Genesis 3:22

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The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
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For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.
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** Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad! Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.”**
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The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken.
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When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
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First I have a question as to who God is speaking to when he says “The man has become like one of US…”. Is he perhaps speaking to his trinitarian self, or the other angels. Secondly, why would he not want us to eat from the tree of life and live forever? I am guessing because since we were in a state of sin at that time, eating from the tree of life and living forever, would mean living forever IN SIN, seperate eternally from God.

Does anyone know anything about this, or have any more information on it? Thanks!
 
First of all I would recommend the following audio series
Scott Hahn’s Our Fathers Plan, around the end of the second program or the third, he covers what went on in the Garden of Eden.
As for who God was speaking to, I have heard that it could pointing to the Trinity, or it is God, who is his Greatness, is speaking in the 3rd person (I’m not sure if I put that right but that is the general meaning)
As for the tree of Life, Scott Hahn says that it is pointing to the cross of Jesus. That it will be needed one day, but not at first since Adam and Eve were created not to die, but after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, They would spiritually die, and therefore need a Savior.
 
Kevin42 said:
First I have a question as to who God is speaking to when he says “The man has become like one of US…”. Is he perhaps speaking to his trinitarian self, or the other angels. Secondly, why would he not want us to eat from the tree of life and live forever? I am guessing because since we were in a state of sin at that time, eating from the tree of life and living forever, would mean living forever IN SIN, seperate eternally from God.

Does anyone know anything about this, or have any more information on it? Thanks!
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My understanding is the US refers to the Trinity. In Gen 1:26 God says “Let US make man in OUR image…” Here US would definitely not include the angels since we in no way consider them to be co-creators of mankind.

Regarding the tree of life, I thought your “guessing” was a very good one. Also, can you imagine what it would be like to remain physically alive forever in a body subject to pain and deterioration? 😦

If you have the full set Liturgy of Hours, you might like to check out the Office of Readings for Saturday in the 31st week in ordinary time (p497-498 in volume IV). The second reading is “From a treatise on death as a blessing by Saint Ambrose, bishop”. I’ll just give a short paragraph of it here:

“The Lord allowed death to enter this world so that sin might come to an end. But he gave us the resurrection of the dead so that our nature might not end once more in death; death was to bring guilt to an end, and the resurrection was to enable our nature to continue for ever.”

Nita
 
runandsew said:
First of all I would recommend the following audio series
Scott Hahn’s Our Fathers Plan, around the end of the second program or the third, he covers what went on in the Garden of Eden.
As for who God was speaking to, I have heard that it could pointing to the Trinity, or it is God, who is his Greatness, is speaking in the 3rd person (I’m not sure if I put that right but that is the general meaning)
As for the tree of Life, Scott Hahn says that it is pointing to the cross of Jesus. That it will be needed one day, but not at first since Adam and Eve were created not to die, but after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, They would spiritually die, and therefore need a Savior.
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I did a Catholic Bible study about the book of Genesis, and that is exactly what was said in our Bible study. Although the Trinity is not mentioned until the New Testament, it is evident that the Trinity always was a Biblical fact, due to those two verses from Genesis. Also, St. Peter referred to the cross as “the tree” in his epistle.
 
Christians usually interpret this to be a reference to the Trinity, but obviously that doesn’t work for a Jewish interpretation. (Let’s not forget they wrote the book!) It is often typical that a person of power speaks of him or herself as the “royal we.” This is not 3rd person, but 1st person, plural. (3rd person is when someone uses their name instead of the pronoun “I”).

The “royal we” is very common for kings or queens to use in formal settings or writings. The ancient Babylonian kings Cyrus and Xerxes used it, as did the Roman emperors. I recently saw a movie about Queen Elizabeth I on HBO and she was using it. Our Holy Fathers typically use it in their writings (see Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae), although the Pope is also speaking on behalf of the magisterium. Curiously, from the writings I’ve read, John Paul II didn’t always use this form of speech in his official writings.

Anyway, yes this expresses the Greatness of the individual, but it is a convention often used in the speech of rulers. I usually explain it as a king speaking to his authority. If you don’t have any real authority, then it just looks pompous to speak of yourself like that. If you do have authority (and who has more than God), then go right ahead.

I hope this helps.
 
Valke, I don’t know if you are reading this thread, but if you are, please give your (name removed by moderator)ut. I respect what you have to say as a Jewish believer.
 
Nita said:
My understanding is the US refers to the Trinity. In Gen 1:26 God says “Let US make man in OUR image…” Here US would definitely not include the angels since we in no way consider them to be co-creators of mankind.

Regarding the tree of life, I thought your “guessing” was a very good one. Also, can you imagine what it would be like to remain physically alive forever in a body subject to pain and deterioration? 😦

If you have the full set Liturgy of Hours, you might like to check out the Office of Readings for Saturday in the 31st week in ordinary time (p497-498 in volume IV). The second reading is “From a treatise on death as a blessing by Saint Ambrose, bishop”. I’ll just give a short paragraph of it here:

“The Lord allowed death to enter this world so that sin might come to an end. But he gave us the resurrection of the dead so that our nature might not end once more in death; death was to bring guilt to an end, and the resurrection was to enable our nature to continue for ever.”

Nita
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I would disagree. The use of 'Us" can be seen as the use of the “royal we”. Or it can be seen as an act of modesty on God’s part, by including the heavenly host in the decision making process, even though such inclusion was unnecessary. This teaches that the greater should always consult the lesser.
 
If you look at Gen. 1:27, the very next line, it leaves little doubt that God only is the creator.
 
The Us can be no other then Jesus who is also the creator.(John 1 ;3) Also where God is so is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
 
IHS said:
The Us can be no other then Jesus who is also the creator.(John 1 ;3) Also where God is so is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
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Why? Why can it be no other than Jesus? That is circular reasoning.
 
Valke2 said:
Why? Why can it be no other than Jesus? That is circular reasoning.
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God the Father is speaking here along with Jesus who was the Word. You see the Word was made flesh and dwelled amoung us.(John 1 ;1-3)
 
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