EGW WritingsGenesis 2
Ellen G. White
Read Genesis 2 in the BibleGenesis 2:1-2
Christ Triumphant
Significance of the Sabbath, January 12
CTr 18.1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Genesis 2:1, 2.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)
Ms 162, 1903
18LtMs, Ms 162, 1903, par. 16
With these plain words before us, who of those who know the truth will dare to make less prominent the distinguishing features of our faith? It is an established fact, to be made prominent before all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples, that the Lord God made the world in six days, and rested on the seventh day. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, and on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.” [Genesis 2:1, 2.]Genesis 2:1-3
From Splendor to Shadow
Chapter 14—God’s Call to Modern Apostates
SS 95.3
The Lord clearly defined obedience as the way to the City of God, but the “man of sin” has changed the signpost. He has set up a false sabbath and has caused men and women to think that by resting on it they were obeying the command of the Creator. When “the heavens and the earth were finished,” God exalted the seventh-day Sabbath as a memorial of His creative work. “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” Genesis 2:1, 3.Lift Him Up
The Law for Man’s Happiness, May 6
LHU 140.7
God has declared that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. When “the heavens and the earth were finished,” He exalted this day as a memorial of His creative work. Resting on the seventh day “from all his work which he had made, ... God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:1-3) (Prophets and Kings, 178-180).Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 77, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 77, 1899, par. 12
He who created the world in six days, and rested on the seventh, blessed and hallowed it and gave it to the world as a memorial of His creative work. The record states, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended the work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he rested from all the work which God had created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)
Ms 28, 1900
15LtMs, Ms 28, 1900, par. 21
“In the beginning” the Word states, “God created the heavens and the earth.” “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his works which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:1-3.] God has set us an example of what He wants us to do. He rested on the seventh day, sanctifying it and setting it apart as holy time.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Lt 51, 1901
16LtMs, Lt 51, 1901, par. 5
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:31-2:3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)
Ms 162, 1905
20LtMs, Ms 162, 1905, par. 16
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them; and on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)
Ms 141, 1906
21LtMs, Ms 141, 1906, par. 2
Genesis 2:1-3 quoted.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)
Ms 43, 1906
21LtMs, Ms 43, 1906, par. 6
“And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” Whom did He address?—The Lord Jesus Christ, who declares Himself to have been with the Father from the beginning. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. ... And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:26, 27, 31; 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)
Lt 38, 1906
21LtMs, Lt 38, 1906, par. 5
God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested, setting it apart as holy. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)
Ms 146, 1906
21LtMs, Ms 146, 1906, par. 2
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:31; 2:1-3.]Manuscript Releases, vol. 3 [Nos. 162-209]
MR No. 207—Manuscript Materials Requested for Use in Books and Articles
3MR 425.3
The Father and the Son rested after Their work of Creation. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made.... And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested.” Genesis 2:1-3. The death of Christ was designed to be at the very time in which it took place. It was in God’s plan that the work which Christ had engaged to do should be completed on a Friday, and that on the Sabbath He should rest in the tomb, even as the Father and Son had rested after completing Their creative work. The hour of Christ’s apparent defeat was the hour of His victory. The great plan, devised before the foundations of the earth were laid, was successfully carried out.—Manuscript 25, 1898, 3, 4. (“The Man of Sorrows,” typed, February 24, 1898.)Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)
Lt 408, 1907
22LtMs, Lt 408, 1907, par. 4
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)
Ms 99, 1908
23LtMs, Ms 99, 1908, par. 3
Again, I was instructed that we are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close relations with those who do not honor God. Concerning the sanctity of the seventh day, God has plainly taught us. “The heavens and the earth were finished,” He declares, “and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended the work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all the work which God created and made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)
Ms 133, 1908
23LtMs, Ms 133, 1908, par. 2
I have important matter that should be written out in regard to the special “Thus saith the Lord” to observe the very Sabbath the Lord has given decidedly. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)
Ms 103, 1908
23LtMs, Ms 103, 1908, par. 28
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” [Verse 8.] The Sabbath was instituted in Eden, after God had created the world. “Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)
Ms 93, 1908
23LtMs, Ms 93, 1908, par. 2
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seven day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]23LtMs, Ms 93, 1908, par. 57
This is perhaps the last testimony I shall bear to this church. Last night I could not sleep. All night the Lord was presenting the truth of the Sabbath before me, “On the seventh day God ended all the works which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:2, 3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)
Ms 125, 1909
24LtMs, Ms 125, 1909, par. 1
Genesis 2:1-3. Now that is some of the evidence that is given to us, which is carried on through the Word of God.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)
Lt 189, 1909
24LtMs, Lt 189, 1909, par. 28
The Sabbath is the truth brought in from the time the Lord made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day. And the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.] The Lord has never removed the sanctification He placed on the seventh day; it is to be observed without any change.Prophets and Kings
Chapter 14—“In the Spirit and Power of Elias”
PK 180.1
God has declared that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. When “the heavens and the earth were finished,” He exalted this day as a memorial of His creative work. Resting on the seventh day “from all His work which He had made,” “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” Genesis 2:1-3.Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9
The Sabbath
9T 212.1
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden, after God had created the world. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3.The Great Controversy
Chapter 26—A Work of Reform
GC 454.3
Many urged that Sundaykeeping had been an established doctrine and a widespread custom of the church for many centuries. Against this argument it was shown that the Sabbath and its observance were more ancient and widespread, even as old as the world itself, and bearing the sanction both of angels and of God. When the foundations of the earth were laid, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath. Job 38:6, 7; Genesis 2:1-3. Well may this institution demand our reverence; it was ordained by no human authority and rests upon no human traditions; it was established by the Ancient of Days and commanded by His eternal word.The Great Controversy (1888 ed.)
Chapter 26—A Work of Reform
GC88 454.3
Many urged that Sunday-keeping had been an established doctrine and a widespread custom of the church for many centuries. Against this argument it was shown that the Sabbath and its observance were more ancient and widespread, even as old as the world itself, and bearing the sanction both of angels and of God. When the foundations of the earth were laid, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath. [Job 38:6, 7; Genesis 2:1-3.] Well may this institution demand our reverence: it was ordained by no human authority, and rests upon no human traditions; it was established by the Ancient of days, and commanded by his eternal word.The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4
Chapter 21—The Third Message Rejected
4SP 288.1
Many urged that Sunday-keeping had been an established doctrine and a wide-spread custom of the church for many centuries. Against this argument it was shown that the Sabbath and its observance were more ancient and wide-spread, even as old as the world itself, and bearing the sanction both of angels and of God. When the foundations of the earth were laid, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath. [Job 38:6, 7; Genesis 2:1-3.] Well may this institution demand our reverence: it was ordained by no human authority, and rests on no human tradition; it was established by the Ancient of days, and commanded by his eternal word.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)
Ms 66, 1886
4LtMs, Ms 66, 1886, par. 6
I spoke in the afternoon at five o’clock from Luke 10:25-28. The hall was not crowded. I was led to a train of thought which exalted the law of God, showing that obedience was required of Adam and no less so of every one of the human family—obedience to all of God’s requirements. I presented before them what constituted true holiness. It was obedience to God, not transgression. Those who love God will cheerfully yield obedience to all His commandments, because it is the law created when the Lord made heaven and the earth. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all the work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3. This is the Lord’s own work, requiring perfect obedience.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)
Ms 25, 1898
13LtMs, Ms 25, 1898, par. 11
The Father and the Son rested after their work of creation. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested.” [Genesis 2:1-3.] The death of Christ was designed to be at the very time in which it took place. It was in God’s plan that the work which Christ had engaged to do should be completed on a Friday, and that on the Sabbath He should rest in the tomb, even as the Father and the Son had rested after completing Their creative work. The hour of Christ’s apparent defeat was the hour of His victory. The great plan, devised before the foundations of the earth were laid, was successfully carried out.Genesis 2:1-10
Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Lt 385, 1904
19LtMs, Lt 385, 1904, par. 1
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made. ... And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.” Genesis 2:1-3, 8-10.Genesis 2:1-17
Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Ms 171, 1904
19LtMs, Ms 171, 1904, par. 4
Read Genesis chapter 1. The last crowning work of God was to make man. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion” over the things We have created. “So God created man in his own image.” He gave man a personal form in God’s own image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female, created he them.” This is plainly defined that God had as verily a personality as the human agencies whom He created. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ... And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” [Genesis 1:26-28, 31; 2:1-3.] [Read] Genesis chapter 2:15-17. This was the test of their obedience.Genesis 2:1-25
Daughters of God
Eve, Mother of All
DG 21.1
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. He “laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” Psalm 104:5.As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful.... The angelic host viewed the scene with delight, and rejoiced at the wonderful works of God.DG 21.2
After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over ... all the earth.... So God created man in his own image, ... male and female created he them.” Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions. God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery. There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man’s narrow, earthly conceptions. Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his origin. He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him life. The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was “the son of God”....DG 22.1
Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character.... He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will.DG 22.2
As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature and perfect symmetry. His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health and glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men who now inhabit the earth. Eve was somewhat less in stature; yet her form was noble, and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear. So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to enshroud them....DG 22.3
