The account of creations doesn't seem to be precisely chronological. Verse 2 says that Earth was created 'formless and empty', yet day and night, defined by the relative positions of the Earth and Sun, isn't created until Day 3. The sun is a day later. How was there 'day and night' before day 4? It's hard to be literal here if you examine it too closely. It seems that to take a stand on a literal 7 day creation is problematic because of that. The clear thing is that God created. How he did it or for how long is more difficult.
1:30 – Were we all vegetarians in the beginning?
2:4-7 – Implies that man was before the plants (contrary to chapter 1) but v. 8 says that he put Adam in a garden.
2:9 – Two special trees.
3:1-5 – Satan did not use outright lies but half-truths, arguably more powerful.
3:10-13 – The blame game.
God's heart?
Loved Man enough to give them access to the tree of life – eternal life.
Loves us enough also to give us the choice to not stay ignorant of the harsh realities of life – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But warns of the consequences of pursuing that path.
Protects the purity of Eden by removing Adam and Eve after they ate and knew of evil and might then bring into that special place.
Keeping them away from the tree of life could be seen as a blessing – With the knowledge of evil, eternal life could be a curse.
God wanted to shelter Man from sin, but not at the expense of free will.
