Immanuel In Our Place

Seeing Christ in Israel's Worship

Tremper Longman III

• Publisher: P Publishing
• Year: 2001
• ISBN:
  9781629955162
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Gives insights into the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and festivals. Shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament sacred space, acts, persons, and time.

PART ONE

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SACRED SPACE

God, the King, created sacred space for his presence on earth. The following section explores this idea of sacred space in the Old Testament. This concept should strike us, living after the death and resurrection of Jesus, as a strange idea. After all, today we can meet with God anywhere and anytime. However, this generous access to God was not the case during the time between the expulsion from Eden and the accomplishment of Christ’s great redemptive acts. What does it mean that a particular location was set aside as holy? How does this concept develop throughout the Old Testament? These are the questions that occupy our attention in the following pages.

CHAPTER ONE

PARADISE GAINED AND
LOST: SACRED SPACE
FROM THE BEGINNING

Genesis 2¹ narrates the creation story a second time. It does not contradict the first but rather retells the account of creation with a new focus. Genesis 1 describes the creation of the cosmos; Genesis 2 focuses on the creation of humanity, the apex of God’s good work.

The manner of creation of Adam, the male, illustrates his special place in God’s universe. He was created from the dust of the ground. In other words, he connected with the creation. Like the animals and the earth itself, he was a creature. But there is more. He came to life when God breathed breath into his nostrils. He had a special relationship with the Creator! The creation process itself emphasizes humanity’s glory as the very climax of God’s work of creation. God’s method for creating Eve shows that her special place in creation was the equal of Adam’s. She was formed, not from his head or from his feet, but from his side—her very creation showing her equal status with the man. She was to be his “helper.” In the Hebrew Bible, this is not a term of subservience, but one indicating that she was his “ally.” After all, God himself is called the “helper” of humanity (Pss. 30:10; 54:4; Heb. 13:6).

This point is doubly highlighted when we contrast the creation of the first man according to Genesis 2 with the creation of the first human beings according to Mesopotamian tradition. True, in both the recipe starts with dust or clay, the very earth itself, but it is with the second ingredient that the difference is clearly seen. And here we have variation in Mesopotamian tradition. In the Enuma Elish,² humanity’s dust is mixed with the blood of a demon god killed for his treachery against the second generation of gods. Humans are demons from their creation. According to Atrahasis,³ the second ingredient is the spit of the gods, a far cry from the glorious breath of the Creator! The creation process according to Mesopotamian tradition fits well with the overall low view of humanity professed by that culture. After all, according again to Atrahasis, humans were created with the express purpose of relieving the lesser gods from the arduous labor of digging irrigation ditches. On the other hand, the Genesis account conforms well to the high view of Scripture concerning humanity. Human beings, male and female, were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26–27).

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Theologians have alternatively scratched their heads and fought viciously over that question. Often the answer boils down to what the theologian believes separates us as human beings from the rest of creation. Such an approach has often resulted in a focus on human rationality: it is our reason that reflects God. But that approach is dangerous on a number of levels. Perhaps most worrisome is the tendency to promote the interests of reason over other important aspects of personality, such as emotions and imagination. With such a view, we also put too much trust in human reason.

A better approach is to ask how images functioned in the ancient Near East. In a word, images represented their objects. The best example comes from the realm of royalty. In antiquity, kings would create images of themselves and set them up all around their kingdom to remind the people of their authority and presence. God created human beings in such a way that they too represented God’s presence on earth. Human beings reflect God’s glory in a way that no other part of God’s creation does.

To summarize, human beings are the apex of God’s creation according to Genesis 1–2. They were the climax of the creation process; they were created in the image of God.

