A Garden for Adam and Eve

Picture a patch of earth, quiet and brown, where nothing has grown yet. No flowers. No grass. No tall green trees. The Bible says there was no plant of the field yet, because God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was nobody there to take care of the ground.

Glimmer: Ooh, hello, hello! It's me, Glimmer! Come glow with me tonight, I saved you a cozy spot!

But then a mist went up from the earth, and it watered the whole surface of the ground.

Then God took some dust from the ground, and he shaped a man. God breathed the breath of life into his nose, and the man became alive. Maybe you wonder how a person could come from dust. That is a fair thing to wonder. The Bible doesn't explain how; it simply tells us that God made him and gave him life.

Next, God planted a garden in a place called Eden, off to the east. A garden is a place full of growing things. And God put the man he had made right there in it. Imagine the man's feet on soft green ground, and the air smelling fresh and leafy.

Out of the ground, God made every tree grow that was lovely to look at and good for food. Among them was the tree of life, right in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Those are big names, and it is okay if they sound a little mysterious.

A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. Then it split apart and became four rivers. The Bible gives their names: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, and the Euphrates. Pishon ran through a land called Havilah, where there was good gold. Say the names slowly, like a lullaby, and listen for the water in them.

God took the man and gave him a job in the garden: to tend it and to keep it. That sounds like looking after the plants and caring for the place. Picture him kneeling by a little sprout, or smoothing the soil with his hands. It was a good place to belong.

Then God told the man something important. He said, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” So there was plenty to eat, and just one tree to leave alone.

Now, you might wonder about that rule. Why would a good garden have even one tree to leave alone? That is a real question, and the story doesn't tell us why. God said a little more about that tree, and it is a serious part of the story, so we won't pretend it is easy. For now, notice how much God gave: a whole garden to enjoy.

Then God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Even in a lovely garden, being all by yourself might feel quiet. Think of the best thing you ever saw, and how nice it is to show it to a friend.

So God made every animal of the field and every bird of the sky out of the ground. And he brought them to the man, to see what he would call them. Imagine the parade! Birds and animals, one after another, coming to see what the man would call them.

The man gave names to all the livestock, which are farm animals, to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field. Whatever he called each living creature, that became its name. The Bible doesn't say what the names were. But among them all, the man did not find a helper like himself.

Glimmer: Ooh, wow! Everything is so cozy and lovely tonight. My tail is glowing extra soft just for you!

Then God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. Imagine it as quiet and still, the way it is when you are snuggled in at night. While the man slept, God took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. A rib is one of the curved bones in your chest.

From the rib he had taken, God made a woman. And he brought her to the man. Imagine the man seeing her, someone like him, to share the garden with. The Bible doesn't tell us how his face looked, but his next words sound glad.

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” Those words can mean she is very close to him, like family. It may be a happy welcome.

The Bible tells us that a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh. That can mean a husband and wife being close and joined together. The man and his wife were both bare, and they were not ashamed. Maybe that means they felt easy together.

Look at everything in this garden. There were trees to look at and trees to eat from. There was a river, flowing and splitting into four. There were birds and animals, and the man gave them names. And there was a woman, a helper comparable to him.

Before we rest, let's hear again where God put the man he had made. Here are the Bible's own words.

So God was providing for the man, giving him a garden with trees to eat from, watered by a river. The Bible says God cares for us too. A letter in the Bible, called First Peter, says we can hand our worries to God, “because he cares for you.” So the Bible tells us he cares for you, and we can remember that tonight in bed.

Maybe it all sounds very old and very far away, and that is fair. We can't visit that garden, and the story doesn't answer every question. But it does show us a God who makes good things, and who did not want the man to be alone.

And there is one more thing in the Bible for you tonight. Jesus once told his followers, “But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.” Jesus called his followers friends. You can ask a grown-up what that means for us.

There is also a song in the Bible, called Psalm 121. It tells us that the Lord watches over you, and it says, "he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." So the Psalm says the Lord watches over you. The Psalm says the moon will not harm you by night.

Glimmer: Mmm... yawn... I'm so sleepy and happy. Goodnight, friend. Sweet dreams, from my glowy tail to you.

Scripture: Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Here is something to ponder as you drift off: what name did you give to a favorite toy or animal, and how did you pick it? If you want to know Jesus as your own friend, you can talk to him tonight, and someone in your family or a friendly church can help you. You are welcome to follow along for more stories like this. Now let's pray together. Dear God, thank you for making a world full of good things, and for caring for me. Thank you that you are with me in the dark and in the light. Help me rest safe and sound tonight. Amen. Goodnight, sweet dreams.