IN THE BEGINNING
As man came forth from the hand of his Creator,
he was of lofty stature and perfect symmetry.
His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health
and glowed with the light of life and joy.
“And the Lord God took the man, and put
him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and
keep it.” [Gen 2:15]
In this garden were trees of every variety many
of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit.
There were lovely vines growing upright yet
presenting a most graceful appearance with their
branches drooping under their load of fruit of the
richest and most varied hues. It was the work of
Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine
to form bowers, thus making a dwelling from
living trees covered with foliage and fruit. The
blue heaven was its dome; the earth with its
delicate flowers and carpet of living green was
its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly
trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with
the most magnificent adorning – the handiwork
of the great Master Artist. Eden bloomed on
earth. No taint of sin marred the fair creation.
The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of
the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the
garb of beauty and had filled it with things
useful to man. “And God saw everything that
He had made and behold it was very good.”
of angels. They held converse with leaf and
flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets
of life. On every leaf of the forest God‟s name
was written. The sinless pair wore no artificial
garments; they were clothed with a covering of
light and glory.
Eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge had
been made a test of their obedience and love to
God. There was but one prohibition in all the
vast creation. Satan chose to employ as his
medium the serpent. The serpent was then one
of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the
earth. It had wings and while flying through the
air presented an appearance of dazzling
brightness, having the color of brilliancy of
burnished gold. Resting in the richly laden
branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself
with the tempting fruit, it was an object to
delight the eye of the beholder.
Eve soon found herself gazing with mingled
curiosity upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was
very beautiful and she questioned herself why
God would withhold it from them. Instead of
fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly
to hear a serpent speak. “Ye shall not surely
die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
[Gen 3: 4,5] The serpent plucked the fruit and
placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve.
Perceiving no evil results from touching the fruit
she did eat. She seemed to feel a vivifying
power and imagined herself entering upon a
higher state of existence. And now having
transgressed she became the agent of Satan in
working the ruin of her husband.
Page
To dress and keep this garden was not a
wearisome occupation but pleasant and
invigorating. The Creator prepared no place for
the stagnating practice of indolence. Their
intellectual powers were but little less than that
1
[Gen 1:31]