Genesis 2:18-25 God provides the woman

Marriage was provided for the human race as the 2nd great gift for happiness and fulfillment in life.

The first gift was volition: there is no happiness, purpose or fulfillment in life when a person is a "robot." God gave man free will so that he might by choice, live in the sphere of fellowship with the Godhead. This has been discussed in connection with Gen. 2:15-17.

The gift of marriage is a partnership between one man and one woman wherein each fulfills the other through soul and body communication and fellowship.

The design was provided by God in the garden of Eden even before sin entered into the world. In this passage we not only have the historical record of God's act of providing the woman for Adam, but we have as well, the 7 basic principles for the proper understanding and function of marriage.

Principle #1: The principle of benefit. Gen. 2:18a,

1. And Yahweh God said: God initiates this. He makes the evaluation, the recognition and the determination.

2. It is not good: tobh = acceptable, beneficial
3. for man to be alone."

A. Alone: separated from your counterpart

B. Ishah could not function as his counterpart until her body was "removed" from his body via the rib. (Operation "built," Gen. 2:22)

C. This does not suggest that Adam was "frustrated" without a woman around.

D. It does suggest that it is wrong for a man to stay single when God's plan has provided a woman for him.

E. It does tell us that as long as Adam and Eve were separated, marriage could not function.

F. If marriage could not function, then family and nations would be non-functional.

G. God designs that man and woman get married unless his plan provides for the rare exceptions. Mat. 19:12

H. But human maturity and God's guidance and timing must always be considered.

Verse 2:18b, Principle #2

The principle of divine provision,

1. I will make for him:

Apply James 1:17, "every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." GOD IS THE SOURCE.

Paul tells us, "For indeed, man was not created BECAUSE OF the woman, but the woman, BECAUSE OF the man," (1 Corinthians 11:9).

That is, "because" it was the man who had the need, not the woman.
That need was the "aloneness" of Adam which God recognized as being "not beneficial."

The principle that we must recognize is that God is the one who has provided the "companionship" of the woman and on that basis the "mutual" relationship provision for both the man and the woman.
If "being alone" is not beneficial, then the provision of the woman is most certainly beneficial, and the marriage relationship designed by God, is of the utmost value.

Principle #3: The principle of perfect design

v. 18c

1. "a helper, corresponding to him."

A. The counterpart that God designed is tailored specifically for the
man, and in turn, the woman finds a counterpart for herself.

B. helper, is the word, āzer, but the real significance is found in the prepositional phrase that describes the helper.

C. The word translated "meet" in the KJV, is, kenegedo.
It combines the preposition (ke) and the noun (neged) and the 3rd person singular suffix (him).
Neged means something that is "out in front" as in the sense of "opposite to" and "counter" to.
It is what is conspicuous or clearly seen.

The preposition (ke) means, according to a standard or pattern, thus, the idea of what is according to a correspondence to him.
That is, a "counterpart" that is equal to and adequate for.

D. The idea of complement and fulfillment is involved. A perfect "physical" complement and a perfect soul match.

2. In verse 19, it is told that among all the animals with God had made, there was none that we could view as a "helper" corresponding to Adam. That is, one who was equal to him and "counter" to him.

3. In comparing this with the animal kingdom we discern that there was no "match" or "fit" of an "opposite number" for Adam. I suggest therefore, that the idea is not purely a "soul" counterpart, but one which is an obvious "physical" counterpart as well. This is further enhanced by the means by which God created the woman (from Adam's rib) and the fact that the two were both "naked" and unashamed. The significance of mentioning "naked" is to indicate the "conspicuous" physical difference and yet correspondence between them, and to showcase the proper attitude of "not ashamed" as indication of their total understanding and acceptance of this physical reality.

Verse 19-20 has provided fodder for those who look for contradictions in the Bible. It is claimed that God creates the animals and brings them to the man AFTER v. 18, which contradicts the fact that the animals were created BEFORE the man in Gen. 1:24-25.

However, v. 2:19 is not given a "new" creation account, but simply summarizing what had happened BEFORE the evaluation of v. 18 was made.

The correct translation of v. 19 is, "And out of the ground, Yahweh God HAD formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and HAD brought them to the man, to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name."

God created the animals before the man and then after the man was created, God brought the animals to him. Then it was determined that there was no "corresponding" helper for Adam, and God decided to make one.

Verse 21, The Divine surgeon.

There is no reason to take this narrative any differently than the rest. Therefore, this is a "real" operation that removes from Adam one rib, or more precisely, one PAIR of ribs, from which is built a body corresponding to his body, and into which is placed the "breath of the spirit of lives," so that she too became a living soul (Gen. 1:26) who would now function as Adam's helper, soul-mate and lover.

