Adam and the Genome Part Fourteen – Patheos (blog)

As for thesis 3 discussed beginning on pp. 124ff. namely that God orders creation into a temple, I have a hard time finding this theme in Gen. 1-3. God rests or ceases from his work and admires it. This is all about Gods activity. There is nothing said at all about worshipping by the human beings of God, nothing about sacrifices either. None of the language of Biblical worship shows up in these chapters. Instead, we hear about what Adam and Eve are supposed to do as jobs, as their work. Nothing is said about how they should relate to, adore, worship, sing praises of God, unless very indirectly in the sense that doing your job right glorifies God (see my book on Work. A Kingdom Perspective).

Here again I think we have a case of over-reading ANE accounts into the Genesis account. Adam and Eve are not presented as priests here, Kings maybe, but not priests. And since there is as yet no sin, there is as yet no need for a sacrifice in a temple. I do however take the point that earth is the footstool of God, and that one can say that the heavenly sanctuary can extend down to and include the earthly one (which is what Isaiah 6 is about). Isaiah 6 is a proper worship scene, rather like Rev. 4 and 5. Gen. 1-2 is not. The place where Adam and Eve dwell is called a park or a garden, not a palace or a temple, and notice that in Revelation while there is a garden and Eden motif, John sees no need for a temple in the new creation. It is unwise to read later Israelite literature from the monarchy when there was a temple, such as Ps. 132.7-8 back into Gen. 1-3, written probably during a time when there wasnt such a Jewish temple. And even less convincing is an appeal to Ezek. 43.7 from the exilic period!

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Adam and the Genome Part Fourteen - Patheos (blog)