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Truth of the Spirit episode, Eve – God’s First Woman with host Patti Brunner, reminds us that Adam needed a helper who, like him, was also in the image of God. Eve’s story is told to us in two different stories in the Old Testament book of the bible, Genesis. The first man was made from the dust of the earth but the first woman was made of the perfect genetic material of God’s creation of humanity. Isn’t it interesting that the first sign of the effect of sin, the first sign of imperfection is the need to cover up? We could guess that Eve’s first clothing line was named “fear”. Before they sinned they were covered by the glory of God. Discover how God covered them after the first sin.
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Women of this generation are each as precious to God as His creation, His first ‘woman’, Eve. As you look to see all womankind in this moment of creation note that her style and grace was a gift. Her freedom was not taken away it was given away by acts of defiance. Evil begets evil yet out of darkness God’s grace brings forth hope and light.
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit, I am your host, Patti Brunner. Today we will discuss Eve – God’s First Woman.
Eve’s story is told to us in the Old Testament book of the bible, Genesis. There are two different stories of the creation of Eve. Scholars of the Old Testament have figured out that there were at least four different inspired authors who contributed to the formation of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the bible that include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. When the multiple oral traditions were combined into writing, this edit was also inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Since much of the Old Testament was shared generation to generation verbally, it is wonderful to listen to the now written verses.
In the NAB first chapter of Genesis we hear:
26l Then God said: Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness. ,.. 27God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.
Wow, God created males and females in His divine image.
How precious we all are to be created in the divine image and likeness of God. This first account shows man and woman created at the same time.
In the 2nd account of creation we hear that man and woman were created separately in the 2nd chapter of Genesis:
“Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” [NAB Gen 2.7]
After instructing Adam of the rules,
“The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper suited to him.”[Gen 2:18]
None of the animals created were a “helper suited”, a “helper in accord with him.” God is called a helper in Psalm 46 verse 2 where it says “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress”. And so Adam needed a helper who, like him, was also in the image of God.
The language in the creation scripture suggests a profound affinity between the man and the woman and a relationship that is supportive and nurturing.
2:Verse “21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman.”
So, the first man was made from the dust of the earth but the first woman was made of the perfect genetic material of God’s creation of humanity.
When he brought her to the man, 23the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.”
In the marital act the two become one flesh again and their loving embrace also brings forth new life as God’s loving action did.
But there is much more, as we look to see all woman kind in this moment of creation. God wants us to see that we are each as precious to him as his creation, his first woman. She received God’s gift of style and grace. Then scripture gives us an idea of their perfection:
“2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.”
Can you imagine how beautiful Eve must have been? Perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect proportions. She didn’t need to enhance her figure by foundational garments. She didn’t need make up or a curling iron to look attractive.
So what happened to the perfection? She was tricked by the serpent. The enemy can go after everyone. He went after Adam and Eve with his lies and they took the bait and rejected the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness to set themselves up like God, knowing good and evil.
Catechism paragraph # 398 tells us that Adam, “Seduced by the devil, he wanted to “be like God,” but “without God, [he wanted to be] before God, and not in accordance with God.”
Eve knew the rules; she even recited them to the serpent. And she broke them to get her own way.
And Adam stood right by her while she did it. She approached the tree of knowledge of good and evil:
Genesis Chapter 3:verse 6b “she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. “
Isn’t it interesting that the first sign of the effect of sin, the first sign of imperfection is the need to cover up? We could guess that Eve’s first clothing line was named “fear”. Before they sinned they were covered by the glory of God. And now they were not.
3 Verse “8 When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God, among the trees of the garden. 9 The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 Then he [God] asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
Busted!
God then gave them a list of consequences. There were consequences to the serpent, to Adam and to Eve.
“3:16 To the woman he said: “I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master.””
Her freedom was not taken away; it was given away by acts of defiance. We will see how evil begets evil, yet out of darkness God’s grace brings forth hope and light.
The dependency and subordination of woman to man presented as a consequence of sin in the Genesis story can be transcended as is shown in the Song of Songs in the mutuality of true love.
It is In the Garden after the judgment and consequences are issued by God, that Eve receives her name.
“3:20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.”
Adam had been given the assignment to name all the creatures. The giving of the name Eve is a moment of hope during a time of great sorrow.
In the next verse, God has another gift of style and grace for his first woman; listen to this tender moment:
“3: verse 21 For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.”
Now, have you ever heard that verse before?
If they were already covered by fig leaves why did the Lord make leather garments for them? An animal was sacrificed and blood was spilled to cover Adam and Eve, to protect them. This foreshadows the sacrifice of Christ. By his blood we are given the glory of God not just to cover us but to dwell within us.
God banishes them from the Garden of Eden and sends them to live on the outside and then sets angels to protect the tree of life—to protect Adam and Eve. God continues to protect the couple from taking the fruit from the tree of life. They must not eat of eternal life while separated from the fullness of God. In the creation of a new earth described in the Book of Revelation, the tree of life is once again made available to human beings.
We next see the effect of Adam & Eve’s sin on the outcome of their parenting. Genesis tells us that after Cain and Abel were born they made offerings to the Lord. Abel’s was pleasing to God but Cain’s was not.
Genesis Chapter 4: verse 5 says: “Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. 6 So the LORD said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? 7 If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”
Another moment of hope! Mom & Dad screwed up, but you can make it!
We are then shown how evil can beget evil as resentment escalates to murder and Cain kills his brother. As sin entered the world by Adam’s disobedience and evil took root in the hearts of mankind witnessed by the murder of Abel by Cain, these children of Eve could not become a tabernacle of the living God.
But hope survives even this. The graces of creation continue as we complete the story of Adam and Eve in chapter 5 of Genesis. We see that grace brings forth hope and light:
“5:1 This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God; 2 he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them “man.” 3 Adam was one hundred and thirty years old when he begot a son in his likeness, after his image; and he named him Seth. 4 Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of Seth, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 The whole lifetime of Adam was nine hundred and thirty years; then he died.”
We see the grace of motherhood as the creation of life continues within our bodies.
We get evidence that someday Eve will be allowed to return to the presence of God from the New Testament writing by Paul in First Letter to Timothy:
“1 Timothy chapter 2: verse 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.14 Further, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. 15 But she will be saved through motherhood, provided women persevere in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
There is the challenge to women to persevere in faith and love and holiness with self-control.
All women have received gifts of style and grace from our Creator. We, too, have been given freedom of choice. We are precious daughters of the God who created us.
We can’t just look at the punishment and banishment of Eve from the Garden for her sin, we need to look past that and see the loving protection God gave her from eternal death. God’s love for her sent a new Eve, Mary, to give birth to Jesus to rescue the first Eve and in rescuing her God saved us, her children. God restores us to the garden. Jesus is the Tree of Life and His Body and Blood are the fruit of life.
Remember how God clothed Eve in leather? And our loving Father continues to dress us. But he has chosen something even more precious and beautiful. Paul tells us in the New Testament in
Galatians 3: 26 “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Our loving Father has given us Christ to put on, through the gift of the Holy Spirit!
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit. I’m your host Patti Brunner. This episode is available on podcast networks and on YouTube. And be sure and check the PatriarchMinistries.com website for the blogs. We invite you to subscribe, its free, and come back for more. With the Holy Spirit, there’s always more! Amen.
