Scripture Reading: Genesis 1-4, Romans 5:12-21,1 Timothy 2:13-15, 2 Corinthians 11:3
As we begin looking into the women of the Bible, it seems logical for us to begin with the first woman, Eve. We find most of the information that we have about Eve in the first 4 chapters of Genesis. The other Scriptures listed in the Scripture reading for this lesson, give us insight into the study of Eve.
In Genesis 1:26-28, we find the record of man being created. God had created the beautiful world and a very special garden. It must have been more beautiful than we can imagine. There was no sin and no pollution!
The water of the rivers were pure, the soil was perfect, and the air unpolluted! After a provision for a perfect dwelling place, God made man and woman. We notice in these three verses that He created both male and female, placed them in the beautiful garden and told them to “be fruitful and multiply.” In chapter 2, we see the explanation of how they were created. Genesis 2:7 tells us that God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. In verses 21-22 of chapter 2, we see the first operation performed. God caused a deep sleep to come to Adam, and took a rib and made the woman. In verse 23 we see that Adam called her “woman.” This prefix means, “taken out of.” Eve was made from a part taken out of Adams body. It is not until after the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, that Adam named his wife “Eve.” Eve means mother of all living. Eve certainly was different from any other woman that has ever lived in this world in many ways. She was created–not born. She was never a baby or even a child. She had no parents.
We really do not know how long a time or short a time that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden. We do know that by chapter 3 the beautiful, subtil, deceiving serpent came to Eve. We can learn much if we spend time in studying what went on between Eve and the serpent. Read it again and again, and notice how the serpent began to change God’s Word. Notice how the woman began to doubt and even seems to add to God’s Word. Finally we see the serpent outright deny God’s Word! He said, “you will not surely die.” In I John 2:16-17, we find one definition for sin—”the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life.” This describes Eve here in the garden. She looked upon the forbidden fruit and saw that it was pleasant to the eyes, that it was good for food, and that it would make her wise (make her to know evil as well as good). She experienced the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. How often does this happen to many of us today? Satan still uses these tactics to tempt Christians today.
We know the results of her obeying Satan instead of obeying the words of God. We know that judgments were passed out to the man, to the serpent, and to the woman. In verse 16 of chapter 3, is the first time God tells the woman that the man would “rule over you.” Bearing children is a wonderful blessing; it was the sorrow and pain that went with the bearing of children that was a part of God’s judgment.
We don’t have a direct answer to the question of where was Adam when this happened between Eve and the serpent. He could have been with her and heard the conversation between the two. We do know that in verse 6 of chapter three it says that Eve took the fruit and did eat and gave to her husband “with her” and he did eat. He certainly was with her for the act of disobedience.
God surely had to deal differently with Adam and Eve now. They were different—they were sinners. But what a gracious God we have! In Genesis 3:15, we find the first mention and promise of the Saviour! God speaks of the seed of Satan and the Seed of the Woman. In the very next chapter, we see that Adam and Eve had their first son, Cain. Eve seemed delighted, and some think she may have thought this to be the Man who would be the Saviour. She exclaimed, “I have gotten a (the) man from the Lord.” In any case, we see that Eve believed God, and knew that all blessings came from Him.
After Cain, Eve had another son, Abel. Though she seemed blessed, and was very happy, we can see the results of the sin nature in what happened to these two boys. We know that they both were taught to bring forth a blood sacrifice to God. This sacrifice was to picture the Lamb of God who would come to be the Saviour of mankind. God would not have held Cain responsible for the right sacrifice had this not been taught to him. However, we know Cain refused to bring the right sacrifice, wanting to bring the works of his own hands instead of the lamb offering. Because Cain refused to obey God, his offering was refused. We know what happened. Cain, through hatred and jealousy, killed his brother Abel.
Yes, Eve had learned both good and evil, but oh! the heartache it cost her. Because of the sin nature, she lost both of her sons. It is hard for a mother to lose two sons, but when one is the murderer of the other, it must be very hard to go through. I wonder if Eve thought back to when she disobeyed God. It is interesting to note that in the Faith chapter of Hebrews 11, we find many of the faithful people listed. However, Eve is not mentioned. Her son, Abel, however is the first one mentioned. However God was there for Eve and gave her a blessing in giving her another son, Seth.
We often remember Eve for her sin and disobedience to God and His Word. However, we can get a lesson from her later life in seeing her faith and belief in God and His Word, and how she taught her children. Seth is in the human genealogy of our Lord in Luke 3:38.
