This chapter is based on Genesis 1 and 2.
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. ... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6, 9).
As the earth came into being from the hand of its Maker, it was unbelievably beautiful. Everywhere the fruitful soil produced luxuriant green vegetation. There were no foul swamps nor barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The air was clear and healthful. The entire landscape was more beautiful than the decorated grounds of the proudest palace.
After the earth had been called into existence, teeming with animal and vegetable life, human beings—the crowning work of the Creator—were brought upon the stage of action. “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over ... all the earth.’ ... So God created man in His own image ... male and female He created them.”
The origin of the human race is explained clearly here. God created us in His own image. There is no reason to suppose that we evolved by slow degrees from lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Inspiration traces the origin of our race, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was “the son of God” (Luke 3:38).
The lower orders of being cannot grasp the concept of God, yet they were made capable of loving and serving human beings. “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, ... the beasts of the field, the birds of the air” (Psalm 8:6-8).
Christ alone is “the express image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father, but Adam and Eve were formed in the likeness of God. Their nature was in harmony with the will of God, their minds capable of comprehending divine things. Their affections were pure; their appetites and passions were under the control of reason. They were holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfectly obeying His will.
As our first parents came forth from the hand of their Creator, their faces glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men now living. Eve was somewhat less tall, yet her form was noble and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light such as the angels wear.
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