July 9, 2013
The Book of Genesis
By: Tom Lowe
Lesson I.B.3: The Process of Forming the Woman.
Gen. 2.18-25. (KJV)
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Introduction
Adam was given power over the creatures, and as a proof of this he named them all. This may show the depth of his insight into the works of God. But though he was lord of the creatures, there was nothing in the world like him with whom he might have fellowship. God is the source of all our blessings, and if we place our trust in Him, he will make everything in our lives work for our good. God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep (since he is sinless, God will ensure that he feels no pain.). God, as her Father, brought the woman to the man to be his companion and helper.
Our first parents did not need clothes for protection against cold or heat, because neither could hurt them, nor did they need clothing to adorn their bodies. Life was easy for Adam and he was happy in his state of innocence. How good was God to him! How many blessings did he give him! How easy were the rules he must follow! Nevertheless man did not understand that these simple rules were in his best interest, and soon he became like the beasts that perish.
Commentary
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
And the LORD God said,
“And the LORD God said” means that these are the words of Yahweh Himself.
Here we can see the attention which the Creator paid to man and his fatherly concern for his comfort. Though God had let him know that he was subordinate to Him, by giving him a command that he must obey (v. 16, 17), yet here He lets him know that he was a friend, and a favorite, and that He cared for him and wanted him to always be happy.
It is not good that the man should be alone;
These words relate to the events described in verse 22 and following; but the expression “not good” indicates that these events are not a further continuation of chapter 1 and the creative week, but are actually part of that creative week; occurring after man was created and before God rested. When God finished His creation (1:31), He noted that everything was “very good.” Therefore, until Eve was created the creative activity of God was not complete, and God could not declare that all was “very good.” This is the first time in the history of creation that God said, “It is not good.” Man needs a wife who is a help. If man is to achieve his objectives in life, he needs the help of his mate in every way.
God pitied man because of his solitude; although there was an upper world of angels and a lower world of animals, yet there was no being with the same nature and status as him, no one that he could converse intimately with, he was alone and the Lord knew he would eventually be unhappy unless He did something about it. Now, who would know more about him and what was good for him than the One who had made him. It was that Divine wisdom that resulted in the Lord saying "It is not good that he should continue to be alone.’’ Perhaps there were three reasons for this assessment:
1. It is not conducive to man’s well-being, because man is a social creature. It is enjoyable for him to exchange information and affection with those of his own kind, to inform and to be informed, to love and to be loved. What God says here of the first man, Solomon says of all men—“Two are better than one…But woe to him who is alone…” (Eccl 4:9, 10; NKJV). If there was only one man in the world, what a sad man he would be! Solitude would turn a paradise into a desert, and a palace into a dungeon. Only a foolish person would want to be alone on the earth.
2. It is not conducive to the increase and continuation of his kind. God could have made multitudes of men at first, to fill the earth, just like He filled heaven with a world of angels: but the place would have been too crowded and the residents would not be prepared to live together in peace and to take care of themselves; therefore God saw fit to increase the population by a succession of generations, which have their origin in the first two, who are male and female.
3. It is not conducive to man recognizing that he had a need, so God put man in the garden alone for a period of time to show him that he had a need; that he needed someone to be with him. Although he was in the midst of plenty, he was conscious of feelings he could not gratify.
I will make him an help meet for him.
“I will make him an help meet” is the means God used to provide a society for him. God concluded that man needs some help; someone who is like him; one formed from him, with the same nature and the same rank; a helper to cohabitate with him, and to be always near him; one that would give him pleasure, and make him happy. Bear in mind:
1. Even in the best circumstances that exist in this world we need help from others; because we are dependent creatures, and “the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee” (1 Co. 12:21). We must therefore be glad to receive help from others, and give help to others when the occasion arises.
