Before towns, like blades of grass, were sprouted,
Before life, into the earth-born, was breathed,
Before mountains, adamant, were molded,
Before seas, immeasurable, were delved,
Before stars, infinity’s dust, were forged
God exists.
Wellspring of perfect love, overflowing.
Boundless in might. Holy and beauteous.
Author of wisdom. Arbiter of truth.
The Creator, sustainer, and master
Of the whole of creation, for all time.
God is a spirit, infinite, unclad in the raiment of creation, a being self-sustained beyond our existence. Out of an abundance of passionate love and creativity God created all things seen and unseen. God spoke and there appeared heaven, the dwelling place of spirits. Again God spoke, “ARISE my angels. Spirits wise, powerful, and ageless. My beloved and honored servants, hear me and obey.” Their existence is to venerate the creator in all things, each embodying the facet of God’s mind from where each originated. But though they are spirit, in nature they are not like God.
Then, in the presence of the angels, into the matterless void, God again spoke, “ARISE light and darkness. ARISE Stars, planets, and moons. You will be a guide to all creation, showing it direction, days and nights, seasons and years. And among the planets, I choose the earth first among all. So I say to the earth, let your seas ARISE. Gather together to reveal the landscape, every mountain, valley, and plain.” Indescribable, even by the poets of the ages, is the beauty of the infancy of existence. God cherished it to its very essence. But it was devoid of life.
Again God spoke, “Let life ARISE, your very existence a testament to me! Let the plants nourish all of creation yet still replenish itself through its seeds. Among the flowing waters let creatures swim. On the winds, let birds ride. Across the wide landscape, let beasts roam.” So it was that the earth came to be filled with wondrous forms of life, each one existing by the loving power of God’s design, but lacking in reason.
God looked at the earth and thought, “I will create beings whose nature will be like mine—loving, strong, beautiful, wise, righteous, creative. I will make them the stewards of all my glorious creation, from which they will continue creating, discovering, and cultivating all they set their minds to.” From this thought, God molded the first human out of the earth itself, Adam, the earth-born. Then, God ceased laboring, and with sight that pierces time and space, savored the perfection of all that was created. And of one who lives unshackled by the bonds of time, to whom the entire existence of humanity is as a moment, who among even the most learned can fully fathom the true nature of the act of creation?
Of all the angels in heaven, the wisest and most beautiful was Lucifer, greatest of the order of the cherubim, leader of the choir that wove together the musical themes of praise first sung to them by God. But upon observing the earth, Lucifer began to desire it and envied the earth-born who dwelled upon there. As time outside of time passed in heaven, a dangerous desire began to form in Lucifer’s mind. Looking at Adam, Lucifer thought, “What does it reveal about a God that would create this pathetic clod, call it an image bearer, and give it dominion over all other creation? Why should I, a prince among the angels, be subservient to a God such as this?
Out of this rebellious heart was born the first evil, for Lucifer went among the angels in an attempt to convince them that they were slaves who must throw off the shackles placed upon them by God. But the tragic irony for those angels who gave ear to Lucifer was that their service had not been forced on them by God, but was rather an integral part of their nature, woven into their very essence. Apart from God, they are incapable of fulfillment, as are all things that God has created.
Lucifer was unaware, however, that this rebellion was foreseen by God. Yet God allowed each of them to choose their destiny. So it was that one-third of the angels turned from their creator. Rallying behind Lucifer, they waged war in heaven, seeking to overthrow God. But they could not prevail against those who remained loyal, led by the archangel Michael. So Lucifer’s army was thrown out of heaven.
Humiliated, Lucifer’s anger and jealousy burned unquenchable. Rather than attempt to directly lay siege to heaven again, Lucifer instead sought to bring to ruin to everything that God had created and loved. So Lucifer, the father of lies, became the enemy of all that is good and so is named Satan. The accompanying army of rebellious angels we name demons and they are twisted forms who exist as perversions of their original purpose. Sending demonic spies far and wide, Satan waited for an opportunity to strike back.
Far removed from the heavenly battle, Adam lived peacefully among the animals, in Eden, the garden of delights, which God had especially prepared for him. As he contemplated the nature of God and also studied the animals of the garden, he came to understand that he was less than God but greater than an animal, though he shared traits with them both. When Adam realized, as God intended, that it was not good that there was no one else like him in the world, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. Then God removed one of Adam’s ribs and used it to create a new form, woman, so-called because she was taken out of man.
Adam awoke and saw beside him the first woman and named her Eve, for she had been brought to life by God. He said to her, “You who were created from my own body, yet are distinct from me, could only have been imagined by the mind of God.” And they were each filled with love for the other and praised God for enriching creation in this way.
