Not So Little Women: Week 2
Eve

Through the end of the year we are doing a series on stories about women in the Bible. We want to see how God uses all of us for His glory and our good; today we spend time looking at Eve, “the mother of all the living”(Gen 3:20).

All we know of Eve are small snippets of her life.We read into her story centuries of cultural interpretation. The first time we see Eve speak is in Genesis 3, when she is talking to the Devil. In that conversation she misquotes and adds to what God had previously instructed. Adam and Eve both desired to have a knowledge that would let them live a life without God and on their own terms…this led to what we call “the fall.” There are 3 misconceptions that have been taught about Eve, and in some theological circles, extended to all women. These views are not scriptural and must be corrected.

These FALSE views are:

1. Women are more prone to mishandle the Bible.

There are some things that Eve did in Genesis 3 that were wrong: she lessened God’s goodness because she forgot the generosity of God and she exaggerated God’s restriction. People have said that because Eve was careless with the truth, ALL women will be careless with the truth. Eric Schumacher wrote, “Let’s not mishandle God’s Word while accusing someone of mishandling God’s Word.” Genesis 3 does not teach that women are inherently less skilled in the Word
of God.

2. The woman tempted and seduced the man.Therefore, women are chiefly to blame for the sin of men.

No Scripture presents Eve’s action as one of seduction or temptation. Nowhere in the Bible is Eve blamed for tempting Adam to sin with her “feminine ways.” If anything, the blame lands more squarely on the man and not the woman. We can’t blame women for men’s shortcomings.

3. Women, by nature, are out to overcome and oppose men. Gen 3:16 Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

The word “desire” is what people debate. What the text tells us is that from the moment of sin, humankind would struggle in living a complementing life with one another. We are called to be people who “do life” with each other, not fight each other, but because of the fall it is very difficult.

There are many places the Gospel is shown in Eve’s story. They sinned in the garden, and God came looking. She has a baby (thinking he will save the world and he doesn’t), but God gives more grace with another son. When Eve surrenders to God’s grace, she lives in the humility of recognizing that God Himself is our Savior. She looks forward to God’s coming promise and lets God be God… as we all should.