Stories of the Bible, Volume 1: The People of the Chosen Land — Text and Context

Then God looked into the darkness and said, "Let there be light." And light came. And out of the new light God created the blue sky, the deep sea, the beautiful grass-covered earth, the plants, the trees, and the many-colored flowers.

And in the blue sky he placed the golden sun, the silver moon, and the stars that shine like jewels in the sky.

Then, in the water he placed the fishes; on the earth, the animals; and in the tree tops the birds sang their praises.

"This shall be for a home for man," the Creator said; and so, one morning, there woke to life in the Garden of Eden a man and woman--beautiful and good and pure.

To the animals God had given strength and speed, and fur for protection from the wind and rain. To the birds he had given plumage, brilliant and warm. To the fishes, fins and scales.

Then man came; and to him was given intelligence, and reason, and power to grow in wisdom; for by these was he to protect himself from the elements and gain dominion over all the earth,--the fishes, the birds, and the animals thereof.

Then God blessed everything he had made; for he loved what he had made, and surrounded it with all that was beautiful and good.

"Of every tree in the garden ye may eat," He had said to Adam and Eve, "except the tree of Knowledge-of-Good-and-of-Evil. Of that eat not lest ye die."

The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled Heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. The unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator's power display, And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth; Whist all the stars around her burn, And all the planets, in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What though in solemn silence all Move round this dark terrestrial ball! What though no real voice or sound Amidst their radiant orbs be found!-- In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice; Forever singing as they shine, "The hand that made us is Divine."

When Adam and Eve looked out upon the world round about them; when they saw the flowers and the grasses; when they heard the splashing of the sun-lit waters, and the rustling of the soft branches,--then their hearts were filled with love for each other, for their home, and for the Father who had made all this joy for them.

For a long time they wandered up and down the Garden of Eden, singing songs, and ready always to hear the voice of God when he spoke to them in the soft winds that played among the tree tops.

Now, there was a wicked angel, named Satan. He had been cast out from heaven, down, down from the blue sky. And in his own unhappy home he dwelt now, alone, wretched and revengeful. And when he saw this happy man and woman, so good and pure, their hearts bounding with love to God and joy in right doing, his cruel face grew black.

"Such happiness shall not last," he said. So he crept into the Garden, took on the form of a serpent and spoke to Eve.

"Eat of the fruit of this tree," he said, "and give it to Adam that he may eat too."

"But we are forbidden," Eve said.

"The fruit is like no other. Eat! Ye shall not die," the serpent answered.

Then Eve gathered the fruit and ate of it. It was sweet, even as the serpent had said. Then she gathered more, and Adam, too, ate of it.

Then darkness fell upon the earth. A great wind arose, the thunder rolled, and God drove Adam and Eve out from the Garden of Eden; and at the entrance He placed cherubims and a flaming sword for no one who had sinned could dwell in a land so beautiful and free from sorrow.

But God pitied these children of his; and, although they had sinned against him, he saw that, after long years of suffering, One should be born, who would bring back to earth the joy and peace and happiness that had once been theirs, and which would have been to all their children in all the time to come, had not these parents sinned.

And so Adam and Eve went out into the world to work and struggle and build homes for themselves.