Thoughts by Eldredge...

'...Before Eve is drawn from Adam's side and leaves that ache that never goes away until he is with her, God gives Adam some instructions on the care of creation, and his role in the unfolding story. It's pretty basic, and very generous. "You may freely eat any fruit from the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:16-17 NLT). Okay, most of us have heard about that. But notice what God doesn't tell Adam.

There is no warning or instruction over what is about to occur: the Temptation of Eve. This is staggering. Notably missing from the dialogue between Adam and God is something like this" "Adam, one more thing. A week from Tuesday, about four in the afternoon, you and Eve are going to be down in the orchard and something dangerous is going to happen. Adam, are you listening? The eternal destiny of the human race hangs on this moment. Now, here's what I want you to do..." he doesn't tell him. He doesn't even mention it, so as far as we know. Good grief-why not?! Because God believes in Adam. This is what he's designed to do-to come through in a pinch. Adam doesn't need play-by-play instructions because this is what Adam is for. It's already there, everything he needs, in his design, in his heart.'

All of that is not as much serious as it is funny, in my opinion. However, I think there is some truth in it. God could have told Adam what was going to happen. Eldredge thinks that it is because God believed in Adam. I think that is a good possibility. But I would like to expand some. Why would God believe in Adam if He is all seeing? If he knew what He was going to do then why would He believe in him. I guess you could raise the question, "how could God believe in anybody?" I don't know...

I have just recently found a new appreciation for Eve. I guess I have always had a bad opinion of Eve since I mean she ate the fruit and so on so on. But it was put into my perspective that Eve was the finishing touch of all creation. As Eldredge puts it in Wild at Heart, all was dark, then there was flowers, then animals, then Adam. "The triumph of God's handiwork." Then after that there is Eve. God's finishing touch. Eve, the beginning woman. I don't know. You got to appreciate that. I like Eldredge's remark as if he were talking from Adam's point of view. "Wow!" It makes me curious. How pretty was she? What kind of mother was she to her children? What kind of life did she live? What kind of woman was she? I think I can imagine what Adam was like. He was fierce, masculine, brave, and God fearing. It is just an incredible thought. What were these people like thousands of years ago. Sorry, it is just kind of mind blowing to me that's all.