Torah Portion Bresheet: The Promise of Eve

We are all familiar with the curse of Eve in that bearing children would be painful. But this can be seen as a promise as well. First, God promised that a redeemer would be born from her. The promise is hidden in the curse on the serpent. Look at Genesis 3:15

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (MKJV)

The redeemer who would crush the serpent would be of the woman’s “seed.” Women don’t have “seed”, men do! But this redeemer would not be from a man’s seed—He would be born of a woman, Mary, and the Holy Spirit would quicken the “seed” in her.

Second, she was promised pain in bearing. Specifically, there is pain associated with bearing the Messiah. The pain foreshadows the pain of God Himself as He redeems the world. Isaiah tells us in chapter 42:13-14

“The LORD goes out as a warrior, He stirs up zeal like a man of wars; He shouts, yea, roars; He overcomes His enemies. 14 I have kept silence from forever; I have been still and refrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in pangs of labor, I will pant and gasp at once.” (MKJV)

He will triumph over His enemies but the victory is accomplished by pain as in childbirth. Like childbirth, it is eagerly awaited and its outcome will bring great joy. But the pain for God comes when He must bring judgment to those who won’t repent and accept the salvation offered to them. Peter tells us in 2 peter 3:9 that,

“The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any of us should perish, but that all of us should come to repentance.” (MKJV)

But the time will come suddenly, like a woman in childbirth. Although the birth is expected, the actual time of birth is not known. Paul says in 1 Thes. 5:3

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety! Then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail upon a woman with child. And they shall not escape.” (MKJV)

After the pain, a woman receives great joy—a child.

John 16:21 “The woman has grief when she bears, because her hour has come. But when she brings forth the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of the joy that a man is born into the world.” (MKJV)

The reign of Messiah will come and He will reign in peace.

Mic 5:3-5a “Therefore He will give them over until the time the one giving birth has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the sons of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah His God. And they shall sit, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And this One shall be peace.” (MKJV)

At that time, there will be no more curse. John writes in the Revelation,

Re 22:3 “And every curse will no longer be; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him.” (MKJV)

So, you mothers and mothers-to-be, as your remember the birth of your child or as the time for the birth of your child comes, pray for people to be saved. And when you remember your newborn or look now on the face of your newborn, rejoice that God will make all things new.

יבורך שלום

Shalom and be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

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