Many people know who Eve is in the Bible. Eve is the first
woman mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis, she is made from Adam’s rib as a
companion and helper with him in the Garden of Eden. As Genesis 2:18 says “It
is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Her name means “life giving” or “mother of all who have life.” She is also the
one who is first tempted by the serpent. Is there more we can know about Eve
and her story? There are lessons we can learn from her story. What can be learn
from her sorrows and joy? What were her strengths and weaknesses?
Eve’s story begins in the Garden of Eden with Adam. There
were no shadows, no disorder, and no discord or fear. Perfect harmony. She was
in peace with God and her husband. She did not know the meaning of
embarrassment, misunderstanding, pain, envy, bitterness, grief or guilt. Until
one day, Satan disguised as the serpent (often depicted as a snake but was
mostly likely a large lizard) came and she allowed doubt and desire to persuade
her to eat from the forbidden tree. Suddenly, there was no more harmony in Eden
and darkness and death entered the world. God punishes Eve and Adam with
banishment. Eve is cursed with pain in childbirth and Adam is cursed with a
lifetime of hard labor. After they leave the garden, Eve gives birth to a son,
Cain, who would later murder his brother, Abel, with jealousy in his heart.
When the Bible last speaks of Eve, she is a woman in anguish as she gives birth
to another son, Seth (Genesis 4:25). Her death is not recorded in the
Scriptures.
Her main sorrow was she and Adam were banished from Paradise
and the presence of God. She would know anguish as her eldest son killed his
younger brother in jealousy. But joy? What joy did Eve have? God promised that
her offspring would eventually destroy her enemy. Genesis 3:15 says, “And I
will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your
offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” Imbedded
in this verse is the promise of a Redeemer, a Savior. This verse is a foreshadowing
of Jesus as God reveals his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the
world. The phrase, “you will strike his heel,” refers to Satan’s repeated
attempts to defeat Jesus during his lifetime and “he will crush your head”
refers to Jesus’s defeat of Satan by rising from the dead. Even after their
punishment, God still cared for them and formulated a plan to undo their sin.
The lesson here is that despite our sin and our inevitable physical death,
God’s grace and mercy are the most beautiful gifts. Despite being at our
lowest, suffering from the consequences of our sin, God’s grace is still at
work within us.
We know Eve’s strengths as the first female. The first wife
and mother. She recognizes that life is in God’s control as she proclaims,
“With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man” (Genesis 4:1). She had
a relationship with God and with her husband as she had co-responsibility over
creation with him. Unfortunately, she is better known for her mistakes. She
allowed her contentment to be undermined. She was willing to accept Satan’s
argument without checking with God. She ignored what she knew God had done and
focused on what he withheld. Sound familiar? How often do we focus on what we
don’t have and rail against God instead of focusing on praising Him for what He
has provided? Our desires, the “I’ve got to have it now” feeling keeps us very
manipulated and easily influenced by factors other than God. When confronted by
God for her sin, she blamed others, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”
(Genesis 3:13), rather than take responsibility for her actions.
In conclusion, Eve is an example of how we can be deceived
when we take our eyes off God and His promises. How much our lives can be
misled when we turned to ourselves instead of turning to Him. She is also an
example of the great promise God gave us in Jesus. A Redeemer to rid ourselves
and the world of Satan’s deceptions. Eve is an example of when godly people do
ungodly things. That despite knowing better, their desire, their lack of
judgment or they let their emotions overrun their rational thought and they do
things they knew they shouldn’t do. Eve is an example of what happens we let
our guard down and let Satan whisper in our ears and hearts.
