15. The State of Righteousness
Kuyper sees humans as created, fallen and restored (137). Humanity in a state of righteousness befits paradise; as fallen a cursed earth; as redeemed “a glory as that of heaven” (137)
The name “paradise” does not occur in the Old Testament. Paradise is an old name for pleasure garden and a sushi was used in the Septuagint. Adam and Eve after the fall were explode from Paradise to elsewhere. The whole earth was good, but it was not Paradise.
Adam had to work and keep the garden, this implies it had certain boundaries. It is important to understand the state that Adam was in as it helps us to understand what we have lost and it is also the ideal towards which we can reach in Christ.
The only “lacunae and void” was loneliness. The animals were created in pairs, but not Adam. This was felt more keenly as humans are created as male and female in God's image. Woman is taken from the side of man; not from the outside.
Regarding Darwinian evolution Kuyper comments: "that man evolved from the animals lacks all compelling power." (143)
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