The First Scroll of El Shaddai: Moses’ Vision by Armando Rodriguez is an attempt to envision the book of Genesis as it actually occurred and to relate it to the feelings and actions of the individual characters who comprised the narrative as it was revealed to Moses in the wilderness of Paran. From the earliest concept of heaven and the formless void from which God would create the heavens, the earth, man, woman, the fall of Lucifer, and the commission of the original sin, right through the great flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and so much more, the author takes readers on a personal journey that culminates in Moses’ understanding of deep desire of the Almighty to continue and nurture the relationship between humanity and heaven.

The First Scroll of El Shaddai may not be for everyone, but it is not necessary to have a biblical background or interest to get a deep feeling of the importance of this great adventure of humanity and how it has shaped so much of the religious thought and experiences today. What I particularly appreciated was the effort of author Armando Rodriguez to give depth and feeling to the characters that we read about in the Bible. So often we see an Old Testament God who is vengeful, violent, and retributive, but the story reminds us that ultimately the purpose of these interventions was to bring His people back to their faith and their relationship with Him. I enjoyed gaining a greater understanding of Lucifer’s fall and his ongoing battles to gain ascendancy and adoration from humanity. As with all such interpretations of religious texts, it is vital to keep an open, questioning, and slightly skeptical mind as you read; this journey, for me, was interesting and thought-provoking. It is well worth a read, and I highly recommend it.

Armando Rodriguez’s The First Scroll of El Shaddai: Moses’ Vision is a Christian visionary retelling of Genesis imagined through Moses in the Wilderness of Paran, where El Shaddai, the name Rodriguez uses for God, opens the beginnings of the world before him. Moses watches creation rise from darkness before the vision turns toward Satan, whose rebellion introduces an opposing voice moving through human history. What begins in Eden continues beyond its gates as a sacred covenant passes from one generation to the next, each family carrying what Satan seeks to interrupt. Moses is drawn through this sacred history as a witness who already knows Israel’s future depends upon what he is being shown. The vision therefore places him inside the origins of his people as God prepares him to preserve their beginnings in writing.

Armando Rodriguez’s The First Scroll of El Shaddai: Moses’ Vision is a beautiful piece of Christian visionary writing. Rodriguez treats familiar scripture as witnessed revelation, and his devotional imagination gives the biblical world an intimate spiritual atmosphere. I loved his portrayal of temptation, especially when Satan quietly applauds Cain’s jealousy as Abel’s offering burns. At Babel, that spiritual interference seems to enter the bricks themselves as the tower rises toward heaven. The covenant scenes bring a gentler beauty into the same vision, shown when Isaac leaves contested wells behind until Rehoboth opens before him. That devotional quality is especially prevalent at Jabbok, where Jacob crosses the river, limping after being renamed Israel, giving divine encounter a physical mark. Well written and reverent, readers who enjoy Christian visionary fiction will embrace this.