Since I already began reading through the Bible two weeks ago and am just starting this blog now, I thought I would still record some of my thoughts I had journaled elsewhere when I started to read. Starting with Genesis 1, I read through the 7 days of creation and thought it was interesting that God gave all of the green plants on the ground for the animals and to man he gave the fruit on the trees and every plant that yields seed. It made me think "Wow, am I not supposed to eat meat?!" Maybe there was a point when Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael only ate vegetables and were found more nourished than those who had the royal food. I sure do love meat though!
The more I read the more I have been recalling Scripture that I had read throughout school. Here are some things I found interesting: Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years! Cain's son was Enoch, whose son was Methuseleh who lived nine hundred and sixty nine years! Out of Enoch's line Noah came. Noah lived to be nine hundred and fifty years old!
So many questions and we just started!
ReplyDeleteThings I noticed from chapter 3:
-the serpent talking - was that because Satan possessed him, or did animals really have the ability to talk at some point in time? Nowhere does it mention that Eve was surprised by his talking to her, but I guess neither was Balaam when the donkey started talking to him. (?)
- when Eve was cursed, God said, "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. " Does that mean that beforehand husbands and wives were equals?
- Why didn't God want mane to "reach out his hand and take from the tree of life and live forever"?
Chapter 4 favorite verse: "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it." (7b) What a warning to keep a close eye on yourself! Satan is a thief; he'll get you if you're not paying close enough attention.
Also in chapter 4, "At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord." (26b) Interesting that it's noted here and not before. Also, what does it really mean? Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel all talked to God.
By chapter 5 I started wondering what was happening to the long life spans. They progressively got shorter. Could this be as a result of in the increase of sin? If so, what does that say about our current situation?
Regarding the serpent speaking, it says that the serpent was more crafty, and the fact that it does not record any surprise from Eve when she heard the serpent speak suggests there was a possibility of communication between man and at least the serpent. Perhaps man in his perfect state could communicate with animals/certain animals? The NIV translates Numbers 22:28 "Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Perhaps this suggests the Lord actually allowed the donkey to convey feelings that it already had but couldn't express normally. However I read another opinion on Balaam, and that is the fact that he was a foreign prophet, and may have been involved in pagan practices. He may have seen stranger things than that in his life (Sorcery/ pharmakeia/drug use). Can't say much more now, there's work to be done.
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