The story of Eve begins in Eden where she first discovered that she bore a unique relationship to God, the supreme power of the universe. The great reality is not that she was made from a rib of Adam, but that God created her in his own image, the same as man, and brought her womanly nature into being.
The divine purpose relative to woman is found in the first part of the story of the Creation in Genesis 1. 27, where it says,
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”.
Here we have a warranty for woman standing beside man. God had created the first man from the dust of the ground and now he found that it was not good for man to be alone. Adam had been placed in this beautiful garden and had had the great honour of naming the animals and of dressing and keeping the garden; but though he was kept occupied God felt that more was needed. This fact has proven itself in the ages since for everyone needs someone else.
Various theories have been evolved regarding the origin of Genesis and the story concerning Eve and the consequent fall of our first parents, but why conjecture on these things when the beautiful words of God are there for all to see and heed? Eve was to be a helpmate to Adam and, as we are told in Genesis 1. 28, they were to be man and wife and be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. This was meant to be a wonderful relationship, for God was saying that they were made for each other. How lovely the words of Adam,
“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be of one flesh”.
It is well to ponder on the thought that when God actually created Eve he took the bone from which she was made from Adam’s ribs, which were near his heart, and did not take one from his foot. Eve was to be his wife and companion, not a devoted slave.
To Adam was given the instruction in the first place regarding what was required of him, for God says in Genesis 2. 16 and 17,
“Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest it thou shalt surely die”.
We presume that Adam would have informed Eve of this command or, if he had not, God would have made it known to her. Perhaps in the garden she did not find enough to occupy herself and this would lead in the first place to the evil thought being sown that was to lead them both to destruction. We who are of the nature of Eve could well imagine her looking at the tree and deciding that as the fruit was good for food and it was pleasant to the eyes how wonderful it would be to be as wise as God, and so she fell, after being tempted. We would wonder also why, as Adam was with her at the time, he did not attempt to restrain her, but knowingly joined her in this forbidden feast. They certainly knew the difference then between good and evil, but what a price they had to pay. What shame and degradation to be cast out forever and to have to spend the rest of their days by the sweat of their brows. And for Eve, of course, was the added sentence of sorrow in childbirth and from henceforth to be ruled over by her husband. For the rest of her days she must have regretted her action. She it would have been who would have felt the dreadful effects when intime to come her firstborn son was to kill his brother and he would be cast out of the family for evermore. How would it feel to know that you were the instigator of sinning entering the world?
This brings us to the present day—and we may be inclined to read these passages with the thought that had it been us we would not have succumbed. How do we know, for surely if we were to analyse our own actions at present as far as the Truth is concerned wouldn’t a great many of us fall into the same category as Eve? There are a great many different kind of women, but we are all the same nature under the skin. We all have the same failings and are tempted the same. We must not sit back with the thought that as long as we are being fruitful and replenishing the earth that is all that is required of us, for as our brother Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians, “There is neither male nor female”, thus giving us the order that we too must work actively for the Truth. No one else is going to be able to answer for us.
To us is given the responsibility of the young and it is our privilege—not duty—to see that the things of the Truth are explained to them in a satisfactory way. If we find that we are not very good at this then we must make sure that we ourselves know what is to be known and then find the best way to get through to our young ones. Of course there is also the prime service to be done as far as our husbands are concerned in making sure that things in the home are running smoothly so we can all participate in this wonderful work for God. This is only possible in those homes where both parents are actively practising the Way of the Lord; in other homes where there are difficulties and perhaps a lukewarm attitude we must pray constantly and earnestly and we will find that our Father will make this easier, or if not easier then perhaps make us stronger to be able to bear these things.
Eve was certainly our first counterpart, but from that time on there have been some wonderful examples of other women in the scriptures to whom we can turn and take comfort.
The Solution