I’m sure many of us are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve. Even if we aren't religious, we know the story inside and out. Adam was alone, God created Eve, Eve sinned, Adam sinned, women are cursed, the end. That’s that, right?
This story has been the justification for the mistreatment of women for years. There are those who believe that because Eve tempted Adam to sin, all women are inferior, weak, and easily overcome. Some cite this account as the beginning of misogynistic tendencies in the Christian Church.
I wish I could say that these allegations of misconduct toward women are invalid, but I cannot. What I can say is that I know this was never God's plan. I believe that the abuse and the manipulation of His daughters hurt God more than it could ever hurt us. I know how much my earthly father loves me and how angry he would be if anyone hurt me, and I can't help but see my heavenly Father reflected in that.
Eve messed up. There's no denying that fact, but maybe we can shed some light on this situation. In my last post in this "series" (God's Daughters: The First Woman), I left off just after the creation of woman. I want to pick up right there.
In Genesis 3, Satan, in the guise of a snake, approaches the woman. Now, why did he approach the woman first? I have actually heard it postulated that, because the woman is the "weaker vessel", Satan found her an easier target than the man.
I don't buy that for a second.
The first thing the snake said was, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'" (Genesis 3:1)? This question is very revealing in a couple of ways. Most importantly, it was a challenge to Eve. What he was really asking was, "Is God so unjust that He won't let you eat any of this delicious-looking fruit?" It was not a fair question, since God had said in the previous chapter that they could eat of the fruit of all the trees of the Garden except one. Secondly, it was phrased negatively - has God said you may not eat. God's original statement was phrased positively - you may eat. Satan's phrasing would immediately make one question the will and the affection of God.
As a loving daughter, Eve tried to defend her Father: "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die'" (Genesis 3:2, 3). In her retort, Eve misquoted God. God never said that Adam and Eve could not touch the fruit. In fact, according to the Biblical account, Eve hadn't been created when God gave this particular command. Eve had received her information from Adam. We don't know if Adam told Eve she shouldn't touch the fruit. Perhaps he said that to her in order to ensure her protection, or maybe it was simply a miscommunication. Whatever it was, it caused a major problem, and I believe that the enemy knew it. He knew that Eve had not been given this directive first-hand, so he could manipulate the information to his benefit. It had nothing to do with Eve's physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.
Satan responded by saying, "You will not surely die... For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4, 5). We know what happened next: Eve's eyes were taken off the right path, and she was directed toward doing what she knew to be wrong. Then, she took the fruit. As soon as she touched it and didn't die, Eve must have felt that God was lying to her. She ate the fruit.
Satan was incredibly cunning. Not only did he question what God had said, he caused Eve to question her very identity. He told her that by eating the fruit, she would be like God. Eve had already been created in God's image. She couldn't become any more like God.
One of the questions that comes to mind when pondering these things is... what was Adam doing while his wife was thus tempted? In Genesis 3:6, we find the answer: "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (emphasis mine). Adam - who had heard God's original command - didn't step in to correct the serpent's sly accusations. Adam didn't protect his wife when her existence was being attacked, and he didn't stop Eve from eating the fruit. This was a monumental failure on his part, and I believe that we have seen the consequences of Adam's inaction in the attitudes and lifestyles of men today. (That's a completely separate topic, however, and I will not address it here.)
Adam fails again when God confronts the couple about their sin. Instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, Adam says, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it" (Genesis 3:12). Not only does Adam place blame on Eve, he subtly charges God with responsibility for his sin because God's creation had tempted him. I'm sure it must have been a rocky point in Adam and Eve's marriage.
God did not address this issue at that moment. Instead, He turned to Eve and asked for her version of the story. Eve told the truth: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:13). She accepted the consequences of her actions, and she watched as an immovable barrier was constructed between her and her loving Creator.
Yes, Eve had sinned. She had messed up, erred, blundered, but she hadn't ruined everything. Neither had her husband - her partner in crime. There was hope on the horizon, and God loved His children too much to let them go that easily.
