Your Story Hour

Guest (Female): Hey sis, dad, mom, come on. Your Story Hour's on.

Announcer: Presenting Your Story Hour, building for a better tomorrow. Today's story.

Eve: What a beautiful, delicious looking fruit. I wonder why God forbade us to eat it. Oh well, God knows best and if he said we shouldn't...

Satan: Did God forbid you to eat this fruit?

Eve: Yes. Who's speaking to me?

Satan: A friend.

Eve: I don't see anyone. Where are you?

Satan: Up here, Eve, high up in the tree.

Eve: I still don't see anyone.

Satan: Don't you see a serpent?

Eve: Yes, but serpents can't talk.

Satan: Oh, but you're mistaken, Eve. I'm a serpent and I am talking. Oh, but tell me, did you really say that God forbids you to eat the fruit of this tree?

Eve: Yes.

Satan: But why?

Eve: If we eat this fruit, we will die.

Satan: God told you that?

Eve: Yes.

Satan: Oh my dear Eve, you're beautiful but you're not very wise. Do you want to know the real reason God doesn't want you to eat this fruit? He doesn't want you to be as wise as he is. If you eat this fruit, Eve, you'll become as wise as God himself.

Eve: I don't believe you.

Satan: I speak the truth, Eve. Here, take some of the fruit. Go on, eat some.

Eve: A little bite won't hurt, will it?

Satan: Of course not.

Eve: All right then, just a tiny bite.

Satan: That's the spirit, Eve, that's the way. Doesn't it taste good, Eve?

Aunt Carole: Hi boys and girls, moms and dads, everyone. This is Aunt Carole.

Uncle Jon: And I'm Uncle Jon. Welcome one and all. We're so glad you joined us for a very special program.

Aunt Carole: In fact, it's the very first story in the entire Bible.

Uncle Jon: We call it "Adam and Eve".

Guest (Male): This story took place a long, long time ago at the very beginning of the world. Holy Scripture says, in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth and all that in them is. On the first day of creation, God created light. On the second day, he caused the waters to be separated.

Then he created the trees and carpeted the earth with grass and beautiful flowers and all the living green things. Finally, God created the living creatures, the fish, birds, and all the animals. Lastly, God created man whom he named Adam and placed him in a beautiful garden home called Eden.

Adam: Hello?

Guest (Male): Hello. You are Adam.

Adam: Adam?

Guest (Male): Yes, Adam, a son of God created in his likeness.

Adam: God? Who is God?

Guest (Male): He is the creator of the universe. He created everything, even you.

Adam: I'd like to see him. Where is he?

Guest (Male): His abode is in heaven.

Adam: Heaven? Where is that?

Guest (Male): Heaven is the center of the universe, the center of all things.

Adam: God must be wonderful to have created all these beautiful things.

Guest (Male): He is the personification of love and compassion, power, justice, kindness, all that is good.

Adam: But why did he create me?

Guest (Male): You are to have dominion over the earth. Rule the animals, the birds and fishes, control the elements. You are the prince of this world.

Adam: I am? Oh, I'd like to see some of the animals, elements, and the earth over which I am to rule. May I?

Guest (Male): Look around you, Adam.

Adam: Beautiful. Beautiful.

Guest (Male): Here is one of the animals God created.

Adam: Oh, what a pretty little creature. May I pick him up in my arms?

Guest (Male): You are the prince of this world. You may do as you wish.

Adam: Come to me, little fellow. My, but you're soft and warm. And what a fluffy little tail you have. What is his name?

Guest (Male): He has no name. God wishes you to name the animals.

Adam: Wonderful. Wonderful. I'm going to name this little fellow a rabbit.

Guest (Male): And this, Adam, is the very center of the garden.

Adam: Magnificent. And what a beautiful pool of water, crystal clear.

Guest (Male): From this pool flow the four rivers that water the garden.

Adam: And that tree? How grand and majestic.

Guest (Male): That is the tree of life. Its fruit imparts life.

Adam: May I eat some of the fruit?

Guest (Male): You may eat of every fruit in the garden except one, that tree over there. It is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You may not eat of it.

Adam: It isn't good for food?

Guest (Male): God forbids you to eat it. If you do, you will die.

Adam: Well, God is my creator. I will gladly obey him in all things. I will not eat that fruit.

Guest (Male): There, Adam, you have seen all the garden.

Adam: Hello there, little fellow. You're a friendly little creature. I wish you could talk.

