People say that Eve was the first to sin. She ate of the forbidden fruit of which God told Adam and Eve to abstain.
But other scholars say it wasn't Eve who was the first to sin. Rather, it was Adam. See, Adam had been put in charge of the garden before Eve came into the picture. He was to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). Then God created a "suitable helper" (v. 18) in Eve by creating her from the flesh and side of Adam.
When the serpent approached Eve he enticed her with the fruit and a promise that if she ate of it "you will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). Adam was right there. The Bible says, after she ate of it, Eve "gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (v. 6). He was beside her and did nothing to stand between Eve and the serpent. He was silent when she ate of the apple. He knew that death was the result and he was passive in the moment. He should have stood up for Eve and taken care of her.
Death entered the garden.
Adam and Eve's eyes were opened to sin and they hid from God. When God asked why they were hiding they answered they were "afraid" (v.10). It seems like they were also ashamed since they were covering their once naked bodies with leaves.
Then, more sin happened: the blame game began. God seeing (and knowing why) they were hiding asked if they had eaten from the forbidden fruit. Adam doesn't own his sin; instead, he shifts the blame TO God! Adam answered God, "The woman YOU put here- she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it" (v.12). It seems audacious for Adam to blame God for something he got himself into, but don't we as humans do that all the time?
Eve, not to be outdone, also tried shifting the blame to the serpent, "the serpent deceived me and I ate." Neither Adam nor Eve accepted their roles in the sin and death they had brought into the garden. They blamed God and something outside of themselves even though they knew their actions would have consequences.
It's here we can shift gears and think about abortion. When one examines the original sin and abortion, the parallels are striking.
As a society we are quick to blame the woman first when it comes to abortions just as we like to pick on Eve when it comes to the first sin. But let's back up a bit, because before there was a pregnant woman there was a man who should have protected and cared for her. There was a man who impregnated her and, whether it was an act of love or one of force, it began with a man.
Now we have a woman who is pregnant and afraid, much like Eve was after her eyes were open to her sin (Genesis 3:7). The man who impregnated her may be supportive and want their child, but perhaps the woman is too overcome with fear. Does the man affirm her, protect and support her? Or does he stand there in his silence? Does he watch her sin and slink into the shadow as she invites death upon them?
As women face the choice of abortion where are the men?
Facing an abortion is much like Eve facing the temptation of the fruit. She was promised she would "be like God" and it's true when it comes to abortion. Modern "Eves" (aka women) play god. They know death is the consequence, just as Eve knew in the garden, yet they blame the circumstances, are tempted by the power and are selfish in their motives. They liken themselves to God and let death enter the womb, which is a sacred garden in itself.
So we see how much abortion reflects the original sin. We keep doing it, shifting blame and denying our part. But why?
We see in the Garden of Eden that God took pity on Adam and Eve. Yes, there were consequences for their sin, but God still loved them. He shed innocent blood to cover their guilty bodies. And He does so for us too. If we accept our part of the death we have invited, He wants to cover us as well. Christ lived a perfect life, died a brutal way and overcame death because He loves us and wants to save us. We just have to do our part to start the healing. We have to own up to our failures. We have to lean on him.
We have to redefine what abortion is and recognize it for what it is. It's not a "choice." Abortion is "death." Abortion is an extension of what happened in the Garden. It's the ultimate parallel to the original sin: Man sinned; woman sinned. Man blamed another; woman blamed another. God loved; God covered.
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Note from the author: One in four women will have an abortion by the age of 45. If you have had an abortion, there is healing and support available. A great place to start would be your local Pregnancy Care Center or find a Christian counselor who can point you to some Biblical resources. Let God cover you like He wants.
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