#Primordia story series#

NoahвЂ™s line (through Shem) eventually leads to Abraham, who then receives a series of promises from God, around which salvation history will crystalize: God promises to make Abraham a great nation to make his name great and to bless all the nations of the earth through AbrahamвЂ™s family (see Genesis 12:1-3). And after the Flood, God exhorts Noah to вЂњbe fruitful and multiplyвЂќ ( Genesis 9:1), reminiscent of GodвЂ™s primordial promise and command ( Genesis 1:28). At this point, Noah becomes a new Adam-a new focal point for humanityвЂ™s renewal. Catholics have long referred to this passage as the protoevangelium, the вЂњfirst GospelвЂќ-the first promise of redemption, pointing to Mary and Jesus and the final victory over the Evil One on the Cross.ДЄs the story continues with Adam and EveвЂ™s children, the godly line of Abel and worldly line of Cain grow ever more apart, until their apparent mingling evokes the judgment of the Flood (see Genesis 6:2). In every sin, weвЂ™re seeking happiness and when we sin, we lose trust that GodвЂ™s ways really are ordered to our happiness.ДЄs Eve closely participated in the fall of Adam, so also God promises that a woman will participate closely in the final victory: in Genesis 3:15, God speaks of a вЂњwoman,вЂќ whose seed will crush the head of the Serpent. GodвЂ™s Primordial PromiseДЄs it turns out, Adam and Eve lost trust in GodвЂ™s goodness they lost trust that GodвЂ™s ways really are ordered to their happiness and they believed the lie of the Evil One-that God was keeping something back from them (see CCC 397). Man is tested in the garden, not just so God can find out what Adam will do, but so Adam can find out what heвЂ™s really made of-so he can experience the transformation of trusting God totally, even in the midst of obscurity and darkness. This begins in the Garden of Eden, with GodвЂ™s creation of mankind and his union with Adam and Eve. But in fact вЂњtestamentвЂќ is simply the Latinization of вЂњcovenant.вЂќ The Old and New Testaments refer to the Old and New Covenants, the living reality by which God fashions his people into his family, uniting us with one another and with himself. Sometimes we speak of the Old and New Testaments, as if these were merely documents. But this is the gospel-this is the goal of salvation history (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 260). Moral perfection in the natural order couldnвЂ™t earn one drop of this divine life. In uniting himself to us-and making us sons and daughters in and through the Son-he has brought us up into his own inner life. In fact, God loves us so much that he loves us as he loves his only-begotten Son. And in his mercy, he wishes to share this communal life of love and joy with us. God is the eternal family, the eternal communion of persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.