Guest (Male): In one sense, animals do talk, Adam.

Adam: They do?

Guest (Male): If you study them carefully, their habits and ways, you will discover that you can understand them. This animal, for instance, see if you can understand him.

Adam: All right. First, though, I'll name him. Let's see. Dog. Yes, yes, dog. That's just the right name for you.

All right now, doggy, let's talk. How would you like to come along as we look around some more? Would you like it if we didn't take you along? You wouldn't, huh? Well, I can see you're going to be very close to men, perhaps man's best animal friend. Well, come along then and we'll name the rest of the animals.

Adam: I notice that there are two of each animal.

Guest (Male): Two of every kind, Adam.

Adam: Is there a reason for it?

Guest (Male): Yes, Adam. The two are male and female, created thus by God as companions to each other and to replenish the earth.

Adam: Well, there aren't two of me.

Guest (Male): I know, Adam.

Adam: Why?

Guest (Male): God hasn't seen fit, Adam, and he knows best.

Adam: Oh, what do we have here? A fluffy furry little animal.

Guest (Male): You like this little animal, do you? Well, very well then, we'll take him along with us too and I'll name him cat.

Guest (Male): Adam was busy and happy there in his garden home with his pets and animals. But God saw that he would be happier still with a human companion. So God caused Adam to sleep. Then he performed an operation, removing one of Adam's ribs. From that rib, God made a woman.

Eve: Hello.

Adam: Oh, you startled me.

Eve: I didn't mean to.

Adam: You're not one of God's angels?

Eve: No.

Adam: Who are you?

Eve: I am Eve. I am your companion, Adam.

Adam: My companion? Where did you come from? Heaven?

Eve: God created me from one of your ribs.

Adam: He did? Why, you are beautiful.

Eve: Everything God created is beautiful. The grass, trees, this garden, everything.

Adam: God created it all for me. I mean, for us. It is our home. Everything here is for our special benefit and delight, for our happiness.

Eve: And I'm sure we'll be happy here, Adam. Oh look, Adam. This beautiful thing. What is it?

Adam: That, Eve, is a flower. A rose. Would you like to pick it?

Eve: May I?

Adam: Of course. God created all the flowers for us, for our pleasure. Pick all you wish. They'll never wither or die.

Eve: Wither? Die? What do those words mean, Adam?

Adam: Well, I don't quite understand myself, Eve. God told me that things would wither and die only if we sinned against God.

Eve: Sin? And what is that?

Adam: Sin is merely another word for disobedience to God's wishes, his laws.

Eve: Why would anyone want to disobey God?

Adam: I'm sure I don't know. God is our creator. He certainly knows what's best for us. To disobey him would be folly.

Eve: Yes, Adam. There's certainly no question but that we will obey him, is there?

Adam: We will obey God, always.

Eve: Adam, I have a strange feeling in my stomach.

Adam: You're probably hungry.

Eve: Hungry?

Adam: Yes, you need to eat. I'll pick some fruit for you.

Eve: I would like some of that fruit, Adam.

Adam: No, no, Eve.

Eve: Oh please, Adam. It looks so delicious.

Adam: It probably is, but we can't eat it.

Eve: Why not?

Adam: It is the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God has forbidden us to eat of it.

Eve: Oh, then we'll not eat of it. God knows best and if he told us not to eat it, we won't.

Adam: You make me very happy, Eve.

Eve: I'm happy too, Adam.

Guest (Male): And so began life for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. One day, while Adam was pruning some vines, Eve, contrary to God's warning, wandered away from Adam's sight. Before she realized it, she was in the very center of the garden, looking up at the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Eve: Oh, what beautiful delicious looking fruit. I wonder why God forbade us to eat it. Oh well, God knows best and if he said we shouldn't...

Satan: Excuse me. Did God forbid you to eat this fruit?

Eve: Yes. Who's speaking to me?

Satan: A friend.

Eve: I don't see anyone. Where are you?

Satan: Up here, high up in the tree.

Eve: I still don't see anyone.

Satan: Don't you see a serpent?

Eve: Yes, but serpents can't talk.

Satan: Oh, but you're mistaken, Eve. I'm a serpent and I'm talking. Oh, but Eve, tell me, did God really forbid you to eat the fruit of this tree?

Eve: Yes.

Satan: Oh why?

Eve: If we eat that fruit, we'll die.

Satan: God told you that?

Eve: Yes.

