Verse 27 is the first mention of woman in the Bible. This is the creation of Adam and Eve. Of course, if I believed in evolution, I would not perceive that this event occurred. However, I do not consider that I have descended from apes....I have a divine heritage - I am a child of God. Adam and Eve were my first parents here on Earth. The Biblical account it true...of that I am sure!
Verse 27 indicates that man and woman were created in the image of God. That makes it very easy to envisage what our Heavenly Father and His Son look like, as we look like them.
In Genesis 2:18, the Lord (we know this to be Jesus Christ, who is the God of the Old Testament and this world) stated "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." The Bible Dictionary defines help met as 'a helper suited to, worthy of, or corresponding to him'. The meaning is that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. Eve was not Adam's inferior, as indeed women today or in any time are not inferior to men.
Verses 22-23 describe the appearance of Eve. She is said to have been formed from Adam's rib. Why his rib? I love this explanation I found on the net:
Did you ever wonder why God chose to create Eve from Adam's rib? It seems she could have been from any bone. My Granny, as usual, had a theory. It isn't grounded in Scriptures like most of her other theories and ideas. Instead, the poet in her came shining through when she explained why she believed God created Eve from Adam's rib.
Not His
Head
God did not create Eve from a bone in
Adam's head because if He had it might might have been assumed that she was
intellectually and psychologically inferior to Adam. God did not want this to
be a misconception.
Not His
Hand
God did not create Eve from a bone in
Adam's hand because He did not want Eve to be led around by Adam. He also
didn't want Eve to be physically abused by Adam's hand.
Not His
Foot
God did not create Eve from a bone in
Adam's foot because He did not Eve to be walked on. He also did not want Eve to
be kicked.
Not His
Back
God did not create Eve from a bone in
Adam's back because He didn't want Eve to be a burden to Adam. He also didn't
want Eve to be behind him, following from place to place.
Created
from His Rib
God created Eve from Adam's rib for
several reasons. He wanted Eve to be close to Adam's heart. God also wanted Eve
to be at Adam's side. In God's infinite wisdom, He created Eve from Adam's rib
so she would be under his arm of protection.
(http://www.listmyfive.com/537e425e/The-Top-Five-Reasons-God-Created-Eve-from-Adam's-Rib)
Eve was not to walk behind Adam, she was not to walk ahead of him. She was to walk side by side with him. They were to counsel together, and work together in this big adventure that they were pioneering for us....life!!
Russell M Nelson, an Apostle of the Lord said:
'Interesting to me is the fact that animals fashioned by our Creator, such as dogs and cats, have thirteen pairs of ribs, but the human being has one less with only twelve. I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side......Eve came as a partner, to build and to organize the bodies of mortal men. She was designed by Deity to cocreate and nurture life, that the great plan of the Father might achieve fruition.'
(Lessons From Eve, Oct 1987 General Conference address)
The last verses of Genesis 2 indicate that Adam and Eve were married, obviously by the Lord. I know that this marriage would have been an eternal sealing of them to each other, and would have meant that their children were born under the covenant, meaning that they would be sealed to their parents through all time and eternity.
So far, nothing has been revealed about the character or actions of Eve. Only her creation has been recorded.
Now we come to an event that has been interpreted in several ways. I will just indicate my thoughts, which have a basis in latter-day revelation and revealed scripture.
Satan beguiled Eve. He tempted her with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and she took it, ate it, and gave it to Adam to eat.
Eve has been portrayed by many Christian churches as evil, likewise Adam, but Eve moreso because she gave in to Satan and then encouraged Adam to give in as well.
For my own part, I am so grateful to Eve for her actions. I will explain why soon.
Don't you love how Adam and Eve thought, in Genesis 3:8, that they could hide from the Lord. I believe that they did not fully understand His omnipotence. They were in a state of naivety, I guess. But they obviously knew that they had done wrong.
My wicked sense of humour makes me chuckle every time I read Genesis 3:12...is this the first ever case of passing the buck? :-)
Mind you, I guess Eve could be accused of the second in verse 13.
Now, in verse 16, Eve seems to have been told that she will have great sorrow in conception....the footnotes indicate that this is a reference to an increase in discomfort and size in the condition and process of pregnancy.
She is also told that her desire shall be to her husband, and that he should rule over her. More about that later as well.
President Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in October 1967:
'One of these days, if I ever get to where I can speak to Mother Eve, I want to thank her for tempting Adam to partake of the fruit. He accepted the temptation, with the result that children came into this world. … If she hadn’t had that influence over Adam, and if Adam had done according to the commandment first given to him, they would still be in the Garden of Eden and we would not be here at all. We wouldn’t have come into this world. So the commentators made a great mistake when they put in the Bible … “man’s shameful fall.”'
I share President Smith's gratitude to Eve.
More tomorrow....
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