The story of Adam and Eve cannot be separated from the story of redemption. Our First Nations and every nation on earth traces its ancestry back to the Garden of Eden. Creator formed Adam from the earth, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul (Gen. 2:7).The fact that God Himself gave life to Adam indicates man has both a spiritual and human nature.
The concept of male and female was in the mind of God before creating Eve. From the beginning, God knew it was not good that man should be alone: he needed a counterpart (2:18-20). Eve is not made to compete with Adam, but rather to complete him and share life together. She is created while Adam slept, like a wonderful God-given dream. When Adam wakes, Eve is presented to him by the Lord Himself (v. 22). It is the world’s first wedding. Eve is referred to as his wife, proving marriage is a divinely ordained institution (v. 24). In creating Adam and Eve to be together for life, God provides humankind with the blueprint for lifelong matrimonial happiness (Rom. 7:2). Marriage is so precious in God’s sight, it the primary analogy regarding the relationship between Christ and His Church (Eph. 5:22-33). The divine ideal for human life on earth is indissoluble marital unity.
Adam finds his life inseparably tied to Eve’s. Although she is assigned the task of childbearing, her primary duty is to befriend Adam. Companionship is the basic need of mankind, not conjugal pleasure. Woman is made from Adam’s rib to love and to be loved as an equal partner (Gen. 2:22). The creation of Eve is God’s answer to the human desire for intimate communication. Christ quotes Genesis, stating a man must cleave to his wife and become one flesh (Matt. 19:5).
Creator gives the first couple only one rule: they must not partake of a certain tree (Gen. 2:17). The serpent’s presence and influence show how Adam set himself up for temptation. Adam is with Eve when she is tempted and shares in her disobedience (3:6). Adam submits to the same temptation and eats the forbidden fruit. Each makes a conscious, separate decision to transgress God’s command (Gen. 3:3). Adam makes no attempt to stop Eve from eating, although it is a husband’s duty is to spiritually guide his wife.
Today, many Native wives suffer because their husbands will not lead them spiritually. The husband’s task is to guard his wife from satanic influences (Eph. 6:11 & II Cor. 2:11). Only a committed couple can withstand demonic attacks (Eph. 6:16). Had Adam and Eve discussed the problem as a marital team, they might have withstood the temptation. They should have sought God’s counsel, rather than Satan’s. Because Creator’s command is ignored, both are banned from paradise.
The story of Adam and Eve shows how sin impacts marital life. There is only a short interval between Adam receiving Eve as his wife and attempting to use her as a scapegoat. They both seek to avoid responsibility. Adam blames both God and Eve, hinting if He had not given Eve to him, this would not have happened (Gen. 3:12). Eve then blames the snake (v. 13). Transference of blame has become a popular marital game.
The first married couple was confronted with the choice to obey or disobey. First Nations couples are faced with the choice of accepting or rejecting the Son of God. All nations are connected to Adam and Eve by a common ancestry and sinful nature, for everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Although our first ancestors brought sin into the world, Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary provides forgiveness of sin for all who accept Him as Savior.