problems with the fall
"And Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and so I hid myself." Genisis 3:10
A loving God, who wants for us to be close to him, more than anything and is willing to make extreme sacrifices for us to be close to him also has a problem with morality as we concieve it. He will demolish entire people, cities or children, or call upon others to do the demolition. He will also give us the commantment against murder, but not punish those who committed murder in his name. The story of Abraham and Isacc bothers me, the story of the udder distruction of Sodom and Gomorah bothers me, the idea that it is never too late to come to God, until he says it's too late really bothers me. No good man could be found to redeem Sodom, much less ten, because "all have fallen short of the glory of God", and yet God asked an impossible question of Abraham when he requested good men to save the city. The same God who "came not to call the rightious but sinners to repentance" should have saved the city because they were not yet rightious.
On to my problem about the events of the fall, or really just a few. I will not talk more on why there was a forbiden tree, a serpant, or a time of seporation of man and wife in the garden. I will take the set up that leads to inevitible betrayal and expulsion (fair or not) as a given. It is God's reaction that stings me the most. Then, as well as now, we have lreaned to trust our God, He says that it is not good for man to be alone, and creates a help mate for community and love. God has given Adam and Eve all that they could want, and they do not have to work for any of it. And then the fall. Thier eyes are opened, they see that they are naked and they are ashamed, and afraid and so they hide...something they had never needed to do before. God calls to them, and when they come Adam explains that they were hiding. Ashamed of being naked, afraind of being seen, they come to God, who has always helped them and comforted them before in the time of thier greatest fear.
To draw an analagy, we have two children, who out of thier own foolisness have become lost, and are cowering in the corner of the supermarket. Hearing thier mothers voice, they feel a mix of relief in being found and fear in a punishment from wandering off. Now,seeing the two children already in a panic and afraid, no mother with any type of heart would punish them more than they had already punished themselves, instead she would grab them both up and hold them, telling them that it was alright and they were safe now. When they were calm she could then talk about the dangers of getting seporated.
Poor Adam and Eve, who have learned to trust and love God and sole provider, are now faced with his wrath. The punishment, expulsion from the garden, pain in childbirth, toil for the first time in thier lives, and seporation from God, as well as the fear, and shame that they put on themselves, does not measure the crime. And even if it had, where is the mercy and love that is meant to temper God's justice?
Adam says, I was afraid, and God's reply is...well I told you not to. Where is God's love there?
A loving God, who wants for us to be close to him, more than anything and is willing to make extreme sacrifices for us to be close to him also has a problem with morality as we concieve it. He will demolish entire people, cities or children, or call upon others to do the demolition. He will also give us the commantment against murder, but not punish those who committed murder in his name. The story of Abraham and Isacc bothers me, the story of the udder distruction of Sodom and Gomorah bothers me, the idea that it is never too late to come to God, until he says it's too late really bothers me. No good man could be found to redeem Sodom, much less ten, because "all have fallen short of the glory of God", and yet God asked an impossible question of Abraham when he requested good men to save the city. The same God who "came not to call the rightious but sinners to repentance" should have saved the city because they were not yet rightious.
On to my problem about the events of the fall, or really just a few. I will not talk more on why there was a forbiden tree, a serpant, or a time of seporation of man and wife in the garden. I will take the set up that leads to inevitible betrayal and expulsion (fair or not) as a given. It is God's reaction that stings me the most. Then, as well as now, we have lreaned to trust our God, He says that it is not good for man to be alone, and creates a help mate for community and love. God has given Adam and Eve all that they could want, and they do not have to work for any of it. And then the fall. Thier eyes are opened, they see that they are naked and they are ashamed, and afraid and so they hide...something they had never needed to do before. God calls to them, and when they come Adam explains that they were hiding. Ashamed of being naked, afraind of being seen, they come to God, who has always helped them and comforted them before in the time of thier greatest fear.
To draw an analagy, we have two children, who out of thier own foolisness have become lost, and are cowering in the corner of the supermarket. Hearing thier mothers voice, they feel a mix of relief in being found and fear in a punishment from wandering off. Now,seeing the two children already in a panic and afraid, no mother with any type of heart would punish them more than they had already punished themselves, instead she would grab them both up and hold them, telling them that it was alright and they were safe now. When they were calm she could then talk about the dangers of getting seporated.
Poor Adam and Eve, who have learned to trust and love God and sole provider, are now faced with his wrath. The punishment, expulsion from the garden, pain in childbirth, toil for the first time in thier lives, and seporation from God, as well as the fear, and shame that they put on themselves, does not measure the crime. And even if it had, where is the mercy and love that is meant to temper God's justice?
Adam says, I was afraid, and God's reply is...well I told you not to. Where is God's love there?