2. God is the only one who perfectly knows our needs and desires, and He is perfectly able to supply them all—“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19; NKJV). God promises to meet all of our needs, not all of our wishes, wants, or whims. Men have physical needs, mental needs, social needs, economic needs. Men have not only worldly needs, but spiritual and eternal needs. Men need perpetual forgiveness, perpetual peace, and perpetual power. God is our great helper. Paul says “But my God.” Paul does not say my God can supply all your needs, but my God shall supply all your needs. This was Paul’s personal testimony and confession of faith. We see next a great Supplier. There is a total supply for a total need. God’s supply is infinite, abundant, inexhaustible, limitless, and boundless. God many times uses other men to meet our needs. Next we see great resources; God’s riches in glory. Paul says “according to his riches,” not out of His riches, not off the top. God’s supply is not according to what we deserve, but according to His mercy; not out of debt, but out of grace; not according to our emptiness, but according to His fullness; not according to our poverty, but according to His wealth. God has great riches. Lastly, look at the great and glorious channel which is Christ Jesus. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Tim 2:5–6). There is no other Mediator; there is no other channel. With such precious truth before us there can only be agreement with the past, contentment with the present, and confidence for the future. What could be more wonderful than to know that God loves us, He knows all about us, and that He is able to supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
3. A suitable wife is a help-meet (helper), and is a gift from the Lord. She is the kind of help man needs, agreeing with him mentally, physically, and spiritually; but she is neither an inferior nor superior being, but in all things she is equal to him. Therefore, the relationship is very likely to be happy and contented when perfect knowledge directs and determines the choice, and mutual helpfulness is the constant consideration and endeavor.
4. The family unit if it is pleasant and satisfying is an ample remedy for the misery of solitude. He that has a good God, a good heart, and a good wife to converse with, and still complains that he wants more conversation, would not have been comfortable and content in paradise; because Adam had no more than that, and yet, even before Eve was created, we do not find that he complained of being alone, sense he knew he was not alone, for the Father was with him. Those that are the most satisfied in God and his acts of kindness are in the position, and in the best state, to receive the good things of this life, and shall be sure of having them, since Infinite Wisdom will see to it.
Observe, we find that celibacy in general is not good, whether it is on the side of the man or of the woman. Men may, in opposition to the declaration of God, call this a state of excellence and a state of perfection; but let them remember that the word of God says the reverse.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
“Out of the ground, etc.” concerns the formation of the different kinds of animals, which is the subject matter of the preceding chapter, Genesis 1.
“The LORD God formed every beast of the field” is to be understood as “The LORD God” HAD “formed every beast of the field.” The birds and beasts were created before Adam, but Adam’s dominion over the animals is seen in verses 19 and 20; because it is the prerogative of a superior to give names to those under him—“And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:10; NKJV).
“God brought every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air unto Adam”— not all the animals in existence at that time, but mainly those in his immediate neighborhood that were to be subservient to his use. Adam is the name used for the first man; but it is also used as a generic noun identifying the “man” and “woman” collectively and revealing their origin; Adam comes from the Hebrew “adamah,” meaning literally “ground” or “earth.”
“God brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them.” “And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” God caused all the animals to parade before the man; the crown of His creative work. This was another instance of the creatures’ subjection to man, and his dominion over them: “Every beast of the field and every fowl of the air God brought to Adam,” either by the shepherding of angels or by imparting to them a special instinct that would direct them to come to man as their master. Thus God gave man command and rule of the excellent estate he had granted him, and put him in possession of his dominion over the creatures. God brought them to him, so that he could name them.
And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Believe me that man had to be a smart man to name all the animals. Some cutup has said that when God brought an elephant to Adam and said, “What shall we call this one?” Adam said, “Well, he looks more like an elephant than anything else.” His powers of perception and intelligence must have been supernaturally enlarged so that he would know the characteristics, habits, and uses of each species that was brought to him.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;
“Adam named the cattle, the fowl of the air, and every beast of the field”—this in itself was a tremendous achievement since there are around 17,000 air-breathing species of animals in existence today. This was proof of his knowledge, as a creature endowed with the power both of reason and speech, and so he was created more capable than the beasts of the earth and made wiser than the fowls of the heaven—“who makes us smarter than the animals of the earth and wiser than the birds of the air?” (Job 35:11; NCV). They have wonderful instincts and prudence in seeking out their food and shelter; but none of them are capable of inquiring, “Where is God my Maker?” Something like logic has been observed among the brute-creatures, but never anything like holiness or religion; these are peculiar to man. Naming the animals was also a proof of his power. It is an act of authority to impose names—“Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego” (Dan 1:7; KJV). This change of names was a sign of dominion and authority. It was customary for masters to impose new names upon their slaves; and rulers often, on their ascending the throne, assumed a name different from that which they had before. It may have indicated authority to give names, but for those who received names it was a sign of subjection. The inferior creatures did now, in a manner of speaking, do homage to their prince at his inauguration, and swear fealty and allegiance to him. If Adam had continued faithful to his God, we may suppose the creatures themselves would have known and remembered the names Adam gave them and would have come to him when he called. God gave names to the day and night, to the firmament, to the earth, and to the sea; and he calleth the stars by their names, to show that he is the supreme Lord of these. But he gave Adam permission to name the beasts and fowls, as their subordinate lord; because he put some of His honour upon him, for the reason that He had made him in his own image.
