Arlene

I think that we get so caught up in the words that we forget the story. The story also has bearing on the meaning of the words. The story is that God created a place… a land… a garden and in it he placed all that was needed to provide for the people he would create. He created humans, and companionship and gave his people a vocation to be his image bearers governing and stewarding the garden.

We forget also that Moses wrote Genesis and taught the people when they were moving into the new land. The teaching had bearing on their experience of moving into the land of milk and honey. They were being called to live their vocation as image bearers and remain faithful to God.

The temptation about the serpant had to do with a teaching Moses was doing to help the people refrain from worshipping false Gods. The story of the tree and not eating its fruit had meaning for the people of God as they approached the new land.

I don’t think the meaning is about roles or authority … but it is written to a people and they are being called to remain faithful to the living God in the midst of a land of false gods. They are being reminded of their vocation.

Adam is possibly the representative figure but it is metaphorical for the human race. That doesn’t mean he is head. That is an idea brought into the story from other sections of scripture. If we want to interpret this well, we must pay attention also to the story Moses is telling. (and when I use the term story, i am not saying it is fiction… only that it is in a story form).