Days of Genesis 1 in Chapters 2
and 3
(Part One)
You
know my standpoint from past discussions. I say the fall happened on the sixth
day – the day of the creation of man: The same day. The Text UNINTERRUPTEDLY in
chapters 2 to 3 goes on to tell how God after the fall of man, called for him
in the garden – Afrikaans – "In the evening breeze", English,
"in the cool of day" (from, ‘to
deilinon’ / ‘ruach’). That was
after the Sixth Day, as the Seventh Day with evening after sunset had begun.
Scriptures
– I don't care whatsoever what anybody whosoever says – Scriptures, makes NO
break between the Sixth and Seventh Days; Scriptures gives NO 'history' other
than man's creation and fall in “the garden”. Like ‘in the garden’ of God’s
planting there is NO 'history' other than man's, so in the six days of God’s
creating there is NO 'history' other than of man’s creation and fall. But “on the Seventh Day God rested” in that
He through grace provided for forgiveness of sin on it, and, on the Seventh Day,
over sin and death conquered: Through the Lamb – symbolically through the blood
taken for life there and then – not long afterwards.
My
standpoint is built upon a vertical following up of the three 'stories' of
Genesis 1, 2 and 3; I don't arrange them linearly. The repeated references to
the SAME days of the ONE creation in the three chapters, are undeniable. Their
sequence is the very same, over-spanning like a beam resting on the pillars of
days one and two, and six.
Of
interest also is the division of the days of 'creation-week' – of the first six
days – specifically, whereby the Sixth Day belonged to the creation of man
only, and wasn't shared with the creation of animals (created on the Fifth Day
as I have shown in our first conversation on the present subject, ‘Dae van
Genesis Een’).
Have I
come up with this, myself; is it supported by theologians?
Not
all of it – not the division of days in Genesis 1; that was my own. But for the
fall on man’s first day I do have the support of good men! But their support is nothing to me – as I have
said above! It is what the Bible teaches, that matters.
Some
of you have protested: “There is not one
particle of Scripture that supports your conjecture or re-division of the
creation days! A ‘house of cards’ will usually collapse of its own weight, in
the slightest breeze. There is also not
one particle of Scripture to suggest the fall of man happened on the Sixth Day –
“the day of the creation of man". We
simply are not told when this did occur, only that it did occur, and sometime
after Adam and Eve were around. Conjecture
is still conjecture, and it makes little difference whose it is; that does not
change its nature.”
Quibling,
yet another, protested: “That's what I
said!” as if he might loose out on the credit for my undoing. I answer: My friends, I return your questions with gratitude, since you are the ones who
proposed the indubitable notion, “Only
that it did occur, and sometime after Adam and Eve were around”. What would
make the ‘sometime after’ another day
or another year or another century later or ‘after’? You – friend or foe
it matters not – give me, 'one particle
of Scripture to suggest', the fall of man ‘occurred some time after on the Sixth Day’ – the day of the creation of man? You, present it! Here’s your opportunity to make me look foolish,
because so far you have made only yourselves look foolish! Only one Scripture
will do it! Just ‘one particle of
Scripture to suggest’ it; or only one Scripture why, ‘We simply are not told when this did occur’! … Such you presume right
after having read Genesis 1, 2 and 3 right where it is told you in Scripture by
Scripture, when as well as why the fall occurred!
‘My’
idea still is to show how the whole Bible, Genesis 1–3 included, is the story
of Redemption; and not even in
purpose, of creation firstly or independently.
In
vain do you protest: “You suspend the
Sabbath Day in mid air.”
I say,
No, you do! My illustration—from the Bible— firmly basis the the Seventh Day,
on, God’s works of His creating; but also on, God’s Greater Work of Redemption – veritably His Ultimate Work of the
Finishing the creation of God in, and through, Jesus Christ. The Sabbath Day of
the creation is Eschatology, in essence and, in time, wholly, fully and
finally; it has everything to do with Jesus Christ, with the Revelation of God,
and with His Salvation, or, not even with God’s creation, had anything to
do. The Sabbath Day had this Eschatological,
Christological, Soteriological relation to and relationship with the first six
days of creation, “In the beginning”, or never would find it and never has had
it “in the beginning”.
But
the nexus of your arguments against the eschatological significance of the
Creation-Sabbath, consists in tradition
– which tradition the nexus of, is 'free–will'
error: Arminianism and Humanism, namely IMPROVEMENT on God's work 'very
well done'. In other words, Adam first had to 'develop' into a 'mature' being
before he could be able 'to make decision' properly – and that here lies, where
he actually ‘failed’. He failed in his development; not in his act of taking of
the fruit. Now I don't know if I'm correct, but I thought you were free–grace
men, and not 'free–will' men. Your standpoint here, reveals perhaps more than
you bargained for!
I also
thought you believed in ‘creation’? But your protests look more like arguments
for ‘evolution’ to me.
