And the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (Gen. 3:20)
Chapter 3 of Genesis is known for the curses or judgments given to the serpent, Adam, and Eve. But at such a sober moment in human history, there was also an awakening. And out of that awakening, there was an understanding. Up until this point, Adam had named all the creatures on the earth, but not his wife. So when did Adam name Eve? Interestingly, Adam named his wife Eve “the mother of all living” as a response to God’s judgment and discipline to them. At that moment, Adam understood that in that verdict there was also salvation: that the purpose of mankind has everything to do with producing and multiplying life.
Eve, however, had a very different reaction. Eve sought to “acquire” something for herself. When Eve bore Cain, she declared that she had “acquired a man…” (4:1). It was as if she proclaimed that the fruit of her womb was from her own labor, separate from God. We see this condition of division manifest in the life of her firstborn son, Cain, who, through jealousy, murdered his own brother — and through whom a secondary line of men fell far away from God’s original intent and purpose. As Eve’s son, Cain continued her self-trying effort, laboring in the field to produce an offering unacceptable to God. And just like his mother, Cain was cursed by God. Like Eve, we often find ourselves very physical, trying to do, or “acquire,” from our own efforts. But that yields a different nature of the fruit: not a multiplication of life, but a multiplication of curses, blood, and punishment “greater than [we] can bear” (4:13). This living, born out of our own self-trying independence from God, will indeed make us small and miserable.
Do you know what the church is today? She is a fertile ground. In a way to speak, the church is a mother. What does she do? She parents, nurtures, and ministers life, which makes Eve the mother of all living. And this motherhood is not a demand or a chore. It is our salvation. Today, we all are “sisters” before the Lord, but are we narrow and striving to prove ourselves, or are we grand and vast as true mothers? When we were created, the Lord gave us the authority to rule over the earth. Yet, we took that position completely to ourselves, became arrogant, defiled the Lord’s will, and acquired our own kingdoms of man — altogether separate from the Lord’s line of life. Today, what is our reaction to the judgment given to us — to salvation? What kind of fruit are we bearing? Does it satisfy the Lord’s will? May we be reminded again that we are indeed the mother of all living. We need not acquire anything out of our own self-effort, but instead, should only multiply and reproduce the life of Christ!
(Above are notes of fellowship taken from gatherings on 4/24/2024 and 4/28/24, not reviewed by the speaker. Read part 2 here.)