The First Mom

Let’s look at humanities first mom and learn valuable lessons from her both positive and negative.

Her Beginning

Genesis 2:21–22 NASB95

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Eve was fashioned from Adam, but directly created by God as Adam was. After Adam (which means red) awoke, God Himself, in what we call a theophany, escorted Eve to Adam and gave the bride away to her waiting groom. How much time did Eve have with God before Adam awoke? What did they discuss?

Her Innocence

Genesis 2:23–25 NASB95

23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Eve had just been created when she meets Adam. Adam also means ground or earth as well as the color red so let’s call him Red. So Eve meets “Red” mere minutes after she is created from his rib and is married immediately. We need to mention that Eve is the most genetically pure, healthy, and brilliant woman the world has ever seen. She had no accumulated mutations, no chromosomal abnormalities, no disease, no immune deficiency, no belly button, and no sin nature. This describes Adam also. She did not have the benefit of thousands of years of accumulated knowledge, in other words, she didn’t know how to build or use a smart phone but she would be able to figure it out a lot faster than any modern human could with the same information. So, she was able to figure out the situation instantly. She was made for Red and Red was made for her. She would be the first mom of many moms who would leave their parents and be joined to a husband.

Jesus refers back to this instance to defend the intention of marriage. Marriage should be as it was for Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life as if no other woman existed for Adam than Eve and as if no other man existed for Eve than Adam. And if she lived as long as Adam, then they were married for 930 years.

Her Failure

Genesis 3:1–7 NASB95

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

Notice the 3 things that sold her on eating the fruit. The practical reason, it was good for food. It fulfills a basic need that I have so how could it be bad? the Aesthetic reason, it looked beautiful. How could something that beautiful be bad for me? And, the ambitious reason, it was desirable (in a selfish lustful way) to make her wise. How could something that can give me deeper insight and success in my life be bad for me? Only because God said not to. You can almost hear the discussion in her own mind. “I will have children some day, how can I know what to teach them so they can be successful.”

God had given her plenty of good food to eat. God had surrounded her with beautiful things for her to enjoy. And God could have given her the successful knowledge she wanted by learning from Him.

Mom’s please be careful of these justifications for sin in your own lives and avoid them.

Her Excuse

Genesis 3:13 NASB95

13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Red blamed Eve for his sin and Eve, in turn blamed the serpent for her sin rather than take responsibility for her own actions. To be the best mom that you can be you must own up to your own mistakes not play the blame game.

Her Hope

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

While God was cursing the Serpent, whom the woman blamed, God used that cursing to set the foundation for the hope of the human race. This is called the protevangelium or first gospel. Jesus is the seed of the woman promised by God, who died on the cross of calvary which is metaphorically the bruise on the heel of Eve’s offspring. It was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead that crushed the head of Satan. It was the mortal blow that will result in the spiritual death of Satan in the Lake of Fire. Notice that God in his kindness provides the hope of salvation before giving the consequences of Eve’s and Adam’s first sin.

Her Pain

Genesis 3:16 NASB95

16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

She never got to know childbirth as God had intended it to be. Ladies imagine childbirth as welcoming and completely joyous occasion with only minimal sensory feeling to guide your body in delivering a new life to the loving company of family.

Her Covering

Genesis 3:20–21 NASB95

20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

Adam and Eve made temporary fig coverings to hide their knowledge of their sin. This is what Eve wanted by taking the fruit. The knowledge that she craved now seemed terrifying and shameful. The coverings that she and Adam made would wear out quickly and have to be replaced, so God made more permanent coverings that necessitated the death of one of the animals God had made. This illustrated that sin can only be covered by a death and it can only be removed by the death of the Seed that was promised.

Her Sons

Genesis 4:1–2 NASB95

1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.” 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

What a bitter sweet joy it must have been for Eve to hold her 2 boys in her arms. She was the first mother to ever give birth, the first feel the joy and pride of holding her son in her arms with all the hope for the future that a child brings. Was Cain going to be the one that God had promised? Then later when Abel arrived, was it Abel that would crush the head of the serpent?

Her Loss

Genesis 4:16 NASB95

16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

As we know, Cain killed his brother Abel and in act, Eve’s hope of the promised seed was dashed by the evil that she discovered in Cain and the loss of her second son Abel.

Eve had a double blow. Not only was Abel dead, but Cain was excommunicated from the family. So, she lost both sons in one incident and found herself starting over. How did she deal with the pain of these losses? Did she ever see her grandchildren that were born to Cain? We are left to wonder. Through this Eve learned for the first time that each of her children would have to make their own decision as to how they would live and that part of being a mom is the uncertainty of knowing that she couldn’t make all the decisions for her kids. They must grow up and make their own.

Mom’s, you may face heartache and pain because your children, but never loose hope in God who comforts us in our affliction. Know that your job is to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and commit them into His hands

Her Comfort

Genesis 4:25–26 NASB95

25 Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

God did send comfort to the first mom. Seth was a special son. He was like Abel in that he loved the Lord. Eve praise the Lord for the gift of Seth. Seth raised his son Enosh also to love the Lord and together they worshiped as a family.

But, it took a while…

Genesis 5:3 NASB95

3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

Genesis 5:4 NASB95

4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters.

Eve waited until she and Red were 130 years old before they had the comfort of a God fearing son. It was another 105 years before Eve’s grandson Enosh was born. She had to wait until she was 235 years old before she saw her grandson!

Psalm 37:7 NASB95

7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Eve is picture of perseverance, growth in maturity, and hope in the promises of God. Since the first mom went through all this and didn’t lose hope, may you find strength her story and example.