The First Woman: Man's Companion

Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word this morning in Genesis 2:18-25. Today in our time together in God’s Word we are going to discuss what has been called “the crown of God’s creation;” that is “The creation of Woman.” It is my desire for us to come to a full understanding of just why God created woman and what her purpose in in this world. Sadly, in the sphere of western christianity we often see two polar opposite views of why God created woman.

On one end of the spectrum, you have the view of woman as a “lesser being” who is under the rule of her husband, just barely above the children. To those with this view the only reason God created woman was basically to be a servant to her husband. She’s to cook, clean, care for the home all by herself, look like a million dollars when her husband gets home from work, fulfill his sexual desires, bare children and then largely care for those children with very little support from her husband who lives more like a king than as a partner. Sadly, this view is based in 1950’s western culture and not in the Bible.

The other end of the theological spectrum says that woman was created to be completely equal with man, not just in form, which she is, but also in function. This is called egalitarianism. This is a view based more in western cultural radical feminism and not in the Bible. This view is what leads to men living “under the thumb of his wife,” and always being portrayed as a bumbling idiot always in need of his much smarter wife bailing him out. Sadly, this view is rooted in the western sexual revolution of the late 60’s and early ‘70’s and not in the Bible.

So, what does the Bible actually teach? We will endeavor to answer that question from God’s word this morning. What you will find is that both ends of the spectrum are vastly different from God’s design and purpose.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Genesis 2:18–25 NKJV

18 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. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to 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 a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Introduction:

The creation of woman was as much planned by God as the creation of man. Notice in v.18 that it is God planning and speaking this event.

This tells us that the creation of woman:

Was more than just an afterthought.

Was not inferior to God’s creation of man.

Was not of less importance than man.

Was not given less attention and thought than the creation of man.

In fact, the opposite is true. There was much attention and detail given to the creation of woman.

Why then does God discuss with such great detail the creation of the woman? That answer is two fold.

To show that man and woman are related to each other but, at the same time, they are different from each other. Each is unique and have a distinctive role and purpose in God’s creation.

v.18 tells us that God created woman because “it was not good that man should be alone.”

“Not good”- incomplete, unfinished, unfulfilled, deficient.

You see, apart from the woman, man would have no suitable partner to share life with, he needed someone with the same nature. Not to mention the need of reproduction.

This means that the creation of the man was only half of God’s of God’s plan for humanity. The woman was the other half. Man, apart from woman is incomplete and deficient. Adam desperately needed the creation of woman.

v.18 also tells us that man needed a helper, a companion that was suitable or comparable to him.

The Hebrew word means fit, corresponding to, adapted to, agreeing with, counterpart, opposite or equal to.

In other words, God planned the woman to be:

Man’s counterpart.

Of the same nature of man.

To have the same rank as man.

To be suited to man mentally, physically, and morally.

Understand something, this means that while she was to be all these things to man, conversely, man was meant to be all of these things to her as well.

Man and woman were created to live as companions. To live and work together as partners, helping each other in every way that they could as a family. Living there days as a family in love for one anther, joy of each others company, and in peace together with God.

Notice then, v.19 seems to veer of topic a bit and begins to discuss how God created all the animals and then brought them before Adam to name. No doubt, Adam, in naming these animals would have observed their differences from himself. He would have noticed how he was superior in ability, intelligence and function compared to them. He would have noticed just how different the animals were from himself and he would have noticed how that each animal had a counterpart that though the same was also created just a little anatomically different. Male and female if you would.

v.20 tells us the purpose God had in doing this and it shows us why God put the little parenthetical here in the story of the creation of woman. God was showing man his need for a companion that was like himself, equal to him in many ways.

Then in vs.21 we finally see the creation of woman and the way in which God chose to create woman is, in itself, a picture of the close bond of companionship that the man and woman were to have.

God did not create woman like He did animals or even man, out of dust and independent from each other.God caused a deep sleep to come upon the man and then, like a surgeon, God took a rib from Adam’s side. From that rib, God formed the woman out of the very body and being of man.

God then, brings her to the man. Remember, before this, Adam had no suitable companion, no companion like himself. The animals had mates and companions like their kind, but not Adam. He was all alone. But, now, there stood the woman (Later to be called Eve.)

There are several major takeaways from the narrative before us regarding the creation of the woman and the bringing together of man and woman by God that we must observe together this morning.

1.) The union was of God’s design. (v.22)

We must understand this because it is foundational to the rest of the Bible as it relates to the relationship between men and women. The New Testament bases most of its teaching on human relationships between a man and woman off of what is recorded here.

God’s design was for a man and woman to live together in intimacy.Thats why he created woman from the very body and being of man.

