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They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
--------------------
This is the ‘track 2’ optional Old Testament selection to be read aloud on the second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5), Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will precede the singing of Psalm 130, where a lyric is: “If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, O Lord, who could stand?” Those readings will then introduce the Epistle selection from second Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”
It should be noted that this Sunday is the only place in the lectionary schedule of readings where either the 1 Samuel choice or this from Genesis 3 will ever be read. Since there will be no time when both will be read on the same day, there is a chance that favoritism can lead a priest to choose one over the other, meaning the one not chosen may never be read aloud in certain churches. The lectionary creation of track 1 and track 2 options, which combine Old Testament and Psalms together as pairs, should be followed for an entire Ordinary after Pentecost season, meaning if track 2 is chosen on this second Sunday, then track 2 must be the choice every Sunday when an option is presented.
I have found that the way to view Genesis chapters two and three is as recognizing the metaphor of the divine, when it is presented in a worldly setting. The symbolism is heaven on earth, where the scenes of Adam and Eve and a serpent are more than the limitations of most ancient individuals. They are projections of all human beings ever after, who are heaven and earth together, as souls in bodies of flesh.
Moses was not capable of knowing anything about what happened in the history of Yahweh, before he was born and matured to have a brain that could have studied such history. Moses was a soul in a body of flesh who had married Yahweh and become divinely knowledgeable of this history; and, as the wife of Yahweh, his soul was shown what later became the stories of the Torah that predate the historical record of the Israelites who were led by Moses. Thus, all that was shown Moses is the truth; but that truth can be seen as projecting a spiritual presence in the worldly realm, in ways that reflect normal human existence [anthropomorphism].
This means that “man” [“hā·’ā·ḏām”] was not the first male human being, as those were created by the “elohim” on day six. The “man” Christians love to call ‘Adam’ was made on the seventh day – the day Yahweh designated as “holy.” Since there have been no other ‘days’ written of in the Scriptures of Moses, the world is still in the ‘seventh day’ today. Since scientists have ‘proven’ the world was created over billions of years ago [calculated as complete circuits of the sun around planet earth], the first ‘six days’ means a ‘day’ is a very long time. Nothing close to a very long time has passed since it became the “seventh day,” which God blessed as holy. Therefore, “man” called 'Adam' was the first ‘Holy man,’ whose presence on earth would begin knowledge of the spiritual realm being present on earth.
In this story, we also read about “the woman” [“hā·’iš·šāh”], who Christian brains love to call ‘Eve.’ The Hebrew word that tells of her is “ishshah,” which means “woman, wife, female.” (Strong’s) It must be understood that “ishshah” was also made by the hand of Yahweh, where the element of a “rib” [“tsela”] is relative to the sex chromosome of “man,” which is “XY.” One of those ‘ribs’ was duplicated, as “XX,” so “man” was recreated as “woman.” Both “man” and “woman” were exactly the same, except one had a penis and one had a vagina. When they were created and when they lived happily in Eden, they were born immature, therefore children of neuter gender. This means “man” and “woman” were incapable of reproducing; and, as divine creations of Yahweh, placed in a surreal setting that was heaven on earth, there was no need for immortal creations from the hand of Yahweh to need to reproduce.
This brings us to chapter three, where the “serpent” [“nachash”] tricks "woman." In Genesis 3:1 [not read aloud today] is written: “Now the serpent was more cunning,” from “wə·han·nā·ḥāš hā·yāh ‘ā·rūm.” In that, the Hebrew verb “hayah” is translated as “was,” but this must be seen as a statement of “being” that in relative to those ancient times. The "serpent's" state of being “was” how the “serpent” had “fallen out, came to pass, became, be.” (Strong’s) Thus, the “serpent” had also been made by the hand of Yahweh and given traits that made it “be crafty, shrewd, sensible” [from “arum”]. This should be recognized as the gift of intelligence or higher brain cognitive abilities. This then set the “serpent” on a higher level of intelligence “than any beast of the field.”
That designation is stated in the Hebrew of Moses as “mik·kōl ḥay·yaṯ haś·śā·ḏeh,” where the roots – “kol chay sadeh” – say, “all alive on earth” [more than "any beast of the field"]. This includes all the animals “man” had named; and, it included all the human beings that ran around earth like cavemen and cavewomen, along with “holy man” and “holy woman” counted in that number. The "serpent" was more cunning than them all.
Because “man” had learned to name animals and had learned to know what not to eat from the garden, even having the intellectual ability to teach “woman” the same rules, the ability to think is not what the “serpent” possessed. Yahweh gave the “serpent” the ability to influence thoughts in “mankind” [an acceptable translation for “adam”]. This is because "cunning" means "showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion." When the most of this kind of intelligence, there would have been no one capable of knowing the "serpent" fibbed all the time.
Added to that statement that says the “serpent was more cunning than all living on earth,” the segment that follows says, “that had made Yahweh elohim.” In this is found one of the nine references to “Yah-weh” made in Genesis 3, with all nine adding “elohim” to His name. In Genesis 1, there were no references whatsoever to “Yah-weh,” but thirty-two references to “elohim,” all of which have been translated to teach readers of the Christian English Bibles – “God” created everything - because "elohim" ["gods"] has been written as "God." Thus, when finding “Yahweh elohim” written in Genesis 3, the same translators have to still refer to “elohim” as “God,” making “Yahweh” translate as “Lord,” or “the Lord God” ["Yahweh elohim"]. If that was the truth, then why wasn’t the first day of Creation also “holy”?
The answer is “Yahweh” means “Yahweh,” the "Only One God” and “elohim” are the “gods” created by Yahweh to make things for Him, at His command. This makes “elohim” be “all alive on earth,” simply because “alive” means having a soul. Therefore, all “elohim” are “spirits” [including souls] that can be called little-g “gods,” simply because they are eternal sources of life that animates bodies of flesh on earth. That says “all beasts of the land” have souls; but only “man” and “woman” [the “Day six” and “Day seven” varieties] have brains that think better than “all the others” [except the "serpent"]. That is why the “gods” [at the unwritten command of Yahweh] gave “man” [“male and female they made them”] dominion over everything on earth; and, it is why Yahweh allowed “holy man” to name all the animals [including the “serpent”].
It is so important to realize this, as the “serpent” did not just crawl out of a hole in the ground and create itself. It was made by the hand of God, as a spirit of life that was given the talent of influence.
In an Education for Ministry course I enrolled in [the only one – the first – which presented the Old Testament], when we discussed the ‘fall from grace’ I made the basic observation: “God knew Adam and Eve would sin.” A woman [raised Roman Catholic, converted to Episcopalianism] screamed out, “How could God know that!?!?” I responded, “Because God is omniscient.”
This is how the presentation of the story of ‘Adam and Eve’ is told in human terms, where it seems Yahweh is just like our parents, who have no clue about all the dirty little secrets us children hide from them. Thus, that woman read the story of Genesis 3 with the basic mind of a child, as if she were “holy woman” being tricked by the big, bad snake in the grass. If Genesis 3 were a Disney movie and she was in the theater it was being shown, she probably would shout at the screen, "Don't listen to him Eve!" The theatrics overtake the truth.
It must be with this insight that one sees “woman.” She was destined to be influenced by the “serpent;” and, Yahweh knew this would lead “man” to follow suit, as he and “woman” were of the same physical make-up (other than the different sex organs that they had). In this, verse 8 says, “in the garden at the time of the evening breeze.” This has come from the Hebrew that states, “bag·gān lə·rū·aḥ hay·yō·wm,” which has roots in “gan ruach yom,” or “enclosure spirit day.”
While this gives an idyllic image of some giant walking, so the sound of giant footsteps are heard as evening has come, the truth written says the “spirit contained within” [not "evening of day in the garden"]. Both “man” and “woman” – those made on the “seventh day” – “heard” Yahweh’s vibrations in their souls [the "ruach" of “breath”]. There is nothing stated that says “evening” has come. One should imagine that there is never any darkness in the “garden of Eden, as that is where "Yahweh’s souls" [“Yahweh elohim”] live. If anything, the timing would be the dawning of judgment that was about to come.
When the translation of verse 8 states, “the man and his wife hid themselves,” this is false and misleading. The Hebrew states “hā·’ā·ḏām wə·’iš·tōw,” where it is still “man and woman,” where they must be seen as still children, albeit those having reached the equivalent stage of puberty. The translation of “woman” as “wife” implies that “man” and “woman” were married in a sexual way, where propagation was the reason. Neither of the two had any idea about sexual intercourse or the need to make babies, as at that time they were still living souls in the place that reflected heaven on earth. Therefore, they were still immortal creature – without any age attached to immortality – although the time had come when both physical bodies had matured to the point of having their eyes opened to the arousal that comes from realizing another's nakedness. That is what caused them to cover themselves; but, both were still virgins.
In verse 11, Yahweh asked two questions, which are interrelated. The first is, “Who told you that you were naked?” That says the immediate response to “man’s” claim that he and “woman” were hiding, because they were” naked” [“erom”] was the first indication that anything physically had changed in their bodies. More than “woman” starting to display breasts, the “man” would have a quite obvious erection that would need to be covered. This realization would have been absolutely unique, if neither “man” nor “woman” had ever seen the animals of Eden go into heat or mate [heavenly beasts would also have no need to reproduce]. To realize they were having sexual urges that needed to be masked or covered says nothing in the “garden” [“enclosure”] needed to reproduce, as all were “elohim” or the souls reflective of physical creatures on earth, outside of that “enclosure.”