It appears that God may have had two objectives in mind when He caused man to name all the cattle, etc.:
1. To show him the great power of comprehension with which his Maker had gifted him.
2. To show him that there were no creatures existing at that time that could make him a suitable companion.
Both objectives were accomplished:
First, names were given to each of the animals (this entailed discerning the character or nature of each animal.). Adam gave names to all the animals; but how?—From an intimate knowledge of the nature and characteristics of each creature. Here we see the perfection of his knowledge; for it is well known that the names affixed to the different animals in Scripture always express some prominent feature and essential characteristic of the creatures to which they are applied. Had he not possessed an intuitive knowledge of the grand and distinguishing characteristics of those animals, he never could have given them such names. This one circumstance is a strong proof of the original perfection and excellence of man, while in a state of innocence. Adam was the work of an infinitely wise and perfect Being, and the effect must resemble the cause that produced it.
Second, Adam saw with his own eyes that each of the animals of God’s creation was subhuman, and inferior to him. He and he alone, had been created in the image of God. He was unique; he was the only one of his kind. Adam was convinced that none of these creatures could be a suitable companion for him, and for that reason he must continue in a state that was not good for him, unless his Maker would act to improve his condition; because, among all the animals which he had named there was not found a help meet for him. God was preparing Adam psychologically for his helper.
but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
“An help meet for him”—There are some who say the word meet should not be here. In this place it means one agreeing with and answering to him, a helper that is his counterpart; the other half of him, his compliment, matching part, corresponding person, and equivalent. I disagree, because it does fit, and I may be called old fashioned for saying this, but I believe man is only half a man until he is married. I am not here to promote marriage, and yet I would say that it is God’s intention for both man and woman to marry. The woman is to answer to the man.
What we see here is that the creatures cannot make the man happy, because there was not found among them all “an help meet for him.” Some have said these are the words of Adam himself, spoken to his Maker as all the creatures come to him by couples to be named—"Lord, all these have companions who are like them; but what shall I do? There is no one for me.’’ But this opinion is wrong, because it is God’s judgment that is expressed here. He brought them all together, to see if there was even one suitable match for Adam among any of the numerous species of the inferior creatures; but there was none. Observe here:
1. The dignity and superiority of the human creature. There was not any like him on earth, and neither was his equal found among all earth’s creatures. He looked over all of them, but none of them were a match for him. There was a reason for which God created this sad scene; it was to show him that none of the living creatures he saw were on an equal footing with himself, and that while each species came with its mate of the same nature, similar outward appearance, and habits, he alone had no companion. The only positive result to be gained from Adam giving names to them may be that by doing so he was led to exercise his powers of speech and to prepare for social interaction with his partner, a creature yet to be made.
2. The futility of this world and the things it contains; you can put them all together, and they will not make a man content. They will not suit the nature of his soul, or supply its needs, or satisfy its desires.
Next, the scene changes, and God creates a new thing to be a help-meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Not only did God recognize that solitude was not good for man (vs. 18), he also took steps to make the life of man one of joy and fulfillment. We are told here, “the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam.” The “deep sleep” was a divine anesthetic administered by the Great Physician. This sleep is usually produced by a supernatural act—“And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram…” (Gen 15:12; KJV). “Deep sleep” probably denotes an ecstasy or trance like the prophets experienced, when they had visions and revelations from the Lord, for the whole scene was probably visible to the mental eye of Adam, and that led to his rapturous exclamation—“This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh (v. 23)”.Observe,
1. THAT ADAM WAS CREATED FIRST, THEN EVE—“For Adam was first formed, then Eve” (1 Tim 2:13; KJV). Man was made to serve as the Lord of this lower creation. He was placed in the Garden, and the woman was made from a rib taken from his side, and then she was given to him, not as a lord, but as a companion. All the circumstances combine to show the subordinate nature of her rank, and to prove that she was not designed to exert authority over the man—“For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (1 Cor 11:8-9; KJV). She was made from a rib taken from the man, and she was made for the man, which indicates her status and the reasons for the humility, modesty, silence, and submissiveness, of the female sex in general, and particularly the subjection and reverence which wives owe to their own husbands. However, man being the last of the creatures made and the best and most excellent of them all; and Eve’s being made after Adam, and out of him, puts a high honour upon that sex; since the best things are usually made last, she ranks above all the other creatures as the glory of the man—“he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man” (1 Cor 11:7; KJV). She is the honour and the ornament of man. She was made for him; she was made after he was; she was taken from him, and was "bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh." All her charm, loveliness, and purity, are therefore an expression of his honour and dignity, since all that beauty and loveliness were made from him and for him. If man is the head, she is the crown, a crown to her husband, the crown of the visible creation. The man was refined dust, but the woman was double-refined dust, one removed further from the earth.
