[178]The most precious thing possessed by any creature is life, because without life everything else would be useless and could not be enjoyed. Even now we observe that a man with but a small spark of life clings to that with desperation. It is only when a creature is perfect and enjoying complete life and the right to it that he can properly glorify Jehovah, his great Creator. God's great arrangement must ultimately bring glory to his name.
[179]Jehovah created Adam the first man in his own image and likeness. He created him perfect; for all the works of Jehovah are perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) He gave to man life and the right to life. Life means any conscious existence. Right to life means the full authority to maintain existence. Adam and Eve in Eden were perfect in their bodies, without pain, without sorrow; and were beautiful creatures. They had not a scar nor a mark upon them anywhere. They enjoyed life and all the blessings incident to that life. Their home was perfect; and even all the animals and birds of Eden were subject to them, and they had absolute dominion and control. God gave them all these privileges to enjoy eternally, upon one expressed condition, namely, that they be obedient to his law and thereby honor him. He informed man that a violation of this law would bring upon him loss of life, loss of the right to life, loss of all the blessings incident to it.
[180]Satan induced mother Eve to believe that God was keeping back something from them and, therefore deceiving Eve, induced her to violate the law. There was no real wrong in the fruit which Eve ate. The wrong was in disobeying the Lord. When Adam found that she had violated God's law, knowing that she must die he preferred to be with her in death rather than to be separated from her; so he became a party to the transgression also by voluntarily and willingly violating the law of God. Jehovah in the exercise of his perfect justice, sentenced man to death. This sentence deprived Adam and Eve of the right to life. They were driven out of Eden and in due time they lost life itself. For 930 years they were compelled to go about in the earth and earn their bread by digging in the soil and partaking of such food as they produced, which was imperfect and poisonous. In this manner they were put to death.
[181]This sentence of death passed upon Adam had an indirect effect upon his offspring. Before he was driven from Eden he and Eve had not exercised the authority given to them by Jehovah to beget and bring forth children on the earth. This they did exercise after being driven from Eden. Being now under the sentence of death and undergoing that death penalty, it was impossible for their children, born under such conditions, to come into existence perfect. It would follow, then, that when the children were born, while they would have a measure of life and the rights incident to that measure of life (and these we call "life rights" as distinguished from right to live), they would have no right to life, because Adam having no right to life could not bring children into the world who would have greater right than he had.
[182]Any human being that is living possesses the right to food, air, light and certain privileges in society; and these are called life rights; that is to say, they are incident to animation, privileges belonging to creatures that live in any measure. The right to live, then, means a just right of existence which cannot be properly taken away.
[183]Because the parents possessed no right to life, every child born into the world from then until now has been born imperfect, unrighteous, a sinner, disapproved in God's sight, under condemnation, and therefore with no right to life. The life that any of us has lived has been merely by permission; and all who have died have died justly; for nothing but a perfect creature is entitled to life. For this reason the Prophet wrote: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me". (Psalm 51:5) St. Paul writing under inspiration, expressed the same thing, saying: "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned".—Romans 5:12.
[184]All the human race, then, from Adam until now having been born imperfect, it follows that if any ever get full life and the right to life he must get it through the loving Jehovah God. Unless God had made some provision for the redemption of man from death and the lifting up of him again to the condition of life, the time would come when there would be no people on the earth. We remember that Adam lived 930 years; and now a man scarcely lives to be half a century old. The race has been degenerating for centuries, growing weaker and weaker, and ultimately all would come to that condition in which they would be unable to transmit even the spark of life, and the earth would be depopulated. Hence we see our utter dependence upon God; and if we find the great Jehovah has made a provision for us to live, that ought to fill our hearts with gratitude; and as we further examine his great plan it should fill our hearts with boundless love for him. And surely that provision would bring joy to the heart and enable one to see that such provision constitutes one of the strings upon the great harp of God.
REDEMPTION FORESHADOWED
[185]At the time that Jehovah entered the judgment or sentence against man he vaguely hinted at a time coming when man should be released from that judgment. Satan, one of whose names is the old serpent, was the first inducing cause of sin. And God at that time said to him: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head". (Genesis 3:15) This foreshadowed the fact that ultimately Satan should be destroyed and that the same would result as a blessing to man.
[186]But we must remember that the judgment of God entered against man must stand forever. It could not be reversed or set aside or annulled, for the reason that Jehovah cannot deny himself. Nor could any of his creatures have faith in him if he changed his mind. While it is true that this judgment must stand forever, it is equally true that God could make a consistent provision for having the terms of the judgment met by another, equal to Adam; and this is exactly what we find the Scriptures to disclose that he did.