Falling and Getting Back Up Again
- Aug 24, 2018
- 3 min read
Genesis does resemble a soap opera; it is overly dramatic and sensational. Additionally, the families of the stories are dysfunctional in many different ways, which invokes in readers a strong empathy for the characters. But this isn’t the extent of the narrative. The families in Genesis do struggle, but before the end, they always succeed in rising above their problems, persevering through them, and learning from them. Genesis begins with the story of Adam and Eve, the first couple. Eve is deceived by the talking serpent to eat of the fabled tree of knowledge of good and evil, and in turn she coaxes Adam into eating the forbidden fruit as well. God punishes them both by throwing them out of the garden, a place of paradise. If God truly does only give good instructions, Adam should have listened to God over his wife, a flawed human. Any husband, father or man shouldn’t be so enthralled by a woman to ignore reason. If Adam could have resisted temptation to give into his wife’s wishes, the long line of dysfunctional descendants wouldn’t have even occurred. God would have replaced Eve. Adam, his new wife and their offspring would have all lived out their lives in paradise. Although Adam couldn’t resist, resulting in dysfunction for all humankind, he and Eve managed to bear children, and through their toils carve a life for themselves. But the dysfunction passed through Adam and Eve’s descendants. Cain kills Abel, but despite God’s curse on him persevered to bear Enoch and build a city named after said Enoch. Corruption flows through the blood into all the populace, who are wiped out in a flood by God, angry at their sin. Rising above the disaster is Noah and his family, to hopefully build a better future for humankind. Squabbling occurs between Abraham’s wife Sarah and their Egyptian slave Hagar, but God guides Hagar through the trouble. When Hagar flees from her mistress Sarah, God instructs her to return and blesses her with a promise of descendants. Isaac’s two sons Jacob and Esau fight for their father’s blessing, but end up making amends. Jacob toils to earn his wife Rachel from her father, earning Leah in the process. Rachel struggles to bear a son, until she finally gives birth to Joseph.The story of Joseph and his brothers is a prime example of a family enduring through their difficulties. Rejected by his brothers for being treasured by their father, Joseph dreams he will one day rule over his family members. For this, his brothers sell Joseph as a slave to Egyptians, and feign his death to their father. But while in Egypt, Joseph rises above the odds to become the right-hand man of the pharaoh. When his brothers enter Egypt to plead for food, they do not recognize their brother. Accusing them of being spies, Joseph pretends not to know them. He tests them by commanding them to return to Canaan and return with their youngest brother Benjamin. Joseph’s brothers do as they are commanded. After receiving their food sacks, Joseph’s brothers prepare to depart. Planning to portray Benjamin as a thief, Joseph secretly slips his silver cup into Benjamin’s sack. When it is discovered, Joseph demands Benjamin to be his slave. Judah, one of the brothers, proceeds to beg for Benjamin, offering himself as a slave in his stead. Finally, Joseph cannot bear it any longer, and reveals his identity as their long-lost brother. Embracing his brothers, Joseph assures them that they should not feel angry at themselves for their mistakes, for because of those mistakes he was made into a great man in Egypt. Joseph offers them land nearby, and they leave for Canaan and return with their father Jacob, who is overjoyed to be reunited with his favorite son. All these examples serve to show while Genesis may contain dysfunctional families, the story is not meant to end there. Genesis is an unfortunate account of the idea that humanity is flawed, and therefore our relationships are flawed. Miscommunication and disagreement abound. But it also serves to show that while humanity is flawed, we are capable of rising above those flaws, even if like Sisyphus, our efforts will all be for naught, and by the next generation the problems will reoccur. Until we find a way to return into the Garden of Eden, all we can do is fall and get back up again.
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