Genesis 2:21-23

The giving of names seems to have been an important part of the creation process.

God named the day and the night, the firmament, the earth, and the sea.

In fact, Psalm 147:4 tells us that "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."

And certainly, it was His right as their Creator to do so. 

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As we all know, Adam was made in the image of God, and I suspect it was for that reason that he was given "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

And because of that dominion, each creature was sent to him to be named.

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Two things stand out here:

First of all, Adam must have had a highly developed analytical mind in order to accomplish this task. 

And, secondly, the animals were not afraid of Adam, nor was he afraid of them.

They were both vegetarians, and, as yet, all the animals were tame.

I think that blessed condition prevailed throughout the entire Antediluvian age.

But all that changed after the flood.  "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth---.”

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However, as we discovered last week, we will be coming full-circle someday. 

Yes, when Jesus rules over this earth, the animal kingdom will be able to relax once again. 

Isaiah 11:6-10  "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7: And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8: And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10: And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."

The mother will not say to her child, "Oh, no, my dear! You can’t pet that big kitty!"

For "the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."

Yes, all the animals will be vegetarians once again, as they were in Adam’s day.

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

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Well, we better get back to Genesis 2.

Last week, as we finished V 20, we suddenly realized that creation wasn't finished after all.

Even though Adam had dominion over all, "-- there was not found an help meet for him."

Yes, with all God’s creatures around him, Adam was still very much alone. 

And God said it was "not good.”

Certainly God wasn't taken by surprise, and even Adam must have realized there was something wrong.

It must have been obvious to him as he "gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field" that everyone else had a partner, but he was alone.

However, God was very much aware of his need, and He knew exactly what He was going to do about it.

You might say Adam's wife was in the mind of God long before she was in the arms of Adam.

God had awakened this need in Adam’s life, and He it was who satisfied it in His own good time and in His own good way.

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Yes, the whole idea of marriage originated with God.

He invented it, and only God is qualified to set down its guidelines. 

Jesus, referring to the book of Genesis, said in Matthew 19:4, "--Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female"?

Yes, God designed marriage, and He designed it around the "male" and the "female."

Actually, He could have done quite differently.

In Hebrews 12:22, we are told that there are "an innumerable company of angels" in heaven.

Again, in Revelation 5:11, the Apostle John says---"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.”

And yet, with all this tremendous population, there is not the slightest reference to the concept of marriage in heaven.

The word angel, which means "messenger,", is always used in the masculine gender, although sex in the human sense, is never attributed to angels.

So the whole concept of marriage and the reproduction of angels is entirely unknown in heaven. 

And Jesus pointed that out to some Sadducees--who were using the hypothetical case of a woman who had been widowed and remarried seven times--to challenge the validity of the resurrection.

We see that account in Matthew.  22:27-30 "And last of all the woman died also.
28: Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30: For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

So it is evident that God created the entire angel population at one time, negating the necessity of reproduction.

This wasn’t His plan on earth. 

In the beginning, God only created the first of each species, and then said, "Be fruitful, and multiply.”

And the human race was to be propagated in the same way.

Genesis 1: 28  "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply--."

And even though the man and the woman are very different, they were created to form a single unit.

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So now we know why God created Adam and Eve rather than Adam and Steve.

Certainly He could have created a world full of men, much as He had done in heaven, but that wasn't His plan.

And aside from the fact that there wouldn't be anyone around to ask directions in case someone got lost, there is another good reason why God "made them male and female.”

He "made them male and female," and He created the institution of marriage for the preservation and increase of the human race, and for the love and nurturing of the human family.

Yes, children do need a mother and a father.

And it is very evident that Eve was an indispensable part of God's plan.

No, there just isn't any substitute for a godly woman and a godly wife. 

Proverbs 31:10-12  "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

And you know what?

Proverbs 19:14 answers the question---- "Who can find a virtuous woman?”

And here it is:  "House and riches are the inheritance of fathers and a prudent wife is from the LORD."

Yes, God invented marriage, and He is the best One to supply a marriage partner.

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However, there is another choice.

The world, the flesh, and the devil, are also in the business of supplying marriage partners.

And television and movies have been very effective in setting up false and disastrous standards for the marriage relationship.