Having
given you then the first three chapters of Scriptures, I am the only one who was
able to present that little bit necessary and totally ample Scripture, while you, unable to present
one fragment of Scripture in support of more days in Paradise than the day of
man’s creation, have left yourselves in the lurch. You get out yourselves! You
won’t in eternity find that Scripture though.
Nevertheless
you should get out ‘sometime’, since according
to you if only your forebear Adam had had the time to have tried long enough, he could have tried hard enough and would not have made his
mistake. Had Adam a fair deal and enough time and ‘assistance’ he would have improved his choice. It is obvious Adam
understood what he did; and with time, what might he have achieved? Would he
not have got it right in the end? Why the sudden crisis?
You
make sin, no sin! Is not your argument of more time in
The
strangest in this whole matter is how ‘free grace’ stalwarts of Reformed
Protestantism a sudden find themselves allies of ‘free will’ verbosity!
“You are making scripture say what you want
it to, without any true scriptural evidence. You can not make it say what it
does not say.”
Your
very best animadversion to my presentation of purely Scripture! See yourself in
your own words! Not I, not you (perhaps ‘translators’), are able to make the
Scriptures say what they don’t say. The Scriptures can only say what they say.
I repeat my question, Where does the Scriptures say Adam fell “sometime after the Sixth Day”? They
don’t; they say God created the heavens and the earth in six days; then they go
on to tell with what care God prepared a perfect environment for a perfectly
created human couple; then they go on to tell how God created them in His own
image; and without interruption how, the same day, man returned God’s favour;
and without interruption once more, the Scriptures go on to tell how God, on
man’s betrayal of Divine Trust, Mercy and Love, without interruption whatsoever
on the Seventh Day, answered. The story of Redemption and Grace completes the
story of the “six days” of the “beginnings
of the heavens and the earth” and everything that in them is, and on them in
the Sixth and Seventh Days, happened.
Which Seventh Day God for mercies’ sake ended after He had driven man out of
His Delight and Rest, and forbade and prevented him without Christ ever to
enter into, again. That’s what the
Sabbath was made for – ever!
Why
would I want to make the Scriptures say what I want and not what they want –
whether I liked it or not? Because it is
a very unflattering picture of man as it stands in Genesis 1–3 – nothing on the
part of man to feel proud about. Paul says of Adam, "By one man sin
entered into the world"! Paul doesn't blame the devil even; he gives Adam
(and Eve) ALL the blame –– and here's my point: ALL the blame for this most
tragic, devastating, indescribable, unpardonable but for the grace of God : SIN
which is not lessened but aggravated by the dual fact Adam sinned while perfect
and without delay!
NOWHERE
in Scripture do I find how this man Adam sinless and perfect IN EVERY respect
from the hand of his Creator, could open the portals of heaven (so to speak of
salvation) an inch wide by future improvement or by accumulated merit. It ALL
had to be of GRACE in order to be the salvation of GOD! From day one on.
Objection:
“Not that facts are particularly deterring
you in your conclusions!”
Answer: Small detail as it happened to be as long as
they are Scripture–detail, that's what weighs heavily with me. I have given you
the bigger picture. Now consider just this small overlooked fact strategically
placed in vers 4: “These
are developments, origins, generations – HISTORIES – of the heavens and of the
earth” and all that
is in them, naturally: “When they were created”; “In the
day”, that
the LORD made them. Then the ‘histories’ follow – with which is included
the history of man in that very day, which history is of two developments ONLY:
Man's perfect sinless creation “VERY GOOD”; and b, man’s very bad fall ––– “in that day”, “when created”.
Here's
another of those overlooked smaller detail that has bearing on the subject –
not like those off–course technicalities of inaccuracies on my side (rectified
or deleted) that don't count a point in the actual matter, but you are quick to
capitalise on. Another one such small detail, I say, piling up the “particles” and ‘shreds' of Scripture one
by one, slowly, but surely; giving ample time and opportunity for those
brilliant minds so quick to discover my blunders and ineptness:–
Without
a “particle” or 'shred' of Scripture hidden
in or between the first three chapters of Genesis, God tells us of the creation
of the world and everything in it: Adam
and Eve created: Gn1:26–2:1 and
Gn2:7, 15–18, 19b–25; Adam and Eve fell,
Gn3:1–7; After THIS, the Sabbath, Gn2:2 and Gn3:8–24, God curses, but also, redeems! No one questions the fact God spoke the
curse after no interval in time
after the fall, but, soon, when or as soon as told, after: by all information,
the very same day! But speak of man’s fall after no interval in time after
his creation, but, soon, when or as soon as told after: by all information, the
very same day, and shouts of declammation break loose; yea, dare say, and
saying, with no loss in time, be ridiculed, branded and condemned a heretic!
Explanation
of sin would be excuse for sin; to make time a factor whatsoever in Adam’s
sinning, would make time Adam’s justification
in sinning.
“(Man) was full of holiness.
Learn
from Adam’s fall how long we would
stand in our own strength! Ere nightfall we shall have fallen innumerable
times.
