The Bible Undressed

In part 1 of this post I pointed out that the god(s) of creation, the Elohim, in chapter 1 of Genesis really seem quite different than the god of creation Yahweh in chapter 2.  Either God had a split personality (dissociative identity disorder, or DID), or they are simply two different stories featuring different depictions of God (or, the Gods).  This split depiction of the gods continues in the story of Noah and the Great Flood, found in Genesis 6 through 9.  Take a few minutes to read the story if you need your memory refreshed.  You will want to have your Bible handy anyway to check what I am about to say.  Keep in mind that common English translations typically use the name “God” when Elohim occurs in the Hebrew text, and “Lord” or “Lord God” when it is “YHWH” (or “Yahweh”) in the text, so it is possible to discern the difference in the usage of these names.

It is actually possible to tease apart the passages based on which name is used, and lo and behold, you end up with two parallel accounts, which differ in a number of details.  The difference between Elohim and Yahweh is evident right from the start:

Then the Lord [Yahweh] saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. So the Lord [Yahweh] was sorry [repented] that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Genesis 6:5, 6

Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God [Elohim], and the earth was filled with violence.  And God [Elohim] looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:12

Yahweh seems more human-like as He is sorry (repentant, even) and grieves, while the more distant Elohim simply observe the situation dispassionately.  Note also that different words are used to describe the earth: with Yahweh the concern is wickedness and evil thoughts, but with Elohim it is corruption and violence.  Not mutually exclusive, but different.  Such differences continue throughout the story, showing that there are actually two parallel stories that have been blended together.

Some people get a little confused with the details of the flood story when reading it in the Bible because they seem contradictory (How long did the flood last?  How many animals?).  Understanding that there are two versions that have been blended together clarifies why the confusion in the details.   At some point the Jewish scribes compiling what we now think of as the Pentateuch took the two stories and not wanting to dispense with either weaved them together into one, similar to how they included the two stories of creation rather than including one and excluding the other. 

Here is a summary of the major differences in the two accounts:

No wonder there seem to be differences in the details: two versions have been blended together without completely reconciling them.  Clearly God did not inspire a single person like Moses to write down an exact history.  These stories are consistent with how folklore works; it is not through magical, excuse me, miraculous inspiration of an individual.  It is a group effort, over a long period of time, as stories are told, modified and even blended with similar traditions.

And how did God feel about this utter destruction that He had caused?

“…Yahweh said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.”                                         

Genesis 8:21 
              

So, after all that Yahweh now realizes that it did not really accomplish anything: man is just evil.  Does that sound like an omniscient being to you, to realize it only after such destruction?  Does it sound like a benevolent being to have done all this for no positive effect?  Well, at least He promised not to drown us again.  Although in the New Testament we find this is a hollow promise, as next time He is going to use fire, not water!           

In summary, the early chapters of Genesis either present us with two different versions of God or the Gods, or with a God suffering from DID, a split personality.  I think the ancients had different concepts of God that were incorporated into the various stories that eventually became the Bible.  They are not one story of one God simply told from different perspectives; they are different perspectives on who and what God is.  Let me repeat this scenario that I cited in part 1: There was a scientist named Sheldon who was smart but aloof, who worked as a theoretical physicist, and he took a trip by train to a convention.  Howard was an engineer who was personable, liked to work with his hands and put things together, and he went to the convention by plane.  Would you think I was telling the same story about the same person, just from different angles?  Of course not.  Yet when people read the two creation and flood stories that is exactly what they think, even though the creators have different names, have different personalities, and do things differently.  Sometimes we can’t handle the idea that our sacred texts are human attempts to understand the forces that control our world, and not absolute fact given by divine inspiration.

Still, these stories can be interesting fodder for meditation and discussion.  Do you believe there is a creator god, or gods?  What is He or They like?  Which version of the gods do you prefer?

Thinking exercises:

1.  Why would a wise and powerful god, or gods, wait until the earth was full of evil people before starting over, when He could have done it early on, without killing so many people?

2.  Yahweh seems to be disappointed and saddened by how things were turning out on earth, and even afterwards seems to acknowledge that the flood would not change things.  Did the ancients really think of Him as omniscient, as people do today?

3.  A common tradition is that Moses wrote the Pentateuch, including Genesis.  Why would a single writer like Moses switch back and forth between calling God Yahweh and Elohim, and put different details in the stories to the point that they seem contradictory, without any explanation to his readers?

4.  Which is better for your spiritual and intellectual growth: to consider and explore alternative views of God and the universe, or to insist on one correct way to understand God that all must agree on?  Can fallible people ever develop an infallible understanding of God?