And not only that, but we are living in a world that uses sex appeal to sell everything from toothpaste to motor cars!

Passions are aroused in young people, even Christian young people, long before they should be, so it is difficult for them to remain pure, and it is hard for them to wait patiently for the Lord's provision.

However, we can do no better than wait upon God for His supply.

Then we will be able to say, "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."

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So the deficiency of V 20 led quite naturally to the provision of V 21-22--"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

Commenting on these verses, Matthew Henry made this lovely observation: " ---the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his 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, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved."

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Eve's creation must have been an insurmountable problem for the theistic evolutionist.

He might compromise with the evolutionist when it came to Adam’s creation, although even that would have taken a great stretch of the imagination, but there is simply no way of reconciling his theories with Eve's creation.

Yes, God created Eve out of Adam, and here in these verses we have a description of an operation, complete with anaesthetic!

Oh, I don't actually mean that God used an anaesthetic, but He did put Adam into a deep sleep, and that is significant in itself.

Apparently God was performing an actual operation which would have involved pain, so He rendered Adam unconscious. 

I'm sure He could have done it much differently.

He could have caused Adam’s rib to simply float out through his body without any need of an operation, much as Christ went through the door of the disciples’ room.

But God didn't do it that way.

No, God put Adam to sleep, just as a surgeon would do, and He performed an actual operation.

Doesn’t that seem unusual?

And why did God deliberately choose to create Eve from Adam's body in the first place?

Why wouldn't He make her in the very same way He had made Adam?

And for that matter, why didn't He make Eve at the very same time that He made Adam?

Certainly, it's not unusual for us to add something to our original plans, for we can't see past the point of our nose, but God doesn't work that way. 

No, Eve wasn't just an afterthought.

Then why did God wait until it was evident that there was something missing in Adam’s life before He created Eve?

After all, He didn't do that with the rest of creation.

In every other case, He made the male and female at the very same time­, and in the very same way, so why not Eve?

Also, Eve was the only creation in God's earth that was made out of living matter. 

No, there just isn't any way around it.  Eve was absolutely unique.

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So ladies, if your husband complains about the way you make decisions, just smile sweetly and say, "Of course I don’t think the way you do, dear.  Didn't you know that we women are absolutely unique?"

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But on a more serious note, we still have to ask ourselves the question, Why did God create Eve in such an unusual way?

Let me give you the bottom-line right away, and then we'll look at the subject in more detail.

The reason Eve was created in such a unique way is because she is a type of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Having said that, let’s look at the details.

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Right away it is apparent that Adam was wounded so that Eve might have life, thus foreshadowing the Second Adam’s death on the cross.

Isaiah 53:5  "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Yes, Christ gave His life to bring His bride into existence.

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And then there was the time factor that we have already noted.

Adam is a type of the Eternal One, while Eve is a type of the Church, which only arrived on this earthly scene on the day of Pentecost, so he must come first. 

Also, as Adam pointed out, Eve was "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh," and in like manner, the Church is the body of Christ.

We see that in Ephesians 5:29-32  "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32: This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

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And even though it has nothing to do with the type we are presently studying, I would like to take a moment to comment on Adam’s statement,"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.”

Apparently Adam was aware of Eve's origin, even though he had been asleep at the time of her creation.

Perhaps God had filled him in on the procedure before the operation.

Even today, surgeons try to prepare their patients for an upcoming operation by explaining the procedure.

Perhaps God had done the same.

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So let's get back to our type.

Eve’s creation is recorded in Genesis 2 at the time when she was formed from Adam's rib, but, actually, she first appears in scripture in Genesis 1.

Let’s read V 27-28 of that chapter.  "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Notice the change from "him" to "them"?

Apparently, in Genesis 1:27-28, God had already acknowledged Eve’s presence in Adam, blessing her and giving her "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth," along with her husband. 

Yes, even before her creation, Eve had received all her blessings in Adam.

And so it is with the Church of Jesus Christ.

Even though she first appeared on this world's stage on the day of Pentecost, she had received her blessings and her inheritance in Christ "before the foundation of the world.” 

Ephesians 1:3-4  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

According to these verses, how did the "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones" receive their spiritual blessings?

Only one way--"in Christ."

