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Genesis 2
Genesis 3
John 8:44
Luke 15:11-21
Sweat formed on my brow as I bit my lip and took deep breaths, trying to get through this next contraction. The monitor beeped to my right while showing the rate of three steady heartbeats, mine and both of my daughters’. My husband held one hand and my mom sat rubbing my feet. “Thanks a lot, Eve.” I half groaned, half snickered under my breath, waiting for the tightness and pain to ease.
Oh, Eve…
She is known for many things, but commonly among us women, she is known as the person who introduced pain during childbirth as a result of her sin. However, she is so much more than that. Eve was created perfectly and wholly in God’s image, meaning everything about her was perfect. She was the first woman to walk this earth, and the first wife and mother. She was the first mother to mourn the loss of one child while feeling the guilt and pain that comes from another straying from the Lord’s will. Out of all the “firsts” Eve experienced, she is most remembered for being the first person on earth to stumble and fall for the devil’s slimy lies.
We read about Eve being created as a helpmate for man and we know that she was created from Adam’s rib. Her chat with Satan has gone in the record books and her bite of the forbidden fruit is old news. But it doesn’t stop there.
After Eve took that first bite and shared this delicious fruit with Adam, they immediately felt shame for their nakedness and Eve became the first seamstress as she created clothes to cover their *ahem* nether regions. Eve was well aware of her mistake and was so ashamed, that she actually tried to hide from God. Even though the Lord knew the answer, he asked Adam why he hid, and why on earth he was wearing clothes. Adam quickly passed the buck, first to God, by blaming him for even giving Adam this wife of his, and then to the woman, by blaming her for giving him the fruit.
“What is this that you have done?” The Lord spoke to Eve, his voice dreadfully dismal as a deep sorrow enveloped him. For the Lord knew that sin would happen, and here it was. Here, his precious children had separated themselves from God. Sin had entered the world.
The first death occurred as an animal was sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. They then had to leave their perfect home forever.
I never thought I had much in common with Eve, but she and I have much in common. I, too, have fallen prey to the horrible schemes and slimy lies of the devil. I, too, know how it feels to have made a sinful mistake that has completely changed my life and affected the lives of people around me. I, too, have felt the rejection of man and the embarrassment of being the reason someone else has fallen. I, too, have found myself desperate to return to the Lord and to his loving arms that I boldly ran from. I, too, have been provided the perfect sacrifice by the Lord, to cover my wretched sins.
That sacrifice came in the form of a humble man, instead of an animal. A man who was perfect in every way. The Lord knew my sins, he knew everything about me, even though I have found myself in so much shame that I’ve tried to hide.
I’m reminded of the parable in the New Testament where the prodigal son desperately longed to return to his father, and despite his past, he was warmly embraced by his father when he chose to return.
Sin comes in many forms, from busyness to disobedience to idolatry to blame. Whatever sin I find myself in, and unfortunately I always will, may I desperately long to return to the Lord, remembering his sacrifice for me, just as Eve so desperately longed to return to life before her fall.
Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Desperate! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
I’m surprised to acknowledge that I’ve not thought about Eve’s other “firsts” in the past. How grateful I am that when the Father looks at me, He sees the snow-white covering of Jesus, rather than my ugly sin. What sadness and horror Eve must have felt – being the first and only woman to have that amazing relationship with God, without the cloud of sin obscuring her mind and heart -then realizing that she had forsaken it for such cheap pleasures. How she must have grieved the loss of that intimacy after the initial shock of shame began to grow… Read more »