2. THAT ADAM SLEPT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS BEING MAKING, so that no room might be left to imagine that he had in any way directed the Spirit of the Lord, or been his counselor—“Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?” (Isa. 40:13; KJV). God knows no equal nor is there anyone to whom He can go for advice. Someone has asked the rather facetious question, “What is it that you have seen that God has never seen?” The answer is very simple. God has never seen His equal. I see mine every day.
Adam had been very clear about his need for a mate; but, when God undertakes to provide him one, he does not appear concerned about the results; he lies down and sleeps sweetly like he may have cast all his care on God, with a cheerful acquiescence to his Maker’s will and wisdom. If we graciously rest in God, God will graciously work for us and do all for our good.
3. THAT “GOD CAUSED A DEEP SLEEP TO FALL UPON ADAM,” so that the opening in his side would not bring him pain; as long as he knows no sin, God will take care to insure he feels no pain. When God, by His providence, does something to His people that is harmful to flesh and blood, he not only considers their happiness in the issue, but by his grace he can so calm and compose their spirits they become comfortable under the worst circumstances.
4. That the woman was made on the sixth day, which was the same day He placed Adam in the Garden, although it is mentioned here after an account of the seventh day’s rest; but what was said in general in Genesis 1:27 that God made man MALE AND FEMALE, is more distinctly related here. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM” (Ge 1.27: KJV).
5. THAT THE SUPERNATURAL SURGEON IMMEDIATELY “TOOK ONE OF HIS RIBS, AND CLOSED UP THE FLESH INSTEAD THEREOF.” The Hebrew word for rib is tsela? and it is used elsewhere in the Old Testament to mean “side,” “wing of a building,” and a “panel.” There are those who feel it should be translated “side part,” possibly to indicate the bisexuality of man and woman. But the same word appears in Akkadian (the eastern Semitic language, now extinct, of Assyria and Babylonia), meaning rib. It probably includes the surrounding flesh (See v. 23). But it is immaterial whether we render ?”tsela” a rib, or a part of his side, because it may mean either: some part of man was to be used on this occasion , but it does not matter whether it was bone or flesh; though it is likely, from verse Genesis 2:23, that a part of both was taken, for the reason that Adam, knowing how the woman was formed, said, “This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone.” God could have formed the woman out of the dust of the earth, as he had formed the man; but had he done so, she may have appeared in his eyes as a distinct being, to which he had no natural relation. But since God formed her out of a part of the man, he saw she had the same nature, the same identical flesh and blood, and the same configuration in all respects, and consequently having equal powers, abilities, and rights. This immediately guaranteed his affection, and excited his respect and admiration for her.
"She was not made out of his head to surpass him or from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him."
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
God created woman out of Adam’s rib, which had been removed from Adam’s side, in order to show that she may labor alongside of him. The absolute unity of the race in its descent from one ancestor is established in this manner, and now it is a vital doctrine of the Scriptures--“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Rom. 5:18; KJV). This is the underlying principle of the imputation of sin and the imputation of righteousness. This is the doctrine of the federal headship of the race in Adam and Christ. But along with Adam’s lofty position, the true dignity of woman-kind is guaranteed: she is not an inferior substance. She is of his bone and his flesh. The unity of the race explains why Eve did not experience spiritual death until Adam ate the fruit in Genesis 3:6.
