Eve, Mother of All Living, Genesis 2:21-23

“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.” Genesis 2:18-20.

The above has been included to maintain context. The difference between mankind and the animal kingdom were brought out in the last post on 9-16-21, covering Genesis 2:4-20.

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:21-22.

Some say that this sleep was a trance or semi-consciousness or ecstatic moment, but why not just go by four little words, “deep sleep” and “he slept”?

Anesthesiologists do this every day; God put him into a deep sleep and operated on him. In so doing, some commentators feel that not only was a rib removed but some flesh also.

God then fashioned this rib into a woman. When taken out of the man, Eve shared his DNA; this is obvious and significant in a very real way and we will try to cover that later.

“She was not made out of his head to surpass him, nor from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him.” author unknown.

There is a movie about a pilot who parachuted from his burning aircraft and was injured fairly seriously when he hit the ground, and while he was unconscious a beautiful woman knelt over him and held him in her arms. The poor pilot woke up and looking at her he said, “Am I in heaven?”

One can only imagine Adam awakening out of his sleep, and seeing Eve, he must have had similar thoughts.

Just think, this woman was a creature that Adam would have had no concept whatsoever of what she would look like.

It is too bad we have lost the wonder of looking at another man or woman and seeing a soul made in the image of a good God. Sin has so marred the outward appearance and the heart of mankind it is tragic.

“Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 2:2-7.

“You have ravished my heart, my sister [an affectionate name for his wife], my spouse; you have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. How fair is your love, my sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the scent of your perfumes than all spices! Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.” Song of Solomon 4:9-11.

“Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman [Hebrew, ishshah], because she was taken out of Man [Hebrew, ish].’” Genesis 2:22-23.

Again we look at the woman taken out of the man, her origin is completely different she is not formed of the dust of the ground, but part of the man himself, sharing the same DNA, the same flesh, the same, but different.

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 3:20.

Eve literally means life, or living.

“For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as the woman was from the man, even so the man also is through the woman; but all things are from God.” 1 Corinthians 11:8-12.

There are many liberal theologians who say that the
Apostle Paul (who wrote this) was a woman hater. Now there is a good reason for them to make this accusation; they are liars, who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats at banquets.

They delight in having the people kowtow to them, and denying the truth of the Scripture as though they have some inside track with God attracts the unlearned who like having their ears tickled.

Paul did indeed write this, and most of the New Testament, but it was God who dictated the words through His Holy Spirit, not Paul giving his opinions.

Look again at the words in 1 Corinthians 11 above, notice the intimate relationship between the man and the woman. If men and women were to live as though they believed these words marriages would become so much more pleasant, creating a wonderful environment for children.

She is not chattel (dictionary: a movable article of property, or a slave) nor is she something to look down upon. No a woman is a very real part of a man and is to be cherished and treated as such.

In the marriage relationship she is “now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”, this holds true even today in every marriage, whether they are believers or unbelievers.

Adam did not share his DNA with another man, nor did Eve share her DNA with another woman, nor with an animal, there is no other relationship comparable to men and women.

“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.” Ephesians 5:28-29.

These things have not changed even though it has been about six thousand years since Adam took Eve to be his wife.

Hollywood has done a thorough job of making a mockery of marriage reducing it to a piece of paper so unreliable that they have to have a prenuptial agreement before marrying. And now the homosexuals are about to drive the last nail into the coffin by reducing it to an abomination before God.

But notice the words here the husband is to love his wife as he does his own body. What a nearly impossible thing to carry out; we live in a selfish world that says to look out for number one.

Over the last few generations Americans have been taught self gratification and self-centeredness and too many have bought into that destructive mindset.

This attitude manifests itself when father says, “I gotta be me” and walks out on the family, never returning, even to see his children, and then mother zones out and leaves the children emotionally; or brings some pervert home as their new daddy.

Why should someone trust their spouse when they could not trust their own father? Do not kid yourself into thinking that the next generation will be any better.

Dysfunctional families always spiral down from generation to generation. Only the few who find Christ and determine to follow Him break the chain.

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus…” Ephesians 4:17-21.

As for those who determine to love their wives as themselves, we have an example.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it…” Ephesians 5:25.

This is how great the extent is that husbands must to go to love their wives.

Christ’s love for the church and the giving of Himself for her closely mirrors the creation of Eve because Adam was put into a deep sleep, which is a type of death, and she was taken out of his side.

The church, the bride of Christ too came by death, and in its finality Jesus’ side was pierced.

“But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” John 19:33-34.

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…” Genesis 2:23a.

This again is another reason that Eve was taken out of man rather from the dust of the earth as Adam was; Christ is not only the One from whom the church has its being, He is the Son of Man.

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18.

Jesus is distinctly the Son of Adam through the woman because the Scripture says of the Christ that it would be the seed of the woman (not the man) through whom He would come.

This prophecy was fulfilled when Mary, a virgin, became with Child by the Holy Spirit. No man was involved in this so it was not the seed of the man from whom Christ was conceived, but God is and was the Lord’s Father.

The reason this distinction is made is that the sin nature is passed along by the seed of the man, not the woman. Jesus Christ was born sinless, not in sin as is the rest of mankind born of the seed of man.

David tells us that the sin nature in a person begins at conception:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5.

And how was David conceived, only by the seed of his father joined with his mother.

Since women are incapable of reproducing alone all of mankind is destined to be born with the sin nature until the end of time.

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:18-21.

Eve, Mother of All Living, Genesis 2:21-23 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 6-20-14 updated on 9-20-21.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.

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