Lesson 166. Masterpieces of Love

In creating man, God did not simply create someone so that this being would exist and somehow live; rather, He embodied His Likeness and Image. Every detail of every cell was carefully thought out, calculated, and created. The Creator united spirit, soul, and body in one being, giving him the ability to reproduce after his own kind. He made this harmonious and natural, in combination with love, friendliness, and happiness.

All the depth and wisdom of God’s creative thought were embodied in man. A masterpiece of Divine craftsmanship came forth from the hands of the Creator. Adam was endowed with a potential for love and friendship that needed to be developed. But according to the Creator’s plan, this had to be attained and had to become something deeply desired.

Adam was the crowning work of creation. Being made a little lower than the angels, he possessed amazing powers of reason, will, and intellect, which developed harmoniously, filling his mind with discoveries and life experience.

The Lord brought to Adam all the animals, fish, and birds that lived at that time, and the man gave a name to every creature and remembered those names. He studied the lives and habits of these creatures. And Adam noticed that all the animals had mates and spent time together in such unions, rejoicing before the man. But Adam did not find anyone equal to himself.

Some of the angels probably also had the opportunity to communicate with the first man, and this delighted God’s son, but they were superior to him, and they had been given the duty of caring for man and serving him. Although the angels were intelligent beings, they could not satisfy man’s need to give love, for love seeks one who is equal to itself so that it may be exchanged harmoniously. Nor did Adam find a friend among the animals to whom he could give the fullness of his love. And he did not even understand this or ask for anything, being a little child before God’s face, rejoicing in life and exploring this world with interest, gaining life experience and developing his reason and intellect.

Adam’s body had been designed down to the smallest detail and bore the imprint of beauty and perfection. But flesh without the breath of life was dead and had no energy within it, and the human soul did not yet exist, though it was already in the Creator’s plan.

God took the lifeless body and breathed His Spirit, His breath, into it, and in this union a living soul appeared. The spirit gave energy to the body and brought to life the higher powers of the human soul: reason, will, and intellect. And in this totality Adam became a living soul, capable of thinking, choosing, making decisions, feeling, and loving. Instincts were placed within human nature; they were subject to the higher powers of the soul and prompted and pointed out to him the important needs that arose in the course of life.

It is interesting that the human body was originally designed so that it would itself understand what to do within, how to respond to different situations, and how to manage its internal processes.

And so Adam realized that he was alone, but he did not know that this was not good; he simply rejoiced in his new life. Communing with his Creator, he learned how to live, taking his first steps and abiding in God’s Love. And one day the Lord said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.’ Adam rejoiced, but he did not find this helper among the animals. He kept wondering what this meant, and with these thoughts he fell asleep.

And an event amazing to everyone took place. The Lord opened Adam’s body, took a rib from it, and from this rib created a girl, calling her woman. Then, anticipating Adam’s joy, He awakened him and introduced him to his new companion in life, telling him where she had come from. Adam was delighted. He certainly had not expected such a gift. He looked at this miracle, and the miracle looked at him, and they were very happy to be with each other. Their acquaintance began. I think each of them found it very interesting to study their other half, discover this world, and uncover new mysteries for themselves.

And Adam called his helper wife and cleaved to her with all his soul, and they became one flesh. Man became male and female, just as he had been designed.

Love found an outlet and poured forth in gentle streams from these friendly hearts, bringing joy to them both and multiplying with each passing day. Adam and his wife loved each other and could not relate to one another in any other way, for Love had created them, given them life, and now led them through it. And they were both naked and were not ashamed. And God’s righteousness covered their bodies with garments of God’s glory.

Our first parents were warned about what they could do and what they should refrain from doing. They were informed that their life was conditional and depended on their obedience to God. They were told the story of the Heavenly conflict, and they knew that the fallen angels could make contact with them near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and try to tempt them and persuade them to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. And then they would die. There was no fence or any kind of guard around the forbidden tree. It grew peacefully among the trees of the Garden of Eden and was no different from the other trees, but it was specially designated as the only prohibition that limited man’s choice.

Adam and his wife were perfect creations reflecting the Image of God, but they were still little children who learned something new every day and, as they discovered this world given to them by God, shared their discoveries with each other. They gained life experience. All humanity was contained within them.

A special event took place in the Garden of Eden that delighted the first people—the seventh day, when, according to the Lord’s blessing, they ceased from all their work and cares and awaited a meeting with the One Who had created them, so that they could commune with Him, tell Him about their needs, ask Him questions, and listen to His instructions and stories. And He came to them in the cool of the day, and they knew this time and always awaited Him with joy.

The people’s freedom consisted in learning to live an independent life, setting tasks and solving them, and then pausing in this stream of activity in order to commune with their Creator, receive answers from Him to their many questions, and learn something new and interesting. And the people grew in love with God and with each other, maturing in mind and body with each passing day and acquiring practical life skills.

The tree of life grew in the midst of Paradise, and access to its fruit was open around the clock. Everything was beautiful and bore the imprint of perfection. Heaven and Earth were united and dwelt in absolute harmony.

We are not told how many years the first people lived before their obedience was tested, but we can be certain that they were informed and repeatedly warned by everyone that they must not eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. This was part of their upbringing.

And the day came when they could make their choice without external supervision and show how obedient they were to God. The wife entered the forbidden territory and immediately fell under the spell of the wicked one, who in an astonishing way managed to convince her to accept his views on life. She ate the forbidden fruit and gave it to her husband, and he ate. Sin became known and became part of humanity.

The Plan of Salvation, which had been provided for this event, came into effect. Man was to receive the punishment immediately and die. But Love offered Itself, and this offer was accepted.

1. Please read Genesis 1:26–28; 2:7, 15; 3; Psalm 8:5–9; 51:6, 11; 58:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Acts 17:24–28; Romans 5:12–17; 2 Corinthians 5:19–20; Ephesians 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 John 3:4; 4:7–8, 11, 20 in the light of our lesson.

2. What did you understand from this lesson?

3. When did Adam begin to call his wife Eve? Who gave her this name?

4. Do you believe that you are a direct descendant of this couple?

5. Did the people originally created by God possess practical knowledge and experience, or did they have to acquire these themselves?

6. Why did God not create the wife immediately, but only after Adam understood that he did not have a friend equal to himself?

7. Do you believe that woman was created in the Image of God, including her emotions and femininity?

8. What is the difference between a man and a woman?

9. How can a woman be understood?)))