BANISHED Synopsis.

God created man in His own image and likeness - male and female - blessed them, and told them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth. The image is considered the nature of mankind which is essential as God’s special creation. The likeness is a reflection of this image, embodying qualities such as grace, love, and goodness. In the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden it was considered that the image was retained but the likeness was lost.

The garden of Eden was created by God and then He created Adam. Eden means “delight or paradise”. God breathed the breath of life into Adam. He then placed him in this garden with the opportunity to have a unique and complete personal relationship with Him, the Creator, not shared by any of the other creatures. God seeks a deeper meaning of this relationship with Adam, but things seem to be incomplete because there is no companion comparable to Adam.

To make Adam complete, God causes him to sleep. He then takes a rib from him, makes this into one of Adam’s own kind, and presents this individual to Adam when he awakens. Adam calls this new creation woman because she was taken out of him. Adam names his new companion Eve because she is to be the mother of all living beings of their own kind.

In the garden, another creation is present - a talking serpent identified as a deceiver. This talking serpent presents itself to Eve and is intent on deception. Before Adam and Eve were created, a war had broken out in heaven, but the deceiver and his followers did not prevail and they no longer had a place in heaven. Because of the deception, the knowledge of good and evil is now in the minds of both Adam and Eve causing them to experience guilt and shame. God curses the Serpent and tells him that he will eat dust all the days of his life. Satan was banished to Earth. Adam and Eve are now on Earth and they have broken the only command God gave them; not to eat fruit from a forbidden tree that bore the knowledge of good and evil. The very first command given by God to mankind has been broken by man and the relationship God desired with His special cornerstone creation has also been broken, making them face judgment.

In the beginning, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth and told them to be fruitful and multiply as a family of mankind. Cain was the firstborn of Adam and Eve and he became a farmer. The next born was his brother Abel and he became a sheep herder. Cain brought an offering of thanks to God of fruit from the ground and Abel brought an offering from a flock of sheep. Abel’s offering was the firstborn of his flock and was accepted by God. Cain’s offering was unacceptable and was rejected by God. Cain’s countenance fell and God told him that sin lay at the door, but he should rule over it and not let it rule over him. Cain was enraged over this rejection by God and murdered his brother Abel. God cursed Cain for the murder of his brother and was driven out of the presence of God to be a fugitive and a vagabond on earth.