Our second story begins at verse 4. First, it tells us that the world was created in one (the) day. There was no vegetation, and the earth was completely covered with water. God took dust and formed the man – not people – the man, Adam. God planted the garden, Eden, and put the man in it. The garden was somewhere in the east, and a river flowed out of it to water the garden. The next thing is curious – we are told there is gold and nice rocks there. Then we are told there are three more rivers in the area. Adam’s job is to take care of the garden, and he can eat anything except for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If he eats that, God says, he will die. The next section is pivotal and often completely misunderstood: God says that it isn’t right for the man to be alone, so God will make a helper for him. What comes next? Nope, not Eve; God creates all the animals and brings them to Adam one by one to be named, but verse 20 tells us that, “for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.” Yes – Genesis 2 clearly says that God did not know what a partner for the man should be. As I tell my congregation often, I am not making this up.
This is when God puts Adam to sleep, takes a rib, and makes the woman. Not a clone; then Eve would have had to be male. And they were both naked and unashamed. At the end, we are told the moral of the story: “Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (verse 24). Chapter 3 continues the story of how the serpent told Eve the truth about the Tree; they, in fact, would not die if they ate it. And they didn’t. But that is for another day. You can see that this story; the order of creation, the condition of the earth, and the way the man and woman are created, are all completely different from Genesis 1. These are two different stories from two different strands/tribes/traditions that were placed in the Bible. They were not meant to be literal; they are stories about why things are the way they are.
As I wrote yesterday, the Apostle Paul used this story to explain why men are ordained by God to be in control over women. This is why some of the New Testament writers wrote that women should be silent in church, or should ask their man if they have questions, or are saved through bearing children. This is why many religious people will not vote for a woman to be president. It is the foundation for misogyny and male domination, and it is a lie. In Genesis 1, we are told in verse 27 that, “God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God they were created; male and female God created them.” In Genesis 2, God does not seem to know what a partner for the man is. It is very clear. These are metaphors, not science.
When I lead Bible Study, I often ask who benefits from the passage we are reading. If women suffer, men gain power. If one tribe is demonized, the other tribe is given dominance. In Genesis 1, God wins. In Genesis 2, women lose. I don’t think God picks sides; I think we are all created in the image of God, regardless of gender, sex, color, or shape. If being in the image of God is spiritual, then the physical is just who we are, not how we are saved. Love yourself and ignore the people who use the Bible for hateful purposes; that isn’t what it is meant for.
Prayer – Holy God, help us to use Your words for good, not evil. Teach us to think rather than regurgitate. Help us to grow in faith. Amen.
Today’s art is “The Creation” by Alexsandra.