The Completion of Man in Paradise, Gen. 2:18-25

     Our Lord Jesus was once approached by a group of religious leaders who posed a question about divorce. They asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” In answer to their question, Jesus appealed to God’s original intent for marriage when God made the first woman and presented her as a companion for the first man. He quoted Gen. 2:24 – “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh…therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” He went on to say that the reason an allowance was made for divorce in the law of Moses was because of the hardness of the human heart.

Unfortunately, and sadly, we live in a day where the institution of marriage ordained by God is ignored and trampled upon. The divorce rate in our country is nearly 1 of every 2 marriages. Couples living outside of a marriage relationship is mushrooming, and now people of the same sex can be lawfully married. How the Lord’s heart must be breaking at the same time he is righteously angered.

Jesus said that a permit of divorce was allowed by Moses, “but from the beginning it was not so.” It was never God’s will and intention that a one-woman, one-man relationship in marriage ever be broken. Today we are going back to that paradise world God created where he placed a perfect man in a perfect garden to worship and serve the Creator. Only one thing in that narrative was found to be lacking. God said, “it is not good for the man to be alone…” All of the other animals and birds of the air had their mates, but the man did not. So, God said, “I will make him a helper comparable to him.” The Lord turned a not good situation into a very good one.

It does us well to be reminded from time to time of God’s goodness in establishing the principle of marriage. It fulfills our need of human companionship, a lifetime partner with whom we can serve God and start a new family who will worship him together. Marriage is among the greatest blessings and it is even used as a picture of Christ’s relationship to his church. So, let’s ask God’s blessing on his word today.

Gen. 2 explains for us how man was created, placed in a perfect and fruitful environment to worship and serve God, and to exercise dominion over God’s creation. But the man could not obey God’s command to be fruitful, multiply on the earth, and exercise dominion over it alone – he needed a partner, a helper suitable for him. Vs. 18-20 convey the recognition of Adam’s need, and vv. 21-25 the divine remedy for that need.

I. The Recognition of Adam’s Need, 18-20.

A. The Lord’s Determination to Fill Man’s Need, 18.

     1. There is a sense in which this connects to the commandment concerning the forbidden Tree…

·         The knowledge of good and evil was to reside only in God. He is the one who determines what is good for man and what is not. This knowledge is not to be taken for oneself to determine.

·         God saw that man was alone and this was not a good situation. Note that he does not say this of “the man” but mankind or humanity. The Lord created us social beings. He meant for us to commune with and relate to each other.

·         This initial communion began when the first man became complete through the creation of a counterpart. Humanity does not just consist of men, it consists of women too. God never intended for men and women to contend with each other, to be at odds with each other, but to live in mutual respect and dignity.

2. So, God determined to provide a suitable partner for Adam.

·         At this point, God makes the statement that it is not good for man to be alone. He cannot fulfill God’s wishes alone, he needs a partner. KJV – a helpmeet, NKJV – a comparable helper.

·         Let’s consider the meaning of this word. First of all, the concept of a helper is obvious. This does not convey anything negative or inferior as to position. As a matter of fact, 16 of the 19 times it occurs in the OT God is the one who is the helper. He is the divine helper of humanity. Therefore, this is not a demeaning term.

·         It indicates one who provides what is lacking, who can do what another cannot do alone. Obviously, Adam could not populate the earth without such a helper. He could not tend to the garden without another to aid him. There were things he could do alone, but also things that his helper could do with him and for him.

·         They were to share a mutual dependence, to be co-laborers, to enjoy life in the garden worshiping, obeying, and serving the Lord. And they were to bring new human life into the world.

3. Also, indicates someone comparable or suitable for the man.

·         A counterpart who corresponded to him physically and spiritually. What he lacked for the fulness of life, she supplied. What she lacked, he supplied. They were indispensable to each other.

·         The Hebrew word supplies the meaning of equal and adequate. They are equal as God’s image bearers, they are adequate to bring masculinity and femininity into a bond of one flesh, making mankind what God intended. So, what God was about to do was necessary for the fulfillment of his will and purposes for the world and humanity.

B. Adam’s Discovery of His Need, 19-20.

     These verses portray the wise way that God brought Adam to the realization of his need.

     1. God parades before Adam the animals and birds he had made, 19a.

·         The structure of the verse does not mean that God created Adam first, then these other creatures. The Lord had already formed these from the earth. But he had not yet brought them to Adam.

·         One of his purposes is for Adam to inspect them and name them. In this way, Adam will become aware of his own uniqueness from them and exercise dominion over them. In ancient times, the naming of things was an indication of one’s power or authority over what was named. For instance, when God named Day, Night, Heaven, Earth, etc. he was exercising his dominion over them.

2. Some object that Adam could have named all of these creatures in less than a day’s time.

·         But there were far less species then than now, and it is not necessary to assume that he named every single creature.

·         This also shows the great intelligence of Adam to perform this task. But, when he is finished, he realizes that there was no creature suitable for him. All of the other animals had their mates, but none was suitable for Adam. The apes had their chance, but they were not comparable to Adam in design, intellect, spirit, or the image of God.

·         If we believe the Bible record, there is no process of evolution suggested. The cattle, birds of the air, and beasts of the field were all living at the same time. One group did not develop from another group over eons of time.

·         So, Adam discovers that he is alone in his uniqueness. The other creatures are inferior to him and subordinate to him. He realizes that he needs a helper and will appreciate much more what God will do to supply this great need.

II. The Lord’s Remedy for Adam’s Need, 21-25.

A. The Divine Action, 21-22.

      1. The divine anesthesia – God puts Adam to sleep, 21a.

·         Adam will be passive in this operation as God makes for him another person who will correspond to him in every way. God will provide the perfect partner that Adam needs.

