I
closed my
previous email with Yahweh cursing the snake and then
turning his attention to Eve. Before I continue with the story, I want to pause
and point out some things you must keep in mind as the story continues.
The
commandment Yahweh gave Adam stated that “in the day you eat of the
forbidden fruit dying you will die.” The Hebrew phrase translated “dying
you will die” does not mean “you will fall over dead,” it
means “the process of dying will begin.” Adam ate the forbidden fruit,
and that process began.
The
first act of justice in the Bible happened when Yahweh asked Adam if he had
eaten the forbidden fruit. He questioned Adam and listened to his answer. He
questioned Eve and listened to her answer. He cursed the snake. Now Yahweh is
going to reveal the consequences of their actions, beginning with Eve.
1.
I will greatly multiply your hardship, pain and suffering in general.
Her life is going to change dramatically from what it has been. Yahweh doesn’t
reveal specifically what those changes will be, but He describes three things
she has not experienced yet.
2.
I will greatly multiply your pregnancies. Because Adam ate
the forbidden fruit, not Eve, the process of dying has begun. New lives are required
to replace the lives of Adam and Eve when they die, if mankind is to survive.
3. In hardship, pain and suffering you shall bring forth children. This is related to her functions as a mother and Adam’s
functions as a father. It is not connected to childbirth, but to process of
raising children. Keep this mind as you read the stories of their children – Cain,
Abel and Seth.
4.
Your desire shall be to your man. Eve’s
desire for the forbidden fruit exceeded her desire for Adam. Yahweh’s words are
correcting that situation.
5.
He shall rule with you.
At the beginning of this story, we were told that Adam and Eve will be tested
to see whether they will “act together.” Instead they acted as individuals and
did things that harmed their own lives. Yahweh’s words are correcting that
situation.
Be
sure to note that Eve was not cursed. Numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 are directly related to
God’s blessing of the humans in the first story. The man and woman are
equal to and adequate for each other in every way, but they have specific functions
related to their genders that are related to reproducing and raising children.
Now
Yahweh turns His attention to Adam. The first thing Yahweh does is state the
offense Adam committed – “You listened to the voice of your woman and ate fruit
of the tree I commanded you, “you shall not eat.” Next Adam learns the consequences
of his actions.
1.
Cursed is the ground because of you. Be sure to
note that the ground is cursed, not Adam.
2.
By hardship, pain and suffering you shall eat of it all the days of your
life. Adam’s life changed just like Eve’s.
3.
The ground will grow thorns and thistles for you. In
response to the curse, Adam will have to deal thorns and thistles among the
plants he requires for food.
4.
You shall eat the plants of the field and by the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread. Adam and Eve’s new diet will include food
that had previously been the food of animals.
5.
You shall return to the ground from which you were taken, because
you are dirt and to dirt you shall return. Adam now knows that his
destiny is to return to the ground from which he was taken and that is
somewhere outside of and west of the Garden.
Adam
and Eve stood before Yahweh and heard His words together. At that point in time,
they had no way of knowing what those words meant or how dramatically their
lives would change. I will continue the story in my next email.
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Jim
Myers
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