Cheryl Schatz

Welcome Ramona,

You said

however, when the instructions for the Garden were given, she was not yet created

The very first time that the instructions were given what they could eat is found in Genesis 1:29 and it is said to a plural “you”. While the prohibition is not quoted in the first chapter, it is mentioned in chapter 2 and chapter 3. But of interest is the first mention of what they could eat was placed in chapter 1 and said to both of them.

You said that Eve could have been told about the prohibition by Adam. You said

In that view, this message about not eating from the forbidden tree could very well have been relayed to Eve by they one God clearly did tell -Adam.

If Adam had told Eve she would have used the term “us”. The inspired words of Scripture has Eve quoting God saying “you” (plural), thus we know for sure that God gave the command about the forbidden tree to both of them. According to chapter 2 of Genesis God gave the command as a singular “you” to Adam when Eve was not yet created, and He also gave the command to both of them after Eve was created (chapter 3 plural “you”). We don’t need to guess. The text tells us.

The idea that “don’t even touch it” was an addition from Adam is refuted by the inspired text “you” not “us” and after Eve had quoted God saying that, and we have no reason not to believe Eve, God did not reprove Eve, even though He reproves those who adds to His Word. The first sin was not adding to God’s words. Adam did not add to God’s word and neither did Eve.

You said that Eve was naturally in Adam’s care, however the Bible said that God made a helper for him, not a needy person that needed to be cared for as a child. Eve met Adam’s need. She was a strong helper.

You also said that Eve could be more tempted because of what her husband said. However, the Bible never said that Adam tempted Eve. The clear words of Scripture say that the serpent deceived Eve. She was tempted because she was deceived by the lies of the serpent. Nowhere does it say that God did not speak the prohibition to Eve. Her testimony is that God spoke to both of them when she was with Adam.

You said that both Adam and Eve were to blame, yet the Scripture clearly states that Adam was not deceived. (1 Timothy 2). Eve was the one deceived and the blame is placed at the feet of the one who was not deceived. God curse the earth because of Adam’s sin, not because Eve was thoroughly deceived and ate in that state.

You wrote:

Eve paid her dues for sure….and her desire was for her husband but he would rule over her henceforth. I feel like that says something about the created order, but not that Eve was less.

If it was “created order” for Adam to rule over Eve, then God would have stated that at creation. It is not created order. When Eve was deceived and Adam sinned with full knowledge, not being deceived himself, it was at least 100 years after creation. God told Eve what the man would do to her. God never spoke to Adam about ruling over his wife. Those words were not said to him as if God was directing him. God said “he will” not “I will that he rules over you”. It was over 100 years since they were created so how was it God’s non-command words about what the sinner Adam would do, suddenly become created order? If she was created to be ruled, wouldn’t we see that in the creation account rather than over 100 years later at the fall?

You said that maybe Eve needed a little more protection than Adam understood, but think about this. If Adam failed to protect Eve when she was being deceived by the serpent and Adam knew that the serpent was lying, why would God place her husband over her to rule over her after the fall when Adam had already failed her before the fall? God’s words are a reflection of the result of the fall on Adam’s relationship with Eve. They can’t possibility be about the created order. Adam and Eve were in the garden for a long time before the fall and no accounting of the man’s rule over the woman was documented. For sure Adam failed Eve. He was not deceived and he let her be deceived without letting her know that the serpent was lying and saving her from the deception. Adam’s rule over Eve was Adam’s own sinful idea predicted by God. God warned Eve about what Adam would do. God never told her that she was created to be ruled.

You said that we don’t know how much a powerful influence Eve had on Adam. We do know for sure that Adam was NOT deceived. Eve could not have had a powerful influence on Adam because Adam was not deceived. Adam was not deceived by the serpent and Adam was not deceived by Eve. He simply was not deceived.

I think it is important that we pay attention to all the information given to us by the Scripture. Paul told us that Adam was not deceived and we cannot make an excuse for him. Adam is the one who brought sin into the world and Jesus is the second (or last) Adam. Through one man sin entered the world.

I hope this helps!