Mutiny and Hope – a reflection on Genesis 3 by Nikki Smith

Every once in awhile, I’ll come across something in a book or sermon that just stuns me of how the ideas came together to convey deep insights with minimal words. At our church recently, we celebrated what is called “Lessons and Carols”, which is a service during the penitent season of Advent to reflect on the coming incarnation of our Lord. God entered a dark world in a unique way as the person of Jesus Christ, fully God, fully Human. Humanity is given new hope of a restored creation where God sets all things right, again.

This worship service communicates the biblical narrative primarily through scripture and songs with a few, brief meditations on the scripture throughout. They were all good and insightful presentations, but this one by Nikki Smith on our church staff struck me as rich theology captured in just a few hundred words. I asked for permission to share this on my blog for others to ponder as well. Just before Nikki gave this meditation, Genesis 3:1-15 was read.

I’m always intrigued by the idea of the Before Times: specifically the time before sin came into the world. What draws me into the creation story isn’t the explanation for why the world is the way it is, but the glimpse we get of something truly extraordinary before sin.

Our readings open just as the Trinity reaches into the dust and fashions a creature unlike any of the others he’s made so far. This creature, this human, He makes in His own image and gives His own breath – His very life. He then creates a woman from the same substance as man and places these images of Himself in the garden with a mandate to continue the work He began. We see Adam flourishing under this mandate, naming the creatures he meets and tending the garden; Eve joins with him and together, in fellowship with the Lord, they begin to establish the first culture.

That all this comes before sin enters the world is important because it shows us that human contributions to creation were good and culture was meant to grow and develop with human creativity leading the way. God’s creation, and therefore human creativity, before and apart from sin was entirely good. Humans were gifted with God’s image, His breath, fellowship with Him, and His blessing on their endeavors.

But then Adam and Eve throw it all away. They choose to take their destiny in their own hands, and in doing so, their ability to create thoroughly good things is lost. Their ability to work side-by-side with the Creator is taken away. The image of the Almighty in them is tarnished. Death came immediately. Not physical death, but the death of definitive human good, the death of Adam’s, Eve’s and – by extension – our relationship with God.

Our mutiny against the Creator’s order is the root cause of all the wrong we see and experience. We decided that God’s instruction wasn’t actually good at all. And in doing so we broke something precious and now all of creation groans. But even in our separation from God, He gives us a glimpse of something good to come: the serpent’s head will be crushed.

Nikki Smith – Meditation on Genesis 3:1-15