The first woman - the perfect complement!
Posted on June 7, 2011 by Pastor Tom
But things are not quite perfect for the man. Verse 18 – Then the Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” Here’s where we see the Lord’s loving concern. He promises to make a helper fit for (corresponding to) him. (2:18)
Fellowship, friendship and intimacy are basic needs for every human being. God will provide someone for Adam. We might think the term “helper” implies inferiority. But there is no sense of that in the text. The sense is more someone perfectly fitted to or perfectly complementing. The man is alone and he lacks. He needs help. (Ladies, I know you want to shout a huge, Yes he does). But where will this complementary partner come from? Maybe it will come from other living things. So Moses goes on a bit of review. In verse 19, he reveals that the Lord God had formed beasts of the field and birds of the air. They too were formed out of the ground like the man. They had some sort of breath of life in them. Would they be man’s companion? The Lord God reveals that no suitable helper is found in the animal kingdom even though they too came from the ground. (2:19–20) Instead, man gets to exercise authority over the animals by naming them as God’s representative. But no helper is found.
He makes woman from one of the man’s ribs. (2:21–22) Some have observed that this is the perfect body part to use. It’s not from man’s head so the woman is above him or from his foot so he walks all over her. It’s a rib from his side. In Sumerian, one of the languages of Mesopotamia, the word for “rib” also means “life.” Something of that concept is also intended here: The woman comes into being out of the very life of man. Life begets life. Man and woman are connected. They are related to each other as though they were blood relatives. She is the perfect provision. We know that by man’s response.
How do man and woman respond to God’s provision?
Man delights in God’s provision of woman. (2:23) Adam expresses unbounded delight. It’s not “oh, she’s pretty good God.” This is bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. She is awesome and perfect.” Moses then puts in place God’s ordination of marriage as foundational for society. A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. Just as the first man and woman were of one flesh, the subsequent married couples become one flesh.
Next time – Why all this nakedness?
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