Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 2:18-23 10/28/01

Intro: Adam  was formed by the very hands of God and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. God placed the man He had formed into his first home, the Garden of Eden. He gave man his first job and first command.

 Adam, the first man, was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked Adam, 'What is wrong with you?' Adam said that he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said He was going to give him a companion and it would be a woman. God told Adam this person will cook for you and wash your clothes, she will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will always love you. Adam asked, 'What would a woman like this cost me?' God said 'an arm and a leg' Adam said 'What can I get for just a rib?' And the rest is history.

     OK, so this is not a true story. BUT, it is not far from what some people think...men especially. What is the truth?

Trans: Open you Bibles to Gen. 2:18 where we will find the next  first act of God's love for mankind.

The First Woman  (Gen. 2:18-23)
Read: Gen. 2:18a

    Not Good
     This is the first time in Scripture that God has said something is not good.  But, what's not good about it? Come on, think about it for a minute.

     Adam enjoyed the absolute beauty of the Garden of Eden,
     He ate the most delicious food there ever was,
     He had a perfect job with an out of this world benefit package,
     He could play with all the animals (I supposes even that was truly fun).
    And more than anything else, Adam walked and talked with God.

     Notice that nowhere here or anywhere else in Scripture does Adam say he was lonely. He fellowshipped with God and God was all he knew and as a companion, all he had. This is important for those who are not married or who have lost their spouse for one reason or another. When you are led by God to be alone, God will make His presence known to you and His presence will be enough.

     Remember, it was God who said it was not good that man should be alone.... that is significant? Adam was  living well and was perfectly happy. Adam didn't know it wasn't good for him to be alone.. But God did.

     You see even when we think we know what is best for us, we are reminded of an amazing truth. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows us better than we know ourselves. We say that a lot, but do we really know what that implies? It implies, we don't really know what is best for us because we don't know what God knows.

     It is God's desire to give us the best and lead us to a life of fruitfulness. But we often miss God's best and settle for our perception of what is best because we don't trust completely in Jehovah Jireh; the Lord Provides.

     We do this in many areas of our lives but in keeping with our text, it is best seen in the selection of a marriage partners. God knows what we need, who would be our perfect mate and His Word gives us explicitly clear guidelines on the qualifications of such a person. The problem is, some just don't trust in or obey God's Word, as is seen by the number of Christians who marry non-Christians and often end up regretting it.

     The same is true when we marry for money, looks, prestige or just to get out of the house.  These are our choices based on our felt needs but they are not God's best...We must trust that God knows us better than we can ever know ourselves...because He created us and loves us with an everlasting love. And speaking of love, Eve was a special love gift from God to Adam. When we refuse to walk in fellowship with God, when we refuse to trust Him, we just might  miss out on God's special gifts to us.

     Well, God knew something else about Adam that Adam didn't...Adam needed help. And God would provide that help in the person of Eve, in the form of a woman, to be his wife, a helper suitable for him. Let's look at...

Read: Gen. 2:18b-20

    Helper
     Let me begin by saying that Eve was in no way a lesser creation because she was made after, from and for Adam.
         The same God created Adam and Eve in His own image.
         Both Adam and Eve exercised dominion over the creation.
         Both Adam and Eve were to keep the moral command of God and given moral responsibility.
         Both were guilty of disobeying God's command and both were judged by God.
         And Gal. 3:28 (which my Trailblazer Boys ought to know) says that 'there is neither male nor female for we are all one in Jesus Christ'.

     Eve was to be a 'suitable helper' to Adam. What does that mean? Literally it means 'a helper corresponding to him'. Of his kind..not like the animals God paraded before Adam...I will talk about the animals later.

     Eve would complete what was missing in Adam and Adam would complete what was missing in Eve. They were 'complementary', and they would become 'one flesh', the complete unity of man and woman in marriage.

     Understand, the term 'helper' is not a demeaning one for the woman. In fact, it is most often used in Scripture of how God helps humanity. It can be said that God is still helping man, through the woman. Women, have you ever thought of that? God uses Christian women as instruments of His will, in many ways, but here it is as a helper to her husband.

     Well, how did this perfect complement to Adam come to be? God made her....How?