God then told them, “I bless you and your offspring. In time they will spread throughout the whole earth, becoming stewards of all that I have created.”
Adam and Eve joyfully spent their days together exploring the delights of Eden, and though they lived under the kingship of God, who would, at times, walk among them, they were truly free in body and spirit. During this time Satan entered Eden unbeknownst to Adam and Eve in order to spy on them. Now in the middle of the garden God had planted two trees. The fruit of the first tree gave eternal life while the other gave the knowledge of good and evil. And though God permitted them to eat anything that grew from the ground, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden to them. This command Adam and Eve obeyed without hesitation. For having been created completely innocent, they willingly relied on the infinite love, goodness, and wisdom of God as their sole counsel.
It was this innocence that Satan sought to use for wicked purposes. Waiting until Eve was alone and near the forbidden tree, Satan, disguised as a snake, came to her and said, “Did God really say that you must not eat anything that grows in Eden?”
She replied, “No, God has given them all to us except the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil. But if we ate from that tree we would die.”
“You will not die,” Satan said, “for God knows that when you eat that fruit, your eyes will be opened and you will no longer need God, for you will know good and evil.”
Eve considered this as she gazed at the fruit and thought, “In every way, this fruit appears good to eat. Would it not benefit us to become like God?” And with temptation clouding her mind she took a piece of fruit to Adam and said, “I don’t understand why God forbade this fruit. It looks delicious and if we each have some, my love, then we will be like God.” And so they both ate. Immediately the burden of the knowledge of good and evil caused them to feel, for the first time, an overwhelming sense of guilt.
At that moment they heard the footsteps of God approaching to join them in the garden, but this time, in their shame. they sought to hide themselves. But from the gaze of God which can pierce through any darkness, nothing is hidden. “Where are you?” God called out to them.
Bringing themselves out into the open they replied, “We heard you walking and tried to escape from your sight.”
“Why would you try to hide yourselves from me?” God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil?”
Adam replied, “I was misled by this woman that you put here with me.”
But Eve protested, “A snake deceived me, convincing me that eating the fruit would make us wise like you.”
Seeing through the disguise, God’s gaze was fixed on Satan. Seeing this beloved angel, the elder of creation, with wicked intent bring this evil upon the younger, god’s heart was filled with loving sorrow and righteous anger. God then spoke to Satan, “Be forever cursed. From this day forward, though you will ever seek to corrupt and destroy humanity, it will be a child of Eve who will bring about your ultimate defeat.” Satan quickly fled from the wrath of God, feeling wickedly smug from this perceived victory, but also angrily bewildered by the doom that God had spoken.
God then looked upon Adam and Eve and said, “Ingrained in you from the moment of creation, I gave you the gift of choice. But because you are not God, there has always existed the choice that you will not heed my freely given wisdom. Because you desired even greater freedom and so chose to disobey my word, you have stripped yourselves of the perfection I gave you and become slaves to corruption, which now seeps into every pore of this world that you inhabit. It is only through perfection that the knowledge of good and evil can be perfectly wielded, so now your lives are shackled to the temptation to do evil.
Eve, your decision has brought pain into this world. So it will be for all women that the blessing of childbirth will now be mixed with pain. Adam, because you ate the forbidden fruit, it will only be through painful toil that the ground will produce fruit for you. Indeed all the glorious works of humanity that may have been will be forever hindered by hardship. And to you both, your once-perfect union as husband and wife, will now forever be a struggle between you. In your corrupted state, you cannot be allowed to eat from the tree of eternal life. So you must leave Eden and find a new home. And this doom which I have pronounced will pass down through every generation until one day I make all things new again.”
So it was under a cloud of deep regret that Adam and Eve left their home to forge a new life for themselves beyond the blessed borders of Eden. And God placed one of the cherubim at the entrance to the garden of delights with a flaming sword to prevent any from acquiring the fruit of eternal life.
With the passing of each season, the joys of life were now intermixed with burden. Though they were no longer able to walk alongside their creator, God never abandoned them and they were eventually blessed with the gift of children. When his first child was born Adam said, “With God’s help we have obtained a son, and so I name him Cain. Along with his younger brother Abel, they were firstborn of the now marred earth. Adam and Eve taught them all they knew of God and of everything that had happened in Eden. As they matured, Cain took on the life of a farmer, while Abel spent his days as a shepherd.
Lest they be tempted to forget the importance of relying on God, rather than their own strength and wisdom, Adam and his family would annually offer gifts of thanks to God for protecting and sustaining them. At one such occasion, Abel offered the first and healthiest lambs that had been born to him that year, but Cain only gave from his excess, keeping his first and best crops for himself. Whether it was selfishness or fear of want that clouded Cain’s judgment we know not. But when Cain saw that God bestowed greater honor to Abel’s gift, he became angry.