The woman was made from a rib taken from the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, or out of his feet to trample upon him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved. Adam lost a rib, but that did not decrease his strength or attractiveness (since, almost certainly, the flesh was closed without leaving a scar); but in lieu of a rib he had a companion, which more than made up for his loss. From this we learn that what God takes away from his people he will, in one way or another, restore it with benefits and improvements. In this (as in many other things) Adam was a figure of Him that was to come; because out of the side of Christ, the second Adam, his spouse the church was formed, when he slept the sleep, the deep sleep, of death upon the cross. It was there on the cross that his side was opened by a Roman spear, and there blood and water came out of the wound; blood to purchase his church and water to purify it for himself—“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:25, 26). God never asked a woman to submit to any man who doesn’t love her and love her like this. Oh, this is Christian love on a high plane. Today young people are finding out about sex, and there are innumerable books on the subject of marriage. I may sound to you like an antiquated preacher when I say that they are nonsense. Only the Christian can know what is real love in marriage, because it is carried to the high plane of the relationship between Christ and the church. There is nothing else like that, my friend. “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”—that is in the past. In the present He is sanctifying the church with the water of the Word of God. The cleanser, which is the Bible, is better than any cleanser advertised on radio or television. The Word of God will not only take out the soiled spots, it will keep you from getting further spots in your life.
God identified Himself as a “Helper” to Israel in Deuteronomy 33:7. The word does not imply inferiority. It describes function rather than worth. No one loses value in humbly assuming the role of helper. As a “helper” to the man, the woman became his partner spiritually in the overwhelming task of obedience to God and dominion over the earth. She was also to be a vital part of populating the world—“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen 1:28; KJV). The woman, as man’s ultimate friend, would bring him comfort and fellowship. No one else could encourage and inspire him as she was created to do. She was designed to be the perfect counterpart for the man, and she was neither inferior nor superior, but she was like him and equal to the man in her personhood while different and unique in her function.
Man and woman were both created in God’s image. Just as man was formed from earth, woman was formed from man. She corresponds perfectly to the man, the same flesh and blood, and in “the image of God” just as the man, equal to him in every way. By the creative act itself, she is inseparably linked to the man. The unity of the race is assured (Gen. 1:27, 28); the woman’s dignity and worth is affirmed (Gen. 2:22); the foundation for Christian marriage is set forth in a memorable way— “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2.24).
The woman was not an afterthought. The man was designed and created physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually with her coming creation planned and assured. In fact, God said that the man “alone” was not good; he needed the woman (v. 2.18). God made man from “the dust of the ground,” but He made the woman from “the rib” of the man.
God “brought her unto the man.” God performed the first marriage; He sanctified and blessed the first home and the first family. Jesus interpreted this event in Matthew 19:6: “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Believe me, Eve was beautiful. Any woman today who is beautiful inherited it originally from mother Eve. There is no beauty that she did not have. She was a doll, let me tell you! And she was the other half of Adam.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
And Adam said,
When God brought the woman to Adam, the man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:
Marriage is honorable, but this must have been the most honourable marriage that there ever was, because God had a hand in it all along. Marriages (they say) are made in heaven: this one in particular surely was, for the reason that the man and the woman were brought together by God; He made them both, and now, by decree, He made them one. This was a marriage made in perfect innocence, a situation that could never be repeated. God, as her Father, brought the woman to the man; she is his second self, and a help-meet. After He had made her, He did not leave her to find her own way; she was His child, and she must not marry without His consent. Probably it was revealed to Adam in a vision, while he was asleep, that this lovely creature that is now presented to him, was a piece of him, and was to be his companion and wife. Adam received her from God, who was also his Father, and then he said “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; now I have what I wanted, a help meet for me, which is something I could not find among God’s creatures.’’ God’s gifts to us should be received with a humble thankful acknowledgment of his act of kindness in bestowing them on us.
This is the Hebrew expression that is commonly employed to indicate family kinship—“And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month” (Gen 29:14; NKJV). The meaning is: formed from the same parents, or from the same family. The bones and the flesh have the same source. This is a metaphor, except in the case of Adam, because the first man could use this phrase in the full sense of the words, including their literal connotation, since the woman was actually bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh!
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
He gave her a name as a gesture of his acceptance of her; or perhaps it was not particularly for her, but for her sex in general. The word for “Woman” in the Hebrew language is very similar to the word for “Man.” The word for man is ish, and the word for woman is ishshah, a she-man, differing from man in sex only, not in nature—made of man, and joined to man. She is the other part of man and is to answer to him. God intended man to take the lead—He created him first—and He created woman to follow. The man is the aggressor—God made him that way even physically—and woman is the responder. Do not tell me that a wife has to love her husband. God does not say that. God says that she is to respond to him. If he says to her, “I love you,” then she is going to say right back to him, “I love you.” When a man tells me, “My wife is very cold,” that is a dead giveaway that he is not really the kind of husband he should be. If he is the right kind of husband, she will respond, because he is the one that should take the lead.