Woman came out of man’s need. Therefore, she was to come “out of man’s” being (vv. 18, 21–23).

Woman was to be the object of man’s cleaving. Therefore, woman was made out of man’s being in order to cause a natural clinging, a reaching out for one another’s own being, one another’s own flesh (vv. 23–24).

Woman was to be one flesh with man. Therefore, she was made out of the very flesh of man so that man and woman would have identical natures and stand as the counterpart to one another (vv. 22–23).

Woman came out of man’s flesh so that both would cherish and nurture the other. No person hates his own flesh. The very opposite is true: he cherishes, protects, and cares for it.

Ephesians 5:28–29 NKJV

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

2.) Man and woman are equal in being and person but different in order and priority. (v.23)

Now I understand that at first hearing that statement may not sound right. Don’t tune me out, allow me to unpack that statement using God’s word.

A.) Men and women are equal in being and person.

Genesis 2:23 NKJV

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.”

Woman was made of the very same flesh and blood material just as Adam was. She was like Adam in every respect: in the physical, mental, and spiritual being. She was “taken out of man”- out of the very same substance as man was.

There is nothing in the plan of God about superiority and inferiority, nothing about a superior or inferior rank for woman nor for man. The idea that woman is inferior to man—a lesser being—has not come from God nor from His Word. It has come from depraved, sinful humanity and society.

Woman was created by God as a unique individual just as man was. The woman possesses the same amount of dignity and honor bestowed upon her by God as the man.

Each is equally important to God as the other.

B.) Order and priority.

Look at vs.23 again. “Taken out of man.”

Neither men or women are superior or inferior to each other. As persons, men and women are equal in God’s eyes and are to be seen as equals in each others eyes as well.

What scripture is telling us here is that there was an orderly fashion to God’s creation.

By God creating men and women in the order in which he did, he was structuring the order within the family and within society.

He arranged for the man to be first in the order of the family and society, then the woman, and then the children. The man was meant to be the head of the family unit and the societal unit. This simply means that the man was meant to be the leader or head.

Any structure or organization has to have a head or a leader in order for it to move forward and accomplish anything.

Men, this doesn’t mean that you are to reign in domination of your home. True order and priority are found in voluntary submission and love.

Ephesians 5:22–25 NKJV

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

The order and relationship between man and woman are clearly shown in this Scripture: woman …

• was created for man

• was created out of man

• was presented to man

The whole point of the passage isn’t to declare some sort of superiority of man over woman. The point is to declare that, in the creation of woman, God made a partner to man. A partner who the man desperately needed in order to carry out God’s will for him on the earth. The partnership is between two equal persons and beings but their functions and purposes on earth differ.

3.) The establishment of the marriage institution. (v.24)

In vs. 23 we find the ground rules given for the first institution that was ever created on earth beside the family and that is marriage. Marriage is a God ordained and God given institution and only he has the right to define it.

A.) There is to be a leaving of parents.

This means when a man and woman come together in marriage there is to be a permanent separation from parents by the man and woman. The marriage union is to be the primary and strongest relationship between two people. Stronger than the bond between parents and children. So strong that the man and woman will leave their parents and build a family of their own.

B.) There is to be a cleaving to each other.

Cleave-to join fast together; to glue together; to cement together; to be joined in the closest union possible; to be bound together; to be so totally united together that two become one.

It is a union higher and stronger than the union of parent and child. It is a union that means more than living together, more than having sex and bearing offspring. Animals do this. It is a union that can be brought by God alone. It is a spiritual union that places man above the physical plane of animals.

C.) There is to be one flesh.

This means he is to be hers alone and she is to be his alone, so much so it is as if they are one flesh, one person united together. This goes beyond just a sexual union and touches every facet of life. It is a spiritual fullness, a spiritual sharing of life together: a dedication, a consecration, a completeness, a satisfaction that makes a person the exclusive possession of God and of the spouse.

Matthew 19:6 NKJV

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Conclusion:

It is God who defined human sexuality and love in the bonds of the marriage relationship as a unique picture of Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:31–32 NKJV

31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

No wonder the institution of marriage and gender are under such an attack today. It is God who ordained both. We don’t get a say in that matter.

The creation of gender roles and the family unit are at the very roots of human society.

The home gave rise …

• to government: when rules and laws were needed between families and tribes

• to worship: when the need for fellowship with God and for instruction of children arose

• to education: when the need to instruct and teach children arose

• to health care: when the physical care of the family members arose

vs.25 tells us just how good life was for the first man and woman. They were completely innocent living in enjoyment of each other. But it wouldn't last for long. The last first of chapter two is setting up for the fall of man into sin in chapter three.

It is sin that has plagued the world ever since and it is sin that plagues gender roles and the family today.