Rob's Thoughts

For those of you who don’t want to flip through the different posts to track the progression I have posted the entire paper here.  This post is long so I apologize to those of you who don’t like to read or find long blogs boring.

Occasionally the point of a biblical passage can be obscured by controversy surrounding the text.  Sometimes the controversy regards the historical accuracy of the text, other times it may be the theological implications of the text, while still other times people may dispute the alleged authorship of the text.  In the first three chapters of Scripture there is controversy over in all three of these areas – and many more.  While often times controversy can serve to sharpen and hone our understanding of Scripture, other times it serves only to distract us from the central thrust of a passage.  Many will read the account of a serpent convincing the woman to eat a forbidden fruit and ask the question, “How can a snake talk?”, while totally missing the larger theological truth.  Satan is giving the woman an alternative word to God’s word and presenting her with a decision that will determine the course of human nature for millennia: submit to God’s creative word or Satan’s destructive word.  In fact, the motif of God’s word is massive throughout scripture.  Established in chapter one, the motif becomes more and more prevalent the further into the Bible we read.  It then finds its greatest fulfillment in Jesus.  The scope of this study will be limited to the first three chapters of Genesis.

Fundamentally, Genesis chapters one through three follow a pattern of creation, decreation, and re-creation.  In chapter one we see God overcoming chaos and creating the cosmos by the power of his word.  This first chapter culminates with a divine imperative calling humanity to pursue the same program of bringing order to the whole earth.  Humanity is specially equipped for the task as God’s image bearers.  Implicit in the charge to rule and subdue is that mankind must employ God’s image in such a way that His image/glory accomplishes their task.   Chapter two presents rest as the ultimate goal of God’s creative word.  The author displays this rest both in the paradise called Eden and in the harmonious relationships that Adam and the woman share with each other and with God as he dwells with them in the garden.  Chapter three presents sin as an act of decreation resulting in more decreation.  Mankind, instead of pursuing the program of ruling and subduing the earth by the glory and image of God, now will be ruled by the earth.  However, chapter three also shows us that God recreates by the power of His word.  He promises that He will regain the rest that sin lost, and He will do it through humanity.  This time, Adam believes God’s word and salvation is born in him.  In short, God created the world by the power of his word, rebellion against that word (sin) was an act of, and resulted in, decreation, but God recreates by the power of his word.

Creation

Original creation finds its definition in the bringing about of order from either chaos or nothing.  When we look at the cosmos and see order we are beholding the handiwork of God wrought by the power of His word.  Order exists in the celestial bodies, in the atomic structure, in the physiology of animals and humans all because of the mighty word.  But the order God created, originally, went far beyond the physical world.  Originally, God’s word also ordered a rest to which we have been trying to return since being vanquished from it.  Originally, God’s word brought forth a humanity that was marked with His very own image.  It is to this subject of creation – the bringing of order – to which we now turn.

Cause of Creation: God’s word

Genesis opens with a display of raw sovereign power.  There was no cosmic battle, no mustering of strength, and no question as to whether or not God’s purposes would stand.  There was only a word.  God willed to create, and His will was accomplished through the might of His word.  With abject authority His word went out and completed His purpose.  Mathew Henry describes earth as the “immense mass of matter out of which all bodies, even the firmament and visible heavens themselves, were afterwards produced by the power of the Eternal Word[1].”   What did God’s word actually do though?  Was anything overcome?  Henry argues that chaos was overcome.  He notes that the author employs the terms “‘Toho’ and ‘Bohu,’ confusion and emptiness…. It was shapeless, it was useless, it was without inhabitants, without ornaments, the shadow or rough draught of things to come and not the image of things…. There was nothing to be seen but confusion and emptiness[2].”  If we accept Henry’s notion of the state of matter after it was created but before it was formed, we are led to understand that integral to the creative process is a bringing of order. The creative process is a development from chaos and confusion to arrangements, categories, and types of things.  These arrangements, categories, and types can now be clearly seen by the human mind, as science testifies.  But there was once a time when science would have been impossible, a time when chaos ruled.  But the Word overcame the chaos.

Goal of Creation: Rest

Of course, the goal of all that God does is ultimately and supremely His own glory[3].  In a day where this theological jewel is lost on many, this cannot go without being said.  However, for the remainder of this treatment this reality will be assumed allowing us to turn to a goal subservient to that greater one: rest.  The author writes in Genesis 2:1-3: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done[4].”  Essential in understanding the goal of creation is understanding what God did after creation: he rested.  When a carpenter finishes a project, in order to understand the purpose of what the carpenter built you must see what he does with it.  He will live in a house.  He will store things in a cupboard.  He will sit on a bench, and so on.  Its function serves to reveal the builder’s intent.  In the same way, we observe the goal of God’s creation in the function that it served for God: rest.

Now it is important to note that when many of us think of rest our ideas are vastly different than God’s.  When we think of rest we think of a Sunday afternoon nap or a Saturday morning cup of coffee while reading the paper.  Additionally, we tend to equate the rest of Genesis 2:1-3 with a particular day of the week.  But what is original rest?  What is biblical rest?  Conspicuously absent in the seventh day narrative is any mention of morning and evening.  Many scholars view this omission as an indication that the seventh day rest was not limited to a twenty-four hour period.  Rather, this rest was ongoing and realized in three ways: God dwelling in His creation, harmony in relationship between God and man, and the paradise called Eden.

Rest as God’s dwelling. First we see God dwelling in His creation.   The language used in 2:19 seems to indicate that the Lord was physically with Adam in the garden bringing the animals to Him.  If the Lord existed as some ethereal spirit in an unknown dimension it seems the author would say something like, “the Lord caused the animals to go to Adam,” or “the Lord sent the animals to Adam,” but that’s not what he says.  Rather, it says the Lord brought the animals to Adam.  So it seems that we have good reason to believe that the physical presence of God was dwelling in the garden with Adam in some way.  We also see a more direct indication of God’s dwelling with man in 3:8 when “they heard the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”  Clearly, this is the physical presence of God since His walking creates a noise that both Adam and the woman hear.  We must be careful not to go beyond what the Bible teaches here.  There is great mystery entwined throughout the narrative.  We aren’t told exactly what this means, only that God existed in some way inside His created order.

Rest as harmony between God and man. The second component of rest was harmony in the relationship between God and man.  Not only did God abide in some way in His rest, but He also communed harmoniously with mankind in His rest.  They lived in harmony. Their relationship was full and complete.  There was no conflict.  So harmonious was the relationship between God and man that the Bible notes the blessing that God gave to mankind[5].  We see later in Scripture that God’s blessing is the result of keeping the covenant (God’s people living in God’s place, under his rule) with God.  In other words God achieved with Adam what He attempted to achieve with Noah, Israel, David, now what He has achieved with us through Christ, and what He will achieve more fully when Christ returns.