And how was the Church of Jesus Christ chosen? 

It was "in him."

And when does V 4 say that we were chosen in Him? 

It was "before the foundation of the world.”

So Eve, as a type of the Church, received her blessings in Chapter 1, even though she was created in Chapter 2.

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As we all know a wife is legally a joint heir in her husband’s estate. 

A good friend of mine, and of my wife's, is the wife of a doctor.

As a young girl, she had been raised in relatively modest means, but then she married a young and successful doctor. 

It didn't matter what her financial situation had been before. 

From that time forward, she was to enjoy all of the advantages and responsibilities of a doctor’s wife.

And so it is with Christ and His Church.

All that we have and all that we are.. our very standing before God, is a result of being "in him."

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There was no other creation on earth so near to Adam as Eve.

Not only did she share in his dominion, but she was actually part of him.

And this is the Church's blessed position in Christ.

It is a privileged position we should seek to understand and appreciate more fully each passing day.

Ephesians 1:18-23  "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20: Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23: Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."

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It is blessedly true that we will share in His inheritance throughout the ages of eternity.

But did you know that we are presently the recipients of His good gifts?

To understand this truth more fully, it is helpful to know something about Jewish marriage customs.

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In our society, when a couple becomes engaged, it is a definite sign that they are planning to marry. 

However, if one or both of the parties have a change of heart, the engagement can still be broken.

This is not the case with a Jewish espousal.

Once the couple is espoused to each other, they are legally married.  However, they must continue to live apart.

In fact, during that special time of espousal, they are not even allowed to see each other.

The loving bridegroom will send his espoused bride gifts to assure her that he is thinking of her, but he must remain absent.

On her part, she must wait patiently for his next move.

She knows that some day he will come with his friends to conduct her and her friends to the marriage supper, so she must be expectantly waiting for his arrival.

After that great occasion, the couple will go to their own home which he has prepared for her, and begin their married life.

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Jesus used this Jewish custom as the background for His parable of the ten virgins.

Matthew 25:1  "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."

The bride was ready and waiting, as were the five wise virgins, and were able to go out to meet him immediately, even before he arrived at her home.

So they "that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut."--leaving the foolish virgins outside.

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Also, an awareness of this Jewish custom makes the Christmas story much more understandable.

Joseph was espoused to Mary, and it was during their time of separation that the awful news reached him. 

Matthew 1:18 "--- When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

That's when the angel intervened and told Joseph to take his faithful Mary to the wedding supper.

---"fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

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But, actually, that's not the real reason why I mention this Jewish marriage custom.

The fact is, this period of Jewish espousal foreshadows the Church’s position in God's economy during this age of grace. 

Paul refers to this relationship in 2 Corinthians 11:2.  "--I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

Yes, that’s where we are today.

We are espoused to Christ.

And it’s binding! 

No, we cannot be saved and lost again.

And during this age of grace, even though the bridegroom is absent, He does send us gifts as a token of His love. 

One of those gifts is the personal presence of the Holy Spirit, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.”

And His presence is just a foretaste of what’s ahead--when Christ comes to take us home.

Oh, yes, the Bridegroom is coming!

We don't know when, but we do know He is coming!

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

And just like the Jewish brides of old, we should be expectantly and joyfully waiting for His appearing.

And just like that alert Jewish bride, we’re going to meet Him part way. 

Yes, we "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."

Are we watching and waiting for that day?

Are we among that number who love His appearing?

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

And like the Jewish brides of old, He will conduct us to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:7-9  "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

Did you notice that in V 7, the Church is no longer called the bride? 

No, she is "his wife."

"--- and his wife hath made herself ready."

The time of espousal is over, and the marriage supper is about to begin. 

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♫♪The bride eyes not her garment

But her dear bridegroom’s face;

I will not gaze at glory,

But on my King of grace.

Not at the crown He giveth,

But on His pierced hand.

The Lamb is all the glory

Of Immanuel’s land.

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There are a lot of firsts in Genesis. 

I suppose that’s why it’s called Genesis!

Here we have . . .

·       The first sea life

·       The first birds and animals

·       The first man

And today we witnessed the first operation!

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Next week we will be hearing about God's first inspired Word to man.