SACRED SPACE CREATED

These special creatures, Adam and Eve, were placed in a very special location, the garden of Eden.⁴ The garden was a perfect place for humankind to live; it supplied every need. It was lush with plants, including fruits. It was well watered, with four rivers running from it. The garden was truly a paradise, though the Hebrew word related to paradise (pardes, which means “park” or “forest” or “orchard”) is never used in the Bible in connection with Eden. “Eden” itself most likely means “abundance,” again showing its luxurious character.⁵ Indeed, Eden was the “garden of God,” according to Ezekiel 31:8. Ezekiel also describes Eden as a mountain (28:14). Whether we are to read back into Genesis this description of Ezekiel is a matter of debate. It could be a later theological/literary image rather than a physical description. Nonetheless, the connection of garden and mountain will prove an important one for the development of the biblical theme of holy place.

Eden’s utopian nature, however, was not primarily a function of its physical benefits. Perfect relationship filled that function. In the first place, the relationship between God and his human creatures was harmonious, personal, and intimate. God walked in the garden (Gen. 3:8); the impression of the text is that God could make his presence known throughout the garden.

As a result of the strong relationship between God and his human creatures, Adam and Eve related well together. This is symbolized by their being naked and feeling no shame in each other’s presence. They could be completely vulnerable with each other in the garden—psychologically and spiritually, I would suggest, as well as physically.

The garden was the place where what we know today as the institutions of work and marriage found their origin. The garden would not tend itself, but Adam and Eve were charged with its care. We are led to understand that this work was not arduous, but rather a joy. Nature responded well to Adam and Eve’s efforts to tend it. Furthermore, the intimacy between Adam and Eve was formalized in a ritual of leaving-weaving-cleaving that today we would recognize as marriage (Gen. 2:23–25).

Everything was fine in the garden. At its center stood two trees. The first was the tree of life. We are not told much about this tree, and if we wish to say anything, we are left to speculate. But we might argue that Adam and Eve ate from this tree as long as they were in the garden and that it was the fruit of this tree that kept them from dying.

The real focus of attention is on a second tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave Adam and Eve the delicious fruit of many trees, but he prohibited them, on pain of death, from eating the fruit of this tree—no explanation given. What was this tree? This question has vexed interpreters over the years, but a consensus of sorts may be seen between the three leading recent evangelical interpreters of Genesis.⁶ In short, this tree represents moral autonomy. Eating of it would mean seeking wisdom apart from a relationship with God, who himself is wisdom. Thus, the name of the tree describes the nature of their rebellious act, their effort to acquire moral autonomy.

Before narrating the events of Genesis 3, however, let me finish this section by emphasizing the theological significance of Eden. In the garden of God, Adam and Eve moved easily in the presence of their Maker. There were no special holy places—there was no need for such. Every place was holy and Adam and Eve themselves were holy. The whole garden was God’s sanctuary. But this was soon to change.

THE FALL’S IMPACT: SACRED SPACE LOST

The serpent makes his appearance suddenly at the beginning of Genesis 3 after a brief description of his craftiness. Hebrew narrative is normally sparing in its descriptions of its characters, only introducing character traits that are important to the story. Nonetheless, we cannot help but be left with questions. Where did the serpent come from? Who is he? Why is he God’s enemy or at least working against God’s purposes?

The book of Genesis provides us with few answers to these questions, but if we expand our purview, as is appropriate considering the organic unity of the Bible (after all, God is the ultimate author of the whole thing), then we can at least recognize the serpent as the Devil himself (Rom. 16:20; Rev. 12:9). The Devil begins his evil work by approaching the woman Eve with a leading question: “Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?” (Gen. 3:1).

We get an immediate example of his craftiness. He knew very well that this is not what God said, and the woman is quick to defend God’s command: “Of course we may eat it. . . . It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat of it or even touch it, or we will die” (Gen. 3:3).

Notice, though, that in her zeal to defend God’s character she stretches the truth. God did not prohibit touching the tree; only eating its fruit. She, in essence, provides us the first example of “fencing the law”—that is, making human rules that guard us from breaking the divine rule. “If God doesn’t want us to get drop-down drunk (compare Prov. 23:29–35), then I won’t even have a glass of wine with dinner.” This, in spite of the fact that the Bible celebrates wine as God’s good gift to his people (Ps. 104:15). The woman, on the brink of her rebellion, shows herself to be the first legalist.