God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for him”—a helper corresponding to him—one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it.” Ephesians 5:29. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one”....DG 23.1
The creation was now complete. “The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Eden bloomed on earth. Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the fair creation. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.DG 23.2
Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested....DG 23.3
While they remained true to God, Adam and his companion were to bear rule over the earth. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing. The lion and the lamb sported peacefully around them or lay down together at their feet. The happy birds flitted about them without fear; and as their glad songs ascended to the praise of their Creator, Adam and Eve united with them in thanksgiving to the Father and the Son....DG 23.4
The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone. But absorbed in her pleasing task, she unconsciously wandered from his side.... She soon found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them. Now was the tempter’s opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”....DG 24.1
The tempter intimated that the divine warning was not to be actually fulfilled; it was designed merely to intimidate them....DG 24.2
Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth....DG 24.3
When she [Eve] “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.” It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred.DG 24.4
An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die. In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God’s displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers.DG 24.5
Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus? ...DG 25.1
He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 44-57 (1890).DG 25.2
Had Adam and Eve never disobeyed their Creator, had they remained in the path of perfect rectitude, they could have known and understood God. But when they listened to the voice of the tempter, and sinned against God, the light of the garments of heavenly innocence departed from them; and in parting with the garments of innocence, they drew about them the dark robes of ignorance of God. The clear and perfect light that had hitherto surrounded them had lightened everything they approached; but deprived of that heavenly light, the posterity of Adam could no longer trace the character of God in His created works.—The Review and Herald, November 8, 1898.Patriarchs and Prophets
Chapter 2—The Creation
PP 44.1
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “For He spake, and it was;” “He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. He “laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.” Psalm 104:5.PP 44.2
As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes; but the hills and mountains were not abrupt and rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and frightful chasms, as they now do; the sharp, ragged edges of earth’s rocky framework were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a luxuriant growth of verdure. There were no loathsome swamps or barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The heights were crowned with trees more majestic than any that now exist. The air, untainted by foul miasma, was clear and healthful. The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace. The angelic host viewed the scene with delight, and rejoiced at the wonderful works of God.PP 44.3
After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over ...all the earth.... So God created man in His own image; ...male and female created He them.” Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions. God created man in His own image. Here is no mystery. There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man’s narrow, earthly conceptions. Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his origin. He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth, did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him life. The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was “the son of God.”PP 45.1
He was placed, as God’s representative, over the lower orders of being. They cannot understand or acknowledge the sovereignty of God, yet they were made capable of loving and serving man. The psalmist says, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: ... the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, ... and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:6-8.PP 45.2
Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is “the express image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God. His nature was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will.PP 45.3
As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of lofty stature and perfect symmetry. His countenance bore the ruddy tint of health and glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men who now inhabit the earth. Eve was somewhat less in stature; yet her form was noble, and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear. So long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to enshroud them.PP 46.1
After the creation of Adam every living creature was brought before him to receive its name; he saw that to each had been given a companion, but among them “there was not found an help meet for him.” Among all the creatures that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.PP 46.2
God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for him”—a helper corresponding to him—one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it.” Ephesians 5:29. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one.”PP 46.3
God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. “Marriage is honorable” (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.PP 46.4
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.” Everything that God had made was the perfection of beauty, and nothing seemed wanting that could contribute to the happiness of the holy pair; yet the Creator gave them still another token of His love, by preparing a garden especially for their home. In this garden were trees of every variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit. There were lovely vines, growing upright, yet presenting a most graceful appearance, with their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit of the richest and most varied hues. It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making for themselves a dwelling from living trees covered with foliage and fruit. There were fragrant flowers of every hue in rich profusion. In the midst of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit appeared like apples of gold and silver, and had the power to perpetuate life.PP 47.1
The creation was now complete. “The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Eden bloomed on earth. Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the fair creation. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.PP 47.2
The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.PP 47.3
After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God’s great work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.PP 48.1
In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority. Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.PP 48.2
God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power and goodness. He needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator.PP 48.3
God designs that the Sabbath shall direct the minds of men to the contemplation of His created works. Nature speaks to their senses, declaring that there is a living God, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Psalm 19:1, 2. The beauty that clothes the earth is a token of God’s love. We may behold it in the everlasting hills, in the lofty trees, in the opening buds and the delicate flowers. All speak to us of God. The Sabbath, ever pointing to Him who made them all, bids men open the great book of nature and trace therein the wisdom, the power, and the love of the Creator.PP 48.4
Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the very beginning of man’s existence a check was placed upon the desire for self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan’s fall. The tree of knowledge, which stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our parents. While permitted to eat freely of every other tree, they were forbidden to taste of this, on pain of death. They were also to be exposed to the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial, they would finally be placed beyond his power, to enjoy perpetual favor with God.PP 49.1
God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition of his very existence. He was a subject of the divine government, and there can be no government without law. God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan in dealing with the inhabitants of other worlds. It would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.PP 49.2
God made man upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no bias toward evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers, and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition he was to have access to the tree of life.PP 49.3
The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works. If men would give less attention to the artificial, and would cultivate greater simplicity, they would come far nearer to answering the purpose of God in their creation. Pride and ambition are never satisfied, but those who are truly wise will find substantial and elevating pleasure in the sources of enjoyment that God has placed within the reach of all.PP 50.1
To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden, “to dress it and to keep it.” Their occupation was not wearisome, but pleasant and invigorating. God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence. And when, as a result of his disobedience, he was driven from his beautiful home, and forced to struggle with a stubborn soil to gain his daily bread, that very labor, although widely different from his pleasant occupation in the garden, was a safeguard against temptation and a source of happiness. Those who regard work as a curse, attended though it be with weariness and pain, are cherishing an error. The rich often look down with contempt upon the working classes, but this is wholly at variance with God’s purpose in creating man. What are the possessions of even the most wealthy in comparison with the heritage given to the lordly Adam? Yet Adam was not to be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for man’s happiness, appointed Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by the working men and women. The angels are diligent workers; they are the ministers of God to the children of men. The Creator has prepared no place for the stagnating practice of indolence.PP 50.2
While they remained true to God, Adam and his companion were to bear rule over the earth. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing. The lion and the lamb sported peacefully around them or lay down together at their feet. The happy birds flitted about them without fear; and as their glad songs ascended to the praise of their Creator, Adam and Eve united with them in thanksgiving to the Father and the Son.PP 50.3
The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. They were full of the vigor imparted by the tree of life, and their intellectual power was but little less than that of the angels. The mysteries of the visible universe—“the wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16)—afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men’s study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God’s glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, “the balancings of the clouds,” the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night—all were open to the study of our first parents. On every leaf of the forest or stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky, God’s name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke to them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever discovering some attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love and called forth fresh expressions of gratitude.PP 51.1
So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would continually increase. They would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable, unfailing love of God.From Eternity Past
Chapter 2—Creation: God’s Answer to Evolution
EP 16.1
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth... . For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9.EP 16.2
As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. The fruitful soil everywhere produced a luxuriant growth of verdure. There were no loathsome swamps nor barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The air was clear and healthful. The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace.EP 16.3
After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator was brought upon the stage of action. “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over ... all the earth.” “So God created man in His own image: ... male and female created He them.”EP 16.4
