How to Question? The Bible: Genesis 2

 
This is the second in a series of posts that take a look at the bible from what I hope to be a critical analysis. I feel I've read the bible, or most of it anyway, throughout the course of my life, but I want to make sure.

REFERENCE: New International Version

Genesis 2

• 2:1 (seems to be continued from previous chapter) The earth was then complete.
• Why isn’t this in the first chapter? Seems weird to be separated for the first chapter.
• 2:2-3 On the seventh day, god rested, making the day holy because he rested on that day.
• Was god so tired that he needed rest? Is he not all-powerful? If he is, then he shouldn’t need to rest. If he isn’t then how did he create all of the earth?
• 2:4 Announces another account of the creation of the heavens and earth
• Why this wasn’t told before? Did it mess with timing of creation in the form of days?
• Is this a completely different version? Or a retelling of the first chapter? I will assume a retelling of the same story.
• 2:5-7 The earth was void of plant life and rain, and since there was no one to work the ground, god sent up streams and formed a man from the dirt, creating him and breathing life into his nostrils.
• Why does this seem a little out of sequence from the first chapter? Why is there no mention the animals that he had created, or that the sun and moon had been created, or day/night separation, etc.?
• Why doesn’t it mention the female? The first chapter was very clear: god made male and female forms at the same time.
• 2:8-9 God had planted the garden of Eden at some prior time, and he put the man he made there. He then made trees grow, both for food and to please the eye. In the center was a tree of life, which contained the knowledge of the difference between good and evil.
• When did god make the garden of Eden? It would seem that the whole world would be perfect, not just one garden; no human interaction to mess it up yet.
• Why did god put that knowledge, the ability to decide between good and bad, in a tree? Does this imply that the man he placed there did not know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong? What knowledge did this first man possess? Did he have had the faculty of reason, judgment, value? Could he have been able to trust or distrust? Would he have fear, joy, or any idea of safety? Would the fact of whether or not he existed even make a difference to him if he had no way of knowing the meaning of that existence?
• What was god’s purpose for this man? Why did god just suddenly decide to create a world? Amusement?
• 2:10-14 These explain the borders of Eden, saying it was split into four headwaters, rivers named: Pishon in the land of Havilah (Where there’s good gold and onyx), Gihon in the land of Cush, Tigris along the southeast of Ashur and the Euphrates.
• I know the last two rivers, both of which are in Iraq. Seems funny that we bombed it for so long
• Also, what’s up with the HUGE gold reference? Onyx? Pearls? Why was that so important that they got more than one reference? Interesting.
• 2:15-17 God put the man in the garden to work it and take care of it, and commanded him to eat from any tree in the garden but not the tree of life. If he ate from the tree of life, he would certainly die.
• Wow, so it’s made clear why god made man: as a slave to his whims. He had no one to tend his newly created garden, so he created a slave. To top it off, this slave had no knowledge of good or evil. How could he have known he was a slave?
• How would he know that death is bad? This man had no knowledge of good or evil. Is this the first implication that going against god is considered the only evil?
• Was god trying to trap this man? “Here’s everything you don’t know about the world. Don’t touch it.” How is this not entrapment?
• 2:18 God doesn’t think the man will do well alone so he decides to make a “helper” for him.
• Wait, so he didn’t make man and woman at the same time like it said in Genesis 1?
• Why didn't god just create a man strong enough to go at it alone if that's what he wanted?
• 2:19-20 God created all the wild animals and birds from the ground and brought them to the man to name them. The man named them, but none were suitable as his helper.
• So, I thought that god made the animals first? Not even finished with two chapters and this book is already contradicting itself. Did the same author write these two contradicting books? Isn’t the bible supposed to be the ‘word of god’ and therefore infallible? Why is it making these mistakes?
• God couldn’t name the animals? I hope the man picked out the right names.
• 2:21-22 God put the man to sleep and then took one of his ribs and healed the wound. He then made a woman from the rib and brought her to the man.
• Again, this account is a bit different than in Genesis 1, where it stated that god made male and female at the same time on the same day.
• Also, it almost sounds almost dirty, like a back-ally kidney theft; knock out the victim, sew them up and leave them there in a bathtub of ice. Couldn’t god have just asked for a rib? Or better yet, just tell him ‘Hey, I’m taking a rib!’ He is the man’s master, right?
• 2:23 The man names the woman ‘woman,’ because she’s part man (bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh).
• I bet she was grateful. “Hey thanks. I don’t need my own identity or anything, just consider me a part of you!” How generous.
• 2:24 The man’s feelings toward the woman explains why children grow up to leave home and why men marry women.
• I’m confused how one relates to the other. That one woman was part of that one man, so I understand how she could feel indebted to him for that, maybe. But if that one couple begat all of humanity, then why would female progeny be thought of less than their male progeny? That is a re-occurring theme in Christianity, and many claim it’s because of this and because of eating the apple
• 2:25 Adam (first time he’s been named) and his wife (yet unnamed) are both naked, but not ashamed of it.
• Well good for them! My kind of place!