Genesis 1 - 3

It Is Not Good
Genesis is my favorite book in the Bible.  Every time I read it, I am amazed at the economy of words used to described the Creation.  In a mere 33 verses everything we, as humans (and including humans!), exist in and with is created, formed, and ordered.  It only takes 19 verses (in Chapter 3) for humanity to fall into sin and lose their existence in God's perfect world. In one verse (3:21) God sets the pattern for redemption by blood - a crucial tenet of Christianity and an Old Testament type of Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary.

I have read Genesis countless times and almost everytime I read it, something new jumps out at me.  This time it was Genesis 2:18 which in the NLT states, "And the LORD God said, 'It is not good...'"  Up to this verse everything was good.  In Genesis 1 verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, and 25 the Lord saw that is was good.  After the creation of Man in verse 27, God declares in verse 31 "he saw that it was excellent" (some translations say "very good").  So why does the Lord state 18 verses later, that it was not good?

The irony and relatively close juxtaposition of these statements should not be lost on the reader.  After the creation we have no choice but to believe that everything in the universe was perfect.  There was no death, no sin, no disease, no ill-feeling, no tension, no pain, nothing negative.  Only the glory and majesty of the Almighty was felt and experienced.  Man had no needs that were not supplied.  Yet, when Adam reviewed and named all the creatures of God's magnificent work (2:19-30), there was something within him that yearned for more intimate companionship.

To me the "it was not good" statement had a prophetic element.  It was not good that Man did not have Woman.  But, as we find out in chapter 3, it went from "not good" to catastrophic.  Humanity succumbed to sin and lost their state of perfection and were banished from God's garden.

In 79 verses of scripture the Bible describes the creation, the formation, the ordering, and the fall of the Earth and Mankind. This is incredible!  Thankfully, the last verse of this reading provides a ray of hope:

Genesis 3:24
After banishing them from the garden, the LORD God stationed mighty angelic beings to the east of Eden. And a flaming sword flashed back and forth, guarding the way to the tree of life.

He has His "mighty angels" (the ministry) with a "flaming sword" (the living, conquering Word of God) "guard the way" (His salvation plan) to the "tree of life" (eternal life with Jesus).

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.