Rest as a land of paradise. The third part of rest depicted in original creation is the land of paradise called Eden.  The land of Eden will turn out to be an integral part of every covenant that God makes from Eden onward.  The most essential thing about this paradise is already noted above – effectively, that God dwelt there in harmony with mankind.  Though it is also instructive that, not only was God in harmony with mankind, Eden/creation was also in harmony with mankind.  Man was lord of Eden.  We arrive at this conclusion if we allow the curse on the ground[6] to mean the ground was, at one point, obedient to man’s will and only became contrary to man after sin.  Originally, it did what man wanted it to do.  Additionally, we must understand that the term Eden is simply the transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning delight or paradise. Helpful on this topic is Bavnik who says, “This Eden (delight, land of delight) is not identical with paradise but a region in which the garden was planted.  [Once planted] this paradise is then called ‘the garden of Eden.[7]’”  So, according to Bavnik, Eden was a region which, when part of it was planted by God, became paradise for God and man to dwell.  So a synthesis of what we understand is that Eden is the paradise where God dwelt in harmony with man.

To recapitulate, the goal of creation was rest.  Rest can be summed up through God dwelling in His paradise with humanity.

Objects of Creation: Humanity

So God’s word was the cause of creation, rest was the goal of creation.  Now we turn to the objects of God’s creation.  God created human beings as the pinnacle of the creation.  He crowned him with glory and bestowed upon him His very own image:  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them[8].”  What is instructive in this text is that man images forth God as male and female.  It is in relationship that human’s image forth the glory of God.  Dr. Bruce Ware in his book on the Trinity argues, “God intends that his very nature – yes his triune and eternal nature – be expressed in our human relationships (emphasis mine).[9]”  He continues to argue that the eternality of the triune relationship in the Godhead “calls for and calls forth a created community of persons[10].”   In the garden this is precisely what we see.  We see a community of persons in Adam and the woman imaging forth God’s divine relational nature.  Ware calls this the “unity and harmony[11]” that exists in the trinity of God.  We can see in Genesis two the reality of this unity and harmony as man and women image forth God.  Genesis 2:24 is a display of the unity and bliss man and woman shared:  ”And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed[12].”  Man and women were co-existing in a state of relational perfection where sin was not a hindrance to their bond.  This is demonstrated by the fact that holy God was able to walk among them and commune with them[13].

As argued earlier, creation at its most fundamental level was an act of bringing order.  Arguably, the greatest demonstration of this order is the creation of men and women in relationship with each other.  More clearly put, we see order in the positional nature of the created genders as well as the tasks assigned to each gender.

First, headship is demonstrated in the actual progression of creation.  In Genesis 2:7 God makes man.  He forms him and breathes into him the breath of life.  God proceeds to give Adam rule over the garden and calls him to the program of ruling and subduing the rest of the earth[14].   In 2:15 the author expands on the duty.  Adam was to start this program in the Garden of Eden.  He was to keep it and tend it, while being careful not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  The Lord then brings to him all the animals to name.  By doing this he shows him that none of the animals would make a suitable helper for this task of ruling and subduing.

It is after Adam has established his authority over all the beasts of the earth through naming them that God creates women, brings her to him, and establishes a complimentary relationship of headship and submission by allowing Adam to name her as he did the animals.  Only this time he is naming not an animal but his suitable helper.  Clearly, this does not show that all facets of the relationship between Adam and the woman were the same as Adam and the animals.  However, the function of headship and rule is similar – though these will manifest themselves differently in marriage.  Secondly, we see order in the diverse roles that man and women are assigned.  The woman was identified as a helper[15] ruling and subduing the earth by being oriented towards the man, while the man was to rule and subdue by being oriented towards the creation (something he had already begun through the naming of the animals).  By maintaining their respective roles both would accomplish the chief goal of spreading the glory of God over all the earth.  So we have order established by God’s word: man as head, women as helper.  All of this is accomplished by God’s word.

Summary of Creation

God’s word is powerful.  Through His word chaos was overcome and order was implemented.  Through his word rest was established in the land of paradise where God dwelt with mankind in harmonious relationship.  Through His word God created man and women in a type of relationship that imaged forth His own triune glory.  In the beginning everything was wonderful.  But it was too good to last.

Decreation

If creation was accomplished by God’s word, de-creation happens because of rebellion against God’s created word.  God’s word creates, while sin destroys.  Put this way, sin must be seen as a refusal to submit to the authority of God’s life giving, creative word.  This is exactly what we see in chapter three of Genesis.  We see sin as an act of exchanging God’s word for Satan’s word.  We see the consequences of sin in the reversal of created order and in expulsion from the rest.

The Act of Sin

Satan begins his attack on God and humanity through a great reversal.  God created humanity as head of the animals, Adam as the head of women, and Himself as the head of Adam.  Satan attacks all three levels of order.  First, He attacks the authority of humanity over the animals by becoming/entering an animal and giving the woman a directive.  Nowhere in the created order do we see animals having the right to instruct humanity.  The snake was attempting to rule the woman, and through her, the man.  Second, Satan attacks the order of headship by not approaching Adam, but instead, the woman.  He does not begin his dialogue with man but the text says that in his craftiness “he said to the woman[16]….”  Thirdly, he attacks the authority of God.  First, by feigning indignation at God’s supposed command, which he misrepresents:  “Did God actually tell you that you cannot eat from any tree in the garden[17].”   Then, by directly contradicting His creative word:  “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die[18].’”   So Satan reverses the lines of authority that the Lord had established.  (Clearly we can see that the term ‘original sin’ is unhelpful to describe humanity’s fall since here we have Satan sinning before Adam ever did.)  Adam at this point was charged to keep the garden.  Instead of following Satan’s reordering (or de-ordering) of creation, he should have killed the snake right there reestablishing the original order that God had told him to maintain.  But, sadly he doesn’t.  Instead he and the woman abandon the creative, order-bringing, life-giving word of God and exchange it for the destructive word that Satan gave – effectively accepting Satan’s re-ordering (or de-ordering) of creation.  The consequences are devastating.

Consequences of Sin

The reversal of created order. Before God ever pronounces judgment on his creatures for their sin, its consequences are already being felt.  The sexual intimacy and connection that man shared with the woman is now lost as they both felt shame from their nakedness.  The narrative is mute on why nakedness is the point of shame for humanity.  Various scholars speculate that it is because of sexual awakening[19], but this seems to ignore the reality that man and women were already sexually awake[20].  Additionally, the harmony that existed between man and women and between humanity and God was shattered – once again before the curse.  Evidence of these broken relationships is the blame that man and women place on each other and God[21].  Even more, man and women fear God and hide from Him[22].  This demonstrates the catastrophic loss of harmony between creator and creature.

