Genesis 3:17-19

2006.Jul.06 22:53

Curse C

Read Genesis 3:17-19 | Full Chapter

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;
By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”
(Genesis 3:17-19)

What constitutes the alienation of labor?

Firstly, the fact that labor is external to the worker – i.e., does not belong to his essential being; that he, therefore, does not confirm himself in his work, but denies himself, feels miserable and not happy, does not develop free mental and physical energy, but mortifies his flesh and ruins his mind. Hence, the worker feels himself only when he is not working; when he is working, he does not feel himself. He is at home when he is not working, and not at home when he is working. His labor is, therefore, not voluntary but forced, it is forced labor. It is, therefore, not the satisfaction of a need but a mere means to satisfy needs outside itself. Its alien character is clearly demonstrated by the fact that as soon as no physical or other compulsion exists, it is shunned like the plague. External labor, labor in which man alienates himself, is a labor of self-sacrifice, of mortification. Finally, the external character of labor for the worker is demonstrated by the fact that it belongs not to him but to another, and that in it he belongs not to himself but to another. Just as in religion the spontaneous activity of the human imagination, the human brain, and the human heart, detaches itself from the individual and reappears as the alien activity of a god or of a devil, so the activity of the worker is not his own spontaneous activity. It belongs to another, it is a loss of his self.

(Marx, Karl, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844, “Wages of Labor”, http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/wages.htm [Actually, I don’t remember how to correctly site an internet source and am too lazy to find out]).

To me, this quote from Marx is what the curse on Adam is about. Adam ate of the fruit, and now, instead of being able to gather of the fruit God placed in the garden, Adam and Eve are cast out. They must labor to meet their basic needs, a process which leads quite inevitably to the industrial age (okay, maybe that was a jump). If I can visit my gender roles discussion one more time, here the “husband” gender role created by Jehovah as punishment is that of laborer who must provide for self and family through breaking and unfulfilling labor, against an environment which will always make that labor more difficult. As Eve sacrifices her freedom to her husband, Adam sacrifices his freedom to his toil. Don’t even try to tell me this does not yet hold true.

I don’t intend to add much discussion, because I think the quote from Marx too well represents the feelings I have when I read this passage. But I want to dwell a moment on that issue of freedom. I know freedom is a loaded term right now, and I doubt the validity of some of its contemporary uses. In any event, one verse in the Bible has long amazed me by what I consider its inexplicable simplicity: "It was for freedom that Christ set us free" (Galations 5:1a) (For what it’s worth, Galatians chapter 4 introduces some fascinating ideas about Jerusalem being our mother). Freedom, for itself, is a huge theme through God’s Word: freedom of the Israelites for slavery in Egypt, freedom in Christ, and here, in Genesis 3, the cessation of freedom, because the one Law was broken.

There is a wonderful hope for me, as I look at Eve and Adam’s sin and the curses upon them, the curses still operating in our day, our culture. "If you continue in My word,” says Jesus, “then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32, NASB) . "Therefore,” Paul expounds, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans 8:1-2, NASB) . That’s right, Christ offers freedom from these curses. In Christ, we have great hope, "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-22, NASB)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

(Isaiah 16:1, NASB)

Genesis 3:16

2006.Jun.29 20:22

Curse B

Read Genesis 3:16 | Full Chapter

To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will (A)bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
(Genesis 3:16, NASB)

Jehovah says that woman’s pain in childbirth will be multiplied greatly. First, this may imply that childbirth would be painful anyway, which is very interesting, but now it becomes an particularly powerful pain. Childbirth is used in the Bible, to represent great pain or agony, and often associated with a feeling of helplessness in constrast to a perceived power. For example: "The king of Babylon has heard the report about them [a people from the north], And his hands hang limp; Distress has gripped him, Agony like a woman in childbirth" (Jeremiah 50:43, NASB) . How does such a wonderful thing as giving birth become a simple of the worst gut-wrenching feelings we can have? That’s the curse. That which is beautiful is made ugly. That moment in which we could be like Jehovah, giving birth to new life, is despised. Why’s abortion such a big debate (and it’s not a new thing)? I’d guess it’s because of this paradox, this curse.

There’s another issue with this childbirth and husband-clinging thing, particularly related to gender roles. Up to the point of the sin, it’s not necessary that Eve have children. It is sin which forces Eve into the gender role of “mother”, in order for the human species to survive on this Earth. If “femininity” is connected with motherhood–and I have no doubt that it is–the moment of sin turns Eve from a person with a choice–will she have children–to a person whose roles are defined for her. If the inherent choice for Adam is whether to desire a helpmete, for Eve it is whether to give birth. Jehovah makes Eve’s choice uglier but more clear. She must have children or the species dies. Childbirth will be super painful. She will allow her husband to rule over her (because she now believes she must have children?). It’s almost haunting how God must have picked these curses, must have known that millenia later we would divide ourselves between those who can give birth and those who cannot, without realizing that this was never intending to be a dividing rod between us, but a joyful illustration of how two can become one, can share in abilities and friendship; it became a painful division when we as a species chose to die.

I want to note how these roles are due, at least in part, to a curse. Some Christians seem to think because these roles seem to them “natural”, that is how God intended it. While he made it part of his plan (and the plan brings a lot of ugly things into this world), it was the part of the plan that brought curses onto humanity when we separated ourselves from God in order to humble us–much of these roles, and the separations caused by them, are not what God wants for us, but are rather part of his punishment on us. At least, all that is what I find myself believing more and more. Again, I realize I’m making a lot of assumptions, and again, much of this has been my thoughts, and while I pray and believe that God is increasing my understanding and wisdom, I certainly concede that some of these points may be way off.

In any event, I am amazed (I suppose I should expect it) how the decisions made by the first humans affect our cultures today. Jehovah’s ability to understand and work with this is awesome. I know he’s all-powerful, all-knowing, etc, but I am amazed. More awesome is that he is willing to work us through our sinful nature and all the times we hurt him, with much patience and love, so that we might return to walk by his side.