A FORGOTTEN LEGACY – EVE (Continued)
Written by Rev. Dorothy A. Jenkins
Let’s take a closer look at the forgotten legacy of Eve and why remembering her legacy is a blessing to us as women. A legacy can be anything of value handed down from the past (from an ancestor or predecessor: those who have come before us). We can think of it as an inheritance which benefits those whom have been designated to receive it. My sisters in Christ that would be us. Now let me remind you what we have inherited from Eve.
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: The Image and Likeness of God.
In Gen 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. The word Man here refers to male and female. Which means God created Eve in His likeness and image just as he did Adam. So, women of God, we have inherited intelligence and decision-making skills. We have inherited the ability to love as God loves, kindness, patience, goodness, meekness, joy, faith, peace, self control, gentleness. We have inherited a heart like God’s. These characteristics describe God, so doesn’t it feel good to know that, thanks to Eve, they now belong to us!
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: Intimacy with God.
In Genesis 3:8a, we learn that God walked and talked in the Garden with Eve just as he did Adam. So that lets us know that Eve had a personal relationship with God. She did not get to know God through Adam, but from her own relationship with Him. (We can share friends, but each will have a different relationship with that particular friend.) And now that is our inheritance. God walks and talks with us through his word. We develop intimacy with God the more time we spend reading and studying His Word. I am honored to receive this inheritance from Eve. What about you?
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: Uniqueness
Genesis 2:22-23 tells us that Eve was Fashioned and formed by the Hand of God, from flesh and bone. (Not from the earth, as was Adam and all other living creatures). So, women we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made! We can be proud of being women that have a uniqueness shared by none of God’s other creations; and that this was passed on to us by Eve is truly a blessing. And… it is ours to hold onto when we are not feeling so good about the way we look. For those of us who know women who may have low self-esteem and low opinions of themselves, it is our responsibility to remind them of this wonderful inheritance which is in their possession.
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: Strength
Genesis 2:18. says that God created Eve to be an ‘Azar’ which in Hebrew means strong helper. It means to protect and aid. God created Eve to be strong in heart, mind, body, soul and spirit to fulfill the purpose he created her for. She was assigned as helper and protector to Adam. As women, we need to know that we cannot protect and help anyone without this type of strength. My sisters, when you are feeling tired and burdened because of family, ministry, church, the community or the world, remember your inheritance. Remember you have inherited all the strength you need to make it through.
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: Equality with Men
In reading Genesis 1:28 we find that both Adam and Eve were commanded and given the authority to subdue the world and rule over every living creature on the earth. And if we as women fail to obey that command and abuse the authority given to us by God, we just as men, will suffer the same consequences. So in receiving this inheritance we must understand that we are not to be in competition with men or feel like men have more of a special privilege of being used by God than we as women do, but that we all share an equal responsibility to walk in obedience to the will of God for our lives and the world around us.
FROM EVE WE HAVE INHERITED: God’s Eternal Love For Us
In Genesis 3:15, Eve made the wrong choice. But even in her disobedience God’s love for her remained unchanged. God showed his eternal love for Eve in his promise of sending a Savior to restore her legacy and destroy the work of the Devil. And we have inherited that same love. We are benefactors of the fulfilled promise through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It is so wonderful to know that even in the midst of our disobedience and sins, we can receive God’s eternal love through forgiveness just as Eve did.
SUMMARY
It doesn’t matter what region Eve came from; whether she was black, white, or a woman of color. What really does matter is who created her, how she was created and why she was created.
What matter’s is that when you are feeling down, depressed, or ready to throw in the towel, you can remember Eve and be lifted up out of that pit. Remember yourself, just like Eve, as being fashioned and formed by the hand of God; made in His image and likeness; given an awesome assignment as a strong helper and protector; you are a warrior for God, part of His Kingdom Building alliance.
Remember that the authority that was given to Eve by God, is the same authority that we as believers still have. Remember that just like Eve, we have to suffer the consequences of the decisions we make. Remember that Adam and Eve lost the comforts of home, they had to work harder for food, and it wasn’t so easy bringing and raising children in the world. But because of God’s eternal love for them, they were never forsaken. We, too, must know that we as believers can make it through the bad times, sad times, and not so good times because we have inherited the promise of Jesus Christ, who said he will never leave or forsake us.
Forgotten means to forget; to cease to remember; fail to remember; be unable to recall. Let’s not forget the legacy of Eve which now belongs to us as women. Let’s not forget that we are all that Eve was and was meant to be. And that because of the promised Savior, Jesus Christ, Eve is no longer a forgotten legacy, but a remembered legacy that lives through each of us.