Influential Women

An extract from Influential Women, a new book by Wendy Virgo

Brighton, UK

There was a woman, totally innocent, beautiful in her purity, happy in her partnership with her man. They loved and delighted in each other. Together they were strong, together they were a team. Together with the Father they were inseparable, invincible.

Evil intentions

The creature watched them daily. He hated their love, their purity, their happiness. He hated that the Father of all things loved them so much, and that they loved Him and were like Him in so many ways. The way they loved each other was a reflection of the way the Father, Son and Spirit were so besotted with each other. He hated them all. He was excluded, outside, jealous of their relationship, their power and authority. He wanted to discredit these new beings, tear a hole in the enveloping veil of that innocence, trample on that clean purity with muddy footprints, separate them from that powerful friendship with
the Father.

Day by day he waited for an opportunity to get between them, to weaken the partnership, to insert suspicion, to introduce mistrust, to play upon innocence, to besmirch it with doubt. He wanted to separate them from one another and from the Father. If he could succeed, he would have them forever.

They strolled contentedly among the thick vegetation, sampling the different fruits. By midday they were sleepy, full of fruit, hazy with sun, replete with exquisite scents and tastes. They strolled to a grassy patch under an orange tree, lay down and were soon asleep.

Eve awoke and lay contentedly looking up into the waving branches of the tree above. Idly watching the lacy patterns of leaves against the sky, she thought she saw something move up there. Yes, a face staring down at her with lazy-lidded eyes. She sat up as the creature unfolded itself and gracefully descended, shining in the sunlight, a long-bodied creature with glossy scales. She smiled, intrigued. It slid off through the grass,
turning to look at her, indicating that she should follow.

She hesitated, looking at Adam. ‘Adam,’ she said softly. He opened his eyes, but shut them again, dazzled by the noon day sun. ‘Adam, what is this creature?’ she asked. But he turned over and went back to sleep.

Innocence spoiled

She had never done anything on her own before; but fear was unknown to her, so she followed the creature through the trees to a small enclosed space, then with a sharp intake of breath, she realised where she was, for in front of her was the Tree.

She knew it was special, set apart from other trees by command of the Father. She knew that because Adam had carefully explained that, before she came to him God had given a command that they must not eat the fruit of this tree.

Now she stood at the edge of the glade and stared at it. The creature surprised her by gliding immediately to the centre of the glade and swiftly ascending the lower branches. Those hooded eyes bored into her, and she slowly stepped nearer to the tree.

Her senses were aroused as an intoxicating aroma reached her. She breathed deeply and saw some bright, beautiful fruit hanging under the leaves. Then she was startled to hear the creature speak. Softly, gently, he asked a question, ‘Has God said you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’

She blinked. She had not heard any question relating to the Father before. What had the Father said? ‘We may eat fruit of any other trees, but not of this one,’ she stated clearly. ‘In fact if we even touch it we shall die!’ Why had she said that? The creature was touching it, in fact sitting right in it, and nothing seemed to be happening to him!

The creature smiled a slow, intimate smile, insinuating that he was sharing a secret with her. ‘You will not die!’ he stated emphatically. ‘God knows that if you eat of it, your eyes will be open; you will become like Him, knowing good and evil!’ He shifted his coils luxuriantly, but his eyes under their heavy lids were watching her intently.

As he moved, one of the golden fruits swung out near to Eve, and its rich, pungent aroma wafted out on the afternoon breeze. The skin had a glistening sheen that beckoned her to touch, stroke and caress its velvety surface. Slowly, she brought her hand from behind her back and timidly touched it. Her mouth watered. She looked up at the serpentine creature, so casually perched in the tree. Those black eyes gazed back at her, compelling, silently persuasive.

Knowing good and evil

She felt very simple, lacking in knowledge. This had not bothered her before, but now it perplexed her. It seemed important to be wise and confident, like this creature who was so coolly contradicting what the Father had said to Adam.

Thoughts crowded into her mind. So God hadn’t told them everything! He didn’t want their ‘eyes to be open’. Open to what? What were they missing out on? He didn’t want them to know this distinction between ‘good’ and ‘evil’; He didn’t want them to become ‘wise’ like Him. She would like to be wise, she thought. Why didn’t God want her to be smart? And why shouldn’t she eat of this fruit? Probably Adam was being unnecessarily serious about the whole thing! Anyway, it looked overpoweringly luscious. Emboldened, she stretched out her hand, pulled the golden orb toward her and twisted it off. Plunging her teeth into it, she savoured the exquisite taste.

She whirled around and saw Adam staring at her as if in a stupor. How long he had been there she did not know. Cramming the fruit into her mouth, she picked another, and holding it out, she advanced toward him, juice running down her chin. ‘You should taste this!’ she said indistinctly with her mouth full. ‘It’s amazing!’ The smell was reaching Adam now, entrancing and seducing him. His resolve weakened and died. As if in a dream, he took it and stuffed it into his mouth.

The taste was unspeakably delicious, and they gorged on it, until both stopped, a bitter after-taste puckering their mouths. Startled, they looked at each other. Nothing appeared to have changed, yet everything was different. The harmony they had enjoyed was disrupted. They began noticing things about each other that annoyed them, and both felt strangely vulnerable, as if they needed to cover themselves; so they made some ridiculous clothes out of large palm leaves.

