EVEHer Name Means ''Life-giving''or ''Mother of All Who Have Life''HER CHARACTER: She came into the world perfectly at peace with herGod and with her husband, the only other person onthe planet. She lived in Paradise, possessing everypleasure imaginable. She never knew the meaning ofembarrassment, misunderstanding, hurt, estrangement,envy, bitterness, grief, or guilt until she listened to herenemy and began to doubt God.KEY SCRIPTURES: Genesis 1:26--31; Genesis 2--4The man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all thebeasts of the field.But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God causedthe man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one ofthe man''s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.Then the LORD Godmade a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he broughther to the man.The man said,''This is now bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;she shall be called ''woman,''for she was taken out of man.

''For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united tohis wife, and they will become one flesh.The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals theLORD God had made. He said to the woman,''Did God really say,''Youmust not eat from any tree in the garden''?''The woman said to the serpent,''We may eat fruit from the trees in thegarden, but God did say,''You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in themiddle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'''' ''You will not surely die,'' the serpent said to the woman.''For Godknows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be likeGod, knowing good and evil.''When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food andpleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some andate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they werenaked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. So the LORD God said to the serpent,''Because you have done this,''Cursed are you above all the livestockand all the wild animals!You will crawl on your bellyand you will eat dustall the days of your life.''GENESIS 2:20--3:7, 14Eve''s Life and TimesC h i l d b i r t hEve was the first woman to conceive a child, the first to harbor a fertilizedegg in her womb. Did she understand the miracle taking placewithin her as her belly swelled and her child began to move? Did sheknow the wonder of love for a child yet unborn? The Bible doesn''t giveus those answers. But it does tell us that Eve recognized that life was inGod''s control.At Cain''s birth she exclaimed,''With the help of the Lord,I have brought forth a man'' (Genesis 4:1).God''s judgment on Eve---''with pain you will give birth to children''---was no doubt exactly what Eve experienced in birthing this firstchild. It''s the process we appropriately term labor.

Eve likely bore the painand went through the entire birth with only Adam''s help.Later, Hebrew women had the help of experienced midwives, whoknew remedies for common delivery difficulties. Midwives'' responsibilitiesafter the birth included cutting the umbilical cord,washing the newborn,rubbing it with salt for cleansing, and then wrapping it in swaddlingcloths.The birth stool referred to in Exodus 1:16 was probably a low stoolon which the mother-to-be squatted, allowing the force of gravity to aidin the birth process.The midwife and possibly other close relatives heldthe mother''s hands to give comfort as well as stability as the mother boredown.Our Life and TimesWomen throughout the centuries have borne the results of Eve''s sin.Their pain in childbearing unites them in a common bond of an experienceshared.The experience is an unusual combination of the earthyand at the same time the unearthly.

The pains, the panting, the mess anddisorder connected with the birth of a child are of the earth, of Eve herself.But what is brought forth, and the bond between the mother andthe child of this experience, is unearthly, something only the Creator oflife could forge.Eve''s Legacy in ScriptureRead Genesis 2:21--25.1. Describe Adam''s situation (2:18, 20). In this paradise, what need did he have that only a womancould fulfill?2. What does being ''one flesh'' (2:24) in a marriage mean, both physically and spiritually?3. Think of a couple who truly seems to be ''one flesh.

''What is their relationship like?Read Genesis 3:1--13.4. Genesis 3:1--5 is one of the saddest passages in Scripture, but also the one that sets the stage for allthat is to come. How easily do you think the serpent deceived Eve? Do you think she ate of thefruit the first time he approached her, or did he wear her down over a period of time?5. Why did Eve eat the fruit (3:6)?6. Eve is rationalizing her sin here. Even though she knew it was wrong, she came up with three reasonsfor eating from the tree.What sorts of reasons do you come up with to rationalize your sin?14 WOMEN OF THE BIBLE7.

Adam and Eve produce a classic scene of passing the blame:Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent(3:12--13). Is any one of the three participants any more or less to blame? What do the cursesGod pronounces on each tell you about who is ''at fault'' (3:14--19)?Read Genesis 3:20--24.8. What is the first thing God does for Adam and Eve after he declares what their punishment will be?9. What does God''s act tell you about him? What do you think he is willing to do for you after youhave sinned and repented?Read Genesis 4:1--2.10. Whom does Eve acknowledge as the source of life (4:1)?11. Eve now has two sons (4:2).

Cain''s name is Hebrew for ''brought forth,'' while Abel''s name means''breath'' or ''temporary'' or ''meaningless.'' It is the same Hebrew word used in Ecclesiastes 1:2.Certainly,Abel''s life was not meaningless, but it was short, and his name suggests what was to come.Compare Abel''s name here and the verse in Ecclesiastes.What connections can you see betweenthe two?.