A SUITABLE HELPER

Passage: Genesis 2:18-25

Key verse: 18

NIV

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(A)

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals(B) and all the birds in the sky.(C) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called(D) each living creature,(E) that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam[a] no suitable helper(F) was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;(G) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c](H) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;(I)
she shall be called(J) ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.(K)”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united(L) to his wife, and they become one flesh.(M)

25 Adam and his wife were both naked,(N) and they felt no shame.

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Footnotes
  1. Genesis 2:20 Or the man
  2. Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
  3. Genesis 2:22 Or part
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; (A)I will make him a helper fit for[a] him.” 19 (B)Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed[b] every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and (C)brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam[c] there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a (D)deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made[d] into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is (E)bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was (F)taken out of Man.”[e]

24 (G)Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

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Footnotes
  1. Genesis 2:18 Or corresponding to; also verse 20
  2. Genesis 2:19 Or And out of the ground the Lord God formed
  3. Genesis 2:20 Or the man
  4. Genesis 2:22 Hebrew built
  5. Genesis 2:23 The Hebrew words for woman (ishshah) and man (ish) sound alike
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. It is not good for the man to be alone (18-2

)

There was one thing lacking in the Garden of Eden--man was lonely. God knew man's problem. Man was busy naming the animals which God created. He was working as a steward and shepherd, so he didn't have time to think much about himself. But God knew he needed a suitable helper.

2. God created woman (21-25)

The creation of woman is an extension of the creation of man. 1:27 says that God created mankind, male and female, in his own image. God put the man to sleep, took one of his ribs, and created woman. He brought her to the man to be his friend, and to help him do the work God had given them to do. God joined them together in the mysterious union called marriage. What God has joined, man should not separate. The man must make a commitment to his wife. They must pioneer a new world. The family is the first building block of society. There must be order; there must be love.

Prayer: Lord, establish families that are bound together in you to do your work.

One Word: God made marriage