1. Adam's Original Job Description (vv. 15-17)

QUESTION: What was Adam responsible for in the Garden?

              -To discover the secrets of the garden
              -To enjoy fellowship with God and His creation.
              -To enjoy the companionship of the animal kingdom.
              -To name them.

        2. God Sees Adam's Loneliness (v. 18)

QUESTION: What does God notice about Adam?

              -Throughout the creation account, we read the phrase, "God saw that it was good." Yet, when God saw Adam's loneliness, He said, "It is not good for man to be alone" .  This is the first time God had said that something was not good.

        3. God Makes a Helper Comparable to Adam (v. 18)

QUESTION: What does God do to ease Adam's loneliness?

             -The word "helper" in Hebrew could be best translated, "Someone who assists another  to reach fulfillment."
             -It is used elsewhere in the Old Testament when referring to someone coming to rescue another.
             -The phrase "comparable to him" could also be translated "suitable to him," or, more  literally, "corresponding to him."
              Eve would provide what was missing in Adam's life.

ILL: "Eve was made by God not out of [Adam's] head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him,
         but out of his side to be equal with him, but under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be loved."
         Matthew Henry

        4. Marriage begins with a "leaving." (v. 24)

QUESTION: According to the text, what is the first thing necessary for a marriage to be successful?
                      How is that accomplished in marriage?

              -Marriage begins with a leaving of all other relationships. The man's primary commitment must be to his wife,
               and the woman's primary commitment must be to her  husband.
              -Each must still honor his or her parents, but a leaving must take place. Otherwise, this attachment can be extremely
               detrimental to the marriage.

          "Leaving" means to give other relationships a lesser degree of importance. Your husband or wife is not just to be your spouse and lover--he or she should also be your best friend! (Mal. 2:14)

          "Leaving" means to give other activities outside of the marriage a lesser priority. This means that your business, career, house, hobbies, interests, and even church     work should come after your relationship with your spouse.

           The order should be God, family, service!

          Leaving involves Commitment. Genesis 2:24 describes leaving in the context of leaving your family of origin and     forming a new family. It is  a picture of a commitment for life. Commitment: This is the cognitive side of love. Commitment is the short term decision to love each other and the long term decision to maintain  that love.  This is the one aspect of love  that is desperately missing in many marriages today.