Here is clearly set forth the origin of the human race. God created man in His own image. There is no ground for the supposition that man evolved by slow degrees from lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Inspiration traces the origin of our race, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was “the son of God.” Luke 3:38.EP 16.5
The lower orders of being cannot understand the sovereignty of God, yet they were made capable of loving and serving man. “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, ... the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air.” Psalm 8:6-8.EP 17.1
Christ alone is “the express image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father, but man was formed in the likeness of God. His nature was in harmony with the will of God, his mind capable of comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God, and in perfect obedience to His will.EP 17.2
As man came forth from the hand of his Creator, his countenance glowed with the light of life and joy. Adam’s height was much greater than that of men now living. Eve was somewhat less in stature, yet her form was noble and full of beauty. The sinless pair wore no artificial garments: they were clothed with a covering of glory such as the angels wear.EP 18.1
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.” In this garden were trees of every variety, many of them laden with delicious fruit. There were lovely vines, growing upright, their branches drooping under their load of tempting fruit. It was the work of Adam and Eve to train the branches of the vine to form bowers, thus making for themselves a dwelling from living trees covered with foliage and fruit. In the midst of the garden stood the tree of life, surpassing in glory all other trees. Its fruit had the power to perpetuate life.EP 18.3
In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author; and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness.EP 18.4
After resting on the seventh day, God set it apart as a day of rest. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day that he might reflect upon God’s work of creation, that his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.EP 18.5
The Sabbath was committed to the whole human family, its observance to be a grateful acknowledgment that God was their creator and rightful sovereign. They were the work of His hands, the subjects of His authority.EP 19.1
God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests for one day of the seven. He needed a Sabbath to remind him of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed came from the hand of the Creator.EP 19.2
God designs that the Sabbath shall direct the minds of men to His created works. The beauty that clothes the earth is a token of God’s love. The everlasting hills, the lofty trees, the opening buds and delicate flowers, all speak to us of God. The Sabbath, pointing to Him who made them all, bids men open the book of nature and trace therein the wisdom, power, and love of the Creator.EP 19.3
Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents with liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. But before they could be eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the beginning of man’s existence a check was placed upon self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan’s fall. The tree of knowledge was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first parents. They were forbidden to taste of this, on pain of death. They were to be exposed to the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial, they would be placed beyond his power, to enjoy perpetual favor with God.EP 19.4
God placed man under law, a subject of the divine government. God might have created man without the power to transgress; He might have withheld Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would have been forced. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan, unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.EP 20.1
God made man upright, with no bias toward evil. He presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true. Obedience was the condition of eternal happiness and access to the tree of life.EP 20.2
The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. Men in their pride delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands, but God placed Adam in a garden. This was a lesson for all time—true happiness is found not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works. Pride and ambition are never satisfied, but those who are truly wise will find pleasure in the enjoyment God has placed within the reach of all.EP 20.3
To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care of the garden, “to dress it and to keep it.” God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy existence. Those who regard work as a curse, attended though it be with weariness and pain, are cherishing an error. The rich often look down upon the working classes, but this is at variance with God’s purpose in creating man. Adam was not to be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for man’s happiness, appointed Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by working men and women. The Creator has prepared no place for stagnating indolence.EP 20.4
The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God, but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels and were granted communion with their Maker with no obscuring veil between. They were full of vigor imparted by the tree of life, their intellectual power but little less than that of the angels. The laws of nature were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan among the waters to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. On every leaf of the forest, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky, God’s name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke of infinite wisdom and power.EP 21.1
So long as they remained loyal to the divine law they would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer conceptions of the immeasurable unfailing love of God.From Eternity Past
The First Marriage
EP 17.3
After the creation of Adam, “God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God gave Adam a companion, “an help meet for him,” one who was fitted to be his companion, and who would be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam. She was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, loved and protected by him. She was his second self, showing the close union that should exist in this relation. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it.” “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one.” Ephesians 5:29; Genesis 2:24.EP 17.4
“Marriage is honorable.” Hebrews 13:4. It is one of the two institutions that, after the fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race and elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.EP 18.2
“The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” “And God saw everything He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” No taint of sin or shadow of death marred the fair creation. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)
Lt 47, 1886
4LtMs, Lt 47, 1886, par. 13
The counsels are of God, and His Word was not given in a few days on a high-pressure plan. It took a long space of time to bring out the Bible history. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, a chapter was written, a psalm was composed, a proverb penned, a vision from God recorded, and so down through the ages the will and purposes of God were brought out. About fifteen hundred years were occupied from the time Moses began to write the book of Genesis down to the completion of the Revelation by the beloved John. God would not have us so excitable, in such a hurry; and yet there are some who need to be taught diligence.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)
Lt 47a, 1886
4LtMs, Lt 47a, 1886, par. 14
The Lord would not have us be so excitable, in such a hurry. The counsels of God in His Word were not given in a few days, on the high-pressure plan. It took a long period of time to bring out the Bible history. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, a chapter was written, a psalm composed, a proverb penned, a vision recorded, and so down through the ages the will and purposes of God were brought out. About fifteen hundred years passed from the time Moses began to write the book of Genesis, down to the completion of the Revelation by the beloved John.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 5 (1887-1888)
Ms 16, 1888
5LtMs, Ms 16, 1888, par. 13
Men should let God take care of His own Book, His living Oracles, as He has done for ages. They begin to question some parts of revelation and pick flaws in the apparent inconsistencies of this statement and that statement. Beginning at Genesis, they give up that which they deem questionable, and their minds lead on, for Satan will lead to any length they may follow in their criticism and they see something to doubt in the whole Scriptures. Their faculties of criticism become sharpened by exercise, and they can rest on nothing with a certainty. You try to reason with these men, but your time is lost. They will exercise their power of ridicule even upon the Bible. They even become mockers, and they would be astonished if you put it to them in that light.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)
Ms 40, 1894
9LtMs, Ms 40, 1894, par. 17
From Genesis to Revelation the conditions upon which eternal life is promised are made plain. God requires that those who shall enter heaven shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. “Keep My commandments and live” is the requirement of God. [Proverbs 4:4.] But one says, “My conscience does not condemn me in not keeping the commandments of God.” But in the Word of God we read that there are good and bad consciences, and the fact that your conscience does not condemn you in not keeping the law of God does not prove that you are uncondemned in His sight. Take your conscience to the Word of God, and see if your life and character are in accordance with the standard of righteousness which God has revealed in His Word. You can then determine whether or not you have an intelligent faith, and what manner of conscience is yours.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)
Lt 67, 1895
10LtMs, Lt 67, 1895, par. 14
Christ came in the form of humanity to live the law of God. He was the Word of life. He came to be the gospel of salvation to the world, and to fulfill every specification of the law. Jesus is the Word, the guidebook, which must be received and obeyed in every particular. How necessary that this mine of truth be explored, and the precious treasures of truth be discovered and secured as rich jewels. The incarnation of Christ, His divinity, His atonement, His wonderful life in heaven as our Advocate, the office of the Holy Spirit—all those living, vital themes of Christianity are revealed from Genesis to Revelation. The golden links of truth form a chain of evangelical truth, and the first and staple link is found in the great teachings of Christ Jesus. Why, then, should not the Scriptures be ennobled and exalted in every school in our land? How little children are educated to study the Bible as the Word of God, and feed upon its truths, which are the flesh and blood of the Son of God! “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood” (that is, continue to receive the words of Christ, and practice them) “hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” [John 6:53-56.] “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” [1 John 3:24.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 75, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 75, 1897, par. 1
Those who accept Christ will follow on to know the Lord. This acceptance means conversion through the Holy Spirit’s power and efficiency. The working of the Holy Spirit upon the human agent brings to him a conviction of sin, makes him susceptible to truth, [and] enables him to discern and make earnest application of it to his own heart. This power preserves him from falling under temptation, and imparts to him wisdom in winning souls to Christ. And every true believer who will follow on to know the Lord will have this power working in him. He will discern in Christ not only the Alpha of Genesis, but the Omega of Revelation. He will learn by personal experience that Christ is the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star, and that it is through His church, His people in their unity, that He is to shine in undimmed luster to the world. He beholds himself as the work of Christ. Having the mind of Christ, he walks in His footsteps, and his good works and love for others testify to the world that He is Christ, that God has sent His Son to impart His Spirit to His people, and that they may represent Christ in their love for one another.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 52, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 52, 1897, par. 2
