Textual Analysis Of Genesis

Genesis, the Plot to Kill Christ One of the great talking points in religious discussions is that which religion cannot explain. Millions of people look to religion for guidance and support, hoping to gain insight on how to live the most fulfilling and purposeful lives. Yet, most religions must admit that there are questions they cannot answer about this world. Christianity is one of those religions, and throughout the entirety of its holy text – the Bible – writers grapple with the enigmas of heaven, earth, humanity, and God. The Bible functions like many great novels by setting up a captivating plot that lures readers deeper and deeper into its mysteriousness. However, it has no resolution. Despite the efforts of all those who have given

Throughout all of human history, people have debated and searched for answers about the creation of the earth and the origins of human culture. Genesis clearly makes some statements on this matter, describing how “the Lord God made the earth and the heavens”, which can be debated endlessly by scientists and historians (Genesis 2:4). However, Genesis’s message on the human condition is irrefutable: humans are inherently flawed creatures. There has never been a perfect person – nor will there ever be – and Genesis outlines this in the simple story of Adam and Eve disobeying God’s command. When God realized what His creation had done, He spoke directly to them in one of the Bible’s first conversations between deity and man, “cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). This dialogue explains why the world is not perfect. One would expect that an almighty, omnipotent God would create an ideal world for His creation to live in, yet He clearly does not. According to Genesis, outside forces – the serpent in this case – tainted the earth and God’s creation. And through this story, Genesis explains how humans developed their imperfections, which is supplemented by its controversial rendition of how God created the earth. This message has an

By detailing the story of human corruption, Genesis implicitly takes on the additional task of explaining why God did not abolish His flawed creation from the start. Eliminating the depraved humans would have made God’s relationship with them much easier. But Genesis 3:21 hints at why He did not act on His anger, noting, “the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.” God loved His creation, despite its deviation from perfection. Even after discovering that they had disobeyed Him and reprimanding them for it, He cared for them and clothed them. Thus, God made a decision in Genesis to work with the people He had created and try to develop a relationship with them. This is supported by the supreme act of love that defines the climax of the Bible in which Jesus Christ, the son of God, is sacrificed to save all of humanity. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). From that moment in Genesis when God decided not to destroy His creation, He committed Himself to saving them. His method of accomplishing this was to sacrifice a piece of Himself for them. Genesis sets up this complex plotline by illustrating how God embraced a flawed human race. The reason that He had to sacrifice His one and only Son at