Woman has been defined by many as a composite of wo and man, as if she is man's wo because she tempted him to eat the forbidden fruit; but this is not the meaning of the original word, since the transgression had not yet been committed. The truth is, our term is a proper and literal translation of the original, and we may thank the discernment of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors for translating it correctly. The Anglo-Saxon word, of which woman is a contraction, means the man with the womb. A very appropriate version of the Hebrew? ishshah is rendered by terms which signify she-man. Hence we see that Adam's observation is appropriate: This creature is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones; therefore shall she be called WOMB-MAN, or female man, because she was taken out of man. Others derive it from the Anglo-Saxon words for man's wife or she-man. Either may be proper, but the first seems the most likely.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother,
Verse 24 gives the goal of marriage, based upon the unity expressed in verses 22 and 23. The creation of Adam and Eve teaches us a great deal about the marriage relationship:
1. Marriage was instituted by God, not by man; it follows then, that God’s Word must give us the proper guidelines.
2. Marriage was, and should always be, monogamous; God gave Adam only one wife.
3. Marriage is to be heterosexual; homosexuality does not have any justification in the light of biblical revelation.
4. The husband and wife are to be unified physically and spiritually. The man is to “leave his father and his mother.” This would normally imply leaving them physically and emotionally to become, literally, “glued to his wife.” This implies the permanency of marriage.
5. The husband is to be the head of the wife. The reason is that Adam was created before Eve—“And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Tim 2:12-13; NKJV); and Eve was created as a helper for him. The relationship exists because God instituted it, not because men are superior.
The marriage covenant has three parts, which are all found in this verse:
1. TO “LEAVE FATHER AND MOTHER,” which is a reference to the wedding ceremony or time of public commitment?
2. TO “BE JOINED,” suggesting tender affection and faithful commitment in a permanent relationship of growing and maturing love.
3. TO “BECOME ONE FLESH” in physical union, which suggests the deepest and most exclusive intimacy?
Note, the verbs translated “leave” and “be joined to” are used elsewhere in Scripture to describe covenant relationships (see Deut. 4:4, Jer. 1:16).
God’ plan for marriage is introduced here for the first time, but it is repeated in the Gospels (Matt. 19:5) and in the Epistles (Eph. 5:31). Marriage was perfect when it was established: one man and one woman (both innocent) in a lifetime commitment, for the preservation of the world of mankind. The Sabbath was also instituted in innocence, for the preservation of the church.
God never intended for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18). The very bone from which woman was crafted came from man (Gen. 2:23). Woman was taken out of man, and then presented to man in order to complete him. God created the man and the woman in His image (Gen. 1:26) with physical and emotional needs that only another human being could meet (Gen. 2:18).
It appears from Matthew 19:4 and 5 that it was God himself who said here, "A man must leave all his relations, to cleave to his wife’’—“Jesus answered, “Surely you have read in the Scriptures: When God made the world, ‘he made them male and female.’ And God said, ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.’ But whether He spoke it by Moses, the writer, or by Adam (who spoke, v. 23), is uncertain. It seems, however, they are the words of Adam, spoken in God’s name, laying down this law for all his posterity. It appears from this divine ordinance that the bonds of marriage are even stronger than those of nature. Who could we be more firmly attached by the bonds of love than the fathers and mothers that raised us and cared for us? Yet the son must leave them, to be joined to his wife, and the daughter must forget them, to cleave to her husband—“Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house” (Ps. 45:10; KJV). The bride must break all her relationships, separating herself forever from all that she has known since birth, and cling only to her husband. There shall be, by the order of God, a more intimate connection formed between the man and woman, than can exist even between parents and children.
and shall cleave unto his wife:
Here is the first institution of marriage, and we see in it several specifics worthy of special attention. God declares the state of celibacy to be bad for man—“and the Lord God said, It is not good for man to be alone.” This is GOD'S opinion. Councilors, professors, and fathers, and doctors, and synods, have given a different judgment; but on this subject they are unworthy of our attention. “The word of God abideth forever.”
