Which Came First The Chicken or the Egg?

Which Came First The Chicken Or The Egg?

Here is the age old question. It can be debated many ways that the chicken came first and it can be debated many ways that the egg came first. Without the egg there would no chicken, but without the chicken to lay the egg there would be no egg. It could be argued that since God created the animals that the chicken came first. However, it could be reasoned that we don’t know how and in what order God created the animals.

It is plausible to take the stand point that the chicken came first. Without the chicken there would be no egg. Even more significant is that without the fertilization of egg by a male chicken the egg would not come to fruition. By the same token without a female chicken the egg would not survive. The female chicken sits on the egg, providing warmth, continued growth and protection from possible enemies. This care continues even after it the chick is born. The mother leads the chick to food and drink, continues its protection and warmth, and helps the chick learn the difference between danger and safety. When the chick reaches a certain point in its life, it goes out and starts mating and breeding and producing its own offspring. Then the mother chicken goes back to mating and creates more offspring of her own. The pattern is circular, a constant cycle.

In the same manner one can talk about the cycle of Leah to Rachel. As Leah represents affection, Rachel represents reason. One can not just obtain the ability to reason without certain growth and nurturing. Leah’s seven children, her handmaid’s two children, Rachel’s children and her handmaid’s two children all play an important role. Each one is designated with a specific role and without the birth and growth of one son’s representation, the cycle would fail and reason would not be born. Likewise, with the absence of Leah one would not have the order affections. Furthermore, without Rachel who birthed discretion and contemplative ecstasy, one could not come to reason. Being devoid of reason inhibits one’s ability to come to understanding of theological ideas, obtain self-knowledge and acquire knowledge of God. Lacking knowledge of one’s self and lacking knowledge of God means ultimately failing to be more like God and to be joined to God.

While the question of which came first may never be answered solidly, what can be stated solidly is that the egg would not exist without the chicken and the chicken can not exist without the egg. Everything depends on the presence, growth and nurture of the thing that came before.