Genesis: the Story Before the Story
an experiment in symbolism
*Warning: I experiment with scripture and metaphors in this blog in a way that might make some people feel uncomfortable, insecure, or unsafe. If science experiments frighten you, I suggest you refrain from reading.
Ancient Texts
At the beginning of ancient stories, authors frequently state the gist of their story in a few sentences. You can see this at the beginning of the Illiad and Odyssey, the Aeneid, Gilgamesh, Shakespeare’s plays, and many books of the Bible.
I wonder if Genesis chapters 1-3 may be doing the same thing. Perhaps the story of Adam and Eve contains the history of the Jews in the Old Testament. Maybe these chapters are a summary of the story before the story begins. Let’s test this out and see if it works. Here are some possible parallels I’ve found between Adam & Eve and the story of the Jews.
Adam, Eve and Israel
God made Adam = God miraculously gave Abraham & Sarah a son, i.e. God created the Jews.
God put Adam in the garden = God promises Abraham & family a Promise Land. Eventually, they get there.
God gives Adam the command about the tree = God gives the Jews the law
Adam names the animals = not sure of the parallel here, maybe the Jews learn to name good and evil according to God’s law?
God makes Eve = God brings the Jews to the Canaanite lands maybe (?)
Chaos/serpent deceives Eve = the Canaanites, who weren’t given God’s laws, were deceived into living in darkness and sin.
Eve gives the fruit to Adam = the Canaanites influence the Jews into idolatry
The curse comes upon them = the curse comes upon the Jews
God makes Adam and Eve animal skins from the first sacrificed animals, but this doesn’t fix the problem = repentance and a time when people tear down idols, sacrifice to God, and observe the law (in part) bring about relief for the Jews but it never lasts long
God sends Adam and Eve out of the garden = the Jews are exiled from the Promise Land.
Cautions About Assigning Symoblism.
Interesting, isn’t it? The story of Adam and Eve seems to be a story before the story of the Jews.
I realize some people might feel uncomfortable doing this with scripture, especially doing this with narratives. Genesis isn’t a parable or prophecy. I think there’s a fear that if we use a narrative like a poetic metaphor, that implies the story didn’t happen historically. But that’s not true. Consider how Paul used the story of Isaac and Ishmael to describe how one child was chosen and the other wasn’t. Consider how Jesus did the same thing about Jonah being in the belly of the whale and John the Baptist was likened to Elijah. This doesn’t mean the stories of Elijah, Jonah, Ishmael, and Isaac weren’t historically true. It just meant that God might also be using those stories to explain spiritual realities.
It seems that God may be using the Bible’s narratives to tell what happened and reveal other truths about Himself.
The Poetry of the Curse
Perhaps you’re doubtful whether the Genesis story has a double meaning like this. Well, consider the meaning of the curse then. This curse is poetic and seemingly prophetic. Certainly, we can safely view the curse using metaphors and symbols to explain God’s truths.
Let’s do that in the next blog. Click the link after this Friday to continue reading.