6.14.2006

Woman Wednesday

Well, we're here finally! This week we begin, appropriately, with Eve.

I have to admit that my prior knowledge of Eve was limited to "she was made out of Adam's rib, she ate the apple, gave it to Adam and was turned out the Garden of Eden, end of story." I'm thankful for MacArthur's exhaustive look into Eve's life and I came away with a few new insights. For length purposes, I am going to concentrate on her character before and after the Fall.

Her Character before the Fall

MacArthur writes "In her original state, undefiled by any evil, unblemished by any disease or defect, unspoiled by any imperfection at all, Eve was the flawless archetype of feminine excellence." However, he states that Scripture "gives us no physical description of Eve. Her beauty - splendid as it must have been - is never mentioned or even alluded to. The focus of the biblical account is on Eve's duty to her Creator and her role alongside her husband. That is a significant fact, reminding us that the chief distinguishing traits are nothing superficial" (author's emphasis, pg.2).

Eve was perfect before she sinned. "Her submission was the perfect model of meekness and modesty (pg. 20)." It must be noted here and I have heard this before in teachings, that Eve's duty to God and her role with Adam were before the Fall, not after. Submission, meekness, and modesty were all part of the perfect design before sin entered and totally destroyed all that.

The Fall

When Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil her eyes were opened and she realized she was naked so she tried to cover herself. She had sinned against God and not trusted in His word. From God's word we know that there were many other wonderful trees and plants to eat from in the Garden of Eden, but Eve was deceived into eating from the forbidden tree by the serpent. Therefore, God being just and holy, sent Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Now I know that it may be easy to say it was unfair for Eve for the punishment she received because the serpent deceived her, however, as MacArthur writes, it's "true enough [that Eve was deceived], but the serpent's guilt did not justify her sin (pg.17)." She tried to blame the serpent (something I probably would have done as well) but the "responsibility for the deed itself still [layed with Eve] and no one else (pg. 17)."

Her Character after the Fall

Sadly, after the fall, Eve's character is not the same as before. There is guilt and shame and now she and Adam would be leaving Paradise and the presence of God. But, God being rich in mercy, does not leave them without clothing them and giving them truth about what would lie ahead for them. Eve is specifically given the description that life would be painful and her relationship with Adam would not the be same as it was in Paradise. However, God gave the promise, that would be fulfilled thousands of years later, that a son of hers would crush the one who deceived her. With her firstborn Cain, she said "I have acquired a man from the Lord (or YHWH)." MacArthur writes that this could be taken that she thought that Cain would be the promised one or God incarnate, but sadly, she would experience heartache when Cain is murdered by his brother Abel. MacArthur further writes that with each of her children (it's not known how many she had) Eve experienced God's goodness and kindness and her hope grew that He would fulfill the promise of a Redeemer.

Eve led a unique life because she would be the only perfect woman in all of humankind until she sinned. When she sinned, she became an object of God's wrath but in God's unfailing love he promised to send a Redeemer for her and the countless generations of women after her.

Toodles,

P.S. The song "Generations" from the Conversations CD by Sara Groves is about Eve. Check it out.

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