Take time to read the Jewish perspective on Genesis: it is fascinating from a woman's point of view.
The link at as the end, and a site well worth a look. Love Gillyxxx
In the narrative in the book of Genesis, there are two main objectives. The first is a general goal to create a complex world designed for ideal human existence according to divinely legislated principles. The second is God's desire to establish a great nation within this world. According to the narrative, God aims to achieve these goals by constructing frameworks for his goals and then enlisting various humans to help see them to fruition. However, as amply demonstrated in Genesis, the human variable is volatile and frequently confronts God with instances of insubordination.
As a collective human element, women in Genesis often appear as obstacles to these broad overriding goals through nonfulfillment of their particular roles in the divine scheme. From the Garden of Eden right through to the story of Joseph, women, as wives, mothers, and daughters, are typically unreliable, inadequate, deceitful or, simply by virtue of their womanhood, an outright liability, and they frequently threaten to undermine God's will as it is expressed in the opening book of the Bible.
God's first instruction to a human being occurs during the initial telling of the creation story in Genesis. Adam and Eve have the mutual responsibility to "e fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it"(1:28). However, it is really the second narrative, detailing the creation of man and woman, that establishes God's structure of the world. In this structure, Eden is created for the first man, Adam, who has one basic function, to work and guard Eden (2:15), and only one prohibition, to abstain from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge (2:16).
Starting right from Genesis, in this additional description of the Eden story, tension already arises between Eve, the first biblical woman (ironically, created specifically to complete the Eden habitat for Adam), and the divine process. Duped by the serpent, she not only succumbs and eats the forbidden fruit, but also encourages Adam to join her, thereby causing their expulsion. Thus, God is forced to confront human intractability from the very beginning of his quest, and the first instance comes from a woman, the very creature created to solidify Edenic perfection.
God had intended Eden to be a self-contained universe, a paradise for Adam where he would live comfortably without toil or hardship. By disobeying, and then including Adam in her crime, Eve indirectly causes his punishment: a life which requires him to labor for his sustenance. Eve was created to be her husband's helpmate (2:20); instead, she turns out to be a catalyst for his demise and the cause of humankind's expulsion from the Edenic Utopia. In the creation story, the satisfaction of both God and human are at stake. God aims to realize his will in the world, and the happiness and contentment of humanity hinge on God's ability to realize his plan. Eve is created to complete Eden. But, instead of conforming to God's plan, she is a stumbling block to the construction of the divinely conceived universe.
The idea that God is striving to create an ideal world recurs in Genesis. And, in many instances, as in the case of Eve, it is a woman who impedes the fulfilment of God's vision. However, disobedient actions are not always the mode of obstruction. Sara and Rachel threaten God's plan with their infertility. Although the text does not explicitly blame the matriarchs for their inability to conceive, they are involuntarily liable for not propagating. In every instance, it is the matriarchs, rather than their husbands or God, who are passively the physical barriers to conception. God, the narrative explains, opens wombs when he so chooses. But closed wombs are never stated to be the result of God's initiative. And, even if conception is perceived as God's intervention, it is significant that infertility in the text is always a result of women's,
RE: The Female Threat in Genesis
No one has replied to this so I thought I would. It feels too lonely in this forum
Lets give it a little life shall we.
I grew up baptist so Genesis is no stranger to me. On my way to a less christian point of view and a more openly spiritual one. I was studying the astral realms. Out of body experiences, auras, energy transfer and motion. I spent a lot of time in the other realm being so fascinated by it.
The conclusion I came to one day was that the female human represents more of the spirit then men do, this is stereotypical but statistically it does work since "most" women are expressive or emotional, they feel and they are quicker to outlet it than a man is, a mans anger comes from his biological programming to hold back his true feelings.
This came to me because most spirits I encountered, even myself, had very female traits. I feel very feminine when I am doing spiritual works or being in tune. Some disagree but to each their own but I always disliked the viewpoint of women in the old testament. Clearly it was written by men and don't forget I am a man who says this.
Ive nothing against christianity or its followers, I have my distaste for my own gender but im not against them either. I just think that if you were to choose a side in the spiritual realm, the female would be the more dominant trait even though in spirit we are neither.
RE: The Female Threat in Genesis
HI Zophiel,
thanks for taking notice of this thread. Your thoughts are very interesting.
I have an opinion, which is that we have seen the ancient pre 6000 years back Matriachal rule, which didn't work as it was unbalanced, and the last 6000 odd years we see the Patriachal rule, again, unbalanced, so now it is easing, at least in some parts of the world towards equality, and a more balanced understanding and way of living together.
What do you think?
Love
Gillyxxx
RE: The Female Threat in Genesis
My thoughts on this are that Ive never liked men even though I am one.
A girl in middle school threw me down five lockers 3 feet in the air when I accidentally bumped into her and when Iw as briefly with the US Army, the women were the stronger and faster of all the platoons save for the inevitable exception of individuals. So I know quite well women are not inferior.
I probably would have come to this conclusion regardless but getting beaten up by a girl sure helped me see it.
Equality was ingrained in me before I was even born. Its more common sense that I think most either are taught to disregard or just havent mustered up the courage or thought to see it.
When I was a kid I was never much exposed to African Americans. My fifth grade basketball team played at the boys club in a rather black community so there were a slew of them there. I was only about 10 years old and still very timid by nature. This complete exposure to black people was kind of frightening to me because Id never been so close to many of them.
During my moment of shock I suddenly told myself...."Look Stewart, they are just human, they bleed red too." Funny I had never heard the line Prick us do we not bleed?" until years later so I account common logic for that and I think we all have it and are born with it but some of us just dont listen to that voice of reason.