After His crucifixion and resurrection, thousands would be led to open the Scriptures with an intense desire to study the prophecies, from Genesis to Revelation. And they would see with anointed eyes the predictions in the prophetic Roll of the advent of a divine Teacher. In Christ crucified they would see the very work done which the prophecies declared He would do to proclaim the gospel, the Word of life to a world that was shadowed and corrupted by transgression and sin. And the words of Christ would be gathered up; the New Testament would declare to them a work which would thrill the world.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 33, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 33, 1897, par. 30
When the students of prophecy shall set their hearts to know the truths of Revelation, they will realize what an importance is attached to this search. Christ Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Genesis of the Old Testament, and the Revelation of the New. Both meet together in Christ. Adam and God are reconciled by the obedience of the second Adam, who accomplished the work of overcoming the temptations of Satan and redeeming Adam’s disgraceful failure and fall. The two Adams will meet in Paradise and embrace each other, while the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, and all who have refused the opportunities and privileges given to them at such an infinite cost, and have not returned to their loyalty, will be shut out of Paradise.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 21, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 21, 1897, par. 29
Here we have the Alpha of Genesis and the Omega of Revelation. The blessing is promised to all those who keep the commandments of God, and who co-operate with Him in the proclamation of the third angel’s message. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star.” [Revelation 22:16.] That which Christ has spoken in the Old Testament is for all the world. What He has said in reference is His commandments is not Yea and Nay, but Yea and Amen.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 69, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 69, 1897, par. 15
Our youth must have well-conducted schools, where they can gain an all-round education. From Genesis to Revelation the gospel shines forth with no uncertain light. From the time when God talked with Adam and Eve in Eden, giving them heavenly instruction, the light has continued to shine down through the ages. Christ appeared to His servant John, and gave him a revelation of the closing events of this earth’s history.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Lt 98a, 1897
12LtMs, Lt 98a, 1897, par. 49
All who join the ranks of Sabbathkeepers should become diligent Bible students, that they may know the pillars and ground work of the truth. They should study prophetic history, which has brought us down point by point to where we are at the present time. This is God’s plan for our school. Young men should attend who desire to become educated for any line of work, who have capabilities and see the necessity of learning more and still more where we stand today in prophetic history, uniting link after link in the prophetic chain, even from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is the Alpha, the first link, and the Omega, the last link, of the gospel chain, which is welded in Revelation. These young men will not have fixed habits of wrong, or defects in disposition and character that will make them inflexible.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)
Ms 54, 1898
13LtMs, Ms 54, 1898, par. 8
Perfection of character is required by God, and this is kept before us in His Word from Genesis to Revelation. “When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” [Genesis 17:1.] To Israel God said, “I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy for I am holy. ... For I am the Lord your God that bringeth you out of the land of Egypt, to by your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” “And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.” [Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)
Ms 117, 1898
13LtMs, Ms 117, 1898, par. 12
The uneducated heathen then learns his lessons through nature, and through his own necessities; and, dissatisfied with darkness, he is reaching out for light, searching for God in the first great cause. There is recorded in Genesis various ways in which God speaks to the heathen. But the contrast between the revelation of God in Genesis and the ideas of the heathen is striking. Pagan philosophers, many of them, had a knowledge of God which was pure, but degeneracy, the worship of created things, began to obscure this knowledge. The handiwork of God in the natural world, the sun, the moon, the stars, were worshipped.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 12, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 12, 1899, par. 2
The Word of God is to be the great lesson book in all our schools. From Genesis to Revelation it is full of instruction in practical godliness.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 85, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 85, 1899, par. 12
The history of the world from the beginning is contained in Genesis. There it is revealed that all nations who forget God and discard His way and His sign of obedience, which distinguishes between the just and the unjust, the righteous and the wicked, the saved and the unsaved, will be destroyed. The first books of the Bible, which trace down the history of nations, including the destruction of the old world, show the overruling providence of God, which from generation to generation has provided for the education of a chosen people. The plainly written Word in regard to the just and the unjust is a living testimony in regard to those whom the Lord will sanctify. None who live in disobedience can receive His blessing. Only those who are obedient can receive this.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 153, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 153, 1899, par. 32
We cannot know God and Jesus Christ until we search the Scriptures, beginning with Genesis. In this Word we find out why it was necessary for Christ to leave His high command in heaven, to separate Himself from the angelic family, laying off His royal robe and kingly crown, and clothe His divinity with humanity. For our sake He became poor, that by His poverty He might make many rich, securing for them eternal riches. That He might work in our behalf, He came to live among fallen humanity, in a world marred by sin and misery.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)
Ms 68, 1900
15LtMs, Ms 68, 1900, par. 15
The whole gospel from Genesis to Revelation is the means appointed and specified of God through which to reveal His will to the people, and it is to be appreciated, respected, and heeded.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 110, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 110, 1901, par. 6
While they were talking thus of their crucified and buried Lord, “Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” [Luke 24:15-17.] “Have ye not heard,” they answered, “that the prophet mighty in deed and word has been taken and crucified by cruel hands, and is now buried?” Beginning at Genesis, the Stranger told them what had been prophesied from the first concerning Jesus. While He was comforting their hearts, they came to the house where they lived, and invited their Companion to come in. He acted as though He were going further, but they constrained Him to tarry with them.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 70, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 70, 1901, par. 9
The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Saviour’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Ms 170, 1904
19LtMs, Ms 170, 1904, par. 19
I have not been able to sleep since 12 o’clock, but I have a message from the Lord to bear to our people. Present to the people everywhere at this time the perpetuity of the law of Jehovah. Present to them that the only foundation for Sunday observance has its origin not in the Word of God, but in the papal authority. Now let all consider that the time has come to reason from cause to effect. We must, as ministers of the Word, delay not to impress the people more decidedly in defining our authority for keeping the original Sabbath of Jehovah. Please read the word in Genesis.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)
Ms 17, 1906
21LtMs, Ms 17, 1906, par. 4
In the second chapter of Genesis, we read, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Verses 1-3.]21LtMs, Ms 17, 1906, par. 27
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:1-3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)
Ms 67, 1907
22LtMs, Ms 67, 1907, par. 17
The message of the gospel, from Genesis to Revelation, is God’s appointed means through which to reveal His will to men. It is to be appreciated, respected, and carefully studied. In a humble, prayerful spirit, Scripture is to be compared with Scripture. In the fourth chapter of Ephesians, the plan of God is so plainly and simply revealed, that all His children may lay hold upon the truth. Here the means which He has appointed to keep unity in His church, that its members may reveal to the world a healthy religious experience, is plainly declared. Those who conform their lives to obedience to the commandments of God, and are united in the faith of the Scriptures; those who are bound together as one in Christ Jesus, their lives hid with Christ in God, will practice the golden rule, doing to others as they would have others do to them. They will bear a living, abiding testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, and their testimony will have a powerful influence with the unbelieving world. These souls appreciate the great gift of God to our world; their course in life testifies that Christ has not died for them in vain. They make use of the provision made by heaven at infinite cost to draw souls to obedience to the law of God. Co-operating with the great Master Worker, they become laborers together with God. They become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Their consistent Christian lives magnify the law of God and make it honorable before the gainsaying world. Their deportment in courtesy and unwavering fidelity, their justice and mercy demonstrate to the world that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)
Lt 382, 1908
23LtMs, Lt 382, 1908, par. 6
This equal taxation of the mental and physical powers was part of the Lord’s plan in the beginning. I ask you to read the first and second chapters of Genesis. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He rested from all His work which God created and made.23LtMs, Lt 382, 1908, par. 8
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ... And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it, and to keep it.” [Genesis 2:1-9, 15.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)
Ms 69, 1912
25LtMs, Ms 69, 1912, par. 42
The Old Testament, containing the prophecies of the coming of Christ, is now made of small account. The cry now is, “The Christ, the Christ! The gospel, the gospel!” But the gospel is taught all the way through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The gospel is revealed in all the prophecies of the first advent of Christ as the Saviour of men. Every act of the old dispensation to turn men away from sin or to bring them forgiveness was done with reference to the Saviour who was to come. He was the steppingstone by which man was to be exalted.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)
Ms 131, 1907
22LtMs, Ms 131, 1907, par. 3
(Genesis 2:1-3): “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”22LtMs, Ms 131, 1907, par. 13
I have read from the record in the second of Genesis and the twentieth of Exodus. Now I will read from the thirty-first chapter of Exodus: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” [Verses 1-3.]Genesis 2:2
To Be Like Jesus
God’s People to Keep the Sabbath, May 1
BLJ 132.1
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:2, NKJV.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Ms 110, 1904
19LtMs, Ms 110, 1904, par. 25
In this age of the world God is gathering out from all nations a people who will obey His commandments. Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” [Titus 2:14.] Obedience to the Sabbath commandment is one of the principal features of our peculiarity. We keep the seventh-day Sabbath—the Sabbath of the Bible—the day that in Eden God set apart as holy time. After finishing the creation of the world in six days, He “rested on the seventh day from all His work.” [Genesis 2:2.] This is the day He has bidden us keep. Will we be true to Him? Come what may, to try our faith, will we choose to remain loyal to the Sabbath commandment? We shall be tested on this very point—and much sooner, perhaps, than many realize.Genesis 2:2-3
My Life Today
Enjoy God’s Created Works, May 16
ML 140.1
On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Genesis 2:2, 3.The Faith I Live By
Instituted at Creation, January 25
FLB 31.1
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:2, 3.The Faith I Live By
Tampering With the Commandments, March 16
FLB 81.4
Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment ... and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” 63The Great Controversy, 52.The Great Controversy
Chapter 3—An Era of Spiritual Darkness
GC 52.1
The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that His law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts. But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.The Great Controversy (1888 ed.)