Satan: Oh my dear Eve, you're beautiful but you're not very wise. Do you want to know the real reason God doesn't want you to eat this fruit?

Eve: He doesn't want us to die. Well then, why did God tell us not to eat it?

Satan: Because he doesn't want you to be as wise as he is. If you eat this fruit, Eve, you'll become as wise as God himself.

Aunt Nikki: The nerve of that serpent. He actually insinuated that God lied, that he wanted to hold back something that was good for Eve.

Uncle Jon: But God always tells the truth. It's Satan, that old serpent. He's the liar.

Aunt Nikki: Well, we're not lying when we say that membership in our Adventures in the Holy Bible Club is fun. The adventures are a set of stories and quizzes written for everyone nine years old or older. The stories are exciting, the quizzes are easy and fun to do, and they're free, our gift to you.

Uncle Jon: But there's more. Each time you send back your completed quizzes, we'll send you a free CD from our Life of Jesus album.

Aunt Nikki: So visit our website at yourstoryhour.org, click on adventures, and join the fun and learn the truth. That's at yourstoryhour.org. Now it's time to get back to our story, "Adam and Eve".

Guest (Male): During the first five days of creation, God made the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. On the sixth day, he created Adam, then Eve, and placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. One day, Eve, unmindful of God's warning, wandered from Adam's side. Soon she found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Eve: Oh, what beautiful delicious looking fruit. I wonder why God forbade us to eat it. Oh well, God knows best and if he said...

Satan: Did God forbid you to eat this fruit?

Eve: Yes. Who's speaking to me?

Satan: Oh my dear Eve, you're beautiful but you're not very wise. Do you want to know the real reason God doesn't want you to eat this fruit?

Eve: He doesn't want us to die. Well then, why did God tell us not to eat it?

Satan: Because he doesn't want you to be as wise as he is. If you eat this fruit, Eve, you'll become as wise as God himself.

Eve: I don't believe you.

Satan: I speak the truth and I can prove it. Well, look at me. I'm a serpent and yet you're amazed that I can talk. Do you know why I can talk?

Eve: No.

Satan: Because I ate this fruit.

Eve: You ate this?

Satan: And if it will do all this for me, a serpent, Eve, why just think what it will do for you, a human being.

Eve: But God said if we even touch the fruit, we'll die.

Satan: Oh nonsense, Eve. You won't die. You'll become wise, as wise as God himself.

Eve: I don't believe you.

Satan: I speak the truth, Eve. Here, take some of the fruit. See? You're touching it now and you're not dead.

Eve: I'm not, am I?

Satan: Now eat some. Eat just a little bit and you won't die either. Go on, eat some.

Eve: A little bite won't hurt, will it?

Satan: Of course not.

Eve: All right then, just a tiny bite.

Satan: That's the spirit, Eve, that's the way. Doesn't it taste good, Eve?

Eve: Yes, it tastes very good.

Satan: See? I told you it would. Now go on, eat another bite. A bigger one this time. That's it. Now eat all of it. Eat it all.

Eve: Yes, I will. This is good fruit.

Satan: And why don't you take some to Adam and get him to eat it too?

Eve: I will. Yes, I will. We'll both become God.

Satan: Now see there, Eve, see how wise you are already. And free, like God himself. From now on, Eve, don't let anyone, not even God, tell you what to do or what not to do. Eat what you want to eat and do what you want to do. You're wise now and you can rule your own life.

Eve: Oh, serpent, I'm so happy. I'm going to take some of this fruit to Adam. Oh, but please don't leave. I want Adam to come back and meet you.

Satan: Oh, don't worry, Eve. Adam will meet me many times.

Eve: Adam, Adam.

Adam: Yes, Eve, I was wondering where... why, Eve, what's the matter? You look excited, almost frightened.

Eve: I am excited, Adam. I just had the most thrilling experience. I talked to a serpent.

Adam: You what?

Eve: I talked to a serpent, a snake.

Adam: A rather one-sided conversation, I'd say.

Eve: No, no, the serpent talked too.

Adam: The serpent carried on a conversation?

Eve: Isn't it wonderful, Adam?

Adam: Eve, what have you done? Tell me exactly what happened.

Eve: Well, I was standing there under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when all at once...

Adam: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Eve, what have you done?

Eve: Talked to a serpent. He was up in the tree and I...

Adam: Eve, he must be the enemy God warned us about.

Eve: He's our friend, Adam. He said so.