Read: Genesis 2:21

    Sleep for Adam
     Why did Adam sleep? Because God wanted to make it clear that Adam had nothing to do with the creation of Eve. Men like to take credit for everything and I believe this would have been no different. Adam didn't counsel God or give God advice or make suggestions on how Eve was to be created...He didn't give God a list of perfect attributes in a mate...one all men and women carry around, at least in their minds when, they are on the marriage hunt. Adam did what all men do instinctively well...he slept.

     And what happened when Adam was asleep? God removed a rib, closed up the flesh and formed the first woman from Adam's rib. Why a rib? There have been many answers to that question.

     -The rib is one of the few bones in the body that is curved and this is why women have more curves than man.

     -Ribs are the bones closest to the heart which Scripture says is the center of emotions. So that women can display the emotions men can't.

     -Matthew Henry said 'The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his 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, under his arm to be protected by him and near his heart to be loved by him.'

     We don't know why God chose a rib, but I am glad He made women. I married one!

Read: Gen. 2:22-23

    Woman
     Note that there is no mention that God told Adam what He was going to do. So when Adam awoke there is no reason to believe that he searched all over Eden to find Eve, his new companion. I believe it is significant that God, after creating Eve, brought her to Adam. God brought Eve to Adam.

     First this  has a lot to say about trusting in God. For those who may be single, if you were meant to be married, God has your perfect spouse and He is waiting to bring that person to you....don't rush out and find one on your own...you will not be getting the best God has for you. Wait for God to provide.

     Second, this text is not biblical proof for arranged marriages, for parents who want to decide for their child whom they will marry. Although God did arrange this marriage as Adam and Eve's Father, it doesn't mean you can do the same.

     Anyway, picture this, God brought Eve to Adam. I believe not only were Adam and Eve in a perfect environment, I believe they were perfect as well...before the Fall that is. And in their perfection, Adam must have been tall, had a six pack of abs, had dark deep eyes and was balding of course. Eve, was beyond beauty, breathtakingly gorgeous with luscious blue eyes, I mean brown, dear, sorry.

     Adam woke and God brought Eve to him, the perfect man and the perfect woman. Adam saw her and in a paraphrase said ' Whoa! This is what I am talking about. Would you look at that? She is like me? So I will call her woman because she was taken from man.' It was love at first sight.

Conclusion
 Men, I want to talk to you for a few moments in closing. One of the most frequent complaint wives make of their husbands is 'He looks at me just like another thing around the house. I'm like part of the furniture.' or 'He treats the dog better than he treats me.' Men, this is not good.

    Gen. 2:19 says ' And out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.'

     What did that have to do with the making of woman? And what does that have to do with her being a helper suitable for Adam? Obviously there must be a connection here.

     God gave Adam the job of studying and naming the animals. He was given this job to do, I believe, before he would be ready for marriage. It was to show Adam that his wife was to be loved and treated in a special way, because she was very different than anything he had seen in the garden...and  she was God's gift to him. The problem is that most men haven't learned that lesson yet.

     Adam needed to learn to appreciate his wife. And so do most men today. No other animal had God's spirit within them making them a spiritual being, therefore they could not fellowship with Adam on a spiritual level....But Eve could and should.

     Adam and each Christian man must treat his wife as the special gift God has given to them. That means they must share in a spiritual life together. Prayer, ministry, evangelism, use of spiritual gifts and worship ...together.

     Women, don't think I forgot about you. It is clear that all Scripture is inspired by God and thus equally authoritative. Even when the Bible says that woman was created for man to be a suitable helper to him.

     I realize that this whole idea of helper, being created for man and what we see later in scripture the word 'submit' are fighting words for many women even Christian women. To many this reeks of prejudice, inequality and injustice. It is outdated and obnoxious to think in such ways.

     But those words are still Scripture and they are still true. And what I am about to say may offend you if you are one of the women I just mentioned.

     We must remember and stress that those words...helper, and submit are meant for the relationship between a man and his wife, a woman and her husband and especially between two Christians.

     Listen, no Christian woman is obligated to accept a proposal of marriage. But if she does and she is a Christian, she must know that the pattern for her future relationship with her husband is not determined by the world or Gloria Steinem, but by the very Word of God. If she is not willing to be a suitable helper for her husband and does not wish to submit as the bible defines it, the woman should not marry.

     Strong words, but I believe their authority lies in the Word of God...the whole Word of God and not just the parts we like.

     Do you want to find that perfect mate?  Do you want a strong marriage?

     Accept, trust in, and follow the Word of God and you will not be disappointed.