In the beginning…13f. Eden

Then God took a step toward the woman; Adam moved slightly to one side so as to not be a partial shield any longer. Eve fell to her knees with head down and arms clasped; she shook violently in a cold shiver fearing the worst. Surely her short lifespan had come to an end because of her foolish indulgence. These thoughts raced through her mind in a split second’s time. She didn’t have long to wait.

“Eve,” the Creator’s tone was remarkably comforting as though He knew He would get no pleasure from what He was about to decree, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” A sigh of relief seemed to emanate from the woman cringing in the dust as she realized God’s wrath, if such it was, had now shifted to her husband.

To Adam God spoke, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field,” Adam slunk to the ground beside his wife and cowered there as God concluded. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

The frightened duo remained kneeling in the dust for several minutes. They were waiting for and expecting more. Finally, Adam raised his eyes and looked around. He placed a hand on Eve’s arm, “I think He’s gone.”

“Where did He go?” Eve asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear any footsteps like before. I guess he went back to heaven,” Adam concluded.

“What do we do now?” Eve still exhibited an anxious fear in her words as her voice trembled. She rose and stood next to Adam. Each looked around the garden area. It didn’t seem as beautiful as it had an hour ago. Then Eve spied something lying on a large rock a few paces off to the right. “What’s that, Adam?” She took her husband’s hand and they walked toward the boulder. Adam followed with a muted curiosity.

On the rock were several objects that appeared as though they were the skins of animals. Upon handling them, the couple discovered that they were animal skins, soft and pliable. One was larger than the other. “These appear to be for us to wear!” Eve almost shouted when the realization struck her. “They’re clothes, Adam; and a lot nicer than these fig leaves we sewed together with vines earlier.”

“These leaves couldn’t be worse. They itch something terrible.” Adam added with relief as both donned the garments, “These fit a lot better, too.”

“They feel so soft and comfortable. God must still love us to have left these here for us,” Eve stated it almost as a question.

Adam cautioned, “Let’s don’t jump to any conclusions, Eve. This may not be over as yet.”

“You mean God may return and punish us more than he said?” Some of the trepidation returned to Eve’s voice.

“I don’t know,” Adam tried to comfort her. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” With that, they strolled back into their previous hiding place to sit and await developments.

It was to be several hours before they would understand what the future was to hold for them. Meanwhile, all they could do was wait, and think, and ponder God’s pronouncements that seemed to indicate darker events to come.

[to be continued]