So it's been a long while since I've posted here.
I'm not here to update on my life or to write any random posts about things right now.
Instead I am choosing this year to go back to how this blog started. As a place for Bible exploration and comments.
So I will be writing up a series of my thoughts as I read through the major stories of Women in the bible.
Being a Woman, I feel it's sometimes good to read, learn and reflect on how the Bible depicts Women and how God has created them/us to be.
This can be quite a controversial topic in our modern western culture. Many people see the Bible as suppressing Women under the authority of men. My aim isn't to debunk anyone's thoughts but simply to add mine into the mix.
So, to begin this blog post will now look at Genesis Chapter 2. If you don't have a bible on hand then you can read the chapter here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2&version=NIV
So in this Chapter we have the creation account written for the second time, following the ending of the first chapter. It written almost like a speedy commentary on the first chapter, but including some more geographical information about the locations of rivers and such (found in verses 11 to 14). Once we see everything has been created the chapter moves to focus on Adam.
We see Adam's purpose in the garden (verse 15: to work it and take care of it). He has received his rules around what food he can eat and what he can't and his boundaries around the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil (verse 17). Then the focus moves to the fact that Adam, even though he is surrounded by God's creation is 'alone.' We see this in verse 18: 'it is not good for man to be alone, I will make a suitable helper for him.' Here we see Adam is created to be in relationship with another creature. And it can't be any creature because God specifies that he has to 'make a suitable helper.' This is also interesting because at this point God has created everything.
To deal with this problem (of Adam being alone) God brings to Adam all the animals and creatures he has created and has Adam name them. (This is an interesting idea because God hasn't seemed to name of the animals yet, he has created them and now Adam is naming them). The end result of this is that 'no suitable helper was found' (verse 20) out of all the creatures existing at this point. Here we see the phrase 'I will make' come into play. God causes Adam to fall asleep and takes one of his ribs to make the woman. This is an action that hasn't been documented yet either. God is creating life out of something he's already created. The language of creating in Genesis 1 isn't used here either, 'and God said.' Here it says made, not spoke. So this creation is slightly different. After this creation is complete Adam is woken up and he see's Eve and there's an instant knowledge that she is the helper suitable for him. This is seen specifically in verse 23, 'This is now bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' Then they were united as one flesh, they were naked and unashamed. The explanation of our modern term of marriage is also seen here. The man leaving his Father and Mother to be united to his wife in verse 24.
Thoughts on Eve:
She's the last creature documented to be created here. She is created unlike other creatures that she was made and not spoken and she was taken from Adam. She is to be his helper and companion, they are both created to be relational with one another and are therefore united as one.
Eve isn't like the animals that Adam sorted through to find a helper from. She is special in that she was made after finding nothing else created was suitable. She was made specially for a specific purpose which is pretty amazing if you really think about it.
To end my thoughts on the passage I guess I can say I've learnt that Women are pretty special in the slight difference that we have been created. I will be continuing next time with Sarah in Genesis 18.
Many Blessings!
