The tenth chapter of Dr. Waltke’s An Old Testament Theology is entitled “The Gift of the Garden: Humanity on Probation and the Fall.” The chapter is comprised of an introduction, exegesis of the second cosmogony, and finishes with reflections centered around theological categories.
The introduction to this chapter has some of the best prose thus far in the book. Dr. Waltke shows the complementary nature of the first and second cosmogonies and then turns the focus to Paradise, which is “a place without pain, without suffering; a time when love and peace flourish” (248). He continues, quite eloquently: “Within the bosom of every person who experiences pain, injustice, or the death of a loved one, there aches the longing for a place of wholeness, a thirst for a time of healing. This is rooted in the essence of humanity: we are beings who do not accept the Read the rest of this entry »
