The last time I wrote about the Lord's intention, His concern, and conclusion for Adam–He created Eve for him–a help suitable for him.
According to Genesis chapter 2 verses 19-20, a desire was shaped by God–God had the entire animal kingdom pass by Adam. He tells Adam to look at them and give them names and whatever Adam called them, that was the name. Now, God's intention here is far deeper than a mere intellectual exercise. He isn't trying to give Adam a brain workout. The real goal here is to awaken in Adam a desire for companionship.
As Adam saw all these animals pass by before him surely he must have noticed that everyone of them had a mate. It must have dawned on him that he was the only creature who seemed to be alone.
That desire that awakens in us that causes us to begin to look on the opposite sex with interest is natural and God-given. There is in the heart of mankind a deep-seated desire for companionship. Some parents have a problem with this interest. Even some young people who are feeling these desires have a problem that mom and dad just aren't going to suffice forever.
I want to say that this is a natural part of the transition from childhood to adulthood. There comes a time in every normal, well-adjusted life when a person begins to feel the yearning "to settle down" with someone they love. It is a normal part of life.
A desire satisfied by God. The Lord never awakens a desire that He isn't prepared to fulfil in His own way and in His own time. Our problem is that we have these desires in us and we set about satisfying them on our own, and in our own time. When we do, we have short-circuited the plan of God and are on thin ice. When this desire comes to the surface in Adam's life, God set about meeting that need. There are three things involved in providing a helpmeet for Adam.
First it involved a sleep–when it came time for God to make a helpmeet for Adam, He caused him to go to sleep while He did His work. In other words, Adam was totally uninvolved in the selection process. It, like nearly everything in life, fell to the sovereign choice of God. There is a lesson here for those of you who are looking for a future spouse. The best thing you can do is to let that area of your life go to sleep and trust the Lord to bring that person into your life in His time and in His way.
But that isn't what we are told to do. We are told that one must be proactive; that one must make things happen. You got to go out there and grab hold of the one you choose and use any means necessary in your arsenal to see that they do not go to someone else. What a lack of faith! If God can be trusted to save your soul from hell, do you not think that He can also be trusted to bring you the mate He wants you to have.
Secondly it involves surgery–while Adam was asleep, God performed surgery on Adam, opened him up and took out a rib. It was from the rib that God made the woman. Surgery always involves pain. Often finding a mate involves pain and even after a mate has been secured and vows have been exchanged, there is still painful times. However, we must learn to trust the Lord during the difficult times and to remember our commitment made to our spouse. We must fight for our marriages.
One Christian marriage counsellor said, "The only thing that I have seen will make a marriage last is that the couple wants to be married to each other more than they want divorce."
Thirdly it involves symbolism–notice where the she came from. In taking her from the side of man, God was painting a picture that speaks volumes of what the marriage relationship should be...Matthew Henry puts it this way: "Eve was made by God not out of Adam's head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him. But out of his side to be equal with him, from under his arm to be protected and from near his heart to be loved."
Pastor A Courtney Jones