In the beginning…11e. Earth Overlook: Day Six

Lucifer’s attention returned to the events at hand as some astonished expressions issued from the angelic spectators near Jesus. The commotion in the multitude calmed down quickly.

“What’s happening now?” Raphael asked, leaning over the railing.

Jesus returned his attention to Eden and explained, “One of the tasks God was performing as he had the animals parade by Adam and be named was that of searching for a suitable helper and mate for man. Apparently none was found that met God’s standards. So now he is going to Plan B; that is to create a female for Adam. Watch!”

As though hearing his son clearly, God looked up to the Earth Overlook and seemed to explain to the gathered angels “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

All stared mesmerized as God placed a hand on Adam’s head. The man slumped gently to the ground.

“He’s fainted,” someone suggested.

“God’s killed him,” came as an accusatory snort from Lucifer’s group.

“Nonsense!” exclaimed Gabriel.

“God simply caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep for awhile,” Jesus calmly testified.

“Why?” the startled reaction came from many angels in unison.

“He’s going to make a female from part of the man,” Jesus clarified.

All eyes and ears returned to the scene below. God reached into the upper torso of the man and removed a bone. “That’s called a rib,” Jesus observed.

They watched as the bloody place from which God had extracted the bone closed up as good as new appearing as if nothing had happened just a moment before. Next God stooped down and gathered some dirt into his free hand. He added this to the rib and seemed to rub the two elements together. Immediately God seemed to blow into the clump as he had when making Adam some hours before. A form began to take shape. As it grew, it appeared to become a lot like Adam; and even a lot like the heavenly beings completely absorbed by what they were seeing. Finally it took a completed form, much like the man. Yet there were differences obvious to all. Then something truly fascinating happened.

The man woke up, sat up, rose to his feet, looked around as though in a daze, and then stared in God’s direction and that of the newly-formed creature.

“Wow!” was the only word Adam uttered.

God took the hand of the female gently in his and led her to Adam. Then he placed the hand of the female in Adam’s hand. While holding both newly formed hands together, God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

“This changes everything!” Lucifer smiled arrogantly to his companions.

“What do you mean, Boss?” queried one of his small mob.

The explanation came quickly, but still in a hushed tone, “Forget the animals. We’ll target and control man. He will choose to bow down and worship me of his own free will.”

“He will?” asked Dagon.

“Yes, he most definitely will,” Lucifer arrogantly assured the group.

“When?” pursued Anak.

“Soon; very soon,” he concluded. “Just be patient, my friends. Our day of triumph is nearly at hand.”

Gabriel voiced what seemed to be on the minds of many in the heavenly host, “Will there instantly be lots of little men and women as happened with the fish, birds, and animals?”

“No,” answered Jesus. “We decided that all the rest of mankind would be created normally, by the natural laws of reproduction we’ve put in place. That’s also the way all subsequent animals will come to life. Even the plants will follow established laws of nature created just for them concerning how they grow and spread across the earth.”

God continued speaking to Adam and the woman, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole Earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – I give every green plant for food.” And, of course, it was so.

God saw all that he had made and abruptly stated, “It is very good!”

[to be continued]