In the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religious traditions, the first parents were Adam and Eve. Next there’s the story of Gikuyu and Mumbi who were the first parents of the Agikuyu from Central Kenya; they are the largest tribe in the country. Next is the Bukusu story of Mwambu, the first man. Mwambu means creator or pioneer. He was fashioned from mud by Khakaba which is what the Luhya call God. God gave him a wife named Sela.

Do you know there are about ten different stories around the world telling of the first man and woman? These stories are similar, but each has a different twist. All are considered myths. I’m not here to debate if the creation stories about man and woman are a myth or not. What I do want to take a look at is the possibility of yet another meaning to the “Garden of Eden” story.

Traditional meaning of the Garden of Eden Story

In the traditional story of the creation of mankind, we are told God made man in His likeness. I AM THAT I AM, being perfect, having unconditional love, decided at some point in the remote past that he wanted a living being to possess the same kind of wonderful existence and righteous character he had always experienced. God then decided man should have a helpmate so he would not be lonely, thus creating woman.

Spirit Most High put the first couple in a garden paradise where He provided all that the man and woman would need to live out a happy life. Man was made to look over the rest of creation and paradise to see that all went according to plan. But, what was the plan?

In the story, God told man and woman that they could have anything in the garden, only they could not eat the fruit from the Tree of Life. We all know what happens when one is given a temptation and told not to do something. That which is forbidden, will be done.

We know from the story that man and woman were banished from the garden. They were sentenced to a life of hardship and separateness from God.

Why would a loving God give man free choice and then condemn him for making a choice?

Human parents would be considered cruel and deceptive to give their children a perfect environment to live in, only to set them up for failure with a temptation. In the story about man and woman, this is exactly what happened.

Being a loving parent, we would do all we could to make sure our child succeeded. It makes no sense for our Creator to be deceptive and cruel to the first couple. What is the point of the story from the fall of grace?

Some say, the point was, that Adam and Eve were given a direct command not to eat the forbidden fruit. They had to follow the command without question. If this is true, Adam and Eve would not have had free will. They would not be given the freedom to think for themselves.

Yet on the other hand, if they were given a choice and made any choice other than what was commanded of them… You see the dilemma.

Did God know that Adam and Eve would sin?

Jehovah knew that Adam and Eve would sin, thereby bring evil, suffering, and death into the world. However, if Spirit knew what the couple would do, then what was the point in placing them in that situation? God knew ahead of time what the results of sin are. Doesn’t that make the whole situation preordained to happen?

I AM THAT I AM tested the first couple by allowing Satan to tempt Adam and Eve. They are forced to make a choice. In doing so, every person is born with a sinful nature, causing each of us to have a tendency to sin.

 

If man is made in the image of God and God is without sin, how can we be born sinful? I encourage you to read the creation story you grew up hearing. In part two, I will take a completely different look at the creation story. We will explore possibly another meaning to the story.

 

By the way, Eve was not Adam’s first wife! Lilith was the first wife. That kind of blows the ‘no divorce’ believe out of the water, doesn’t it. That’s a different story for another time.