The word, "ribs" is the Hebrew, tsālA, and means a "side." However, Adam's "side" was not taken, but that which is along his side, or as it has been rendered, a rib. The word is used to indicate a terrace or ridge on a hillside (2 Sam. 16:13).

Verse 22

1. And the rib which Yahweh God had taken from the man, He built:
The Hebrew is bAnAh and means specifically to build or construct,
in contrast with our other words which speak of creating, making and
forming.

God simply used the "building material" of the rib (already formed from the chemicals of the soil, Gen. 2:7) to produce a similar (corresponding) body which would have a natural affinity to the one from whom she was taken rather than simply coming from the chemicals of the soil herself.

2. Into a woman: ishAh means the one who comes from ish (man).

She did not have a name when she was built. It was not until God brought her to Adam that he exercised his rulership priority and gave her a name most appropriate and logical, "since she was taken out of man," (v. 23).

3. And brought her to the man:

Principle #4: The principle of authority. "He brought her to the man."

Verse 23, Principle #5: The principle of soul communication.
The identification is made in the soul.

1. And the man said:

A. Identification is made through communication.
B. We call it courtship.
C. Dating is a preliminary to courtship.

1. A man and woman seek to establish soul rapport during dating.

2. Physical activity is a distraction to true rapport.

3. You experiment and search with the soul, not with the body.

4. It is true that the body can provide an initial point of attraction, but the soul rapport must be the basis for a successful relationship.

2. This is now, bone from my bone: The preposition, min, indicates the source of the woman's basic structure or frame. The bone structure establishes the woman's body as a true "physical" counterpart.

3. And flesh from my flesh: The same preposition (min) indicates the source of the woman's bodily appearance (the skin). The fleshly appearance of the woman also establishes her body as a true "physical" counterpart.

4. She (this one) shall be called ishAh (woman), because she (this one) was taken out of ish (man).

A. Adam continues with his rulership mandate and gives this new creature a name.

B. But the very name indicates the reality of the counterpart and sets the stage for true fellowship and rapport between them.

5. During marriage, soul communication is the key for true happiness,
and without rapport and fellowship between souls, the marriage will
become a chain instead of a cup of blessing.

A. Adam recognized the reality of the "physical" counterpart that God had made for him.

B. But by giving her the name, Ishah, he also recognizes the soulish and spiritual counterpart in God's design.

Verse 24a, Principle #6: The principle of separation of authority structures.

1. Therefore (for this reason): Because each man and each woman have ONE counterpart which perfectly fulfills them.

2. A man shall leave his father and mother: The marriage unit operates independent from parents.

A. Marriage and family are different.

B. Children are first, under the authority of parents and must leave that sphere when they marry.

C. A man can't be under the authority of parents and rule his own castle.

D. A woman can't be under the authority of her parents and properly submit to the authority of her husband.

E. This does not mean that fellowship and rapport cannot be maintained with parents. In fact, quite often in ancient and modern cultures, the entire family hierarchy is very closely knit together, both socially and geographically. But each individual "one flesh unit," or marriage unit, needs to be kept separate and distinct from the rest of the hierarchy.

Verse 24b, Principle #7: The principle of mutual fulfillment through body communication.

"and they shall become one flesh."

1. This puts the man and the woman under a totally new set of laws for human activity.

2. Before, they were children learning in the home,
now they are partners with one another, building their own home.

3. Before, the were children provided for,
now they are partners who must provide for each other.

4. Before, they were children having no sexual activity.
Now they are partners in fulfilling each other.

5. Factors of the one flesh principle:

A. The one flesh principle establishes a soul and body partnership that provides the ultimate in human happiness.

B. It consummates the issue of "two" becoming "one unit" to function in life as one unit and glorify God as a unified "entity."

C. It speaks of commitment and permanence. Mt. 19:3-6

D. It speaks of mutual sharing to provide fulfillment in both soul and body. 1 Cor. 7:32-34 and v. 3-5.

E. The one flesh principle communicates a unique joining of a man and a woman that finds its full potential only as the principle is truly followed.

F. This requires a social formality that marks a separation from parental authority.

G. It requires restricted sexual activity. First comes the social ceremony, then the one flesh reality.

H. It requires specialized sexual activity: only one man and one woman involved in the relationship.

I. And in that context, there is NO SHAME, Gen. 2:25.

V. 25 The reality of no shame

1. And the man and his woman: Indicates the two of them as a "one flesh unit."

2. Were both naked: Equality in physical status.

3. And were not ashamed: No negative attitudes such as guilt and/or embarrassment.

A. This indicates a mutual physical rapport and enjoyment of each other's physical body and mutual sexual fulfillment.

B. Although the presence of the sin nature after the fall, distorts the original design of God, that design is still a factor for one man and one woman in the marriage relationship.

4. See Topic: Marriage: The provision

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İRon Wallace, http://www.biblefragrances.com. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it,
but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's consent.

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