In Genesis, to know and to make lead to life. Of course the stories of the making of life are in Genesis. But for creation to continue, we need the knowledge necessary to sustain life.
To know
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4
The third verse of the first book of the Hebrew Bible is a story on the power of knowledge, not the committing of a sin, specifically the first sin, as it is usually said.
First, a quick look back to the verse before when God commands the first man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if he does, he will die.
Consider that the tree isn’t the “tree of evil,” it is the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” What is so powerful about knowing of good and evil that only the gods have it? Why is a knowledge of good, bad? Is it? And why did God tell the man he would die?
And turning back to the third verse, the questions continue to pile up. Why does the serpent know something that humans don’t? Gaining knowledge causes the man and woman to hide their nakedness. From God who made them?! Why was the punishment so severe, or was it? They didn’t die. And a big one for me, what was lost when we lost innocence? Was there something gained with that loss?
Finally, what does having knowledge of good and evil mean once taken from the gods and laid in the minds of you and me and every human body? Will we be able to sustain life? A question we need to be considering together. Gather a group of friends to ponder this incredibly rich story of what it is to know of good and evil. Give yourselves some time.
To make
And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife and clothed them. Genesis 3:21
Now, I cheated here. This story is not the first in the Hebrew Bible that the word “make” or its variants is used. That goes to the story of creation. It boggles the mind to think of the power that was necessary to create the totality of the universe as we know it.
But, by the Creator having this extraordinary power doesn’t it play with your mind to imagine that same Creator making clothes for the first man and woman? Has some wonderful artist made an image of this? Certainly if considered deeply, the image of Creator as Maker of clothing challenges our idea of what power is. And what makes up life.
To know and make beyond Genesis
I’m looking forward to exploring beyond the creation stories in Genesis as the writers of the Bible grapple with what it takes to continue life outside the garden. A garden where humans were caretakers but not makers, doing our tasks without knowing. Quite a transition to make. From what we read in the Bible and what we see today, taking on these two big responsibilities for life hasn’t been a walk in the park. [Pun not intended, but I like it.] Many marvels and many mistakes.
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