This means the immediate follow-up question: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” made the first question rhetorical, as Yahweh knew the answer to both questions, having planned for this event to occur. This brings up the bigger issue that is relative to Genesis 2, which is the “two trees in the center of the garden.” The first of those was the “tree of life” [“wə·‘êṣ ha·ḥay·yîm” – from “ets chay”]; and, the second was the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” [“wə·‘êṣ had·da·‘a ṭō·wḇ wā·rā‘” – from “ets daath towb ra’”]. This duality must be realized as the tree of soul [life] and the tree of flesh [intellect and pleasure]. Because “man” and “woman” covered themselves from self-awareness [knowledge] and therefore knew they had broken a rule [sin of pleasure], they had naturally transitioned both of themselves from immortal spirits to human forms with souls. They ate from the tree of common "mankind," turning away from spiritual "man" and spiritual "woman."
When Genesis 2:17 has Yahweh giving instructions to “man” that said, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die,” the certainty of death was not instant. Because “man” and “woman” were immortal creations of the seventh ‘day’ and not normal cave dwellers that routinely reproduced, like normal animals on earth, Yahweh promised them that they would never face mortality, unless they chose to break the one law that forever kept them immortal. Once that law was broken, there could be no turning back and undoing a wrong. Forgiveness of that sin was impossible.
This "sin" is then the rule that applies to all human beings, for all times, saying: “You must not worship the physical realm or your soul will forever find mortality its redemption [reincarnation].” It is solidly reflected in the First Commandment that says, “You shall not wear the face of anyone other than Yahweh’s face” [including your own face]. It says no sinners can ever be allowed to enter into heaven.
This is why Jesus told Nicodemus [last Sunday's Gospel reading]: "No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." the "man" who was God's only begotten "Son" was here on the verge of Yahweh's judgment that would have him "descend from heaven." Nine hundred thirty solar years later, the divine soul of 'Adam' would ascend to heaven, having never forgotten the lessons of the Father, teaching his sons to be priests of Yahweh. His soul paid the price of ignorance, never sinning again; and, that soul was returned to assist Yahweh's development of religion multiple times, including an incarnation named Jesus.
The death of “man” would then come after he had been banished from Eden - after nine hundred thirty years (a sign of having been made by the hand of Yahweh Himself). Seeing that time span as beginning when ‘Adam’ was a mature creature, estimated to be around the earthly equivalent of eighteen years of age, one can estimate that one-fifth of his flesh’s development occurred while technically still immortal. That means the body of ‘Adam’ existed for 232 earth years, while he was in Eden. It took that much time [time does not exist in the spiritual realm] just to reach an physical stage of development that made reproduction able. ‘Eve,’ on the other hand, was made after Yahweh had made ‘man,” so if she was the equivalent of thirteen when banished, she would have only existed in Eden for a little more than 167 earth years. This is where the “serpent” comes in, as the influencer of “woman,” not “man.”
While both ‘Adam” and ‘Eve’ were going through natural biological changes, due to the fact that Yahweh had made them male and female for the purpose of mating, that coupling could not take place in the immortal realm. The “serpent” was therefore programmed [so to speak] by Yahweh to monitor that biological development and influence them when biological maturity was reached. Whereas, it would have been inevitable that both “man” and “woman” had interactions with the “serpent” over the time that all were placed in the enclosure together [“man” would have named it “serpent”], there could have been times when the “serpent” assessed “man’s” sexual development and coaxed him to touch himself in certain places. While “man” had most likely experienced temptations to experience self-pleasure, there would never have been any breakdown of his commitment to go against the one Law that could not be broken. Pleasing the body [the tree of knowledge of pleasure and pain] would never become more important than pleasing Yahweh [the tree of Spirit]. That would not be the case when it came to ‘woman’s” maturation; and this relates back to the “X-factor” of ‘Adam’s rib.’
The “Y-factor” of a sex gene reflects the tree of life. This is why all that is heavenly spiritual is masculine in essence, made by the hand of the Father – Yahweh. The “X-factor” of a sex gene then reflects the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as it becomes the femininity of all that is material in nature [the ‘stuff’ of the universe]. Thus, because ‘Adam’ had the “Y-factor” in his being, he was the Son of Yahweh; but, because he too had the “X-factor” rib in his genetic make-up, he was the Son of man, where mankind is all born of flesh in the material realm. ‘Eve,’ being an all-feminine form of “man,” was made only for satisfying the reproductive needs of the Son of man. Therefore, it would be that inbred weakness that allowed a seed of thought to penetrate her resistance to outside influences and be the first to break the Law.
