Unveiling Lord God - Satan

While explaining the creation and fall of man, established Christian churches generally favored certain interpretations of Genesis 1-3, which in the opinion of this writer raise serious questions regarding the character of the Heavenly Father as a God of love.  This work focuses on these teachings in question which, in of themselves may appear to be founded on biblical foundations, yet which raise serious biblical conflict when viewed from the biblical notion of unconditional love, the highest attribute of the Heavenly Father.  There is a need to identify an interpretation of Genesis 1-3 which does not at the same time tarnish the character of unlimited love which Christ identified in the Father.

       The majority of Christianity teaches the Lord God of Genesis 2-3 is the same as the Creator God of Genesis 1. Additionally, the serpent imagery of Genesis 3 is interpreted as being Satan, who tempted Eve in the Garden.  Such an approach is, however, built upon certain assumtions which are as follows:

1. It is assumed the Lord God is the same as the Heavenly Father (God) of Genesis 1.  This work  challenges this assumption by comparing actions taken by the Lord God in Genesis 2-3 to actions and teachings of Christ who taught God is a God of love.  Here this study suggests the actions of the Lord God of Genesis 2-3 do not reflect a God of love.  It is the opinion of this writer (based upon a biblical analysis) that Jesus would never have taken action the Lord God took.  Further, based upon a biblical analysis of Genesis 1-3, this work suggests the Lord God of Genesis 2-3 is in fact Lucifer (Satan) masquerading as a god to deceive and subjugate man.  Masquerading as the Lord God, Lucifer misrepresented the character of the Father  and brings misconceptions and confusion into the minds of man regarding the nature of the Heavenly Father.
2. It is assumed the creation record of Genesis One is the same as the creation record of Genesis Two.  This work challenges this assumption by focusing on the differences revealed within the biblical text between these two creation records.   These differences establish the uniqueness of the two different creation records from each other thereby revealing two different creations. 
3. It is assumed "heaven and earth" is the same as "earth and heaven".  This work challenges this assumption by showing biblical distinctions thereby establishing individual uniqueness apart from each other.  The approach taken by the study is a biblical textual analysis using a structural biblical hermeneutical approach.
4. It is assumed the serpent in the garden of Eden is Lucifer or Satan deceiving mankind.  However, this study challenges this by showing it was not the actions of the serpent, but the actions and words of the Lord God that deceived man.  Further, it suggests from a biblical textual standpoint the Serpent spoke the truth and pointed man back to the words of the creator God of Genesis 1.  Here the central question being addressed is who is lying and who is telling the truth.  Through a biblical textual analysis this study suggests the Lord God of Genesis 2-3 is lying and not the Serpent who actually is telling the truth.  Subsequently, this work suggests the Serpent in Eden was in fact the Voice of God pointing Eve back to Genesis 1:29, where the original diet was given to man by the Creator God, and not Satan speaking to tempt man.  Within the fall setting of the Garden of Eden, man was not deceived by the Serpent, but rather by the actions and the words of the Lord God.

         The biblical reevaluation of these four assumptions should help in clariying the general confusion found in the Old Testament regarding the actions and character depiction of the God of the Old Testament.  Here historically, the primary difficulty has been in combining a loving and merciful Heavenly Father of the New Testament with the stern retribution of an angry God of justice demanding obedience as revealed in the Old Testament.

          In the past, scholars attributed the Creator God of Genesis One and the Lord God of Genesis Two and Three to one entity.   This work suggests two entities.  These two entities can be identifieed within Scripture only by their words and activities in the light of the teachings of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.  The reader of Scripture is confronted with two different entities both of whom claim to be God and that seek the affections of mankind.  For man reading and seeking to understand the Scriptures, it becomes a question of identifying which Lord or God is being observed in Scripture.  Thus the need for a biblical hermeneutic to identify which Lord is being observed in Scripture.