Day 1
Ornament: earth
The First Story of Creation
The Bible tells us the story of how God created the earth over a six-day period. Then on the seventh day, God rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. This story of Creation is in Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Genesis means beginning.
God spoke and every part of the universe came into being. He created the earth, the sun and moon, the water and land, and the plants and animals. God even made man and woman, and he made them in his own image. When he finished, he looked at everything and found that it was all good. Everything in existence is created by God.
Day 2
Ornament: man, woman and tree
The Story of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God. God formed man out of the dust of the ground and by blowing into his nostrils the breath of life, the man became a living being. The breath of life refers to our soul, the invisible spiritual reality that makes each of us human. The soul is immortal; it will never die.
God didn’t want man to be alone so he created a suitable partner for him. While the man slept, God took one of his ribs and created the first woman.
God told them to bring new life into the world and create a family; to be responsible for the earth and all the living things in it. God put them in a beautiful garden in Eden that had a tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted them to be the caretakers of creation. Adam and Eve are the parents of the whole human race.
Day 3
Ornament: tree, serpent, apple
The Story of the Fall of Man
Adam and Eve were God’s friends and lived in harmony with each other and all of creation. God gave them everything they needed. Their life was very pleasant there. God told them they were free to do anything in the garden except to eat the fruit from the tree of good and evil or they would die. One day, a snake tempted them to eat the fruit saying they would become wise like God. They disobeyed God and ate the fruit. Their choice to disobey God was a choice between good and evil. This is called free will and was the first sin against God, Original Sin. The man and woman realized the seriousness of their actions and were afraid and hid. God knew what they did and sent them out of the garden. Because of their own free will, humans lost God’s original blessing and became subject to sin and death.
​
Even though the first humans turned away from God, God didn’t turn away from them. God did not abandon humanity. Instead God showed them his mercy.
Day 4
Ornament: ark and animals or rainbow
The Story of Noah
As the book of Genesis continues, we learn that God is greatly displeased with human beings. They were not being faithful stewards of the world. God chose Noah and his family because they showed love, trust and obedience. God told them to build an ark and fill it with two of every creature. Noah and his family obeyed God even though other people laughed at them. Noah and his family and the creatures boarded the ark and then God sent forty days and nights of rain. God allowed the floodwaters to rise above the highest mountains. All life outside the ark was lost.
​
Eventually, the floodwaters went down and Noah, his family and all the animals were able to get off the ark. Noah thanked God and built an altar to praise and worship Him. God was pleased and made a covenant with Noah that even if humanity failed him again, he would never send another flood to destroy life on earth. Through Noah, God made an everlasting covenant with all humanity.
Day 5
Ornament: torch and sword
The Story of Abraham
The story of Abraham and Sarah takes place many years after Noah and the flood when the world had many people once again. It is also found in the Book of Genesis.
Abraham (Abram) and his wife, Sarah (Sarai), were an elderly couple that were married for a long time and didn’t have any children. One day, God spoke to Abraham and told him to leave his home and travel to a new land. This land was the land of Canaan, which God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants forever. Abraham wondered how this could be possible when he didn’t have any children, therefore, no descendants.
Abraham heard and obeyed God’s call. He and his wife trusted God. While in their travels, God told Abraham the covenant, or agreement, he wanted to make with him. God said that Abraham would become father of many nations and that Abraham and his wife would have a child. Abraham promised to worship him as the one true God and to obey him. By accepting this covenant, Abraham and his descendants would serve God and follow his ways and God would give Abraham a son and make a “great nation” of him.
As promised by God, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son named Isaac. The supreme test of Abraham's faith was yet to come.
When Isaac was a young boy, God called out to Abraham and told him to kill Isaac and burn him on an alter. Abraham obeyed God’s request and brought Isaac up a mountain to an alter. As Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son, a messenger of God appeared and stopped Abraham just in time. God allowed Abraham to offer an animal instead.
God tested Abraham. He obeyed God. Abraham was stopped because God wanted faith, not sacrifice.
Day 6
Ornament: ram in a bush
The story of Isaac
Isaac was the only son born to Sarah and Abraham. While a child, he was saved from being sacrificed by his father through a messenger of God. God told Abraham that through Isaac, descendants will bear your name. After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac.
Isaac married Rebekah and had twins, the first to be born was Esau then Jacob. When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter whereas Jacob was a simple man. Isaac preferred Esau because he was fond of hunting, but Rebekah preferred Jacob.
Isaac sowed a crop that was bountiful. Since the Lord blessed him, he became richer and richer all the time until he was very wealthy. He acquired flocks and herds and had a great work force.
Isaac left that area because the king of the Philistines became envious of him and his people. He continued to travel and camp until he found an area with a well where they can flourish. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said “I am the God of Abraham, your father. Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of Abraham, my servant.”
Dec 7
Ornament: ladder to heaven
The story of Jacob
Jacob and Esau were twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. The twins competed with each other often and their parents each favored a different son. Their father favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob. Esau was to receive the family birthright since he was the first born, but Jacob wanted it. In order to inherit Isaac’s position, Jacob must overturn the man-made rules of inheritance. Thus, he tricked his brother into giving it to him by trading it for a bowl of lentil stew when Esau came back from hunting and was very hungry and needed to eat.
Jacob tricked Esau again when his father Isaac was old and had poor eyesight. With help from his mother, Jacob dressed and pretended to be Esau and accepted his father’s final blessing since his father couldn’t see well. Esau was enraged when he found out and vowed to kill Jacob. Rebekah helped her favorite son escape to Haran and save his life.
On his way to Haran, Jacob had a dream of a great staircase reaching to Heaven. In the dream God told Jacob what he told Abraham, “I, the Lord, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. God assured Jacob that he would inherit Canaan and that God would always protect him.
In Haran, Jacob prospered, married, had many children, and grew very rich. And after many generations his descendants filled the country. God guided Jacob’s destiny. He spoke to Jacob and reestablished the promise he had made to Abraham and Isaac. He gave Jacob the new name, Israel, and so his descendants came to be called Israelites or Hebrews.
Jacob possessed the qualities that were crucial to living out the covenant, determination and perseverance. Jacob never gave up.
As Jacob’s story shows, God was able to bring about good results from bad choices. Both Jacob and his grandfather Abraham fulfilled God’s plan, and their faith for him grew in the process.
