Genesis: The Great Fall

Genesis: The Great Fall

text: Genesis 2:25 – 9:19

Structure – giant Biblical waltz

A. Sin against the form/boundaries, 2:25 – 3:24

  B. Sin against the filling/being fruitful, chapter 4

    C. Sin against the light/glorification, 5:1 – 6:8

A'. New beginning – Water covers the earth 6:9 – 9:19

Introduction: Most often people talk about the Fall, meaning the events of the Garden of Eden and their consequences. And it is totally justified. At the same time, have you ever thought why Adam didn't drop dead at the appearance of the LORD. Why God allowed their lives to unfold – through Cain to the Flood. That's why it is important to talk about the Great Fall – the point when God decides to start over (saving 8 souls total, see 1 Peter 3:20). To follow the lesson you need to remember the main pattern of creation that we talked about last time – forming, filling, and glorification.

A. Sin against the form. The Garden story can be seen from many angles – we will address it from the “geography” point of view. LORD God, God whose name is The LIVING one, charges ADAM with two tasks/commandments: (1) regarding the garden (Genesis 2:15) and (2) regarding the trees (2:16-17). He ends up breaking both of them. First, he didn't guard it, allowing a beast of the field entrance to the Garden and “a right” to dictate the rules for the Garden (Genesis 3:1). Second, Adam's wife gets confused about the trees (which one is in the center and which is NOT), and he didn't correct her. That's why St. Paul says that the woman was deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), while the man is hold accountable. That's why we don't have a sin of Eve, but we do have a sin of Adam (Romans 5:12). And Messiah came as the second Adam not as a second Eve (1 Corinthians 15:45).

As a result of this transgression (notice crossing of the boundary terminology), death in its mean form came into the world. God says to Adam: you'll return to the ground... for you are dust, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19). This is the foundational phrase for the service of the Ash Wednesday. This means that we are looking to the end of this life: life where sickness, disconnect, and ultimately death prevails. Yet, being baptized, we also looking to the life eternal – in Jesus (Romans 6:1-4).

As Adam sinned by crossing the boundary – he is punished by crossing the boundary (eye for eye...). God first sends him out of the Garden, but apparently Adam did not want to go willingly. Therefore, God asked a couple of guardian angels (who guards to boundaries properly) to see him out of the premises Eastward (Genesis 3:23-24, Psalm 8). This was undone at the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity: now once again humanity is in charge: we will evaluate the whole world including the angels (1 Corinthians 6:1-3).

B. Sin against the filling. The second story relates to the feeling. Cain kills his brother and in him kills all of his potential descendants. It becomes even more obvious, when you note that in Hebrew the word “blood” had a plural form, being literally “voice of the bloods of your brother” (Genesis 4:10).

Cain is cast out of the land/field territory and goes even farther East from God's presence (Genesis 4:16). And his self-inflicted punishment is the great fear – what if someone will kill me (Genesis 4:14). Therefore, instead of filling the earth he locks himself in a city Enoch (Genesis 4:17). City is a walled settlement which limits the access – there are rules of coming in or going out. Please note that the first city is built by a murderer. It gives us an insight into the reason for the Lamb who was slain to be at the center of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10,14,22-23; 22:1-4).

C. Sin against the glorification. St. Paul says that wife is the glory of man (1 Corinthians 11:7). Therefore, it should not be surprising that the third story relates to marriage. There is a famous misconception about the daughters of man and the sons of god – namely, an idea of sexual interaction between angels and human women. It is a pure fantasy, unless you believe that Bee Movie (2007) by DreamWorks is a documentary. Generally, sons of God mean people of authority (Psalm 82). Here, it means the righteous descendants of Adam through Seth, while the daughters of man are girls from the clan of Cain. An intermarriage of believers and un-believers usually gives a boost to civilization, at the expanse of morality coming to ruins. As a result, earth ends up being filled with disgrace and hamas/violence (Genesis 6:5,11). God had to start over...

A'. New beginning – parallels between the Creation and the Flood.

1. Earth is covered with waters

2. Ark ends up on the mountain Ararat (place between the land and the sky)

3.1. Water goes down

3.2. We have a sign by the olive tree

etc.