Adam: Eve, did you eat the forbidden fruit? Eve?

Eve: What?

Adam: Did you eat the forbidden fruit?

Eve: Yes, yes I did.

Adam: No, no Eve, you didn't. You couldn't.

Eve: I did. And I'm not dead either. I'm not going to die. The serpent said I wouldn't.

Adam: He is the enemy God warned us about.

Eve: Nonsense. Here, Adam, I brought some of the fruit for you. Eat it and together we'll become God.

Adam: No, no Eve, I can't eat it. We'd die. We'd both die.

Eve: I've already eaten it, haven't I? And I'm not dead. Oh, please, Adam.

Adam: No.

Eve: If you love me, you'll eat it.

Adam: I do love you, Eve. I love you very much, but I cannot disobey God.

Eve: You love God more than you do me.

Adam: Oh Eve, don't be ridiculous. I...

Eve: Ridiculous? You don't love me or you wouldn't talk to me like that, Adam.

Adam: Eve, oh, all right. Give me the fruit. I'll eat it. Together we'll die.

Eve: Together we'll become Gods, Adam.

Adam: Together we will die. Mmm, it tastes good. It's very good.

Eve: I told you.

Adam: Maybe you're right. Maybe this fruit will make us like Gods.

Eve: Oh Adam, isn't it wonderful?

Adam: No, no it can't be true. Oh Eve, we have sinned and God will punish us.

Eve: Don't be absurd, Adam.

Adam: Eve, God's presence has already left us. Feel the air. Why, it's becoming chilly, cold.

Eve: Oh Adam, Adam, I'm afraid. Look, even the robe of light has left us. Oh, Adam, what do we do?

Adam: I don't know, Eve. You should have thought about that before you ate the fruit.

Eve: Are you blaming me for this?

Adam: I'm blaming no one.

Eve: It's your fault. You let me go near that tree.

Adam: I let you go?

Eve: Yes, you sneaked away when I wasn't looking.

Adam: I did not.

Eve: You did.

Adam: I did not.

Eve: You did.

Adam: You did, and furthermore, if you had any sense, you wouldn't have been fooled by a serpent.

Eve: So now I don't have any sense.

Adam: That's right.

Eve: Don't you dare yell at me, Adam.

Adam: Who's yelling?

Eve: You are.

Adam: I am not.

Eve: And you're mean to me.

Adam: I am mean to you? Ha. I wish I were dead.

Eve: Dead? Well I...

Adam: Oh Eve, see what sin has already done to us. We're quarreling and fighting.

Satan: Yes, you are quarreling, aren't you?

Eve: It's the serpent, Adam.

Satan: Yes, it's I, Eve.

Adam: Get out. You have no right in this garden.

Satan: I have every right, Adam. I'm the prince of this world and I intend...

Adam: I am the prince of this world.

Satan: Oh, you were, Adam. You were. But when you yielded to me by eating the forbidden fruit, you yielded to my superiority. You lost dominion of this earth and I took over. Now you will do as I say.

Adam: Leave this garden at once. You are God's enemy, our enemy.

Satan: Enemy of God, yes. You see, God and I had a war in heaven once, Adam. He won that war, but I'll win the next one, the one here on earth, the one that started when you ate the fruit. And someday, someday I shall rule from God's throne, master of the universe. Yes, yes, I'm God's enemy.

Adam: Leave this garden. I command you to leave.

Satan: I command and you obey.

Adam: In the name of God, I command you to leave.

Satan: No, no don't say that. Don't use that name around me. I don't like it. I can't stand it.

Adam: In the name of God, leave this garden at once.

Satan: All right. All right, Adam. I'll leave. But I'll be back, plenty of time.

Eve: Adam, Adam, I'm afraid.

Adam: We have need to be afraid, Eve. But let's always remember, if we call on God, we can overcome the adversary just as we now overcame.

Eve: Look at these flowers, Adam. They're not pretty like they were.

Adam: They've withered and died.

Eve: Will this death happen to us?

Adam: The penalty of sin is death.

Guest (Male): Soon after this, Adam and Eve were told that they would have to move from the garden.

Adam: Move from the garden? But we can't move. This is our home.

Guest (Male): You have sinned. As sinners, you have no right to this perfect paradise home.

Eve: But I don't want to leave.

Adam: Does the Lord still love us, even though we have sinned?

Guest (Male): The Lord still loves you and always will.

Eve: Then why is he making us leave our home? That doesn't sound like love to me.