Everything must be seen in the light of “elohim” having created the universe, not Yahweh directly. Human beings had been made and given dominion over all that lived on the earth; but they were made in the image of the “elohim.” Yahweh has no form, as He is only masculine Spirit. Yahweh made “man,” and then “woman from “man,” in the image of the “elohim” created and commanded by Yahweh. Because Yahweh knew worldly human beings [all alive temporarily, as souls giving life to dry bones] knew nothing of the demands of returning their breaths [souls] to the heavenly realm [salvation, versus reincarnation]. They needed to be taught about Yahweh and the Law [the First Commandment]. That means a “holy man” and a “holy woman” would have to be sent into the world, knowing firsthand the demands of Yahweh.
In essence, Yahweh created Satan, when He made the "serpent" the "craftiest." The "serpent" is an eternal spirit, who is now the trickster of all humanity. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the two spirits spoke to one another as if they had a history together. Satan was not an angel, just as the leviathan and the seraph, both of which are spiritual “serpents” that are neither physical entities nor angels. While Yahweh gave this eternal spirit the gift of influence and set it free in Eden, He did so with the sole purpose of it evolving into a spirit that would misuse a divine gift and lead His children to turn their backs on immortality, choosing the selfishness of the mortal realm. Thus, Yahweh knew he must forever banish that influencer to only be allowed to prey on souls in bodies of flesh the material realm, as a spirit that would unite with those souls, influencing their flesh as his own.
Still, this presence in the material realm, as a spirit, could be commanded by Yahweh to serve His need, above all others. As such, Yahweh condemned the “serpent” to never escape the physical universe, never again to return to the heavenly realm. The angels of Yahweh [there are levels, from cherub to archangels] are able to visit the souls who have been possessed by the divine Spirit [the “serpent” commanded to do Yahweh’s bidding]. The angels take the holy messages from above.
When Yahweh commanded that the “serpent” would forever [“all his days”] be “on his belly,” this is less about the loss of arms or legs and more about being placed in a position of subservience. It is a posturing that must feel the ground of the material realm, with all its being. It was symbolic of Cain’s “countenance falling,” where his focus was then placed upon the world, not on pleasing Yahweh in heaven. Because the “serpent” would always be laying “on his belly,” all eyes looking downward could be influenced by him. As such, Yahweh told Cain: “Sin crouches at your doorway.” The aspect of “eating dust’ is then the condemnation that the only flesh the evil “serpent” could “consume” would be that of souls turned away from Yahweh, whose flesh would always return to the “dust” of dry bones.
When verse 15 is translated to state: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel,” this is returning one’s brain to the story that is metaphor, not reality. The aspect of “woman,” as read in “I will put enmity between you and the woman,” needs to be seen in the “XX” genetics of the physical realm. Instead of “woman,” the “hostility placed” ["put enmity"] will be between human beings [the femininity of soul-body life forms] and an evil influencing spirit that cohabitates [demonic possession] with weak souls. This hostility will be born into multiple personalities that are the “offspring” or “seeds” of thought that will prohibit souls from returning to the heavenly realm [until divinely cast out].
The aspect of “striking” [from “shuph,” meaning “bruise, overwhelm”] means the influence will be to take control of a brain [“head”], while resistance to that possession will mean a human being taught [by religion] to stomp on evil’s head [with a “heel”]. It means “knowledge of good and evil” is necessary for that duality to happen. Therefore, “man” and “woman” born of Yahweh were necessary to teach the world about Yahweh; but the “serpent” was further sent to become a necessary influencer that mislead souls. To know Yahweh, one must first know sin, so badly that one sincerely cries out for His help. This is necessary, so only those souls who became “Y-factor” Sons [not human gender specific] are allowed to return to Eden.
As a track 2 reading option for the second Sunday after Pentecost, when personal ministry should be underway, the deep metaphor of this lesson is doubtful to ever be truthfully taught. Few realize the murderer Cain would be the first minister of the “serpent” Satan. Cain would beget a lineage that would become the opposite of that created by Adam, through Jesus, onto all present-day Apostles. Cain's lineage can be seen sprouting up in Ishmael and Esau [among others], who claim to worship the same God [another name than Yahweh]. Churches that are led by community organizers and social reformers, condemning their souls by falsely claiming to be “in the name of Jesus Christ,” are leading pewples to ruin, like the Pied Piper of Hamlin stole away with the children of the people.
One must be led to see the truth that Genesis 3 tells. One must see this necessary evil as all being part of Yahweh’s plan. Our souls are His property, but it is that pesky tree of knowledge of good and evil that we need to stop bowing down before. No Church is ever going to lead a soul to heaven. All Churches lay on their bellies and will always remain the dust of the material realm, because a Church is only a brick and mortar building. All souls bowing down before such a belly place are led by the religion[s] created by Cain, the offspring of the ‘serpent.”