BenDare said:
Genesis 1 - 3 tells us the essentials about WHAT happened, but nothing at all about WHY, HOW, or WHEN. Personally, I accept the account as literal anc accurate because there is no reason to assume otherwise. Since the Creator endowed humans with both intelligence and curiosity, He must expect us to at least think about such things.
One might say that the "Torah" or the "Penteteuch" (the first 5 books of the Bible) is God's "revelation" to man of himself and of God, and the other 61 are to "explain what He meant".
Here are some questions that puzzle me. What do you think?
1. What was/is God's purpose in planting the Garden and placing Adam and Eve there?
Eph 1:4-6 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:10-12 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
To sum up, your answer is "for God's good pleasure".
2. How long did Adam and Eve live in the Garden before the Fall?
The Bible doesn't give the exact time, but considering that Adam learned by the hand of God to become a "farmer" and also gave Adam the responsibility to "name all the animals", from this alone, one might conclude that Adam was in the Garden several years. It is not likely that Adam was created a "baby", but was created a fully grown man, probably a young man, perhaps even in the state of puberty, since God "saw that it was not good that Adam be alone". My own CONJECTURE as to Adam's age at his dismissal from the Garden is a result of looking at all the rest of scripture and seeing that often there is a correlation between 1,000 years and the term "forever".
As a foundation, I do not think that Adam aged physically while in the Garden as long as he continued to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Life. But once he was barred from the Garden and no longer had access to that tree, his total days numbered 930 years. I find that number very significant. King David once mentioned that the life of man is only 70 years. Okay, 70 plus 930 equals 1,000. Now, say that Adam was the physical age of 20 when he was created, we see that there is also a 50th year of Jubilee that God set up in the OT and it was for the freeing of slaves and returning of the land to the original owner. The comparison might not be initially obvious, or it might be a counter-parallel with the days of Adam, but Adam might have been in the Garden for 50 years. Add this to his physical age of 20 years, gives us 70 years, plus the 930 years, Adams age at death, would again give us 1,000 years - meaning "forever", or to the "fullest" So Adam would have lived out the number of years to the "fullest" of what God determined beforehand. Eternal life was out of the question when Adam lost access to the Tree of Life. BUT, again this is only CONJECTURE.
3. What, exactly, were their duties there?
This was adequately answered in another post, and above.
4. Did they have a sexual relationship while in the Garden? (These were two mature, naked adults who observed all kinds of animals daily.))
Since the Bible doesn't say, and that in their "purest, sinless" state, conception probably would have been in the first month after Eve was created from Adam, but since kids are only indicated AFTER the fall, it then becomes unlikely that they had kids, which means they had no sex. Also, it seems their eyes were opened to their "sexuality" once they sinned, so again it is not likely they were having sex in the Garden.
5. Did anything die or become injuried? (Adam and Eve understood the concept of death when they were warned not to eat the from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, and the Tree of Life was in the garden for some purpose.
Regarding plants, I think their natural growth is indicated because Adam had to learn to "tend the Garden". This means that a fruit would go through its growing and ripening stages and then fall from the tree and the seeds would start anew. But I do not believe that animals procreated in the Garden. If they did, it would have quickly been over-run by the animals. Also by Adam and Eve "covering up" after their sin was discovered, I don't believe they had observed any animals "doing it".
As for death in the garden, like I said, plants perhaps, but not animals. They probably had the sense to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life and thus maintained their "youthfulness". The first time we see "death" is when God slew an animal (probably a perfect lamb) to use its skin to cover Adam and Eve.
Now since the Garden of Eden is almost a perfect picture of the Millineal reign of Christ where no one is hurt or killed, it is not likely that there were any injuries in the Garden.
So I hope that answers your questions. Or at least gives you some food for thought.
Blessings,
Dad Ernie
P.S. One thing I failed to mention, which I would suggest that you give some consideration to is:
Romans 8:18-23 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Greetings from a sunny South Africa 
Be BLESSED by the BEST and stay within the confinements of PEACE 
