So I started reading Genesis and I have some questions.?

Question

1 Okay, if God created Adam and then Eve, and they had Cain, Abel, and Seth, then where did Cain's wife come from?
2 And if we're all descendants of Adam and Eve, then originally there would have been incest?
3 Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden, except the one of knowledge. Then they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge and were forbidden from eating from the tree of life so that they would not live forever. However, wouldn't they have already eaten from the tree of life and therefore be eternal?
4 If God is perfect and as such, infailable, then why would he have made the mistake of making humans? I mean, he regretted it, which means it was a mistake. . .
5 Why did God have to rest on the seventh day?
6 God said that all animals will fear humans, but my rabbit doesn't fear me and my friend's dog doesn't fear her.
7 God said that everything is ours for food except for things with blood in it. 9:3-4 Then how come some plants are poisonous?
More to follow

Answer 1

1. Ancient myths tend to be fuzzy with technical details. You might as well ask how Prometheus could have his liver pecked out every day.

2. See response to item 1. Plus, incest was probably slightly less taboo in societies where people lived in larger family units.

3. See response #1.

4. Classic question for which there is no good answer.

5. This one has an answer, though. The author wrote that in to try to justify taking Sabbaths, which were essentially lunar worship festivals (1 week = 1/4 moon cycle), holdovers from the old polytheistic days that Jews and Christians continue to celebrate even today. The Jews also celebrated other lunar festivals, but those are less common today among professing monotheists. (Your copy of the Bible will mention New Moon festivals many times.)

6. Yeah, but the author was probably thinking about sheep or something.

7. This story was strongly Egyptian in influence (talking snakes!), and I'm sure they adored their plants more, living in a desert.

Answer 2

1 Okay, if God created Adam and then Eve, and they had Cain, Abel, and Seth, then where did Cain's wife come from?

Note that it does say that Adam and Eve had "many other sons and daughters."


2 And if we're all descendants of Adam and Eve, then originally there would have been incest?

Presumably yes (the brother and sister kind), although later on (as population increases) God does forbid that.

3 Adam and Eve could eat from any tree in the garden, except the one of knowledge. Then they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge and were forbidden from eating from the tree of life so that they would not live forever. However, wouldn't they have already eaten from the tree of life and therefore be eternal?

There are several possibilities there (and for the record that particular verse is really hard to translate/interpret).
For example they might not have eaten from the tree of life yet, or the eating of the tree of good and evil might have nullified what effect the other one had, or they might have had to keep eating from the tree of life, or God isn't talking about not wanting them to eat from the tree of life because it would make them immortal, but because they weren't immortal and it wouldn't be right for some reason.

4 If God is perfect and as such, infailable, then why would he have made the mistake of making humans? I mean, he regretted it, which means it was a mistake. . .

Not necessarily. God uses anthropomorphic language, which is to say that he often talks to humans as if he were a human. Expressions of God "regretting" or being "enraged" should probably not be taken any more literally than expressions like "his arm is strong" or "he smelled the smoke."

5 Why did God have to rest on the seventh day?

He didn't have to, he chose to. The reason isn't given, but must theologians speculate that it was to provide an example for mankind (and that seems to be hinted at in the sabbath commandment).

6 God said that all animals will fear humans, but my rabbit doesn't fear me and my friend's dog doesn't fear her.

Not relative to other animals now, but they might relative to animals then.

7 God said that everything is ours for food except for things with blood in it. 9:3-4 Then how come some plants are poisonous?

The point of the statement in context is that both plants and animals will now be acceptable (morally speaking) as food choices (provided that the blood prohibition, which shows respect for all life, remains in force).
It says nothing about whether every single plant or animal is nutritious or toxic.

Answer 3

1. Adam and Eve also had sons and daughters (5:4).

2. Incest was okay back then because there was no law against it until Moses. Genetic similarity wasn't a problem either because the genes were so good. Adam married his rib (2:21, 22).

3. It was the knowledge of good and evil, not knowledge, and apparently they hadn't because God stopped them from doing so by kicking them out of Eden.

4. He made us on purpose. It wasn't a mistake. We made Him sad, which is what the KJV means when it talks about God repenting in chapter 6 but it wasn't a mistake. I don't understand why God made us either, knowing what we would do. I personally wouldn't have made us but I'm not God.

5. That was to set the precedent for the Sabbath.

6. Neither did the Leviathan in the book of Job. My best guess is that He didn't really mean absolutely all animals, but just a large majority of animals.

7. I have no idea. I did learn recently that poisonous snakes may not have been poisonous when God created them because the Earth was so different. The magnetic field was stronger and copperheads are not poisonous if you increase the magnetic field. The plants that are poisonous today may not have been poisonous originally either, except of course for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which was spiritually lethal because it broke the fellowship with God that Adam and Eve had enjoyed, which is what God meant when He said that they would die when they ate of it. In the New Testament, you see this type of thinking a lot, that people without Jesus, or God in the Old Testament, don't have life because of this lack of fellowship with their Creator.