The serpent sees the opening and then attacks God’s credibility. “You won’t die! . . . God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil” (Gen. 3:4).

This argument convinces Eve, and she eats the fruit. While some think that this makes Eve especially culpable, it should be pointed out how easily Adam follows her lead. At least it took the crafty serpent himself to break down Eve’s resistance to eating the fruit. Adam doesn’t even question Eve’s offer but readily takes a big bite.

The effects are drastic and immediate. Their sin ruptures their relationship. They eat, and they look at each other and notice for the first time that they are naked, and so they cover themselves with fig leaves. In other words, for the first time Adam and Eve feel vulnerable before the gaze of the other person. They feel—indeed they know—that they are inadequate, physically, morally, spiritually. Not wanting to endure the shame and the guilt, they have only one recourse—seek cover. They want to hide from the gaze of the other person. At this moment, alienation settles into human relationships. This account explains why we can feel loneliness even in the closest of human relationships.

As bad as the alienation between Adam and Eve must have been, even worse is the effect on the divine-human relationship. In this case, more than cover is needed. God’s presence brings simple flight. When God finally confronts Adam, he admits, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked” (Gen. 3:10). At this point, the blame shifting starts in earnest. God charges Adam by asking the question: “Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?” (v. 11). Adam admits to eating the fruit, but blames Eve. Eve also admits that she ate the fruit but points to Satan.

All three are thus culpable, and so all three receive their punishment, beginning with the serpent, then the woman, and finally the man. The order is the same by which they are introduced into the narrative at the beginning of the chapter.

As for the serpent, the first aspect of its curse is that it will now be reduced to “eating the dust.” What is the relationship between a snake and Satan? Does this mean that the primordial snake had legs? If so, what did it look like? These are questions that the Bible does not address and we should be hesitant to answer. Certainly, as later Israelites (and we today) observe a snake slithering along the ground, they (and we) are reminded of Satan’s role in the Fall. The most significant part of the curse on the serpent, however, is the resulting enmity between its offspring with the descendants of the woman. This vicious rivalry begins right away as we read the chapters that follow the account of the Fall.

In Genesis 4, we observe how Cain (a descendant of the serpent) mercilessly kills Abel (a descendant of the woman). At the end of Genesis 4 (vv. 17–26), we see a genealogy of the descendants of Cain, followed by a lengthier genealogy of Adam through Seth (the descendants of the woman). As Saint Augustine would state it, from the time of the Fall on, humankind is divided into two parts, a City of Man (following Satan) and the City of God.

In the curse on the serpent, not only is the conflict predicted, but so is the conclusion of the conflict: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15). Here the descendants of the woman are crystallized in one descendant who will destroy the serpent, but at some cost. Though contemporary doubt has clouded the scene, the traditional interpretation that asserts the fulfillment of this promise in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is surely right. Already, we observe that even in the midst of curse for sin, God provides a way of salvation. This passage has appropriately been called the protoevangelium (the gospel before the gospel). We will, in a sense, be following this story throughout this book as we see how God provides a place of worship for the residents of the City of God, a provision that ultimately will lead to Jesus, the serpent crusher.

However, judgment does not end with the serpent. Eve is next, and her curse focuses on the fact that Eve is the mother of relationship. Her womb gives and nourishes life. After the Fall, however, this life-giving role will be fulfilled only with pain and suffering. Furthermore, the relationship that she has with her husband will suffer. She will desire her husband, but he will be her master, according to Genesis 3:16.

Some debate attends the question of what her desire entails. Is it a legitimate desire to be in a relationship that will fail, or is her desire to control her husband and be dominant in the relationship? The rare Hebrew word “desire” (teshuqah) is used again in Genesis 4:7, where i...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• PART ONE: SACRED SPACE
• PART TWO: SACRED ACTS
• PART THREE: SACRED PEOPLE
• PART FOUR: SACRED TIME
• Postscript
• Notes
• Index of Scripture