Chapter 3—The Apostasy
GC88 52.1
The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified, [Genesis 2:2, 3.] and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that his law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts. But with great subtlety, Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.From Here to Forever
How the Sabbath was “Changed”
HF 34.1
Unconsecrated leaders of the church tampered with the fourth commandment also, to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3) and in its stead exalted the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians, but Satan worked to bring about his object. Sunday was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it, yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.Homeward Bound
Satan’s Attack on the Sabbath, June 26
HB 199.2
The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and essayed [tried] to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable day of the sun.” This change was not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that His law is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts. But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)
Ms 77, 1900
15LtMs, Ms 77, 1900, par. 1
“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work.” [Genesis 1:31; 2:2, 3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)
Ms 8, 1902
17LtMs, Ms 8, 1902, par. 1
After the Lord had finished His work of creation, “He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” [Genesis 2:2, 3.] The moral law was given to Adam and Eve in Eden and through them to all their posterity. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden and is a sign of creation by the observance of which all mankind may signify their acknowledgment of God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.Genesis 2:3
Manuscript Releases, vol. 8 [Nos. 526-663]
MR No. 558—The Law
8MR 99.2
Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by obeying all His precepts, including the one relating to the observance of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, the day that He blessed and sanctified, “because that in it He had rested from all His work.” (Genesis 2:3.)Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 63, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 63, 1897, par. 4
The Lord brought the children of Israel to Mount Sinai, and there He spoke the ten commandments, and enjoined upon His people the observance of the Sabbath. To Adam and Eve in Eden the Lord gave the use of every tree in the garden save one. So the Lord has given to men six days in which they are to engage in common business; but He has put His sanctity upon the seventh day, declaring it to be holy. That day is to be sacredly observed as a memorial of creation. “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work.” [Genesis 2:3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Lt 11, 1897
12LtMs, Lt 11, 1897, par. 5
The Lord would have His people a separate and peculiar people, bearing the sign and seal of the Sabbath, in preserving the memorial, the seventh day, upon which the Lord rested after His work of creation. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:3.] He gave the Sabbath to man as a day of rest, when His people might assemble to worship Him and come in close relationship with God. All heaven is interested in the worship of God’s people.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)
Ms 60, 1898
13LtMs, Ms 60, 1898, par. 3
My Guide turned to Brethren Miller and Woods, and asked them, Has this business transaction increased your interest in the institution appointed by God to do a special work by giving to the world the last message of mercy, and keeping the memorial of the true and living God uplifted, proclaiming the binding claims of the law of God, and publishing to a fallen world that in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, and all things that are therein, and rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, “because that in it he had rested from all his work”? [Genesis 2:3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 204, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 204, 1899, par. 2
After their work of creation, the Father and the Son rested. When the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, and God had ended his work which he had made, he rested on the seventh day. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested.” [Genesis 2:3.] The death of Christ was designed to be at the very time when it took place. It was in God’s plan that the work which Christ had engaged to do should be completed on the sixth day of the week, and that on the Sabbath he should rest, even as the Father and the Son had rested after completing the work of creation.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 122, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 122, 1901, par. 6
Those only, who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by obeying all His precepts, including the one relating to the observance of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, the day that He blessed and sanctified, “because that in it He had rested from all His work.” [Genesis 2:3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)
Ms 12, 1904
19LtMs, Ms 12, 1904, par. 28
God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work.” [Genesis 2:3.] The Lord gave the seventh day to man as a day of rest and worship. It is His memorial of creation, bearing witness to the power of the everlasting God, who in six days created the heavens and the earth.Manuscript Releases, vol. 21 [Nos. 1501-1598]
MR No. 1506—Stay Away From Political Strife; The Fruit of True Conversion
21MR 20.3
The Lord would have His people a separate and peculiar people, bearing the sign and seal of the Sabbath, in preserving the memorial, the seventh day, upon which the Lord rested after His work of creation. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made” [Genesis 2:3]. He gave the Sabbath to man as a day of rest, when His people might assemble to worship Him and come in close relationship with God. All heaven is interested in the worship of God’s people.The Desire of Ages
Chapter 29—The Sabbath
DA 281.2
Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,”—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and His love. The Scripture says, “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.” “The things that are made,” declare “the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world,” “even His everlasting power and divinity.” Genesis 2:3; Psalm 111:4; Romans 1:20, R. V.To Be Like Jesus
A Day Pointing to God’s Power and Love, May 3
BLJ 134.1
Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:3, NKJV.From Heaven With Love
Chapter 29—Jesus Rescues the Sabbath
HLv 185.2
Because He had rested on the Sabbath, “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:3)—set it apart to a holy use. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and love.Homeward Bound
The Sabbath Created by Christ, June 15
HB 188.3
Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it”—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and His love. The Scripture says, “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.” “The things that are made,” declare “the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world,” “even His everlasting power and divinity.” (Genesis 2:3; Psalm 111:4; Romans 1:20, R.V.)Homeward Bound
An Expression of Thanks, June 19
HB 192.1
Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.—Genesis 2:3.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)
Lt 38, 1894
9LtMs, Lt 38, 1894, par. 8
The man of sin has thought to change times and laws but has he done it? This is the great issue. Rome and all the churches that have drunk of her cup of iniquity, in thinking to change times and laws have exalted themselves above God, and torn down God’s great memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath. The Sabbath was to stand representing God’s power in His creation of the world in six days and resting upon the seventh day. “Wherefore God blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it, because that in it he had rested from all his works which God created and made.” [Genesis 2:3.] The object of the masterly working of the great deceiver has been to supersede God. In his efforts to change times and laws, he has been working to maintain a power in opposition to God and above Him.Genesis 2:4
Christian Education
Chapter 24—The Literal Week
CE 191.1
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” [Psalm 33:6, 9.] The Bible recognizes no long ages in which the earth was evolved from chaos. Of each successive day of creation, the sacred record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed. At the close of each day is given the result of the Creator’s work. The statement is made at the close of the first week’s record, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.” [Genesis 2:4.] But this does not convey the idea that the days of creation were other than literal days. Each day was called a generation, because that in it God generated, or produced, some new portion of his work.Patriarchs and Prophets
Chapter 9—The Literal Week
PP 112.1
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. The Bible recognizes no long ages in which the earth was slowly evolved from chaos. Of each successive day of creation, the sacred record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed. At the close of each day is given the result of the Creator’s work. The statement is made at the close of the first week’s record, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.” Genesis 2:4. But this does not convey the idea that the days of creation were other than literal days. Each day was called a generation, because that in it God generated, or produced, some new portion of His work.Homeward Bound
Faith in Inspired History, June 21
HB 194.1
This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.—Genesis 2:4.Genesis 2:7
Manuscript Releases, vol. 7 [Nos. 419-525]
MR No. 515—Counsels Regarding Medical Work
7MR 373.2
This living God is worthy of our thought, our praise, our adoration, as the Creator of the world, as the Creator of man. We are to praise God, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our substance was not hid from Him when we were made in secret. His eyes saw our substance, yet being imperfect, and in His book all our members were written when as yet there was none of them. He breathed into our nostrils the breath of life. The inspiration of God has given us understanding. (See Psalm 139:14-16; Genesis 2:7; Job 32:8)....Genesis 2:7-24
Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)
Ms 16, 1899
14LtMs, Ms 16, 1899, par. 4
“And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ... And the Lord said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. ... And the Lord God 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 the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” [Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-24.]Genesis 2:8
Lift Him Up
The Creator Planned for Our Happiness, February 4
LHU 49.1
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8.The Faith I Live By
The Eden Home, September 1
