Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 4:1-2, 25 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
In Genesis we see the first man, the first woman, the first family, and the first murderer. One of life's oldest lessons is experienced–disappointment. Don't lose faith in God. Hope–we cannot survive without it. Sometimes hope is shattered. The things we could always count on can be gone in a moment's time. Even in the midst of Job's trials and loss of all he had, he proclaimed that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Eve's name meant the mother of all living. By her very name Eve had a purpose. With intuition Adam and Eve named their children. Their first child's name was Cain, and was the fulfillment of promise. Cain means to acquire, hold something. In him Adam and Eve had the promise of God in their arms. Eve said I have gotten a man child from the LORD. She held onto that hope. Our blessing is to hold to Jesus and realize what we have in Him.
The second son was different from Cain. While they named Cain with a name that held security with no flaws, Abel's name meant elusive. It made her afraid that she would never keep him–he would slip through her fingers. In the process of time we see Cain as a tiller of the ground and Abel in the protection of his mother as a shepherd. Then in one sweep of jealously and malice we find Abel on the ground dying. Eve's elusive son was gone. The mother of the living was now the mother of a corpse and a murderer.
As the mother of all living this seems very unfair. However we must make the best of life, whatever happens. God is true. He is sound in his ways. He keeps his promises, even when how it is accomplished would not be how we would do it. We have to keep our fingers off and let God lead.
Abel's testimony still speaks to us. Adam and Eve could have blamed God and quit believing the promise. But it only gets worse when we do something like this. They did not give up. Verse 25 tells us that Seth was born. Eve said God had appointed another seed instead of Abel. Seth means appointed.
We are part of the big picture. We mean more to God that we realize. Even when it seems God is not in control, HE IS. Even when we face what appears to be a dead end, God has a way of completely fulfilling his promises. I CAN'T BUT GOD CAN. Adam and Eve trusted God and Seth came, and civilization came with him. Our little fragile lives can be trusted to God. He can put it all together. Let's fulfill the purpose of God.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 