“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).1TC 15.2

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.1TC 15.3

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.”1TC 16.1

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).1TC 16.2

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).1TC 16.3

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.1TC 16.4

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.1TC 16.5

The First Marriage

After the creation of Adam, “God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him.’” God gave Adam a companion fitted for him, who would be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from Adam’s side. She was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, loved and protected by him. She was his second self, showing the close union that should exist in this relationship. “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one” (Ephesians 5:29; Genesis 2:24).1TC 17.1

“Marriage is honorable” (Hebrews 13:4). It is one of the two institutions that, after the fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race and elevates the physical, intellectual, and moral nature.1TC 17.2

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” Trees of every variety were in this garden, many of them heavy with delicious fruit. There were lovely vines, growing upright, their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit. It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making a home for themselves from living trees covered with foliage and fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit had the power to sustain life forever.1TC 17.3

“The heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” “Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good.” No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the beautiful creation. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).1TC 17.4

The Blessing of the Sabbath

In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author; and He rested, not as someone who is tired, but as someone who is pleased with the results of His wisdom and goodness.1TC 18.1

After resting on the seventh day, God set it apart as a day of rest. Following the example of the Creator, His human creatures were to rest upon this sacred day, so they might think about God’s work of creation and their hearts be filled with love and reverence for their Maker.1TC 18.2

The Sabbath was given to the whole human family. In observing it, they would gratefully show that they recognized God as their creator and rightful ruler. They were the work of His hands, the subjects of His authority.1TC 18.3

God saw that a Sabbath was essential for human beings, even in Paradise. They needed to lay aside their own interests for one day of the seven. They needed a Sabbath to remind them of God and to awaken gratitude because all that they enjoyed came from the hand of the Creator.1TC 18.4

God designs that the Sabbath will direct our minds to His created works. The beauty that clothes the earth is a token of God’s love. The everlasting hills, the lofty trees, the opening buds and delicate flowers, all speak to us of God. The Sabbath, pointing to Him who made them all, invites us to open the book of nature and find in it the wisdom, power, and love of the Creator.1TC 18.5

Our first parents were created innocent and holy, but they were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free to think and decide for themselves. They could choose whether to obey or disobey. But before they could be eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the beginning of human existence God placed a check upon self-indulgence, the fatal desire that lay at the foundation of Satan’s fall. The tree of knowledge was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first par ents. They were forbidden to taste the fruit of this tree, on pain of death. They were to be exposed to the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial successfully, they would be placed beyond his power, to enjoy unending favor with God.1TC 18.6

The Beautiful Garden of Eden

God placed human beings under law, subjects of the divine government. God could have created them without the power to sin. He could have prevented them from touching the forbidden fruit, but then Adam and Eve would have been mere robots. Without freedom of choice, their obedience would have been forced. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan, unworthy of the intelligent beings He created, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.1TC 19.1

God made our first parents honorable, with no bias toward evil. He presented before them the strongest possible motivations to be true. Obedience was the condition of eternal happiness and access to the tree of life.1TC 19.2

The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go and occupy the earth. People today take pride and delight in magnificent and costly homes and glory in the works of their own hands, but God placed Adam in a garden. This was a lesson for all time—true happiness is not found by indulging in pride and luxury, but by communing with God through His created works. Pride and ambition are never satisfied, but people who are truly wise will find pleasure in the enjoyment God has placed within the reach of all.1TC 19.3

The care of the garden was committed to the couple in Eden, “to tend and keep it.” God appointed work as a blessing, to occupy the mind, strengthen the body, and develop the abilities. Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence in mental and physical activity. It is a mistake to think of work as a curse, even though it bring weariness and pain. The rich often look down upon the working classes, but this is out of harmony with God’s purpose in the creation. Adam was not to be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for our happiness, appointed Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by working men and women. The Creator has prepared no place for do-nothing laziness.1TC 19.4

The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels and had the privilege of talking face to face with their Maker. They were full of vigor imparted by the tree of life, their intellectual power only slightly less than that of the angels. The laws of nature were opened to their minds by the infinite Creator and Upholder of all. Adam was familiar with every living creature, from the mighty whale among the waters to the speck of an insect that floats in the sunbeam. He had given a name to each one, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God’s name was written on every leaf of the forest, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky. The order and harmony of creation spoke of infinite wisdom and power.1TC 20.1

So long as Adam and Eve remained loyal to the divine law they would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer understandings of the immeasurable, unfailing love of God.1TC 20.2

Why Was Sin Permitted?

The Predicament of Our First Parents