The Discovery of Genesis (36 page)

Thus ended the sixth day of earth’s history. “And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His work which He had done in creation” (Genesis 2:2, 3). As a memorial of God’s handiwork, the weekly cycle of seven days was instituted.

The week is not an institution based on natural phenomena, such as the day when the earth turns on its axis, the month with its lunar relationship, nor the year marking the earth’s excursion about the sun. The week dates exclusively to the great original days of creation, a period of time that is observed by the Chinese in spite of their thousands of years of isolation from the rest of the world and its customs.

An old Chinese saying,
the returning seventh day
,
points up the fact that from very early times the Chinese have recognized the recurring seven day cycle which marks the week.

Even today, the seventh day of the first lunar month of the Chinese year is known as the “birthday of mankind”
, and literally means
man’s
day
. Just as it was not the day of man’s creation which was to be celebrated, but rather the following day of rest, so the Chinese also celebrate the seventh day as a lingering memorial of God’s creative work and the creation of mankind.

One cannot help but be impressed with the composition of these ideograms which demonstrate so vividly the ancient history of earth’s beginnings, heretofore documented only by the Hebrew writings. But this identical story has also been locked into the written Chinese language and preserved for more than 4,000 years for our investigation and study.

Chapter 6: The Fruit Tragedy

“How can you portray the word
temptation
by using just four words ?” asked the quiz master on a popular television program. “I will give you a hint by supplying one of the four words. Now listen carefully — the word is
garden.
” Immediately one of the contestants had the answer: “Garden … Eve … serpent … apple!”

“That is correct!” responded the questioner. And who would not have equated “temptation” with the episode recorded in Genesis? Many and varied have been the cartoons created through the years which depict a hapless Eve who stands coveting a delectable piece of fruit held out by the serpentine tempter.

How does the most ancient of all picture-writers (for it would be inappropriate to call him a cartoonist) illustrate the word
to covet or desire
? Is it mere happenstance that
to covet.
utilizes two
trees
and a
woman
? The Biblical record says, “So when the
woman
saw that the
tree
was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be
desired
to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6). It was the woman, Eve, and not the man who first desired the fruit of the forbidden tree, and succumbed to the temptation to eat it.