“If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him.” John 14:23.

Have you not sometimes wondered who gave the names to all the birds and animals? Your Bible tells, in the second chapter and nineteenth and twentieth verses. It says that on the sixth day God brought all the birds and animals to Adam, the man whom He had made, to see what he would call them; “and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” But among all the creatures that passed before Adam, none were equal to him or fitted to be his companion. Without someone who could talk and sympathize with him and who could enjoy things with him, all the beauties of a perfect home could not keep him from feeling lonely, or make him perfectly happy. God did not think it best for him to live alone (Gen. 2:18), and so He “caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;” and out of the rib He made a woman and brought her to Adam for his companion. Gen. 2:21-24. Adam could not help loving her, for she was part of his own flesh; and Adam called his wife’s name Eve. Gen. 3:20.

Yet one thing more God gave them as a token of His special love and care,—the most beautiful home that man ever looked upon, prepared by the hand of God Himself. They needed no stone walls or thick roof to protect them from the cold and storm, for it never rained then (Gen. 2:6), and the climate was warm and pleasant; God, therefore, did not give them a palace for their home. The blue sky was its roof; the earth, with its velvety carpet of flowers and grass, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the trees were the arched ceilings of its lofty rooms. Its walls of shrubs and trees were hung with clinging vines, the music of fountains and birds floated through the air, and the sun was its lamp by day, and the moon and the stars by night. In it grew “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food;” flowers of every form and color, and “lovely vines drooping under their load of tempting fruit.” The most beautiful of all the trees stood in the center of the garden home and was called the Tree of Life, because it had the power of keeping people alive as long as they ate of its fruit. “The lion and the lamb sported peacefully around Adam and Eve, or lay down together at their feet, and the happy birds flitted about them without fear.” What a beautiful home!

But it was not only a beautiful home, it was a happy home. Beautiful things alone do not bring happiness. The reason that their home was so happy was because there was no sin there; they loved and obeyed God, and loved each other. No cloud of sin separated them from God. They were visited by the Creator Himself, and by His shining angels. You remember that He is surrounded in light too glorious for us to look upon, and that angels are as bright as lightning. How it must have lighted up the place!

Adam and Eve did not wear clothing as we do, but “were clothed with a covering of light and glory such as the angels wear.” Their work was to dress and keep the garden and train the vines into arbours of beauty. Gen. 2:15. Their study was of God’s power and wisdom and goodness, as shown in the wonderful things that He had made. Their songs were hymns of praise to the Giver of all their joys. There drink was of the crystal waters, and their meat the fruits and grains. Gen. 1:29.

God gave them the whole earth in all its beauty with everything upon it—all but just one tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, near the Tree of Life, in the midst of the garden. They were to show their love and faith and obedience to God by not eating of this tree. Would you not think that they would rejoice to have this opportunity to show their love for the One who had done so much for them?

1. What animals have you seen?
2. Who gave names to all the birds and beasts and creeping things? Gen. 2:19, 20.
3. When did he do it?—On the sixth day.
4. Could any of them talk with Adam and think and understand it as he could?—No; even the parrot and other birds that can be taught to talk, do it very poorly and only repeat what someone has said; they do not understand what they say, as man does.
5. Then were any of them fitted to be his companion?
6. Did God think it good for man to be alone? Why not? Gen. 2:18.
7. Whom did He create and give to Adam for his companion? Gen. 2:21-23.
8. Out of what was she formed?
9. Was Adam pleased with her?
10. What name did he give to her? Gen. 3:20.
11. Then who were the first man and first woman that ever lived upon this earth?
12. What did God give them? Gen. 1:28.
13. Besides giving them all these things, how did God show them His special love and care?
14. Where did God plant a garden?—In Eden. Gen. 2:8.
15. Because it was in Eden what is it called?—The Garden of Eden.
16. Name a few of the beautiful things in their Eden home.
17. Which was the most beautiful of all the trees?
18. What strange thing did it have power to do?
19. Do beautiful things alone make people happy?
20. Why were Adam and Eve so happy in their new home?
21. How may we be happy in our homes? Ps. 146:5; John 14:23.
22. Did Adam and his wife ever have any visitors?
23. Who?
24. Did this add anything to the light and joy of their home?
25. Is it possible for us to have these heavenly visitors in our homes?—Yes; we may not see them, but we have the promise that Jesus will abide with us and angels encamp around us if we love God and do as He says in His Word. John 14:23; Ps. 34:7.
26. If Jesus and angels live with us, what kind of homes are we sure to have?—Happy homes.
27. What kind of clothing did Adam and Eve wear?
28. Did they have any work to do? What? Gen. 2:15.
29. Then if God thought it best for them to work, should we ever dislike to work?
30. What do idle hands learn to do?—Wicked things that grieve God and destroy us.
31. About what did they study?
32. What kind of songs did they sing?
33. What did they drink?
34. What did they eat? Gen. 1:29.
35. In what special way were they to show their love and obedience to God? Gen. 2:16, 17.

The Present Truth – February 1, 1894
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf   A Happy Home