This may very well be the first time I have looked with devotion into the story told here in Genesis. The Old Testament of our Bible builds the very foundation upon which the New Testament, the Good News of our Saviour, finds solid Rock to stand on. Our faith is not lessened by our search for understanding in the reasoning God may have used after creating Adam and putting him to work. God could see immediately that Adam was just not able to keep up with all that had to be done. Plus, God knew that man definitely needed a life-time companion to share this wonderful life together.
We read in Genesis that God created the Garden of Eden, then put Adam in the garden, along with all the animals that Adam had named, as a means to keep him busy. Then God told Adam, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden” but do not eat from the tree of knowledge, for if you do you will die”. We all know what happened!
It soon became apparent that Adam needed a helper, one who was like him, but yet different. It was soon evident that Adam was not able to do it alone. God saw that he just needed a good wife, like mine, so God put Adam into a deep sleep and from one of Adam’s ribs; God made a helper fit to be his partner and gave her to him. Adam’s gratitude of this wonderful gift can be seen in his response:
“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 2:23a
God knew that the companion fit for Adam required a fresh creative act of God. So the emergence of woman is a very exciting and stunning emergence of Adam. The creation of the woman is also a new and exciting creation from God. The two human creations from God now join together, are to live happily ever after. In this day, need we look for another reason to join together as one in love and devotion? From our experiences we can, with joy and excitement, affirm our story of Genesis.
Heavenly Father, from this story found early in the Good Book of Genesis, fill our hearts with loving understanding so that all people may live according to Your purpose and will. In Your Spirit we pray for Your Loving Ways to become our ways. Amen.