TALES FROM EDEN: Day One

Disclaimer: It should go without saying that these are by all means fictitious tales. I want to make this absolutely clear: This is not a new revelation from God. I am not dictating the Word of God. Please take everything I say here with great caution and perfect deference to the Bible. This is simply one man’s poor attempt at imagining what it would have been like to be Adam. I have tried to remain faithful to the Bible’s account and to not deviate from it.

Tales From Eden
I, Adam, son of God,[1] by my own hand, have purposed to recount all my days in the Land of Eden for all my future children. These stories have been told many times to hundreds of my children for nine hundred years of my life.[2] Now, this nine hundred and first year of my life, I have recorded these stories for an everlasting remembrance of the first works of God in the lives of mankind.

Before Eden, I wasn’t truly alive. Vague memories of confusion, uncertainty, and dullness had surrounded all my thoughts from before. I began to be unrelentingly driven for days and weeks to the strange land in the East. I neither knew why I went or to where I went, but only that I had to go. When I got there I collapsed to the ground, as if dead. A moment after I collapsed, I awoke to a magical world full of meaning and purpose. It was as if I had suddenly awoken from a long dream. 

Day 1
Vibrant colors. A crystal clear river. Lush green plants. Tall trees bursting with leaves. Colorful flowers and flying creatures of grace and elegance. A carpet of grass and moss, soft as wool. Happy creatures grazing and drinking, frolicking and hopping, running and jumping, nuzzling and kissing, resting and sleeping. Soothing aromas. Music of songbirds, gurgling of the river, and rustling of leaves in the fruit trees and bushes from the breeze. A cool mist in the air. On the horizon, through a thin layer of clouds, the sun was glowing a rich orange and yellow. A sigh of pleasure naturally flowed out. I was so alive!

Turning, I beheld the most glorious sight of all: a Man of brilliant light, shining brighter than the sun.[3] I dropped to my knees in amazed wonder and worship. There was a loveliness far greater than words, penetrating into my deepest soul and spirit, that I beheld in this One I knew was Lord of All. His every motion was love. His face was radiating, not just of blinding light, but of power and authority, confidence and strength, grace and mercy, sweetness and joy! This was my Master and Creator. I knew. I could want no other more excellent a Lord to serve. A gentle hand reached down and touched my shoulder.

A voice, mighty but soothing, filled my mind: “Rise up, Adam. I am your Father; you are My son, created in My image.[4] My Spirit has breathed into you true life, and you alone of all this creation have been made an eternal spirit who can know Me. I give you charge over all My creation.[5] All that you see is given into your hand.”

When I stood, I looked into the face of my Lord God. There I saw wisdom and truth, and all my heart’s satisfaction. A river of peace and joy and delight intensely flooded through my heart and covered my whole being.[6] For a moment that seemed to last many ages, the beautiful world around me did not seem to exist or matter. My infinite God was my loving Father!

His voice ended this wonderment. “I will show you the Garden of Eden prepared for you to enjoy and to tend.”[7] He led me further to the east, to an even more rich land of plenty with streams.[8] 

Fruitful trees and plants, loaded down with fresh foods could be seen in every direction.[9] And my God commanded me not to eat of one unique tree that He showed me in the middle of this paradise, but all the others—farther than my eyes could see—were free for me to eat.[10] 

I plucked a small red, round fruit from a tree beside me and took a bite. The tastes exploded in my mouth. Soft, wet, sweet. It was refreshing to me. (Later, we called this a cherry.)

“What should I do here?” I asked my Master.

“At your pleasure, cultivate this garden so to improve its condition: water it, sow seeds, protect it from harm, uproot weeds and misplaced plants. Nurture it.”[11]

I fell and worshipped again. Praise and thanksgiving burst from my lips. My God was good and kind. “Blessed be my Lord who has made me for His pleasure! Blessed be my God who has poured out His kindness to His lowly creature!”

When I lifted my eyes, the Lord was gone. My heart sank. “My Lord, where are you?”