FLB 250.1
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8.Genesis 2:8-9
Reflecting Christ
The Glorious Tree of Life, May 1
RC 135.1
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden.... And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8, 9.Genesis 2:8-15
Conflict and Courage
Eden, January 6
CC 12.1
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15.CC 12.2
Although everything God had made was in the perfection of beauty, and there seemed nothing wanting upon the earth which God had created to make Adam and Eve happy, yet He manifested His great love to them by planting a garden especially for them. A portion of their time was to be occupied in the happy employment of dressing the garden, and a portion in receiving the visits of angels, listening to their instruction, and in happy meditation. Their labor was not wearisome but pleasant and invigorating. This beautiful garden was to be their home.CC 12.3
In this garden the Lord placed trees of every variety for usefulness and beauty. There were trees laden with luxuriant fruit, of rich fragrance, beautiful to the eye, and pleasant to the taste, designed of God to be food for the holy pair. There were the lovely vines which grew upright, laden with their burden of fruit, unlike anything man has seen since the fall. The fruit was very large and of different colors; some nearly black, some purple, red, pink, and light green. This beautiful and luxuriant growth of fruit upon the branches of the vine was called grapes. They did not trail upon the ground, although not supported by trellises, but the weight of the fruit bowed them down. It was the happy labor of Adam and Eve to form beautiful bowers from the branches of the vine and train them, forming dwellings of nature’s beautiful, living trees and foliage, laden with fragrant fruit.8Ibid., 21, 22.CC 12.4
It was the design of God that man should find happiness in the employment of tending the things He had created, and that his wants should be met with the fruits of the trees of the garden....CC 12.5
Had happiness consisted in doing nothing, man, in his state of holy innocence, would have been left unemployed. But He who created man knew what would be for his happiness; and no sooner had He created him than He gave him his appointed work. The promise of future glory, and the decree that man must toil for his daily bread, came from the same throne.9The Adventist Home, 27.My Life Today
Outdoor Activity, May 12
ML 136.1
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.... And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:8-15.Education
Chapter 2—The Eden School
Ed 20.3
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.” Genesis 2:8, 9. Here, amidst the beautiful scenes of nature untouched by sin, our first parents were to receive their education.Ed 21.2
To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden, “to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15. Though rich in all that the Owner of the universe could supply, they were not to be idle. Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing, to strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the character.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)
Lt 10, 1909
24LtMs, Lt 10, 1909, par. 4
Where students are blessed with an opportunity to combine mental and moral training with the training of their physical being, the Lord’s plan, as instituted in Eden, may be carried out. In Genesis we read: “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ... And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” [Genesis 2:8, 9, 15.]Genesis 2:9
Lift Him Up
Jesus Adored by Adam and Eve, January 6
LHU 20.1
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree. Genesis 2:9.Radiant Religion
God Provides Food, March 23
RRe 84.1
Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:9.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)
Lt 48, 1902
17LtMs, Lt 48, 1902, par. 20
In the beginning, fruit was pronounced by God as “good for food.” [Genesis 2:9.] The permission to eat flesh meat was a consequence of the fall. Not till after the flood was man given permission to eat the flesh of animals. Why then need we eat flesh meat? Few who eat this know how full it is of disease. Flesh meat never was the best food, and now it is cursed by disease.Genesis 2:9-17
Education
Chapter 3—The Knowledge of Good and Evil
Ed 23.2
In the Garden of Eden was the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.... And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat.” Genesis 2:9-17. It was the will of God that Adam and Eve should not know evil. The knowledge of good had been freely given them; but the knowledge of evil,—of sin and its results, of wearing toil, of anxious care, of disappointment and grief, of pain and death,—this was in love withheld.Genesis 2:15
The Faith I Live By
Blessing in Physical Activity, August 14
FLB 232.1
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15.The Ministry of Healing
Chapter 19—In Contact With Nature
MH 261.3
Adam and Eve, in their untainted purity, delighted in the sights and sounds of Eden. God appointed them their work in the garden, “to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15. Each day’s labor brought them health and gladness, and the happy pair greeted with joy the visits of their Creator, as in the cool of the day He walked and talked with them. Daily God taught them His lessons.To Be Like Jesus
Work Given as a Source of Happiness, August 4
BLJ 230.1
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15, NKJV.To Be Like Jesus
An Exhaustless Source of Instruction and Delight, August 28
BLJ 254.2
To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden, “to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Though rich in all that the Owner of the universe could supply, they were not to be idle. Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing, to strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the character.Homeward Bound
The Beginning of the Home, September 1
HB 270.1
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.—Genesis 2:15.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)
Ms 99, 1907
22LtMs, Ms 99, 1907, par. 4
When the Lord placed our first parents in the garden of Eden, it was with the injunction that they “dress it and keep it.” [Genesis 2:15.] God had finished His work of creation and had pronounced all things very good. Everything was adapted to the end for which it was made. While Adam and Eve obeyed God, their labors in the garden were a pleasure; the earth yielded of its abundance for their wants. But when man departed from his obedience to God, he was doomed to wrestle with the seeds of Satan’s sowing and to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. Henceforth he must battle in toil and hardship against the power to which he had yielded his will.Genesis 2:15-17
The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts: Volume 1
Practical Application
1EGWLM 39.2
Furthermore, there are also symbols of religious loyalty that have to be respected even when there is no evident reason for their selection. An example is the command to refrain from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:15-17), when there was apparently nothing dangerous about the fruit itself (cf. Gen. 3:6). These few examples illustrate the basic principle that divine commandments take precedence over, and even define, how principles are applied.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)
Ms 102, 1903
18LtMs, Ms 102, 1903, par. 38
The Lord created man out of the dust of the earth. He made Adam a partaker of His life, His nature. There was breathed into him the breath of the Almighty, and he became a living soul. Adam was perfect in form—strong, comely, pure, bearing the image of his Maker. God gave him a companion, a wife, to share with him the beauties of nature. In order for this holy pair to continue to be happy, God gave them something to do. The fact that they were holy did not debar them from working. God is never idle. To every one of the angelic host is given an appointed task. Adam and Eve were given the garden of Eden to care for. They were “to dress it and to keep it.” [Genesis 2:15.] They were happy in their work. Mind, heart, and will acted in perfect harmony. In their labor they found no weariness, no toil. Their hours were filled with useful work and communion with each other. Their occupation was pleasant. God and Christ visited them and talked with them. They were given perfect freedom. Only one restriction was placed on them. “Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat,” God said; “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Verses 16, 17.]Genesis 2:16-17
Conflict and Courage
A Chance to Choose, January 7
CC 13.1
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:17.CC 13.2
Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing.... They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the very beginning of man’s existence a check was placed upon the desire for self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan’s fall. The tree of knowledge, which stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first parents. While permitted to eat freely of every other tree, they were forbidden to taste of this, on pain of death. They were also to be exposed to the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial, they would finally be placed beyond his power, to enjoy perpetual favor with God....CC 13.3
God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character.... It would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.CC 13.4
God made man upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no bias toward evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers, and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition he was to have access to the tree of life....CC 13.5
So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would continually increase. They would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable, unfailing love of God.10Patriarchs and Prophets, 48-51.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)
Ms 61b, 1895
10LtMs, Ms 61b, 1895, par. 33
There is not a man, woman, or child in our world who is granted the right to be independent of all authority, or even to be indifferent. The Lord God of heaven alone is independent. Adam and Eve were the head of all humanity, yet they were not independent. The Lord gave them all Eden to be their farm, their vineyard, to tend and to keep it. The Lord was their Educator in regard to its management. Their position was one of holy dependence. One prohibition was made in showing the sovereignty of their Creator and His authority. One tree was reserved as a test. In this single fruit tree, which was forbidden for the holy pair to eat, was the lesson to Adam and Eve of their dependence upon God. This reserved fruit was the symbol of their dependence. “Thou shalt not eat of this forbidden tree, lest ye die.” Whenever they looked at that tree, they were reminded of God’s authority. “Of all the fruit of the trees of the garden ye may freely eat.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.] But of the fruit of the forbidden tree they should not eat lest they die. The smallness of the test made the sin more inexcusable. They had no need to eat of that tree at all. The sorrow and woe and death was brought into the world because of the sin of disobeying a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” They could not see, under the presentation of Satan, why they could not eat of that tree as well as of all the fruit of the other trees. But this was a test of their acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God. All sin is the transgression of the will of God and man substituting his own will as if independent of a higher claim. None of God’s commandments are grievous to human beings. [No one] suffers in obeying them. Christ, from the pillowy cloud said, It is your life to obey.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 11 (1896)
