tree of life

Today continued the Genesis study in my women's coffee break.  A spirited and chatty group, but not always the most informative.  However, I am enjoying reading the book of Genesis from a new perspective.  I find such amazing parenting skills in Jehovah God.  For even in their worst moments, Adam and Eve were punished but not cursed.  And both the man and the woman were hit where it counts the most: women in relationships and men in daily work/tasks.

"You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you," Genesis 3:16b.  "Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk," Genesis 3:19a.

I also found such truth in how both Adam and Eve blame someone/something else for their disobedience.  Eve blame the serpent and Adam blames Eve.  Neither take repsonsibility for their actions, which is so typical in childen (and adults).  We never seem to want to take blame for our misfortunes, and yet we have a choice.

I visited with my grandma last Wednesday, but spoke to Bonnie on the phone Sunday evening.  I asked her about the Tree of Life: this tree that receives a name, but never a true description.  However, in Genesis 3:22b there is a reference to the tree, "He must not be allowed to read out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."  One would think that Adam and Eve had been eating from this tree while they cavorted with Jehovah God, but now upon their removal from the garden are no longer able to partake in the fruit.  This fruit was what gave everlasting life.  Thus, "you started out as dirt, you'll end up as dirt," Genesis 3:19b.

Bonnie made mention that the Tree of Knowledge was a lesson in obedience, and that the fruit wasn't anything special...just fruit like every other tree.  However, she also pointed out a verse that her Kingdom Hall is studying: Genesis 3:15.  Jehovah God is talking to the serpent:

"And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel." (NIV)

Bonnie told me that this passage alludes to the battle in Heaven, which is described in more detail in the Revelation.  Satan is the "you" and the angel organization in heaven is the "women."  Your offspring refers to "demons" which are fallen angels and on Satan's side, and hers refers to the 144,000 that will serve in the Kingdom of Heaven with Jesus after the 1000 years.

Interestingly enough, our Bible study today read this passage.  It was quickly dismissed as the part about "Christ coming," (i.e. a Messianic prophecy) but not interpreted.  I'm almost sad I didn't go to the Kingdom Hall last Sunday to study this passage.  It is really cryptic and cool!  In the Message version there is a a bit of a textual difference:

"I'm declaring war between you and the
Woman,
between your offspring and hers.
He'll wound your head,
you'll wound his heel."

I actually have to agree with a Internet blogger who states:

"The application of the term (zar’ah), her seed, in Genesis 3:15 is to denote Eve’s generic descendants, i.e., humanity, since Adam and Eve are considered as the progenitors of all of us according to the account of Creation in Genesis. The incredible quantum leap of faith required in order to accept and believe the claim that Genesis 3:15 is a messianic prophecy, that the seed of Eve referred to therein can be distinctly and unambiguously identified as pointing at a specific individual, Jesus, is simply astonishing.

Within the realm of Jewish theology, this verse could certainly be understood to include the Messiah at some point "down the road" since, according to the teachings of the Hebrew Bible, he is expected to be a flesh and blood human being, a descendant of King David, and, thus, a descendant of Adam and Eve as well. But this is in no way a unique identification and pointer to the Messiah, to that specific individual whose coming is foretold in the Hebrew Bible."

However, whatever the true interpretation is, a verse like this is definitely thought provoking and MY kind of verse!  :)