'And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.' (1)
So how did God form Eve for Adam? How to know whether you have that Adam and Eve kind of love? What was the mastermind work behind forming Eve? What was that secret ingredient? Sugar, spice and everything nice?
It's all in the Rib. God formed the woman from the Rib that he took from Adam. And what does this process symbolise for us today? What was it about that Rib from Adam that made it such a key and necessary component in complimenting and completing the perfect woman that would be the right and necessary fit for him? The Rib symbolises that problem, naturally a missing link, something removed from a man's reason of being.
In our days, God doesn't go around removing ribs from every male child conceived in the womb and then go and place it in the womb of a female being formed in another womb... No this rib surgery today can be something removed or absent better say; in the childhood development. The rib today is the story of that young man that is already being written for him from his mother's womb. A story of the plans that God has for him (2) being formed already through; the circumstances of birth, the mother and father who conceived him; the family he is born into; the nation, society or times. These will all be factors contributing to the make up of an unfolding journey of life across the span of time.
So within this make up, within this structure was supposed to be a perfect seamless simulation of life. Like the perfect make up of the body of Adam initially, nothing missing everything in its place, everything perfect. However we know that life is not perfect and this is good for growth, for testing and strengthening ourselves to become the best outcome when passed through the challenges of life. So this is where the Rib plot comes in. Remember its no longer the physical removal from the body but now today it is a removal or absence of a very important element in the preadolescent make up of childhood that impacts and moulds the outcome of an Adam surrogates' life experiences, developing into adulthood.
This is where the deep sleep prognosis comes in. It is the deep sleep of a childhood experience. It could range from perfection to traumatic. It is the deep sleep of a certain upbringing or background that sometimes may even appear to have everything but even born with the silver spoon can be that missing link of mortality and modesty. Like the case of the Prince and the Pauper mix match.
There are so many ways that the Adam's of today could be missing that missing Rib. As mentioned in the case of a problem or trauma, a rib absent in the Adam complex could be a mothers love, an abusive trauma experience or even hidden family secrets suppressed and hidden causing a deep rooted hole from that rib clause. Abstained as a natural consequence of upbringing , circumstances and background but it's this rib disconnected along the deep sleep of a childhood experience that awaits the awakening of a mature man and an encounter that may just fill that missing gap.
So how does Eve come into this synopsis... Well an Eve surrogate whom God forms for Adam is that one who is the Ribeye to his story. Something in her upbringing perfectly answers, relates or fulfils what he lacked in his childhood experiences; those missing questions; or that tender loving he never found in a mother; or even the paradox of the love he got but she did not. It could be something in her upbringing that pieces together some untold puzzles about his own upbringing that could either make him appreciate, learn or sympathise as their story unravels together and they grow together.
Its as though in a moment of time, a desperate cry, or an unjust circumstance occurs; a story begins to unfold of the robbing of an innocent childhood solely by human errors and coincidences, fills the unravelling of a child's life with mysteries, lies, hurt and pain so that the report reaches the heavens and from that moment on God had a plan! God had a plan in the form of a woman that was also being formed in her mother's womb. Unknowingly, unfolding the same heartbreak and mysteries echoing the answers and questions that the Adam surrogate in his deep sleep prognosis of childhood would one day, by time and chance encounter this Eve that pieces together all the untold answers that by her own existence, her childhood and life mirrors the missing answers made in his.
This Eve surrogate fits perfectly as the Ribeye that was absent in the make up of his story and from his life as her life begins to be formed and moulded in her upbringing, the echoes of truths that would mirror the unanswered mysteries and answers to his own story. Eve was that perfect Ribeye for Adam because she was the missing rib that formed apart of him that he did not even know was taken whilst he slept. Even though, he doesn't really need her because God had already covered the gap made by the absent rib with FLESH.
He took one of his Ribs, and Closed up the Flesh in its Place (1)
It's as though even though the Adam complex has that missing gap; it's already covered with the mundane things of life that makes a person accustomed or satisfied with the outcome or unfolding of their life. Apparently it doesn't bother a person so much, everything seems normal and acceptable until he meets her, not anyone but that Ribeye prepared for him. Carefully curated echoes that starts to bring those missing pieces together as their story unfolds. Tales of his life matching or contrasting with hers, starts to make sense of some things.
Couldn't God have just put another rib back into Adam and just made Eve from the dust? Why all the mystery and romance? Why go through all that trouble to make sure she would be formed from that Rib that was missing in him? Why all the fuss?
'For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.(3)
Hey guys come on... God is a Romantic, He is Poetic and Charming... Hey where do you think all these talents come from? "The spirit will return to God who gave it" (4) Yes, a whole Word full of His promises. He is the Love Story; God is the Love story. From Genesis to Revelation He is on a mission to Reconcile, to fill the gap and "heal the broken hearted and wounded" (5). So yes, Eve had to be with that added dash of spice; the missing rib of that Adam that has been slumbering not even realising he is missing something until he meets Eve and it all starts to make sense. The lines start to cross. X marks the spot and life starts to open up its mysteries for both of them.