Adam: Eve, Eve, forgive her for the way she is acting. She is wrought up and sad, doesn't realize what she is saying.

Guest (Male): All heaven is sad. But there is no other way. You must leave the garden.

Eve: Will we wither and die like the flowers?

Guest (Male): The wages of sin is death. The moment you sinned, that very moment, you began to die. To grow old. You started on the downhill path to death in the grave.

Adam: Is there no hope for us? No salvation?

Guest (Male): Yes, Adam, there is hope. God will someday send his only begotten son to save you from your sins and redeem the lost world.

Adam: When will this be?

Guest (Male): The exact time is unimportant. Until the Savior does come, you and Adam will go outside the garden and start a new home. Invite God to be its ruler and you will have a happy home.

Adam: We will do as you say.

Eve: How is the Savior to come into the world?

Guest (Male): He will be born as a babe.

Eve: Will I be his mother?

Guest (Male): I cannot reveal that to you, Eve.

Adam: Come, Eve. We must go outside the garden and start a new home, a happy, God-fearing home.

Eve: Yes, Adam.

Uncle Jon: Boys and girls, listen closely because what Aunt Carole and I are about to share is really important. Are you listening? Okay, here we go. Did you notice that even though God was sad because Adam and Eve disobeyed him, he didn't stomp or yell or throw lightning bolts at them?

Aunt Carole: Yet they were afraid and they hid from God. But God hadn't changed into a monster. He still loved them, but the effects of their sin had blinded their eyes to that truth. The change was in Adam and Eve.

You see, as soon as the serpent convinced Eve that she wouldn't die, that the fruit was good and would make her wise, her picture of God changed. So did Adam's. They doubted God's love and kindness and thought he was holding back something good that they should like to have.

God was sad over Adam and Eve's disobedience. He told them to stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for their own safety. He knew that Satan could get to them there and he knew that sin may taste good and even be fun at first, but it's deceitful and habit-forming.

Sin is a slow poison that causes separation from God, our source of life. It causes suffering and eventually death and God didn't want his children to experience such pain.

Uncle Jon: You might be thinking then, why didn't he just stop them from eating that fruit? Well, you see, God isn't a dictator. He'd given Adam and Eve the gift of free choice, the power to think and to do.

He didn't want to force Adam and Eve to obey him because the use of force creates resentment and rebellion and what God wanted was their love and trust. And you really can't force anyone to love and trust you.

That's right. It doesn't work to say, you'd better love me or I'll kill you. If you want love and trust, you have to prove that you're trustworthy and you have to give love first. That takes time and effort, and even then, there's no guarantee that those you love will respond the way you hope.

Aunt Carole: But God had a plan, one that would convince men and women that God truly loves them and has their best interests at heart. We read about that plan in the book of John, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17.

It says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Jesus, God's own son, came down to this earth as a baby. Jesus, our creator, the only one who could show us what God is like because he is God. By his life and death, he showed us a kind and loving Heavenly Father, not someone to hide from.

Remember Jesus said, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." Our Heavenly Father is just like Jesus, ever willing to forgive and heal.

Uncle Jon: By allowing sin and sinners to have control, Jesus showed us that sin changes people so much that they would even try to kill the very one who gives them life. Sin does cause death and Jesus died that death, the Bible calls it the second death for each one of us. And he proved for all eternity that Satan is a liar and his ways are the ways of suffering and death.

Aunt Carole: Boys and girls and all our grown-up friends, Jesus loves you so much. Won't you invite him to come into your life, not only as your Savior but as your best friend? You'll be so glad you did. He's listening right now, so won't you bow your head and pray with us?

Dear Jesus, thank you for coming down to earth to show me the Father's love. Thank you for showing me that sin does bring death and for dying for me. I'm sorry for my sins.

Please forgive me and heal me and teach me how to live for you. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit so that your love may shine through me to others. Thank you for loving me so much. Amen.

Uncle Jon: Amen. Now remember, stay close to Jesus. Pray and study your Bible each day and your relationship with him will grow stronger and stronger.

Aunt Carole: Goodbye for now and may God richly bless you till we meet again.

Uncle Jon: Bye everyone.

Announcer: This has been Your Story Hour, building for a better tomorrow.

Aunt Nikki: This is Aunt Nikki.

Aunt Carole: This is Aunt Carole.

Uncle Jon: And Uncle Jon saying...

Host(s): Goodbye everyone. See you again next time.