The Cabbage Patch to Creation

I was born in a much simpler time according to society – the latter 1950s. But, our society was on the brink of change with the fast approaching 60s. I remember asking my mother where babies come from and she said,

“The stork delivered them to the cabbage patch. When they are ripe, parents pick their children, they are taken to the hospital cleaned up and given to the parents.”

Well as a little child back then it seemed plausible because I don’t ever recall seeing a pregnant woman. And if I did, I probably thought nothing of it because all bellies are round.

I remember learning in church that the Bible has all the answers and we should turn our life over to Jesus and God or burn in all hell fire and damnation. I was really scared because fire hurt. My brother’s did that thing where they walked down the long isle at Church by themselves and turned it over to these people mentioned in the Bible. I did not want to burn alive and wanted to see the streets lined with gold in the sky; that place called Heaven. I wanted to walk hand and hand with Jesus.

One day I walked down that isle, by myself and confessed I believe and I accept him in my heart. The minister (that very night) put his hand over my face, pinched my nose, and plunged me backwards into the cold water (in the blue painted cement and glass enclosure) behind the choir seating behind the pulpit. I also received two new gifts. My parents gave me a Bible that was pretty, blue, and had a lot of pictures on it. The minister gave me a Bible also that was little and really cool. I had two of them. I took them to school to help me in my memory verses for class. You had to find the verse, look it up, and tell what it meant—all from memory. That was the total summation of my reading the Bible which went on 1st grade until 8th grade, and then occasionally in high school and up until I was about 28 years old. After all I was saved, repented, sinned and repented again. Is not that what good Baptist are suppose to do?

Only as I got older, the year I turned 40, did I really start to read the Bible. I had read some in Religion 101 in college though, but 40 years old was the year I really started to get into the Bible. I, also, started to be curious about other religions. I checked out Catholicism. As a result, they gave me a really nice Catholic Bible with my name on front because I took all these classes in Catechism. What history I had learned and wanted to know more.

In my latter 40s, I went to work for a hotel. One of the managers and administrative assistants had a Bible study going on during their lunch periods with several people from the downtown area. I started attending these and discovered I KNOW NOTHING!

It took me 52 years, but here I am getting my masters at a Christian University finding myself getting into the Bible more and more and being concerned about people’s souls. I have this strong feeling and it is getting stronger to want to study more and more, to question everything. I started with Genesis in the Septuagint, which is similar but different than any other modern version printed. When I say modern version, I mean anything printed after King James Version.

It has taken me 2 weeks to get through the first seven chapters of Genesis in the Septuagint. I have really been taking Genesis apart, technically going over every aspect of it. I discovered things that I suppose I just overlooked before. The Bible is a text that was put together by order of King James. Without research into his life, I can only assume it was done just to leave some type of positive legacy aspect reign. In King James Version as well as others, it would seem as if two different inspired authors scribed Genesis because the flow is not literarily smooth. This indicates that there are possibly two different creations. If you read the Septuagint Genesis, there is only one author scribe because it flows very evenly in style. The word combination “author scribe” means that God was the author through the human writer.

What really is intriguing to me is Genesis 4 and the life of Cain, his mark, and the 7 vengeances placed upon Cain. There is a variation of spelling in the Septuagint as compared to the Bible. As I kept reading and studying, I get to where Cain killed Abel. The Septuagint (sort of) indicates why God is displeased with Cain’s offering. (Hebrews 11, in the King James Version, gives a comprehensive answer.) There is also indication in the Septuagint that there are other people on the earth. It is clearly indicated in the conversation between God and Cain. (Cain has already killed Abel at this point.) Their conversation is one on one, face to face. This indicates that Cain can see and talk to HIM. Adam and Eve at this point, really haven’t been cast out of Eden, just from the center of it. Cain was sent out and could never see God again. There has never been any mention in the Bible or Septuagint as to whether Adam and Eve had any other children than Cain and Abel at this time.

The assumptions that our theological fathers might have come up with there being other children in Genesis 4 does not make sense. According to theologians Cain was supposes to have married a sister or a niece. I know this is not totally taboo because Abraham married his ½ sister in Genesis 20:12. Then the Laws of God came down in Leviticus 18:9, restricting this type of association.

However, at no time did God or the author scribe of Genesis indicate any other children until 230 years later after Cain had left the region. This shows up in Genesis 5. Keep in mind when Cain was grown, married. When Adam was 230 years old he had Seth. 700 Years had passed and he had other sons and daughters. In Genesis 5, Eve is no longer mentioned. In the 5th Chapter was the first mention of the years or ages of a man, Adam. I tried to look and justify my thoughts as being incorrect and I honestly could not find anything disputing why I thought the way I did in the Bible. The only other plausible thought would be that Genesis 4 went on with time, and Genesis 5 might have gone back to where Adam, Cain, and Abel were younger and Abel was possibly living in Genesis 5.

What really peaked my learning about the creation period was Genesis 6:2 in the Septuagint as well as the King James Version. “Now when the sons of God saw the daughter of humans, that they were fair, they took wives for themselves of all that they chose.” But this is an unknown factor. God does not really want us to know everything as discussed in the beginning of Genesis with Adam—pertaining to eating the forbidden fruit. But I will continue with my studies and learn more.

Acts 17:26 And, hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.

God made that one blood because he was the breath of life. Do not ever forget that he made it and he can take it away at his discretion. That means, a Muslim person is our brother, a Jewish person our brother, a Christian is our brother, and those lost is our brother. Keep warmth in your hearts for our brothers.

Hebrews 11:1-4, 6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, buy which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is rewarder of them that diligently see him.

Meaning: Only through faith should we give God our best, our first. We understand that we would not have a soul without him so technically it is HIS. Strive for what your purpose in life through God’s terms, not mans. We have to abide by the physical aspects of life according to the Bible, but our soul should 100% be God’s and our actions – give it your best shot to behave the way God wants us. Keep the faith that God exist always.

If you have unspoken needs I will pray for you.