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Stories from the Bible Book and Charm
By Elsie Egermeier HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2006 Elsie Egermeier
All right reserved. ISBN: 0060761342
Chapter One
The Creation
Genesis 1:1-2:7
This great world in which we live did not always exist. The broad expanse of sky, which smiles upon us when days are fair, and frowns and weeps when days are foul, did not always form an arch above our earth. Long, long ago there was no world at all. There was no sun to shine, there were no stars to twinkle, nor moonbeams to play through the night shadows. But even then there was God; for he ever has been and always shall be the same unchanging Divine Being.
Then, away back at the very beginning of time, God made the world. Not as we see it today, for at first water covered everything, and all was darkness everywhere. What a strange, unfriendly world this must have been, for no living creature could dwell in it! But God planned to make it beautiful, so he caused the light to shine. This light he called Day and the darkness he called Night. And then the evening and morning of the first day of time passed by.
On the second day God made the beautiful blue sky, and placed above the water-covered earth clouds to carry the sky's moisture. He called the sky Heaven. On the third day he caused the waters to flow together in wide, deep places, and he called them Seas. Dry land thenrose up, and this he called Earth. But as yet there were no grasses, flowers, or trees -- the whole earth was barren and desolate. So God caused a carpet of grass to grow upon the bare ground and beautiful flowers to spring up from the earth. The trees and herbs also he made to grow at his will. When God beheld all these things he saw that they were good.
On the fourth day appeared the great lights that we see in the sky -- the sun, the moon, and the stars. These he made to divide the day from the night.
On the fifth day, God began to create living creatures. He made fishes of all kinds and sizes to swim about in the seas and birds of every description to fly about above the water and land, just as we see them doing today. Thus the world continued to become more delightful, and the fifth day of the first week of time passed by.
On the sixth day God made all the animals, great and small, and every creeping thing. Then there was life abounding in the woods and on the plains, as well as in the air and in the sea. What a beautiful world! Still what a strange world, for there were no people in it! Not a home anywhere -- not a man, woman, nor little child to be seen. What a very strange world indeed!
But God had not yet finished his work of creation, for he wished to have people live in the wonderful world he had made. They could enjoy its beauties and take care of it as no other living creature could do. And more, they could know who had made all these great things, and knowing God they could love and worship him. So it was that God made the first man. Out of the dust of the ground he made the man's body, then he breathed into that body with the breath of life and man became alive -- not just as the birds and the fishes and the animals were alive, for God gave to man a soul that would never die.
This first man God called Adam, and to Adam he gave the power to rule over all the other living creatures. These animals and birds he brought to Adam, and Adam gave each of them a name. But not one of them did Adam find suitable for a helper, and because he needed a helper very much God made for him a woman. This woman became Adam's wife, and he loved her very much. He called her name Eve.
When the sixth day ended God had made the world and had placed everything in it just as he wished, therefore on the seventh day he rested from his work,
Gen. 2:8-3:24
God himself made for Adam and Eve their first home. And a beautiful home it was. God chose a place from which four rivers flowed and there he planted a large garden. We do not know the many kinds of trees and flowers and vegetables and grasses that he caused to grow in this garden. But we are sure that no park that man has made could be so lovely as was the Garden of Eden. In the midst of this garden God planted a wonderful tree, called the tree of life. Whoever might eat of the fruit of this tree would live on and on forever.
Adam and Eve were very happy. God had given them good things to enjoy, and they knew nothing about evil and wrong-doing. They often talked with God and listened to his voice as he walked and talked with them in the cool of evening time.
God wanted Adam and Eve to prove their love for him, and for this reason he planted in the beautiful garden one test-tree, called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, "Of the fruit of every other tree in this garden you may eat;" God had told them, "but the fruit of this tree you must not taste. If you do, you shall surely die."
We do not know how long Adam and Eve enjoyed their beautiful garden home, but we do know that one day a sad thing happened. Sin crept slyly into this lovely place. It came first to Eve. She heard a voice and saw a snake talking to her. She was not afraid, because she had never known fear. So she listened. "Has God said that you must not eat the fruit of every tree in this garden" the snake asked.
Continues...
Excerpted from Stories from the Bible Book and Charm by Elsie Egermeier Copyright © 2006 by Elsie Egermeier. Excerpted by permission.
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