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Point of Reference
by Fred Price
Eve’s name probably means “Living,” called such as she was the mother of all living beings. (Genesis 3:20) She represents the pure and pristine ideal of womanhood, undoubtedly a creature of unsurpassed beauty; ultimately spoiled by sin yet an example of God’s plan of salvation and redemption. She was not only a necessary partner who made Adam’s life complete, although she was his unique soul-mate and companion – but the crown of God’s amazing creative work; the last living thing brought into existence. She was fashioned by God’s own hand with particular care and attention to detail, not from the substance of the earth but out of the living flesh and bone of Adam. (Genesis 2:20-25) Adam representing the supreme being (Genesis 1:27) while Eve embodied humanity’s glory (1 Corinthians 1:7); however her outward appearance is never mentioned, reinforcing the biblical teaching that true femininity does not depend on superficiality but on the inner being. (1 Peter 3:3-5)
Eve shared the same essential nature of Adam, in no way inferior to him nor made merely to satisfy his needs. She was his spiritual counter-part, an intellectual equal; in every way a companion. There were however, clear distinctions in their creative design and designated roles; the differences going beyond their physical make-ups. They were diverse emotionally, psychologically and socially; their peculiar strengths equipping them for distinctive roles and purposes.
Eve’s downfall, for which she is most readily remembered, came about as the result of the first test between good and evil, doubt and trust, the truth and a lie. When asked, “Did God really say,…?”, she replied yes; to which her inquisitor assured her that wasn’t quite true. She could become like her mentor in knowing good and evil – a desirable thing, don’t you think? She was tempted by a lie based on truth, a counterfeiting of God’s ideal; the modus operandi of the devil. She relied on her senses – how she felt, the appearance of the fruit on the trees, the anticipation of how it would taste – the benefits seemingly outweighing the risks, and was made like the devil instead of comparable to God; fallen, corrupted and condemned. Satan is a master at introducing uncertainty about God’s meaning, suspicion concerning his motives and apprehension concerning his plan. (Genesis 3:1-7) As a result, a world of evil was set in motion by her disobedience even as hope of a Savior was implied in the promise of offspring.
In declaring His displeasure and invoking a curse for their disobedience, God predicted continued enmity between the serpent and the family of Adam (Genesis 3:15), a hint of man’s redemption found in a descendant’s crushing of the serpent’s head; part of Eve’s personal redemption occurring as a result of childbearing. (1 Timothy 2:15) Cain becoming a tremendous source of disappointment and heartache, Seth founding a Godly line of people to perpetuate the Word of God throughout the world. (Genesis 4:26) In a vastly changed environment, Eve repented, adapted and grew in her knowledge and understanding of God, bearing the children the earth’s kingdoms were established on and birthing the line through which God’s son would be introduced to the world. Not realizing the full ramifications of her actions, she none-the-less continued to comprehend what she could, do what she must and looked to God for blessing, redemption and fulfillment; which she received.
Sarah’s life could be summed up as hoping against hope. (Hebrews 11:11) By no means a perfect model of meekness or grace – she could be temperamental, conniving, jealous, unreasonable and even a bit cruel. Sarai, sometimes interpreted as “Contentious,” became Sarah – or “Princess” at the age of 90; the same time Abram, meaning “Exalted father”, was renamed Abraham, “Father of a multitude”. (Genesis 17:15) Throughout her life she was repeatedly looked on by others favorably because of her striking good looks, which could spoil any woman. But before we write her off as an inappropriate model of womanly faith, let’s take a closer look at her personal circumstances. From the size of the caravan leaving Ur, she and Abram must have been somewhat wealthy. Sarah was asked to leave the comforts of home and the convenience of city-life, leaving behind family and friends for the life of an itinerant nomad in the deserts of an unknown land. And for what? Because a God who rarely spoke to her as he did to her husband said so, with vague promises of blessings to come. (Genesis 12:1, Hebrews 11:8)
Her most significant problem however was her lack of children, the majority of her life characterized by the statement, “Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.” Genesis 11:30; which corrupted her sense of self-worth and purpose in life, causing frustration, depression and finally foolishness. In persuading Abraham to father a child with her servant Hagar, which she would claim as her own, she predictably created more problems than she solved.
Sarah was a study in contrasts and contradictions, often a model of humility, meekness, hospitality, faithfulness and affection as well as the aforementioned less than perfect traits. God chose Abraham to be the father of a nation that would testify to His goodness and glory; which would certainly imply Sarah’s role as mother of that nation. In a sense then, the pressure was all on Sarah to produce a child or be blamed for Abraham’s failure. Through a number of hardships and trials, she endured and was blessed by Yahweh as a result. (For instance see Genesis 13:2) Yet the question remained; Had God promised something he couldn’t bring about or did he intend to use someone other than Sarah to accomplish it? Could it be God was purposefully withholding a child from her? Yes – so that when his timetable was met, no one could question His involvement in bringing it about. Her surrogate solution, as all attempts at improving or circumventing God’s will, was disastrous.
Finally, after years of wavering hope and faltering faith, when it seemed utterly unreasonable to think God could use her or Abraham to fulfill his promises – she got a new name and a renewed promise, with a fixed date of fulfillment; directed specifically to her. (Genesis 18:10-15) When questioned about her mirth at the seemingly preposterous pronouncement, she denied it. With the birth of her son a year later, she reveled in her joy, naming her long-promised son Isaac – laughter. (Genesis 21:6) As Abraham is characterized as the spiritual father of all who believe (Romans 4:9-11, Galatians 3:7), so Sarah is acknowledged as the spiritual mother of all women of faith. ( 1 Peter 3:5,6)
Even though at times she doubted, questioned and became sullen and angry; she never completely abandoned her trust in God nor her love for Abraham – and was finally rewarded with her heart’s desire. She was molded by these years of trial and testing, created anew into the woman God desired, the wife Abraham needed and the mother Isaac deserved.
“God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6
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Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
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