In the temple this morning I realized in a more complete way why Eve was made from a rib. Of course there are the standard answers about her being his equal/helpmeet and it being an image of his side rather than his head or foot. All fine and good, but those explanations only scratch the surface.
Eve came from a rib because the man and woman are one flesh. One flesh that has been divided into two unique bodies serving two unique roles. They are one flesh embodied or personified in the man (thus the practice of women taking their name/residence/identity based on their husbands) but only complete as a unit. Although he may be the figurehead of the one flesh, any individual – man or woman – is only a building block with potential to establish one flesh in conjunction with a complementary partner. He cannot receive exaltation without his rib any more than she can without the source of the rib she came from. (Also, while he can potentially give multiple ribs — thus allowing for polygamy in the imagery—she can only come from one rib.)
Notice that Satan first came to Adam trying to persuade him to partake of the fruit. He knew that if Adam choose to partake without the inducement of conflicting commandments he would be unlikely to later reverse course and repent of his transgression. He knew that Eve would be persuadable by Adam regardless of who took the first step so he hoped to have Adam be more committed to ignoring his Father. As it was, the reason that Adam choose to partake made repentance and obedience completely compatible with the initial choice to partake of the fruit.
I have always argued that Adam was not blaming Eve or excusing his actions when he said that Eve gave him the fruit and he ate but it was even more clear today. He was accepting responsibility for his action by explaining why he made a deliberate choice to disobey. Eve also acknowledged that she made her choice – there was no excuse that she ate in ignorance or partook accidentally.
I notice how Eve is consistently leading with her heart. Not only did she choose to partake (“I will transgress if it is the only way.”) but she felt the difference between the undeclared apostles and her existing teachers and wanted to follow them even before they offered any doctrine. Contrast that with Adam who surely felt that these guests were different but he was content to stand still until they declared themselves to be the messengers he had been waiting for—and even then he verified their claim first.
Reliable men are deliberate in their direction even in those instances where they seem carefree, spontaneous, or rapidly changing course. Right or wrong, if they are true to their nature any quick decision is based on principles that were settled in advance thus Saul can go from zealously persecuting the church to zealously building it.
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