Everything in the creation story is described as good or very good. However, for the first time, we encounter something that is not good: man is without a suitable companion. He needs someone or something to complete him.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner” (Genesis 2:18).
The man reflected his “image of God” nature by exercising dominion and naming the various animals. This act beautifully illustrates God’s partnership with humanity. However, the man still needed a partner to make him complete.
So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner (Genesis 2:19-20).
The Creation of Woman
The Genesis account in the Bible stands apart from the creation narratives of Israel’s neighbors. Unlike those cultures, which had no distinct tradition regarding the creation of woman, the Hebrews included a separate and specific account of her creation.
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man (Genesis 2:21-22).
Victor Hamilton, in his commentary on Genesis, writes that “Eve becomes the first thing that is created from another living thing. Just as the man does not emerge until a creative divine act on the dust takes place, so woman does not emerge until a divine creative act is performed on the man’s side.”
A Marriage Covenant
The word “covenant” is not commonly used in everyday American conversation. However, it was a deeply significant concept in the Old Testament. In fact, the Old Testament could be referred to as the “Old Covenant,” and the New Testament as the “New Covenant.”
In this context, Adam established a covenant of marriage and commitment with his wife through the following words.
Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.” (Genesis 2:23)
In this covenant, Adam expressed a mutual and reciprocal loyalty. He was fully committed to her, just as she was to him.
This mirrors the modern marriage ceremony, where couples vow to remain dedicated to one another through all circumstances of life. You have probably attended a service where couples pledge their faithfulness to one another with these words.
For the groom:
“I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
For the bride:
“I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
The marriage commitment involves transitioning from the primary bond with your parents to establishing a new and foremost commitment to your spouse.
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:24-25).
The early chapters of Genesis serve as an architectural blueprint for God’s design for humanity. The concept of men and women supporting one another and entering into a mutual covenant of love is foundational for creating a stable home and society.
This is a principle established by God, and we are wise to follow it.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 