“And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.” Now I see why the day goes from sunset to sunset.

In Gen 1, we have a progression that loosely matches reality. Though we have day and night before we have the Earth, and winged creatures before land animals. This is an allegory, not a science text.

But it’s really about putting all the other gods in their places. All the pantheist gods represent various objects – the sun, the moon, the waters – and here is the One God creating them all.

“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

If only He had said, “Take care of the Earth I have given you,” we’d have a lot less trouble.

Gen 2 starts with an announcement that it will describe details of Gen 1. But the order is different. In chapter one, there are trees and plants on day three, and humans on day six. But in the second chapter, man first, then plants and animals, and then woman (but only because no animal is a good enough helper).

“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.”

Is this the first time God lies to man? They ate, and didn’t die. The snake was right.

Maybe it means that Adam and Eve would have lived forever if they hadn’t eaten the apple. In Perelandra, there was no one but Adam and Eve, forever. It was a beautiful, but sterile world, where nothing changed, and nothing was learned.

I choose death, if it means that I can have knowledge.

Tomorrow, Genesis 4-7.