death to save God’s chosen people, God grants them families.  They are rewarded for doing what was right. 

I think the movie depicts the scene in chapter two quite accurately.  The Hebrew mother might not have manipulated the placement of the basket, but I think she did.  The sister was cunning when she spoke up to fetch a nurse for the child, knowing Pharaoh’s daughter would need one.  The irony begins when we learn it is Pharaoh’s daughter who finds the child; the daughter of the man trying to rid his land of Hebrew male children.  Moses’s real mother was able to rear him without controversy. 

God knows that women’s roles in Bible times are minimal.  He knows that they are the last on the totem pole, and I think that is why He allows them to save the day over and over again.  Because of their status, women are less likely to take pride in their actions, and instead give the glory to God.  God is about to do the miracle that will be remembered for generations and He needs the women’s help to make sure the men do not get carried away.  Women play an important role in the beginnings of the plan because if the women are with God then the men will follow suit.