What God Wants

Ok, are you up for some speculation? It's what I do when there are some bits of the puzzle that don't seem to fit. I jiggle them round, put them back in ways I haven't tried before and see what it looks like. How does it compare with what I know to be true? If it fits, no matter how unlikely, I let it stay there for a while, prayerfully revisiting it. If it survives that, I write it up and let my more theologically trained friends look at it, allow them to help reshape it, reposition it. Finally, after it has sat in my mind and heart for a while, becoming part of me, transforming me, I then feel comfortable to begin teaching it. What follows is something that I am becoming more confident of.... Let me know what you think!

Here are the questions that started me down this particular rabbit trail:

1. They are supposed to multiply, why haven't Adam & Eve 'known' one another before the Fall?
2. If God is so keen on relationship, why does He only visit Adam & Eve once a day?
3. What's this whole business about Adam naming the animals?
4. Why isn't Eve surprised by a talking serpent?

Starting from first principles. What sort of relationship does God want with us? Well, Jesus talks about a progression from servant to friend and John after years of reflection reveals the highest description; Husband- Bride. But if that's what God wants, how to get there? Here's a story that might fit the facts and answer the questions.

The Bride
Once, there was a King of unimaginable power. He had only to give the merest hint of wanting something and it was his - his loyal servants competing to make it happen. One day, he was walking in a wonderful garden when he came across a young girl, playing amongst the trees. He watched for a minute before she saw him. He loved the way she moved, loved the boldness she displayed in climbing, loved the grace of her play. Recognising him, she wasn't overawed by his presence but spoke freely - something that brought joy to his soul. After a few minutes of conversation, he realised that his heart was lost to her. It was an innocent love, but even so, one that he could not yet declare, she was too young. So he made to carry on his way but seeing the love his master had for the girl, his most trusted servant asked: 'Shall I have her brought to the palace?' But the King did not want her by command, he longed for her to love him as he already loved her. Longed for a day when she might be old enough to freely give her love, not have it forced from her.

So instead, he commissioned his servants under the command of the one they called 'Light' to protect the girl, to give her scope to grow, to mature, whilst keeping her safe from anything that would harm. 'Tell her about me' he commanded, 'be honest, allow her to choose, but in everything you do and say, represent me to her'. And from time to time, he visited the garden, walked with her, spoke with her, observed over time how she was becoming a radiant young woman, always being careful not to stay too long, not to impose himself on her. And as she grew, so did his love for her.

Patiently and with infinite care he waited for the right moment and slowly it came. More and more he could see her developing understanding, her growing maturity. 'Soon' he said to Light. 'Soon she will be ready, soon I can declare my love, soon your job will be complete.' The words tore at Light's heart. He had become the girl's most trusted friend. Constantly she looked to him for advice, for news of the king. He could see her love blossoming for the King, knew the time was indeed right. He couldn't bear it. He feared that the King would have no more need of him. Didn't understand that love is not finite, that loving one does not preclude loving the other. All he saw was the power, the majesty, the significance that the King had bestowed on him, in order to woo the bride. All his identity had become engrossed in that role, now it would be taken from him.

And so he comes to Eve and tells her that the King has betrayed her. That far from seeking her best, he has kept the best from her. 'Here' he says, 'take this fruit, it will make you king-like'. Confused and now full of doubt - after all, her must trusted friend is telling her, she takes the fruit and eats....

On the eve of the wedding, the best-man rapes the bride.

The Bible
Now we see why Adam & Eve hadn't 'known' each other sexually - when they woke up in Eden in terms of maturity, they were as children, pre-adolescent. Now naming the animals has a context - they are now mature and knowledgable enough about the ecology of the garden to give meaningful names to them - they have grown and developed. Now we see why God could not spend all His time with them, it would be inappropriate, perhaps even abusive for one with such power to overly influence those He wanted such a precious relationship with. Now we see why Eve trusted the serpent. Now perhaps we see the true horror behind the temptation and feel some of God's rightful anger towards the enemy. We have been lied to and abused.

A Last Adam & A Second Eve
Mary Magdelene comes to Jesus with a love that knows no limits. Weeping, she unpins her hair, scorning the shame and kneels down. She takes her tears and washes Jesus' feet, takes the perfume - God only knows what she sacrificed to buy that - and when she has finished anointing him, extravagantly uses her hair to dry his feet.  It is the complete, abandoned love of a bride towards her groom. And Lucifer, 'light', looks on in horror. At last the incarnation makes sense to him, it's the garden all over again, one representing a Bride falling in love, giving herself to the groom. Entering Judas as he had previously entered the serpent, he ridicules the woman, criticises the waste. But Jesus rebukes him and honours instead the woman.Once again, the enemy will seek a means of betrayal.

Finally, in that other garden - resurrected Jesus, our 'last Adam' would wait for this second Eve. 'Mary' he would whisper. In that first garden, Eve would be deceived and as a result death would come and womanhood would be suspected of not being able to handle truth. Now in this last garden, the one who is Life would give the greatest of all truths to this woman and commission her to tell it to the men 'Jesus is alive!'

Redemption is complete. We collectively are to be the Bride.

Let's stay pure, let's hold nothing back, let's enjoy the love of God. 'He brought me into his banqueting house and his banner over me, is love'