If the act of sin itself results in tumult, judgment is even greater tumult put in place by God.  God effectively hands humans over to the de-creation they already wrought by their own sin.  He does this first by further disrupting the relationship between man and women.  He tells the woman that her desire will be for Adam’s rule, but instead of her gaining that position, the opposite will happen.  Man will inflict his position of authority over her in brutal and wicked ways[23].  Second, he tells Adam that the ground will be of disorder.  It will no longer accept his headship, indeed the ground now will rule over him[24].  Lastly their dominion over animals will be difficult and chaotic.  To the serpent he curses him to crawl on his belly but then explains that there will be enmity between humanity and the animal kingdom[25].  There is more in this statement to the snake of course than simply animal kingdom tumult, but we cannot miss the reality that God is cursing more than Satan here.  He curses the relationship between humans and animals.

Exile from rest. Perhaps the most crushing act of judgment that was pronounced on humanity was exile from rest:  “Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life[26].”  No longer would God dwell with man.  Man’s sin had now fixed a chasm between soiled humanity and perfect deity.  No longer would the relationship between God and man be one of harmony and rest.  God would now stand as judge against sinners.  No longer would God allow man to dwell in paradise.  Indeed, the first of many exiles for the people of God had taken place.

Summary. Romans chapter one tells us that sin is the act of exchanging the glory of God for a lie.  Certainly we see this reality here in Genesis chapter three.  All of creation, even the very imprint of God upon humanity, pointed to the greatness of the glory of God.  But, in a reversal of which had never before been, the greatness of the living God was exchanged for a lie from a serpent thus plunging all of creation into chaos.  The reader is left with many questions.  Is this the ending to the story?  Is there any hope for humanity?  Is there a way back to Eden?  If so how do we find it?

Re-creation

Protoevangelon. We find the answer to these questions hidden in plain sight:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel[27].”  Understanding the enigmatic way that God presents this promise is important, as its details are unfolded throughout the rest of scripture.  However, we must also understand what is clear.  And what is clear is that the Lord is saying He will provide a solution.  He will bring a conqueror who will undo what Satan has devised.  There are two important facts to pick up here.  First, God is the provider.  Man at this point is helpless to do anything about what has happened.  As much as Adam and the woman may have wished they had not eaten the fruit, the fact remains that they did eat it.  Such is the nature of sin.  It is utterly permanent.  No amount of wishing or working could undo what had happened.  Only the creative power of the Word could overcome what had been done in order to bring about a new creation.  This was the first half of the promise: God would provide.  Secondly, God’s provision will come as a conqueror.  God explained what He would provide one who would conquer Satan.  He didn’t simply tell them that He would restore what was lost in some undefined sort of way.  No, on the contrary He told them that He was going to bring one who would crush Satan and the wickedness that came by Satan’s deception.  Here God was already working out a new creation.  He was recreating once again, by the power of His word.  His word was going out, and in power He was making a promise, and this word would powerfully transform Adam into the first of His new creation.    

Regeneration of Adam. The first word that God gave to Adam, “you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” Adam abandons.  He traded it for the word of Satan – but not so the second word.  Adam hears God curse the serpent/Satan, and he hears God tell the woman that she is going to have offspring that will eventually rise up to conquer Satan.  Instead of disbelieving, he trusts.   John Owen comments in what Adam trusts in:

“As sin entered the world through a woman, so it was through a woman that God’s promised remedy over sin was to come.  But further it was also revealed that in order to become this complete Savior, the promised one must both suffer from and overcome the serpent.  Yes, the biting of His heel by the serpent would indeed be a fatal wound. But it would be one in which the seed of the woman would taste of death on behalf of sinners[28].”

Adam, while not understanding completely, still understood the heart of the promise. Hoping in it, he turns to the woman and in a marvelous statement of his faith in the word of God he name’s her Eve “because she was the mother of all living[29].”  Where Adam was expecting and deserving death he heard and received life, and this time he believed God.

Atonement for sin. How does God respond to Adam’s faith?  He atones for their sin.  “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them[30].”  God slaughters an animal, (maybe two), and covers the shame of Adam and Eve with the skins from whatever animal He killed to get the skins.  The animals were substitutes for what should have happened to Adam and Eve: salvation came through judgment.  Whereas Adam took two fig leaves and inadequately covered he and Eve’s shame, God does an adequate job covering their shame vicariously, through spilling the blood of the animal.  God tells the Israelites later that “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life[31].”  He does this for Adam and Eve because of the faith that they now possess.

Conclusion

God’s word is mighty.  God speaks and the cosmos is brought into existence.  He conquers toho and boho by the might of his word.  He creates paradise, harmony, and dwelling by the might of His word.  Rest is brought because He speaks.  His word upholds all things, so when His word is abandoned the consequences are grave, destruction and tumult reign.  Indeed all creation is under a severe curse because God’s word was abandoned.  But while all is cursed, not all is lost.  For God made a promise, and while Adam didn’t see the promise of God come to full fruition, he did believe in the promise of God and found mercy through atonement.  On the other side of the cross the promise in Genesis 3:15 isn’t nearly as enigmatic as it was to them.  Yet, we find atonement the same way: faith.  Our atonement doesn’t come through the blood of an animal like it did for Adam.  That atonement for us comes through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.   So we arrive back at where we began.  God created the world by the power of his word.  Sin was rebellion against that word and resulted in de-creation.  But God recreates by the power of his word.  We know that Word is Jesus Christ.

[2] Ibid

[3] Herman Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 2 of Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, Translated by John Vriend.  (Grand Rapids: Baker Academics), 2007. 430

[4] Genesis 2:1-2

[5] Genesis 1:28

[6] Genesis 3:17

[7] Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 2, 527

[8] Genesis 1:27

[9] Bruce Ware Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2005), 132

[10] Ware, Father, 133.

[11] Ibid, 135 -136

[12] Genesis 2:25

[13] See verses Genesis 2:22 and 3:8

[14] Genesis 2:8

[15] Genesis 2:18

[16] Genesis 3:1

[17] Genesis 3:1

[18] Genesis 3:4

[19] Herman Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 3 of Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, Translated by John Vriend.  (Grand Rapids: Baker Academics), 2007. 30

[20] Genesis 1:28

[21] Genesis 3:12-13

[22] Genesis 3:8

[23] Genesis 3:15

[24] Genesis 3:17-19

[25] Genesis 3:14 -15

[26] Genesis 3:23

[27] Genesis 3:15

[28] John Owen Biblical Theology: The History of Theology from Adam to Christ, trans. by Stephen P. Westcott (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2002), 172.