Ms 37, 1896
11LtMs, Ms 37, 1896, par. 2
It is a solemn thing to be entrusted with talents. It is a wonderful responsibility. I have some very decided statements to make to all who claim to follow the Lord, to be faithful and obedient to His Word. The Word of the Lord has come to me upon the subject of systematic benevolence. The tithing question is a matter that is so plainly stated in God’s Word that not one living soul needs to misunderstand it. The Lord has given men talents to use to His name’s glory; but He makes one reserve. To Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden He said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.] Here was the test that was to prove the loyalty of Adam and Eve. But they did the very thing the Lord had forbidden, and as a result the floodgates of woe were opened to our world.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 16, 1897
12LtMs, Ms 16, 1897, par. 23
There are many beliefs that the mind has no right to entertain. Adam believed the lie of Satan, the wily insinuations against the character of God. “And the Lord commanded man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.] When Satan tempted Eve, he said, “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,” (this God did not say) “lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” [Genesis 3:1-5.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)
Lt 79, 1900
15LtMs, Lt 79, 1900, par. 7
God created Adam and Eve, and placed them in charge of the garden of Eden, where everything was beautiful to look upon and the fruit pleasant to the taste. He said to them, “Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.] They were forbidden to taste of the fruit of this tree. This seems a small thing, but it was a test of their obedience and of their trust and confidence in God. God told them that if they did eat of it, death would be the result. Their happiness depended on their obedience.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 31, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 31, 1901, par. 4
This present life is our time of test and trial. God placed Adam and Eve in the beautiful garden of Eden, saying to them, “Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat.” But there was one prohibition. “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.] God wished to test and try the beings He had made, to see if they would be loyal and true to Him.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 97, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 97, 1901, par. 4
There is no excuse for Adam’s transgression. All his wants were generously supplied. He had need of nothing more. Only one prohibition was laid upon him. God said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:16, 17.]Manuscript Releases, vol. 10 [Nos. 771-850]
MR No. 832—Training for Heaven
10MR 327.1
Adam and Eve were given the garden of Eden to care for. They were “to dress it and to keep it.” They were happy in their work. Mind, heart, and will acted in perfect harmony. In their labor they found no weariness, no toil. Their hours were filled with useful work and communion with each other. Their occupation was pleasant. God and Christ visited them and talked with them. They were given perfect freedom. Only one restriction was placed on them. “Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat,” God said, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17).Selected Messages Book 1
Chapter 26—The Perfect Law
1SM 214.1
There are many beliefs that the mind has no right to entertain. Adam believed the lie of Satan, the wily insinuations against the character of God. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). When Satan tempted Eve, he said, “Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1-5).Sermons and Talks, vol. 1
The Christian Life
1SAT 318.4
This present life is our time of test and trial. God placed Adam and Eve in the beautiful garden of Eden, saying to them, “Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat.” But there was one prohibition. “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). God wished to test and try the beings He had made, to see if they would be loyal and true to Him.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)
Ms 16, 1893
8LtMs, Ms 16, 1893, par. 1
1 John 3:1-3. Here John has a view of the measureless love of an infinite God. John cannot find language to express it, and he calls upon [the] world to behold it. There were types and shadows that prefigured Christ in the Old Testament. Those who had been with Christ through His ministry recorded His works in the New Testament. For three years and a half the disciples were learning lessons from the lips of Christ, the greatest Teacher the world ever knew. We have it from their lips, and we believe it. Christ had come to our world. What brought Him here? Adam and Eve had transgressed the law of God in Eden. Genesis 2:16, 17.Genesis 2:17
Christ Triumphant
Labor Necessary Even in Eden, January 14
CTr 20.1
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. Genesis 2:17.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)
Ms 14, 1894
9LtMs, Ms 14, 1894, par. 3
We are to unite together to bring God’s light into the world, every one adding his jot or tittle in Christ’s lines. This is the order of Christ. “Ye are the branches of the vine.” [See John 15:5.] You are bearing fruit, then, and it is the fruit of righteousness. But you do not bear thorns. You do not come here to the school to see how much you can follow your own inclinations; you do not come here to have your own way and see how near you can come to the border of disorder and lawlessness, and yet maintain your position in the school. You cannot do this way. You may think, “Because I have done so and so, they have dealt with me very severely, and I only considered it a little thing.” I refer you to Adam and Eve in Eden. God said, “Ye shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil lest ye die.” [Genesis 2:17.] But Eve was flattered by the enemy and ventured to take of the fruit of the tree and eat, and gave to her husband. She showed that she felt as though she was indeed a representative of Satan. She presents it to her husband and he did eat.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)
Ms 94, 1901
16LtMs, Ms 94, 1901, par. 11
There is a right way and a wrong way of conducting business. Often the hard way is the right way, and the easy way the most confusing. God grant that those connected with His sacred work shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of evil because it appears desirable. The Lord declares, Thou shalt not eat of it, lest thou die. [Genesis 2:17; 3:3.]Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)
Ms 1, 1902
17LtMs, Ms 1, 1902, par. 6
Adam and Eve were placed on trial and failed. God’s command was, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:17.] Satan deceived Eve, and she disobeyed God. The holy pair, not resisting temptation, were brought under Satan’s jurisdiction. The enemy gained supremacy over the human race, bringing in death, the penalty of disobedience.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)
Ms 99, 1903
18LtMs, Ms 99, 1903, par. 13
“The wages of sin is death.” [Romans 6:23.] To Adam before his fall the Lord said, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:17.] “If you transgress My law, death will surely be your punishment.” By disobeying God’s command, he forfeited his life.Manuscript Releases, vol. 8 [Nos. 526-663]
MR No. 546—Christ, the Second Adam
8MR 38.3
“The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23.) To Adam before his fall the Lord said, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17.) “If you transgress My law, death will surely be your punishment.” By disobeying God’s command, he forfeited his life.Patriarchs and Prophets
Chapter 3—The Temptation and Fall
PP 60.2
The warning given to our first parents—“In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17)—did not imply that they were to die on the very day when they partook of the forbidden fruit. But on that day the irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was promised them on condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life. That very day they would be doomed to death.Selected Messages Book 1
Chapter 39—First Temptation of Christ
1SM 277.1
Although Christ was suffering the keenest pangs of hunger, He withstood the temptations. He repulsed Satan with scripture, the same He had given Moses in the wilderness to repeat to rebellious Israel when their diet was restricted, and they were clamoring for flesh meats, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In this declaration, and also by His example, Christ would show man that hunger for temporal food was not the greatest calamity that could befall him. Satan flattered our first parents that eating of the fruit of the tree of life [The tree here referred to is obviously the tree of knowledge and not the tree of life. The phrase “of life” is patently a printer’s error. It is not found in the first appearance of this article, in The Signs of the Times, July 9, 1874, nor in the reprint in pamphlet form, titled Redemption; or the Temptation of Christ in The Wilderness, 42.—Compilers.] of which God had forbidden them would bring to them great good, and would ensure them against death, the very opposite of the truth which God had declared to them. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). If Adam had been obedient, he would never have known want, sorrow, or death.Selected Messages Book 3
Real Meaning of the Incarnation
3SM 141.3
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). To Adam before his fall the Lord said, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). “If you transgress my law, death will surely be your punishment.” By disobeying God’s command, he forfeited his life.That I May Know Him
A Sad Day for the Universe, January 8
TMK 14.4
Adam and Eve were permitted to partake of every tree in the Garden save one. There was only a single prohibition. The forbidden tree was as attractive and lovely as any of the trees in the Garden. It was called the tree of knowledge, because in partaking of that tree, of which God had said, “Thou shalt not eat of it,” (Genesis 2:17) they would have a knowledge of sin, an experience in disobedience.16The Review and Herald, February 24, 1874.From the Heart
The Chance to Choose, May 8
FH 140.1
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17.Homeward Bound