God saw his heart and said, “Why are you angry, Cain? If you do what is right will you not also be honored? But if, knowing what is right, you choose to do wrong, this is sin and it crouches at your door desiring to pounce on you, but you can overcome with my help.”
But Cain did not listen to this warning, and instead gave ear to the silent whispers of Satan which transformed his anger into evil intention. One day, he convinced Abel to follow him into one of his fields and when he was confident that no one else was around, Cain murdered his own brother.
As it was when Adam and Eve first sinned in Eden, the knowing voice of God in that moment called out to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”
Cain snapped back, “I don’t know! Is it my responsibility to take care of him?”
With a heart of grief and anger, God replied, “Cain, what have you done? Listen...I can hear the voice of your brother’s blood as it cries out to me from the earth. By your hand, you have brought a curse upon yourself. The ground which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood will never again yield unto you its crops. Now you must leave this land, doomed to restlessly wander the earth for the rest of your days.”
Cain cried out, “This punishment is more than I can bear! You are driving me away from my home and without your protection, the first person that finds me will kill me.”
“Not so!” God replied, “For even after the evil that you have done, I do not desire the death of you. I will place a mark upon you so that none who find you would dare murder you, lest an even greater punishment fall upon them.” And so Cain was forced to wander east, out of the stories of humanity.
When Adam and Eve found the body of their son they were filled with grief unlike any they had experienced since their exile from Eden. It hardly seemed possible that in such a short time they had gone from living with God in paradise to losing both of their children to the evil of sin in the same day. But after what felt like an eternity of great sadness, God blessed them and the world with more children.
Lifetimes came and went after Adam and Eve died in their old age and slowly passed into legend. Humanity grew and spread throughout the world. But as the generations passed, the story of God’s love which brought forth the majesty of creation was seldom told. Eventually, they abandoned their great helper as the seeds of evil which first sprouted in ages past took deep root and grew uncontrollably. With malicious delight, Satan watched as every thought and action of humanity became entirely evil.
But in this sea of blackness, a beacon of hope yet remained, one family, led by Noah, who clung to God. When humanity had reached its darkest hour God called on Noah, saying, “The end of all life is coming; for the earth is filled with violence brought about by humanity. And because their hearts will not return to me, they cannot be rescued from themselves. To protect what I created, I must destroy my most beloved creation. So I will flood the earth and everything that is in it will die. But your family I promise to protect, for you are the only ones who have remembered me. You will build an ark of gopher wood, covered in pitch, and you will enter it with your wife, your sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their families. But first, you will gather some of every animal, male and female, and bring them onto the ark, so that the wonders of creation will not be lost.”
God continued to describe, in detail, plans for ark and the supplies Noah would need to sustain his family and the animals that they would bring aboard. It was to be 510 feet long, 50 feet tall, and 75 feet wide with many rooms to hold the animals and a roof to protect them from the rain.
The details of the many arduous years of Noah’s labor on the massive ark are not recounted here, but when his labor was finally finished God said, “Noah, in seven days the flood is coming to wash away this evil world. Take your family and the multitude of animals I send to you and enter the ark.”
At the time God had appointed, the springs of the deep burst open and the floodgates of the sky poured down. For 40 days it rained and flooded without ceasing. Everything was destroyed except the ark’s inhabitants who floated even higher the mountains, protected by God. And of the magnitude of the agony that came from the scouring of the earth, none can truly fathom save the heart of God.
After the rains ceased and the floodwaters began to recede, the ark ran aground at the top of a mountain. Noah would let birds loose from the ark to see if the ground was yet dry, but week after week they returned, finding nowhere to land. After a year of waiting, a dove returned to the ark, clutching an olive leaf in its beak. Knowing that it was finally safe, Noah, his family, and all the animals came forth from the ark.
God said to Noah, “You are humanity’s new beginning. Go out, multiply and replenish the earth. To your ancestors were given all the plants to eat, but henceforth I offer the animals of the land, sea, and sky to eat as well. The dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird in the sky, and upon all the fish of the sea; Though the life of animals may be sacrificed so that you may live, you must never kill another human, for you are my image-bearers. In the future, whenever it rains, you need not fear another cleansing flood. Never again will the world be destroyed by a flood. You have seen that without my intervention, humanity turns irredeemably to evil. I will not watch the creation I love slowly destroy itself again. Now look up and see my multihued war bow in the sky and know that I will no longer raise it against your entire race. Instead, I will battle for each of your hearts against Satan in the spiritual realm that many of you might be saved from yourselves. But your final redemption is yet to pass and it will come from a child of Eve.” Then Noah and his family were left looking out into the vast and empty world contemplating their future and the future of their race.
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