Introduction
The Book of Genesis, as by literal translation of its Hebrew name, is the beginning. It is the first book of the Bible and the first installment in the five-part Torah. The author remains unknown until today, but Moses is credited as the human author of Genesis. The Book of Genesis sets the stage for the later books, explains the main concepts, laws, God’s promises to the people, and introduces the characters who played an essential role in God’s plans and God himself. It also unofficially consists of two main parts: the first part describes God’s relation to the world, the second part is about the pre-history of Israel’s nation itself and how it became chosen. There are various topics raised in the Book of Genesis: God, creation, covenants, faith, disobedience, death, Etc. There is no doubt that predestination and free will stand out among all of them. It is still debatable which one motivates God’s children’s choices, considering God created all living creatures. Some were disobedient and rebellious, but there is no proof it was not originally a part of the plan either.
Predestination in the Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis starts with God eliminating the void and creating the world according to his plan. He destines the light to be good and the darkness sinister, the Moon and the Sun become the rulers of their parts of the day, Etc. Day 6 is remarkable because God creates human beings “in our image, as our likeness so that they can hold sway over the fish and the sea…” (Goldingay 2). Some theologists state that the Book of Genesis narrates the story of God trying to make a project of great importance and creating things and beings that will contribute to it (Goldingay XII). Disobedience is possible but not acceptable – it changes the being’s position in the world’s system. When Eve consumes the forbidden fruit, God puts Adam and Eve down on Earth. However, to some extent, they still supervise the world along with their creator – they are also still in charge of creating other human beings who are destined to continue the parents’ work.
Abraham is another example of how living beings are predestined to fulfill some particular purpose during their time in the world. God chose Abraham and blessed him so that he could do the same for the worthy ones. After numerous occasions, Abraham proves his loyalty, and God praises him by protecting him and his family until Abraham’s deathbed. God also gives Abraham numerous descendants; the first one – Ishmael – was born when Abraham was already 86 years old. By that time, Abraham seemed to be a friend to God because God came to him to ask for advice about Sodom, gave him numerous children and lands. Nevertheless, viewing them as equals is the wrong way – Abraham was always meant to be a tool with the destiny to fulfill. He had a right to make a mistake, but that mistake would have cost him all the blessings he received, and God, as he was portrayed in Genesis, made sure he made it clear.
Free will in the Book of Genesis
God creates people to be like him, so one could conclude, people should have free will. The story of the first people – Adam and Eve- and the first sin is probably one of the most famous ones in the Bible in general. It may be the story that proves the concept of initial free will in Christianity. Eve chooses to follow the serpent and does what is prohibited initially by her creator, who got to decide whatever was about to happen before. Their freedom gets limited after she gets the knowledge and opens her and Adam’s eyes to good and evil. Some theologists say that that was the moment (up to Jesus’ times) when human beings lost their connection to God and came back to the role of the tools of the masters’ project. Their punishments find them faster and are crueler than before. However, one can observe that people do not lose their freedom altogether.
Sodom and Gomorrah prove that people still got to decide things in their lives. People of these cities followed their heart’s desires, and later on, they got punished for that. God did not prevent them from taking the wrong path; he observed, and when things got ultimately out of hand, he destroyed both cities. God had mercy on Lot, who got to escape the city with his daughters, being warned by the envoys (Goldingay, 16). Still, that act of kindness was also connected with Abraham, asking God not to overlook Lot’s achievements and nature. People of Sodom and Gomorrah had some freedom over their decisions, but God decided their destiny based on these decisions.
Conclusion
Predestination and free will are two highly controversial and yet connected topics raised in the Book of Genesis. Until today, theologists debate whether or not everything in the God-created world is destined, or humans and other living creatures possess any freedom over their lives and decisions. On the one hand, being created to be a God-like creature would mean having God-like freedom over everything in life. On the other hand, God created people to be a part of his world and plans. This ultimately excludes the possibility of having any choice over one’s destiny in the bigger perspective, even if people are allowed to make everyday life decisions.
Works Cited
Goldingay, John. The First Testament: A New Translation. InterVarsity Press, 2018.