In my mind, I heard His voice, “I am with you always. I will return when the morning comes.”

There was so much that I knew. Many words were already familiar to me.[12] 

Understanding had been given to me when true life had been breathed into me by God. Yet, many things were still unfamiliar to me. What were these animals? How did all the creation come to be? Who was this God I loved and was fascinated with? I wanted to know the answers. Curiosity was strong within me.

It was beginning to get dark before long. I knew that I should rest and sleep, but I wanted to explore this paradise. I inspected everything as I roamed the area. I laughed in happiness at the odd creatures. I sang in worship of Him. I drank of the clear rivers. I prayed and felt His presence. I climbed trees and splashed in the water. Yet, in all that I did that first evening, I yearned to see Him again. Soon, sleep seemed more appealing. My first night was a more peaceful rest than I have ever had since. The whole of creation seemed to quickly lull me to sleep.

During my night rest, I had a great vision:

Out of the darkness, His voice spoke to me, “Behold what I have created. These are the generations of the heavens and earth of ancient days.”[13] Immediately, a small point of light grew in the darkness. It was chaotic and yet beautiful. It grew still more, and I could sense His mighty hands pulling at the chaos and I heard Him speak to it for it to keep expanding.[14] From this, came many points of light, spinning and churning and coalescing into great clusters of light. The sight was beautiful to behold.

I beheld in one of these clusters, a bright light spinning with a disk of dust about it. The Lord spoke and said, “Let the Earth come to be.” The dust then too seemed to coalesce and form small spheres. Some of these pounded together and formed a larger sphere that the Lord had called the Earth.[15]

It had grown hot and glowed red. Then, something like steam arose up from out of the ground—a mist went up.[16] A great blanket of stream covered over the earth.[17] I came to look at the surface of the earth. Water was forming on the face of all the earth, but there was a thick darkness upon the face of the waters. I looked for the source of the light, and I saw the Lord hovering over of the waters.[18] He was observing His work, as a craftsman might inspect his house.

Then He spoke, “Let there come to be light.”[19] And indeed the day seemed to dimly dawn on the face of the waters. Light from above started shining through the thick mist. Many burning, falling stars also came down and struck the earth, of which I could not understand.

Now the Daylight grew stronger as I observed, and the Lord declared that it was good.[20] The waters also grew deeper and were increased on the earth.[21] I watched as the Spirit of God moved across the waters, and He came to a great divide between darkness and light—between the Day and the Night. I was again able to see the whole sphere of earth, and I saw and understood that this great divide between darkness and light was a great circle that had formed upon the face of the deep.[22] Over the face of the waters, God had separated between the day and the night, and He had lit the atmosphere with light. I heard the Lord name the Day and the Night.[23] 

Then, something of which I could not fully understand, happened. He spoke, “Child of God, observe that I make Life and plant it in the Seas.” The arm of the Angel of the Lord reached down and touched the waters. I saw nothing. The waters did not change. He spoke again, “A very small seed was placed in the waters. From that seed all of life sprang. It was a seed taken from the ground and carefully designed to produce all living things, save you alone.”

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[1] 1 Jn 3:1-2

[2] Cf. Gen 5:5

[3] Rev 1:16

[4] Gen 1:26

[5] Gen 1:28

[6] John 7:38-39

[7] Gen 2:15

[8] Gen 2:8, 10

[9] Gen 2:9, 16

[10] Gen 2:16-17

[11] Gen 2:15

[12] Gen 1:5, 8, 10

[13] Gen 2:4

[14] Isaiah 42:5; 45:12; etc.

[15] Isaiah 44:24; et al.

[16] Gen 2:5-6; Job 38:8

[17] Job 38:8-9

[18] Gen 1:2

[19] Gen 1:3

[20] Gen 1:4-5

[21] Proverbs 8:28; Psalm 104:5-6

[22] Job 26:10 (ESV); Proverbs 8:27

[23] Gen 1:4-5