[29] Genesis 3:20

[30] Genesis 3:21

[31] Leviticus 17:11

I have been publishing blogs explaining the main point of Genesis 1-3.  If you’ve been with me up to this point you have read blogs on creation (it’s cause, goal, and objects) and Sin. (the first human act and it’s consequences).  We ended yesterday on a negative note.  Sin’s consequences are grave.  Today we turn to the solution of sin in the world.  Below we read about the power of God’s word to recreate that which has been spoiled by sin.  This is the final blog on this series in Genesis 1-3.

Re-creation

Protoevangelon. We find the answer to these questions hidden in plain sight:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel[1].”  Understanding the enigmatic way that God presents this promise is important, as its details are unfolded throughout the rest of scripture.  However, we must also understand what is clear.  And what is clear is that the Lord is saying He will provide a solution.  He will bring a conqueror who will undo what Satan has devised.  There are two important facts to pick up here.  First, God is the provider.  Man at this point is helpless to do anything about what has happened.  As much as Adam and the woman may have wished they had not eaten the fruit, the fact remains that they did eat it.  Such is the nature of sin.  It is utterly permanent.  No amount of wishing or working could undo what had happened.  Only the creative power of the Word could overcome what had been done in order to bring about a new creation.  This was the first half of the promise: God would provide.  Secondly, God’s provision will come as a conqueror.  God explained what He would provide one who would conquer Satan.  He didn’t simply tell them that He would restore what was lost in some undefined sort of way.  No, on the contrary He told them that He was going to bring one who would crush Satan and the wickedness that came by Satan’s deception.  Here God was already working out a new creation.  He was recreating once again, by the power of His word.  His word was going out, and in power He was making a promise, and this word would powerfully transform Adam into the first of His new creation.    

Regeneration of Adam. The first word that God gave to Adam, “you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” Adam abandons.  He traded it for the word of Satan – but not so the second word.  Adam hears God curse the serpent/Satan, and he hears God tell the woman that she is going to have offspring that will eventually rise up to conquer Satan.  Instead of disbelieving, he trusts.   John Owen comments in what Adam trusts in:

“As sin entered the world through a woman, so it was through a woman that God’s promised remedy over sin was to come.  But further it was also revealed that in order to become this complete Savior, the promised one must both suffer from and overcome the serpent.  Yes, the biting of His heel by the serpent would indeed be a fatal wound. But it would be one in which the seed of the woman would taste of death on behalf of sinners[2].”

Adam, while not understanding completely, still understood the heart of the promise. Hoping in it, he turns to the woman and in a marvelous statement of his faith in the word of God he name’s her Eve “because she was the mother of all living[3].”  Where Adam was expecting and deserving death he heard and received life, and this time he believed God.

Atonement for sin. How does God respond to Adam’s faith?  He atones for their sin.  “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them[4].”  God slaughters an animal, (maybe two), and covers the shame of Adam and Eve with the skins from whatever animal He killed to get the skins.  The animals were substitutes for what should have happened to Adam and Eve: salvation came through judgment.  Whereas Adam took two fig leaves and inadequately covered he and Eve’s shame, God does an adequate job covering their shame vicariously, through spilling the blood of the animal.  God tells the Israelites later that “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life[5].”  He does this for Adam and Eve because of the faith that they now possess.

Conclusion

God’s word is mighty.  God speaks and the cosmos is brought into existence.  He conquers toho and boho by the might of his word.  He creates paradise, harmony, and dwelling by the might of His word.  Rest is brought because He speaks.  His word upholds all things, so when His word is abandoned the consequences are grave, destruction and tumult reign.  Indeed all creation is under a severe curse because God’s word was abandoned.  But while all is cursed, not all is lost.  For God made a promise, and while Adam didn’t see the promise of God come to full fruition, he did believe in the promise of God and found mercy through atonement.  On the other side of the cross the promise in Genesis 3:15 isn’t nearly as enigmatic as it was to them.  Yet, we find atonement the same way: faith.  Our atonement doesn’t come through the blood of an animal like it did for Adam.  That atonement for us comes through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.   So we arrive back at where we began.  God created the world by the power of his word.  Sin was rebellion against that word and resulted in de-creation.  But God recreates by the power of his word.  We know that Word is Jesus Christ.  Who’s word are you putting your faith in?

[2] John Owen Biblical Theology: The History of Theology from Adam to Christ, trans. by Stephen P. Westcott (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2002), 172.

[3] Genesis 3:20

[4] Genesis 3:21

[5] Leviticus 17:11

In two previous blogs we discussed Creation: it’s cause, goal, and object.  Today we are going to move on to decreation as put forth in the first three chapters of the Bible.

Decreation

If creation was accomplished by God’s word, de-creation happens because of rebellion against God’s created word.  God’s word creates, while sin destroys.  Put this way, sin must be seen as a refusal to submit to the authority of God’s life giving, creative word.  This is exactly what we see in chapter three of Genesis.  We see sin as an act of exchanging God’s word for Satan’s word.  We see the consequences of sin in the reversal of created order and an expulsion from the rest.

The Act of Sin

Satan begins his attack on God and humanity through a great reversal.  God created humanity as head of the animals, Adam as the head of women, and Himself as the head of Adam.  Satan attacks all three levels of order.  First, He attacks the authority of humanity over the animals by becoming/entering an animal and giving the woman a directive.  Nowhere in the created order do we see animals having the right to instruct humanity.  The snake was attempting to rule the woman, and through her, the man.  Second, Satan attacks the order of headship by not approaching Adam, but instead, the woman.  He does not begin his dialogue with man but the text says that in his craftiness “he said to the woman[1]….”  Thirdly, he attacks the authority of God.  First, by feigning indignation at God’s supposed command, which he misrepresents:  “Did God actually tell you that you cannot eat from any tree in the garden[2].”   Then, by directly contradicting His creative word:  “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die[3].’”   So Satan reverses the lines of authority that the Lord had established.  (Clearly we can see that the term ‘original sin’ is unhelpful to describe humanity’s fall since here we have Satan sinning before Adam ever did.)  Adam at this point was charged to keep the garden.  Instead of following Satan’s reordering (or de-ordering) of creation, he should have killed the snake right there reestablishing the original order that God had told him to maintain.  But, sadly he doesn’t.  Instead he and the woman abandon the creative, order-bringing, life-giving word of God and exchange it for the destructive word that Satan gave – effectively accepting Satan’s re-ordering (or de-ordering) of creation.  The consequences are devastating.

