FIRST DISPENSATION | STUDY

1. Bible History 

a) In this panoramic Bible Story, we present the important events, and gradual development of Bible History, keeping in view, throughout, the spiritual purpose of divine revelation.

b) It exhibits a part at a time, by being unrolled before the viewer. An unobstructed or complete view in every direction; hence a comprehensive presentation to aid viewer with a better understanding of Bible History.

c) It follows the stream of the Bible narrative, so as to aid viewer in visualizing and grasping the great truths of Bible History.

2. The First Dispensation of Innocence

- From the Creation of Man to the Fall and Expulsion 

(Genesis 1 - 3)

a) Man was created in Innocency, placed in a perfect environment, a garden of God's own planting, called Eden, which means in Hebrew "a delight." There, not to live idly, but to "keep the garden.'' , exercising his body and mind, and his soul, in fellowship with his help-meet, Eve, in obeying, loving, and serving his Creator, and his God.

b) With God's blessing the first pair assumed their responsibility to "replenish the earth" with a new order, man. To subdue, and to have dominion over the animal creation, and to till and care for the garden paradise. As a recompense they were granted to eat freely of all the delicious fruit of every tree in the garden. Every tree with one exception, and God so designed this one exception to be the simple trial of their devotion and obedience. "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." Being subject to this reasonable and simple test, meant that perfect and perpetual obedience would assume Adam and his seed of perfect and perpetual happiness, paradise, and life immortal, for with access to the tree in the midst of the garden, we are told in Genesis 3:22, he might have lived forever. On the other hand, the penalty of disobedience God solemnly warned was death.

c) In studying the Word of God we are brought to the realization that evil already existed in the universe. There was already a company of fallen intelligences, of which Satan was the head, possessing that mysterious power, that we called "temptation", or trying to influence others to transgress God's will,  even as they transgressed while in their first estate. Assuming the form of a serpent, this fallen spirit contrived through Eve to bring about the ruin of man. Through the Devil's cunning Eve "took" of the forbidden fruit. Here we learn the early lesson that the power of the tempter is limited. Satan may tempt but he cannot force transgression. Eve "took", it was her own willful choice, and act. Adam following her example speedily shared her sin of disobedience, and its tragic consequences.

d) In the day wherein they disobeyed, as God had so solemnly warned, both physical and spiritual death became their heritage. The body became subject to temporal death, and the soul in like manner lost its communion with God, it died spiritually. And of this Adam gave immediate proof, showing by his behavior that spiritual communion and life was extinguished in his soul, so that he fled from the presence of the Lord, and endeavored to hide himself from the Lord God. God immediately passed sentence, beginning (where the sin began) with the serpent, followed by punishments ordained for the woman, for man, and for the ground for man's sake. God solemnly declared in the beginning that the wages of sin (disobedience) would be death. Death both temporal, spiritual and eternal. Not only the dissolution of the body, and separation of the soul from communion with God, but in the highest sense of the term this threatened penalty "death", in the scriptures, is the punishment of the soul in a future and eternal state, by a positive infliction of Divine wrath, and nothing but an intervention of mercy, great enough to satisfy the claims of justice, could save from this eternal punishment, which the scriptures speak of as "the second death." (Revelation 20:11-15).

e) God gave the race a token of such mercy in the darkness, by clothing the first guilty pair with coats of skin, a divinely provided, sacrificial covering, then "sent him forth from the garden", with its blessings and delight, and Cherubims and a flaming sword guarded the way of the tree of life. "Lest they should eat of it and live forever" (in their fallen state). For in God's mercy, the pronounced penalty was accompanied by a remarkable promise of a Savior, Who would redeem mankind from the curse of sin, and its eternal consequences. A promise of one "the seed of a woman", that should come to crush the serpent's head, and repair the ruins of man's tragic fall.

f) Thus the First Dispensation of Innocence ended with judgment. The Expulsion.