This sort of pairing happened with Issac and Rebekah; even Jacob and Leah, inclusive of Rachel. Rebekah was that Eve that Issac would need having been born and raised in a loving home and family of an elderly couple, Issac was already being born with that hole already formed of losing his mom who was only apart of his life for 40 years. So from a loving and intensive care, Issac having been endowed with, through Abraham and Sarah's tender touch. God prepared Rebekah to be that Eve who would fill that missing space. Where Issac was endowed with love, care and attention as an only and long awaited child of an elderly couple with an inheritance. Rebekah came from a larger family from the relatives of Abraham, inclusive of siblings consisting of a very different dynamic than what Issac would have known and this would in turn complete him.
"And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission" (6) God was the one working in the background to make sure Rebekah would be the Ribeye catch that the servant would find. He had already prepared her for him meeting all the criteria. And look how Issac received her as a man whose ribs had been fully restored as though they were never strangers only waiting to fulfil their encounter. 'And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.' (7)
Now Jacob on the other hand had a little hiccup with his rib search. He only understood and realised the true Ribeye of his life only at the end poor thing. Yes the rib for Jacob was none other than the first God had decisively placed in his life. Jacob, you could even say was literally made to slumber (8) as he awoke not to the wife he had chosen for himself but the one whom God had chosen for him. Yes that's right typically we do not get it right but somehow God knows how to bring the rib cages together even sometimes by unconventional methods of attraction and the least favourable choice of our hearts until we get to know the person that God chose, then we come to understand why...
Jacob wide eyed and awake; his eyes opened to see for himself, to choose for himself; his charms fell upon the much desired beauty Rachel. In his eyes she ticked all the boxes matching the story of his mother Rebekah by the well; she was from his family linage but one thing was missing. She was not the missing rib. That right was preserved for Leah. Yes Leah? Why Leah... What made Leah the special Ribeye that Jacob needed? That was being perfectly prepared for him by God himself whilst he was still being formed in his mother's womb? Because Leah was despised as Jacob was. God knew that Jacob would be a chip off the block from his brother Esau, even to the point of naturally not being the favourite or chosen of his father for the birthright... but you know how that story goes right? Well if you don't we might catch up some other time.
So yes Leah knew the pains of rejection, she too was caught despised even to the point that her own father had to deceive Jacob who would be her husband in an act of getting rid of the excess weight of a daughter she had become to him and what a paradox that the two would share as their love story Ribeye would begin to combine. As their story would unfold Jacob would have learned of the rejection and hardships of Leah's childhood; which would in turn evoke a thought process with what happened to Leah in being deceived by her father into marrying Jacob; that would match perfect with Jacob's own deception towards his own father in inheriting the birthright; that would bring a thought process of reasoning to understand how and why the couples final union came to be about through divine purpose and intervention through the make up of their life unfolding and becoming. I mean come on, I don't know if you can keep up. Isn't God just epic!!
What a masterpiece the whole script turns out to be. Skilfully woven and designed the perfect love story to make part of the beautiful tapestry of Salvation that started right there in the Garden. The Rib spice of love... And what about Rachel? Why was Jacob's ideal mate not so ideal according to our Rib diagnosis? Well Rachel was not the missing ribs that God had perfectly panned out for Jacob. No Rachel wasn't formed from that missing gap of Jacob's upbringing. Jacob's mum Rebekah was a little overpowering and we see that in the way she managed to convince and press her son to do something that would mark his life with tragedy. Rebekah convinced her son to lie and deceive his father on his death bed in order to inherit a birthright God had already promised to her. In Rebekah's excess and unbelief she was a great influencer to her son but not with the right balance. We see that Rachel had this same personality that Jacob had already experienced with his mother; in this case for the worse and it was this familiarity that was a further deciding factor for our young, unaware bachelor in choosing for himself. Rachel was not his missing Rib because she had this same characteristic flaw of Rebekah of being overpowering, unbelieving and even deceitful when she stole the idol from her father (9) as a contingency if things didn't quite work out well with Jacob's journey back to the Promised land. So as the story of Rachel unfolds we come to understand why she was not the Ribeye that Jacob needed.
Unlike the tender patient "delicate eyes" (10) of Leah. Leah complimented Jacob better and was the more appropriate Ribeye to offer Jacob something he had not known to perfect and complete him. So what does it all comes down to? The Ribeye is the perfect match fulfilling that which is lacking in the mate whether by lifestyle, upbringing and many few factors that fill the gap from the life of one that brings spice and salt to the other. Salt that heals, flavours, preserves or even cleanses.
Now this is not to empower the idea of soul mates. No there is not necessarily a specific soul mate or Adam, or Eve that is the singularly only person out there for someone. No, the Adam and Eve surrogates can be in the story of a multitude of different people across life, age, nation and so on. So the attraction can be from anytime, anywhere, anyone from any nation that shares in this story of one another in some way or form with different dynamics of background and lifestyle but written in their livelihood is the same echo imprint of the other that fulfils each of their coming to being.
It's just that we are usually drawn to this person when it is under the purpose and plan of God to fulfil a plan or purpose in bringing the two together... Yet it depends on the two still to piece the puzzle together and come to understand the will and plan of God to fulfil their purpose. Yet we know how our original Adam and Eve ended. Even Jacob despising Leah who God chose for him. So sometimes the penny doesn't quite drop, yet there is nothing under the heavens that is without a purpose. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (11) God is the God of purpose even to the little details; even to the right mate for each and every one of us. But without careful observation we might just miss the mark.
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