Answer 4

1. Cain's wife came from the land of Nod. She would have been one of Cain's sisters, or one of his nieces (maybe several times removed).
2. Yes.
3. Larry Niven suggests that the effect of the Tree of Life was only temporary -- to continue living forever, they would have had to continue eating the fruit of the Tree of Life.
4. Now you're talking predestination. Making humans wasn't a bad thing. Giving them free will, on the other hand... especially after seeing what happened to one of the highest angels after the high angels were given free well.
5. It's a time to contemplate what has already been done.
6. Your rabbit fears your friend. G-d didn't say that all animals will fear all humans.
7. Not all plants are food.

Answer 5

1. Read Genesis 5:4 please.
2. Having 'sex' with your sibling at that time was not a sin. Later, it was a sin under the law of Moses.
3.Apparently not.
4. God allowed man teh power of free choice during man's creation. To disobey God, hasman's choice not God's.
5. God did rest on hte seventh day; but he did not have to.
6. I presently do not understand that point either. Perhaps we presently, are confusing a fear with fight or die (thinking of other animals at present and past).
7. Are parts of those 'poisonous plants' o.k.to eat? (I am not an expert on that point right now here).

Answer 6

Could you ask one question at a time? I'll give you the short answers, but you can find more on www.answersingenesis.org

1. Cain's wife was a sister of his.
2. Marrying close relations wasn't forbidden until much later. (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/tools/cains_wife.asp)
3. They obviously needed to eat of the Tree of Life on a consistent basis, not just once, to enjoy its benefits--a picture of Holy Communion for us. (http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v7/i4/treeoflife.asp)
4. God was grieved that man had sinned & continued to hold on to that sin, rather than trusting in Him. Humans, not God are responsible for sin & its consequences. It was humans who defined themselves by their sin, not God.
5. He didn't have to rest. He chose to in order to establish the work week, and a day of worship for us. Think about it Earth is to Day as Moon is to Month as Sun is to Year, but where did the week come from? (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/overheads/pages/oh20011012_83.asp)
6. He also said, "they are given unto you hands," which meant that they would still have some control over domestication.
7a. That's not what God said. What He said was, "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat *that has its lifeblood still in it*." I'm pretty sure "lives & moves" is the Hebrew word 'nephesh' which excludes other plants & is rather referring to animals. But the blood must be drained from the animal before eating.
7b. Look again at Genesis 3:17-18. The ground was also cursed, so plants which get their nutrients from the ground are affected. Would that not explain poisonous plants? It's also possible that when God took away some of his sustaining power that Adam & Eve became intolerant of plants that were edible before the fall.

At www.answersingenesis.org, you can ask questions directly to them too.

Answer 7

1:Adam and Eve had other children as well 2:yes there was incest look at Lots daughters to keep their lineage going they slept with their father 3:no not necessarily we have no idea how long they were there 4:God makes no mistakes His regrett was knowing about the fall of Adam 5: for His plan for man to be set into action 6:if you do something to harm them they fear you 7:they are used for other things such as medicines(more to follow)

Answer 8

1. God created a city full of people where they all met eachother.. read on.

2. No. Read further as to where they met. The city was filled w/ ppl.

3. I don't understand. They ate from the forbidden tree. Tree of knowledge. They had no opportunity to eat from anything more since God came down on them and they tried to hide. He then sent them from the garden forever and kept them out.

4. Who else would be there to share with him his glory? He does not regret the humans, only the sin and the evil.

5. To allow all to enjoy his world.

6. Ha- ha.

7. They are all ours. The things we purchase and make and earn. Blood , ppl are not something to be owned is the idea.

Answer 9

a million. It grow to be stated as the Tree of information of excellent and Evil. 2. They ate from the tree and sinned. as a effect of that sin, they have been kicked out of the backyard and now not had get entry to to the Tree of existence which grow to be additionally interior the backyard. hence, via sin dying grow to be delivered into the international. 3. Adam and Eve have been commanded to be fruitful and multiply on the face the earth. So, i'm guessing that it could be quite crowded via now in the event that they had in no way disobeyed God and in no way lost their get entry to to the Tree of existence. 4. As according to the question relating to the inhabitants, there are various fashions available, yet none of them are conclusive. We do understand that Adam and Eve have been the 1st human beings and that each and every physique who's alive at present got here from the two certainly one of them. We additionally understand that Adam and Eve had better than 2 babies. From this, we can wager that they married and mated with their siblings which, with a clean genetic pool, does not have been all that undesirable.

Answer 10

1. sisters. women weren't often counted in early societies
2. correct. they had to do what they had to do.
3. they didn't eat of it. they were allowed to eat every kind, but with thousands of kinds, I doubt they ate them all, especially if they had preferences
4. regretting doesn't mean you erred. a mistake is an accident, and He created man on purpose. He just turned around and said "geez!"
5. likely a spiritual significance
6. no He doesn't. He said we can tame them and we have dominion over them (we are smarter, we are inventive). that doesn't mean they'll fear you. and I'm pretty sure if you start jabbing your rabbit with a stick he'll fear you. and dogs often respond to fearlessness. so show no fear, the dog likely won't bite you.
7. did you not read Genesis? things turned that way because of what Adam did (ate fruit of T.o.K.o.G.a.E)