Woman: The Need, The Nature, The Name

Once again, I want to wish all the ladies here today a Happy Mother’s Day. At the same time, I realize that not all of you ladies are mothers. All women are not mothers, but all mothers are women. So, today I would like to speak on the need, the nature, and the name of woman as addressed in the Bible.

Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate all women. In my lifetime, I have loved many women; (WAIT! Let me explain.) I have loved my wife, my mother, my daughters-in-law, my grandmother, my aunts, and I could go on-and-on. These wonderful women have loved me, cared for me, and taught me about God and Jesus. There’s an old saying that goes like this, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” I don’t claim to be great in any sense, but there have been many great women in my life, and they deserve a lot of credit for anything good about me.

Let me give you a couple of quotes from truly great men that speak about the women in their lives. Here’s the first: “I remember my grandmother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” Who said that? It was Abraham Lincoln. The second quote is this: “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.” Do you know who said that? It was George Washington.

The Book of Proverbs is a good source for anyone who wants to know what the Bible has to say about women. These proverbs are from:

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her…

12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She … willingly works with her hands.

15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household…

20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

It’s clear from these proverbs that God has high praise for a “good” woman. Mother’s Day provides an occasion for celebrating what the Bible says about women. In a day when some movements rush to make men and women just alike and other movements try to make one inferior or superior to the other, it is important to understand the biblical teaching on this subject.

Genesis chapters 1 and 2 are good places to begin. Following a general account of man’s creation in Genesis 1, the Bible gives a detailed account of the creation of woman in Genesis 2.

All women are wise and happy if they understand where they originated, why they were created, and what a wonderful contribution they make to God’s plan. There are three points to be made by today’s message.

The first point is “The Need for Woman”. That’s the subject of:

Genesis 2:18-20 – “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”

As Adam named each animal, he might have looked into their eyes, and saw that something was missing. They were all different from him. Sure, the monkeys could walk behind him and mimic his actions, but they could never be a true companion.

When Adam looked into a pool of water and saw his reflection, he knew it was him, but when the dogs saw their reflection, they thought they were looking at another dog. There was no one like Adam in Eden. God said it was not good for man to be alone. Man needed someone to talk to, a companion, and someone to comfort him.

Woman was God’s answer to Adam’s loneliness. No other creature was suitable for Adam. A woman is a unique creation, because there are needs only she can meet. Albert Barnes caught a glimpse of the wonder of woman, and he wrote this, “God did not create man a nonsocial being… In every way the normal thing for man is to go through life in fellowship with a wife. Man needs her.”