Because: “The
origin of sin, from whence it comes. It fetches its pedigree from hell; sin is
the devil. “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” 1Jn3:8. Satan was the first actor of sin, and the
first tempter to sin. Sin is the devil’s first-born. ... Malice is the devil’s
eye, hypocricy his cloven foot. It turns man into a devil. ... The Hebrew word
for sin, Pasha, signifies rebellion ... Sin strikes at the very Deity; Peccatum
est Deicidium: Sin is God’s would-be murderer. Sin would not only unthrone God,
sin would un-God Him.” Ibid, p.133/134.
“ “God made man upright, but they have sought
out many inventions” no sooner than they “saw the tree was to be desired to
make one wise”. Gn3:6. “Adam had a fair lordship, he was king of the world. But he lost all at one throw. Soon as he
sinned, he forfeited paradise. Adam’s fall was sudden; he did not long continue
in his royal majesty. Tostatus says, he fell the next day. Pererius says, he
fell on the eighth day after his creation. The most probable and received
opinion is, that he fell the very same day in which he was created. So
Irenaeus, Cyril, Epiphanius, and many others. The reasons which incline me to
believe so are, (1) It is said, Satan was a murderer, “from the beginning”.
Jn8:44. Now, whom did he murder? Not the blessed angels, he could not reach
them; nor the cursed angels, for they had before destroyed themselves. How then
was satan a murderer from the beginning? As soon as satan fell, he began to
tempt mankind to sin; this was a murdering temptation. By which it appears Adam
did not stay long in Paradise; soon after his creation the devil set upon him,
and murdered him by his temptation. (2)
Adam had not yet eaten of the tree of life. “And now, lest he put forth his
hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat; the Lord sent him forth of the
garden.” Gn3:22,23. This tree of life, being one of the choicest fruits in the
garden, and being placed in the midst of Paradise, it is very likely Adam would
have eaten of this tree of life one of the first, had not the serpent beguiled
him with the tree of knowledge. So that I conclude, Adam fell the very day of
his creation, because he had not tasted the tree of life, that tree that was
most in his eye, and had such delicious fruit growing upon it. (3) ‘Man being in honour, abideth not.”
Ps49:12. The Rabbins read it thus, ‘Adam
being in honour, lodged not one night.’ The Hebrew word for ‘abide’, signifies,
‘To stay or lodge for the night’. Adam then, it seems, did not take up one
night’s lodging in
It is as
though I could see, after Eve after her creation had moved to Adam’s side and
they both stood looking at the tree of life, ready to pluck from it their first
meal, how satan appeared to them, and lured them away from it to the tree of
knowledge, and both suffered defeat there and then. Ah! said the devil, What
you think God forbade you this tree for but allowed you the other to eat of? “It is
God’s envying your felicity, that
he forbids you this tree. ... The devil was first a liar, then a murderer. ...
His wiles are worse than his darts.” Ibid p 139.
“If our nature was thus weak when it was at
its best, what is it now when it is at the worst?” Ibid p 138. So what could delay their fall? By their
free will – it is plain – Adam and Eve hastened their fall!
Man the
first day of his life, did sin, because God not on the Sixth Day “from
all His works rested”,
nor on the Sixth Day fulfilled or finished in perfection all that He had made
though He had created it all “good” and man, indeed “very good”. But God “on the Seventh Day, ended his work which He
had made, and on the Seventh rested from all his works which He had made.” So “God blessed the Seventh
Day and sanctified it: Because that in it (not
in man but through Christ), He had rested from all his works which God created and
made.” Man, God on
the Seventh Day drove out, from the garden, and by oath would not allow him in
again but in and through Jesus Christ Redeemer of God’s in the end of the
world. Hebrews 1 to 4 and all the Scriptures as well.
Now that
is what the Word says. (And faithful ‘theologians’ agree in.) God would not in
the goodness of man perfect what He had begun Himself; but God in Himself
through Jesus Christ would “finish all the works of God”. “For God thus concerning the Seventh day spoke,
And God on the Seventh Day finished all the works of God.”
“God
in these last days hath spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed Heir
of all things; by Whom also He made the worlds. Who being the brightness of his
Glory and the express image of His (own) Person ... when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made
much better than the angels, as He, hath by inheritance obtained a more
excellent Name than they.” Now did not God create man “a little lower than the
angels”? But He
Christ, God made “much
higher than the angels”;
how much higher then above man, in his perfection has God exalted Christ? So
that we see Jesus in God’s finishing and rest upon and of the Seventh Day of
His working to the exceeding greatness of His Power, “to us-ward”. In fact by God’s working “for the sake of man(’s redemption)” did the Sabbath
Day come into being and obtained it a status it before has not had; God otherwise never would have “made the Sabbath”, or never “thus concerning the Seventh Day”, would have “spoken”. In
being and becoming the Day of God’s Rest “for the sake of man” through Jesus Christ, the
Seventh Day “was
made”, “the Sabbath of the LORD your God” – which same Sabbath Day “therefore, remains
valid for keeping by the People of God.”
Gerhard
Ebersöhn
Privaatsak
43
Sunninghill
2157