Episode237-"The Pain of Disobedience" - Genesis 3:16

Gen. 3:16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

To review, the LORD gave Adam and Eve one prohibitive command not to eat of the fruit of one specific tree in the garden. The consequence of disobeying that command, the LORD informed them, is best translated as “dying you will die.” It means that death would be a definite reality for them. It is not evident how quickly that might happen. We are left to wonder, “Will this be immediate?” We don’t have to wonder too long because it appears they disobeyed this command rather quickly after the serpent deceived Eve, and she ate and gave some to Adam, who ate the fruit along with her. But they did not die immediately. In fact, rather than God striking them down for the offense, the LORD provided coverings for their nakedness, which represented their shame. It seems obvious that he would not bother doing this if death would be an immediate judgment upon them. Furthermore, when the LORD approached them in the garden and elicited confessions from them, there was an indication that they would be around for a while. The LORD began by pronouncing a judgment upon the serpent who twisted the LORD’s words and impugned God’s character in the deception. The LORD spoke of a seed, or descendant of the woman, whom the serpent would bruise his heel. Yet, that seed would bruise his head. This suggests that while the serpent has upended the authority God had given his people to rule over the earth, the serpent would ultimately be crushed. It’s a glimmer of hope that God would someday set everything right according to his purpose in creation.

Concluding his verdict and judgment on the serpent, the LORD turned to Eve and told her that an immediate consequence of her disobedience was increased pain in having children. In fact, in the Hebrew language, what is likely conveyed here is a sense of anxiety in conception through the physical pain of birth. This pain is not just a natural consequence of her disobedience, but something the LORD brings upon her for this disobedience. I must admit that I ask myself, “Why this?” The text doesn’t explain it outright. Perhaps it is because Adam and Eve understood that the LORD’s first command to them was to be fruitful and multiply, and they understood this as an important part of their identity and purpose, which continues to be so after their “fall.” Because Eve is the one who will conceive and bear children, the LORD is giving her a reminder that disobeying God will bring pain. As she looks forward to her seed that will someday crush the serpent’s head, it will not come without anxiety and pain.

The LORD continued with the second part of her sentence by saying, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” Hebrew experts have debated the exact translation of this, but the bottom line is that there will now be a conflict of authority within the relationship. What began as the perfect compliment of a partner to the man, will now manifest conflict at times.

I would caution anyone from the tendency to read and judge this ancient story through the lens of our 21st-century AD proprieties concerning gender roles. What is most important to observe from this story is how people radically upset the harmonious state of life on earth through a simple act of disobedience. It is not difficult today to see the divorce rate in our world, recognize other interpersonal conflicts, and know this is not the ideal state of humanity in the world. We long for harmony, peace, and healthy relationships. That was God’s intent for us in the beginning. My hope is that as we read this, we recognize that we sometimes violate God’s righteous ways in our minds, words, and actions. When we do, it has terrible results and tends to bring pain and conflict into our lives. Let’s humbly acknowledge how relevant this story is to us today and continue in this story to see both the tragic consequences of disobedience to the LORD and the hope that he offers in spite of our rebellious ways.