The theological context of Matthew is huge and it dates back to basically forever before

existence as we know it. The story goes like this, God who is pre-existent according to the Bible,

decides that making an existence that involves the things

we know is tangible and real and matter as we understand it. He decides that would be a good idea,

and so he calls existence as we know it out of non-existence, which the implications of are absolutely mind-boggling.

And it's one of the biggest reasons, frankly, that I am a Theist is that I cannot account for why things

exist instead of not existing.

It seems like not existing would be way easier and makes way more sense, but instead there's

stuff instead of not stuff.

And the only explanation I can come up with for why there is stuff instead of not stuff

is that something outside the system decided that there should be stuff and that lines up really

neatly with the whole account of creation in Genesis no matter where you fall on

the literalness or figurativeness of the timelines contained therein.

Well we get past the really difficult to wrap your brain around,

beginnings, Garden of Eden, the ark, and all of that stuff,

and we get into the more tangible history, just about a dozen chapters into the book of Genesis.

And by this point, what we have established is this idea that God created something that was in real good shape and that brought glory to himself.

That would be his motive for creation, that he's the best thing ever and making something

awesome would bring attention to the fact that he's the greatest thing ever.

That would be arrogant if you were I did it, but if you really were the perfect unlimited

being it would be the only natural thing for you to do.

So God does that and things go awry because apparently in this most perfect

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