I Blame Eve
She had it all: A good man with a job. Safe home. Perfect body. No drama. No depression. No anxieties. No concerns about the future. No aging. No death.
Eve traded all this...for a piece of fruit...from one tree...in the middle of an island full of fruit trees. Rather than trust the word of God and her husband, she rebelled and elevated herself to a place of unprecedented authority. This is the essence of a feminist (or Jezebel) spirit.
I believe all mental, emotional, and psychological breakdowns in the feminine soul can be traced back to that moment in the Garden of Eden. By taking matters into her own hands, Eve cursed all women who would enter this world.
HOW EVE BLEW IT
Gen. 3:1 says, "...Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"
First, the woman listened to the wrong voice. "Did God really say...?" is the question that destroyed her confidence in the Lord. The Bible doesn't particularly describe Eve as wise, discerning, or prudent - we generally assume she possessed these characteristics because she was made in the image of God. Yet, she succumbed to the serpent's mind game giving no thought to consequences.
Gen. 3:4-6a says, "You won't die!... God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." The woman was convinced.
Next, she believed a lie. Call it a "half-truth," "false truth," or "twisting the truth" - a lie by any other name is still a lie. Again, because Eve was sinless - she was already as God-like as she could possibly be! How did she figure by not knowing evil God was holding out on her!?
We don't have details between verses 5 and 6 as to how/when Eve arrived at her conclusion. She might have evaluated the serpent's words for a minute or an hour. Either way, I'm perturbed that she easily believed a stranger over God and her husband.
The rest of Gen. 3:6 says, "She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too."
Her lust progressed to entitlement. I'm reminded of 1 John 2:16, which says, "For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not from the Father..." Ultimately, the serpent revealed what lurked beneath the surface. Of course, God had His own reasons for allowing sin and death to enter His perfect world. Only He knows why He put that tree in the garden in the first place! Eve's momentary deception did not excuse her self-righteousness. Her punishment included excruciating birth pains and a never-ending power struggle with her husband (all men really).
DYSFUNCTION & PETTINESS
Not only did Eve's curse rip marriages apart, but it also drove a wedge of dysfunction and pettiness into every other relationship. In Geneses 3, the first sign of Eve's psychological issues was hiding from God and covering herself with leaves. Then, she blamed the serpent instead of taking responsibility for her actions. I'll interpret this through a lens of personal experiences with females.
Eve's hiding (dysfunction) and blame game (pettiness) can be translated into the following behaviors:
- She starts out "into you" but drops all communications without warning
- She's upset but you'll have to read her mind to know why
- She acts rejected without cause
- She gossips with you, then gossips about you, and smiles in your face as if nothing is wrong with her behavior
- She makes outlandish commitments ("If you need anything, I'm here for you!"), but her schedule doesn't accommodate you; she makes excuses instead of showing up
- She randomly deploys the silent treatment and allows you to believe you're the problem
- Then there's jealousy, backstabbing, manipulation, self-loathing, comparing, competing...
I could go on, but it's clear women are jacked up. I'm guilty of practicing some form of pettiness and dysfunction as well. And I'm not without scars. I've had friends disappear, and one silly coworker recently deployed the silent treatment. Oh well. That's the nature of Eve.
DAUGHTERS OF EVE
Eve was Adam's equal until she lost her position as the crown of creation (Gen. 3:16b). I'm not saying women are "less than" men. I'm saying our authority and dominion alongside them diminished after the fall. Look at the treatment of women throughout history. Whether it was the right to vote, own property, serve in the military, run a business, or remain single and support themselves - women had to fight for everything men have always enjoyed. And women will never cease striving with men or competing with other females. That's how a curse works.
American women exercise so much liberty they don't realize (or care) that we are still powerless in many parts of the world. Islamic countries are especially known for treating females worse than flea-bitten, stray dogs. Also, consider this statistic: "One in every 6 women are victims of attempted or completed rape...a majority of child victims are 12-17...Of victims under the age of 18: 34% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12." - This is utterly insane and disgusting. (Don't worry, I will definitely address Adam's issues in a future blog.)
Call me petty, but I blame Eve for ruining every woman's life. Even the friendliest, most lovable woman, with great parents, the best childhood memories, a faithful husband, and well-behaved kids has struggled with some degree of insecurity, rejection, or pride. The only way to break Eve's curse is to be born again of the Holy Spirit. Reconciling with God fully restores every woman's sense of identity and spiritual authority - regardless of her accomplishments, a man's affections, bearing children, or body image.
A woman of God may or may not be known on the world's stage, but she's famous in heaven!
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment