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EVE - THE FIRST WOMAN In the beginning, when God created Adam, it was soon apparent there was something lacking. The magnificent beauty of the new creation lacked a dimension. Adam must have looked around and tried to find out exactly what was missing. The whole world was literally his and yet he was not completely satisfied. He needed someone to share the fruits of his work as he tilled the soil and made things grow. (Gen. 2:5) God saw this and said, "It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a helpmate." So He fashioned all the wild beasts and the birds and brought them to Adam to name. Adam was filled with one of God's beautiful perfections - Goodness. He wanted to share his joy and happiness with someone - someone like himself. So God cast Adam into a deep sleep and from his rib formed Eve. God blessed them saying, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it." (Gen. 1:28) Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. They were above all creation because they were intelligent human beings. After the Fall they saw themselves as they really were - nothing - nothing but finite, weak, human beings, slow of comprehension, victims of their own passions and very much aware of themselves. The truth of what they were, without God's gifts must have been a shattering experience. Seeing their nothingness, they were ashamed, and covering themselves, they hid because they suddenly realized the great difference between themselves and God. Fear was born. It replaced the childlike simplicity they possessed when they were grateful children of a loving Father. They had been told that if they ate the fruit they would die. They expected a physical death then and there, but pride is first a spiritual death and it brought with it all the consequences of that kind of death - evil tendencies, unruly passions, bitterness, regrets and darkness. God told them the consequences of their decision. First, He addressed the serpent - master of pride - and told him that from henceforth he would crawl on his belly and eat dust. Every human being would look down upon this once angel of light and regard him as dust-an enemy to be trampled on and avoided by everyone except those who, like himself, decided that dust was what they wanted to be. His pride caused his fall from heaven; his pride incited Eve to imitation - but now, all men would see him as he is - a spirit of darkness. The war that ended in heaven-began on earth. And then the Mercy of God came through as Beautiful as it is Infinite. He told the father of lies that He would set another Woman against him and her seed would crush his head. A new Adam and a new Eve would come and these two would not disappoint Him. They would be mortal enemies of the serpent and crush his head-his pride-with their holiness and humility. This Messianic prophecy declared war between the two kingdoms. Some of Eve's descendants would choose one side and some the other, but there would be two people who would crush the tempter's pride. The tempter rejoiced that he had seemingly spoiled God's plan through a weak woman. God would use a weak Woman to crush his head. Through Eve and her seed, pride came into the world and with it every other evil. Through another Woman and her seed, God would redeem the world. He would bless it with greater opportunities - so great that those who corresponded would be called "sons of God." |
