Cities in the Bible are portrayed as a negative outcome of human violence and a lack of trust in God.
Contrary to expectations, the story of the Bible ends with a new garden city that represents refuge and peace.
The story of Cain building the first city highlights the tragic pattern of rejecting God's provision and relying on self-preservation.
Deep dives
The City as a Tragedy
The city in the Bible is introduced as a tragic result of humans being exiled from Eden and their violent nature. It becomes a place of violence and danger.
The Surprising Role of Cities
Contrary to expectations, the story of the Bible ends with a new garden city that incorporates and transforms the tragedy of the city. Cities play a key role in the imagery of the new creation, serving as hubs of refuge and peace.
The Significance of the Azer and the Ear
In the story of Cain, God provides an Azer, a delivering ally in the form of a woman, highlighting the importance of partnership and support. Cain, however, rejects God's offer and builds a city for his own self-preservation, repeating the tragic pattern of rejecting God's provision.
The Building of the Delivering Ally
In this podcast episode, the discussion centers around the story of the creation of woman, commonly known as Eve, in the book of Genesis. The narrator emphasizes the significance of God building an azer, a delivering ally, for the human. This azer, who is depicted as the woman, is provided by God to help the vulnerable human fulfill his purpose. The imagery of God building the side of the human into a woman is highlighted, indicating a deep connection between the azer and the concept of building or construction. The azer is a foundationally important figure in this scene and throughout the biblical narrative, representing God's provision and deliverance. This portrayal of the azer as the delivering ally lays the groundwork for future creative twists and symbolic connections in the biblical story.
The Contrast Between God's Provision and Human Self-Preservation
The podcast delves into the story of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, and the building of the first city. This narrative presents a striking contrast between the ways in which God and humans provide security and deliverance. God builds the azer, the woman, as a means to preserve life and provide help for the human. However, Cain, driven by a need for security, takes matters into his own hands and builds a city for his own protection. This portrayal underscores the tragic rejection of God's offer to preserve life and the misguided attempt of humans to ensure their own safety. The podcast highlights the significance of this contrast, showing how the theme of human self-preservation through city-building leads to escalating violence and ultimately deviates from God's intended plan for deliverance.
In the story of the Bible, cities are a bad thing. They’re a symptom of humanity’s violence and attempts to protect themselves instead of trusting God. In fact, in the second chapter of Genesis, God “builds” something for humanity’s protection. And it’s not a city—it’s a woman. In this episode, Tim and Jon explore the theme of the city and the first thing God builds.
You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Show Music
“Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS
“Portland Synth Cruise” by Sam Stewart
“Hello from Portland” by Beautiful Eulogy
“Start Me Up” by Tyler Bailey
Show produced by Cooper Peltz with Associate Producer Lindsey Ponder, Lead Editor Dan Gummel, and Editors Tyler Bailey and Frank Garza. Mixed by Tyler Bailey. Podcast annotations for the BibleProject app by Hannah Woo.
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