·         Mathews – “The sleep preserves for the man the mystery of her creation and the subsequent surprise at her appearance.”

·         Some have suggested that this may also be symbolic of death, that Adam’s sleep is a figure of laying down one’s life for another. Perhaps it is a picture of Christ laying down his life for his bride the church which derives its life from him.

·         Without the man, the woman would not have been formed. But from the woman, all future men would be born. This is the vital interconnection between men and women.

2. The divine surgery, 21b-22a.

·         The animal kingdom and Adam were formed from the dust of the ground. The woman however, was formed from the man. Both were made from pre-existing materials, but the woman was only indirectly related to the earth. Perhaps the dignity of the woman is being stressed in her unusual creation.

·         The woman is taken from the man’s side. Verb “to take” – may be an indication of marital union since it is often used in OT as an idiom for marriage, i.e. took her to be his wife.

·         It is interesting that in the 35 usages of this word, this is the only place where it is translated “rib” rather than “side.” The Lord took flesh and bone from Adam’s side and made his partner with it.

·         Matthew Henry – the woman is “not made out of his head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”

·         Cassuto – “just as the rib is found at the side of the man and is attached to him, even so the good wife, the rib of her husband, stands at his side to be his helper-counterpart, and her soul is bound up in his.”

3. The divine presentation, 22b.

·         God the Father Creator presents the woman, the bride, the perfect counterpart to Adam. Is this not where we derive the father giving away his daughter as bride to her husband. He has brought her into being and willingly gives her away to her husband to be.

·         This is also symbolic of the day that the church, the New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven from God to be presented to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, as his beautiful bride.

B. Adam’s Delightful Response, 23.

  The first recorded words of Adam are poetic, describing the intimate relationship he has with his partner and naming her appropriately.

   1. “this is now” – emphatic expression.

·         “This at last” – after having perused the creatures of the garden, at last one has come that corresponds to me, that will be my partner and helper.

·         Adam’s words express his joyous astonishment at the suitable and beautiful creature God made for him. Adam was well pleased with what God had done. Now there was someone with which to share his life, to worship and serve God, and accomplish the work He ordained for them to do.

   2. Bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh.

·         These words emphasize oneness, sameness, intimacy, uniqueness. It is an expression used elsewhere for those who are blood relatives.

·         There could be no better words to express the closeness of relationship that Adam had with Eve.

3.     3. She shall be called woman.

·         The Hebrew term is “isha”, which is the female form of “ish”, man. She is the female counterpart of mankind. “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

·         Now, Adam and his bride are able to fulfill God’s directive to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and to subdue it.

C. The Divine Institution, 24-25.

  1. God’s creative order and intention.

·         God made one man for one woman. This is the foundation for the home and society. All relationships outside of the one-man, one-woman union are forbidden by God. All relationships outside of a monogamous, heterosexual union are not condoned by God.

·         When sin entered the world, the potential for broken relationships began. Mankind has drastically abused and perverted God’s original design for marriage and the home. Polygamy, misogyny, homosexuality, premarital sex, adultery, pornography, and divorce were not God’s desire or intention for the race. They are the result of human perversion and failure to obey God’s order.

·         Sometimes Christians fall prey to some of these sins. There is always forgiveness when we repent. Then, we must start anew at the point we recognize our failure and move forward. We also have to teach and guide successive generations in the path of God’s will in spite of our own failures

2. God’s pattern for marriage and the home, 24.

Leave, cleave, weave.

·         A man shall leave his father and mother. This does not necessarily mean leaving in a geographical sense. In Hebrew society, children seldom moved far from their paternal roots. What it does mean is that the man becomes the head of a new home. He is no longer under the authority of his parents, but under the authority of Christ. He is responsible to lead his family in the worship of God, serve and obey him, and be involved in work that provides for the family needs and help others. Parents may still advise their married children, but they have no right to try to rule over them or influence them to do their will.

·         A man shall be joined to his wife (KJV – cleave). This word means to hold fast to, or be glued to. It is used elsewhere to describe covenant faithfulness. When a couple join together in a marriage ceremony, they vow to be faithful to each other. They come into a covenant relationship that binds them for life. It is an exclusive relationship that should be the strongest bond in life other than with the Lord. It takes work and determination to build that bond and stay faithful to one another. The key is mutual, Christlike love.

·         They shall become one flesh – they begin to weave a life together. This union is not just a sexual one. It includes many other dimensions – spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and social. All of these resolve the issue of aloneness or loneliness.

3. Comment – naked and not ashamed, 25.

·         In their original creative state, there was no reason to be ashamed of nakedness. They were innocent, free of a sin nature. They could not attach anything wrong or evil with this condition.

·         It is similar to toddlers who may run around with no clothes totally unaware of being naked and having no shame about it.

·         This statement also connects this narrative with the next one which introduces a play on words between “naked” and “crafty or cunning.” (3:1)

 

1. As we see the breakdown of God’s institution of marriage, we will experience the breakdown of society itself. God cannot bless a nation that supports promiscuity, same sex marriage, pornography, homosexuality, gender transference, or the many other sins in the realm of sexuality.

2. No matter what failures we may have experienced in our life that go against God’s pattern for marriage, we can be forgiven. We may not be able to change the past, but we can change the future as we determine to obey and serve God in our current state of life.

3. We have a responsibility to teach and promote the foundational principle of the one-man, one-woman marriage relationship that God designed. It does not matter what society condones or how it tries to redefine family; we must follow the biblical pattern.

4. If you are married today, I hope you think the best thing that ever happened to you other than being saved is the person God gave to you in marriage. I trust that you will endeavor to be faithful in that relationship until you die or Jesus comes. I hope you will be a perpetual example to the world of what God intended for a loving marriage and family.

5. Before the day ends, why don’t you tell your spouse how much you appreciate him or her?