had one thing in common. They both longed to be like
God. “If you only eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,”
said Satan to Eve, “you will be like the gods.” (Genesis 3:5)
The desire itself to be like God is a reminder that we are a
creature and not the Creator. God who is love has no desire
to be anything other than God. One who loves perfectly has
no desire to be anything but Love.
Our Original Sin, as in the fall of Satan, began with a desire
to be somebody that we are not. This desire automatically
acknowledges that we, by our nature, are not Love.
When first we do not get what we want or become who we
want to be, we are either shameless and spiteful, as in the
case of Satan, or we may quickly recognize our shamefulness
and either hide or repent.
Herein lies the difference between Satan and our first
parents. While Satan and our first parents were shameful in
their thoughts and actions, only Satan remains shameless.
We know that Adam and Eve walked naked in the garden
and without shame. Before they desired to be what they
were not, they had no reason to live in shame. But when
they sinned, they clothed their nakedness and hid from God
in shame.
Thankfully, God intervened to help us discover our
shamefulness. He found us hiding in the garden and asked,
“Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11)
A child will walk around naked and be fully transparent. A
child’s innocence begins with a lack of self introspection.
Children, in their innocence, do not compare themselves to
others.
The book of Genesis captures this innocence in the Garden
of Eden where nakedness and transparency is not even a
question. Only when Adam and Eve reach for the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil do they become introspective. It
is at that time when they miss the mark.
Sin is a Greek word for “missing the mark.” The original
missing the mark (Original Sin) is our introspection. With
introspection comes a lack of appreciation for ourselves and
a desire to be someone that we are not.
The third chapter of Genesis tells us that God hands out a
punishment for the serpent that seduces Eve, a punishment
for Eve herself, and a punishment for Adam. But, the
greatest punishment for humanity is the granting of our
wish to have knowledge of good and evil. God grants us our
desire to be introspective. And from then on, we live in our
sin.
We hear our Triune God saying, “See! The man has become
like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad! Therefore,
he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from
the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.” (Genesis
3:22)
God sent Adam and Eve to live a life that they desired. A
life of self introspection and self destruction. Seeking to be
something that they were not led them to their own demise.
Thankfully, God sent them away from the tree of life and out
of the Garden of Eden for their own sake. Whereas Satan
chose to live “like” God and would therefore eternally live in
that state of being “like” God.
In the Hebrew language and culture, the number seven
represents perfection. God is perfect and is given the name
Lord, Sabbaoth (meaning, The Lord of the Sabbath, or
seventh, day). If seven is perfection, then 666 (a number
given to Satan) is imperfection. 666 nearly reach the number
seven, but always comes up short. Satan will never be God.
He will always be “like” God.
Though our first parents also sought to be “like” God, God
spared them from being in that perpetual and eternal life of
“likeness.” They were restrained from eating of the tree of
life eternal.
What appears at first to be a punishment, the banishment of
Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the tree of life
is the beginning of God’s plan of redemption for humanity.
We do not have to live in the perpetual state of being “like”
God.
This plan of redemption and salvation is brought to
completion in Christ Jesus. Jesus, the new Adam, will take
our “likeness” of God and bring it to perfection. Only then,
will we be able to taste from the tree of eternal life.
Saint Michael, according to legend, is counted among the
angels (cherubim) who guard Eden from our first parents.7
Renaissance paintings show Michael with a fiery sword
defending the gate of Eden and banishing Adam and Eve
from the garden.
As mentioned, God banishes our first parents from the
garden and from the tree of life to protect ourselves from an
eternal desire to be “like” God. Michael stands at the gate,
not to defend Eden, but to protect us from ourselves.
This is the beginning of grace. God creates us and God
defends us. Saint Michael is placed as our guardian to defend
us not only from Satan but also from our wanting eternity
while living in our state of sin.
Mortal sin begins with our desire to be something that we
are not. When we die in this state, we live in this eternal
desire and become like Satan who will always be 666 and
never seven. To live in a perpetual state of wanting to be
“like” God and always coming up short is truly hell.
Mention only be made that Michael in Hebrew (Mikha’el)
means, “Who is like God?” Note the question mark
associated with his name. Not to be confused with Satan
who is “like” God, Mikha’el purposefully ends with a
question mark as a rhetorical question for Satan, Adam and
Eve, or anyone who desires to be “like” God.
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NOTES:
7. Here, it must be noted that various Saints and scholars have studied the nature of angels and have placed them in order of rank. However, cherubim in early Hebrew literature would have generally referred to angels rather than the second ranked “Cherubim,” in the order of angels. As for
St. Michael the Archangel, early Christian and Renaissance artists would place him as the guard just outside the gates of Eden. Even though the Scholastic era included the following ranks of angels, it was not unheard of to place Michael as the prince of these heavenly hosts. The traditional ranking of angels is found here:
Seraphim - first order (those who see most clearly)
Cherubim - second order (fullness of knowledge)
Thrones - third order (contemplate divine justice)
Dominations - fourth order (providence is enacted through them)
Virtues - fifth order (movement of the heavenly bodies)
Powers - sixth order (precise and preserved enactment)
Principalities - seventh order (welfare of human affairs as a whole)
Archangels - eighth order (sharing of higher things to all of mankind)
Angels - ninth order (individual affairs of mankind)
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