Eve (the mother of all things) had it all. She must have been very beautiful. I mean Adam’s poetic utterance the moment he laid sight on her (Genesis 2:23) can only be but evidence enough. Eve was a perfect woman, created by a perfect God from the rib of a perfect man. Just because she was created from Adam’s side did not mean she was any inferior to Adam. In the words of Mathew Henry, “Women were created from the rib of man to be beside him, not from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him, but from under his arm to be protected by him, near to his heart to be loved by him.”
They were both equal as they were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). However, they had distinct earthly roles that were different. Eve’s role was to help Adam and to be a companion to Him (Genesis 2:18). Before the fall, Eve experienced perfect communion with Adam and God. Eve had everything she needed.
“Did God really say…? “was the question that changed the course. Eve’s heart was exposed. She doubted God’s goodness. Eve’s first sin was not eating from the tree; God commanded them not to eat from, no. Eve first sinned when heart doubted God’s goodness. God had created everything, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31), and thus she had everything.
However, she doubted it. She wanted more. The lust of the eyes (Genesis 3:6) led Eve to sin. The serpent deceived her, and she no longer trusted God’s word. Being like God, the ability to know good and evil sounded more appealing to dear Eve. Eve’s insecurity has been exposed, and now perfection is not perfect anymore. Before we get to point fingers, let us check ourselves first. John warns us that three things appeal to sin to us; The Pride of life, the lust of our eyes and the lust of our flesh (1 John 2:16). Little questions as “does God really say?” exposes our insecurities, lack of trust in God and the state of our hearts. It was a little question for Eve too.
The Crafty Enemy
God had already instructed Adam and Eve not to eat from the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of God and evil that was in the middle (Genesis 2:16-17), and in this instruction, He does mention that it gives knowledge of good and Evil (Genesis 1:17). However, God says that if they eat of it, they will surely die. Satan comes in and asks, “did God really say?’ Well, that was not where he was getting at, but he surely had caught Eve’s attention.
So the serpent continues; “You will not 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 3:5). God did say they would die but well, Satan lies and Eve’s lust is exposed. Jesus refers to Satan as the father of all lies (John 8:44). Satan lies about the word and character of God. Believing in the devil’s lies denies us the freedom to depend on God entirely.
Jesus warns us about the agendas of the devil. He says the devil comes to steal (John 10:10), kill and destroy. Yes, to steal our freedom on depending on God, which leads us to spiritual death and thus we are destroyed. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), causing us to question what God has said in His word, which is what he did with Eve.
God offers Hope
If you are like me, you have probably fallen prey to many lies from the enemy, and that has led you to regrettable sin. Sin stings. It is painful. It destroys and leaves us overwhelmed and in deep regret. I know all that. The enemy is always at work to distract us from resting on God’s assurance in His word. I have seen that in my life even as late as this week. We have to remain on guard. However, God offers Hope. He did the same to Eve when He promised the coming of Jesus, who would destroy and defeat the enemy (Genesis 3:15). God does not stop there. He makes the provision of clothing to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). Instead of death, which they deserved- God’s grace.
CONCLUSION
The world will present things that seem appealing to us, but we are called to remain steadfast (James 1:12). Our desires can lure us into sin (James 1:14), but we need to cling on to God’s word, lest we conform. Christ was wounded, pierced, He died, and He rose again. We share in the confidence that in His death and resurrection, sin was put to death, and the devil was defeated (Colossians 2:15). Therefore, we can rest in this truth. Even when we are tempted, we can rely on His spirit for strength (Romans 8:26).
