I once promised to address the question, “Why is wanting to be God-like, a sin?”
Where can we find the first concept of sin? In three great religions it is found in primordial (No eye witnesses!) history, as related in the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
The matter of sin is defined in a spiritual realm. Sin is concerned with the spiritual relationship that started with “So God created humanity (atham) in God’s own image, in the image of God they (atham) were created; male (ish) and female (isha) God created them.” Two equal parts to make the whole of humanity.
Sin takes form where we read, “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” God’s knowledge is the focus of spiritual activity. It is why we are called seekers. We spend our lives seeking basic truths of life. From the start God tweaked our curiosity about the ultimate truth, which can give us knowledge of good and evil.
What happens when we seek this knowledge?
God said, they are now like one of us, knowing good and evil. They cannot take from the tree of life and eat and live forever. Are we not now taught that our purpose in life is to be like God and to live forever? Then why was it wrong in the beginning?
Maybe there is a different perspective. If we are not to be like God, maybe we need to be in a right relationship with God. If so, then we seek not to have God’s light, but to be in God’s light. A humble reversal to being righteous in one’s self.
Adam and Eve were in a right relationship with God and at peace. Then they sought to be like God. Perhaps the spiritual lesson of the Garden is our need for one’s humility of intellect. We are not God and never will be like God! Knowledge for true condemnation and judgement is in the hands of God and God alone. We are to strive to walk with God and be in a right relationship.
Cain is our first lesson of why our relationship with God is important. The great sin of Cain? He was not in favor with God. Why? Who knows? Theories abound. Whatever theory, it ultimately ends up that sin is a major force in the world. Humans with no relationship with God are out of favor with God.
In Noah, primordial history refines the lesson of sin, in the eyes of God. Noah was blameless among the people and walked with God. Our reputation among people is different than our walk with God. Both are vital! But, Noah was spared because of his relationship with God, not what other people thought of him.
God blessed Noah and family, but their souls would have to account for the life of their fellow beings. Sin relates to our relationship with others as well as with God.
Noah was drunk (while in a right relationship with God) and laid uncovered. Ham saw his dad naked and told his brothers outside. They took a coat on their shoulders and walked in backwards to cover him. Their faces were turned, as to not see the father naked. When Noah discovered what Ham had done, he cursed Ham! What did Ham do wrong? Perhaps he saw a problem and did nothing about it? Is his sin passing the buck? He failed to act on the needs of another.
Finally ancient history ends up at the Tower of Babel. Noah’s decedents spread over the earth and the world had one language. People begin to build a tower to heaven to make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the earth.
God saw the tower they were building and said, “If as one people speaking the same language they’ve begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”
Primordial ends with this emphatic statement, that God did not intend the people to be like God! I thought God wanted the world to be in one accord.
And we are! Various cultures around the world were all created by God. Each is critical to the whole. This truth is a reason for honoring all the children of God, whether they are Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Buddha, etc.. God makes it clear in these first chapters, that the only thing important is a person’s walk with God. Any other focus is sin. Such as, a focus on self righteousness or being God-like. That is sin and out of harmony with God.
The ancient lesson is God created humanity to walk with God and be in a right relationship with God. God considers that anyone, who attempts to know everything God knows and attempts to do all things like God, is not walking with God, but trying to be God. It humbles our intellect!