Consequences of Sin

The reversal of created order. Before God ever pronounces judgment on his creatures for their sin, its consequences are already being felt.  The sexual intimacy and connection that man shared with the woman is now lost as they both felt shame from their nakedness.  The narrative is mute on why nakedness is the point of shame for humanity.  Various scholars speculate that it is because of sexual awakening[4], but this seems to ignore the reality that man and women were already sexually awake[5].  Additionally, the harmony that existed between man and women and between humanity and God was shattered – once again before the curse.  Evidence of these broken relationships is the blame that man and women place on each other and God[6].  Even more, man and women fear God and hide from Him[7].  This demonstrates the catastrophic loss of harmony between creator and creature.

If the act of sin itself results in tumult, judgment is even greater tumult put in place by God.  God effectively hands humans over to the de-creation they already wrought by their own sin.  He does this first by further disrupting the relationship between man and women.  He tells the woman that her desire will be for Adam’s rule, but instead of her gaining that position, the opposite will happen.  Man will inflict his position of authority over her in brutal and wicked ways[8].  Second, he tells Adam that the ground will be of disorder.  It will no longer accept his headship, indeed the ground now will rule over him[9].  Lastly their dominion over animals will be difficult and chaotic.  To the serpent he curses him to crawl on his belly but then explains that there will be enmity between humanity and the animal kingdom[10].  There is more in this statement to the snake of course than simply animal kingdom tumult, but we cannot miss the reality that God is cursing more than Satan here.  He curses the relationship between humans and animals.

Exile from rest. Perhaps the most crushing act of judgment that was pronounced on humanity was exile from rest:  “Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life[11].”  No longer would God dwell with man.  Man’s sin had now fixed a chasm between soiled humanity and perfect deity.  No longer would the relationship between God and man be one of harmony and rest.  God would now stand as judge against sinners.  No longer would God allow man to dwell in paradise.  Indeed, the first of many exiles for the people of God had taken place.

Summary. Romans chapter one tells us that sin is the act of exchanging the glory of God for a lie.  Certainly we see this reality here in Genesis chapter three.  All of creation, even the very imprint of God upon humanity, pointed to the greatness of the glory of God.  But, in a reversal of which had never before been, the greatness of the living God was exchanged for a lie from a serpent thus plunging all of creation into chaos.  The reader is left with many questions.  Is this the ending to the story?  Is there any hope for humanity?  Is there a way back to Eden?  If so how do we find it?  Come back tomorrow for the answer.

[2] Genesis 3:1

[3] Genesis 3:4

[4] Herman Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 3 of Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, Translated by John Vriend.  (Grand Rapids: Baker Academics), 2007. 30

[5] Genesis 1:28

[6] Genesis 3:12-13

[7] Genesis 3:8

[8] Genesis 3:15

[9] Genesis 3:17-19

[10] Genesis 3:14 -15

[11] Genesis 3:23

I had the rare privilege of going on a date with my flaming hot wife hot wife last weekend.  We shared a meal at Olive Garden after which we went to see Couple’s Retreat.  If you’re not familiar with the flick let’s just say that it’s Fireproof, Hollywood style  where Vince Vaughn replaces Kurt Cameron.  I was pleasantly surprised at the message the movie sent.  In a rare turn around for Hollywood the institution of marriage and family was cast in a positive light.  I can’t say that there were no scenes I wish they would have left out.  However, even those scenes – lude as they were – helped bring the message home (to be clear they depicted a sexy Fabio type man in a spedo and his naively inappropriate behavior towards the married women during a Pilates session).  One thing I wish that Christians would realize is that there is a difference between depicting something that is evil or inappropriate as evil or inappropriate (which is what Couples Retreat did), versus depicting something as evil or inappropriate as funny, good, or desirable (for example, He’s Just Not That Into You).  As a whole I recommend it to all who want to see a Hollywood rendition of fidelity and commitment.  Check out the movie then post whether or not you agree below.

Yesterday we discussed creation.  It’s causes and it’s goal.  Today I am going to take a look at the objects of creation.  I am arguing that humanity is the highest object of the created order.  Tomorrow we will begin to look at sin and the affect that it has had on creation.

Objects of Creation: Humanity

So God’s word was the cause of creation, rest was the goal of creation.  Now we turn to the objects of God’s creation.  God created human beings as the pinnacle of the creation.  He crowned him with glory and bestowed upon him His very own image:  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them[1].”  What is instructive in this text is that man images forth God as male and female.  It is in relationship that human’s image forth the glory of God.  Dr. Bruce Ware in his book on the Trinity argues, “God intends that his very nature – yes his triune and eternal nature – be expressed in our human relationships (emphasis mine).[2]”  He continues to argue that the eternality of the triune relationship in the Godhead “calls for and calls forth a created community of persons[3].”   In the garden this is precisely what we see.  We see a community of persons in Adam and the woman imaging forth God’s divine relational nature.  Ware calls this the “unity and harmony[4]” that exists in the trinity of God.  We can see in Genesis two the reality of this unity and harmony as man and women image forth God.  Genesis 2:24 is a display of the unity and bliss man and woman shared:  ”And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed[5].”  Man and women were co-existing in a state of relational perfection where sin was not a hindrance to their bond, sexually, spiritually, or emotionally.  This is demonstrated by the fact that holy God was able to walk among them and commune with them[6].

As argued earlier, creation at its most fundamental level was an act of bringing order.  Arguably, the greatest demonstration of this order is the creation of men and women in relationship with each other.  More clearly put, we see order in the positional nature of the created genders as well as the tasks assigned to each gender.

First, headship is demonstrated in the actual progression of creation.  In Genesis 2:7 God makes man.  He forms him and breathes into him the breath of life.  God proceeds to give Adam rule over the garden and calls him to the program of ruling and subduing the rest of the earth[7].   In 2:15 the author expands on the duty.  Adam was to start this program in the Garden of Eden.  He was to keep it and tend it, while being careful not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  The Lord then brings to him all the animals to name.  By doing this he shows him that none of the animals would make a suitable helper for this task of ruling and subduing.

It is after Adam has established his authority over all the beasts of the earth through naming them that God creates women, brings her to him, and establishes a complimentary relationship of headship and submission by allowing Adam to name her as he did the animals.  Only this time he is naming not an animal but his suitable helper.  Clearly, this does not show that all facets of the relationship between Adam and the woman were the same as Adam and the animals.  However, the function of headship and rule is similar – though these will manifest themselves differently in marriage.  Secondly, we see order in the diverse roles that man and women are assigned.  The woman was identified as a helper[8] ruling and subduing the earth by being oriented towards the man, while the man was to rule and subdue by being oriented towards the creation (something he had already begun through the naming of the animals).  By maintaining their respective roles, both would accomplish the chief goal of spreading the glory of God over all the earth.  So we have order established by God’s word: man as head, women as helper.  All of this is accomplished by God’s word.  (I realize that this is a controversial assertion in todays feminist leaning society.  Someday I will write a blog explaining how this does not have anything to do with worth or quality of either the female or male gender.  However this blog is not about that.  My goal here is to simply put forth the message of Genesis 1-3.  However, to give you a brief help, we can see that God Himself reflects the idea of headship and submission in the relationship that Jesus shares with the Son, in other words when men and women yield to their roles in a non-abusive way they are like God.”

