CREATION, Ge 1-3 From Creation through the Garden of Eden
CREATION: In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. I believe cosmologists say it was a BIG BANG.
Actually, a BIG BANG!
Now, whether you are a Young Earth creationist believing the Earth is 6,000 years old or an Old Earth Creationist thinking the Earth is 13.7 billion years old (give or take a day), let’s agree on one thing.
God created, and it was GOOD. Genesis 1
CREATION in seven days
Day 1 - God created Night and day by separating Light from Dark. My wife has warned me of the importance of separating lights and darks when doing laundry, so I am guessing the same holds true when God separated Night from Day.
Day 2 - God created the SKY
Day 3 - God separates the land from the sea, and the land produces trees and vegetation.
Day 4 - God creates the SUN to rule the day and the STARS to rule the night
Day 5 - God creates fish and birds
Day 6 - God created all the living creatures on land... and ... man from the dust of the Earth
Day 7 - On the seventh day, all God's work was done, declaring it good and Holy.
THE GARDEN OF EDEN (Genesis 2:4-25)
So welcome to PARADISE. Before sin, there was the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden were two trees. The tree of life and the Tree of the Knowledge of good and Evil. Genesis 2:17
Next, Adam was assigned the job of naming all the animals. I'm not sure how that played out, but it put in my mind many amusing visuals on the scope of this daunting task. Genesis 2:18-20
Just Two Lovebirds in Paradise For some time, it was just Adam & Eve in the Garden, where Eve was 'literally' the only girl for Adam. It was the best of times before their little boys Cain & Able entered the picture.
I am sure this included Date Night once a week to see a movie or go through the drive-thru (or was it walk-through then?) for a fast food burger and fries. Adam would wink at Eve, saying,
"It's just you and me, baby."
The Fall of Man
The Bible does not say exactly how long The Garden of Eden remained Paradise, but in Genesis 3, the Serpent enters the picture to tempt Eve; Eve then tempts Adam, and they both eat the forbidden fruit,...
And ... THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEXT STOP : Ge 4-5, After the Garden
THE GARDEN OF EDEN (Genesis 2:4-25)
So welcome to PARADISE. Before sin, there was the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden were two trees. The tree of life and the Tree of the Knowledge of good and Evil. Genesis 2:17
Next, Adam was assigned the job of naming all the animals. I'm not sure how that played out, but it put in my mind many amusing visuals on the scope of this daunting task. Genesis 2:18-20
THIS IS HOW SIN has always worked. In a moment of weakness or laziness, we sin; with all sins, there will always be consequences.
In all sin, there may be reasons but not excuses. It is easy to play the blame game, attempting to excuse our sins, but just like with Adam and Eve and the original sin, there was no one to blame except themselves. The only difference between those original sins and mine is that my sins were NOT recorded in the Bible. -Whew!-
God was not amused by the sins of Adam and Eve... or the Serpent. The Serpent now would crawl on its belly to get around. Adam and Eve opened a fig leaf fashion line.
And in the end... Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden. Genesis 3:24 Sin in the Garden of Eden prevented Adam & Eve from realizing their perfect existence in Paradise.
But as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Sin, today, also prevents us from ever realizing the life God intended for each of us.
But Praise God, His Son Jesus, through His life, death, and resurrection, has paid the price for our sins.
... For if the many died by the trespass of the one man (Adam), how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
Genesis 5:15
Then, as time passed, it became apparent the Garden was becoming a mess. I imagine Adam leaving empty pizza boxes everywhere and the dirty dishes stacking up. Maybe Adam was eating fast food too often, and those extra pounds were showing up, especially since he was ... NAKED.
So God created for Adam a helper, not just for the above messes he was oblivious to, but for his more profound need to share life and partner with. This was before dating apps like E-Harmony, so God intervened. The cost to Adam for one woman was just ONE RIB! Adam was heard to exclaim
"What a Deal, where do I sign up?" Genesis 2:21-22