For the first time both were terrified of meeting with the Father.

Results of disobedience

Disobedience had resulted in guilt and fear. Trust was now replaced by suspicion. Love was tainted. Innocence had fled and in its place was a new knowledge. Certainly, their eyes were opened, but to things they didn’t want to see.

Eve’s action and Adam’s inaction had led to a disruption in their relationship. Adam’s leadership role was undermined, but Eve was now vulnerable to his harsh attempts to reclaim it. She had acted independently and it had upset the divine balance. He had let her sin and then joined in, and it had robbed him of his responsibility. The consequences would follow them for centuries: dislocated relationships between the sexes, to say nothing of pain, grief, cruelty, disease and death. They and their descendants would be dominated by the Serpent until one could come who could reverse the damage.

But that would require another woman.

There was another young woman, a girl, preparing for her wedding. She hummed happily as she took up her sewing. Dusk was falling, and she rose and lit the oil lamp. Shadows played around the room in its flickering light and she bent closely over her embroidery. Life was sweet, she thought. She was going to marry a kind man who loved her. They would establish their home here in the village where they had both grown up, and have a family and be happy! That was all she wanted, she thought contentedly.

A brightness seemed to engulf the room, and bemusedly she became aware that someone had come in but she could not see him clearly. He spoke puzzling words. ‘Greetings, Mary! You are highly favoured! God is with you and you are to be a very blessed woman!’

His voice was full of joyful excitement, for he was delivering a message that was pivotal to the history of mankind. Jesus was coming, the long awaited Saviour, and the rule and reign of God would be established by him! The angelic messenger, who had just come from the very throne room of heaven, was suffused with the wonder and glory of it.

A choice

But Mary was trembling with fear and inadequacy. How could she do this? She was a virgin; her body was incapable of obeying. She heard Gabriel, but her thoughts were on her own natural limitations. She was young and inexperienced.

‘How can this be?’ she asked. ‘I am a virgin.’

She received a straightforward answer. ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you.’

So God was calling her to a momentous task, but He would enable her. In awe, she contemplated this. It would be the unfolding of ancient prophecy, a miracle: also risky, inconvenient, maybe dangerous. She had the opportunity to withdraw, swayed by fear of inadequacy, of pain, of damage to her reputation, and by reluctance to abandon her own desires and plans; or she had the choice to embrace the Father’s plan, the huge privilege of giving birth to the Saviour of the world. Her answer was humble and uncomplicated. ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.’ Gabriel left, satisfied.

Two interviews with two women. The first woman, pure and pristine, is confronted by a being who beguiles her through her senses: the fruit was beautiful, luscious and fragrant! Then he insinuated that she was ignorant and stupid: ‘God knows that when you eat it, your eyes will be opened.’ Then he cast doubt on the integrity of God the Father, suggesting, basically, that His prohibition was not based on love but self protection: ‘keep her blind, keep her ignorant, keep her stupid and simple! Don’t let her become like us!’

The sad thing was that she and the man, lovingly created in God’s image, were already like Him! God actually wanted them to reflect Him. They were like Him in love, in relationship, in purity, in joy.

But the serpent implied that there was something that God was withholding, not out of love for her, but out of tyrannical pride and power.
The serpent’s message to her was, ‘Think about yourself! You would be better off doing your own thing.’ He promised life, but gave death. He successfully tempted her to act independently, thereby bringing about eternal separation from God. How different the result of the angel’s interview with Mary, which was about reconciling man to God! She was not perfect, but God in His grace came to her with an invitation. Would she embrace His plan to bring forth life, but effectively lay down her own?

The Serpent made Eve look at herself and feel hard done by; the angel made Mary look at Jesus and be thrilled by him. It was not an invitation to better herself, but to participate in God’s redemption plan for the future of mankind. She recognised that God wants a humble heart, but that He delights to lift up the humble. She found that obedience to God was not always comfortable, often unpopular, but always fruitful.

Life from death

Then one day, she found herself standing in front of an awful tree. Nailed to it was her son, who had the choice to fight for his rights or drink the cup, lose his life or to save it. He gave it. In doing so, he became the bread of life for the world. If we eat of him, we truly begin to comprehend the knowledge of good and evil; and we find life, not death.

Eve has influenced every woman who came after her, and her influence continues. It has become inherent in human nature ever since to aspire to be our own gods, to worship our own wisdom, to demand our own rights. This often involves flouting God’s commands and over-riding His principles.
Mary would not have thought of herself as an influential woman. Did it cross her mind that she would become probably the most honoured and venerated woman in history?

Eve acted in her own interests. Mary acted in faith, forfeiting her own plans. Eve considered how she might be like God. Mary considered how she might serve God. Eve’s action brought death and destruction. Mary’s brought life and peace. Eve precipitated a curse; Mary opened a pathway to blessing. Both were influential women.

Wendy Virgo is a popular speaker, travelling widely internationally. She has written many books including Leading Ladies, Women Set Free, Mainly for Mothers, Mary: Mother of Jesus, and Sarah: Mother of a Nation. Her new book Influential Women is available online at www.newfrontiers.xtn.org.