Summary of Creation

God’s word is powerful.  Through His word chaos was overcome and order was implemented.  Through his word rest was established in the land of paradise where God dwelt with mankind in harmonious relationship.  Through His word God created man and women in a type of relationship that imaged forth His own triune glory.  In the beginning everything was wonderful.  But it was too good to last.  Check back tomorrow to see what I mean.

[2] Bruce Ware Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2005), 132

[3] Ware, Father, 133.

[4] Ibid, 135 -136

[5] Genesis 2:25

[6] See verses Genesis 2:22 and 3:8

[7] Genesis 2:8

[8] Genesis 2:18

Occasionally the point of a biblical passage can be obscured by controversy surrounding the text.  Sometimes the controversy regards the historical accuracy of the text, other times it may be the theological implications of the text, while still other times people may dispute the alleged authorship of the text.  In the first three chapters of Scripture there is controversy over in all three of these areas – and many more.  While often times controversy can serve to sharpen and hone our understanding of Scripture, other times it serves only to distract us from the central thrust of a passage.  Many will read the account of a serpent convincing the woman to eat a forbidden fruit and ask the question, “How can a snake talk?”, while totally missing the larger theological truth.  Satan is giving the woman an alternative word to God’s word and presenting her with a decision that will determine the course of human nature for millennia: submit to God’s creative word or Satan’s destructive word.  In fact, the motif of God’s word is massive throughout scripture.  Established in chapter one, the motif becomes more and more prevalent the further into the Bible we read.  It then finds its greatest fulfillment in Jesus.  Over the next week I intend to unpack this theme as it relates to the first three chapters in Genesis.  This first blog will deal with the cause of creation and the goal of creation. The following day I will continue to trace the point of Genesis 1-3.  Below you will find a summary of what is to come.

Fundamentally, Genesis chapters one through three follow a pattern of creation, decreation, and re-creation.  In chapter one we see God overcoming chaos and creating the cosmos by the power of his word.  This first chapter culminates with a divine imperative calling humanity to pursue the same program of bringing order to the whole earth.  Humanity is specially equipped for the task as God’s image bearers.  Implicit in the charge to rule and subdue is that mankind must employ God’s image in such a way that His image/glory accomplishes their task.   Chapter two presents rest as the ultimate goal of God’s creative word.  The author displays this rest both in the paradise called Eden and in the harmonious relationships that Adam and the woman share with each other and with God as he dwells with them in the garden.  Chapter three presents sin as an act of decreation resulting in more decreation.  Mankind, instead of pursuing the program of ruling and subduing the earth by the glory and image of God, now will be ruled by the earth.  However, chapter three also shows us that God recreates by the power of His word.  He promises that He will regain the rest that sin lost, and He will do it through humanity.  This time, Adam believes God’s word and salvation is born in him.  In short, the thesis of this blog series is, God created the world by the power of his word, rebellion against that word (sin) was an act of, and resulted in, decreation, but God recreates by the power of his word.

Creation

Original creation finds its definition in the bringing about of order from either chaos or nothing.  When we look at the cosmos and see order we are beholding the handiwork of God wrought by the power of His word.  Order exists in the celestial bodies, in the atomic structure, in the physiology of animals and humans all because of the mighty word.  But the order God created, originally, went far beyond the physical world.  Originally, God’s word also ordered a rest to which we have been trying to return since being vanquished from it.  Originally, God’s word brought forth a humanity that was marked with His very own image.  It is to this subject of creation – the bringing of order – to which we now turn.

Cause of Creation: God’s word

Genesis opens with a display of raw sovereign power.  There was no cosmic battle, no mustering of strength, and no question as to whether or not God’s purposes would stand.  There was only a word.  God willed to create, and His will was accomplished through the might of His word.  With abject authority His word went out and completed His purpose.  Mathew Henry describes earth as the “immense mass of matter out of which all bodies, even the firmament and visible heavens themselves, were afterwards produced by the power of the Eternal Word[1].”   What did God’s word actually do though?  Was anything overcome?  Henry argues that chaos was overcome.  He notes that the author employs the terms “‘Toho’ and ‘Bohu,’ confusion and emptiness…. It was shapeless, it was useless, it was without inhabitants, without ornaments, the shadow or rough draught of things to come and not the image of things…. There was nothing to be seen but confusion and emptiness[2].”  If we accept Henry’s notion of the state of matter after it was created but before it was formed, we are led to understand that integral to the creative process is a bringing of order. The creative process is a development from chaos and confusion to arrangements, categories, and types of things.  These arrangements, categories, and types can now be clearly seen by the human mind, as science testifies.  But there was once a time when science would have been impossible, a time when chaos ruled.  But the Word overcame the chaos.

Goal of Creation: Rest

Of course, the goal of all that God does is ultimately and supremely His own glory[3].  In a day where this theological jewel is lost on many, this cannot go without being said.  However, for the remainder of this treatment this reality will be assumed allowing us to turn to a goal subservient to that greater one: rest.  The author writes in Genesis 2:1-3: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done[4].”  Essential in understanding the goal of creation is understanding what God did after creation: he rested.  When a carpenter finishes a project, in order to understand the purpose of what the carpenter built you must see what he does with it.  He will live in a house.  He will store things in a cupboard.  He will sit on a bench, and so on.  Its function serves to reveal the builder’s intent.  In the same way, we observe the goal of God’s creation in the function that it served for God: rest.

Now it is important to note that when many of us think of rest our ideas are vastly different than God’s.  When we think of rest we think of a Sunday afternoon nap or a Saturday morning cup of coffee while reading the paper.  Additionally, we tend to equate the rest of Genesis 2:1-3 with a particular day of the week.  But what is original rest?  What is biblical rest?  Conspicuously absent in the seventh day narrative is any mention of morning and evening.  Many scholars view this omission as an indication that the seventh day rest was not limited to a twenty-four hour period.  Rather, this rest was ongoing and realized in three ways: God dwelling in His creation, harmony in relationship between God and man, and the paradise called Eden.

Rest as God’s dwelling. First we see God dwelling in His creation.   The language used in 2:19 seems to indicate that the Lord was physically with Adam in the garden bringing the animals to Him.  If the Lord existed as some ethereal spirit in an unknown dimension it seems the author would say something like, “the Lord caused the animals to go to Adam,” or “the Lord sent the animals to Adam,” but that’s not what he says.  Rather, it says the Lord brought the animals to Adam.  So it seems that we have good reason to believe that the physical presence of God was dwelling in the garden with Adam in some way.  We also see a more direct indication of God’s dwelling with man in 3:8 when “they heard the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”  Clearly, this is the physical presence of God since His walking creates a noise that both Adam and the woman hear.  We must be careful not to go beyond what the Bible teaches here.  There is great mystery entwined throughout the narrative.  We aren’t told exactly what this means, only that God existed in some way inside His created order.