On Probation, June 5
HB 178.1
Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.—Genesis 2:17.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 5 (1887-1888)
Ms 18, 1887
5LtMs, Ms 18, 1887, par. 3
Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God in Eden. They fell from their high estate and were driven out from beautiful Eden. Everything that their wants required had been provided for them, and there was only one prohibition laid upon them. The Lord said, “Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” [Genesis 2:17.] Many have tried to prove that there was some peculiar quality in the tree which called for this prohibition; but this was not the case. The fruit of the tree of knowledge was not in itself injurious. It was used merely as a test of their obedience to God. Will they be obedient to God’s requirements, or not? We find that Satan came then, just as he comes today, with temptations upon the point of appetite. Eve was told that there was nothing bad in the tree, that its fruit was of such a character as would give increased knowledge. Does not Satan come to us in just that way? Does he not present attractions and try to make us believe that if we will pursue a certain course, contrary to the law of God, something will be gained by it? But after they had yielded to the temptations of Satan, Adam and Eve found that they had met with terrible loss. And so will every one in our world who yields to the temptations of the enemy to indulge appetite find that it is a fearful loss to them.Genesis 2:18
In Heavenly Places
The Bonds of Wedlock, July 15
HP 203.1
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18.Manuscript Releases, vol. 10 [Nos. 771-850]
MR No. 814—Marriage and the Christian Home
10MR 184.1
True Marriage Not a Lottery—I wish to present before you some things existing in yourself that have been at the foundation of the sorrow and disappointment which you unjustly charge upon others. I have often read these words: “Marriage is a lottery.” Some act as if they believed the statement, and their married life testifies that it is such to them. But true marriage is not a lottery. Marriage was instituted in Eden. After the creation of Adam, the Lord said, “It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet [suitable] for him” (Genesis 2:18). When the Lord presented Eve to Adam, angels of God were witnesses to the ceremony. But there are few couples who are completely united when the marriage ceremony is performed. The form of words spoken over the two who take the marriage vow, does not make them a unit. In their future life is to be the blending of the two in wedlock. It may be made a real happy union, if each will give to the other true, heart affection.Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1
Chapter 18—Security in the Home
1MCP 161.2
Man a Social Being—Among all the creatures that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And “God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship, the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 46 (1890).The Faith I Live By
The First Marriage, September 2
FLB 251.1
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)
Lt 76, 1894
9LtMs, Lt 76, 1894, par. 1
I wish to present before you some things existing in yourself that have been at the foundation of the sorrow and disappointment which you unjustly charge upon others. I have often read these words: “Marriage is a lottery.” Some act as if they believed the statement, and their married life testifies that it is such to them. But true marriage is not a lottery. Marriage was instituted <in Eden.> After the creation of Adam, the Lord said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet” suitable “for him.” [Genesis 2:18.] When the Lord presented Eve to Adam, angels of God were witnesses to the ceremony. But there are few couples who are completely united when the marriage ceremony is performed. The form of words spoken over the two who take the marriage vow, does not make them a unit. In their future life is to be the blending of the two in wedlock. It may be made a real happy union, if each will give to the other true heart affection.Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)
Ms 176, 1903
18LtMs, Ms 176, 1903, par. 1
I cannot sleep after one o’clock. My heart is drawn out after God. I long for His Holy Spirit. I cannot do anything of myself. My heart longs after God and there are many souls longing after God, but of His fulness we may all receive. I am perplexed that there are so many families who are not walking and working in the light of the Word of God. The Lord honored the family relation. He said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” and He gave Eve to be his wife and companion. [Genesis 2:18.]Genesis 2:18-25
Conflict and Courage
Someone to Share, January 8
CC 14.1
It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18.CC 14.2
After the creation of Adam every living creature was brought before him to receive its name; he saw that to each had been given a companion, but among them “there was not found an help meet for him.” Among all the creatures that God had made on the earth, there was not one equal to man. And God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Man was not made to dwell in solitude; he was to be a social being. Without companionship the beautiful scenes and delightful employments of Eden would have failed to yield perfect happiness. Even communion with angels could not have satisfied his desire for sympathy and companionship. There was none of the same nature to love and to be loved.CC 14.3
God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for him”—a helper corresponding to him—one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self; showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it” (Ephesians 5:29). “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one” (Genesis 2:24).CC 14.4
God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. “Marriage is honorable” (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.11Ibid., 46.Genesis 2:22-24
Reflecting Christ
Eden, the First Home, June 1
RC 166.1
The Lord God ... made ... a woman, and brought her unto the man.... Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:22-24.Genesis 2:24
In Heavenly Places
Counsel to a Bride and Groom, July 16
HP 204.1
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24.Letters to Young Lovers
A Foretaste of Heaven
LYL 12.1
As the Creator joined the hands of the holy pair [Adam and Eve] in wedlock, saying, A man shall “leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one” (Genesis 2:24), He enunciated for all the children of Adam.Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce
Chapter 10—Grounds for Divorce
TSB 79.3
When the Pharisees afterward questioned Him concerning the lawfulness of divorce, Jesus pointed His hearers back to the marriage institution as ordained at creation. “Because of the hardness of your hearts,” He said, Moses “suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). He referred them to the blessed days of Eden, when God pronounced all things “very good.” Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity. Then, as the Creator joined the hands of the holy pair in wedlock, saying, A man shall “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one” (Genesis 2:24), He enunciated the law of marriage for all the children of Adam to the close of time. That which the Eternal Father Himself had pronounced good was the law of highest blessing and development for man.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 63.The Faith I Live By
Blending of Two Lives, September 3
FLB 252.1
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24.Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing
“Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?”—Matthew 19:3.
MB 63.2
When the Pharisees afterward questioned Him concerning the lawfulness of divorce, Jesus pointed His hearers back to the marriage institution as ordained at creation. “Because of the hardness of your hearts,” He said, Moses “suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” Matthew 19:8. He referred them to the blessed days of Eden, when God pronounced all things “very good.” Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity. Then, as the Creator joined the hands of the holy pair in wedlock, saying, A man shall “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one” (Genesis 2:24), He enunciated the law of marriage for all the children of Adam to the close of time. That which the Eternal Father Himself had pronounced good was the law of highest blessing and development for man.Homeward Bound
The Family Circle, September 3
HB 272.1
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.—Genesis 2:24.EGW Writings — Ellen G. White. Ellen G. White Estate · all rights reserved
Genesis 2:1
Maranatha
The Sabbath in the Hereafter, December 29
Mar 371.2
In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after Their work of creation. When “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1), the Creator and all heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.... When there shall be a “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph’s tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as “from one sabbath to another” (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb.83The Desire of Ages, 769, 770.The Desire of Ages
Chapter 80—In Joseph’s Tomb
DA 769.2
In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after Their work of creation. When “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1), the Creator and all heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7. Now Jesus rested from the work of redemption; and though there was grief among those who loved Him on earth, yet there was joy in heaven. Glorious to the eyes of heavenly beings was the promise of the future. A restored creation, a redeemed race, that having conquered sin could never fall,—this, the result to flow from Christ’s completed work, God and angels saw. With this scene the day upon which Jesus rested is forever linked. For “His work is perfect;” and “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever.” Deuteronomy 32:4; Ecclesiastes 3:14. When there shall be a “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph’s tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as “from one Sabbath to another” (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb.To Be Like Jesus
Sabbath Rest and Joy in Eternity, May 31
BLJ 162.3
In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested upon the Sabbath after Their work of creation. When “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1), the Creator and all heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).From Heaven With Love
Chapter 80—Jesus Rests in Joseph’s Tomb
HLv 512.2
In the beginning the Father and the Son had rested on the Sabbath after their work of creation. See Genesis 2:1. All heavenly beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene. Now Jesus rested from the work of redemption; and though there was grief among those who loved Him on earth, there was joy in heaven. God and angels saw a redeemed race that, having conquered sin, could never fall—this, the result to flow from Christ’s completed work.