ORIGINAL:

            THE FIRST SACRIFICE

There is a light that shines brighter than the sun. There is a love so great it is full of light. And that love is God. And His light fills the whole world with itself and shines brighter than the sun.  

The gentle hand touched his face and Adam gazed into eyes that shone brighter than the sun. The eyes that bathed Adam in light at the same time drew him into deep pools of wonder. And in the shining of God’s presence Adam felt as though his heart would jump out of his chest. With every fiber of his being, Adam wanted to be with God. They both wanted to be with God, for Eve too yearned for God’s bright presence.

Because of His great love for Adam, God gave Adam the animal that had been in His own mind. And at night before his thoughts went flat, Adam thanked God for the animal curled softly by his side. Adam’s mind was filled with the animal. But God saw a hole in Adam’s heart so God gave Adam, Eve. And their thoughts were full of each other and they thanked God.
 
And God put Adam and Eve and the animal in the garden. There the sun was warm and gentle on their backs and the light of God’s love surrounded them. And it was good. In the cool of each day when God walked with Adam and Eve, the animal ran excitedly to be by God’s side. And when God spoke to them, rivers of crystal water rolled from His lips and drenched their souls and minds and their spirits leapt into the waters of His words.

God taught Adam and Eve about the trees in the garden. He told them which trees were good for food and which tree was not. One day, Adam and Eve saw something they had never seen before. They saw fruit on the tree God told them not to eat from.

    One day when, Adam and Eve were nowhere to be found, God saw the animal tied to the tree He had told them not to eat from. The whimpering animal stained to come to God. Gently as God knelt to untie the animal’s rope, He hugged it close to Himself, and as He kissed it, great tears streamed down His checks. The animal tried to lick the tears from the bright face, but the tears were too great. So, putting its head on its master’s lap, it whined softly for it sensed God’s pain.

God’s great sadness was in knowing what Adam and Eve had done. They had disobeyed Him. And because they had disobeyed, sorrow and pain came into the world. Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree that God, in his love for them, had warned them was dangerous. But the fruit from the tree looked delicious, so Adam and Eve decided to eat from it anyway.

After Adam and Eve ate it, the fruit made their hearts heavy and dark, and they became afraid. They tied the animal to the tree they were told not to eat from and hid themselves.

The whole world would be different now. Everything changed. God could no longer walk with Adam and Eve because they were different. God was too wonderful, too bright, and too pure and they were filled with the darkness of sin. God knew that darkness and light don’t mix. Dark is dark and light is light. But He still loved them and longed to be with them.

Adam and Eve tried to hide from God because they did not want God to see them naked - their sin exposed. They even tried to cover themselves with leaves so they would not be ashamed. But leaves would not cover their nakedness.


Adam and Eve needed a covering stronger than leaves. God could not send them out of the garden naked. God knew that the animal He loved must be sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. And so God with great, great sadness called the animal to himself and hugged it close. And with great tears falling on the animal, God took its life.


God knew Adam and Eve would remember the taste of the forbidden fruit and they would eat of it again. God knew that Adam’s children would eat of it, and his children’s children, and it would go on forever.


And so God had planned from before time, for an even greater and more precious sacrifice. When the time was right God sent His own son – the only sacrifice that could take away the sin of the world. And at the manger God held His precious baby boy with the animals snuggled close beside Him. And even though great tears rolled down His checks, God knew that this perfect sacrifice would once and for all cover our sin and join our hearts with His, in the light that shines brighter than the sun.

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FIRST NEW DRAFT

            THE FIRST SACRIFICE

Most of us have heard the story of creation, the seven days that God created the heaven and earth, but very few are told the particulars about what happened on the day that God created the animals. This is the story about the day. This is the story about the very first sacrifice.

Now of course God loved all animals the same, but 
there was a
special love for the very first animal that God created.
The animal was very young and fragile, it's legs
wobbling underneath, and it's eyes squinting in the sun, but as soon as the animal saw God, it wobbled up to God's , and licked his hand. God smiled down and laughed at the furry white creature who was full of innocence, and God reached out and pet the animals head. The animal nudged God then ran across the field and God followed, and they frolicked and played in the green grass until
God and the animal winded and thirsty They ran and drink out  of the clean, rushing rivers. Then the
animal and God would sit quietly side by side   
with an understood peace between them. And God
would rest his hand on the animals head and run his 
with the animal curled up sleeping beside him.

And then God created Adam, the first man, and
Because of His great love for Adam, God gave Adam the animal that had been his fiathful companion. God smiled at the the two walking the green grass side by side. And at night before Adam went to sleep, he thanked God for the animal curled softly by his side. Adam’s loved the animal was filled with the animal. But God saw a hole in Adam’s heart so God gave Adam, Eve. And their thoughts were full of each other and they thanked God.
 
And God put Adam and Eve and the animal in the garden. There the sun was warm and gentle on their backs and the light of God’s love surrounded them. And it was good. In the cool of each day when God walked with Adam and Eve, the animal ran excitedly to be by God’s side. And when God spoke to them, rivers of crystal water rolled from His lips and drenched their souls and minds and their spirits leapt into the waters of His words.

God taught Adam and Eve about the trees in the garden. He told them which trees were good for food and which tree was not. One day, Adam and Eve saw something they had never seen before. They saw fruit on the tree God told them not to eat from.

    One day when, Adam and Eve were nowhere to be found, God saw the animal tied to the tree He had told them not to eat from. The whimpering animal stained to come to God. Gently as God knelt to untie the animal’s rope, He hugged it close to Himself, and as He kissed it, great tears streamed down His checks. The animal tried to lick the tears from the bright face, but the tears were too great. So, putting its head on its master’s lap, it whined softly for it sensed God’s pain.

God’s great sadness was in knowing what Adam and Eve had done. They had disobeyed Him. And because they had disobeyed, sorrow and pain came into the world. Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree that God, in his love for them, had warned them was dangerous. But the fruit from the tree looked delicious, so Adam and Eve decided to eat from it anyway.

After Adam and Eve ate it, the fruit made their hearts heavy and dark, and they became afraid. They tied the animal to the tree they were told not to eat from and hid themselves.

The whole world would be different now. Everything changed. God could no longer walk with Adam and Eve because they were different. God was too wonderful, too bright, and too pure and they were filled with the darkness of sin. God knew that darkness and light don’t mix. Dark is dark and light is light. But He still loved them and longed to be with them.

Adam and Eve tried to hide from God because they did not want God to see them naked - their sin exposed. They even tried to cover themselves with leaves so they would not be ashamed. But leaves would not cover their nakedness.


Adam and Eve needed a covering stronger than leaves. God could not send them out of the garden naked. God knew that the animal He loved must be sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. And so God with great, great sadness called the animal to himself and hugged it close. And with great tears falling on the animal, God took its life.


God knew Adam and Eve would remember the taste of the forbidden fruit and they would eat of it again. God knew that Adam’s children would eat of it, and his children’s children, and it would go on forever.


And so God had planned from before time, for an even greater and more precious sacrifice. When the time was right God sent His own son – the only sacrifice that could take away the sin of the world. And at the manger God held His precious baby boy with the animals snuggled close beside Him. And even though great tears rolled down His checks, God knew that this perfect sacrifice would once and for all cover our sin and join our hearts with His, in the light that shines brighter than the sun.