Mother of All Living

Last week, I was looking at some verses that speak about women. I had the opportunity to speak some at church for Mother’s Day and I wanted to share some positive things that the Bible says about women. One verse that I was really interested in was Gen 3:20, “ The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.”

At creation, Adam said, “this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

After the fall, God told them of the consequences of their sin, which was death and all the pain and hardship that death brought, but within the consequences was also the promise that the woman would have an offspring who would bruise the head of the serpent.

Immediately afterward, Adam called his wife Eve. This was before Eve had born children. She was not actually a mother, but Adam said she was the mother of all living. Eve actually means “life-giver”.

I am intrigued by the fact that after the fall, Adam called his wife “life-giver”.  I’m thinking that he could have called her “death-bringer”,  but he did not.  Adam was speaking in faith.  God had promised that the woman would bear an offspring who would restore them, who would crush the head of the serpant. Adam was looking forward to the fulfillment of that promise. The woman had brought death into the world, both physical and spiritual death, when she disobeyed God. Now, the woman had the opportunity to bring life back to them, both physical and spiritual life. At this point, God had pronounced the consequences of their sin, ending with the statement, “for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return." (Gen 3:19). This had to be the lowest moment in the short history of humanity, but the very next verse brings hope,  “ The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living”. Adam was declaring that he knew there would be life.Life would not be the same. Their lives were forever changed.

Woman was created to be in relationship. The consequences of the fall made relationships hard. From the time of the fall, men and women have struggled to live together, they rarely understand each other and often hurt each other.  The man would have to work a ground that was cursed. Work would be hard and painful.  These were the very real, unchangeable consequences of their actions.

But, that is not the end.  God had promised an offspring who would restore them. When Adam called his wife “life-giver”, he was speaking in faith. The woman had brought death into the world, both physical and spiritual death, when she disobeyed God. Now, the woman had the opportunity to bring life back to them, both physical and spiritual life. 

This speaks to me of a responsibility to bring life to every situation; to speak words that would bring life, words of encouragement, hope, faith, and love;  instead of words of complaint, criticism, and grumbling that would bring discouragement and death.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

Prov 18:21