Rest as harmony between God and man. The second component of rest was harmony in the relationship between God and man.  Not only did God abide in some way in His rest, but He also communed harmoniously with mankind in His rest.  They lived in harmony. Their relationship was full and complete.  There was no conflict.  So harmonious was the relationship between God and man that the Bible notes the blessing that God gave to mankind[5].  We see later in Scripture that God’s blessing is the result of keeping the covenant (God’s people living in God’s place, under his rule) with God.  In other words God achieved with Adam what He attempted to achieve with Noah, Israel, David, now what He has achieved with us through Christ, and what He will achieve more fully when Christ returns.

Rest as a land of paradise. The third part of rest depicted in original creation is the land of paradise called Eden.  The land of Eden will turn out to be an integral part of every covenant that God makes from Eden onward.  The most essential thing about this paradise is already noted above – effectively, that God dwelt there in harmony with mankind.  Though it is also instructive that, not only was God in harmony with mankind, Eden/creation was also in harmony with mankind.  Man was lord of Eden.  We arrive at this conclusion if we allow the curse on the ground[6] to mean the ground was, at one point, obedient to man’s will and only became contrary to man after sin.  Originally, it did what man wanted it to do.  Additionally, we must understand that the term Eden is simply the transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning delight or paradise. Helpful on this topic is Bavnik who says, “This Eden (delight, land of delight) is not identical with paradise but a region in which the garden was planted.  [Once planted] this paradise is then called ‘the garden of Eden.[7]’”  So, according to Bavnik, Eden was a region which, when part of it was planted by God, became paradise for God and man to dwell.  So a synthesis of what we understand is that Eden is the paradise where God dwelt in harmony with man.

To recapitulate, the cause of creation is God’s magnificently powerful word.  The goal of creation was rest.  Rest can be summed up through God dwelling in His paradise with humanity.  Check tomorrow for more on Genesis 1-3.

[2] Ibid

[3] Herman Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 2 of Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, Translated by John Vriend.  (Grand Rapids: Baker Academics), 2007. 430

[4] Genesis 2:1-2

[5] Genesis 1:28

[6] Genesis 3:17

[7] Bavnik, Sin and Salvation in Christ vol 2, 527

My wife and I have been searching for a new church for the last 8 weeks.  Four weeks ago we decided we would begin attending one particular church regularly just to see if we liked it.   This has been an uncomfortable experience.  I don’t know if I am more uncomfortable because its been so long since I’ve been to a new church, or because if I’m not a part of the leadership,  or because I just don’t know anyone.  However it has been, at times, extraordinarily uncomfortable.  It’s so much easier to hop from church to church and tell people that your just visiting than it is to actually decide on a Church and then involve yourself.  However, I have found that humans have a tendency to engage in, what I call, conversation without knowledge.  That is, when we’re meeting someone new we ask all the right questions to keep the conversation light and easy, and then we pass out of the conversation as if nothing happened.

What I mean is that I have introduced and been introduced to the same people for four weeks now.  Every time without fail, those people are so friendly.  They smile so big and use their most sincere cheery voices to say, “it’s so good to meet you”  (if they don’t remember meeting you last week), or “so glad you came back” (if they do remember meeting you last week).  And then there is the friendly small talk: “so did you have a good week?” and “where are you from again?” or “what brought you to insert name of church here?”  And then, there’s the classic transition, as someone else walks up: with a sense of relief those words: “have you met so and so.”  Then the graceful exit, “well, I’ll let you guys talk”, as the same conversation begins and the friendly greeter slips away into a much more comfortable conversation with a great sense of accomplishment having met the ‘new’ person.  How many of us have done this exact thing?

It’s been interesting to be on the other side of the transaction, and I must say the only reason I know exactly what’s going on in people’s minds is because I have been on both sides of the conversation.  I confess that I have been the friendly greeter wanting to put on the good face of the church yet not get to involved, because, quite frankly, I have other friends and people to talk to, and it’s just uncomfortable getting to know someone new.  There is all the tension of what they’re thinking; there’s also the awkward silences that occur when you’ve asked all the shallow “get to know you” questions you can think of at the moment.

So what’s the point?  The point is not that we need to be people who dive into the most intimate and meaningful conversations in the foyer of the church, or that we need to be starting accountability groups the first time we meet someone new, or that those types of conversations are even bad.  They’re not.  No, I have a solution that is far simpler than that.  It has to do with outside contact.  That’s right!  It’s not that difficult, but it goes a long ways in creating meaningful relationships that actually enrich our lives and grow our churches.  Christians need to be the type of people who spend time outside of sunday morning services getting to know new people.  We need to be the types of people who open our homes if even once a month, and invite someone who we just had one of those uncomfortable conversations with over for a meal, or out to coffee, or for a play date, or whatever you may find in common (if nothing else, I all have eating in common).  We can’t change the nature of foyer conversations, they are necessary and a bit uncomfortable at times.  But a much better way to end one of those conversations is to say something like, “you know I’d like to get to know you better, would you like to come over for house for dinner?”

I must say that I really don’t like fall.  Many people talk about the beauty of the changing leaves, the brisk cool air, the shorter days without the bitter cold of winter.  And on and on they go, recounting the supposed wonder of the fall season.  Well I have compiled a list about why I hope that God strikes the season of Fall clean off the face of the earth.  Here goes:

1.  Summer.  It’s so glorious why end it?

2.  It’s a season of death – (not dead, but death.  That’s right, during winter everything is dead, fall however things are dying.  This is far worse than just ‘dead’.  Think about it, who fears being dead?  Nobody.  But dying, oh people fear that, so they should also fear Fall.)

3. Too cold to wear shorts, flip flops, and a tank top.  But it’s to warm to wear a jacket.  So we’re left with flannel (that fashion faux-pa) or with hoodies – but seriously, most job’s wont allow either.

4. Depression.  It is scientifically proven that during the dreary days of fall there is a spike in suicides and other depression related illnesses.  We need the summer sun!

5.  Shorter days.  Need I say more?

6. Cold whether with no snow.  If it’s going to be cold, at least let it snow.  What is the point of cold with no snow- doesn’t make sense does it?  You can’t ski on cold weather.  Can I get a shout from Colorado?!