God made the woman for the man, and in this way He has shown us that every son of Adam should be united to a daughter of Eve until the world ends. God made the woman out of the man, to indicate that the closest union, and the most affectionate attachment, should exist in the matrimonial connection, so that the man would consider and treat the woman as a part of him; and since no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and supports it, so should a man deal with his wife. On the other hand, the woman should take into account that the man was not made for her, but that she was made for the man, and from him; therefore the wife should respect her husband—“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Eph. 5.33; NABWRNT). “Nevertheless” brings us down to earth with a jolt. This is the practical part of marriage. Oh, how sin has marred this glorious relationship—as it has marred everything else—but this relationship can be yours if you will work at it and stay faithful to each other and to God. Paul brings the reader back to the ordinary routine of Christian living in the home. “Let each love his wife as himself.” This shows the kind of husband to whom the wife is to be in subjection.
No parents were in Eden, but God’s plan extended to the future with His formula for oneness in marriage. The partners are to “leave” their parents and “be joined” (cleave) in order to become one. They must be willing to lay aside all that pertains to their old loyalties and lifestyles of separate goals and plans and be joined to one another. This “joining” refers to a strong, enduring bond—one unit bound together by unconditional commitment, love, and acceptance—resulting in a combined unit much stronger than either individual had been separately.
No other human relationship with parent or child is to supersede the bond between husband and wife. Marriage is a covenant commitment—a vow made to God and the partner, not only to love but also to be faithful and to endure together all that life will bring to them in a lifelong exclusive relationship—“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:5–6; KJV).This was God’s original plan for man and woman before sin entered the human family. Divorce was not in God’s original plan. Why? Because sin was not in God’s original plan and divorce is always a result of sin. Regardless of what you may say, there is sin in the relationship somewhere which causes divorce. So our Lord took them back to the original plan of God.
and they shall be one flesh.
These words may be understood in a twofold sense:
1. These two shall be one flesh, and shall be considered as one body, having no separate or independent rights, privileges, cares, concerns, etc., each being equally interested in all things that concern the marriage state.
2. These two shall exist for the production of one flesh. Posterity shall spring from their union, which resembles them as much as they do each other.
The “one flesh” relationship shows the firmness of the bond of marriage; it is not to be divided and weakened by having many wives (Mal. 2:15), and it is not to be broken or cut off by divorce, or for any cause except fornication, or voluntary desertion. Ephesians 5.28 denotes how dear the affection ought to be between husband and wife: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” The doctrine here is that a husband should have the same concern for the comfort of his wife that he has for himself. He should consider her one with himself; and just like he protects his own body from cold and hunger, sickness and suffering, so should he regard and treat her.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Here is evidence of the purity and innocence of our first parents. They both were naked, and yet they needed no clothes for defense against cold or the sun’s rays, for the reason that neither could be harmful to them. Neither did they need clothes to embellish their bodies. Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. And they did not need to wear clothes for the sake of decency; they were naked, and had no reason to be ashamed. They did not know what shame was. Blushing is now the color decency, but for Adam and Eve it was NOT the color of innocence. Those that had no sin on their conscience would not have shame on their faces, even though they had no clothes on their backs.
INNOCENCE is blamelessness; freedom from sin and guilt (Gen. 20:5; Ps. 26:6; Hos. 8:5). Since the Fall, when Adam and Eve brought disobedience into the world (Gen. 3:1–24), no one except Jesus has been totally sinless and blameless—“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21; KJV). The weather was perfectly temperate, and therefore they had no need of clothing; the surrounding air was the same temperature as their bodies. And since sin had not yet entered into the world, and no part of the human body had been put to any improper use, there was no shame, because shame can only arise from a consciousness aware of sinful or irregular conduct. People may be called “innocent” only because they have been forgiven of sin and been declared new creations through faith in Christ. In the torture and death of Christ, the innocent was punished voluntarily as if guilty, so that the guilty might be gratuitously rewarded as if innocent. "Such are we in the sight of God the Father, as is the very Son of God himself" [HOOKER].
I think this is a lovely account of the creation of woman and man. Here is a couple whom God really joined together. There are certain things which God has given to His people that they should obey, and God has given to the human race marriage. Marriage is one of the bands which modern men are trying to throw off: “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Ps. 2:3). What is man trying to do? He is trying to get rid of God, because God is the One who established marriage.
We have seen in chapter 2 man’s kinship with God, man’s worship of God, man’s fellowship with God, man’s service to God, man’s loyalty to God, man’s authority from God, and man’s social life from and for God. This is the great message of this chapter.
