Story 2: Sin Enters The Garden Of E'den ll

   Soon after they had eaten of the fruit, when its rich and tempting color had faded, and its delightful taste turned into bitterness, A'dam and Eve became painfully aware of their plight. Then came unbearable moments of despair and sad recollections; with the smitten conscience of sin they discovered something shameful about their appearance which they not wish the Lord to see. Covering themselves with fig leaves, they sought to hide from the presence of God in the foliage of the Garden.
   Their efforts to cover the shame of wrong doing were without avail; instead of becoming wise and Divine, as promised by sa'tan, they now found themselves foolish and mortal. Their covering for sin was unworthy and futile, and it was impossible for them to escape the all-seeing eye of God. When caused to face God in their unhappy dilemma Eve confessed that she had yielded to the enchanting allurements of sa'tan, and that she and Ad'am had eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree. They were driven from the Garden, the curse of irksomeness was placed upon the required labor of Ad'am, great pain in child-bearing was pronounced upon Eve, and the blight of mortality was placed upon both of them.
   Though the judgments placed upon them by God were grievous and mortal, they were mitigated by the gracious promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. This promise was fulfilled when the Sav'ior, born of woman, came into the world bringing redemption from sin and from the power of sa'tan.
   By doing what God had told them not to do, Ad'am and Eve lost their intimate fellowship with God, the happy surroundings of their days of innocence, and many of the good things which God had given them. What is more, they lost these blessings not for themselves alone, but for all their descendants as well. That is what is meant by Adamic, or Original Sin, or Natural Depravity, for the sin which entered human life in the transgression of Ad'am and Eve became the heritage of all people. However, the promise of redemption given in the pronouncement of the curse of God upon them for their sin also embraces the entire human race, and in the realization of the blessings of that promise an even greater Paradise is provided for all mankind.
   Thus we have the tragic story of the entrance of sin into the world, and of its blighting curse upon all the world and all humanity. Had Eve never eaten of the forbidden fruit, and Ad'am remained obedient to the Laws of God, the earth would never have been blighted by evil, nor would humanity have known suffering and death. Instead, the Garden of E'den would have been extended until the entire earth had become a Paradise, and God would have continued to dwell with His people in the most intimate and happy relationship.
   Over against this tragic story we must always seek a correct view of the new and living way into a Holier Paradise provided in Christ:
               "A Friend who will gather the outcasts,
                  And shelter the homeless poor;
               A Friend who will feed the hungry
                  With bread from the Heavenly store."