Sunday, February 9, 2014

Eve, the Mother of All Living


And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many. (Moses 4:26)

This phrase about Eve being “the mother of all living” is one that puzzles me.  Yes, I know she was the woman we all came from, but it seems like it has depths to it that need exploring.

It was given to Eve even before she ever had children.  I wonder if “mother” also communicates Eve’s ability to nurture.  Perhaps this ability was evident to Adam before she bore children.

What do we learn from the fact that Adam gave Eve this name?  It tells us he had this huge appreciation for her future role.  How did he get this appreciation or knowledge?  Or how did he even know what a “mother” was?   How did he know how she would become a mother?

If I may be permitted to speculate, I suspect that when the Lord married Adam and Eve and commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth, He also explained to them how that was to be done.  And since the Lord teaches so well, He must have explained it in such a way as to emphasize the sacredness and the miracle of it and how it fit into the plan of salvation.

Seen this way, Adam’s naming of Eve is his gasp of wonder.  I think Adam was in awe of the powers of creation that were part of Eve’s body and he wanted to remember that, and so he made it part of her name.  It is likely that Eve wouldn’t have allowed that name to stand if she hadn’t been similarly thrilled with what her body would allow her to do.

So, it seems to me that in Adam’s name for Eve we see a consciousness of and respect for the woman’s part in bringing about the creation of new human life.


3 comments:

Rozy Lass said...

I like the way your mind works. I've often thought about Adam and Eve being cast out into the lone and dreary world to fend for themselves and find myself thinking that God wouldn't be so cruel. They must have learned many skills in the garden that would serve them later, being taught by their Father or others the things they would need to know. We don't know how long they were there in the garden, it could have been a very long time. Thanks for your thoughts. Very wise and deep.

ashes said...

Recently, I have come to my own conclusion that after Eve was created, but while Adam was still sleeping from his 'rib surgery', she received some specific instruction from God. I mean, it's logical right? If she didn't have some clue about what was really going on, do you think she really would have gone anywhere with this weird looking other person? She just seems sooo eager to start her life with Adam. And I think it must be because she had just spent a lot of time learning at the foot of our Father. And a huge part of me really, really wants to know what that instruction was...

Michaela Stephens said...

Rozy Lass, yes, I think probably they had some instruction about what they would need to do to provide for themselves.

ashes, I don't know what instruction Eve might have separate from Adam, unless it had to do with what to expect in childbearing. But you do bring up an interesting point--how Eve would decide to take Adam. She would either have to be very trusting (kind of like Rebecca, who went to marry Isaac without having met him before), or she would have to get acquainted with him first.