More about EVE

More about EVE, first MOM

Let's go back to Genesis chapter three. Now the serpent was more crafty...

That struck me as funny the other day, as "crafty" among women sometimes means scrapbooking, or knitting, crocheting, or other craft-type hobbies.

Let's back up and attack this chronologically:

Genesis 2:8,9 God planted a garden in Eden, placed Adam there, and the Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every three pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the midst of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:16 and 17 Adam is told he can eat from ANY tree except one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. "for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

The woman is not brought onto the stage of the garden until after, for first God points out Adam's need of a helper suitable. But, she is told of the prohibition, because she recalls it and adds to it in the next chapter, when the serpent deceives her. tricks her.

But, let us not rush on in the story. Let us linger with the thought that woman was made to complete, to help, to fit, formed from the man's rib. Why not start over? Instead God pulls out one of Adam's ribs---Adam's bone, blood, dna, cells. Adam will live for almost one thousand years with a rib missing from his own body, but walking around in the beautiful wife God made/formed/fashioned for him. She completes him. He will "know" her and love her, and provide for her. They will enjoy the garden without children and in-laws for who knows how long. They get tested, sin, and get kicked out of the garden, and yet all is not lost. God continues to provide. Skin clothing. Leather. purpose. jobs. farming skills. Bread. Vegetarians?

Five-thousand-seven-hundred-sixty-eight years ago, Eve became a mom.

We start counting the years from that first Mother's Day. And look at what EVE says: (Genesis 4) "I have had a male child with the Lord's help." For you see, she was listening back when God promised them a Savior, back in Genesis chapter three. So, let's go back and see why she thought her firstborn was the One.

Six thousand years ago, God planted the Garden, and set in motion the creation of man and woman. We don't know exactly how long they frolicked in the Garden before being tested by Mr. Crafty serpent. And Eve gives birth to Cain, and Abel. Cain murders his brother, Abel. Genesis 5 begins with: These are the family records of the descendants of Adam. ON the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man. Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a child in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. Adam lived 800 years after the birth of Seth, and he fathered sons and daughters. So Adam's life lasted 930 years and he died.

I am going to guess that Adam was one hundred years old when Cain was born. And Genesis chapter four deals with those thirty years. I could be wrong. But, it looks like Seth is a replacement for Cain and Abel. Abel was murdered, and Cain was a major dissappointment. Seth is the chip off the old block. Noah, and eventually, the line of Christ will come from this line of Seth.

And did you notice that EVE does not say much?? Let me rephrase that. I am sure EVE said plenty. But, the Bible records her words to the crafty serpent, and her words at the birth of Cain, her firstborn.

How did she know to nurse? How did she know how to cook? How did she know how to sew?? The fig leaves had to be scratchy. How long did the leather outfit God made her last??? She credits God with helping at the birth. Surely, Adam lent a hand?

Let's go back to chapter three in Genesis to record the Temptation and Fall. It is a beautiful, yet sad story. Adam and Eve, like Job, are not told of the bigger battle going on in heaven. They don't know of the bigger power struggle, the bigger fall, the winged-ones created before who are watching this new act in the old play.

I believe God created the heaven and the earth. I believe God then created angels. I believe God created Lucifer as the highest angel, and he fell first. He was cast out of heaven, he fell to earth, made a mess of it, and the earth was locked in an ice pack. There was a trial. Lucifer now satan, whined, "how can a loving God cast His creatures into Hell??" And God restored the earth, and created a lesser being without wings, but with free will, to prove He is a loving God.

When you read Genesis from the first verse: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Instantly. Perfectly. Whole. Pretty. Perfect. Then in verse two, we see a different earth. formless. frozen. void. dark. covered in water. And you and I know that without light and heat, water is frozen. Slush. Something happened. I believe the dinosaurs and lush tropical plant life revealed in fossils existed before the fall---Satan's fall. Between the first two verses in Genesis, I believe there is a gap of thousands of years. I could be wrong. But, that is what makes sense to me.

The events of Genesis chapter one are events of restoration. For our earth hangs in just a special place beyond our sun so that life can exist here. God set it all up so that the parade of history can be played out. God promised a Savior, and so for all of the old testament, they waited and watched God fulfill His Promise in His perfect time. From the New Testament side, we look back at the Promise fulfilled. And God has graciously given us the whole story. All we need to know is in the Bible. The clues are all there.