7. Leaves.  Many of you will view Fall leaves as a positive.  You will argue beauty and grace, but you are the people who don’t have to rake them up.  Just ask someone with a massive Cotton Wood Tree in their back yard if they think that fall leaves are a positive thing?

8.  Halloween.  It’s Evil.  And don’t give a big line about all Saints Day.  We all know the truth.

9.  Child Obesity.  That’s right, it is during the time of fall that children grow larger and larger.  There are two causes of this.  First, Halloween – all that candy goes straight to making your child another statistic in our ever growing population of overweight children.  The second cause is more kids sitting inside in front of their televisions due to the colder whether, shorter days, and depression that sets in in the fall months.

So, next time you go outside and breath in that breath of crisp fall air, and your about to rejoice. Stop!  And just think about all the damage this season does to humanity, and instead, mourn the dying of summer.

Michael Moore, Mammon, and Me*

While in Detroit this past Saturday, I saw an advertisement for the new Michael Moore movie denouncing capitalism and the free market system. It irritated me, and then, the more I thought about it, it irritated me more, in ways I didn’t expect.

Moore is, first of all, no relation, and, second, not new to iconoclastic filmmaking. His previous cinematic offerings have taken on everything from corporate greed in the car industry to gun control and school shootings to 9/11 conspiracy theories.

What amazes me is not that Michael Moore doesn’t like capitalism. It’s that he’s trying to make money off of his denunciation of capitalism, and using advertising to try to do so. It’s almost as though the filmmaker is winking at us, kind of like the Borat character, bilking us for our cash and laughing at our gullibility for giving it to him.

My first reaction to the new Moore movie was a little bit of personal outrage. Still, Moore fits the image of the cash-hungry counter-culturalist Merle Haggard sang about in the ’60s as one who “loves our milk and honey” while he “preaches about another way of living.” At first I wanted to say, like Haggard, “love it or leave it,” and I hope you’re able to make a killing selling this movie in Cuba.

My second reaction was to wonder how addled the American public is that no one seems to be recognizing this kind of hypocrisy. Why doesn’t the American left have the gumption to say, “This guy is a clown, and he’s working at cross purposes with us.”

But the more I think about it, Michael Moore isn’t all that different from me, and most of the Christians I know.

Michael Moore believes (I’ll take him at face value) that the market system is destructive and evil, and should be replaced with something else. He just doesn’t want to live in the “something else.”

I believe the market system is often destructive and evil, and everything it could be replaced with is even more dehumanizing, until it’s replaced with the kingdom of Christ. I don’t mind a limited, bounded market system (one that is people-centered, treats workers right, respects the creation, maintains local traditions and the social order).

But I also know what I’ve received from the prophets and apostles of Jesus. The issue, ultimately, isn’t the economic system itself (although that’s important). It’s the rebellion of money-worship and greed.

I know as a follower of Christ Jesus that one of the most dangerous forces in this age is the passion for money or, more often, the passion for things. I know what Jesus has taught us that Mammon is a god, and a jealous one at that.

And yet, I’m able to know this, believe this, think this, while having too many of my decisions made by “care for tomorrow,” even though I’m able to repeat back from memory what Jesus said about this.

Yes, Michael Moore is a hypocrite. But aren’t we all. And shouldn’t his hypocrisy remind us to take up the plank in our own eye, and start giving away some money, some stuff, from our homes and, more importantly, from our affections.

This is, as the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize, not a simple thing to do. And the Bible nowhere calls us to a kind of mechanistic legalism to put a hedge around the temptation of Mammonism. But it’s awfully hard to see our captivity to wealth when the poorest among us is richer, by world standards, than the rich young ruler would have been, richer than Nebuchadnezzar in all his glory.

American Christians are starting to awaken somewhat to what our fat affluence has done to our supposedly counter-cultural gospel. One can only imagine that, as we speak, some evangelical trinket-maker is designing wall decorations that say “Money is the root of all kinds of evil” to sell to us, as “reminders.”

I hope I’m able to see a love of Mammon more and more clearly in my own life, and not just in the other Moore’s situation. The issue isn’t capitalism vs. socialism, and it certainly isn’t Michael Moore’s hypocritical antics.

After all, a “serve two masters” hypocrisy is much worse when one of those masters is supposed to be Jesus.

* The above is an post from Dr. Russell D. Moore the Dean of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  You can access his blog here: http://www.russellmoore.com

 October 2nd, 2009  Rob Crust   2 comments

Ever wonder if you’re only person who’s messed up?  Have you ever felt as if you are the only guy or girl with jacked up ideas, thoughts, motives, actions, and feelings?  I feel a little bit like that right now.  I spend my days sitting in 1 1/2 hour to 3 hour lectures on the BIBLE by professors who have studied it – full time – for decades; professors who get paid money to have an opinion about scripture and its application; professors who write books that people actually read, respect, and use in other colleges and seminaries.  And I spend my life around other students who are giving themselves to knowing the Bible better than most people in the world!   And it doesn’t take long for me to start feeling like I’m the only person on this campus who actually sins!

Today I was sitting in a lecture and the professor (an amazing man by the way) starts talking about Jesus being King of all creation.  And you know, at that moment a thought went through my head…”I wish I were King of creation.”  I was shocked at the thought.  It was Evil!  That thought is paramount to saying I wish I were God.  Wasn’t that the very same thought that got Satan thrown from heaven?!  I immediately repented and asked God to help me overcome my pride and selfishness.  But then I begin to wonder if anyone else had thoughts like that.  As I looked around all the other students seemed to have together.  They all ask really godly questions, and made really helpful comments during class, while the comment that runs through my brain is “I want to be God.”  My questions in class sometimes are no better, they seem silly and perhaps even a little bit selfish.  In fact, if I were to be totally honest sometimes I don’t ask questions because I’m afraid that I will reveal to the world how ignorant I am.  While other times I’m eager to ask a question that will make me seem really smart.  Chalk another sin up for Rob!

Yet as I ponder this, it occurs to me that my despair is absolutely unfounded.  Whether or not other people around me are committing the same types of sin, or even sinning at all has absolutely no impact on my standing before a holy God.  Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul calls us not to compare ourselves with each other (2nd Corinthians 10:12).  Jesus died to save me in spite of how I measure up to others.  When we realize our sin, the correct response isn’t to ask ourselves, ‘I wonder if other people sin like this?’  Because, what if they do?  We will only feel more justified in our own sin.  Right?  And, what if they don’t?  We will only empty the grace of God in our lives by measuring ourselves to an insufficient standard.  No, instead the correct response is to repent and move forward trusting in the mercy of God for forgiveness and the grace of God for future strength.  Yet it still may be of some comfort for you all to know that, sadly, I am a horrible sinner.  Don’t use that as an excuse for your sin, but use it as strength to press on knowing that someone else is pressing on with you.